2016 Honda Odyssey
Problems, recalls and owner-reported issues
Engine is the leading concern among 270 owner complaints filed for this model year. This is the 15th highest complaint count among 26 Odyssey model years with reports.
Of the 2016 reports, 9 involved a crash and 2 involved a fire. 10 people were injured.
What owners report most often
Recalls and investigations
Fuel system, gasoline, delivery, fuel pumpDec 18, 2023
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2013-2023 Honda Accord, Civic Coupe, Civic Sedan, Civic Hatchback, Civic Type R, CR-V, HR-V, Ridgeline, Odyssey, Acura ILX, MDX, MDX Hybrid, RDX, RLX, TLX, 2019-2022 Honda Insight, Passport, 2020 Honda CR-V Hybrid, 2018-2019 Honda Clarity PHEV, Fit, and 2015-2020 Honda Accord Hybrid, Pilot, Acura NSX vehicles. The fuel pump inside the fuel tank may fail.
Fuel pump failure can cause an engine stall while driving, increasing the risk of a crash.
Dealers will replace the fuel pump module, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed September 6, 2024. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are KGC and KGD. This recall is an expansion of NHTSA recall numbers 21V-215 and 20V-314.
Campaign 23V858000 on NHTSA.gov
Seats, mid/rear assemblyMar 13, 2018
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2014-2016 Honda Odyssey vehicles. The second row outboard seats have a lever to fold the seatback and slide the seat forward to access the third row seats. Due to a manufacturing error, if the walk-in release lever is used to fold a fully reclined left outboard seatback forward, the seatback may stay in the unlocked position (free-folding) or unexpectedly unlock without engaging the walk-in or recliner lever.
An unlocked second row left outboard seatback increases the risk of injury to the seat occupant during a crash.
Honda will notify owners, and dealers will confirm proper operation of the second row left outboard seatback, and install a support bracket to the seat recliner. If the seatback cannot lock, dealers will replace the seatback frame assembly. These repairs will be performed free of charge. The recall began May 7, 2018. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's number for this recall is X0R.
Campaign 18V170000 on NHTSA.gov
Seats, mid/rear assemblyNov 17, 2017
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2011-2017 Honda Odyssey vehicles. The second row outboard seats can slide sideways to one of two positions. If a seat is placed between either of the two positions when attaching the seat to the vehicle floor, the seat will not latch properly to the seat striker, allowing the seat to tip forward unexpectedly during braking.
If the seat tips forward during braking, it can increase the risk of injury.
Honda will notify owners, and dealers will install a bracket to the second row outboard floor strikers, free of charge. The recall began April 2, 2018. Owners may contact American Honda Customer Support & Campaign Center at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's number for this recall is S0G.
Campaign 17V725000 on NHTSA.gov
Seats, mid/rear assemblyDec 27, 2016
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain model year 2011-2016 Odyssey vehicles manufactured August 17, 2010, to October 1, 2015. The affected vehicles have second row outboard seats that have a release lever that allows the seats to move for easier access to the third row of seats. This release lever may remain in the unlocked position allowing the seats to move unexpectedly.
An unlocked second row outboard seat increases the risk of injury to the seat occupant during a crash.
Honda will notify owners, and dealers will install an additional bracket and spring to both second row outboard seats, free of charge. Interim letter has been mailed, and a second notification will be sent . Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's number for this recall is KD5.
Campaign 16V933000 on NHTSA.gov
Seats, mid/rear assemblyDec 27, 2016
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain model year 2016 Odyssey vehicles manufactured September 23, 2016, to October 24, 2016. The affected vehicles have a second row center seat with a horizontal adjuster bar that may stick in the unlocked position, allowing the seat to unexpectedly slide. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 207, "Seat Systems."
An unlocked second row center seat may increase the risk of injury to the seat occupant in the event of a crash.
Honda will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the slide function and replace the horizontal position adjustment bar, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began February 2017. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's number for this recall is KD4.
