Guys sorry for the long post.
Summary: 2017 Honda Pilot periodically shuts off in traffic at stops requiring a scramble to restart. Honda cannot fix. Service manager does not care. Looking for others with issue or a contact with Honda that can assist. Looking for a camera to monitor dash when the vehicle shuts off.

My girlfriend has a 2017 Honda Pilot that is having an issue involving the auto start/stop EPA mandated “feature”. We have had the vehicle to the dealer 4 times in the past year for this problem. The first two visits were under warranty. On the 2017 Honda Pilot the auto start/stop is enabled by default. The only way to disable the “feature” is to manually press a button every time you start the vehicle. There is no way to permanently disable through any of the menus. Normally we try to disable this but every so often we forget.
The issue we are having is that when we forget to press the button to disable the auto start/stop, the vehicle has shut off at traffic lights when moving your foot from the brake to the gas to accelerate after the light turns green. The vehicle has the push button transmission and it can be placed back in park but simply pressing the start button does not restart the vehicle. The dash lights are still on and the visual that the brake needs to be depressed to start the vehicle is showing on the dash display. You must press and hold the start button for about four to five seconds for the vehicle to start. This is all happening in the split- second panic of trying to identify what has happened, get the vehicle in park, and restart the vehicle in traffic all while scanning mirrors and hoping you don’t get rear-ended by someone not paying attention. When it does restart it is as if it is restarting from a cold start not the shorter abbreviated restart than normally comes when the start/stop system is working correctly.

The first two times we took the vehicle in the techs could not recreate the issue and no codes were thrown by the car. The battery and other components were tested and supposedly tested good. The third time we took the vehicle in for the same issue we were told that the battery tested bad and needed to be replaced and was likely the cause of the issue. So, to the tune of almost $400 my girlfriend paid for another battery. Well, that didn’t resolve the issue as it cut off at a traffic light again last week when I was driving. Back we go to the dealership for the fourth time. This time we are told that there was a 12 step process that needed to be done when a battery is replaced to clear the computers in the car. The technician told us that he thought the battery had been faulty for a while and causing issues until it deteriorated to the point that it tested “bad”.
At this visit to the dealership we finally get to speak to the service manager. This is after my girlfriend left multiple messages that were never returned as well as trying to speak with him when she dropped off the vehicle and being told he was too busy to speak with her. During the conversation I explained to him how his technician told us that he believed the faulty battery was the probable cause of the start/stop issue despite not testing “bad”. I then asked him why my girlfriend should be on the hook for the $400 battery that his own technician said was the probable cause of the issue that had been identified while the vehicle was still under warranty. His reply was that, “legally a faulty battery is not a bad battery.” I told him that any component on a vehicle that would cause it to shut off in traffic was a bad component. He continued to blow off our concerns about the issue and offer to get us numbers for Honda corporate. I finally had enough and told him was all I wanted was the number of someone that gave a shit about a Honda with a safety issue that had the potential to get someone killed.

The service manager then walked away and spoke to our service representative for a few minutes then ignored us the rest of the time we were in the service department. To top it all off after picking up the car we were about 2 miles away from the dealership and the vehicle did it again.

So, with all of that being said I am looking for a few things:
Does anyone have a Honda that has had a similar issue or know anyone that has? Were they ever able to document a resolution? Does anyone have a contact with Honda we could contact and maybe help get a resolution?

Also, because of the safety concerns I have I want to set up a dash camera to record the dash gauges and center console so that we have some sort of video recording in the event the reported shut off issue results in an accident. I know we have several members that run dash cams and I was hoping to get some input on a potential camera option.

Thanks guys for your time and help,

Len

I am not surprised that this stupid auto start/stop crap has already started to cause problems for people. And I predict that as time goes on, there will be a lot more problems that develop with this technology. Sorry you are having trouble.

The truck I bought last year doesn't have this stupid feature and thus one of the reasons I bought it.

I have said this is the stupidest feature of new cars. I don't care what you tell me, this cannot be good for your starter, battery, and other electronic goodies that vehicles are loaded with now.

I'm sorry you're have this problem.

I would locate a Honda Forum, you can't be the only one with this problem, and likely someone has figured out how to permanently disable the feature.

