Stop/Star Feature
 

Do you like it or hate it?



Does the Start/Stop Function Really Improve Your Car’s Fuel Economy? - Consumer Reports

I disable the function every time I drive, particularly when the a/c is needed. I re-engage only when I can roll down the windows if I’m at a traffic light with a long time for cross traffic or waiting at a train crossing.

I always disable this feature when I can. I absolutely hate it.

I had this feature on my SUV for about a year or so, and then it stopped working. I was very happy when this occurred. I hated it.

Auto start stop which is dangerous and everyone hates is on the agenda to be eliminated.

EPA Chief: Auto Start/Stop Technology Is Done - The Auto Wire

Like 10,000 mi oil changes, it only gives the manufacturer an Energy Star credit at the expense of the vehicles life.

I like it and leave it on, not much of an inconvenience and if it save a little gas that's good too.

I always hated all the innovations and standard equipment on products we have to be force fed to pay for
in the name of safety and/or convenience all the while paying more and more money.

I think it was instigated by the starter motor manufacturers to boost revenue.

Me too. Was an integral part of the hybrid Prius and I now have it in my Audi. Never been a problem at all. I don't know if there's a way to determine how much fuel it actually saves with the Audi but it must be some.

I'm also a big fan of adaptive cruise control and lane assist. The only time it's a problem is when I stop paying attention and find that I'm following someone at 10 mph under the speed limit.

I like the backup cameras and keyless entry.

Huh. I love all the innovations. Of course, I don't replace vehicles very often, so what's new to me is already in common usage by millions of others.

I turn it off every time I get in the car. I hate it. I’m looking for a way to shut it off completely.

Had it on my Honda and it was terrible.

YouTube has a few videos on how to do this.

Hate it. And unless I had no other option I wouldn't buy a car with the feature. There's just something inherently wrong to me about a car shutting off on its own like that. Maybe it's just psychological.

Thank you Toyota for not doing that on the Tacoma.

If don’t keep vehicle vary long don’t matter, but it you do the constant starting stopping going to cause wear especially on starting system. Just like drivers seat and window mechanism wears out eventually getting In and out over years.

Yep, eventually it won’t start back up. Like about everything else use it and throw it away.

Once your car has stopped, all you have to do is lift your foot off the brake for a millisecond. Engine restarts.

Explaining how the feature works doesn't change the minds of the many people who still hate the feature. They don't want the vehicle to shut off at all.

You can buy a simple plug in cable for most cars that will completely disable it. New cars no longer have a setting to turn it completely off - you need to turn it off each time the car restarts. The cable sets it to off forever.

It's in the $15 range on Amazon, and it does not void your warranty since it makes no permanent change to the vehicle.

I absolutely love the back up camera and the display for apple CarPlay. I even like the adaptive cruise control and the collision warning system. But you're right about stuff like that driving up the cost of vehicles. I was told by the Toyota dealer when I bought my Tacoma that the display alone cost $4000 to replace.

It not only drives up the cost of the vehicle but also the cost of repairs and auto insurance. It's very expensive to repair all that stuff if it gets damaged in an accident or if it fails.

100% agree. Hate it in my new Colorado.

Yuck
 

Absolutely hate it. Turn it off every time I get into the car

I have a new 2025 718 GTS 4.0. Virtually every other function except the stop/start can be program in to my key fob…incredibly frustrating, and fuel savings are marginal, but wear on the starter and battery may be an issue.

I have it on my Buick Encore GX and love it. It functions smoothly and has increased my driving mileage per gallon significantly in TV.

Before buying this device, watch the YouTube video on how to install it. On some vehicles, you need to almost completely disassemble the interior trim. In the past, whenever I have messed with the dashboard trim, I ended up with a squeak in the vehicle.

HATE it. After begging, Hyundai turned it off for me. On my model it can't be turned off from the user menu on the steering wheel, it has to be programed in the software, maybe with one of those troubleshooter gizmos they plug into the car. Problem is, I had a new battery put in and all programming went back to factory settings. Now I'm back to pushing the on/off button again every time I drive, AAAH!

