10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
0 / 2
Injuries / Deaths:
1 / 0
Average Mileage:
4,270 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

2019 Honda Pilot engine problems

engine problem

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2019 Honda Pilot Owner Comments (Page 9 of 10)

« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #33

Jun 062022

Pilot

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

When I use the auto start stop feature and stop at a light or stop sign my transmission shutdowns. I have to restart my engine. Afraid of being rear ended at a traffic light or stop sign. Honda has checked the vehicle and they said I need a new battery. I verified with autozone that the battery still passes. It is only 1 1/2 old.

- O'fallon, MO, USA

problem #32

Jun 052022

Pilot

  • miles
Auto Start/Stop Engine starts to stall and can take 5 seconds or more before restarting. This is dangerous when going in stop and go traffic. Having dealer look at it in the upcoming week. No warning signs.

- Westerville, OH, USA

problem #31

Jun 072021

Pilot

  • miles
My Idle-Stop system intermittently cuts off and wont restart - usually at the most dangerous times like when I am in a turning lane of a busy intersection. To me, this is a major hazard. This has happened on multiple occasions, so my practice right now is to turn it off as soon as I turn on the engine so I won't have this occur. Since 2021, this has happened about 7 times, most notably in the Summer when it is hot, and when I have the A/C and music running. I spoke to a dealer about it and they told me to bring it in to be checked. Because it is intermittent, it is just easier for me to turn the idle-stop off at the time I start my engine, as the chances of it happening on them seemed remote. Other than that, I keep my car in great working condition, getting regular oil changes, etc. There were no warning lights prior to it happening, but when it happens, all kinds of engine lights pop up, and there is a prompt on how to restart the engine, but it doesn't work. One time is was over 10 minutes before it would start. I just kept pushing buttons until it started, but it is quite harrowing when traffic is honking and your heart is racing, hoping no one hits you.

- Jacksonville, FL, USA

problem #30

May 212022

Pilot

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

1. The engine turned off at an intersection with the start/stop feature, also called the auto idle stop system, and did not restart. Jumper cables were needed to restart the vehicle. 2. Safety concern - This issue put my family's safety at risk while being out of the vehicle at a very busy intersection at dusk when visibility was decreasing. 3. Police arrived briefly to assist after 45 minutes of being in a dead vehicle but vehicle successfully started after several "jumping" routines and police left scene. 4. There were no other visual issues or messages prior to this problem.

- Muskego, WI, USA

problem #29

Nov 012021

Pilot

  • 70,000 miles
The contact owns a 2019 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that after coming to a red light and stopping the vehicle, the fuel-saving feature malfunctioned and the vehicle would not immediately restart when releasing the brake pedal. Additionally, while driving at various speeds, the vehicle failed to properly accelerate. Occasionally, the vehicle would not start after being turned off. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who replaced the battery but the failure persisted. The manufacturer was also notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 70,000.

- Little York, IL, USA

problem #28

Jun 082022

Pilot

  • miles
When the car is stopped it will sometimes turn off. It has happened at least twice in the last week - once in a drive through and once at a stop sign. The cat comes to a stop normally but when it is time to accelerate the engine turns off & the electrical starts acting weird. I have to power the car off and on a couple of times before I can get it going again. I took the car into Honda today and they could not find any problems with the car. I am scared that this will happen on the freeway during traffic and someone will come crashing into me.

- Kent, WA, USA

problem #27

Jul 182021

Pilot

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

The car stopped at a stoplight and the engine shut off from the normal start/stop function. When I tried to drive, the engine did not restart and the car was dead in the intersection. I was stranded for 2 hours due to unavailability of tow truck. It eventually was jumped, charged overnight, then was dead again the next day.

- Victoria, MN, USA

problem #26

Jan 022022

Pilot

  • 52,002 miles
The contact owns a 2019 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle the transmission had erroneously shifted from the drive position to the select position causing the vehicle to hesitate and sputter. After turning the vehicle off and restarting the engine the failure had self-corrected. On one occasion while parked with the engine idling, as contact was exiting the vehicle the transmission erroneously shifted out of the park position and began to drive forward knocking the contact to the ground and driving over the legs. During the incident, the driver sustained injuries to both legs and a fractured arm. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who reprogrammed the transmission. No further information was available. Later while operating the vehicle warning messages began to be displayed including the service engine, power train, and the warning message "danger pull over immediately". The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The manufacturer was not notified. The VIN was not available. The failure mileage was 52,000.