Campaign 16V932000 on NHTSA.gov
Fuel system, gasoline, storage, tank assemblyJun 9, 2016
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain model year 2015 Acura MDX 2WD and MDX 4WD vehicles, 2016 Acura MDX 4WD vehicles, 2015-2016 Honda Odyssey vehicles, and 2016 Honda Pilot 2WD and 4WD vehicles. The affected vehicles have fuel tanks that were manufactured with insufficient welds which may separate and allow fuel to leak out.
A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source may result in a fire.
Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fuel tanks, free of charge. Owners may contact Honda/Acura customer service at 1-888-234-2138. The recall began on July 29, 2016. Honda's numbers for this recall are KA9 (Honda vehicles) and KB0 (Acura vehicles).
Campaign 16V417000 on NHTSA.gov
Representative owner complaints
270 reports, newest first.
Engine, May 8, 2024
Piston ring failure at 73k miles. Repair costs $5000. The check engine light started flashing and whole vehicle started shaking while driving it on the highway. This is a known issue with Honda and the VCM system they installed on these vehicles.
Electrical system, Vehicle speed control, Engine, Apr 11, 2024
The spool valve had a complete seal failure leaking oil onto the alternator causing the alternator to fail. As result the entire electrical system failed, shutting off all propulsion of the van. This occurred while the vehicle was in the high speed left lane on [XXX] @ the [XXX] exit. I had to coast the vehicle across two lanes of 75 mph traffic, cars and large tracker trailers. I was passed by several cars and tracker trailer while coasting across the two lanes of traffic as there was no shoulder on the left side of [XXX]. There were no warning lights prior to the event. American Honda Motor Co. issued Service Bulletin [XXX] on [XXX] to Honda Dealers/Service about the potential for the spool valve casket to leak and fail so that Honda could check for this failure and replace the defective spool valve. The service bulletin covers five (5) different Models and for some Models six (6) model years. The part number identified is 15810-R70-A04, Front Rocker Arm Oil Control Valve (Spool Valve). The correction action is to inspect the front rocker arm oil control valve for leaks and, if needed replace it. The possible causes are the gasket on the front rocker arm oil control valve has deteriorated or the gasket groove is out of SPECIFICATION. Service personnel at Jeff Wyler Honda, 949 Burlington Pike Florence KY 41042, admitted to replacing this spool valve on my Honda Odyssey model several times a month. They admitted that the failure of the spool valve seal can leak oil on to the alternator causing the alternator to fail causing a complete loss of the electrical system and propulsion, seen reports of complete engine fires due to the spool valve gasket failure, noted that the the service bulletin was not attached to my vehicle VIN as did Honda of Jackson 1408 U.S. Highway 45 ByPass Jackson TN 38305. Because America Honda Motor Co. failed to attached the service bulletin to my VIN, my vehicle was not inspected properly for this safety defect. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Engine, Apr 6, 2024
Piston ring failure at 90K miles. Mechanic says repair will cost over $10K. Seems to be a known issue with this year/model based on internet searches.
Seats, Apr 3, 2024
The passenger side second row seat will not lock. It has been diagnosed by a Honda dealer that the seat back frame part number 81326-TK-A22 needs replaced. A recall has been made for the drivers side second row seat in bulletin 18-026. The part number is 81726-TK8-A22. It is the seat frame as well. Honda said they would assist me in paying 1/3 of the bill, but I was responsible for the remainder of the balance. But I see it that there was a seat frame issue with the drivers side second row seat and now I also have a seat frame malfunction on the passenger side second row. I believe they should cover the passenger side as well because of it being an important safety issue.
Engine, Mar 21, 2024
Pistons Ring premature wear . Car only have 100000 miles on odometer but during 100000 mile service. Honda dealer find abnormal wear of piston ring due to which they suspect leak in combustion chamber which can cause further issue . I bought the Odyssey to last longer , did not expect to do major repairs on only 100k miles and unfortunately that's not the case. Now, I need to make a decision. Pay the 4k get it fixed or keep it as is.
