Owners have filed 60 complaints
about the 2025 Honda Passport with NHTSA between 2025 and 2026.
The largest single group is the engine & cooling.
Across this model's run it ranks 17 of 17 worst.
The letter says how bad. This says what kind — whether this year drew
an unusual number of complaints, unusually dangerous
ones, or failures that arrived unusually early.
The dashed ring is 50 — the national norm. Further out is worse.
Complaint volume — 22
Against the median year of the Honda Passport. 50 means typical for this
model; 100 means roughly double.
Severity — 0
0% of these complaints
involved a crash, fire, injury or death, against a national rate of
9.7%.
Early failure — not reported
Too few complaints recorded a mileage to measure this.
The agency crash-tested this model year itself. These are its own
photographs and star ratings.
Frontal crash test
Side barrier crash test
Side pole crash test
Photographs taken by NHTSA during its own New Car Assessment Program crash
tests of this model year. Public domain.
Configuration
Overall
Front
Side
Rollover
2025 Honda PASSPORT SUV AWD
16.4% risk
2025 Honda PASSPORT SUV FWD
17.5% risk
When owners complained
A spike years after the car went on sale usually means a part wearing
out on schedule across the whole fleet — the kind of pattern no single
owner can see from inside their own car.
Jan 2025peak 11Sep 2026
NHTSA investigations into the 2025 Honda Passport
An investigation is the step before a recall: the agency has seen enough
complaints to look into a pattern itself. An open one means it thinks
something may be wrong and nothing has been fixed yet.
1
investigation is
still open.
EA25004Opened 26 Mar 2025Still openENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:CRANK/CAMSHAFT POSITION SENSOR
No Restart After Auto Start/Stop Engages
On June 3, 2022, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened Preliminary Evaluation PE22005 after the agency received VOQs and several field reports concerning the Auto Idle Stop (AIS) feature on 2016-2019MY Honda Pilot vehicles. The complaints allege that the engine fails to restart on its own from a complete stop at a traffic light or road intersection with the AIS function engaged. The subject vehicles are equipped with a 3.5L engine with a 9-speed automatic transmission. On January 6, 2023, Honda released service bulletins 23-008 and 23-009. These service bulletins address the failure to r...
The most recent complaints
In the owners' own words, exactly as filed with NHTSA.
Chesterfield, MO
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
The Auto Idle Stop feature failed to restart the car after sitting at a stoplight twice this past week. The dealer (Frank Leta Hoda) diagnosed the problem as a "bad starter". I believe this falls under the active investigation EA22005 - No Start After Auto Start/Stop Engages. The vehicle is two years old with 40,378 miles at the time of reporting the problem to the dealer. I reported this to Honda Corp and was assigned case number 16619534 which is being reviewed. The two incidents happened without warning during drives when I had already pushed the button to disengage the Auto Idle Stop feature and was not expecting the engine to turn off at all.
NHTSA complaint #11763158 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Chesterfield, MO
ENGINE
The Auto Idle Stop feature failed to restart the car after sitting at a stoplight twice this past week. The dealer (Frank Leta Hoda) diagnosed the problem as a "bad starter". I believe this falls under the active investigation EA22005 - No Start After Auto Start/Stop Engages. The vehicle is two years old with 40,378 miles at the time of reporting the problem to the dealer. I reported this to Honda Corp and was assigned case number 16619534 which is being reviewed. The two incidents happened without warning during drives when I had already pushed the button to disengage the Auto Idle Stop feature and was not expecting the engine to turn off at all.
NHTSA complaint #11763158 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 10,000 milesDana Point, CA
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION
The contact owns a 2025 Honda Passport. The contact stated that while driving 35 MPH at an intersection, the vehicle stalled and was unable to be restarted. The contact called Roadside Assistance, and the vehicle was restarted. The failure was a recurring failure. The screen was illuminated during the failure. The contact stated that while opening and closing the doors and pressing the Push-to-Start button to turn off the accessories, the vehicle operated as needed. The contact suffered emotional and mental distress from the failures. The failure mileage was approximately 10,000.
