Car stalled when engine auto idle was engaged after stopping at a stop light. This problem was “fixed” in May 2026 but had started occurring again.
2019 Honda Pilot: engine stalls while driving
96 of the 929 complaints about the 2019 Honda Pilot describe engine stalls while driving.
- owner complaints
- 96
- of this car's complaints
- 10%
- typical mileage
- 44,298
- recalls
- 2
Engine stalls while driving by model year
What owners say
Auto Start / Stop for the engine when coming to a stop at idle. We cannot replicate the situation over and over, but it has happened numerous times. If the auto start stop feature is allowed to function and the vehicle motor turns off at a stop sign or a stop light, it sometimes does not turn back on when you let off the brake and push the accelerator. This puts us in a very dangerous situation at intersections with a stalled out car. It sometimes takes several minutes to restart the car, all the while (my wife usually drives this car) she is panicking while cars honk and swerve around her disabled car. Honda dealer has been less than helpful stating they cannot do anything unless they can replicate it in the shop. Most recent incident happened today while my wife was driving to work.
The car stalled in an intersection. The auto idle function had engaged when the car came to a full stop, but when i took my foot off the break it did not restart. It took a couple of tries to get it to restart, leaving my car in the intersection. This problem has been happening on and off since I bought it used in 2022. In May 2025, a Honda dealership near me made a valve adjustment and replaced the starter, which was supposed to have fixed the issue. However, it recently started occurring again.
Vehicle: 2019 Honda Pilot VIN: [XXX] My 2019 Honda Pilot is experiencing an "Emissions System Problem" accompanied by Diagnostic Trouble Code (DTC) P219A (Air-Fuel Ratio Imbalance). This defect causes engine hesitation, rough idling, and a severe risk of sudden loss of motive power or engine stalling while driving at highway speeds, presenting a significant safety hazard to myself and other motorists. American Honda is fully aware of this manufacturing defect. They issued Service Bulletins 20-100 and 21-010 extending the warranty to 10 years/150,000 miles for this exact code and symptom on 2017–2019 Honda Pilots due to defective fuel injectors and faulty PCM software. However, Honda has arbitrarily excluded my specific VIN from this extension (case number Case # XXX). Honda Corporate has officially denied assistance, forcing me to drive a vehicle with a known fuel system defect that threatens sudden vehicle failure in traffic. I request that the federal safety agency investigate Honda’s arbitrary exclusion of affected VINs for this acknowledged safety defect. Thank you INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
When my Pilot is stopped and the engine idles off, you should be able to take your foot off the brake and it start back up. My engine continuously shuts down completely when I take my foot off of the gas and multiple alert lights on the dash come on. About 70% of the time, I can shut the car off completely, breathe a second and then press the ignition button and the car will restart. Now, increasingly it stalls completely and will not crank for several minutes. I have had this happen more than once at busy intersections and once while stopped in traffic on an interstate. I had to put my hazard lights on so cars would go around me. I have taken it to the Honda dealer a couple of times just for this and they say there is nothing showing to be fixed and there is nothing they can do to fix it. They only told me to remember to press the button to turn the feature off. Yes, I know that’s possible but I’m a busy mom and I often forget. What is the point of having the feature if it continuously stalls out? I have searched this problem on the internet and I’ve seen other Pilot owners have had the same problem. Any help you can offer would be appreciated.
While traveling at highway speeds, we experienced a check engine lights with loss of power. After carefully pulling off of the highway, we stopped at a gas station where the engine ultimately stalled. Upon attempting restart, the engine cranked twice and then stopped. Trying to start the engine again. All we heard was a click this time around and the engine is now fully seized. Thank goodness we were able to pull off the highway and the issue happened in a way that my family and I were safe.
Fuel gage read incorrectly staing we had gas and estimated fuel for 70 miles. We stalled while driving. Several error lights came on, car would not start. After researching we saw alot of complaints about fuel Guage issues so we were able to get 2 gal of gas and then make it to a gas station. Took car in for diagnostic, no known problem. ????
Fuel Injector issue - diagnosed at Mike's Automotive, a NAPA AutoCare Center by ASE certified technician. Codes were P0430 and P219B which indicates fuel injector issue. The Emmissions System Problem check engine light goes on and off at random times, reduced fuel economy by almost 5 mpg, hard shifting, stalling. All symptoms are in line with the recall for 2019 Honda Pilots however my VIN is not included in the recall, but I believe it should be. Honda wants me to bring my vehicle to a Honda Dealership to get diagnosed, diagnostic is my cost, though I've already paid for a diagnostic at a different repair shop.
The Auto Idle Stop feature on my 2019 Honda Pilot is a critical safety defect. The engine repeatedly fails to restart automatically after the Idle Stop engages at a complete stop, resulting in the vehicle stalling in traffic. This is a major crash risk, not a minor inconvenience. I have experienced this dangerous failure multiple times while waiting to make a left turn in busy intersections. When I release the brake to proceed, the engine remains stalled, leaving my vehicle immobilized directly in the path of oncoming traffic and creating a high risk of a side-impact or rear-end collision. On one occasion, the engine stalled as I was attempting to clear a red light, leaving the Pilot stationary and exposed. I manually disable this feature every time I drive because of the known failure risk, and the stall only occurs when I occasionally forget this essential step. Replacing the battery, as recommended by the dealership, did not resolve the high rate of failure. Honda's existing fixes are inadequate, and this defect puts vehicle occupants and other drivers at serious risk of injury or death.
