The auto-idle feature on this vehicle stalls out the engine on a regular basis, causing risk of accident from surrounding traffic. When breaks applied for red light, stop sign, traffic, etc., the auto-idle feature first engages and powers down the engine, however upon releasing the breaks, the engine stalls out, shifts into neutral, and the battery light comes on. I then have to get it into park and try to restart the vehicle. Sometimes it starts right away, other times it can take a few tries. Meanwhile, cars behind me are honking because I can't get my vehicle to move forward with traffic. Several times I have almost been rear-ended because the car behind me is expecting me to move forward when they see my brake lights turn off. I've talked to my dealer who informed me they completed a auto-idle recall software update in 2023 (recall #23-008) but the problem continues to happen. They have scheduled me to bring in the vehicle to look at the starter for potential replacement, I am hopeful it will not cost me a lot of money. THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL TO FIX THIS ISSUE! This is known issue on many Honda vehicles (there is a class-action lawsuit). It is also ridiculous that ther is no way to permanently disable the auto-idle feature. Thank you!
2021 Honda Pilot engine complaints
Page 3 of 5: complaints 41 to 70 of 120, newest first, as owners wrote them.
Check Engine Light came on during normal highway driving with Cylinder 2 Misfire as the readout. The vehicle was brought to local Honda dealer for troubleshooting and maintenance. Dealer maintained vehicle on schedule with 96,000 miles on it. Initially, informed us that this was due to the air filter housing being improperly placed and low power from the battery. Resolved both and then informed us it was an issue with the connecting rod/crankshaft and the engine would need to be replaced. During most recent fluids service about 2 months prior, had raised concerns about an intermittent shifting/low RPM jump and was told it was just debris but no real issue.
While driving the check engine light started flashing and lost a lot of power. Pulled over and turned the car off. Turned the car back on and the light was gone and power seemed to be back. Trying to get home about 15 minutes later every light came on. Lane assist, check engine, blind spot, traction control, literally all warning lights. When these came on the car lost all power within a minute. Wouldn't turn over or even power on to use lights or the radio. Got the car towed to two separate garages both stating engine failure. Honda dealer provided documentation of a bearing failure which damaged cylinder 5.
Car does not want to start even though the batter and alternator are good (tested by tow truck company). Restarts fine once batter is disconnected and then reconnected again. This has now happened twice.
While stopped at an intersection, the car died, the transmission shifted to neutral automatically and the radio would not turn on. The AGM battery was replaced approximately one year ago when a similar situation took place.
I have had two major problems with this car. At approximately 84,000 miles, the engine started making a very loud noise, regardless of speed. It was first diagnosed by an independent service center as a control arm bearing failure. I contacted Honda Corporate and was told that it had to be diagnosed by a Honda dealer/service center. It was then diagnosed as a failure of the control arm bearing by a Honda dealer/service center. I was told the engine had to be replaced. Honda Corporate offered a 50-50 split, leaving me with a bill of $8480. This is completely unfair and unjust for me to have to pay this for a manufacturer's defect. In the second incident shortly thereafter, I was on the highway in traffic when the automatic stop-start function failed, and the car stopped and did not re-start. I had cars backed up behind me, and it was a very unsafe situation. After turning the car off completely, I managed to restart it, and got off the highway. The problem continued afterwards, and I had to turn off the function manually in order to drive the car at all.
When driving and wanting to accelerate at 65mph car just because limp, won’t go when accelerating for a few seconds, speed drops, then you press back on the accelerator and after a few times the car goes back to normal. So, you loose control of the accelerator for a few seconds and you cant go faster, it just freezes and speed drops. This has been happen g for awhile. I even called Honda Corporate to advise them. It’s been happening for over 2 years. It comes and goes. We are starting to hear a clunk noise now.