How long is very long? 200,000 miles and six years on each of two Prius and 60,000 miles and five years on the Audi. When can I expect the failures to start?

(Not saying it can't happen, just not convinced it's a primary concern)

Depends on the vehicle. Many hybrids will not restart the engine just because the brake is released.

Start / Stop Function On Cars
 

I absolutely hate it and if I could I would eliminate it , false claims on saving gas especially in the summer sitting in NY traffic with the A/C on which needs the motor running to work.



QUOTE=Michael G.;2432530]Do you like it or hate it?



Does the Start/Stop Function Really Improve Your Car’s Fuel Economy? - Consumer Reports[/QUOTE]

I have an EV, and the car is loaded with just about everything you can imagine. I can turn them on and off whenever I want. I not sure what is the big issue. I rarely use the auto break, but I do find it useful at times.

I disliked it until my latest vehicle. BMW now has “mild hybrid” technology. It has a separate 48 volt lithium battery that powers accessories including an electric motor that engages on restarts and essentially jump starts the car without the starter. The transition is seem less from motor not running.

Never use it, just kills your battery and starter motor.

If you never use it then what gives you the idea it kills your battery and starter motor? My experience noted in post #29, the article linked in post #31, and the number of vehicles on the road with this feature indicate otherwise.

We had a Mercedes that had this """FEATURE""" Hated it. First button we pressed after start was to disable it.... So irritating. There was an additonal small battery which controlled the restart. Failed after 6 years $$$ to replace. grrrrr Hated when coming to a very short stop, like a stop sign and off go's the engine, then a not-very smooth restart. STUPID. I know there were some vehicles in the 90s that had start/stop but NO way to override.

Appears the NEW EPA is taking some actions. Personally I don't care as we have a nice EV now...

Auto Published May 14, 2025 6:00am EDT

EPA's Zeldin vows to take action against controversial start-stop vehicle system: 'Everyone hates it'
Start-stop technology is a feature that automatically turns cars off when temporarily stopped

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is targeting climate technology that automatically turns off a car's engine when it is stopped at red lights to save fuel, a feature agency administrator Lee Zeldin said every driver "hates."

"Start/stop technology: where your car dies at every red light so companies get a climate participation trophy," Zeldin said Monday on X. "EPA approved it, and everyone hates it, so we’re fixing it."

The feature has become common in new vehicles as a way to save money on gas and cut down on emissions.
Advocates for the technology support it as a climate-friendly initiative, while critics find it annoying and question whether it can wear down the car’s battery or engine more quickly.

Cars generally have a button allowing drivers to disable the feature.

The EPA does not require stop-start technology, but automakers that adopt it are given extra fuel economy credits.An EPA spokesperson told the New York Post that the stop-start systems have not shown clear reductions in emissions tests.

I don’t believe it’s for fuel savings as much as it’s for stopping emissions when sitting at lights especially in large cities where you could spend minutes just going a block between lights. Since we spend seconds between lights, probably not anywhere needed in TV. I turn it off too… except I just bought a 2022 BMW X5 and I can’t figure out how to shut it off. Actually, the car runs so quiet and it starts in less than a second I almost don’t know it’s doing it. I still would like to shut it off.

If you drive a car with a turbocharger, turn it off. Turbochargers get extremely hot while you are driving your car, and the engine oil keeps them from self-destructing. If you stop your engine at every stop, whatever little amount of oil is left in the turbo is going to cook itself to death.
Just my opinion, though.

I hate the start/stop feature. Always turn it off.

I have a bad back, very sensitive. The small shudder when it stops, and again when it restarts, is actually painful to me. (For the same reason, I drive around the manhole covers in the road instead of over them.)

Mercedes in Gainesville, loaned me a loaner that had it. I drove it for two days and decided I would never buy a car with that annoying "feature".