I bought this car used in May 2022. My wife is the primary driver and this incident happened to her three times and myself once. When stopping at a red light, the engine turns off to save fuel with the auto start stop feature. We normally turn this off, but sometimes when we forget, the auto start fails to start the engine leaving us stuck in traffic trying to start the car at a green light. It takes multiple attempts to restart the car. This wouldn't be an issue if we could turn off the auto stop start permanently. We don't like the feature anyway, sometimes it causes the car to lurch forward when removing your foot from the break while the engine is starting.

- Feasterville , PA, USA

Stop/start feature fails to restart the car. I have to turn off the car completely to restart.

- Allentown, PA, USA

There have been many instances of the vehicle failing to restart after a complete stop at a stop light. In these situations, the vehicle's auto stop-start system engages and turns the engine off. When the brake peddle is disengaged and the engine is supposed to start, the engine fails to restart. There are some errors on the dashboard but nothing was captured on the vehicle computer when I took it into the dealership. When the engine won't restart it takes a minute or two of blocking traffic before the engine will start up. I have to turn off the vehicle and then restart sitting in the lane hoping none will crash into me. I have also taken the vehicle into the dealership numerous time to no avail.

- Redondo Beach, CA, USA

On 11/29/21, 1 block from home, the engine started making a very loud knocking noise. I was able to turn around and drive back home but no faster than 20 MPH. After having the car towed to Schlossmann Honda, the diagnosis was: Full engine seizure, cylinder 3 connecting rod broken, piston damaged bank 1 cylinder head, metal contamination in bank 2 cylinder head, scoring on bank 2 camshaft and cam journals. Replaced short block assembly and both cylinder assemblies. This happened at 101,587 miles, which was 1,587 miles after extended warranty expired. Repair was not covered but after pushing with Honda Corp, they agreed to charge me an $8,000 deductible for the repair.

- Brookfield, WI, USA

On 6/11/22, while driving on I-94 in downtown Chicago in heavy traffic the vehicle engine turned off as part of the auto shut off/on feature. The vehicle would not start button. back up and was stranded in the middle lane. The engine would not start back up, even after putting in park, pressing the brake and holding the start button. After 10 minutes or so I was able to get the vehicle re-started by pressing the brake and holding the start button for 10 seconds. Totally an unsafe situation being in the middle lane in downtown Chicago! This has happened at least 7-10 times previously.

- Brookfield, WI, USA

I have been having trouble with the auto-engine idle/restart feature for over 2years! (I saw this is a current investigation) I reported the problem to my local dealer at time of routine maintenance visit ~2yrs ago and (without driving it except from the garage to the customer driveway) they said -??there-??s no problem, looks fine-??. I now try to remember to disengage that feature as soon as I turn on the car, but when I forget I stall out at red lights. It-??s always been a design flaw that you can-??t just turn off the feature! I-??ve never had to be jumped off but it does block up traffic for a minute to have to restart the car. This same vehicle also had the failed fuel injectors at ~35k miles, starting almost a year before the official recall, and it took over 6 mos to diagnose that problem through multiple various dealerships and service stations. This 2016 model with the first generation of the Honda tech package has been a hot mess! (The lateral collision sensors are also set too wide and the car will abruptly break for cars in turn lanes or driveways adjacent to your lane. I reported this to the dealership within the first year as well)

- Dothan, AL, USA

Start-stop failure on Honda Pilot. When this feature is in use, car will shut off completely and has happened at intersections which creates a danger.

- Stroudsburg, PA, USA

If I forget to turn the auto idol off my car shuts down when stopped and won't restart. This has been going on for years and when I tell the Honda service to check it out they find nothing wrong and tell me this is normal. I know this can't be normal as it's a safety hazard. I fear for my life when this happens as I am afraid a car will drive into me until I can get my car started again. It's very stressful and I have just dealt with it as I have not been able to afford to get a new car. I recently heard this safety problem has been recognized. I should have sent this in much sooner but when my Honda service tells me this is normal I didn't think there was anything I could do. I can't enter a date below because this is an ongoing issue.

- Palm Beach Gardens, FL, USA

The problem has happened at-least 5 times won-??t restart on its own from a complete stop at a traffic light or intersection with the stop-start feature in use.Brought to Honda dealership and they stated the do not see a problem. This is a safety problem that needs to be addressed. It stopped completely when i was in traffic also almost caused an accident.

- Lynbrook, NY, USA

The vehicle-??s Auto Stop/Start feature routinely fails to restart the engine when releasing the brake, turning the steering wheel, or selecting Park. In order to start the vehicle, it must be placed into Park, turned off, and then turned back on by holding the Start button. This has worked on most occasions (approx 90% of occasions thus far); other times a jump start was required. Attempts to resolve from Honda have required several purchases of a new battery and denial of there being a larger issue. There is no indication or warning that the feature has failed until attempting to resume driving (or the vehicle attempts to restart itself based on the vehicle-??s self-monitored parameters). The failure to start leaves the vehicle stuck in traffic risking collision and/or personal injury as a result.

- Chesapeake, VA, USA

There have been two instances of the vehicle failing to restart after a complete stop at a stop light. In these situations, the vehicle's auto stop-start system engages and turns the engine off. When the brake peddle is disengaged and the engine is supposed to start, the engine fails to restart. There are some errors on the dashboard but nothing was captured on the vehicle computer when I took it into the dealership. When the engine won't restart it takes a minute or two of blocking traffic before the engine will start up.

