2016 Honda Pilot: fire, smoke or burning smell

Filed Mar 26, 2026 · Electrical, Engine · FL · fire

Vehicle caught fire and completely burned up. It had no problems, had been serviced and recently inspected for emissions and safety in Virginia.

Filed Jan 20, 2026 · Electrical, Fuel system · TN

We started having problems with the catalytic converter clogging so we put Heat in it and then only used 100%gas. Then we went to my daughter’s house and when we went to leave the car wouldn’t start. We could smell burning. We had it towed to our mechanic and he replaced the starter but he had a hard time getting it off because it was almost fused because of the heat. Then 3-4 days later all the check engine lights came on. We had it checked out by Christian Brothers and he had to replace all of the fuel injectors. He also had to replace the ERG valve. It all I feel was caused by the fuel injectors and was causing problems in the engine and causing the burning smell. I have read that this has been a problem on the vehicles and wanted to report it for a Recall. We love the vehicle but with the mileage only being at 143,400.

Filed Dec 16, 2025 · Engine · MN · fire

When driving on highway, heard loud engine cranking sound, followed by sudden jolts of the car. Stopped the car in the road median and then noticed smoke coming out from under the hood. Passengers got out of the car and noticed fire under the engine; called 911 immediately, then police and fire engine arrived to extinguish fire. Towed the car to Local Honda Service center. Diagnosis from the service center mentions: "A CONNECTING ROD BROKE AND EXITED THROUGH THE ENGINE BLOCK/OIL PAN AREA ON BACK OF ENGINE. .... and ENGINE ASSEMBLY NEED TO BE REPLACED along with other fire damaged and water damaged parts/sections...." This looks to be related 2016 Honda Pilot Connecting Rod recall ( the federal safety agency recall# 23V‑751 ). Car maintenance has always been done on-time at the Honda Service center (records available for inspection). There were no warning lights before the incidence. Insurance company has inspected the car for claim purpose.

Filed Aug 26, 2025 · Engine, Transmission · OH

There was a small ticking/knocking noise that started the week before I took my Honda Pilot in to the dealer. I took the car in for regular service and told them about this noise. Under further inspection, I was advised by the Honda dealership that the piston connecting rod bearing had failed causing damage to the motor. I had to pay to replace the motor at my own expense. This is a safety issue as I did not really have a warning that anything was wrong with the vehicle and the engine could have seized up and caught fire while I was driving putting my family and other vehicles in harms way. It is my understanding that Honda had a partial recall on this issue in which my VIN was not covered. I was not notified that this was even an issue for the 2016 Honda Pilots and I should have been notified and and this should have been fixed before it occurred. The dealer reached out to Honda Corporate to request coverage of this cost and they denied it even though this is a known issue with this motor.

Filed Jun 14, 2025 · Engine · TN · fire

According to the Honda dealership of Winchester, West Virginia, an engine rod came through back of block and into oil plan, causing oil to leak on exhaust, which then caused the car to catch on fire. My daughter was driving and her safety was at risk. There were no warning signs about this prior to the incident. We had just driven the car from Nashville to West Virginia with no problems. I was told that there was a recall for this for 2016 Honda Pilots, but that my VIN was not included. This has cost me $215.31 in car rental fees, $169.38 in Uber fees, $1661.35 in auto transport and towing fees, $165.99 inspection from Honda. I'm still waiting on final costs for a new engine; I was quoted $12K from Honda; trying to find a cheaper alternative.

Filed Nov 25, 2024 · Engine · OK

The connecting rod bearing seized up. Connecting rod broke and puncture through the engine housing. No recall notice was received from manufacturer about the issue. I was driving on the highway when my car made a sudden stop and smoke came from the hood along with a slight metal sound. There have been no professional inspector yet. My brother in law is a car mechanic and found the problem for us. When the car came to a stop there was no indicating of any signs. I did try to start the car again and that is when all the lights came one.

Filed Nov 12, 2024 · Engine · CA · fire

My friend drove my car and on the freeway the oil started leaking and the engine caught on fire and the car came to a complete halt. It has to be towed to the nearest Honda dealer and upon inspection found the following: DURING VISUAL INSPECTION FOUND HOLE ON THE BACK SIDE OF ENGINE BLOCK DUE TO CONNECTING ROD FAILURE CAN NOT DETERMINE CAUSE TILL FULL ENGINE TEAR DOWN UPON FURTHER INSPECTION FOUND COMPLETE INTERNAL DAMAGE AND METAL CIRCULATION OF OIL SYSTEM REC TO REPLACE COMPLETE LONG BLOCK ASSEMBLY Diamond Honda I looked online and saw the 2016 Honda Pilot had recalls on thai specific issue and called the headquarters. They said they don’t have any recalls test on this vehicle becuase not enough people reported a problem. It was very serious that the engine stopped in the middle of e freeway and caught on fire. I asked the rep how many incidences needed to be reported before they will open investigation and she didn’t say. I asked how many people. We’re indie before they will recall and she had no answer except to give me a case number and told me her manager will call me in the next two days but it’s been 3 and no one has called. Headquarter rep also mentioned that it’s 5000 passed warranty so too bad on my part. Dealer also said I didn’t do all oil changes at the dealer so it’s my fault. I feel like I got a lemon. I’m waiting to hear what the headquarters have to say and what they find out w the dealer. But I thought I should report this since it’s very serious.

