Honda’s Idle Stop system, a feature intended to lower fuel consumption, is instead causing vehicle stalling issues in many Honda and Acura vehicles with 9-speed transmissions and Idle Stop features.
The auto Idle Stop feature causes vehicle stalling by shutting off the engine while idling and failing to restart the engine when the driver releases the brake pedal. The Idle Stop issues put Honda drivers at risk of rear end collisions and other vehicle safety issues.
The Honda Idle Stop complaints have prompted a federal investigation, multiple class action lawsuits and a consolidated class action settlement. If your Honda vehicle stalls and fails to restart its engine, learn more about existing class action lawsuits, the recent settlement and your legal options.
Table of Contents
- What is Honda’s Auto Idle Stop System?
- Can I turn off auto idle stop in my Honda?
- Are there any Honda Idle Stop recalls?
- How has Honda responded to the Idle-Stop issue?
- Honda Idle Stop Class Action Lawsuit
- My Honda’s Idle Stop is causing serious issues. What are my legal options?
- Talk to a Honda Lemon Law Attorney Today
What is Honda’s Auto Idle Stop System?
Honda’s auto Idle Stop feature is intended to lower fuel consumption by automatically switching off the engine at brief stops, such as stop-and-go traffic, stop signs and traffic lights.
The feature activates when the vehicle is still or idling for more than two seconds. Other vehicle functions such as the radio and air conditioning units are supposed to run smoothly while the engine is off temporarily. When a driver releases the brake, the engine is turned on again.
Can I turn off auto idle stop in my Honda?
Honda’s Idle Stop feature can be turned off temporarily by pressing the Idle-Stop button near the gear shift. However, the Idle Stop feature turns back on every time the car is restarted for another driving session.
The Honda Idle Stop feature cannot be turned off permanently, much to the frustration of many Honda vehicle owners.
Are there any Honda Idle Stop recalls?
Honda has not issued any recalls related to the Idle Stop acceleration defect. However, the National Highway Safety Administration opened an investigation just weeks before the class action lawsuit was filed.
The federal investigation into 2016–2020 Honda Pilots began following 220 complaints of idle-stop issues in Honda Pilots. The Auto Start/Stop feature included in Honda Pilot Touring and Elite vehicles experienced repeated failures. According to these complaints, Honda Pilot owners had to get their vehicles jumpstarted to get the engine running again.1
Honda told NHTSA that other Honda models with 3.5-L engines and 9-speed automatic transmissions experience the same Idle Stop failures. These models include: Honda Odyssey, Acura TLX and Acura MDX.2
In March 2025, NHTSA upgraded the investigation to include over 2.2 million of the following vehicle models: 2016–2025 Honda Pilot, 2018–2025 Honda Odyssey, 2019–2025 Honda Passport, 2020–2025 Honda Ridgeline, 2015–2025 Acura TLX, 2016–2025 Acura MDX.
By the end of the investigation’s initial phase, NHTSA received 1,348 reports of idle-stop issues in affected Honda vehicles.3
How has Honda responded to the Idle-Stop issue?
Honda released technical service bulletins 23-008 and 23-009 to address Idle-Stop restart failures in 2016–2019 Honda Pilot, 2019–2022 Honda Passport, 2020–2023 Honda Ridgeline, 2015–2020 Acura TLX, 2016–2020 Acura MDX.4
These TSBS, released January 6, 2023, instructed a two-stage remedy for the engine restarting issue. The first stage involved a Programmed Fuel Injection software update. If this software update failed to fix the issue, the second stage recommended a replacement of the starter assembly, starter relays or valve adjustment.5 However, Idle-Stop failures are reportedly occurring in vehicles that have already received these repairs.
Honda offered a warranty extension of 10 years with unlimited mileage to vehicles that require these vehicle component replacements.6
Honda Idle Stop Class Action Lawsuit
In re Honda Idle Stop Litigation, a lawsuit alleging that Honda’s Idle-Stop systems do not always restart the engines from a stop, has since reached settlement.
The Honda Idle-Stop settlement includes the following Honda and Acura vehicles with NPo engines, nine-speed transmissions and the Idle-Stop features:
- 2016–2021 Honda Pilot
- 2019–2021 Honda Passport
- 2020–2021 Honda Ridgeline
- 2015–2020 Acura TLX
- 2016–2020 Acura MDX
The settlement applies to those who purchased or leased these vehicles in California, Indiana, Louisiana, Maryland, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, Texas and Virginia, or from an authorized dealership in Alabama, Connecticut or Washington.