- Topeka, KS, USA

While at a stop light, with the engine "Auto Start/Stop" switch engaged, I released my foot from the brake, and the car died. I was totally confused as to what occurred. After a minute or two I was able to restart the car. I was very concerned about being re-ended as when the light changed to green is when the car died. I had no advance warning of a problem, and it just died unexpectedly as I released my foot from the break. No lights on the dash either. I notified my dealer, who had never heard of this happening, and said when I can, please bring it in. In as much as the incident occurred in May 2022, and hadn't happened since, I did not take my car into the dealer. I can take my car in at any time to be examined.

- Peoria, AZ, USA

The auto engine restart does not always engage when pressing on the accelerator after a stop. When it happens, it takes about 30 seconds and several pushes of the ignition button for the engine to restart. I have been stranded in the middle of a busy intersection waiting to turn left with my kids in my vehicle, vulnerable to a broadside hit as the light has turned. I have not taken it in because the problem is not easily reproducible, and I don-??t have time for them to give me the run around. The battery is not original; it was replaced in 2020. I disengage the auto stop/restart system with the button each time I turn on the vehicle.

- Bolton , MA, USA

In 3 occasions my Pilot was stopped waiting for the light to change and all of the sudden the engine died and refuse to turn itself ON as usual. The first time it happens in Miami, Fl. The second time in our hometown of Teaneck, NJ and the third time it happens in New York City (Manhattan) The first time the car re-started after 5 minutes trying (more than 5 times). The second time the car died and 5 took about 5 times to restart again. The third time, we had to use our battery jump starter because the battery died. After the car turned on, all the systems were fine, including the battery.

- Teaneck, NJ, USA

Honda Pilot 2016 auto idle feature stalls engine completely when recovering from idle to Run (e.g. complete stop at a signal or busy traffic, engine goes to auto idle and upon releasing the brake the engine stalls). Issue started during warranty period and multiple repair attempts were made by Honda dealership, replaced battery and starter motor (50% paid out of pocket though the car was in warranty, 50% was courtesy credit from Honda). Even after multiple attempts the issue remains unresolved. Honda/Dealership recommended to turn off the feature and use the car. This is a safety issue as engine keeps stalling and only starts after full power cycle (about 1-2 mins).

- Sammamish, WA, USA

Almost every time I forget to disable the auto stop function on my pilot and I come to a stop it will more likely kill the engine. Not all the time, but more times than not. It-??s annoying because it literally takes me a good 10-20 seconds to start it back up and get moving with cars behind me honking their horns. Issues with this started about a year in to owning this vehicle and have progressively gotten worse. Have taken my 2016 Honda Pilot into Honda multiple times with no help. They always say they could replicate the issue which is complete bull. This needs to be fixed

- Augusta, GA, USA

When engine turns off it won't turn back

- Auburn, ME, USA

I recently saw an article that NHTSA is investigating Honda vehicles 2016-2019 regarding the idle stop/restart of the car and want to corroborate that this issue does exist. My husband and I bought a 2016 Honda Pilot Elite in late July of 2019. We believe we are the second owners of the vehicle. All was fine except for occasionally, the idle stop/restart feature would not work: the car would cut off at a red light, but when taking my foot off the brake and expecting a restart, you would see and hear all of the electrical turn off--radio, a/c, etc. and sometimes the car would not restart. I would have to wait 30 seconds or so, then restart the car as normal. The most harrowing experience with this happened on a six-lane highway where I was the last in line at a red light. The light turned green, all cars accelerated and left, but the idle stop did not restart, the car cut off completely, and it would not restart at all. I had to wait for a minute or two to re-try several times. This was a 55mph highway, I was in the middle lane completely stalled out with no other cars around me, and my children were in the car with me. I was afraid someone would come barreling along at the speed limit and hit us. We took the car in to our local Honda dealership on 11/21/19 and still have the paperwork, which reads "BMS no supplying proper voltage for auto stop function to operate properly", "Install new battery management sensor", "Battery test bad" and "replaced battery". We all figured it was the car's battery. A year later, we asked and they still couldn't disconnect that feature for us. I have made it a habit to hit the button to disable the idle stop whenever I drive the car. Just last week, my husband drove with the rest of us in the car, he did not disable the idle stop at a red light, and the car briefly cut off all electrical (but quickly turned back on) when he lifted his foot from the break. We still have the car. Please do inspect it. There are no warning signs.

- North Myrtle Beach, SC, USA

This car has feature to turn off engine while stopped at stoplight to conserve fuel when brake pedal is engaged. On multiple occasions when the brake pedal is released the car fails to restart engine and the engine and car -??turns off-?? entirely. Sometimes I can restart car by pressing ignition button but other times it take up to several minutes for the car to restart. Very dangerous while in traffics.

- Webster Groves, MO, USA

The engine in my vehicle fails to restart after coming to a complete stop. My car stalls out and can take several attempts to try to restart the car. This has been very dangerous. It can occur whether I'm stuck in traffic on a major highways or even just at a stop sign. It always occurs when the start/stop function is engaged. I have taken the car to the dealer multiple times to deal with this issue and even tried to get the start stop function removed. Unfortunately, they have never been able to fix the problem.

- Virginia Beach, VA, USA