While driving on the freeway at a slow speed due to two freeways merging, my Honda Pilot suddenly stopped/stalled. When I tried to restart the car by pressing the Auto Idle Stop button to vehicle did not start. It took three times of pressing the Auto Idle Stop button for the engine to restart. I am lucky that the traffic was going at a slow speed due to the merging of freeways so I was able to right away press my emergency signal lights on. I panicked and was scared for my safety and what could have happened to myself and others if the vehicle was running at a higher speed. This could have caused a major accident. Because this happened yesterday, I will be calling Honda to report the issue as well and have my vehicle inspected. My vehicle has had issues many times in the past with the Auto Idle Stop button not starting, however, it has never happened while driving. The concerning part as well is that the vehicle did not give any kind of warning light or message.
Wife was driving car and it stalled when slowing down for a red light. No check engine light or dash warning notices. Car then displayed instructions to restart the car Tried to restart 4 or 5 times. Finally started. We were lucky she was not on a highway driving at highway speeds.
While stopped at a traffic light the “Auto Stop” engine shut off feature engaged. When releasing the brake, the vehicle completely shut down, all dash lights came on as did the transmission mode lights. Upon trying to restart with the start button, prompts came up to place the vehicle in park. Trans select button did not work. Pressed the Start button several more times. At one time all dash lights went off, except for the battery light. Brake pedal went all the way down to the floor. Opened the drivers door and then tried the start button one more time with the AutoStart button switched off after dash lights returned. Vehicle started after that. Blocked traffic for one traffic light sequence. Occurred on Route 30 and Schoolhouse Road; New Lenox IL on 10/25/25. Attempted to restart several times afterward and vehicle restarted. Trying to drive with “autostart” feature manually turned off from now on, if I remember. Scheduled checkup @ dealer 10/29/25. Honda of Joliet Vehicle has slightly over 40k miles.
Per the mechanic the rod bearing broke into the engine and caused sudden engine failure. I was on a highway when this occured, thankfully I was already in the right lane and right before an exit to which I took and secured the vehicle in a safe location. It was extremely dangerous location for this to occur and thankfully no one was right behind me. There were no warnings or messages prior to the incident. It was just routinely serviced within the past month. I heard a loud clank, the engine light started flashing, and the car started to slow down, there was knocking sounds in the engine. We had it towed to D and M service center then moved to Gillman Honda service center. It was confirmed by two different shops, D and M service center at 1029 Pat Booker Rd, Universal City, TX 78148 and Gillman Honda dealership at 16044 I-35 N Selma, TX 78154 that the rod bearing cracked into the engine and metal shavings were identified in the engine oil.
Car is slow to start or doesn't start at all, particularly after frequent engine stops/starts or when engine has idled for a period of time. Battery has been replaced. Symptom comes and goes, but seems to get worse with frequent engine stops/starts (i.e., driving to different locations with short stays at each, or with the automatic engine shut off)
After stopping at a traffic light or stop sign the car's auto-stop/restart feature has failed multiple times to restart the engine. This has left the car stalled at a light and needing to manually place the car in park, turn off the electrical, then attempt to restart the vehicle. The problem started about 4 months ago and has been starting to happen more frequently.
The contact owns a 2021 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that while his wife was driving 50 MPH, the engine seized, and the functions on the vehicle became inoperable. After waiting for an hour, the vehicle restarted. The contact was unaware if there were any warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that on a separate occasion, while the contact's wife was driving 30 MPH, the engine seized. No warning lights were illuminated. After waiting for a long while, the vehicle was restarted. The vehicle was taken to another dealer, Honda of Whittier; however, no cause for the failure was found. The dealer restarted the vehicle. The contact stated that the failure persisted. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 15,000.
when stopped at a stop light the engine idle kills the engine and want start back up causing traffic backups...have to go through process to setting back to park and trying to start which does not happen quickly leaving people behind you frustrated and honking. This needs to have an option to disable it if you don't want that function as it's very frustrating and dangerous. Please get honda to fix issue. Thanks for your help.
