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I had a 2016 Pilot and changed the tranny fluid many times. If I were in your shoes I'd change the ATF in the one you own too. I agree with viper74656. The idea that you might cause problems changing ATF if it has never been done before is a wrong "old wives tale" IMHO as well. For me it was a simple train & refill. All I did was pour the old fluid in a milk jug and then measured the same amount of new Honda DW-1 into a 2nd clean & dry milk jug to add back in the same amount as was drained out. Verify the tranny fluid type & quantity in your owners manual 1st so you use the correct type & amount. I simply used the tranny dip stick spout opening to refill with fresh ATF. You may need to buy a special funnel for the long reach as I have pictured below, if you do it the way I did. I found it to be very easy. I honestly thought an ATF change to be easier than changing the engine oil, no joke. I did put a fresh drain plug washer on each time. Be sure to clean the gunk off the drain plug too before re-installing it. I checked the ATF level with the engine cold and hot a few times before draining the old fluid, and then again for a few days after changing the fluid to make sure I put enough back in. It was always correct with the approach I took. I also agree with the software update suggestion. Make sure that has been done, or get it done if not. You may find a YouTube video or 2 showing how an ATF change is done on a 2016 Pilot if you search. Good luck.

 

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Even though I traded off the 16 Pilot earlier this summer, I still have a PDF copy of the owners manual file on my computer. Its too big of a file to attach to this response, sorry.

21EXL is correct about the different Honda fluid the 6-speed (models with shift lever) or the 9-speed transmissions (models with electronic gear selector ... in case you are wondering) use. The stated capacity for a single fluid change is 3.3 quarts for DW-1 fluid, or 3.5 quarts for the 3.1 type of fluid. I bought 4 quarts for a single drain & refill and usually had about a 1/2 quart leftover. So if you do the math, you'll probably need to buy 12 quarts for a 3x change to make sure you have enough. I always used Honda's tranny fluid rather than a different brand, but that's just me.

Personally, I did not do the 3x change. But then I also did that drain & refill about every 25K miles, so I assumed it accomplished the same over time. viper74656 is right about the torque converter fluid not draining. And I do recall reading once a Honda explanation for mechanics on how to do it, but I simply can not find it now for your reference. It basically said to let the car idle till the engine warmed back up, and then move the transmission thru each gear again before re-draining. Pretty simple as I recall. Sorry for the long explanation, but yes, to answer your question I'd do the 3x change this time. I'd think your transmission mechanic could do that very easily without needing Honda's explanation.

 

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If you want the Honda brand of ATF fluid, either DW-1 or the 3.1 fluid, I think you can only get that at your dealer, or possibly Amazon. You can check where you live, but I'm not aware of any retail store that carries the Honda brand. I bought some DW-1 once on Amazon, but after that I simply went to my local Honda dealer. Its convenient, and their price is okay as far as I'm concerned. Good luck.

 

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Which filter is better? Now that I honestly do not know. Even though I've used aftermarket air filters, oil filters and cabin air filters on my Pilot, I did use the expensive Honda inline tranny filter when I replaced it. Whether that was necessary or not is anyone's guess. With the mileage and age of a '16 Pilot, I'd be of the opinion that changing the filter is probably more important than the brand you use. Here is a post I made about that very job I did last year when I went by a different handle on this web site if it is of any help. Tranny filter change