NHTSA Complaint #11642328 — 2017 HONDA PILOT

The stop/start feature will randomly not restart after a stop at a stop sign in traffic. The defect is totally random so it cannot be replicated by the dealer. I have struggled with this problem for years and have not had a crisis because I usually shut off the stop start feature to avoid this system failure. There are no warning lights or symptoms that indicate a failure is eminent. On February 9, 2025 as my wife and I were driving home from the airport at 2:30 AM on a below zero temperature day in the middle of desolate countryside, my Pilot would not restart after I stopped at a stop sign. I had forgotten to turn off the stop start feature. There was no other traffic on the road to help and no houses or other warm places to find refuge so I hoped that I could figure out who I could call to rescue us before we froze to death. I allowed the Pilot to set for a while and after the fourth try, the vehicle again started. I took the Pilot to the local Honda dealer and they indicated that although the battery passed a regular battery check, when an extreme battery load was placed on the battery it failed the battery test. I asked about the stop start issues reported to the NHTSA but they would only talk about my need for a new battery. I think Honda dealers are attempting to deflect this design issue by blaming the issue on the batteries and are selling batteries instead of fixing this issue. I tried to explain that this is a chronic issue that was present when my battery was new but they deflected that argument and continued to press the sale of a new battery.