- West Chesterfield, NH, USA

problem #25

Jan 012022

Pilot

  • miles
I have complained to the Honda dealer during each oil change that my engine shuts off when I am driving and come to a stop at intersections. I brought up that I had the car battery changed three times already due the suspicion that the battery was causing the issue. They tested the battery and found that it wasn't the problem. I asked them to look at the spark plugs, again, no issues. They took a test drive and could not replicate the issue. The problem stems from the feature that automatically shuts off the engine when the brakes are depressed and the vehicle is at a complete stop. When the brake is released, the engine attempts to turn back on, but fails. There are many indicator lights that turn on that indicate a fault. I have to manipulate the gear selector buttons to get the vehicle to shut down and attempt to restart the engine again. My vehicle has shut off tens of times while driving. My only fix at the moment is to press a button near the bottom of the gear selector that disables the automatic on-off engine shutoff. This is what I must now do when I first start my engine on. I have been put in dangerous situations when at intersections, particularly at right turns when my engine shuts off and there is oncoming vehicles. I have had expenses getting this issue looked at and getting new batteries, which did not resolve the issue.

- San Ysidro, CA, USA

problem #24

Aug 122021

Pilot

  • miles
-The engine failed to restart on its own from a complete stop at a traffic light with the Auto Start/Stop function. This has occurred on multiple occasions. -This started occurring in the summer of 2021. The first couple of times, the engine would stall but would immediately start up again after turning the back on. On one occasion, it stalled at a traffic light and it took about 30 seconds to get the engine back on. On or about 8/12/21, we were stopped at a traffic light at a busy intersection and the engine stalled and would not restart. We blocked a lane for over an hour until a tow truck was finally able to retrieve the car. The battery could not be jump started. -The car was taken to the Honda dealership and they said it was due to a faulty battery and replaced the battery. However, within 9 months of the replacement (currently), the car has started stalling again intermittently. Most of the time, we remember to turn the auto start-stop feature before we start driving, which seems to help, but on the occasions that we forget, it has stalled on at least 2 occasions. So far, we've been able to start the engine again quickly and keep moving. -There have been no warming lamps, message or other symptoms prior to these incidents. -We have been extremely disappointed with the manner that Honda used when we voiced these concerns in August 2021. They were very dismissive and did not seem to believe my report, despite the car only being less than 3 years old at the time of the first incident. When I stated that this posed a serious safety issue because a car could stall at any time, they stated it shouldn't pose a major threat because the incidents only happened when the vehicle was stopped and other vehicles would likely also be stopped, thereby eliminating any chance of impact. This is clearly an erroneous conclusion as my vehicle could easily come to a stop in heavy traffic on an interstate and other cars may not react quick enough to stop.

- Charlotte, NC, USA

problem #23

May 112022

Pilot

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Twice since purchasing the vehicle last year the automatic start/stop feature on the Honda has failed to restart the engine once we took our foot off the brake pedal. The first time was more than six months ago. We were at a light and the vehicle did not start after taking my foot off the brake when the light turned green. I tried putting it in park and then restarting the vehicle with the touch button but it didn't work. I tried with the remote start feature on the key and it would not start that way. At this point traffic was honking and going around us. I started pushing the park and neutral button to make sure it was in park, but nothing worked. I finally got the vehicle to restart by holding the start button on the dash for about 10-15 seconds. When I took it into the dealer a month or so later to have a recall taken care of I brought it up to the advisor and he asked if it has happened since then. I said no and he said it was probably something I did... The second time, was 5/11/2022 around 11 am. I was on the way to the Honda dealership to buy an oil filter and crush ring to change the oil. I had been driving for about a half an hour, stopped at a red light in front of the dealership and it happened again. Once again, traffic on the offramp started piling up, people were honking and going around on the shoulder. I tried the same procedure as before but it didn't work at first. I tried it a couple of times and the vehicle finally started. The vehicle has not been scanned with a scanner since the last time so there is probably a stored code if you need to verify this.

- Fort Worth, TX, USA

problem #22

Feb 232022

Pilot

  • miles
I was driving with my granddaughter. When we were stopped at a light and my car shut down. I didn-??t know what to do. I finally figured out how to get the vehicle to start again. The idel- stop is not working it continues to happen. So my husband and I have to remember everyone we start the car to turn it off and we tend to forget. Then here we are stuck in the middle of traffic. idle-stop feature Is not working correctly.

- Hollywood, FL, USA

problem #21

Jun 082022

Pilot

  • miles
Start / Stop and Engine failure. When I have the start/stop feature enabled there have been numerous occasions where the car has stalled and will not restart. This has happened in critical traffic situations and has almost caused multiple accidents and injury. In addition, the engine has cut off while driving through parking lots and stopping for pedestrians; during this time I need to reset the entire car to get it to start back up while stuck in the middle of the street. One other occasions the start stop has failed where the car does restart but the entire car resents and delays me from moving until this is finished. I have taken the vehicle back to the dealer to review and they say everything is working as designed.

