2016 Honda Pilot Power Train Problems
Owners have filed 201 complaints with NHTSA about power train problems on the 2016 Honda Pilot, 12% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 47,500 miles. The words owners use most often: “transmission fluid” (9% of reports).
- 201power train complaints
- 47,500median miles at failure
- 5mention a crash
- 1mention an injury
- 0related recalls
- $8,750typical repair cost reported by owners
- 25%of reports with a speed happened at 50+ mph
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- Transmission fluid: mentioned in 18 of 201 complaints (9%)
How much does it cost to fix?
Owners who wrote down what they paid or were quoted put the typical power train repair on the 2016 Honda Pilot at $8,750, and half of them between $6,400 and $10,550.
Based on 6 NHTSA complaints about this problem alone that state a repair bill or quote (2019–2026), converted to 2026 dollars with the U.S. consumer price index. These are owners' own figures, not a quote: they include dealer quotes, and owners who file complaints often faced larger repairs, so they can run higher than typical shop prices. Prices vary by shop, region and warranty coverage. How we calculate this.
At what mileage do power train problems happen?
Based on 120 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 201 complaints, 5 mention a crash, 1 an injury.
Honda Pilot power train complaints by model year
| Model year | Power Train complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 Pilot | 3 | 13% | — |
| 2025 Pilot | 22 | 11% | 22,000 |
| 2024 Pilot | 12 | 10% | 20,000 |
| 2023 Pilot | 10 | 7% | — |
| 2022 Pilot | 16 | 10% | 18,000 |
| 2021 Pilot | 25 | 6% | 20,000 |
| 2020 Pilot | 35 | 7% | 56,994 |
| 2019 Pilot | 93 | 10% | 31,700 |
| 2018 Pilot | 78 | 18% | 51,000 |
| 2017 Pilot | 122 | 13% | 40,000 |
| 2016 Pilot | 201 | 12% | 47,500 |
| 2015 Pilot | 11 | 10% | 55,000 |
| 2014 Pilot | 7 | 6% | 18,500 |
| 2013 Pilot | 54 | 20% | 3,000 |
| 2012 Pilot | 20 | 12% | 4,839 |
| 2011 Pilot | 21 | 7% | 45,000 |
| 2010 Pilot | 6 | 5% | 109,369 |
| 2009 Pilot | 12 | 9% | 82,115 |
| 2008 Pilot | 11 | 8% | 101,842 |
| 2007 Pilot | 13 | 6% | 99,000 |
| 2006 Pilot | 13 | 5% | 105,487 |
| 2005 Pilot | 176 | 26% | 97,500 |
| 2004 Pilot | 142 | 26% | 106,000 |
| 2003 Pilot | 224 | 31% | 122,493 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (0)
No safety recall lists power train for the 2016 Honda Pilot. A pattern of complaints does not always lead to a recall.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
My 2016 honda pilot has 97,500 miles. The engine stop working and I have it replaced a used 3.5 engine. The transmission has transmission overheating problem and I took a picture on the dash board. I show it to the service advisor and they won't acknowledge about the overheating problem. Honda care…
The contact owns a 2016 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that while accelerating from a stop, the vehicle lost automotive power, and the battery, oil, and information warning lights remained illuminated. Several minutes later, the vehicle was restarted, and the contact continued driving. Another…
The 6-speed automatic transmission on my 2016 Honda Pilot EX-L (103,200 miles) has experienced a severe mechanical failure casing dangerously hard, violent gear shifts during both acceleration and deceleration. Critically, no dashboard warning lights or malfunction indicator lamps illuminated while…
Frequently asked questions
Do all 2016 Honda Pilots have power train problems?
No. NHTSA has 201 owner complaints about power train for the 2016 Honda Pilot (12% of the 1,712 complaints for this model year). Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the 2016 Honda Pilot power train?
No recall currently lists power train for this vehicle.
At what mileage do power train problems start?
The median reported mileage is 47,500 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
How much does it cost to fix power train problems on the 2016 Honda Pilot?
Owners report a typical cost of $8,750 (half paid between $6,400 and $10,550), from 6 complaints that state a repair bill or quote, in 2026 dollars.
What do owners say about power train problems on the 2016 Honda Pilot?
The most frequent phrase is “transmission fluid”, in 18 of 201 complaints.
Other 2016 Honda Pilot problems
- Engine problems (771)
- Electrical System problems (579)
- Fuel/propulsion System problems (171)
- Structure problems (54)
See all 2016 Honda Pilot problems or power train problems across all Pilot years.