Honda bulletin A23-073
What it saysThe vehicle's transmission temperature can become too hot due to automatic transmission fluid deterioration causing high foaming and low viscosity. NHTSA’s full summary ↓
Honda filed this with NHTSA as a service bulletin dated Sep 7, 2023, received Sep 13, 2023, about the power train. It names 5 model years (2016–2020). A service bulletin is not a safety recall: it is the manufacturer telling its dealers how to diagnose or repair a condition, and whether the work is paid for depends on the warranty in force. Quoting the number at a service desk can save a diagnosis.
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What the bulletin says
Source: NHTSA's summary of the manufacturer's communicationService Bulletin - The vehicle's transmission temperature can become too hot due to automatic transmission fluid deterioration causing high foaming and low viscosity. During extended high load driving, the automatic transmission fluid will foam and cooler flow rate is reduced.
Document filed under this number
| Document | Kind | Dated | NHTSA id | At NHTSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A23-073 | Service bulletin | Sep 7, 2023 | 10242219 | PDF, 213 KB |
What the document itself lists
Parts the bulletin names
| Part number | Description | Qty | Find it |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90471-PX4-000 | Drain Plug Washer (18mm) | 1 | eBay Motors → |
| 11107-PWA-300 | ATF Fill Sealing Washer (24mm) | 1 | eBay Motors → |
| 37805-RLV-315 | — | — |
Labour operation and the time the manufacturer allows
| Operation | Description | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 1255E4 | Update the PGM-FI software | 0.2 hrs |
Read by machine from the document NHTSA serves (4 pages), read Oct 4, 2026. A part number is shown only where it matches Honda’s own catalogue shape, an operation only with its code and time, and a description only where the reader got it whole; anything it could not settle is left out, and the PDF is the record. Times are the manufacturer’s warranty allowances, not a quote. Listings and prices on eBay Motors are the seller’s.
Affiliate disclosure: some links on this page are affiliate links. If you request a quote or buy through them we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Nothing on this page changes because of it.
The summary is NHTSA’s abstract of the document, as filed under 49 CFR 579.5. One communication is usually filed as several documents — the bulletin, a dealer notice, an owner letter — and the number on any of them finds this page. A PDF link is shown only once NHTSA’s own server has been seen to serve that document; the rest are checked over the following nights. Quote the number at a service desk; it is what the dealer’s system is keyed on.
Doing the repair yourself, or pricing it before the shop does? Search the part by fitment on eBay Motors — the listing and the price are the seller’s.
Find the automatic transmission for the 2020 Pilot →Affiliate disclosure: some links on this page are affiliate links. If you request a quote or buy through them we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Nothing on this page changes because of it.
Model years it names
Source: as the manufacturer filed themA vehicle page’s bulletin list shows the newest few communications filed against that model year; the count there is every one.
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What owners reported
Source: NHTSA complaint databaseOwners of the 5 model years this bulletin names have filed 4,528 complaints with NHTSA since 2015. 497 of them name Power Train — the same broad component group this bulletin is filed under. NHTSA groups complaints coarsely, so that means the same area of the vehicle, not necessarily the same fault.
On the 2016 Honda Pilot, the 118 owners who gave an odometer reading for Power Train reported it at a median of 48,000 miles. That figure is one model year’s, not the whole range this bulletin covers — medians from different model years are not averaged.
Vehicle surges forward when 9-speed automatic transmission shifts during coasting or light braking. Surging routinely occurs at moderate speeds ( 35-45mph ) when coasting downhill on a secondary highway. Surging has also occurred at parking lot speeds, and has necessitated emergency braking to avoid collision.
2016 Honda Pilot · Power Train · filed with NHTSA Feb 1, 2016 · ODI 10823367
The transmission unexpectedly shift into neutral while driving. This happened in middle of the road at 6:30 PM. My son was in the vehicle and it was dangerous to stop in the middle of the road. Accident can occur. Nine-speed automatic for random drops into neutral
2017 Honda Pilot · Power Train · filed with NHTSA Jul 26, 2017 · ODI 11010846
6/13 5:10 PM on I-95 n 30 minutes south of fredericksburg, va was going 78 MPH when all of the sudden 'blind spot sensor error' appeared on dash and within 10 seconds transmission error - see owners manual - get somewhere safe appeared on the dash.
2018 Honda Pilot · Power Train · filed with NHTSA Jul 19, 2019 · ODI 11233393
In depth: 2018 Honda Pilot transmission and drivetrain problems → · 2017 Honda Pilot transmission and drivetrain problems → · 2016 Honda Pilot transmission and drivetrain problems →
A complaint is one owner’s account, not a defect finding, and a bulletin is not a recall. Nothing here says this bulletin was issued because of these complaints, or that the repair it describes fixed them. Complaint files on this site begin in 2015.
Quote the number at the service desk. It is what the dealer’s system is keyed on.
Every manufacturer communication NHTSA holds for Honda, by the number printed on the letter.
Common questions
Source: NHTSA, 49 CFR 579.5Is Honda A23-073 a recall?
No. A service bulletin is a manufacturer communication filed with NHTSA under 49 CFR 579.5; a safety recall carries an NHTSA campaign number (two digits, a letter, six digits) and a federal duty to repair for free. Check the vehicle’s recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls, or on its page here.
Is the A23-073 repair free?
Not automatically. A service bulletin describes how to diagnose or repair a condition; who pays depends on the warranty in force, any extension, and the dealer. Quoting the number can save a diagnosis either way. Every Honda warranty extension on file lists the ones Honda has filed.
Which vehicles does A23-073 cover?
The manufacturer filed it against 5 model years: 2020 Honda Pilot, 2019 Honda Pilot, 2018 Honda Pilot, 2017 Honda Pilot, 2016 Honda Pilot. Whether one particular vehicle is affected is a matter of its VIN and its build, not its model year alone.