Problems · by component
2019 Honda Passport engine problems
52 owner complaints to NHTSA about the 2019 Honda Passport cite engine, 18% of all 282 complaints for this model year.
Complaints
52
18% of all complaints
Crashes
0
Reported by owners
Fires
0
Reported by owners
Injuries
0
Reported by owners
What owners say about the engine
Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
“My 2019 Honda Passport (VIN [XXX]) has an intermittent, dangerous failure of the Auto Idle Stop (auto start/stop) system: when the engine shuts off at a complete stop and I release the brake, it fails to restart on its own, leaving the vehicle dead and immobile in live traffic. There is no warning light before it happens. This has stranded me at intersections and in traffic, creating a serious risk of being struck from behind. The condition matches NHTSA's open Engineering Analysis EA25004 and the defect at issue in the In re Honda Idle Stop Litigation settlement, both concerning 2019 Passport and related vehicles failing to restart after Auto Idle Stop engages. The vehicle has not received the A53 starter replacement. I am bringing it to an authorized Honda dealer, which is requiring a paid diagnostic to "verify" the defect before performing the covered software update and warranty-extension repair. No crash or injury has occurred yet, but the failure is ongoing and I consider it an active safety hazard.”
“The contact owns a 2019 HONDA Passport. The contact stated while driving the vehicle at an undisclosed speed, he noticed that the vehicle had reduced power and could not accelerate very well, accompanied by an odd noise coming from the engine bay. The contact stated that he had an independent mechanic confirm that the noise was a possible engine issue leading to the destruction of the camshaft and other components. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where they confirmed a main bearing connecting rod failure and a code stating a lack of oil in the engine, although the vehicle has shown a good history of maintenance. The contact stated he had gotten an emissions warning light illuminated on the instrument panel. The contact stated the issue he noticed was the odd sound, which first sounded like a ticking noise and became louder over time. The contact also noted the dealer had discovered metal shavings in the oil pan. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The dealer confirmed the failure. The vehicle was not repaired.”
“Car began making loud rattling noise which proceeded to a larger grinding noise in the engine. Car sudden wouldn’t accelerate and had to be shut off. It wouldn’t restart and once it did get jumped produced an intensely loud grinding rattling noise. Car had to be towed to Honda which upon diagnosis was found to have metal shards in the oil pan and diagnosis to replace entire engine. Honda is denying recall on this engine though it is very similar engine to what they currently have recalled for their V6 engines in Pilots, Odysseys ect”
“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).”
“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.”
“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.”
Showing 6 of 52 reports. Read every report on NHTSA.gov.
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Oct 30, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.