NHTSA complaint #11762689 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Macungie, PA
POWER TRAIN
I have a 2025 Honda Passport with approximately 22,776 miles. Over the past several weeks, the vehicle has developed a progressively worsening starting problem that appears to be heat-related. After the vehicle is driven normally and reaches full operating temperature, then is shut off and allowed to sit for approximately 10 to 30 minutes, the engine will sometimes crank very slowly and sound as though the starter is laboring to turn the engine. The frequency and severity have increased over time. On two recent occasions, the engine barely turned over before starting. After the vehicle sits overnight and cools completely, it starts normally and cranks smoothly. A second related problem occurs when the Auto Idle Stop/Start system is active. Both my wife and I have experienced very slow restarts at stoplights. More recently, the engine failed to restart automatically after Auto Idle Stop shut the engine off. I had to shift the vehicle into Park and press the engine START/STOP button multiple times before the engine finally turned over and restarted. This created a safety concern because the vehicle was temporarily unable to move while stopped in traffic. The vehicle was taken to an authorized Honda dealer for three full working days. The dealer reported that the battery, alternator, starter, charging system, and starting system all tested normal, and no diagnostic trouble codes were present. However, the dealer’s written repair description does not state that the vehicle was road-tested and then allowed to sit through the 10–30 minute hot-soak period that consistently produces the problem. The dealer stated that they allowed the vehicle to idle for an extended period and performed multiple starts, but this did not reproduce the conditions under which the problem occurs. I also opened a case with American Honda. Honda advised that they would not escalate the issue to engineering until the vehicle had been returned to the dealer one or two additional times. The probl
NHTSA complaint #11762545 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Macungie, PA
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
I have a 2025 Honda Passport with approximately 22,776 miles. Over the past several weeks, the vehicle has developed a progressively worsening starting problem that appears to be heat-related. After the vehicle is driven normally and reaches full operating temperature, then is shut off and allowed to sit for approximately 10 to 30 minutes, the engine will sometimes crank very slowly and sound as though the starter is laboring to turn the engine. The frequency and severity have increased over time. On two recent occasions, the engine barely turned over before starting. After the vehicle sits overnight and cools completely, it starts normally and cranks smoothly. A second related problem occurs when the Auto Idle Stop/Start system is active. Both my wife and I have experienced very slow restarts at stoplights. More recently, the engine failed to restart automatically after Auto Idle Stop shut the engine off. I had to shift the vehicle into Park and press the engine START/STOP button multiple times before the engine finally turned over and restarted. This created a safety concern because the vehicle was temporarily unable to move while stopped in traffic. The vehicle was taken to an authorized Honda dealer for three full working days. The dealer reported that the battery, alternator, starter, charging system, and starting system all tested normal, and no diagnostic trouble codes were present. However, the dealer’s written repair description does not state that the vehicle was road-tested and then allowed to sit through the 10–30 minute hot-soak period that consistently produces the problem. The dealer stated that they allowed the vehicle to idle for an extended period and performed multiple starts, but this did not reproduce the conditions under which the problem occurs. I also opened a case with American Honda. Honda advised that they would not escalate the issue to engineering until the vehicle had been returned to the dealer one or two additional times. The probl
NHTSA complaint #11762545 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Macungie, PA
ENGINE
I have a 2025 Honda Passport with approximately 22,776 miles. Over the past several weeks, the vehicle has developed a progressively worsening starting problem that appears to be heat-related. After the vehicle is driven normally and reaches full operating temperature, then is shut off and allowed to sit for approximately 10 to 30 minutes, the engine will sometimes crank very slowly and sound as though the starter is laboring to turn the engine. The frequency and severity have increased over time. On two recent occasions, the engine barely turned over before starting. After the vehicle sits overnight and cools completely, it starts normally and cranks smoothly. A second related problem occurs when the Auto Idle Stop/Start system is active. Both my wife and I have experienced very slow restarts at stoplights. More recently, the engine failed to restart automatically after Auto Idle Stop shut the engine off. I had to shift the vehicle into Park and press the engine START/STOP button multiple times before the engine finally turned over and restarted. This created a safety concern because the vehicle