AFTER I had the softwear update! When idle at stoplight, auto idle feature kicked on. When light turn green and I pushed gas, car shut off entirely. This happened on multiple occasions. While waiting for an appointment to get this issue looked at, my car failed to start after being parked. It would not start after a jump from another vehicle. The tow truck driver was able to bet it jumped using a battery pack case. At the dealership, battery failed load test. Waiting to see if starter needs to be replaced and valves adjusted under extended warranty.
The contact owns a 2021 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that while driving approximately 60 MPH, the brake pedal was depressed, and the vehicle lost motive power. The contact heard an abnormal rattling sound coming from the engine compartment. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact continued driving to the destination, parked the vehicle, and checked under the hood. The contact checked the oil level, which was normal. The vehicle was towed to a dealer. The dealer diagnosed the vehicle and determined that a connecting rod had failed and damaged the engine. The contact was advised by the dealer that the engine oil level was very low. The dealer determined that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact researched online and related the failure to the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 23V751000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, neither the VIN nor the model year was included. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 72,000.
The contact owns a 2021 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that while at a complete stop with the START/STOP feature activated, the engine shut off while depressing the accelerator pedal. There was no warning light illuminated. After waiting for several minutes, the contact had to perform several procedures to restart the vehicle. The vehicle was initially taken to a dealer where a software update was performed; however, the failure returned weekly. Recently, the contact stated that upon restarting the vehicle after the failure, the vehicle began to jerk while accelerating, with an abnormal tapping sound coming from the engine. The vehicle was taken to a dealer and was diagnosed with a defective engine rod bearing. The contact was informed by the mechanic that the repair could not be warranted. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but offered no assistance. The contact was referred to the federal safety agency Hotline to report the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 15,000.
1. About a year ago the engine stop/start function started to fail intermittently. I went to the honda dealer who they charged us about $500 for a battery and never mentioned a recall or repair. 2. About six weeks ago the auto engine stop/start function failed to restart the engine after stopping. I thought it was the battery again and went back to the honda dealer. They charged about $1,500 for various things but stated that the auto stop/start function software had been updated and if there any future problems to return. 8/19/2025. We were on the interstate hwy in stop and go traffic. We were stopped in the left lane and the traffic started going again. The cars in front of us started going and we were left behind. The cars behind us went around and we were left stalled in the middle of an interstate hwy. After a few minutes I got the car running. Being stalled on the inserstate hwy is a life threating issue! I took the 2021 honda pilot to the honda dealer on 8/20/2025 who states that they cannot duplicate the problem. Please note this the third (3rd) trip to honda for the same issue. No resolution there have been many other times where this occured and I just turned the function off which only works till the next time you drive the car. Please help with this issue before someone gets hurt...
When stopped at a stop light the auto idle stop turned the car off. When we tried to go at the green light the car wouldn't move. The transmission shifted to neutral and was stuck. We couldn't put the car in park, we couldn't turn the car off, we couldn't put it in gear. We considered calling the police for help since we were stuck in an intersection. The car eventually turned off and we tried pushing all the buttons to do something it finally allowed us to turn the car 100% off and restart it. Then we could go.
My 2021 Honda Pilot SE FWD would not restart after the auto off/on turned my engine off at a stop light. Of course this happened at a busy intersection causing backup and an unsafe environment to get out and inspect the vehicle. The car had to be jump started by a kind individual.
The Auto Idle Stop (AIS) feature on my 2021 Honda Pilot intermittently causes the engine to shut off at a stop and fail to restart. When this happens the vehicle remains completely unresponsive until I shift into Park and manually restart the engine.This has happened multiple times in traffic and at intersections, creating a huge safety risk. I have already replaced the battery and had the latest software update installed at my local Honda dealership, but the issue persists. The problem is intermittent and difficult for the dealership to replicate. The auto idle stop issue is a known problem with Honda even extending a warranty coverage for the starter assembly and starter relays. the federal safety agency number EA25004 addresses this yet the local dealership will only update the software and change the battery. They are failing to honor the second stage of the repair calling out specifically replacing the starter assembly, starter relays and adjusting the valves.
