US Investigating After Several Complaints That Honda Engines Won't Restart

DETROIT (AP) — The U.S. government's road safety agency is investigating complaints that the fuel-saving stop-start system on some Honda Pilot SUVs can fail to restart.

A Honda Motor Co. Passport sport utility vehicle (SUV) sits on display during a reveal event in Los Angeles, California, U.S., on Tuesday, Nov. 27, 2018. The Passport will join Honda's lineup of automobiles, landing between the compact CR-V and larger Pilot. Photographer: Patrick T. Fallon/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Owners complained that the engine won't restart on its own from a complete stop at a traffic light or intersection with the stop-start feature in use. Some complained that a jump start was needed to get the motor going again.

The probe covers nearly 195,000 Pilots from the 2016 through 2020 model years, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said.

According to a document posted Tuesday on the NHTSA website, there have been 221 complaints about the problem, but no reports of crashes or injuries.

The Pilots under investigation have 3.5-liter V6 engines and nine-speed automatic transmissions. Agency documents say Honda has indicated other models with the same engines and transmissions could have similar problems. Other models include the Honda Odyssey minivan, the Acura TLX sedan and the Acura MDX SUV.

A message was left Tuesday seeking comment from Honda.

NHTSA says it's opening the investigation to assess the safety issues and determine how many models are affected.

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