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Exterior lightingPart report

2016 Honda Pilot Exterior lighting Problems

Complaints
14about this part
Share
1%of 1,724 total for the year
Median mileage
10,100miles
Trend
Not enough dataFewer than 15 complaints, too few for a reliable trend.

NHTSA recorded 14 complaints about the exterior lighting of the 2016 Honda Pilot, 1% of the 1,724 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 10,100 miles. 1 a fire, according to the filers.

Fewer than 15 complaints name this part, so treat the figures as a rough indication only.

Example complaints

Selected from NHTSA records; personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.

“It happened to myself w/ my child in my car & then my spouse driving my car alone. However the same problem is known to Honda but until someone is killed, they are refusing to acknowledge, the camshaft shutting off all controls while driving on a highway is completely dangerous. As an experienced driver, I was able to avoid a collusion on a major highway surrounded by tractor trailers going 65mph. Although the Honda dealer has replaced the camshaft twice on my 2016 Honda Pilot with less than 46,000, I am fearful this will happen again. …”

NHTSA complaint #11402871, filed 2021-03, 30,000 miles

“I bought a brand new 2016 Honda Pilot SUV on 10/8/2016. On the first night driving I noticed that the vehicle is lack of brightness from the headlights and fog lights. It seems very dark when I drive at night with the headlights and fog lights on. I talked with the person who install my license plate from Honda dealer, but he said this is normal. I really believe this is a safety hazard, because this is not my first vehicle, all my other vehicle and minivan has never had this issue. Please help.”

NHTSA complaint #10949687, filed 2017-02, 20 miles

“The 2016 Honda Pilot has a bad headlights being too dimmed during night drives, this is especially true when your windows and windshields are tinted. Secondly, the reverse or backup lights are located in a very low position down at the bumper, wherein it may not be seen by cars from behind when we're reversing. These lighting issues are a safety risk. Third, the front seats are quite uncomfortable, poorly designed for long-drives and is a safety risk especially for hard and tight turns where we slide off to the sides of our seats.”

NHTSA complaint #11003545, filed 2017-07, 10,100 miles

“My 2016 Honda Pilot exl sensing has very poor headlights for seeing the road surface in front of the vehicle even with the driving/fog lights turned on while in motion on city streets. These headlamps are also not the best on distance objects. I leave the switch in the auto position so I have to turn them on and off sometime to see if they are even on at night or if it is just the daylight running lights that are on. With the vehicle stationary about 8 feet from my garage door the headlamps beam has a sharp cut off for any objects above 33 inches and for any objects below 21 inches. …”

NHTSA complaint #10785705, filed 2015-10, 857 miles

“My car (2016 Honda Pilot Touring) SHUTS DOWN due to the auto shut off feature at least once a month and I am very nervous to hand it over to my daughter in a next year when she is old enough to drive. I have been stalled out at intersections...it is irresponsible of Honda to not issue a recall. People are going to get into accidents if they can't start their car in the middle of intersections! Why is this not being recalled. I understand it will cost Honda a substantial amount of money to correct, but it has to happen. What if you have an older battery that is losing its charge. …”

NHTSA complaint #11501948, filed 2023-01

Related service bulletins

Exterior lighting: other model years

YearComplaintsShare of year
202531%
202411%
202321%
202141%
202071%
201991%
201831%
2017101%
2016141%
201544%
201433%
201331%
201211%
201131%
201011%
200911%
200897%
2007178%
2006145%
2005304%
2004122%
2003324%

Other parts of the 2016 Honda Pilot

Engine
781 complaints
Electrical system
582 complaints
Other or unknown
292 complaints
Transmission and drivetrain
201 complaints
Fuel system
193 complaints
Body and structure
54 complaints
Engine cooling
45 complaints
Vehicle speed control
39 complaints
Electronic stability control
37 complaints
Brakes
31 complaints
Forward collision avoidance
25 complaints
Steering
18 complaints

← All problems reported for the 2016 Honda Pilot

About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 31, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.

To check a specific vehicle for open recalls, use its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. Methodology