Washington, D.C. – June 11, 2022 – The U.S. government’s auto safety regulator is investigating Honda (NYSE:HMC) cars whose engines may refuse to start after being shut down briefly. This can make the vehicles immobile, increasing the risk of a crash and injury.
If this Honda engine issues lead to a recall, it could affect an estimated 194,731 of the following crossover SUVs:
- 2016 Honda Pilot
- 2017 Honda Pilot
- 2018 Honda Pilot
- 2019 Honda Pilot
- 2020 Honda Pilot
Investigation summary
The regulator, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), opened an investigation on June 3, 2022 following a total of at least 221 complaints regarding engines that would fail to start.
The affected vehicles are equipped with an engine auto start-stop system, which automatically shuts down the 3.5 L-engine when the car comes to a halt, such as at a traffic light or a stop sign. The purpose of this feature is to save fuel and consequently lower emissions.
Based on the complaints, the engine would not restart after being shut down by the start-stop system.
Risks
A stopped car can be hit by other vehicles, especially if this happens in dense traffic or busy junctions, increasing the risk of an injury.
Other Honda recalls and investigations
This is not the only investigation this Japanese manufacturer has been facing lately. In March of this year, NHTSA started investigating Accord and CR-V models were investigated over phantom braking, as reported. The investigation could lead to a recall of 1.7 million vehicles.
As far as Honda Pilot recalls go, there was one in December of last year due to hoods that may potentially fly open while driving, obstructing the driver’s view. The recall also included Passport and Ridgeline cars.
Could your vehicle be a part of the potential recall?
This investigation may eventually lead to a Honda Pilot start-stop recall, possibly affecting almost 200,000 vehicles. To do a Honda recall check, use MotorSafety’s free vehicle lookup tool.