My 2019 Honda Pilot was surging when it went up a hill or was at a steady speed on the highway. I was concerned that the car would stall. The dealer confirmed/reproduced the problem and called it a torque converter shudder. Per Honda's instructions they changed the transmission fluid 3 times and did a software update. There were no warning lights. This is a known problem with a very specific fix that is recommended by Honda. It should be a recall and the repair covered by Honda. It costs me over $400.00 to get the repair done at my dealer-Washington PA Honda.
The contact owns a 2019 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled. The contact stated that the Emissions system warning light was illuminated for forty-five minutes prior to the vehicle stalling. The vehicle was driven a short distance before it stalled again. The contact noticed an abnormal sound. The vehicle was driven to the shoulder of the road and turned off. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, where it was unofficially diagnosed with internal engine failure. The contact was advised to tow the vehicle to the dealer for assistance. The vehicle was towed to the dealer and was unofficially diagnosed with internal engine failure. The contact was advised that the engine needed to be dismantled for a complete diagnostic test. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was filed. The contact was informed that the case would not be escalated until the complete diagnostic test was performed. The failure mileage was approximately 114,300.
This vehicle continues to have issues related to a problem that was issued for the fuel pump earlier this year. My fuel pump was replaced, but the vehicle continues to do the same thing. It stalls and jerks while I am driving and does not start sometimes after getting gas. When I am trying to accelerate the vehicle does not go at full power. One time I was going out into traffic and had to reverse because I knew that I would not make it and get hit. In addition to this, the vehicle has an issue with the braking system. Other years have been recalled for what they call ghost breaking, and although this one does this, it has not been recalled. I will be driving and the car will all of a sudden just brake on its own as if there is a vehicle/object in front of me. Sometimes this happens in the same location. Honda is supposed to be a reliable car, but it seems they have failed with this year/model of the Pilot because it has been big issue after big issue.
Service bulletins that may apply
- 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
- Torque converters may not have been manufactured to proper specifications
- MIL flashes and vehicle will not accelerate, low power
- The MIL flashes and vehicle will not accelerate, low power
- Service NewsDue to On-Board Diagnostic (OBD) regulation change starting with 2019 vehicles, American...
- Under certain circumstances, after coming to a stop and the idle stop feature engages, the vehicle may not...
Related recalls
Engine and engine cooling: engine: hard parts internal/mechanical
- What is wrong
- Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2015-2020 Acura TLX, 2016-2020 Acura MDX, 2016 and 2018-2019 Pilot, 2017 and 2019 Ridgeline, and 2018-2019 Odyssey vehicles. Due to a manufacturing error, the connecting rod bearing in the engine may wear and seize, damaging the engine.
- Risk
- A damaged engine may run improperly or stall while driving, increasing the risk of a fire, crash, or injury.
- Remedy
- Dealers will inspect and repair, or replace the engine as necessary, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed March 28, 2024. 2016-2017 Acura MDX owner letters were mailed November 1, 2024. 2016-2020 Acura MDX owner letters are expected to be mailed in mid-December 2024. Honda began mailing owner notification letters as of March 18, 2024. 2015-2016 Acura owner letters are expected to be mailed mid-December 2024, 2018 Acura TLX owner letters are expected to be mailed the end of March/early April 2024, 2019 Acura TLX owner letters are expected to be mailed mid-May 2024, 2020 Acura TLX owner letters are expected to be mailed mid-June 2024, and 2016-2020 Acura MDX owner letters are expected to be mailed January 27, 2025. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1‑888‑234‑2138. Honda's numbers for these recalls are XG1 and GG0.
Recall number 23V751000 · Recall details
Engine and engine cooling: engine: gasoline: belts and associated pulleys
- What is wrong
- Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Acura MDX and Honda Pilot vehicles and 2019 Acura RLX, RLX Sport Hybrid, TLX and Honda Odyssey and Ridgeline vehicles. The timing belt teeth may separate from the belt.
- Risk
- Teeth separation from the timing belt may result in an engine stall, increasing the risk of crash.
- Remedy
- Honda will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the vehicle and replace any affected timing belt free of charge. Vehicles receiving a replacement timing belt will also have the engine inspected and any damaged components will be replaced for free. The recall began June 7, 2019. Honda owners may contact customer service at 1‑888‑234‑2138. Honda's number for this recall is L4M. Acura owners may contact customer service at 1‑888‑234‑2138. Acura's number for this recall is Z4L.
Recall number 19V298000 · Recall details
Questions about the 2019 Honda Pilot stalling
Is engine stalls while driving a common problem on the 2019 Honda Pilot?
96 of 929 owner complaints about the 2019 Honda Pilot (10%) mention engine stalls while driving. The model year with the most reports is 2016.
Is there a recall or service bulletin for this on the 2019 Honda Pilot?
There are 2 recalls and 29 service bulletins for the same area of the car. Check them below with your VIN.
Other symptoms on the 2019 Honda Pilot
Backup camera 103Start-stop 70Collision warning 66Fuel pump 61Adaptive cruise 59Lane assist 54Check engine light 53Won't start 49Screen failure 38Headlights 36Hesitation 32Knocking 30Engine failure 27Jerking 24Warning lights 21Loss of power 15Misfire 13Shudder 11Battery drain 10Won't shift 10Phantom braking 7Sudden acceleration 6Transmission failure 6Harsh shifting 5
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