was temporarily unable to move while stopped in traffic. The vehicle was taken to an authorized Honda dealer for three full working days. The dealer reported that the battery, alternator, starter, charging system, and starting system all tested normal, and no diagnostic trouble codes were present. However, the dealer’s written repair description does not state that the vehicle was road-tested and then allowed to sit through the 10–30 minute hot-soak period that consistently produces the problem. The dealer stated that they allowed the vehicle to idle for an extended period and performed multiple starts, but this did not reproduce the conditions under which the problem occurs. I also opened a case with American Honda. Honda advised that they would not escalate the issue to engineering until the vehicle had been returned to the dealer one or two additional times. The probl
NHTSA complaint #11762545 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Palm Coast, FL
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
“Idle-Stop” feature stays on per factory installation. However when car is stopped and brake is released to proceed with acceleration, the feature automatically throws the transmission into “Neutral” and will not go forward, allow shifting of gears or shutting down the engine. This has happened numerous times in heavy traffic and creates a hazard. There is a button to depress to shut off the Idle-Stop but it must be done every time the car ignition is shut off then on. This is not a normal habit of long term drivers. After two inspections at the dealer and several phone calls Honda says they can not replicate the problem when serviced thus offering no solution. Searches online for assistance has revealed that this is a highly prevalent problem with Honda and Acura vehicles since 2019. As an elderly (over 75) driver with an excellent driving record it is creating a troublesome risk when driving.
NHTSA complaint #11761607 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Godfrey, IL
ENGINE
I have a 2025 Honda Passport. When the start stop shuts off car it will crank very slow or not start at all and have to wait a few minutes for started to cool. After I did some testing on my own then went to the dealer with an appointment, they confirmed this is a know problem with Honda. They did some testing and assured me that my starter is bad. No light or warnings until it would not restart at the stop light. The dealer pulled information off the cars computer and showed me a graph on how low the voltage goes below the threshold.
NHTSA complaint #11760808 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Estero, FL
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
On August 14th I brought the vehicle to Coconut Point Honda after having the vehicle stall with the auto stop feature. At that time, I also noticed that the car had trouble starting at times. After being there for four days, I was asked to come pick up the vehicle. Yesterday, on August 27th, the vehicle stalled again, this time at a busy intersection. This narrowly missed causing my wife to get hit at high speeds. The car shifted itself to neutral, the battery and warning light came on, and a message saying “shift into park” appeared on the dash. Despite several attempts, the car would not restart until it finally sat a moment and then powered back on. The car was brought back to Coconut Point Honda where I again voiced the complaint and safety concerns regarding the vehicle stalling out and shifting itself into park.
NHTSA complaint #11760468 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Estero, FL
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
On August 14th I brought the vehicle to Coconut Point Honda after having the vehicle stall with the auto stop feature. At that time, I also noticed that the car had trouble starting at times. After being there for four days, I was asked to come pick up the vehicle. Yesterday, on August 27th, the vehicle stalled again, this time at a busy intersection. This narrowly missed causing my wife to get hit at high speeds. The car shifted itself to neutral, the battery and warning light came on, and a message saying “shift into park” appeared on the dash. Despite several attempts, the car would not restart until it finally sat a moment and then powered back on. The car was brought back to Coconut Point Honda where I again voiced the complaint and safety concerns regarding the vehicle stalling out and shifting itself into park.
NHTSA complaint #11760468 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Estero, FL
ENGINE
On August 14th I brought the vehicle to Coconut Point Honda after having the vehicle stall with the auto stop feature. At that time, I also noticed that the car had trouble starting at times. After being there for four days, I was asked to come pick up the vehicle. Yesterday, on August 27th, the vehicle stalled again, this time at a busy intersection. This narrowly missed causing my wife to get hit at high speeds. The car shifted itself to neutral, the battery and warning light came on, and a message saying “shift into park” appeared on the dash. Despite several attempts, the car would not restart until it finally sat a moment and then powered back on. The car was brought back to Coconut Point Honda where I again voiced the complaint and safety concerns regarding the vehicle stalling out and shifting itself into park.
