Honda Pilot transmission and drivetrain problems, 2016–2026
581 of the 5,552 complaints owners filed with NHTSA about the Honda Pilot 2016–2026 name the transmission and drivetrain (NHTSA’s “Power Train” heading — the transmission, transfer case, driveshafts, axles and differentials — NHTSA files them under one heading). The loudest years: 2016 (201), 2017 (123), 2019 (92). Filed under the same heading across these years: no document yet. Every figure is a linked federal record; none is a failure rate, none a repair cost, and none a verdict on one car.
Honda Pilot transmission and drivetrain problems by model year
Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer communicationsOne row per model year on file, newest first. A year marked in depth has its own page: the complaints, the owners’ words and every document under this heading for that year.
| Model year | Complaints naming the transmission and drivetrain | Share of the year’s | Typically at | On file under the heading | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 3 | 14% | — | — | the year → |
| 2025 | 21 | 10% | — | — | the year → |
| 2024 | 12 | 11% | — | — | the year → |
| 2023 | 0 | — | — | — | the year → |
| 2022 | 16 | 10% | — | — | the year → |
| 2021 | 0 | — | — | — | the year → |
| 2020 | 35 | 7% | — | — | the year → |
| 2019 | 92 | 10% | 32k | — | the year → |
| 2018 in depth | 78 | 18% | 50k | 12 TSBs | the record → |
| 2017 in depth | 123 | 13% | 40k | 36 TSBs | the record → |
| 2016 in depth | 201 | 12% | 48k | 54 TSBs | the record → |
Two things the counts carry that are not the car: how many of each year were sold, and how long each has been on the road — an older year out-counts a newer one before anything is wrong with it. The share column is the honest comparison across years: what part of that year’s complaints named the transmission and drivetrain. Nothing here is a rate.
When the transmission and drivetrain complaints were filed, and at what mileage
Source: NHTSA complaint databaseFiled per calendar year, every model year together: 2015: 2 · 2016: 18 · 2017: 15 · 2018: 19 · 2019: 49 · 2020: 52 · 2021: 34 · 2022: 81 · 2023: 58 · 2024: 77 · 2025: 106 · 2026: 70
Across the model years, half of the 224 owners who gave an odometer reading reported the transmission and drivetrain problem between 20,000 and 69,000 miles. A median of reports, not the life of a part.
In owners’ own words
Source: NHTSA complaint databaseFiled with NHTSA by the people who own these cars, about the transmission and drivetrain, from the model years with the most to say. 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.
2017 Honda Pilot AWD - periodically the transmission experiences hard shifting in the lower gears. This occurred when speeding up or slowing down. It continued until I turned off the vehicle and restarted the car. It has happened 3 times in the 3 months. I have not taken the vehicle in to be looked at because it is so un predictable
The contact owns a 2017 Honda Pilot. While driving between 10 and 25 MPH, the transmission experienced hard shifting between first and second gear, which caused the vehicle to suddenly lunge forward. The vehicle was taken to conyers Honda (1860 ga-20, conyers, ga), but the failure could not be duplicated.
The contact owns a 2019 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that after stopping at a traffic light and attempting to accelerate, the vehicle lost motive power and stalled and the transmission shifted into neutral. The contact was able to restart the vehicle and the vehicle operated normally. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired.
What is on file about the transmission and drivetrain, across the years
Source: NHTSA recalls, investigations and manufacturer communicationsNothing filed under this heading on these model years.
Other systems with a record on the Honda Pilot
Source: the same filesEvery system, every model year: Honda Pilot problems by year →
Common questions
Source: NHTSA complaint database, recalls and manufacturer communicationsWhich Honda Pilot years have the most transmission and drivetrain complaints?
2016, 201; 2017, 123; 2019, 92. Raw counts, and an older year has had longer to collect them; by share of each year's own complaints the loudest is the 2018 (18%).
Is there a recall for the transmission and drivetrain on the Honda Pilot?
No recall campaign is filed under this heading on any of these model years. 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 Honda Pilot?
Owners who gave an odometer reading reported it at a median of 43,867 miles across the model years; half of them between 20,000 and 69,000. 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.