Engine And Engine Cooling Problems of Honda Passport - part 1

Over the past two weeks we have been experiencing issues with the auto idle stop device on my 2025 Honda Passport. This has resulted in being temporarily stalled at several busy intersections. I have reported this issue to a Honda dealership where the issue was verified and it is scheduled for a starter replacement when the part is received from back order.

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The vehicle engine is dying at intersections and going into “neutral” on its own when stopped. This has been ongoing for over a year, Honda denies any issues. It is becoming more of a safety problem more recently as the vehicle “downshifted” on its own while driving on the highway. (on that instance, the vehicle went from approx 45 mph to a slow crawl - just enough to pull off the road to safety).

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The engine experienced a catastrophic lower-end bearing failure at approximately 63,000 miles. The vehicle had been maintained according to the manufacturer's recommended maintenance schedule at the dealership service department. There were no missed oil changes. The failure occurred without any prior indication that a major internal engine problem was developing. The vehicle was taken to a Honda dealership, where the engine was disassembled. The dealer confirmed a lower-end bearing failure and reported significant metal debris inside the engine. The engine was determined to require complete replacement. A sudden internal engine failure creates the risk of an unexpected loss of power while driving, which can increase the risk of a crash, especially in traffic or at highway speeds. The failed engine is available for inspection through the servicing dealership if requested. The failure has been confirmed by the Honda dealership. No warning lamps or messages provided sufficient advance notice to prevent the failure beyond symptoms associated with the engine failure itself. I am submitting this report because I believe this may represent a manufacturing or design defect rather than normal wear and tear. I request that NHTSA investigate whether similar connecting rod bearing failures are occurring in other Honda Passport vehicles with this engine.

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The starter motor on my 2022 Honda Passport failed, causing a complete 'no-restart' condition after entering auto idle-stop mode. The vehicle previously received the mandatory pgm-fi idle-stop software update under Honda service bulletin 23-008, proving that the software fix does not protect the hardware from failing. The dealership diagnosed a failed starter but stated that my 2022 model is excluded from the 10-year starter warranty extension under service bulletin 23-009, leaving me to pay out-of-pocket for a known defect. I am filing this to support the ongoing NHTSA engineering analysis regarding Honda auto idle-stop system failures, as the defect creates a dangerous stall risk at intersections.

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4th occurrence. Car fails to start. The instrument display reads: auto engine idle stop system problem. Electrical system including radio, a/c etc were working. (including the car alarm which begins honking the horn as soon as I open the door) repeated attempts to start the car failed to do anything except to annoy anyone within earshot as the horn kept honking! roadside assistance was not able to get the car started either so it was towed to the dealer. I've had the car into the Honda dealer for recalls but this problem has not been solved.

On July 11, 2026, while driving, the vehicle suddenly experienced multiple system failures. The dashboard illuminated with numerous warning lights, including a flashing check engine light, indicating multiple system malfunctions. The vehicle was towed to the dealer due to the severity of the issue. It is currently at the dealership for inspection and diagnosis. I have not yet received a diagnosis or confirmation of the failed component(s) from the dealer. No warning lights, messages, or symptoms appeared prior to the sudden failure. The abrupt illumination of multiple warning lights while driving created a significant safety concern regarding the reliability of critical vehicle systems.

For several months before the failure, the auto idle stop (engine stop-start) system became progressively slower to restart the engine after stopping. Each restart sounded sluggish, as though the starter was dragging, and the vehicle would remain stopped for several extra seconds before moving. This occurred repeatedly at traffic lights and other stops creating a safety concern as drivers behind me expected my vehicle to begin moving when traffic started. The unexpected delay increased the risk of being rear-ended or causing confusion in traffic. The failure eventually became complete. While stopped on a two-lane road waiting for another vehicle to turn left into a driveway, the engine shut off as expected with the auto idle stop system engaged but did not restart when I released the brake. Instead, the vehicle entered what appeared to be a neutral state and could not be driven. I was unable to restart the vehicle for several minutes, leaving it disabled in the travel lane while other vehicles had to drive around it. This created a safety hazard because the vehicle was stranded in an active roadway. The vehicle had not previously displayed any warning messages related to this condition. Looking back, the progressively slower and dragging engine restarts appear to have been warning signs before the complete failure to restart. The vehicle is scheduled for inspection the Honda dealership this week. The failed components should be available for inspection if requested.

