Reliable Auto DB

2016 Honda Pilot reliability

Is it reliable?

NHTSA's file on the 2016 Honda Pilot holds 1,701 complaints after 11 years, a rate of 62 per year. That is more complaints per year than most Pilot years here — over the median of the other years, which is 32. NHTSA has 8 recalls on file, including Frame, Fuel pump, and Internal engine parts.

2016 Honda Pilot LX
Photo by Kevauto, resized from the original. Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 4.0
Complaints

1,701

Per year

62

Recalls

8

Years on the road

11

What owners report

The complaints owners file most often name Engine (768 of 1,701), then Electrical system (579) and Powertrain (200). Complaints that include an odometer have a median of 50,000 miles, and the middle half falls between 30,134 and 76,750 miles. Those filings include 23 that report a crash, 9 that report a fire, and 10 that report an injury.

Next to 2015 and 2017

The 2015 Pilot has 109 complaints, 9 per year, and the 2017 has 921 complaints, 35 per year. The 2016 has more complaints per year than the 2015. The 2016 has more complaints per year than the 2017.

The complaint rate is complaints filed in this year’s first 3 years on the road, divided by however many of those years have passed. Recalls are a separate count. The numbers are for the US-market 2016 Honda Pilot. How we count. Data as of .

Recalls (8)

Recall structure, frame 2026-06-04 · NHTSA campaign 26V365000
Summary American Honda Motor Company (Honda) is recalling certain 2016-2022 Honda Pilot, 2017-2023 Ridgeline, 2019-2023 Passport, and 2014-2020 Acura MDX vehicles that were sold in Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, or Wisconsin. The rear subframe may corrode at the suspension mounting points, which can result in rear suspension component failure.
Remedy Dealers will inspect the rear subframe and install a rear subframe reinforcement kit and, as necessary, repair or replace the rear subframe components, free of charge. Interim letters notifying owners of the safety risk were mailed July 27, 2026. Additional letters will be sent once the final remedy is available, anticipated in the fall of 2026. Owners may contact Honda's customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are AOU and AOT. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will become searchable on NHTSA.gov beginning June 10, 2026.
Vehicles affected 880,514
Recall Fuel pump 2023-12-18 · NHTSA campaign 23V858000
Summary Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2013-2023 Honda Accord, Civic Coupe, Civic Sedan, Civic Hatchback, Civic Type R, CR-V, HR-V, Ridgeline, Odyssey, Acura ILX, MDX, MDX Hybrid, RDX, RLX, TLX, 2019-2022 Honda Insight, Passport, 2020 Honda CR-V Hybrid, 2018-2019 Honda Clarity PHEV, Fit, and 2015-2020 Honda Accord Hybrid, Pilot, Acura NSX vehicles. The fuel pump inside the fuel tank may fail.
Remedy Dealers will replace the fuel pump module, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed September 6, 2024. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are KGC and KGD. This recall is an expansion of NHTSA recall numbers 21V-215 and 20V-314.
Vehicles affected 2,490,460
Recall engine and cooling, engine, internal engine parts 2023-11-13 · NHTSA campaign 23V751000
Summary Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2015-2020 Acura TLX, 2016-2020 Acura MDX, 2016 and 2018-2019 Pilot, 2017 and 2019 Ridgeline, and 2018-2019 Odyssey vehicles. Due to a manufacturing error, the connecting rod bearing in the engine may wear and seize, damaging the engine.
Remedy Dealers will inspect and repair, or replace the engine as necessary, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed March 28, 2024. 2016-2017 Acura MDX owner letters were mailed November 1, 2024. 2016-2020 Acura MDX owner letters are expected to be mailed in mid-December 2024. Honda began mailing owner notification letters as of March 18, 2024. 2015-2016 Acura owner letters are expected to be mailed mid-December 2024, 2018 Acura TLX owner letters are expected to be mailed the end of March/early April 2024, 2019 Acura TLX owner letters are expected to be mailed mid-May 2024, 2020 Acura TLX owner letters are expected to be mailed mid-June 2024, and 2016-2020 Acura MDX owner letters are expected to be mailed January 27, 2025. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for these recalls are XG1 and GG0.
Vehicles affected 248,999
Recall structure, body, hood 2021-11-29 · NHTSA campaign 21V932000
Summary Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2019 Passport, 2016-2019 Pilot, and 2017-2020 Ridgeline vehicles. The hood latch striker may become damaged and separate from the hood, which can result in the hood opening while driving.
Remedy Dealers will either repair the hood latch striker, or replace the hood if necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 18, 2022. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's number for this recall is PBV.
Vehicles affected 724,826
Recall gasoline fuel system, storage 2017-03-30 · NHTSA campaign 17V219000
Summary Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2016 Honda Pilot 2WD and AWD vehicles. The affected vehicles have fuel tanks that may leak.
Remedy Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fuel tank, free of charge. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's number for this recall is KE8.
Vehicles affected 136
Recall gasoline fuel system, storage, tank 2016-06-09 · NHTSA campaign 16V417000
Summary Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain model year 2015 Acura MDX 2WD and MDX 4WD vehicles, 2016 Acura MDX 4WD vehicles, 2015-2016 Honda Odyssey vehicles, and 2016 Honda Pilot 2WD and 4WD vehicles. The affected vehicles have fuel tanks that were manufactured with insufficient welds which may separate and allow fuel to leak out.
Remedy Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fuel tanks, free of charge. Owners may contact Honda/Acura customer service at 1-888-234-2138. The recall began on July 29, 2016. Honda's numbers for this recall are KA9 (Honda vehicles) and KB0 (Acura vehicles).
Vehicles affected 39
Recall electrical system, instrument cluster 2015-10-16 · NHTSA campaign 15V668000
Summary Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain model year 2016 Honda Pilot 2WD vehicles manufactured May 4, 2015, to September 8, 2015 and 2016 Pilot 4WD vehicles manufactured May 7, 2015 to September 4, 2015. In the affected vehicles, when one of the safety systems such as tire pressure monitoring, anti-lock braking or electronic stability control malfunctions, there is potential that the instrument panel will not illuminate the corresponding warning light, however the warning lamps will illuminate when the ignition is turned off and then turned back on. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 126, "Electronic stability control systems", number 135, "Light vehicle brake systems" and number 138, "Tire pressure monitoring systems".
Remedy Honda will notify owners, and dealers will update the instrument cluster software, free of charge. The recall began on December 11, 2015. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's number for this recall is JV7.
Vehicles affected 35,406
Recall seat belts, rear or other 2015-07-06 · NHTSA campaign 15V424000
Summary Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain model year 2016 Honda Pilot vehicles manufactured May 4, 2015, to June 5, 2015. Due to an assembly issue, the third row seatbelt may be trapped between the rear seat and the rear sideliner.
Remedy Honda will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and repair the rear third row seat belt, free of charge. The recall began on August 6, 2015. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-310-783-2000. Honda's number for this recall is JS7.
Vehicles affected 1,358

