2016 Honda Pilot · symptom sheet
Transmission shudders, slips or shifts hard
- 74owner reports
- 50,000median miles
- $6,400median quote
- 1involved a crash
Newest report Sep 7, 2026 · checked Oct 2, 2026
200 of the 1,707 complaints on this car are about the transmission and drivetrain. 74 of those describe transmission shudder.
Narrower sheets: Transmission jerks, lurches or bangs into gear (50 reports)
Tick what matches of 74 reports
Transmission shudder 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, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025, 2026.
What this problem usually is
This is the biggest drivetrain group on the site: a transmission that shudders, slips, hesitates or bangs into gear. It's the everyday version of transmission trouble, where the car still drives but doesn't drive right, and it has three narrower sheets of its own for jerking, hesitation and slipping.
What got replaced
Owners who name the part that was replaced mention the transmission (4 reports) and the torque converter (3 reports).
Recalls and investigations
No recall on the transmission and drivetrain covers the 2016 model year as of Oct 2, 2026.
What owners paid
7 of the 74 reports quote a price. Each dot is one quote. The middle half runs $5,000 to $7,500.
When it happens
The middle half of failures fell between 35,000 and 77,000 miles, from the 57 reports that gave a mileage.
Is this a known problem?
The manufacturer has sent NHTSA 3 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.
The transmission has intermittent harsh or jerky upshifts with steady acceleration.
Tech line summary article - Loose bulkhead cover latches and strikers can cause a grinding, rattle, flutter, buzz and/or vibration from the front of the vehicle when lightly accelerating with the engine speed under 2,000 rpm.
SERVICENEWS ARTICLE IN A 9-SPEED A/T, THE ATF LEVEL IS CRITICAL. IF ITS TOO HIGH, THE TRANSMISSION COULD SHIFT HARD. IF ITS TOO LOW, THE TRANSMISSION COULD SLIP. THIS TRANSMISSION ALSO DOESNT USE A DIPSTICK. TO CHECK THE ATF LEVEL, YOU NEED TO RUN A SPECIAL PROCEDURE.
What owners wrote
“Transmission slipping and motor making a grind sound since like 120k and dash problems and paint chips every were paint is coming off on its own. I did not about that i can do a complete here.”
Filed Sep 4, 2025
“vehicle has been to standard maintenance at dealer. Rod problem at 100,000 miles resulting engine replacement. Transmission is not suitable and slips after 100,000 miles.”
Filed Nov 21, 2023 · 100,000 miles
“while driving on highways and streets, car would jerk and transmission downshift or not work, causing a grinding noise within the car. pilot would just shut off and slowing decrease speed by itself. happens many times already and is a safety concern for people who purchased this vehicle. Pilot transmission needs to be recalled before it causes death for people who drives this vehicle.”
Filed Jul 28, 2023
“For the last couple of months, the transmission has had gears slipping out of gear and takes a few seconds to find the gear to accelerate up to speed. I've taken it to the dealer twice to address the issue but it's still causing an issue.”
Filed Dec 1, 2021
Should you keep driving it?
This page can't tell you that. 1 of 74 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 Taking it to a shop? How to describe this problem so it gets found
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
- Battery dies or the car will not start 159 reports
- Infotainment, screen or backup camera fails 147 reports
- Multiple warning lights come on at once 97 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