The vehicles trouble screen on the dash summoned us to engine problems. Do not drive over 40 and notify your dealer immediately. We did so, Honda America sent a tow truck picked up the vehicle and sent it to the dealer. The next day the dealer contacted us and said they found excessive carbon on all the engine valves and all 6 cylinders were miss firing. The dealer gave us a loaner, after several phone conversations with the dealer and Honda America they gave us the vehicle back. They walnut blasted the valves to clean the carbon and Honda America is investigating the issue. This vehicle is a 2026 Passport with 24000 miles.

I drive the car with the engine-idle-at-stop function disengaged. Several times when slowing down, but still moving, the car shifts into park; the ac and radio remain on. I have to press engine start to start the engine. Several other times when already stopped, such as at a red light or in traffic, waiting to make a turn, the engine shuts off and the car shifts into park. I have to press the engine start button to turn the car back on. I am getting honked and hollered at in traffic, and could easily be vulnerable to being rear-ended when my moving car suddently turns off ad stops running (winds up in park). A non-dealer ran diagnostics and found no history of any error codes, and the system worked when they drove it. The day before the non-dealer had the car, it shut off 2 times in about 2 miles. He said the new battery is fine, the alternator is fine, and they do not know what to troubleshoot. No lights light up prior to the incidents, but they light up momentarily during it is the "charging system indicator" and the "malfunction indicator lamp" that light up. The new battery is one week old and installed as per the owner's manual and was checked by a 3rd party today. These events have occurred with both the original and new batteries. All of this has been over the past few months, with most incidents - an escalation - the past couple of weeks.

Got to red light, auto stop idled down car, when going to move car shut off and stalled out. Also happened two times in a drive thru. All times messages popped up auto stop interruption and vehicle in accessory mode.

Our 2026 Honda Passport tse suddenly stalled twice in active traffic intersections in albuquerque, nm under acceleration and during a left turn, causing a sudden loss of motive power and a severe safety hazard and a potentially life threatening situation. Telemetry logs from an aftermarket gps device installed in my vehicle captured a catastrophic voltage drop down to 10. 886v during the incident, which electrically blinded the ecu and prevented the vehicle from storing a diagnostic trouble code. The vehicle was taken to garcia Honda in albuquerque, nm who documented the symptoms ('loss of power on accel,' 'hesitates and jerks') but released the vehicle unfixed because no digital codes were present. The vehicle is currently grounded as unsafe to drive. American Honda corporate case number: [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

The idle-stop feature is malfunctioning, the vehicle is equipped with an "auto idle stop" feature that has a dangerous defect. The engine frequently fail to restart after shutting off at stops, unexpectedly leaving the driver stranded or immobile, with the risk of being hit from behind by incoming traffic.

25 Passport black edition only 27k miles at a stop my vehicle won’t start back up kicks it from d to n will start flashing to put in p. Vehicle will not start back up until I turn off and back on. The second time it did this it wouldn’t even start back up battery light flashing. I try to remember to turn that stop/start button off. Very dangerous. Went to dealership. Says they can’t do nothing unless warning are on at the time of check. 4/24 was the second time this has happened. When I start the Passport it’s like it has troubles and not wanting to start. Lights will start flashing braking system and blind spot all the safety feature lights. Something is wrong with these Passports.

