— Honda Idle Stop problems caused three class action lawsuits which were consolidated into one lawsuit titled, In re Honda Idle Stop Litigation.
The Honda Idle Stop class action lawsuit was consolidated from: Bolooki v. Honda, Cooper v. Honda, and Nock v. Honda.
The first class action was filed just weeks after the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration opened an investigation into Idle Stop complaints filed about 2016-2020 Honda Pilots equipped with 3.5L engines and 9-speed automatic transmissions.
That investigation continues, but Honda told NHTSA that owners of other models complained about Idle Stop problems. Those vehicles include the Honda Odyssey, Acura TLX and Acura MDX which are also equipped with 3.5L engines and 9-speed automatic transmissions.
The Honda class action lawsuit includes these vehicles if equipped with Idle Stop features:
- 2015-2023 Honda Pilot
- 2015-2023 Honda Odyssey
- 2015-2023 Honda Passport
- 2015-2023 Honda Ridgeline
- 2015-2023 Acura TLX
- 2015-2023 Acura MDX
According to Honda:
"The Honda idle-stop feature maximizes your fuel efficiency when your vehicle is idling. If you're stationary for more than two seconds, such as in stop-and-go traffic, the engine will shut off; many of the vehicle's functions, such as the A/C, will continue to power on smoothly. Merely release the brake to start up the engine again! This feature can be easily disabled."
In addition to the ability to shut off the Idle Stop feature by pushing a button, Honda says in "certain traffic conditions, the idle-stop function may not be desirable."
According to the customers who sued, the Idle Stop feature may not automatically restart the engine when a driver releases the brake pedal.
Honda allegedly has no repair for the problem and no Idle Stop recall has been issued. Additionally, the class action says Honda hasn't compensated customers for alleged diminished vehicle values.
The automaker has issued technical service bulletins and warranty extensions related to Idle Stop systems, but the class action lawsuit alleges nothing has repaired the problems.
The plaintiffs assert the Idle Stop systems are unreliable and put vehicle occupants in danger of "bodily harm and injury."
"Each purchaser or lessee of a Class Vehicle unwittingly paid for a vehicle with an undisclosed and significant safety defect. Each of these purchasers and lessees were damaged in that they paid more for their Class Vehicles than they would have paid had they known about the Idle Stop Defect or in that they would not have purchased or leased their Class Vehicles at all had they been informed of the defect." — Honda Idle Stop lawsuit
The Honda Idle Stop class action lawsuit was filed by these customers:
- Hamid Bolooki / Florida / 2016 Honda Pilot
- Janice Stewart / Alabama / 2018 Acura TLX
- Sirous Pourjafar / California / 2021 Honda Pilot
- Kevin Bishop / Connecticut / 2017 Honda Pilot
- Liz Simpson / Delaware / 2016 Honda Pilot
- Abby O’Neill / Kansas / 2018 Honda Pilot
- Jeff Kaminski / Indiana / 2016 Honda Pilot
- Antoinette Lanus / Louisiana / 2017 Honda Pilot
- Devron Elliott / Maryland / 2016 Acura TLX
- Brandon Derry / New Hampshire / 2016 Honda Pilot
- Malik Barrett / New Jersey / 2019 Acura TLX
- Ali Qureshi / Massachusetts / 2016 Acura MDX
- Drew Taranto / Ohio / 2019 Honda Odyssey
- Daniel Rock / Pennsylvania / 2017 Honda Pilot
- Latasha Ransome / Connecticut / 2019 Acura MDX
- Sharon Marie Johnson / Texas / 2019 Honda Passport
- Marilyn Thomas / Virginia / 2019 Honda Pilot
- David Jew / Washington / 2016 Honda Pilot Elite
The Honda Idle Stop class action lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California: In re Honda Idle Stop Litigation, (Hamid Bolooki v. Honda Motor Company Limited, et al).
The plaintiffs are represented by Beasley, Allen, Crow, Methvin, Portis & Miles, P.C., DiCello Levitt LLC, Andrew T. Trailor, P.A., and Cowper Law PC.