2016 Honda Pilot Electrical System Problems
NHTSA lists 586 Electrical System complaints for the 2016 Honda Pilot, 34% of its 1,703 total complaints and the highest share of any model year. A related recall (15V668000) covers instrument cluster software; median mileage at failure is 49,000.
- Electrical System complaints
- 586
- 34% of 1,703
- Crashes reported
- 3
- Fires reported
- 5
- Injuries reported
- 0
- Median mileage
- 49,000 mi
- Related recalls
- 1
Typical electrical symptoms owners report
- Owners report the auto idle-stop/start system shutting the engine off at stops and failing to restart, leaving warning lights on and the vehicle stalled in traffic.
- Some describe smoke or fire coming from the dashboard, cowl area, or engine bay, in some cases while driving or after the vehicle was jump-started from a dead battery.
- Multiple owners report a 'keyless start system problem' error on the dash even after replacing the key fob battery, sometimes requiring repeated attempts to start the car.
- A few describe the infotainment/radio screen going black and rebooting while driving.
- One owner reported unintended acceleration while releasing the brake on a hill without touching the gas pedal.
When 2016 Honda Pilot electrical complaints were filed
First complaint Jul 31, 2015, latest Aug 17, 2026.
Electrical System recalls for the 2016 Honda Pilot
- NHTSA 15V668000Oct 16, 2015Electrical System35,406 vehicles
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".
Risk: If a safety system cannot immediately warn the driver when needed, the driver may be at increased risk of a crash.
Remedy: 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.
Electrical System complaints by Pilot model year
Raw complaint counts per model year; newer years have had less time to accumulate complaints.
Frequently asked questions
- Are 2016 Honda Pilot electrical problems common?
- NHTSA lists 586 Electrical System complaints for the 2016 Pilot, which is 34% of all 1,703 complaints filed for that model year — the highest share of any Pilot model year in the data.
- Is there a recall for the 2016 Honda Pilot electrical system?
- Yes. Recall 15V668000, reported October 16, 2015, covers instrument cluster software on certain 2016 Pilot 2WD and 4WD models. Dealers update the software free of charge; it is not a do-not-drive recall.
- At what mileage do electrical problems typically show up?
- The median mileage at failure for Electrical System complaints on the 2016 Pilot is 49,000 miles.
- Do the electrical complaints involve fires?
- NHTSA data for this component and year shows 5 fires reported, along with 3 crashes and 0 injuries.
- Does the keyless start warning mean something is broken?
- Owners report a 'keyless start system problem' message appearing on the dash even with a new key fob battery, and dealers have had trouble diagnosing it in some of the sample complaints.