- Easton, PA, USA

problem #20

Apr 192022

Pilot

  • miles
I stopped at a red light downtown. The auto engine stop/start did not start when the green light came. It was not possible to change gears or place the car in neutral. All lights and radio were working. Much anxiety because all other cars were honking. Could not get out of the car without risk of being hit by another car. Police came by and helped calling a two truck- $200 to tow to a parking place two blocks down the street. Car could not be place in neutral. Towed to a dealership, they replaced the battery. (surprising since all electrical was working fine) It has not happened again, but I am inactivating the automatic feature everytime I ride the car.

- Kingwood, TX, USA

problem #19

Feb 152022

Pilot

  • miles
The engine turned off and the car went in to neutral gear while sitting at a stoplight. This happened 2x in 1 day. The first time, the car was in the "auto engine idle" mode and the second time I had disabled the feature so it was at a regular idle. The dash said the car was in accessory mode and to push the brake and start the car. I had to shift to park to be able to restart the car. I had cars behind me honking the horn and was afraid I was going to be rear ended at the stoplight by the driver behind me. This is definitely a safety hazard!

- Harrisonburg, VA, USA

problem #18

Feb 072022

Pilot

  • miles
Intermittently when starting my vehicle while seated or using the factory remote start, the vehicle will move/drive forward up to several inches. I took videos of this and have taken it to the Honda dealer 3 separate times. The most recent time, they told me it was acceptable and that Honda says it can move up to 5-?? and be within acceptable tolerances. This is very unsafe due to my vehicle moving when unoccupied and with the parking brake set. The problem was confirmed and reproduced by the dealer. When I voiced my concern about the safety aspect, I was told that there should be nothing within 4-?? of my vehicle. I feel unsafe to park my vehicle because I can-??t control how close someone parks in front of me. I feel unsafe to park in my garage because I don-??t want my car to drive forward and hit my property. I don-??t want my daughter any where near my car when I am simply starting it.

- Livermore, CA, USA

problem #17

Jan 012022

Pilot

  • 41,000 miles
The contact owns a 2019 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that vehicle was equipped with the START/STOP feature; while at a stop, after releasing the brake pedal the vehicle stalled. The contact had to place the vehicle in park and restart vehicle. The heated seat on the driver side failed to produce heat. Additionally, while traveling at high speeds the vehicle stalled and was slow to restart. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer on several occasions where it was diagnosed, and the contact was informed that a rodent had chewed through the wires. The contact was also informed that the battery needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired however, the failure recurred. The manufacturer was not contacted. The approximate failure mileage was 41,000.

- Somerville, MA, USA

problem #16

Jan 082022

Pilot 6-cyl

  • miles
We own a 2019 Honda Pilot Touring (VIN [XXX]). We purchased our vehicle from Checkered Flag Honda in Norfolk, Virginia in June 2019. This vehicle has 32,096 and is still under the factory bumper to bumper warranty. We have been experiencing an issue with the systems Auto-Start Stop feature. The vehicle's engine stops at a red light, and when we release the brake, on numerous occasions the vehicle fails to restart the engine and stalls in the middle of the road. This has happened more than 15 times since we have owned the vehicle and puts us in an unsafe situation. We took our vehicle in for service at Checkered Flag on 08/12/2021 and explained the problem we were having to the service technicians. During that visit, they were not able to duplicate our engine stalling issue (see service record attached). Since 08/2021, this issue has continued to occur 6-8 times since August. The engine attempts to restart itself after letting off the brake or after a set period of time, however after attempting to crank the engine, the car beeps and has to be restarted manually. When attempting to restart the car manually, the car will not start the next 2-3 attempts, and will eventually restart after multiple presses of the engine start button. This is extremely unsafe as we are not able to move the vehicle, sometimes for a few minutes. According to the service records, the technicians performed a battery check, and the battery was fine. INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

- Chesapeake, VA, USA

problem #15

Dec 052021

Pilot

  • miles
Engine acceleration suddenly degrade in the highway 50 miles seems running like 20 miles even pressing the gas hard. also water coming from no where on the driver side floor when it rain Hard or light notice this since the day I bought it.

- Hackensack , NJ, USA

problem #14

Dec 042021

Pilot

  • miles
While at a stop light the idle stop engaged but when I lift my foot off the brake to begin moving forward the auto-start failed to start and vehicle reported battery failure. Put Pilot in park and made 3-5 attempts to restart before successful. Cars nearly rear ended me and my children who were in the back.

- Bristow, VA, USA

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