NHTSA's count is every vehicle in that campaign. A campaign can cover other model years and other models.

Complaints by component (1701 total)

Engine
768
Electrical system
579
Powertrain
200
Fuel and propulsion system
170
Structure
53
Engine and engine cooling
45
Speed control
39
Electronic stability control (ESC)
37
Service brakes
29
Forward collision avoidance
24
Steering
18
Fuel system, gasoline
17
Air bags
14
Exterior lighting
14
Lane departure
11
Suspension
11
Wheels
11
Visibility and wipers
9
Seats
8
Seat belts
6
Back-over prevention
5
Latches, locks, and linkages
4
Visibility
4
Equipment
3
Hydraulic brakes
2
Tires
2
Show 18 more Show less
Crash-flagged

23

Fire-flagged

9

Injury reports

10

Death reports

0

Of the 734 complaints that include an odometer reading, the median is 50,000 miles. The middle half fall between 30,134 and 76,750 miles.

Complaints filed per year

9201561201645201771201824220192002020138202124720221242023197202423420251332026
Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings
  • "I have an unresolved rear sub frame recall. The dealer looked at the problem. Said to fix it that control arms need to be replaced. Along with any other parts to fix recall. They submitted to Honda for goodwill claim to…"
    Suspension · filed 2026-09-20
  • "very well maintained 2016 honda pilot oil changes done on time only 149k miles started it up labor day weekend to a sound of engine knock. It ran for a min or two before I turn it off oil was full. It is not the failed…"
    Engine · filed 2026-09-19
  • "Engine warning light came on, then all warning lights came on, then the engine just stopped. Honda dealer confirmed it was due to a failed crankshaft and might be covered under a current recall, 23V-751. We spent over…"
    Engine · filed 2026-09-09
  • "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…"
    Hydraulic brakes, Powertrain, Engine · filed 2026-09-08
  • "My vehicle's fuel injectors failed, triggering a check engine light with code P0430. This matches a known manufacturing defect described in Honda's Technical Service Bulletin 20-100, which states injectors on affected…"
    Fuel and propulsion system · filed 2026-09-08

