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Bluetooth/Hands Free Link Issues in 2016 Pilot

97K views 102 replies 68 participants last post by  Avery87 
#1 ·
Honda uses Hands Free Link to manage Bluetooth functionality in its vehicles. There is a flaw with this functionality in the 2016 Pilot! When you make an outbound call from a handset of Bluetooth connected phone, it does not automatically transfer onto vehicle's speakers system. You don't hear any dial tone and call is lost until the other party answers. At that point, you have to press the "transfer" option on the vehicle display screen to transfer the call onto vehicle's speaker system. I have contacted Hands Free Link to report this issue. They tried to duplicate this issue and informed me that this issue does not exist in any other Honda models except for 2016 Pilot! However, they do not have a solution for it. And I can attest to this because I have had a Honda Accord and currently own a Honda Odyssey and this Bluetooth issue isn't there. I have also reported this issue to Honda USA customer service to no avail.

Does anyone has a solution to this problem?
Thanks,
Farrukh
 
#2 ·
Yes, call the person from the dash. This was designed liked that so you can make private calls while in the vehicle. It's a smart way to force the driver to not use their phone while driving, but still gives the option of a private call if necessary.
 
#5 ·
iPhone 6 transfer issues

Read the threads and tried everything to avoid having to touch the screen to "transfer" a call from the phone to the car. Unlinked the phone from the car, turned the phone off, reset the phone, repaired the phone with the car, same problem.


Understand that it may be a privacy feature, but it is annoying and for me, and for many others as well, and in my view, unprecedented in automobiles with Bluetooth connectivity. Have owned Range Rover, Mercedes, BMW, Infinity, Chevrolet and in all of the brands across all of the years, if you initiate a call from the phone or the car screen and Bluetooth is connected, the call is taken over by the car automatically, no transfer is required.


I would like to hear from the community if there is a definitive fix, or if we are just going to have to live with this "feature"....?
 
#9 ·
Read the threads and tried everything to avoid having to touch the screen to "transfer" a call from the phone to the car. Unlinked the phone from the car, turned the phone off, reset the phone, repaired the phone with the car, same problem.


Understand that it may be a privacy feature, but it is annoying and for me, and for many others as well, and in my view, unprecedented in automobiles with Bluetooth connectivity. Have owned Range Rover, Mercedes, BMW, Infinity, Chevrolet and in all of the brands across all of the years, if you initiate a call from the phone or the car screen and Bluetooth is connected, the call is taken over by the car automatically, no transfer is required.


I would like to hear from the community if there is a definitive fix, or if we are just going to have to live with this "feature"....?
My Pilot does the same. My 2011 Toyota acts the same way. When dial from the phone, it asks you to choose phone speaker or car stereo. Dont ask me how good the Toyota bluetooth system works. Thought Honda's would be better, but it has its own issues.
 
#6 ·
there is no way that this is a privacy feature. If you look at your iPhone, when the call is first made it connects to the Honda system, then shortly thereafter it switches back to the iPhone. Furthermore, I'm pretty sure that if you have an Android phone, the system does not work this way - and instead you make the call from your phone and it connects to the Bluetooth without having to transfer.
I'm quite frankly shocked that there hasn't been more of an uproar about this. for people who need to make phone calls to numbers that aren't stored in their phone, the system borders are on unusable.
 
#7 ·
Thanks for that bpollard. This would work if the call you intend to make is in your speeddial list or contacts or listed among your recent calls. Assume that you can then select the number from your list of recent calls or dial the number from the handset? Will try it and revert.
 
#8 ·
I am having a totally different problem with my 2016 pilot Bluetooth. It works great when the vehicle is sitting still but as soon as it is in motion the person I am talking with can not hear me. They say it sounds like all of the windows are open, pretty frustrating.
 
#10 ·
I completely agree, we have an Elite and the system is totally frustrating. I especially hate that the system will not allow the phone to make any noise while connected to the bluetooth. The only way I know if I receive a text or email is if I hear my phone vibrating, it is totally silent otherwise. Why don't they allow the phone to make any noise. It is stupid to assume that everyone will be using their phone to stream music from the BT source so you can then hear the tones. Why equip the vehicle with any radio functions at all, I guess they assume no one wants to listen to AM, FM or SiriusXM. They need to fix this also!
 
#11 ·
My EX-L pops up an email or message notification on the dash touch screen when my iPhone 6s receives a new email or message. It has a "READ" and "Ignore" prompt on the screen, but it won't let you read the email until the vehicle is stopped.

On the iPhone go settings>bluetooth then tap the small circled i over on the right side of the honda link listing under My Devices. Make sure Show Notifications and Sync Contacts is turned on. Then, you should receive notifications on your vehicle screen. Drive Safe now.:smile:
 
#12 ·
I think theres a setting to use the phone notification or car notification... not if it makes a difference. When coonected BT I get a pop-up notification of email, but no tone... at least that I've noticed. Also annoying that you have to touch the display to ignore / cancel. would be nice to control from steering wheel or time out...
 
#13 ·
I am sounding like a broken record here, (and most of you haven't even seen an LP) however call America Honda at 1-888-528-7876 and express to them your concerns. over and over and over.......
 
