Honda Idle Problems Causing Expanded Investigation

March 30, 2025 – Honda has upgraded and expanded its federal investigation into Honda’s idle problem.

Honda idle stop system should save money on fuel, but owners complain that the system is not worth using.

“When a vehicle is idle, the feature of Honda’s idleness maximizes fuel efficiency. If you are fixed for more than two seconds, such as in parking lot traffic, the engine will be turned off; many vehicle features, such as air conditioners, such as A/C, will continue to maintain a smooth start. Just release the brake to start the function! This feature can easily start the function.” – Honda

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration closed its investigation into the idleness of Honda in June 2022, after complaints about the 2016-2020 Honda pilots equipped with a 3.5-liter engine and a 9-speed automatic transmission.

Honda owners complained that the pilot’s engine failed to restart as expected.

The automaker issued two technical service announcements (23-008 and 23-009) in January 2023 because the engine did not restart when it was engaged. However, the announcement expanded the affected vehicles to include these models.

• 2016-2019 Honda Pilot

• 2019-2022 Honda Passport

• 2020-2023 Honda Ridgeline

• 2015-2020 Acura TLX

• 2016-2020 Acura MDX

Honda dealers have updated their fuel injection software, and if that doesn’t work, the dealers replace the starter assembly and the starter relay. In addition, Honda dealers have made adjustments to the valve, and Honda has expanded its warranty coverage to 10 years, with unlimited mileage for vehicles that require parts replacement.

NHTSA upgraded and expanded Honda idle stop investigations as owners continued to complain about the system and the engine failed to restart.

The new investigation includes the aforementioned Acura and Honda vehicles listed in Service Announcements 23-008 and 23-009.

CarComplaints.com will update our website through the results of the Honda Idle Stop Extended Survey.