The vehicle experienced a catastrophic internal engine failure caused by connecting rod bearing failure. Prior to the failure, the engine developed abnormal internal knocking/noise, indicating bearing deterioration. The engine is currently available for inspection. While traveling approximately 55 mph on [xxx], the check engine warning light illuminated. Within about one mile, the engine rapidly lost power and developed a severe knocking noise. The sudden loss of power at highway speed created a serious safety hazard by reducing my ability to maintain traffic speed and safely maneuver the vehicle. I had my child in the vehicle, and both we and surrounding motorists were placed at risk of a collision while I attempted to move to exit traffic. The failure has been confirmed by an independent repair facility, absolute automotive llc in parker, colorado. Their inspection determined the engine suffered internal damage due to connecting rod bearing failure. I have the engine replacement invoice, technician's diagnostic notes, and photographs documenting the engine damage. The vehicle has not been inspected by Honda. I contacted Honda to report the failure and request assistance, but I was informed there was no recall for the 2021 Honda Passport equipped with the 3. 5l v6 engine and that Honda would not provide assistance unless a recall existed. Before the engine failed completely, the engine developed abnormal internal knocking/noise. While driving on [xxx], the check engine warning light illuminated, and within approximately one mile the engine lost power and produced a heavy knocking noise, rendering the vehicle unsafe to operate. I am submitting this complaint because a sudden internal engine failure resulting in loss of power at highway speeds presents a significant safety hazard and should be investigated. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

04/10/2026 at around 8am and 04/14/2026 at around 7pm - at both times, car stopped at red light. Auto start-stop shut off car engine. When light turned green and stepped on gas, engine shut down and warning lights came on. Car was still in “drive. ” had to push “park” button and then started engine.

Description: the vehicle suffers from an intermittent and dangerous "no-restart" defect involving the auto-idle stop (ais) system. When the vehicle comes to a complete stop and the automated stop-start system shuts off the engine to conserve fuel, the engine frequently fails to automatically restart upon release of the brake pedal. This results in a sudden, unexpected loss of engine power and complete immobilization in live traffic or intersections. ?this exact failure mode is the subject of an active federal engineering analysis by the national highway traffic safety administration (NHTSA ea25004, covering ~2. 2 million Honda and Acura vehicles). Prior manufacturer service bulletins and part-replacement attempts have proven ineffective at permanently resolving the hazard, creating an ongoing and unacceptable collision risk.

My 2021 Honda Passport elite suffered cataphoric engine failure at 90,000 miles. The 6th cylinder bearing was missing when my vehicle was towed into Honda for diagnosis after my engine shut off while I was traveling 55 mph. I had no warnings for this failure including no engine noises and no check engine lights. I had to have a new engine put in my vehicle and Honda refused to cover the cost at 100% because they stated there were no open recalls at this time. I feel this is a manufacturer engine defect that is the same as the open recall defect Honda has on the 2017, 2018, and 2019 pilots with the same 3. 5-liter v6. The engine failure descriptions are exactly the same.

Car transmission issue not getting enough power while putting foot on gas pedal rpm goes upto 5k for getting speed not shifting gear properly.

Vehicle has stalled multiple times at stop lights after the automatic engine stop engaged. Vehicle will not restart when accelerator is pressed and has to be placed in park before the engine can be started again. This happened (4) times on the most recent trip yesterday 3/19/2026.

The car has an auto stop capability that engages during red light stops (etc. ). The auto stop function automatically engages every time you start a new trip. Unfortunately, the car occasionaly fails to restart and displays emergency alerts. To restart the engine, the car must be put back into park. This essentially results in the vehicle stalling out and it creates a significant safety risk. It happens on a somewhat regular basis. In addition, when starting the vehicle, it sounds as though the starter is having a difficult time powering up the engine.

Every so often, while waiting at a light, once I try to press the gas, the car will stall and loses power. It takes me turning the car off and back on several times before getting the car to stay on and accelerate.

