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#BS-2016-HONPIL-40CD2016 Honda Pilot
Based on reports from 1,000 owners and 7 recalls for this exact model.
Preliminary Verdict
Red Flag
Based on 1,000 complaints, 25 crashes, 3 fires, and 7 recalls. Complaint rate is 2.2x the class average.
Top reported problems
transmission jerks
34 complaints • Severity 7.4/10
fuel injector malfunction
22 complaints • Severity 7.3/10
auto idle stop does not work
12 complaints • Severity 7.3/10
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Mechanic Inspection Checklist
281 owners reported engine issues — failures commonly reported around 38K miles.
Failure Timeline by Mileage
Peak failure range: 0–30K miles (226 reports) • Median: 38K miles
30,000-Mile Cost Projection
Best Case
Most Likely
Worst Case
Top cost driver: Engine (281 reports).
Also in your report
Owner Intelligence
AI-synthesized themes from real complaints
Buyer Lot Checklist
Questions, test drive checks, walk-away triggers
Negotiation Talking Points
Data-backed dollar deductions
Buy / Skip Verdict
Final recommendation with conditions
Where the complaints fall
2016 Honda Pilot: Known Issues & Problem Areas
Engine Issues
Engine complaints account for 28% of all reports filed for the 2016 Honda Pilot, with 281 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. The median mileage at time of complaint is 38,000 miles, suggesting issues tend to surface around the 38K-mile mark.
Electrical Issues
Electrical complaints account for 27% of all reports filed for the 2016 Honda Pilot, with 273 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to electrical-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.
Drivetrain Issues
Drivetrain complaints account for 8% of all reports filed for the 2016 Honda Pilot, with 76 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to drivetrain-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.
Fuel System Issues
Fuel System complaints account for 6% of all reports filed for the 2016 Honda Pilot, with 57 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to fuel system-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.
Data sourced from NHTSA owner complaints and community reports. The full report analyzes severity, repair costs, and failure patterns for each category.
Complaint trend by year
Complaints filed with NHTSA by year for the 2016 Honda Pilot. Recent trend: decreasing.
Don't negotiate blind — know what this car costs to own
Repair costs • Negotiation scripts • Mechanic checklist • Buy/skip verdict
Recall History (7 recalls)
SEAT BELTS:REAR/OTHER
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.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: INSTRUMENT CLUSTER/PANEL
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".
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY
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.
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2016 Honda Pilot 2WD and AWD vehicles. The affected vehicles have fuel tanks that may leak.
LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:HOOD:LATCH
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.
+ 2 more recalls in the full report
Recall severity analysis & seller scripts
The full report rates each recall's severity and gives you scripts for asking the seller about recall completion.
The worst model year for the Honda Pilot is the 2003 — worth knowing if you're cross-shopping years. The biggest problem area is engine.
2016 Honda Pilot vs. Class Average (Small Sport Utility Vehicle 2WD)
This vehicle
1,000
Class avg
449
2.2x the class average — significantly more complaints than typical small sport utility vehicle 2wd vehicles.
Complaint counts correlate with sales volume — popular vehicles naturally generate more reports. The full report normalizes for this.
About this data
NHTSA Complaints
Federal database of owner-filed safety complaints. 1,000 records for this vehicle.
NHTSA Recalls
Manufacturer-issued safety recalls. 7 recalls found for this vehicle.
Repair Cost Data
Real-world repair costs from owner reports and independent databases.
Other Honda Pilot Model Years
View all Honda Pilot years →2016 Honda Pilot: Frequently Asked Questions
What is the most common problem with the 2016 Honda Pilot?
Is the 2016 Honda Pilot reliable?
How much does it cost to fix 2016 Honda Pilot problems?
Does the 2016 Honda Pilot have any recalls?
What mileage do Honda Pilot problems start?
What’s in the full report?
How is this different from free NHTSA data?
How is this different from Carfax?
What if the report isn’t useful?
Get the Full 2016 Honda Pilot Report
10 sections of AI analysis based on 1,000 owner reports. Know before you buy.