2016 Honda Pilot transmission and drivetrain problems
201 of the 1,709 complaints owners filed with NHTSA about the 2016 Honda Pilot name the transmission and drivetrain (NHTSA’s “Power Train” heading — the transmission, transfer case, driveshafts, axles and differentials — NHTSA files them under one heading). Filed under the same heading: 54 manufacturer bulletins. Every figure below is a document in a federal file, linked; none is a failure rate, and none is a verdict on any one car.
What owners filed about the transmission and drivetrain
Source: NHTSA complaint database5 of the 201 reports a crash · 0 a fire · 1 injury. Self-reported, unverified.
Filed per year: 2015: 2 · 2016: 18 · 2017: 11 · 2018: 14 · 2019: 31 · 2020: 29 · 2021: 12 · 2022: 20 · 2023: 16 · 2024: 15 · 2025: 24 · 2026: 9
Half of the 118 owners who gave an odometer reading reported the transmission and drivetrain problem between 26,000 and 70,000 miles. A median of reports, not the life of a part.
1,709 complaints in all about the 2016 Honda Pilot, 9 filed in 2026. The whole picture, every system →
Counts are owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects, and scale with how many of these were sold; nothing here is a rate. NHTSA groups complaints coarsely, so “Power Train” means the same area of the vehicle, not one fault.
Across model years: Honda Pilot transmission and drivetrain problems, every year on file →
In owners’ own words
Source: NHTSA complaint databaseFiled with NHTSA by the people who own these cars, about the transmission and drivetrain. Quoted as written, with anything identifying removed; unverified reports — what was said, not a finding that it was true.
While merging onto the highway going approximately 20mph, the car seized up, brought the car to a near stop and would not accelerate. It did this 3 times. No warning lights on the dash, no notice of something malfunctioning. This car was built on august 19,2016. I purchased it on august 25 only 839 miles on it when incident occurred
On september 2, 2016 while ascending up a winding 2-lane highway (highway 18) to lake arrowhead, our year old 2016 Honda Pilot touring (with a zf 9-speed transmission) began decelerating rapidly from 55 MPH to 20 MPH. My wife was driving with our 4 children and was able to pull to the side of the road.
Vehicle has a lurching jolt when at a stop and go into 1st/2nd gear. Very noticeable downshift when breaking as well, with more lurching jolts
Transmission was making a beeping, whistling noise when shifting gears on city street. My car was not a year old and transmission was replaced with re-manufactured. It is still not running as before problem. I AM hearing noise such as sounding like rake being drug on concrete and whistling noise.
The vehicle started making noises when shifting gears and the local dealer asked me to stop by a week later for diagnosis. This made me believe that it may not be a big issue as the dealership did not find it alarming after knowing about the symptoms the car was displaying.
What is on file about the transmission and drivetrain
Source: NHTSA recalls, investigations and manufacturer communications54 manufacturer bulletins filed under this heading
The 0 newest are listed; every one is on the model year’s page. Quote the document number at a service desk — it is a diagnosis the maker has already written down.
Trouble codes named on this system
P0430 P0369 P2638 P0716 P0776 P287C P26C3 P0700
Codes a bulletin or an owner’s complaint about the 2016 Honda Pilot names on this model year; a code with a record of its own links it.
Other systems with a record on the 2016 Honda Pilot
Source: the same files- engine problems 816 complaints
- electrical problems 581 complaints
- fuel system problems 189 complaints
- body and structure problems 54 complaints
Common questions
Source: NHTSA complaint database, recalls and manufacturer communicationsAre transmission and drivetrain problems common on the 2016 Honda Pilot?
They are documented: NHTSA holds 201 owner complaints naming the transmission and drivetrain on this model year (12% of everything owners filed about it), and 54 manufacturer bulletins are filed under the same heading. Whether it is a problem on one particular car is a diagnosis, not a count, and a count says nothing about how many were sold.
Is there a recall for the transmission and drivetrain on the 2016 Honda Pilot?
No recall campaign is filed under this heading for this model year (there are 8 filed under other headings). A bulletin is not a recall: it carries no federal duty to repair for free.
When do transmission and drivetrain problems show up on the 2016 Honda Pilot?
Owners who gave an odometer reading reported it at a median of 48,000 miles; half of them between 26,000 and 70,000. That is when reports cluster, not the life of a part.
What does NHTSA's "Power Train" heading cover?
The transmission, transfer case, driveshafts, axles and differentials — NHTSA files them under one heading. Owners choose the heading when they file, so it says which area of the vehicle the complaint is about, not which part failed.