My vehicle has experienced multiple dangerous incidents where it shuts down or shifts into neutral while driving. This has happened on highways, tunnels, busy on-ramps and main streets. The car loses power and requires restarting, which takes about 30 seconds. On a busy highway or street, this is enough time for a serious accident to occur if other vehicles cannot switch lanes on time. This has happened multiple times with my child in the car, and me being currently pregnant. The vehicle has never given me a warning prior. The issue appears to be related to the auto start/stop system and/or electrical drivetrain controls. The vehicle is unsafe to operate because the driver can forget to disable auto start/stop and the car can suddenly lose power in traffic. There was also a separate incident (in between the multiple incidents above) where I was on the highway, my car accelerated, brakes wouldn't work, and my foot wasn't on the gas. The car then shifted to neutral and the only way I could stop was by shutting it off and moving to the breakdown lane. There have been two repair attempts. The first repair was done in 2024 after the initial loss-of-power incident related to the auto start/stop feature. In this repair, the battery was replaced and I was told a full diagnostic was run and the car was safe to drive. On 11/11/25 the serious incident with acceleration/ loss of brake function on the highway occurred. A full diagnostic was run and the transmission was replaced under warranty. However, a month after the transmission replacement, the loss of power issue returned. It has now been at least 4 incidents since the transmission was changed. I reported this to Honda corporate and received a case number, but despite multiple attempts to receive an update over the past 2 months, I have not been contacted by Honda, and no resolution has been provided. I do not feel safe driving this vehicle and no longer trust further repairs.

During an oil change my magnetic drain plug was caked with magnetic gray material with specks of silver flake in it. This oil change has 6142 miles on it. I am concerned because my Passport was built in sept of 2020 right at the transition of the previously recalled j35 motors were produced. Car has been serviced at the Honda dealer since new except last 2 oil changes which were performed by me.

Auto idle malfunctioned. At a stop light the engine turned off and it took 5 minutes to restart the engine. No warning lights or messages appeared before it happened. Had the pgm-FL idle stop software update done 9/16/23 at 17,582 miles. Took to dealer they could not re create , the car has 46,359 miles now. This is 2nd vehicle this has happened to me , other vehicle same exact auto idle problem started at 60,000 and I drove it for 13,000 miles experiencing stalling out at lights and in stop and go traffic for over a year ( very dangerous and scary experience ) I took it to 2 different Honda dealers numerous times before they finally replaced starter assembly , starter relays and adjusted the valves per the March 2023 warranty extension notice .

Engine failed and now the piston rod is knocking inside the engine. Engine failure while operating a vehicle is extremely dangerous and could cause an accident or death to myself and anyone else around my vehicle while its being operated. This type of issue can even cause a fire in the engine bay. When the issue presented itself I was going 60 down the highway. Yes, the vehicle has been in two independent shops which have both confirmed the engine failure due to premature connecting rod bearing wear which was most likely caused by manufacturer crankshaft issues. No it has not been inspected by manufacturer, police, insurance, or others. No there were not any warning lights, messages, or sysmptoms prior to the failure.

See all problems of the 2020 Honda Passport 🔎.

The starter failed to start the car due to what is described as a "frozen starter". A TSB exists for Honda where the problem is acknowledged, TSB 23-023. This left me stranded in the cold on 1/26 and 1/27. Many other drivers of similar vehicles have reported this problem in the past week. The problem is uniquely and disconcertingly dangerous as the problem impacts drivers who are in freezing conditions which can be inherently life-threatening if a known issue exists with a "frozen starter", this problem cannot be rectified by vehicle maintenance, for example, having a new battery or jump starter does not fix the problem. This problem strikes drivers in freezing and life-threatening conditions and is inherently unsafe and hazardous. The vehicle has not been inspected as Honda would not honor rectifying this issue for an "out of warranty" vehicle despite widespread concern. There were no warnings or messages prior to the problem. They first appeared in freezing cold after a precipitation event.

2022 Passport was driven from indianapolis in to naperville IL on the evening of Jan 24th experiencing snowy and freezing conditions. Car was left overnight outside and would not start on the morning of the 25th. Warning lights displayed were battery and flashing engine light, one click on start up but no other noises. On the morning of the 26ths aaa provided services to try and jump the battery and eventually had to tow vehicle to valley Honda aurora IL for service. Vehicle under went troubleshooting on the morning of the 28th after being left outside. Vehicle still refused to start tech suggested replacement of starter or iaw Honda service bulletin 23-010 and 23-023 letting vehicle starter thaw. Vehicle was brough inside into a warm environment overnight and started on Thursday the 29th. There were no prior indicators of issues until the morning of the 25th.

Car shuts down and does not restart. Also goes to neutral and does not allow car to be steered. Also seems to be related to auto restart.

