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2016 Honda Pilot: common problems and reliability
One of the worst Pilot years.
One of the Honda Pilot years to avoid. All Pilot years
1,703 owner complaints, most about engine. 8 recalls.
Should I buy a 2016 Pilot?The 2016 Honda Pilot has 1703 owner-filed NHTSA complaints and 8 recalls on record. The most-reported areas are engine and electrical system.
Safety record for the 2016 model year
Source: NHTSA complaints and recalls filed for 2016 Honda Pilot vehicles (US, public record).
The Year Score compares this year with other Pilot years only. How we score it
Is 2016 a good year for the Pilot?
Across the 24 Pilot model years we track, complaint volume runs from 109 (2015) to 1,703 (2016). With 1,703 complaints, the 2016 Pilot sits above the model's median of 268.
These are raw NHTSA complaint totals, not adjusted for how many cars sold or how long each model year has been on the road. Older and higher-selling years accumulate more complaints.
Where owners report problems
Recalls affecting the 2016 Pilot
fuel system, gasoline:storage
Campaign 17V219000Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2016 Honda Pilot 2WD and AWD vehicles. The affected vehicles have fuel tanks that may leak.
fuel system, gasoline:storage:tank assembly
Campaign 16V417000Honda (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.
seat belts:rear/other
Campaign 15V424000Honda (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.
electrical system: instrument cluster/panel
Campaign 15V668000Honda (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".
Show 4 more recalls
structure:body:hood
Campaign 21V932000Honda (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.
engine and engine cooling:engine:hard parts internal/mechanical
Campaign 23V751000Honda (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.
fuel system, gasoline:delivery:fuel pump
Campaign 23V858000Honda (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.
structure:frame and members
Campaign 26V365000American 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.
What owners say across generations
Overwhelmingly positive sentiment regarding long-term reliability, practicality, and driving experience. The Pilot is consistently praised as a durable, high-mileage family vehicle capable of reaching 250,000+ miles with proper maintenance.
Owner insights cover all generations of the Pilot. See the full Pilot owner picture and every model year.
Typical used price
Used Pilot listings typically run $17,700–$29,885.
Other Pilot model years
Compare every Pilot year side by side to see how 2016 ranks against the rest.
Compare the Pilot against its rivals
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