2016 Honda Pilot · symptom sheet
Battery dies or the car will not start
- 159owner reports
- 50,000median miles
- $840median quote
- 1involved a crash
Newest report Jul 13, 2026 · checked Oct 2, 2026
581 of the 1,707 complaints on this car are about the electrical system. 159 of those describe dead battery.
Narrower sheets: Car won't start (38 reports)
Tick what matches of 159 reports
Dead battery on other Pilot years
Report counts are for each model year on its own, so a newer car has had less time to collect them. Model years with too few reports of it for a sheet: 2014, 2015, 2018, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025, 2026.
What this problem usually is
These owners walk out to a car that's dead. Some find it drained after sitting only a day or two, some need a jump start every week, and some have had the battery replaced more than once without the problem going away. A good number describe the dealer testing the battery, calling it fine, and sending them home.
What got replaced
Owners who name the part that was replaced mention the battery (136 reports), the starter (8 reports), the module (8 reports) and the alternator (6 reports).
Recalls and investigations
One recall on the electrical system covers the 2016 model year. A recall on the same system isn't always the same failure, so read the defect text.
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.
All 8 recalls on the 2016 Honda Pilot, with the owner complaints on each recalled system
NHTSA investigations into the electrical system on the Pilot
Ignition interlock failure - rollaway. Closed jan 14, 2013, led to recall 12V-573.
Low beam headlights stop illuminating. Closed sep 17, 2012, led to recall 12V-136.
None of these investigations covers the 2016 model year.
What owners paid
20 of the 159 reports quote a price. Each dot is one quote. The middle half runs $375 to $1,600.
When it happens
The middle half of failures fell between 36,000 and 66,000 miles, from the 85 reports that gave a mileage.
Is this a known problem?
The manufacturer has sent NHTSA 6 service bulletins or notices for the 2016 Honda Pilot that deal with this problem. Newest first.
Federal rules make a manufacturer send NHTSA a copy of any notice about a defect that goes to more than one dealer or owner. Most of these are service bulletins, the repair instructions manufacturers send to dealers. NHTSA generally leaves safety recall bulletins out of this file, and recalls are listed separately.
American Honda Motor Co, Inc. (AHM) has been collecting batteries from certain models under certain conditions. If you have replaced an OEM battery on a qualified vehicle, please follow the procedure below.
American Honda Motor Co.(AHM) is investigating certain 2016 Pilots with a customer complaint of a no-start condition that requires the 12V battery to be replaced.
Servicenews article - There are two types of 12-volt batteries used in Honda vehicles today: the conventional flooded lead acid (FLA) battery and the absorbed glass mat (AGM) battery.
Servicenews article - We're currently looking into a no-start issue requiring 12-volt battery replacement. To fully understand what's causing it, we need to collect failed batteries from vehicles that meet these criteria.
2 more on the 2016 Honda Pilot page.
What owners wrote
“Start stop failed in middle of intersection. The car died and would not restart without a jump. Battery has been replay and it continues”
Filed Sep 30, 2022
“The vehicle is equipped with start stop feature. The issue is it will stop, then crank for a second or two, but sometimes not restart. Itâs a safety issue when you try to move with traffic, but the engine is now off. This issue has been reported to the Honda dealer numerous times over a 4 year period. The starter & battery has been replaced, but the issue still exists.”
Filed Sep 21, 2022
“Today was the second time my car has shut down at a traffic light in the last 2 months. The auto engine stop kicks in and the car shuts down. It took multiple combinations of pressing the start button and turning on/off the car before I could get it to restart. Iâve recently replaced the battery so I donât think itâs a weak battery.”
Filed Jul 10, 2022
“Random triggered alarming caused during flickering and clicking of dashboard lights leading to battery drainage. Many reports of this same instance occurring with this particular model. It appears to be a faulty keyless control module that now many Americans have had no choice but to pay $800 to replace in the absence of what obviously should be a recall at this point.”
Filed May 26, 2022
Should you keep driving it?
This page can't tell you that. 1 of 159 reports involved a crash. Owners who file are the ones who had a bad experience, and nobody checks their reports. If the problem affects steering, braking, power or a fire risk, treat it as a safety fault and have it inspected before a long or high-speed drive.
File your own report with NHTSA. Complaint counts are how a problem gets an investigation. How reports land on this sheet.
Guide Paid for this repair before a recall covered it? How recall reimbursement works
Other problems on this car
- Engine stalls or loses power while driving 413 reports
- Engine failure, knocking or rod bearing 350 reports
- Check engine light or misfire 165 reports
- Infotainment, screen or backup camera fails 147 reports
- Multiple warning lights come on at once 97 reports
- Transmission shudders, slips or shifts hard 74 reports
- Auto start-stop will not restart the engine 54 reports
- Engine rattles or ticks 51 reports
- A/C blows warm or the compressor fails 38 reports
- Traction control or StabiliTrak light comes on 37 reports
- Fuel pump failure 34 reports
- Brakes grind, pulse or wear early 31 reports