I & I Editorial BoardHas there ever been an automobile feature as widely despised as the stop-start system that the Obama administration forced on the country? Unlikely. Which is why new federal action that kills the requirement is cause for celebration.
The “feature,” which is the wrong word for what’s truly a nuisance, automatically shuts off a car’s internal-combustion engine when it is idling at a red light or stuck in traffic. It restarts the engine when either the foot comes off the brake pedal or the accelerator is pressed. The action is jerky — it too often feels like a minor collision — distracting and tiring, producing a driving experience that’s more wearisome than enjoyable.
It’s also likely that the system increases wear on a car’s starter and battery, forcing owners to replace them sooner than they otherwise would — though its few supporters claim this isn’t so.
The industry was coerced by the Obama administration to include the function in every new car to improve fuel efficiency and cut emissions. Automakers weren’t required to make it standard, but it became a mandate of sorts in 2012 because the government gave them a credit if they added the confounded gadget to their lineups.
To the relief of many, Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin eliminated the credit in February as part of the Trump administration’s unwinding of useless and counterproductive Obama-era environmental rules.
Last week Zeldin followed up with an announcement that the Trump EPA had removed “the ridiculous climate participation trophy the Obama” White House “created to get this hated feature installed. The incentives for manufacturers to make your car die at every red light and stop sign have now been ELIMINATED!”
It “is arguably one of the most annoying features of any new car,” says Motor1.com. Slashgear reports that the frustration caused by the function “is so severe that you can find ‘Autostop Eliminators’ selling online.”
“Some people (automotive PR folk and EPA representatives, mostly) will tell you that it’s a great idea, saving you hundreds in fuel expenses each year,” says CarBuzz. “Others would like to reach through the dashboard and rip the control module out with their bare hands to keep it from ever shutting the engine down at a red light again.”
Car Coach analyst Lauren Fix told The New York Post she had “not met one person who likes start/stop technology.”
Zeldin said that as he “traveled across all 50 states this past year,” he “heard from countless Americans who not only dislike the start-stop feature but passionately advocated for this mechanism to be a thing of the past.”
We are grateful the Trump administration listened and is terminating what was nothing more than another ambush in the Democrats’ war on cars.
— Written by the I&I Editorial Board
Ross Marchand
I’m baffled by this for two reasons. First, the feature comes with a switch to turn it off. At least it does in my 2024 Civic and in the car pictured above. Also, when I have it on in my car, the effect is barely noticeable.
My “off” switch means a glaring light on my dashboard reminding me it is off. Which is another annoyance due to this feature.
People who don’t want it should not have it, and the aggravation and expense of it, against their will. Your experience is entirely different from mine, that’s for sure. Why are you baffled by the notion of freedom and not having mandates forced down people’s throats?
I actually like this feature, along with the automatic brake that kicks in when you stop. It’s nice being able to relax at a light. The motorized, retractable seat belts of the 80’s were far more annoying.
A democrat.
Sounds like own a Toyota. My 2023 Highlander has both and I too appreciate them. I rarely even notice the engine cut off. And the auto start is near seamless. I’m NOT a slacker and do have a lead foot. Prior to this I drove sports cars my whole life. Starting with 2002tii.
I do feel it should be drivers decision. Always off unless switched to active. And the auto parking brake is a great idea. BTW these are the longest lasting brakes I’ve had in 50 years
Isn’t it refreshing that the Trump administration is thoughtful enough to reconsider ideological and backfiring impositions from previous administrations and is rejecting the ones that make no sense? Thousands more to reject, my friends!
Next one, please, is to fix the new LED headlights in cars that come at us blindingly, as if the high beams are on. Their brightness makes it very hard to see the turn signals of the oncoming cars, too. Major safety and ideological design FUBAR needing an immediate fix, too, please Mr. President. ( Also, my city, Philadelphia, installed 130,000 blindingly bright LED street light bulbs making their glare dangerous to drive under. What tribe of humans makes so many ridiculous decisions?)
The “feature” is also dangerous. There is a lag in time before the engine starts and allows you to move. Sometimes, seconds count even when stopped in traffic. My Mustang GT (2024) has this feature – helpfully, the Start/Stop button is right next to the starter button, and pressing them simultaneously, easily enough, disables the S/S – just envision a horizontal peace sign. By the way, YouTube has many videos for many vehicles with explanations on how to disable the feature – permanently. There are two ways of doing it on my 2018 F-150. plainsenseandsanity.substack.com
That delay can be next to nothing, with all the cell phone distracted driver delays…My wife did pass on a new subaru ,due to their auto cut off being unfathomable.
I have been totally surprised at the reactions to start/stop. First because I have never known anyone to passionately dislike the feature. Second because it really doesn’t bother me. I have had this for 6 years and the only minor inconvenience is having to let up pressure on the brake to turn the engine (and my AC) back on when it is over 110 degrees.
I am so glad this feature is no longer required, but it will likely be a few years before it disappear from new cars. It doesn’t work right on my vehicle (it thinks the vehicle is on a steep grade and won’t shut the engine off when on level ground, but if I’m on enough of an incline it will shut the engine down, sending me scrambling for the disable button to regain power to the brakes/steering) and the dealer wants to charge big bucks to diagnose and repair it – no thank you, not worth it in a 6 year old car.
The fact that you can’t disable it and it stay disabled across restarts is the big annoyance. I hope car makers will issue a software update so it can be permanently disabled by the vehicle owner, at least in new cars until the feature is completely deleted.
I&I points out another thing our savior Government does for us.
What did we do to earn such blessings?
Why, pay our taxes on time; abide by the law; live by the rules. And-oh, yes- vote for Democrats and Mandami manufactured Leftists (like Swalwell, Jeffries, Schumer Pelosi, Harris and Biden)!
Everything Obama did was wrong for this country; he was horrible.
mmmm
Another anecdotal reason for premature engine parts wear has been traced to the start/stop feature. Granted, the engine failure issues mostly are traced back to quality control by certain suppliers. The fact remains that several car and truck engine models have failed prematurely. With that expensive issue on top of the large write-offs from EV investments that have had to be drastically scaled back. There is an incredible amount of pressure on Detroit manufacturers these days. The last thing most people want is a recall on their new car or truck purchase. Keep in mind that China desperately wants access to our automobile market. Canada recently welcomed Chinese EV’s. So they have at least a start in North America. It doesn’t get any easier for American carmakers, and much of the problem is of their own making.
I’m thankful for this return to common sense, but in a free country such a requirement would never have been shoved down people’s throats in the first place. If people want such a feature they can pay for it as an option if they can show enough market demand for manufacturers to be worth their while.
Next, can we get rid of the requirement for those conceived-in-Hell gasoline cannister pour spouts? You know, the ones that were supposedly touted as a safety feature, but which actually spew gasoline all over the place while you struggle to get any out of the can? The lobbyists and corrupt congresscritters who came up with that one should be executed by forcing them to stand next to a lawn mower while randomly-selected people try to fill the mower fuel tank; once this is done and the convicts are drenched in gasoline as a result, just throw a match at them.
I have it on my SLC 43 Mercedes. You can turn it off, but the truly annoying thing is that it resets every time the car is turned off. I finally found a plug in to reprogram the computer so that it would retain the last setting.
Yes, it will destroy your starter and battery faster!