The vehicle is not starting after coming to a complete stop with the auto start stop feature at a red light or stop sign. After releasing the brake pedal, the engine does not start up again, which leads me to having to turn off the car and turn it back on manually, which could take up to a minute. The Honda dealer has already updated the vehicle replaced the starter and adjusted the valves two months ago and the issue is still persisting.
2017 Honda Pilot: won't start
47 of the 943 complaints about the 2017 Honda Pilot describe won't start.
- owner complaints
- 47
- of this car's complaints
- 5%
- typical repair cost reported
- $1,000
- typical mileage
- 36,500
- recalls
- 0
Won't start by model year
What owners say
While driving car it made some noise from engine area and only would drive about 35 mph. The car then shut off and had to coast off highway into parking lot. Luckily it didn't stop in middle of 4 lane highway. Car would not crank and had it towed to Honda dealer. Upon inspection from Walker Jones Honda dealer the following diagnosis. Verified motor locked up. Dropped the oil pan and inspected. Found bearing material in the oil caused by bearing slippage. Pictures were taken. There was no warnings or lights when this event occurred. The car has been taken care of and regular oil changes made through the Honda dealership. We are having to pay to get the engine replaced. The car has 103,965 miles on it.
Random complete engine failure while driving due to connecting rod bearings. Mechanic diagnosed and shows damage. Car will not start or run at all.
While driving car it lost power and was going only 35 mph then shut off completely while driving. Would not crank had car towed to Honda dealer and they said the engine was seized up. The car is at the Honda dealer now. No warning lights that I'm aware of. Honda dealer stated I would need a new motor.
Engine Idle at Stop light or Start & Stop at Traffic Stop Light doesn't work. It does stop completely; however, it didn't start after releasing the brake. You have to put the vehicle back in the parking gear, put the brake to restart the engine. This has happened three times in the last week.
Over the past couple of months the the vehicle has been "throwing" misfiring cylinder errors, particularly cylinder 4 (P0304) and every once in a while cylinder 1 (P0301), and a catalytic converter bank 2 error (P0430). Last week, I filled up with premium fuel and added a catalytic cleaner. This eliminated the P0430 error and reduced the frequency of the P0304 error. Yesterday ([XXX]) we were driving from Casper, WY to Gillette, WY for a volleyball tournament. About 35 miles into the trip, we were travelling at a speed of 72 mph when the tires squealed, accompanied by metal clanging and extreme vibration in the engine; the car nearly came to a complete stop. I was able to maintain control of the vehicle and pull off to the side of the road. I looked down at the console display and noticed that the check engine light was blinking. I connected an OBDII scanner and observed a P0304 error. I then tried to pull forward slowly and the car barely moved and the engine clanging and vibration persisted. At that point I turned off the engine and called a tow truck; I also called my son to pick up my daughter and take her to her volleyball tournament. While waiting for the two truck, I attempted to start the car so I could run the OBDII scanner again. The car would not start. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
While driving, the vehicle lost engine power on three separate occasions (3/6/26, 3/10/26, 3/20/26) and had to coast to a stop on the road. One of the codes that appeared was P0087; the Honda dealership replaced the fuel pump kit (part # 06161-RLV-305) due to the fuel rail pressure being too low, but the vehicle continued to stall upon replacement after being picked up from the dealership. When it was brought back to them, they could not find a problem or replicate the stalling. This is a safety risk because the car is stalling for an unknown reason and will not start back up for 10-15 minutes. This is a safety risk to the driver and others because stalling could cause an accident or fatalities if the driver is unable to safely pull over. Fuel pumps are a known problem in 2017 Pilots and this vehicle was not included in the recall (SB 24-010). I paid $1694 for the repair from the Honda dealership and the problem is still occurring. There were no warning lights prior to the failure. Honda should reimburse me for this cost, but they denied responsibility for the cost despite Service Bulletin 24-010. These vehicles are unsafe and should not be on the road at all.