Vehicle speed control, Other or unspecified, Engine, Mar 20, 2024
My vehicle problems started on February 6, 2024 while my daughter was driving back to her house. My 2016 Honda Odyssey EXL started shaking violently at 55 - 60 mph. Upon towing my vehicle to have my certified mechanic to check it out, check engine light was on with codes and misfires. He determined that the variable timing valve solenoid was bad. He replaced faulty part as well as both oil pressure switches and it then came up with check engine light, as well as FCW, LDW, & anti-skid warning lights!? It also had a couple different codes. He then replace other variable timing valve solenoid on front of the engine. After taking vehicle to dealership, to get diagnosed, they suggested several repairs totaling over $3800, which none could insure that it would fix problem (2 of their suggestions were already done by my mechanic). Taking dealership suggestions, my mechanic replaced spark plugs and coil boots, adjusted valves which were fairly close, along with new valve cover gaskets. Now my vehicle runs better but has this engine knock when engine switches from ECO mode to regular full cylinders. Asked dealership about checking/reprogramming control module, but they won't do it!? Any suggestions??? Considering purchasing bypass kit even though I will lose gas mileage
Seats, Mar 13, 2024
Left drivers side seat back does not lock on second row seat. This puts passengers at risk for injury. We are working to schedule an appointment with the dealer for inspection / fix. There are no warnings associated with this failure. We are unsure when the defect occurred, as our children typically sit in this seat.
Power train, Other or unspecified, Mar 12, 2024
Our Honda Odyssey was in for regular maintenance around 70,000 miles. Our Odyssey currently has about 71,000. All maintenance has been completed by Honda of Chantilly, except two oil changes which were done at a Honda dealer in SC. Shortly after the regular maintenance the car would jerk while driving (like hitting a pot hole or a bad shift). We took the Odyssey to the dealership and had to have diagnostics run to try and identify the problem. I was told there was a service bulletin that identified the problem and there are a list of steps to address the issue. On [XXX], We started with the computer update and transmission fluid flush to see if that fixed the issue. We were going to replace the trans cap Assembly but the parts had to be ordered. After we had that service completed, we took it home ([XXX]) to wait for the Trans Cap’s to come in to have those replaced. On [XXX] the Odyssey kicked again and I contacted David Burnell our Service Advisor. He sent an estimate showing the next step is to replace the Torque converter, and the rack and pin should also be replaced. In general the Torque Converter should last around 200,000 miles and the Rack and pin should make to past 150,000. I know we’re outside the 5yr 60,000 mile warranty, but you can’t tell me these two items should go bad on a vehicle regularly maintained at a Honda dealership. Due to the kicking/ jerking of the car we felt unsafe driving it with our kids in it. We took the car to the Honda dealer to have repairs done. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Chest clip, Buckle, Harness, Other/i am not sure, Feb 14, 2024
The car seat’s affiliated app and buckle’s vehicular heatstroke prevention technology didn’t work right, and a potential privacy safety concern. A colleague and I (both CPST-I’s) were demoing her seat. 1- Privacy concern: I was able to download the app and connect to her seat from outside her vehicle, gaining access to her child’s name, child’s birthdate, and a map that showed me the approximate location of where she drove. The seat owner did not have to approve my access to her seat. A stranger could access a child’s personal information with this lack of security. I was given “limited access” as the second connector but was actually able to see more details than the seat’s owner 2- The heatstroke prevention technology- the car seat buckle and affiliated app- glitched several times. It showed different alerts between two apps that accessed the same car seat. User A is car seat owner, user B is me: -After the car seat was buckled for a 1.5 hour drive in User A’s car, user A’s app logged 0 minutes in the seat. User B’s app showed accurate time the seat was buckled. -When the seat was buckled, User A and User B received completely different “child left in car” alerts at different times. The seat was left buckled overnight and did not alert user A or B that a child was left in the car. Despite receiving no alert, user B’s app logged the child having sat 7 hours in car seat overnight. -When the seat was left unbuckled and empty, user A received an alert that the child was still in the seat. Despite getting that alert, their app still showed 0 minutes logged in the seat. 3. The app says “buckled securely” when the buckle stalk is flipped up toward the child and didn’t actually require any buckling of either buckle or chest clip. 4. The app said the seat was installed correctly when it wasn't, and the installation directions wouldn’t continue unless the load leg was in place, which some vehicles don’t allow didn’t get great pics.
