- Safety
- 5
- of 5 stars
- Recalls
- 8
- on record
- MPG
- 32
- combined
Heavily recalled
8 safety recalls on record. Confirm with the seller that every campaign has been completed.
Vehicle Summary
2016 Honda Pilot
Before You Buy
Safety record at a glance
- Recall campaigns
- 8
- Owner complaints
- 1,672
- Complaints citing a crash
- 23
These are raw counts from NHTSA records. They are not normalized by how many of these vehicles are on the road, so a model that sold in large numbers will tend to show more of everything. We do not publish a composite safety or reliability score.
8 Recalls on Record
These recalls have been issued by the manufacturer. Contact any authorized dealer to verify they have been completed — repairs are free.
Safety recalls
8 NHTSA campaigns affecting this model year.
- 17V219000high
Fuel system issue
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.
Consequence
A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source can increase the risk of a fire.
Full campaign recordRemedy
Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fuel tank, free of charge. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's number for this recall is KE8.
- 16V417000high
Fuel system issue
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.
Consequence
A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source may result in a fire.
Full campaign recordRemedy
Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fuel tanks, free of charge. Owners may contact Honda/Acura customer service at 1-888-234-2138. The recall began on July 29, 2016. Honda's numbers for this recall are KA9 (Honda vehicles) and KB0 (Acura vehicles).
- 15V424000high
Safety restraint issue
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.
Consequence
If the third row seatbelt is trapped, the occupants may not be restrained properly, increasing the risk of injury.
Full campaign recordRemedy
Honda will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and repair the rear third row seat belt, free of charge. The recall began on August 6, 2015. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-310-783-2000. Honda's number for this recall is JS7.
- 15V668000high
Electrical issue
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".
Consequence
If a safety system cannot immediately warn the driver when needed, the driver may be at increased risk of a crash.
Full campaign recordRemedy
Honda will notify owners, and dealers will update the instrument cluster software, free of charge. The recall began on December 11, 2015. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's number for this recall is JV7.
- 21V932000high
Body/structure issue
STRUCTURE:BODY:HOOD
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.
Consequence
A hood that opens while driving can obstruct the driver's view and increase the risk of a crash.
Full campaign recordRemedy
Dealers will either repair the hood latch striker, or replace the hood if necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 18, 2022. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's number for this recall is PBV.
- 23V751000high
Engine issue
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:HARD PARTS INTERNAL/MECHANICAL
Honda (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.
Consequence
A damaged engine may run improperly or stall while driving, increasing the risk of a fire, crash, or injury.
Full campaign recordRemedy
Dealers will inspect and repair, or replace the engine as necessary, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed March 28, 2024. 2016-2017 Acura MDX owner letters were mailed November 1, 2024. 2016-2020 Acura MDX owner letters are expected to be mailed in mid-December 2024. Honda began mailing owner notification letters as of March 18, 2024. 2015-2016 Acura owner letters are expected to be mailed mid-December 2024, 2018 Acura TLX owner letters are expected to be mailed the end of March/early April 2024, 2019 Acura TLX owner letters are expected to be mailed mid-May 2024, 2020 Acura TLX owner letters are expected to be mailed mid-June 2024, and 2016-2020 Acura MDX owner letters are expected to be mailed January 27, 2025. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for these recalls are XG1 and GG0.
- 23V858000high
Fuel pump may fail
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP
Honda (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.
Consequence
Fuel pump failure can cause an engine stall while driving, increasing the risk of a crash.
Full campaign recordRemedy
Dealers will replace the fuel pump module, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed September 6, 2024. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are KGC and KGD. This recall is an expansion of NHTSA recall numbers 21V-215 and 20V-314.
- 26V365000high
Body/structure issue
STRUCTURE:FRAME AND MEMBERS
American 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.
Consequence
Failure of rear suspension components, such as the rear control arm, can cause a loss of vehicle handling and control, increasing the risk of a crash or injury.
Full campaign recordRemedy
Dealers will inspect the rear subframe and install a rear subframe reinforcement kit and, as necessary, repair or replace the rear subframe components, free of charge. Interim letters notifying owners of the safety risk are expected to be mailed July 7, 2026. Additional letters will be sent once the final remedy is available, anticipated in the fall of 2026. Owners may contact Honda's customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are AOU and AOT. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will become searchable on NHTSA.gov beginning June 10, 2026.