Link below shows how to disable on a 2016

https://www.piloteers.org/thre...o-stop-start.157665/



If not I would trade that MFer off on something without that feature.

quote:

Originally posted by BigWhup:
I would locate a Honda Forum, you can't be the only one with this problem, and likely someone has figured out how to permanently disable the feature.

Link below shows how to disable on a 2016

https://www.piloteers.org/thre...o-stop-start.157665/



If not I would trade that MFer off on something without that feature.

Yea I have seen others with similar issues on the Honda forums but unfortunately no one has posted a solution yet that I have seen.

I also saw the disable sequence for the 2016 but from what i read they corrected that in the 2017 and newer so that it resets when the vehicle turns off and back on.


Thanks,

Len

It is frustrating.




Link to original video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=78b67l_yxUc

You can pick up any dash cam, just install it behind the driver so it's pointing at the dash as you drive and have it active all the time.

As to the battery, not sure why you'd have to pay for a new one if the vehicle is under warranty, check your warranty book, see if it's a covered item.

Contact Honda directly, and find another dealer, hammer the other dealer in social media if you feel the need.

Wifes Lincoln has this, it's annoying if anything, but a simple lift off the brake restarts it. If yours isn't restarting
then it's a faulty switch most likely or you'd see thousands of reports on this problem if it was a design issue.

We remember to turn it off the first time it shuts off....

quote:

Originally posted by HRK:
You can pick up any dash cam, just install it behind the driver so it's pointing at the dash as you drive and have it active all the time.

As to the battery, not sure why you'd have to pay for a new one if the vehicle is under warranty, check your warranty book, see if it's a covered item.

Contact Honda directly, and find another dealer, hammer the other dealer in social media if you feel the need.

Wifes Lincoln has this, it's annoying if anything, but a simple lift off the brake restarts it. If yours isn't restarting
then it's a faulty switch most likely or you'd see thousands of reports on this problem if it was a design issue.

We remember to turn it off the first time it shuts off....

HRK,

We are working on contacting Honda directly and she is definitely looking for a new dealership to start taking the vehicle.

A few social media posts will surely be forthcoming after we check into a few things.

Thanks,

Len

We have a 2016 Pilot and this has happen once that I know of.

Definitely find a Honda forum and see if you can code it off. I watched my brother code start/stop off on his BMW. He used some type of app and a Bluetooth OBD2 adapter.

Back in my day they did not have this sort of nonsense.

We had real cars! They had three pedals on the floor. Headlight dimmer button to the left of the clutch pedal. Inline six cylinder engines, straight eight in some. You could change the spark plugs, all of them, without being a contortionist, without removing the engine, transmission, and three fenders. No computers to give the car the ability to have a nervous breakdown or plot against you.

Worse every year. Maybe the answer is, buy the oldest car that you can find, that is still running.

I own a 2017 Pilot EX-L AWD and it does not have any kind of engine shutoff feature. There is no way to activate it or deactivate since the feature does not exist on 2017s. Are you sure you have the model year correct?

quote:

Originally posted by PossibleZombie:
I own a 2017 Pilot EX-L AWD and it does not have any kind of engine shutoff feature. There is no way to activate it or deactivate since the feature does not exist on 2017s. Are you sure you have the model year correct?

The auto stop feature is only on top two pilot models, touring and elite. Those two models also have push button 9 speed transmission. All other pilot models have 6 speed. 2016 - 2019.

Did you buy it new? If yes look into the lemon law. If you happen to be a NC resident I know an attorney that has successfully handled lemon law claims.

OP, get in touch with these people -

https://www.nhtsa.gov/about-nhtsa/contact-us

Honda has had issues with the stop/start feature.

I bought a new car with the S/S feature. The first thing I did was hit E-Bay and found a device that I installed which shuts that STUPID feature off. Dumbest idea ever. Shorten the life of your starter and battery. And any magical fuel savings are gone in the manufacture of a starter and another battery.

quote:

Originally posted by SR:
Did you buy it new? If yes look into the lemon law. If you happen to be a NC resident I know an attorney that has successfully handled lemon law claims.

It was bought new but in Florida. Unfortunately the lemon law qualification expired in April so it did not meet the criteria to file under that protection.

Thanks,

Len

quote:

Originally posted by GWbiker:
OP, get in touch with these people -

https://www.nhtsa.gov/about-nhtsa/contact-us

Honda has had issues with the stop/start feature.

Thanks for the link. I will put something together and get it to them.

Len