Tires, Feb 8, 2024
We ask to rotate tires, and at that point we find CRACKS on inside wall of tires/ 2 pcs size 235/65/R17. see pictures provided. If we didn't discover this , it might be catastrophic failure/ explosion of tire. New Tires were installed immediately to avoid accident.
Electrical system, Jan 30, 2024
Left passenger sliding door cable snapped while trying to open door, will not close or latch
Power train, Electrical system, Structure, Jan 24, 2024
Consumer complaint: Repeated failed batteries (3), alternators (3), Start button (1) and left stranded multiple times due to no start. Problem: Honda Odyssey keyless entry computer board not fully sealed. This allows dendridic growth of corrosion on the board. This causes a short that endlessly sets the vehicle ignition into "Run" position. Eventually this shorts the alternator and drains battery. Solution: Cleaned and seal affected area. You can find a repair video and explanation here: [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Other or unspecified, Jan 17, 2024
The sliding door is having issues and is not stopping as my child is exiting the vehicle he had almost been crushed by the door.
Engine, Fuel/propulsion system, Dec 29, 2023
While driving the engine started to run rough and the vehicle started to decelerate. The check engine light and the traction control light came on. I let up on the gas pedal, the van continued to run rough. I made it home and the next day took the van to a mechanic, he told me that he observed oil fouling on the #3 spark plug, consistent with worn piston rings. The van is a 2016 Honda Odyssey with 91,000 miles.
Engine, Dec 21, 2023
I have had the same issue now twice with my vehicle. The first repair was done in 2020 and covered by Honda under warranty. They repaired Cylinder Block-Piston Rings misfiring. It was I believe about a $3,500 repair when covered under warranty. I now have the same thing happening again. I took it in to Honda for diagnostic test and and i have the need for immediate attention to repair-end of October, 2023. I also already had labor service April 11, 2023 and had a code PO303 cylinder#3 misfire, swapped plugs 3 & 5. Spark plugs causing issues. Again the beginning of October I had to take my vehicle in AGAIN for spark plugs and misfiring. Had the spark plugs changed twice this year. And already had a MAJOR repair for the piston rings on this same vehicle. This should not be happening AGAIN. When my car needed the plugs changed in October 2023 my check engine light came on and was flashing and driving rough. I had to towed to shop to get looked at.
Engine, Dec 15, 2023
The contact owns a 2016 Honda Odyssey. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer and the contact was later informed that the piston ring on cylinder #3 was defective. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but offered no assistance. The vehicle had been repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 48,000.
Engine, Dec 11, 2023
My wife experienced a sudden loss of power and a very rough running engine at interstate speeds. The check engine light as well as the FSW lights indicated problems with the engine. We brought the vehicle into a Honda dealership for diagnosis. The technician observed an oil soaked spark plug in the #3 cylinder which caused the issue. There were no lights associated with the issue until the sudden loss of power. This dramatic loss of power put her at risk as she limped to a safe area. Honda not only recommends replacing the plug but also all the rings on the rear three cylinders to make the vehicle safe. This is the second time this same vehicle has experienced the same failure and it appears to be an issue with the VCM system on this model. First instance was around 60k and now at 120k.
Other or unspecified, Engine, Fuel/propulsion system, Nov 29, 2023
My car technician found that my car has leaking problems, and is burning engine oil for a long time which means the engine oil leaking from the engine that might cause fire or damage engine and cause serious engine failure and this is a serious safety concern. I heard this is a common problem for Honda cars. Please advise to recall the vehicles with this problem. Thank you very much.