Honda and Acura vehicles that received a starter motor assembly replacement with the “A53″ starter motor assembly under warranty are not included in the final settlement. Further details on the settlement are pending.7
My Honda’s Idle Stop is causing serious issues. What are my legal options?
If your Honda’s Idle-Stop feature causes vehicle stalling or other safety issues, you may be able to get legal compensation from the auto manufacturer. However, your options for doing so will depend on your vehicle model year, how you purchased or leased your vehicle, and how many repairs you received on your vehicle.
Honda Idle Stop Settlement
If your vehicle is included in the Honda Idle Stop settlement, you may be able to benefit from the settlement awards once the details are released publicly. However, if you are in that vehicle population and you would like to pursue an individual claim, you have to opt out of the class action settlement before certain deadlines so that you can retain your right to sue individually.
Honda Idle Stop – Individual Lemon Law Claim
Class action lawsuits often have thousands (if not millions) of members getting a piecemeal portion of the final settlement. An individual lemon law claim against an auto manufacturer allows owners of defective vehicles to sue for charges more specific to their vehicle issues. Owners of lemon vehicles often get a much larger financial award from a lemon law claim.
This is the result of the lemon law allowing vehicle owners to recover cash compensation, a vehicle replacement or a near full refund of their vehicle’s purchase price, plus additional compensation for expenses incurred from their recurring vehicle issues. If a manufacturer willfully violates the lemon law, the lemon owner or lessee can also be awarded up to twice the vehicle’s approximate purchase price in an amount referred to as “civil penalties.”
On top of your lemon law award, your attorneys’ fees and costs are compensated by the manufacturer as part of the final settlement.
Talk to a Honda Lemon Law Attorney Today
If your Honda vehicle’s issues have not been resolved after multiple attempts to get your vehicle repaired, you may benefit from a free consultation with our Honda lemon law attorneys.
Our lemon lawyers are experienced in handling simple and complex lemon law cases. It starts with an initial consultation at no cost to you. During this initial consultation, we will ask you some basic questions about your vehicle and its recurring issues. Do not worry if you do not have the answers to these questions yet. If you have questions about where to obtain information or how existing legal cases affect your lemon law rights, our attorneys can answer them in either the initial consult or in a follow-up phone call.
You can sign up for a free consultation using the form below or calling our attorneys at 833-208-8181.
References
- Yukevich, S., & Ridella, S. (n.d.). Retrieved April 4, 2025, from https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/inv/2022/INOA-PE22005-9303.PDF
- (2022, June 3). No Restart After Auto Start/Stop Engages. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. https://www.nhtsa.gov/?nhtsaId=PE22005
- (2025, March 26). No Restart After Auto Start/Stop Engages. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. https://www.nhtsa.gov/?nhtsaId=EA25004
- ODI RESUME OFFICE OF DEFECTS INVESTIGATION. (n.d.). Retrieved April 4, 2025, from https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/inv/2025/INOA-EA25004-10033.pdf
- (2023, January 6). Honda Service Bulletin 23-008. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/tsbs/2023/MC-10229675-0001.pdf
- (2023, January 6). Honda Service Bulletin 23-009. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/tsbs/2023/MC-10229675-0001.pdf
- Wood, D. A. (2025, March 29). Honda Idle Stop Lawsuit Settlement Reached. CarComplaints.com. https://www.carcomplaints.com/news/2025/honda-idle-stop-lawsuit-settlement.shtml
Lemon Law Help by Knight Law Group is an automotive lemon law firm that exclusively practices in California, with offices in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Sacramento and Orange County. If you are a California resident who purchased or leased a defective vehicle from a licensed dealership in California, we may be able to help you get rid of your potential lemon and recover significant cash compensation. Model year restrictions apply: 2020–Present vehicle models only.
However, we cannot help those who reside outside of California or purchased their vehicle outside of California unless they are active duty members of the Armed Forces, nor will we be able to refer them to a lemon law firm in their states.
To learn more about the California Lemon Law and your legal rights, visit our guide on the California Lemon Law for more information.