NHTSA crash-test ratings
NCAP star ratings and the underlying test breakdown for the 2016 Honda Pilot.
Frontal crash
- Driver
- 5 / 5
- Passenger
- 4 / 5
Side crash
- Driver
- 5 / 5
- Passenger
- 5 / 5
- Side pole
- 5 / 5
Rollover
- Rollover risk
- 16.4%
- Dynamic tip
- No Tip
Driver-assistance technologies
- Electronic stability control
- Standard
- Forward collision warning
- Optional
- Lane departure warning
- Optional
What the ratings mean
NHTSA gives the 2016 Honda Pilot 5 out of 5 stars overall. NHTSA does not publish enough comparable results for this class and year to rank it against peers.
NHTSA published results for every NCAP test in this program, so the overall star rating rests on a complete set of crash and rollover results.
NHTSA's dynamic test put this vehicle's rollover probability at 16.4% in a single-vehicle crash — the figure behind the rollover star rating, published here because the star alone hides how wide each band is.
Fuel economy & emissions
EPA figures for the 2016 Honda Pilot, with tailpipe CO₂ and class context.
27
City
39
Hwy
32
Comb
- Annual fuel cost
- $1,641
- Tailpipe CO₂
- 278 g/mi
How this compares
The EPA holds too few vehicles in this class and model year to rank the 2016 Honda Pilot against its peers.
Tailpipe CO₂ is 278 grams per mile — about 4.2 metric tons over 15,000 miles of driving.
Consumer complaints
1,672 owner reports filed with NHTSA.
- 1,672
- Total
- 23
- Crashes
- 9
- Fires
- 20
- Injuries
Most reported components
- ENGINE909
- ELECTRICAL330
- OTHER187
- FUEL SYSTEM112
- STRUCTURE44
Notable Issues
1672 consumer complaints filed with NHTSA. 20 reports involve injuries. 23 reports involve a crash.
Most reported problems
Safety timeline
Every dated recall and NHTSA investigation for the 2016 Honda Pilot, newest first.
- Recall
Failure of rear suspension components, such as the rear control arm, can cause a loss of vehicle handling and control, increasing the risk of a crash or injury.
- Investigation opened
NHTSA opened investigation PE25008
Engine failure
- Investigation closed
NHTSA closed investigation RQ24013
Engine failure
- Investigation opened
NHTSA opened investigation EA25004
No Restart After Auto Start/Stop Engages
- Investigation closed
NHTSA closed investigation PE22005
No Restart After Auto Start/Stop Engages
- Investigation opened
NHTSA opened investigation RQ24013
Engine failure
- Recall
Fuel pump failure can cause an engine stall while driving, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Recall
A damaged engine may run improperly or stall while driving, increasing the risk of a fire, crash, or injury.
- Investigation opened
NHTSA opened investigation PE22005
No Restart After Auto Start/Stop Engages
- Recall
A hood that opens while driving can obstruct the driver's view and increase the risk of a crash.
- Recall
A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source can increase the risk of a fire.
- Recall
A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source may result in a fire.
- Recall
If a safety system cannot immediately warn the driver when needed, the driver may be at increased risk of a crash.
- Recall
If the third row seatbelt is trapped, the occupants may not be restrained properly, increasing the risk of injury.
Dates are the NHTSA report-received date for recalls and the ODI open/close date for investigations. Crash-test ratings are not shown here because the source does not provide a reliable publication date for them.
Specifications & ratings
Specifications
- Body class
- Sedan
- Drive type
- FWD
- Engine
- 2.5L 4-cyl
- Fuel type
- Regular Gasoline
- Transmission
- Automatic
- Seats
- 5
Fuel economy
27
City
39
Hwy
32
Comb
- Annual cost
- $1,641
- Fuel
- Regular Gasoline
NHTSA crash ratings
- Overall
- Frontal
- Side
- Rollover
Explore related
Compare with
Safety timeline
Full timeline- Recall
Failure of rear suspension components, such as the rear control arm, can cause a loss of vehicle handling and control, increasing the risk of a crash or injury.
- Investigation opened
NHTSA opened investigation PE25008
Engine failure
- Investigation closed
NHTSA closed investigation RQ24013
Engine failure
- Investigation opened
NHTSA opened investigation EA25004
No Restart After Auto Start/Stop Engages
- Investigation closed
NHTSA closed investigation PE22005
No Restart After Auto Start/Stop Engages