Filed Sep 3, 2024 · Engine · TX

Rod bearing went bad and caused internal damage to the engine beyond repair. Engine failed on a major highway with other cars speeding past, swerving to miss me. Engine was smoking by the time I pulled to the side and could have potentially caught fire.

Filed Jul 21, 2024 · Engine · NJ

2016 Honda Pilot EX with 131,000 miles - Connector Rod Issue On [XXX] while driving (40 mph) I heard a loud noise in the engine. The engine then proceeded to smoke profusely that I thought it was on fire. I immediately pulled the car over to the side of the road and shut the engine off while smoke filled the area. After a quick investigation with police who stopped to assist I realized ALL the engine oil leaked all over the road. The car was then towed to Clinton Honda in Annandale, New Jersey where after their mechanics performed a diagnostic it was determined the "Connector Rod" broke and went through the engine block. Clinton Honda informed me it would require a new motor ($5k) and labor ($4.5k) to resolve the issue. Since it was no longer under normal / extended warranty Clinton Honda was unwilling to repair the vehicle at their expense. I then proceeded to research the issue on the internet and discovered Honda did issue a Recall for this problem. However, my VIN did not fall within the numbers identified on the Recall. After doing a little more research I discovered that numerous Pilot owners experienced the same issue but their cars didn't fall within the impacted VINs on the recall and Honda Corporation did nothing to assist. Clearly Honda Corporation dropped the ball in accurately identifying the affected cars. On Friday, July 19, 2024 I filed a complaint with Honda Corporation to assist with the matter, but I am not very hopeful that they will do anything for me either. My car was always very well maintained and all the service was performed by Clinton Honda on schedule. Please help!!! INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Filed May 14, 2024 · Engine · CA

On [XXX] I noticed a knocking noise coming from the engine of my 2016 Honda Pilot so I made an appointment with Pacific Honda in San Diego the next day for a diagnostics test. The following day they called me and said that the technician was able to replicate the issue and it was a rod knock and I would need a new engine. I was quoted $10,725.04 for the repair. I declined the service because I could not afford an almost $11,000 bill all while still making payments on the car. I was still able to drive it home and after a little bit more research I found an open recall for 2016 Honda Pilots describing the same exact issue my car was diagnosed with as well as other years and similar model vehicles (Ridgeline & Odyssey). I read the potential dangers of this issue and finding out that it could cause the engine to stall while driving increasing risks of a crash or potentially catching fire. After reading that I started to feel overwhelmed and afraid that if I had continued to drive this car with my 3 year old son in the back and the engine seized or caught on fire on the freeway on our way to daycare.. I was relieved I was able to catch this issue before any of that could happen. No warning lamps or any other type of message except a knock coming from the engine bay to warn me of any issues displayed on the dash. I initially thought this was an overlook by the dealer and they must have not seen it but after calling them back I was told my specific 2016 Honda Pilot was not covered under that recall and it needed a specific VIN/Manufacturer date. Even though it was diagnosed with the same issue on the recall. I do not feel safe driving in this vehicle knowing that the engine could fail causing a crash at any moment and knowing that there is an open recall attached to it, not having a solution from Honda other than my VIN being from a wrong date is very disappointing. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Filed Feb 8, 2024 · Electrical, Engine · 51,000 miles · CA · fire

The contact owned a 2016 Honda Pilot. The contact stated while driving approximately 35-40 MPH and approaching the red traffic light, she depressed the brake pedal to come to a complete stop. The contact noticed smoke coming out of the cowl of the vehicle. The contact then turned on the AC and smoke came through the A/C vents. The contact opened the windows. The contact stated that the smoke became thicker and brownish while pulling into the parking lot of a nearby shopping center. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact parked and turned off the vehicle. The contact then noticed that there was a hole in the middle of the hood, and there was a flame coming through the hole. The contact stated that the hood and the windshield became engulfed in fire within 3 minutes even though it was raining. The fire department extinguished the fire, and police officers arrived at the scene, but the contact did not know whether a fire department report and a police report were filed. The vehicle was towed to a tow lot, awaiting to be totaled. The local dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 51,000.

Filed Aug 15, 2023 · Fuel system · WA

Our Honda Pilot 2016 starting experiencing fuel surging issues in July 2018 and was taken to our nearest Honda Dealership on 7/03/18 in The Dalles, Oregon. Honda stated it was a code C1841-27 which was repaired with no mention of fuel injector extended warranty issues, document included. On September 23, 2023 my car stopped functioning on a busy road way and was brought into our local mechanic. The mechanic determined that the fuel pump failed due to Honda code P0087 (fuel rail pressure too low) and was repaired. Shortly after while driving the car check engine light came on and the car had a noticeable burning smell. The car was towed to our mechanic which in turn told us to have it towed to the Honda Dealership for misfiring counter associating with failing fuel injectors TSB #18-025 code. My vehicle was towed to the closest Honda Dealership and repaired under the extended warranty recall 6E6. The fuel injectors were replaced by Honda on April 10, 2023 under above warranty recall. All documents and extended warranty paperwork was submitted to Honda, however, Honda is stating that they will not cover the faulty fuel pump and cost of towing the vehicle when the fuel injectors failed.