US investigating complaints that Honda engines won’t restart

Associated Press

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. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says the probe covers nearly 195,000 Pilots from 2016 through 2020. The agency says it has 221 complaints about the problem, but no reports of crashes or injuries. Owners complained that the engine won’t restart on its own from a complete stop with the stop-start feature in use. Some complained that a jump start was needed to get the motor going. The Pilots under investigation have 3.5-liter V6 engines and nine-speed transmissions. The agency says it’s assessing safety issues and determining how many models are affected. Honda says it’s cooperating with the agency.