#14 ·
I have contacted "Hands Free Link" - the company that develops and installs Bluetooth functionality in all Honda and Acura automobiles. After hearing my concern, they tested Bluetooth Phone functionality in ALL 2016 Honda vehicles. They contacted me back after a few hours and admitted this flow - where a manual transfer of a phone call from handset to vehicle Bluetooth is needed - does exist in 2016 Honda Pilot. However, they do not have any solutions for it! I have called and reported this to American Honda Corporate office and specifically to their technology department. They are using the same excuse of "privacy"!! However, I have not come across any other vehicle, not even another Honda vehicle where this "privacy" mode exists. In my opinion, there is a software flaw that needs to be fixed. It should be up to the phone owner if they want to make their call private or not. As is, if a number is dialed from the handset, it disappears and you don't even hear the ring tone until the dialed party answers. And by the time you hit transfer from the dash board screen, answering party hangs up the phone by then. it is extremely inconvenient and dangerous while driving to look for and hit the transfer button.
 
#15 ·
Per "Saeedf" above: it is extremely inconvenient and dangerous while driving to look for and hit the transfer button." I might add, it is extremely inconvenient and dangerous while driving to look for and dial a number from your phone handset? :surprise::surprise:
 
#19 ·
Another annoying Bluetooth "feature", When listening to radio and a call comes in, there is a message about "audio not supported" or some useless nonsense on the display instead of an ANSWER button.

One can answer from the steering wheel, but why provide a dumb message and not call control on the touchscreen.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
 
#20 ·
Handsfree Issue Too

Since I purchased my 2016 Pilot in September I've had numerous issues with my Droid Razr and handsfree. It would work then completely stop after a couple weeks - I'd have to "transfer" to the phone, or the controls on the steering wheel wouldn't work and I'd have to call through my phone and transfer. My Honda service department's resolution was to always unpair and re-pair the phone. This last week it stopped going through the speakers - I could make a call using the controls on the steering wheel but nothing would come through the speakers. Pairing and unpairing didn't help. Service departments resolution was , "it's something on your phone, you have to go to Verizon." After playing around I'm back in business - I've turned HondaLink Assist OFF. (I'll see how long this resolution works.) Don't know if that will help anyone. (I've never been told there was an issue with phone quality by anyone I've been speaking with.)
 
#22 ·
Did anyone experience Bluetooth crashing and have a fix?


I have LG G3 and it constantly crash and restarts the Bluetooth service on my phone. I can see the Bluetooth logo, battery meter, and signal strength consistently disappear and reappear on the radio display when my phone is connected.


Thanks.
 
#23 ·
I have a Samsung Note 4. I can call from dash and it works fine, but I also have an issue when I dial from my phone it doesn't connect unless I hit the Bluetooth option on my cell. Plus, the radio still plays instead of muting which I find annoying. If I get a text a message comes up and if I hit read it says it won't display until stopped but if I hit read again it reads the text to me which I do like. My 2013 Kia Sorento infotainment system was better than the Pilots, and I'm shocked about it.
 
#24 ·
My Pilot does the same. If I make the call from the phone, I do not hear anything from the radio. I have to hit transfer. If the call was made through the radio then the sound comes through the speaker. But, that is if my phone stays connected. At the moment, Bluetooth keeps restarting. So, I cannot really use it. I have a Garmin GPS with BT and my 2015 C300. Both have solid BT connection. But the Honda connection is not. Glad it is not just my phone.
 
#26 ·
Yes, I'm sending them an email today, I have exactly the same issue. I am threatening potential lawsuit with and copying my lawyer.
I have had the pilot for 6 weeks now and I love the car.
However due to my job and frequent travel, I use hands free often. Many times with the issue because I have been distracted by connecting the phone manually I have had to stop short, swayed into other lanes and almost had 2 horrendous accidents.
I am not going to stand for this and anyone else who has the same issue should do the same.
 
#27 ·
I have a 2 year old Droid Maxx and the phone works OK with the Pilot's bluetooth...no need to hit "Transfer" once the call is connected.

I recently purchased a new Droid Turbo 2 (running Marshmallow) and ran into the Transfer issue. I agree that it is totally unusable...having to stare at the display while driving so that I could hit "Transfer" the second the option popped up. Even doing so, I would still miss the person saying hello the first time. In addition, the Moto/Google voice control function would not work on the Turbo 2 when it was connected to the Pilot's BT. Every time I would try a voice command the head unit display would ask if i wanted to transfer the call and then instantly disconnect and shut down the voice command. So basically, the two most important hands-free aspect of my new phone were unusable while in my car...which is the time they are most needed. Very crappy, Honda.

I returned the Droid Turbo 2 and reverted back to my Maxx, for these and other reasons. It's a shame that Honda cannot support current technology in their brand new model Pilot.
 
#28 ·
I have an iphone 6 and had the same issues, but when I would try to transfer over it would not go through the speakers, kinda like I would need to go under Bluetooth source on my audio. Im going to try a couple of work arounds today, like call from my phone with hondalink turned off, turned on and deleted from my phone all together .
 
#31 ·
Hmmmm....... That's a bummer.

My iPhone 6 has worked great with Bluetooth plus phone calls sound very clear and I've gotten excellent sound reports from those I speak to on the calls (especially my wife who is the first to tell me if it sucks).

I wonder if you try deleting your paired phone and re-pair it. Perhaps that might improve your experience.
 
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