2020 Honda Passport Engine
Owner-reported problems and safety issues filed with NHTSA. Review common failures, severity levels, and complaint trends over time.
Complaint Timeline
Chronological view of owner reports
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.
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
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.
Auto Idle Stop feature fails and I can not get the engine to start for a few minutes. I get stuck in traffic with horns honking behind me and people mad and passing me in an unsafe manner. I have replaced the battery and have had the battery and starter retested; they are OK. I brought it to Easy Honda, in Houston, and they say they can't find anything wrong, since it only happens intermittently. My problem has existed since I bought the vehicle new. I have 55,000 miles on the vehicle. Also, intermittently, the engine will not crank over when it is a hot engine. I live in Houston, so it is hot a lot. I read that this is a problem with millions of Honda and Acura vehicles. When can we get some help on a fix? [XXX] cell [XXX] or [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
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.
While stopped at a busy intersection under a red light our 2020 Honda Passport's 'Auto Idle Stop Function' had automatically stopped the engine with the brakes applied, upon releasing the brakes the engine did not restart as it was supposed to. I reapplied the brakes which were no longer 'powered brakes' and tried ot restart the vehicle but it would not start. A message came up on the dash to put the vehicle in park which I did. At that point when starting the vehicle it did start, put it in 'D' and drove past the interection to the relief of all those behind me. Had this been my wife I doubt she would have been able to do this as quickly as I did. This is a safety hazard and Honda needs to have a recall to fix this issue. Currently we are trying to remember to keep the 'Auto Idle Stop Function' in the 'OFF' position. We bought this vehicle new and have kept it in great condition.
This has happened 3 different times starting on 5/28/23. While at a stop light the engine shut off function goes into effect. The engine then shuts off and won't restart until you put it back in park and restart the vehicle. This is dangerous and could cause accidents when in stop and go traffic.
Trend Over Time
Complaints by year
Other Issues
Common problems reported
Quick Summary
The 2020 Honda Passport has 7 Engine complaints on file. Review the timeline above for detailed owner experiences.