2020 Honda Pilot: start-stop system problems

Filed Jul 17, 2026 · Electrical, Engine · CA

Engine start/stop function fails to restart after automatically shutting off at a light or in traffic. It falters and fails to start, then the dashboard lights up with errors, and I have to put it into park before restarting. Sometimes it takes a few tries before restarting. The battery has been replaced twice in the last year and the starter motor within the last year too, but the issue persists.

Filed Jul 10, 2026 · Engine · OR

The problem on our Honda Pilot is related to the starter. We have had four instances now where the auto start/stop function has failed to restart the car after sitting at a stop light. This has happened at very busy intersections resulting in difficulty restarting the car and the car temporarily disabling the auto start/stop functions. I just had this happen for the fourth time on 7/9/26 at approximatlely 6:00 PM. I am planning on taking it into the dealership to have it looked at since it has happened multiple times. I also see on the Internet that other owners are having this issue and the federal safety agency is looking into it. I feel this is a significant safety issues since this happens in traffic and could result in people being rear-ended when their car won't start. This problem started for me about two months ago but I thought it was just a fluke but apparently it is not. The battery and electrical system has been checked and are working properly.

Filed Nov 1, 2025 · Engine · VA

Auto start/stop problems with car. When at a stop, car shifts into neutral and cannot get back into Drive. Sometimes I cant turn off car. And when I do it's the only way to get car back into drive. Absolutely dangerous especially with kids in the car. Has happened on several occasions dating back so when car had only 50,000mi. Has had transmission replaced at 60,000mi. Still have engine idle issues till now.

Filed Oct 29, 2025 · MA

This is about the auto stop/start feature that kicks in when you are stopped in traffic or at a stoplight. The car shuts down and is supposed to restart. Twice now, the car has refused to restart when I took my foot off the break. I had to turn the car off, open the door, and close the door and restart the car. I have no shut off that feature.

Filed Oct 3, 2025 · Electrical, Engine · NY

The auto stop/start idle function does not re-engage after stopping the engine. This has happened at least 4 times in the last 3weeks with my vehicle. When stopped in traffic or at a light and stop sign the engine idle engages and stops running the engine, when releasing the brake pedal the engine does not turn on as it should and the car stalls. This requires the operator to engage hazard lights, shift into park and repeatedly try the push start button to turn on the vehicle to proceed. The passenger safety of myself and children are of concern. While having to wait on a car function, that is the core operation of the vehicle, it is dangerous to shut off a vehicle while in operation. Having other vehicles honking and trying to pass or even stopping at a highway entrance ramp then trying to engage the car to meet highway speeds is a dangerous time for an engine to stall and not re-engage. Yes, the issue has been reproduced and a dealer has already addressed the issue with a software update. This update has not resolved the issue. There are no current recalls on my vehicle. There are no warning signs or messages or the ability to turn off the function permanently. In addition, there a times during the operation of the vehicle where the engine stop/start function works after many stops but then randomly does not start. It is an inconsistent feature.

Filed Jul 19, 2025 · Electrical, Engine · TX

I’m reaching out regarding a persistent and hazardous issue with the Auto Stop/Start function on my vehicle. The system routinely fails when stopping at lights and stop signs, causing the engine to shut off and not restart. On several occasions, the vehicle has shut off while in motion—on highways, at intersections, and in the middle of roadways—putting me and others at serious risk. I brought the vehicle to John Eagle Honda of Dallas on Wednesday, June 5, 2024. The dealership diagnosed two recall-related issues (Recall #23-008 and #21-012), temporarily resolving the problem. However, the failure returned just five days later and has persisted ever since. I purchased the vehicle in May 2020, practically new from the dealership. This issue began roughly a year after purchase and has only escalated. I’m requesting further review and a permanent resolution, as this continues to be a severe safety hazard.

Filed Mar 31, 2025 · Engine · FL

The auto start/stop on my car will cause my car to not restart when I’m at a stoplight. This has happened multiple times. I have to remember to turn off the auto start/Stop function every time I get in the vehicle. It will shut my whole car down and take several seconds for me to be able to turn the car back on putting me at risk when I’m stopped in traffic. It has happened multiple times since May 2024.

Filed Aug 1, 2024 · Electrical, Engine · MA

The car goes into neutral automatically when idle. It then needs to be shut down and restarted. This happens in traffic at a light or intersection. Although, I received the idle stop start recall software update the issue persists. The dealer was unable to reproduce the issue and there were no codes when diagnosed.

Filed May 29, 2024 · Electrical · WA

While stopped at a red traffic light after taking a freeway exit with one foot on the brake, my 2020 Honda Pilot engaged in auto stop (auto idle stop). When the traffic light turned green, I took my foot off of the brake, the vehicle attempted to start but stalled with the electrical components still on (dashboard indicators and ventilation still on). I stepped on the brake and attempted to put the vehicle in park, but noticed the vehicle would not shift out of neutral. I pressed the start/stop button (ignition) and the dashboard indicators flashed but the engine did not start until the second attempt. Somewhere in between, I pressed the emergency lights to indicate to drivers behind me of an issue. About 15-20 seconds had lapsed during my troubleshooting attempt. Prior to this event, there were at least 8 individual events where when the auto start/stop was engaged and disengaged, the dashboard would flash warning signals for a fraction of a second with an audible warning sound. Dashboard warnings flashed on and off too quickly to clearly see what was being displayed. A short delay in restarting the vehicle from idle stop would occur, about 1-2 seconds but the car would then proceed and run as usual.

Filed Oct 3, 2023 · Electrical · 20,000 miles · WV

The contact owns a 2020 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that while stopped at a red light, the Auto START/STOP feature activated; however, after releasing the brake pedal, the engine failed to restart. Additionally, the transmission had erroneously shifted into neural. The contact stated that the vehicle was turned off and shifted into park before pressing the START/STOP button to restart the vehicle. The failure had occurred on several occasions. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who performed a software update, but the failure persisted. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 20,000.

Filed Aug 23, 2023 · Electrical, Engine · IL

When auto start/stop feature engages at times vehicle does not restart and will not restart. This has happened 5-6 times in heavy traffic leaving the car dead in the middle of the road until we repeatedly try to reset and restart.

Filed Aug 5, 2023 · Engine · GA

The stop/start function for the engine engaged 3 times now when stopped at a stop sign on a hill incline. When I released the break for the car to start back up, the car went into neutral and shut off. I immediately put my foot back on the break so I did not roll backwards into another vehicle. This has happened 3 times now with near collisions so I am trying to drive with the feature turned off which is an inconvenience to turn it off every time I start the vehicle.