Engine was making a loud grinding noise and when my fiance got home from work it completely died out and will not turn over
With no warning, the engine has completely stopped while I was driving. The engine will not turn over at all after that moment. All maintenance was maintained on the vehicle, including regular oil changes. There were no lights, signals, or even engine sounds leading into it stopping. It appears that there are others who have had the same issue with this engine.
Auto Start/Stop Issue. I finally experienced what some other members of my family have experienced with this car. My Honda Pilot stalled at a stop light in heavy traffic after the engine was turned off when I stopped at the light using the auto start/stop function. After I released the brake when the light turned green, the car did not start.
Teenage daughter was driving in rush hour traffic and the car seemed at have stalled out. She pulled over on the shoulder and manually turned off the car. When she tried re-starting it, it would not start. Electrical came on, but no power to the engine. Something then seemed to have overheated because when fire department was called, they extinguished something that had melted the plastic covering underneath the car. Fire department called due to smoke. No flames seen. We believe the smoke was from the melted plastic under car from something (a fluid) that was leaking. Insurance was called, car was towed to a Honda repair shop and then towed to a local Honda dealership. They say engine seized and is locked up and will not re-start. Other noted repair needed they say is torque converter. No other problems with this vehicle in the past. One of the best cars we have owned. No warnings prior to this happening on the highway. Disappointed that Honda did not have a cause and origin expert determine what happened to the car.
For no reason the Alarm is going off randomly the dash lights, interior lights, driving lights and headlights are flashing and loud clicking noises come from the dash. This happens frequently and has been going on for some time. I have had to remove the fuse from the Horn to keep it from waking us up at night which creates a potentially dangerous situation if I forget to plug it back in. Also this keeps running down the battery and when it is doing this, it sometimes won't start. I worry about it damaging other electronic parts and causing a dangerous situation. Honda must be aware of this issue with the Pilots. You can search online and find hundreds of others that have experienced the same issue. The Honda Ridgeline has the same issue and they have issued a TSB for it. I find it totally irresponsible that they would try to correct the Ridgeline but not also the Pilot. They know the TPMS Control Units are the problem and they need to fix them.
Service bulletins that may apply
- Under certain circumstances, after coming to a stop and the auto idle stop feature engages, the vehicle...
- Dealer Message
- Under certain circumstances, after coming to a stop and engaging idle stop, the vehicle may not restart...
- Torque converters may not have been manufactured to proper specifications
- Dealer Message
- Torque converters may not have been manufactured to proper specifications
- Drivers may experience a chirping sound coming from the engine area with the engine warmed up due to the...
- MIL flashes and vehicle will not accelerate, low power
Related recalls
No recalls on record for this model year.
Questions about the 2017 Honda Pilot won't start
Is won't start a common problem on the 2017 Honda Pilot?
47 of 943 owner complaints about the 2017 Honda Pilot (5%) mention won't start. The model year with the most reports is 2016.
How much does it cost to fix won't start on the 2017 Honda Pilot?
Owners who mentioned a price put the repair at about $1,000 (median of 6 complaints that include a dollar amount). Costs vary with mileage, warranty and where the work is done.
Is there a recall or service bulletin for this on the 2017 Honda Pilot?
There are 0 recalls and 52 service bulletins for the same area of the car. Check them below with your VIN.
Other symptoms on the 2017 Honda Pilot
Stalling 175Start-stop 99Engine failure 90Knocking 89Check engine light 63Jerking 52Loss of power 39Warning lights 37Fuel pump 33Hesitation 24Collision warning 23Transmission failure 19Adaptive cruise 17Shudder 17Misfire 15Key fob 14Won't shift 13Grinding brakes 12Headlights 12Lane assist 11Sunroof shattered 11Harsh shifting 9Battery drain 8Screen failure 7Slipping 7Sudden acceleration 7Overheating 6Backup camera 5Fire or smoke 5Seat belt 5
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