During a normal drive we came to a stoplight, seconds after stopping, an emissions alert displayed along with transmission and vsa (I think). Upon seeing these codes I began to drive into a gas station and the vehicle barely moved with little power. We were able to park about 40 feet away and the vehicle would not move any further. This sounds similar to the existing recall but this model year is not included. I had to have the vehicle towed.

Vehicle has been having ais issues for a couple of years, requiring new batteries, new starter/relays and countless internal computer updates (none of which have helped btw. . . ). This morning she had the ais engaged, went to turn left at a green light and when she released the brake the vehicle threw itself into neutral and flashed a "auto idle stop system problem" message on the dash. She put it into park and tried to restart, which failed, she then had to turn the vehicle off completely and restart from there. As I mentioned, none of the computer updates Honda has done for this vehicle have helped and it's my understanding there is a block of vehicles in this age range (all Passports, ridgelines and pilots) that continue to have problems with the ais as well. Honda needs to disable this "feature" on any vehicles they cannot fix via computer updates immediately before they get someone killed. Not to mention, we are sick and tired of having to replace the battery and/or starter every couple of years. Honda should not be putting tax breaks above their customers safety and satisfaction. You know it's bad when their 30+ year techs go out of their way to buy a used Honda just to avoid the ais because they don't know what to do with it at this point either.

At approx. 5 years of age & 67,500 miles, the engine began to make rattling or ticking noises that were in sync with engine speed (rpm). Within 1 day of noting the noise, I took the first available appointment to bring the vehicle to my local Honda dealership, napleton Honda in loves park, IL. Napleton Honda diagnosed the issue as "rod knock" due to failing connecting rod bearings. The dealership advised that the only recourse is to replace the engine. Honda motor corp (manufacturer) was notified by me about the issue, but they declined to make any substantive effort to assist with the repair costs despite the fact that the issue is increasingly known and documented as per NHTSA campaign # rq24013.

My Honda is 3. 5 l v6 engine blew up I know there’s a recall for the 3. 5 l v6 engine on my Honda. However, the recalls don’t include the Passport, which is what I have but the connecting rods blue causing engine failure.

The contact owns a 2020 Honda Passport. The contact stated that while driving 65 mph, the check engine warning light illuminated, and the vehicle began to shake. The vehicle was steered into a parking lot and the vehicle stalled and failed to restart. The vehicle was towed to a dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 65,000.

My 2023 Honda Passport is having shifting problems (high revs, slow nd unpredictable power to wheels)   harsh acceleration (not easy to safely /smoothly gauge power and speed from acceleration to wheel) high revs "stuck" --not shifting down smoothly/safely these issues are on going. I also researched and saw this has been reported b y other Honda Passport( 2023)  owners. I contacted dealer 10/16/25 to document the complaint and asked dealer to call me back if any service advisories or recalls, they said no, but a service advisor wuld contat me if they felt a follow up was needed.     also, the vehicle had 'catastrophic' computer failure with power lost and warning lights within first 2 years --transmission lost power/engine still ran and forced into the breakdown lane and have vehicle towed.   . Dealer did some type of reset. VIN # 5fnyf8h59pb027063.

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On 10/16/2025 at 1:30 am, I was driving home from work on the I-94 freeway in wisconsin from my work in franklin, WI to my home in union grove, WI. I was driving at the speed limit, which was 70 mph. I started to hear a ticking sound coming from the engine, and then the check engine light started to flash. The car then began a rapid speed decrease. I started to move from to the right-hand side of the road when the car stopped ticking and the check engine light went out and began to accelerate again. The sudden deceleration and acceleration on a major highway that had many other vehicles around me was very dangerous. I drove the car to my home since it seemed to be working again. I then had it towed to zeigler Honda in racine, WI, on the morning of 10/16/2025, to find out what the cause of the incident was. The authorized Honda dealership (zeigler) inspected the car and found that the crank bearing for the second cylinder had failed. They said the engine was not repairable. Before this incident, the car had no other problems. All required Honda maintenance was performed on the car, which I purchased new. The week before the incident, I had a routine oil change done at the zeigler dealership with a passing inspection on the car during the oil change on 10/10/2025.