The contact owns a 2021 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that while temporarily stopped at a traffic light or a stop sign, the vehicle occasionally shifted into neutral, or the vehicle shut off unintendedly. There was no warning light illuminated. The local dealer was contacted; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact was informed that the VIN was not under recall. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 68,000.
The contact owns a 2021 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, there was an abnormal ticking sound coming from the engine compartment. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who diagnosed that the main engine bearings and connecting rods had failed. The contact was advised that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was not yet contacted. The failure mileage was 143,000.
On multiple occasions, when sitting at a stop light and then attempting to drive as the light changes, the engine just shuts off as I take my foot off the brake. It then takes several attempts to get the car started.
Auto start/stop feature turned off the engine at a stoplight. When the light turned green and the brake pedal was released, the engine did not restart. There also appeared to be some sort of electrical malfunction since the start stop button would not turn off the ignition system in an attempt to reset the vehicle. This happened on a light regulated highway with a posted speed limit of 55 mph.
Vehicle when trying to start locks up, have had the battery alternator starter checked, changed the brake switch and still having issues with hard start to my 2021 Honda Pilot. When this happens all the lights come on. I push the Idle/Start switch when I do get it started so that it does shut off when I’m at a red light or stop sign. Because I’m afraid it will not start. Dealership could not find any issues with the vehicle, I’ve taken it to another mechanic and they could not. It has been put on diagnostics several times. I keep putting money into trying to find out what the issue is!!!
The contact owns a 2021 Honda Pilot. The contact stated while driving 70 MPH, the vehicle made an abnormal, loud rattling sound. The contact stated that her husband had noticed that the rattling sound persisted while the vehicle was parked. The contact stated that upon opening the hood to inspect the vehicle, the contact noticed that the driver's side engine cooling fan had melted. The contact purchased a new engine cooling fan from O'Reilly Auto Parts, and the vehicle was taken to Four Brothers Auto Services, where the engine cooling fan was replaced. The contact stated that while driving on another occasion, the vehicle made an abnormal rattling sound. The contact stated that while idling in line at the airport Arrival and Pick-Up level, the rattling sound became louder, and the vehicle made an abnormal popping sound. The contact stated that the engine started overheating. The contact pulled over to a safe location and inspected the underhood. The contact noticed that the passenger's side cooling fan had separated. The contact was able to drive to the destination. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 86,000.
This is another incident of the auto start/stop system failing to restart the engine after a stop in traffic.
My wife was driving the family down the highway I was a passenger. While we were traveling approximately 70mph down a 4 lane highway there was a loud clunk with a consistent knock and an immediate loss of power. I was able to help navigate her to safety on an off ramp so that my family would be safely off the road. The vehicle was towed to the Honda dealer where it is currently under warranty. The mechanics at the dealership have confirmed a spun bearing on piston number 3 and the motor will need to be replaced. There were zero warning lights and and no notification from any sensors with an OBD tool. Honda America is only willing to replace the motor with a salvaged motor. Unfortunately the VIN from the car with the salvaged motor will not match my current VIN, so if there is an active recall on the engine like on the previous year pilots that are VIN specific, I will not be covered and Honda will have replaced my engine with a known faulty one. I nor should and other family have to take the risk of receiving faulty salvaged Honda parts while still under factory warranty. The attached file is the last service records that are available for the salvaged engine and as you can see there is a noted vibration at the front in as well. Honda refuses to send the information from the salvage yard detailing the engine information including current mileage and the date the motor was pulled from the salvaged vehicle.
VIN decoder
See the problems and recalls for an exact car
Buying a used 2021 Honda Pilot?
Check the exact car before you pay: accidents, salvage or flood titles, odometer readings and previous owners.
Check its history