NHTSA complaint #11760468 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Bethel Park, PA
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
The car has failed to start on numerous occasions. The car has stalled due to the auto start/stop and the dealership told me that the battery needs to fail testing in order to replace under warranty. This is a major safety risk and the dealership said it’s a known issue but they can’t fix it. A recall needs to be put out immediately.
NHTSA complaint #11757484 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Bethel Park, PA
ENGINE
The car has failed to start on numerous occasions. The car has stalled due to the auto start/stop and the dealership told me that the battery needs to fail testing in order to replace under warranty. This is a major safety risk and the dealership said it’s a known issue but they can’t fix it. A recall needs to be put out immediately.
NHTSA complaint #11757484 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Homestead, FL
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
My car has 22,000 miles in it, and maybe around 19,000 miles my starter was already weak. I barely use my car, and one time I used it and my car won't start at all. I almost got stranded. Luckily it turned on, and I was near my house. This could've happen in the middle of nowhere and get me stranded. I don't feel safe driving this now if im not sure. I thought this was supposed to be a reliable car!
NHTSA complaint #11756761 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 22,000 milesRaleigh, NC
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
The contact owns a 2025 Honda Passport. The contact stated that while attempting to drive from a complete stop, the accelerator pedal was depressed, but the vehicle stalled. The message to start the vehicle was displayed. The vehicle was shifted into park(P), the brake pedal was depressed, and the vehicle was restarted. The contact stated that the failure had occurred ten times in the month of July. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with a faulty battery, and the battery was replaced; however, the failure recurred approximately one week later. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 22,000.
NHTSA complaint #11756798 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The Villages, FL
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
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.
NHTSA complaint #11756352 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The Villages, FL
ENGINE
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.
NHTSA complaint #11756352 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Fort Myers, FL
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.
NHTSA complaint #11755360 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Tallahassee, FL
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
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.
NHTSA complaint #11753210 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Tallahassee, FL
ENGINE
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.
NHTSA complaint #11753210 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 15,800 milesTemple Hills, MD
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
The contact owns a 2025 Honda Passport. The contact stated that on several occasions, the Auto START/STOP intermittently failed to operate and the vehicle shut off while depressing the accelerator pedal. The contact stated that a battery warning light was displayed on the instrument panel. The contact was able to restart the vehicle. Due to the failure, the contact was forced to manually turn off the feature each time after starting the vehicle. Upon investigation, the contact's husband discovered NHTSA Action Number: EA25004; and associated the failure with the Action Number. The husband also associated the failure with the fuel injector or a possible software update. The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, the failure could not be duplicated. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 15,800.
NHTSA complaint #11750811 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Oxford, CT
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
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
NHTSA complaint #11750353 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Oxford, CT
ENGINE
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
NHTSA complaint #11750353 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
San Antonio, TX
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
While waiting at a stoplight, the car was in Auto Idle Stop System mode. When the light turned green, I stepped on gas pedal and the vehicle shut off. The brake was hard and I could not turn off the vehicle for a minute. I opened the drivers side and passenger front door and closed, then was able to turn off vehicle. After a few seconds, I was able to start vehicle with push start button. The vehicle has sounded sluggish when starting up lately but battery tested good.
NHTSA complaint #11745789 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Aurora, CO
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS
Collision Mitigation Braking System ( CMBS) on occasion orange dash brake light illuminates doesn't stop vehicle , has occurred since purchase on 02/25/2025 at least 150 times , current mileage to 06/16/2026 6877 miles, ref Honda Case # 1641332 , now every time on short drives this occurs 1-2 times, contacted Holman Honda Centennial Co several times , again last week " told there is no fix, you can turn off CMBS each tine vehicle is started " this is a safety feature , there are numerous complaints on line also with NTSB , am concerned that at some point the brakes could be slammed on without warning and cause another vehicle to rear end me
NHTSA complaint #11744542 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.