NHTSA crash ratings

Version Overall Front Side Rollover
2016 Honda Pilot SUV AWD 5 stars 4 stars 5 stars 4 stars
2016 Honda Pilot SUV FWD 5 stars 4 stars 5 stars 4 stars

Stars are how this vehicle did in NHTSA crash tests. They are a safety result, separate from the complaint record. Not rated means that test was not run for this version.

Fuel economy

Trim Engine Transmission Drive City Hwy Combined Annual fuel cost
Pilot two-wheel drive 3.5L, 6-cyl Automatic (9-speed) Front-wheel drive 20 27 23 MPG $2800
Pilot two-wheel drive 3.5L, 6-cyl Automatic 6-speed Front-wheel drive 19 27 22 MPG $2950
Pilot four-wheel drive 3.5L, 6-cyl Automatic (9-speed) All-wheel drive 19 26 22 MPG $2950
Pilot four-wheel drive 3.5L, 6-cyl Automatic 6-speed All-wheel drive 18 25 21 MPG $3100

Specs and fitment

3rd generation, 2016–2022
Body styles SUV
Oil 0W-20 , 5.7 qt capacity
Tire size 245/60R18 (LX/EX/EX-L) to 245/50R20 (Touring/Elite)
Towing capacity 5,000 lbs

Known issues for this generation

Honda service bulletin 20-029 covers 2016-2019 Pilot Touring and Elite models, plus a VIN range of 2020 Touring and Elite models, for intermittent harsh or jerky upshifts with steady acceleration. Honda traced the symptom to abnormal adaptation values in the transmission control module's software rather than to a mechanical fault; the remedy updates the transmission control module, after which the transmission needs about 500 miles of normal driving to re-adapt to the driver's pattern, and 2016 models additionally require a powertrain control module idle learn. A separate earlier bulletin, 16-008, covers 2016 Pilots with the 9-speed automatic for a different set of shift-quality symptoms, including a sensation of surge while braking and slow downshift response at low engine speeds.

Compare

Previous year 2015 Honda Pilot Next year 2017 Honda Pilot See every Honda Pilot model year →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2016 Honda Pilot reliable?

NHTSA's file on the 2016 Honda Pilot holds 1,701 complaints after 11 years, a rate of 62 per year. That is more complaints per year than most Pilot years here — over the median of the other years, which is 32. NHTSA has 8 recalls on file, including Frame, Fuel pump, and Internal engine parts.

What are common problems with a 2016 Honda Pilot?

The complaints owners file most often name Engine (768 of 1,701), then Electrical system (579) and Powertrain (200). Complaints that include an odometer have a median of 50,000 miles, and the middle half falls between 30,134 and 76,750 miles. Those filings include 23 that report a crash, 9 that report a fire, and 10 that report an injury.

Is the 2016 Honda Pilot more reliable than the years next to it?

The 2015 Pilot has 109 complaints, 9 per year, and the 2017 has 921 complaints, 35 per year. The 2016 has more complaints per year than the 2015. The 2016 has more complaints per year than the 2017.

Has the 2016 Honda Pilot been recalled?

The 2016 Honda Pilot has 8 recalls on file with NHTSA. See the recalls table on this page for dates, components, and remedies.

How many complaints have owners filed about the 2016 Honda Pilot?

Owners have filed 1701 complaints about the 2016 Honda Pilot with NHTSA.

What mpg does a 2016 Honda Pilot get?

EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the 2016 Honda Pilot is 22 MPG. See the fuel economy table on this page for city and highway figures by engine and transmission.

What oil does a Honda Pilot take?

2nd gen: 5W-20 (2009-2012) or 0W-20 (2013-2015). 3rd and 4th gen US Pilots use 0W-20 (about 5.7-5.8 qt with filter on recent fills).

Does recall 24V-900 cover the Honda Pilot?

Certain 2023-2025 Pilots are covered for the fuel tank fill pipe: an incomplete connection may allow a fuel leak; dealers inspect and repair the fill-pipe connection.

What generation is the 2020 Honda Pilot?

3rd generation (2016-2022). The 4th generation starts in 2023.