Engine, Nov 3, 2023
Per Honda dealership technician: oil seeping into cylinders 1-3 when VCM system is on. Spark plugs are fouled up and causing misfires on engine. Scoring on cylinder 2 also likely due to VCM issues requires engine block replacement. The above engine issues are the reason for blinking check engine light, traction control disabled light, and forward collision warning disabled light to all be on. These ultimately are occasionally causing stuttering/shuddering of the engine during acceleration. While trying to accelerate on an freeway on-ramp the engine appeared to hit a rev limiter at ~4,000 RPMs and wouldn't up-shift to the next gear while doing ~45 MPH with other vehicles behind us also trying to accelerate. Had to let off the gas and gently accelerate over a longer distance/time keeping RPMs low and was able to accelerate to 75 MPH speed limit after merging onto freeway. Vehicle is otherwise in good condition and has maintenance attended to regularly.
Engine, Nov 3, 2023
The contact owns a 2016 Honda Odyssey. The contact stated while driving 45 MPH, the vehicle started shuddering and was running rough. The check engine warning light and the traction control warning light were illuminated. The contact stated that the failure had been recurring while driving. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that there was oil intrusion on the spark plugs, which caused a misfire. The mechanic replaced the spark plugs and added a fuel additive to the vehicle; however, the failure persisted. The dealer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the dealer for diagnostic testing. The failure mileage was approximately 68,000.
Engine, Nov 2, 2023
On September 28, 2023, the check engine light came on while on the freeway. I pulled over at the closest exit and checked the manual and did as instructed and let the engine cool down. Upon it cooling, I started the car back up and the light did not come back on. Being close to where I was going, I proceeded to my destination. The following week I scheduled an appointment with the dealership to have it looked at. This was scheduled for October 18, 2023. On October 15, while stopped at a stop light, the car started to make banging loud noises and when the light turned green and I stepped on the gas, the check engine light came on again and the car sounded so rough I immediately pulled over and called a tow truck and had it towed to the dealership. This was on a busy 45 mph road, causing a hazard to just have my car fail like that. The dealership discovered that three of the six piston rings had failed, causing oil to leak out and corrode the spark plugs prematurely. I had the repairs completed and have contacted Honda Corporate to inform them of the issue and reimburse me, of which they did not. This has been an issue is previous models with recalls, and this continues to be a safety issue that Honda needs to correct.
Power train, Oct 9, 2023
The transmission shifts hard in first and second gear, It happens at different time sometimes when it is cold and a lot of times when it is at driving temp. Yes it is available for inspection upon request. This has been happening for over a year. We could be rear ended because it happens after a stop at a red light or stop sign, which could cause someone to hit me in the rear and could injure both us and them. It bucks so bad that it hurts me as a driver and my passengers. There is a class action law suit in California for this problem. No warning lamps or messages or other symptoms of problem prior to the failure. It just happens and every service center says it just happens which is not right.
Power train, Service brakes, Sep 19, 2023
The van has approx 83,000 miles and always maintained by Allen Honda in College Station Texas, and all scheduled maintenace has been implemented. For sometime now the van judders/vibrates during acceleration from a full stop condition till about above 30-35 MPH. The condition has gotten progressively more noticeable. There are no caution / advisory lights on the instrument panel. I took the van to Auto Zone to see what fault codes be read. The Auto Zone scanner revealed codes 83-1 and 61-1 related to Anti-Lock Brake System. But after reading 26 pages of this site I'm inclined to believe that the cause is related to the power train.
Electrical system, Sep 7, 2023
I am not sure what is going on but my key phob no longer will unlock my van or lock it. My car seems to loose power sometimes but more than normal it almost as if it is going to die as I an driving it. This has been ongoing since June 2023.
Engine, Aug 18, 2023
The contact owns a 2016 Honda Odyssey. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle would hesitate upon depression of the accelerator pedal as several warning lights would appear on the instrument panel. The contact had taken the vehicle to an independent mechanic on numerous occasions where the spark plug have been replaced each time. The mechanic informed her that the vehicle's variable cylinders were the cause of the failure which had resulted in the spark plugs wearing out at a rapid pace. The dealer nor the manufacturer had been notified of the failure. The vehicle had yet to be repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000. The VIN was not available.