2016 HONDA ODYSSEY Recalls, Complaints & Safety

09/01/2025 - Claim submitted under recall for "2016 Honda Odyssey, the Variable Cylinder Management (VCM) system can cause premature piston ring wear, leading to oil consumption, spark plug fouling, and misfires (P0301-P0304)" 09/24/2025 - Honda sent email confirming all required documents submitted and reimbursement would be processed in 6-9 weeks. 03/13/2025 (today) - No reimbursement received. Have called Honda claims 3 times over 3 months with no further information. Representatives state that reimbursement department very busy, will "flag for expediting", and to "call back in a week". It has been 24 weeks, way longer than acceptable processing by the OEM.

Airbag light is on, sensor ordered from Honda per dealership owner, Dino. Honda should be aware of this and reporting sensor light defects on airbags for drivers side, as that is a safety issue. Seller plans to have remedy by friend who works at Honda dealership, however with airbag safety it should be repaired at the Honda store for it to be reported to carfax that is was an error amd changed. The car shouldn't be driven until that is reported to car fax, fixed and changed.

While driving on I-85 in GA in 2024, my engine started to misfire and I had to pull over. At that point, I turned the engine off. If this had happened in the evening or on a road without a shoulder, I could have been at risk of being hit and/or stranded. After waiting a dew minutes, I restarted the engine and was able to make it home. My husband took it to our mechanic who indicated that the engine had registered a cylinder misfire (DTC P0303). Apparently, this was a serious flaw recognized in earlier (2008-2013) Honda Odysseys with Variable Cylinder Management (VCM). See [XXX] , et al. v. American Honda Motor Co. Inc., Case No. XXX, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California. I received a notice from American Honda concerning a warranty extension related to TSB 25-061, which would seem to indicate that this is a known flaw that should be handled as a safety recall. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

The contact owns a 2016 Honda Odyssey. While the contact's wife was driving at an undisclosed speed, the DTC: P0301 (Cylinder #1 misfire) was displayed. The vehicle was driven to the shoulder of the road and turned off. The driver attempted to restart the vehicle, and the vehicle restarted. Several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the residence. The vehicle was taken to the independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed with spark plug failures due to an oil leak. The six spark plugs were replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The contact stated that a year later, the contact received an extended warranty regarding the failure. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, and a case was filed. The contact requested to be reimbursed for the repair. The contact stated that the initial reimbursement request was denied. The contact resubmitted the case and all the requested documentation. The contact submitted all the requested documentation. In addition, the contact stated that the mileage was under the mileage limit. The failure mileage was approximately 89,689.

Repeated misfires despite repairs at a certified Honda dealership. The van has been under service since the end of August 2025. The vehicle is power off and shut down while driving or cause significant engine/transmission shuddering and stalling. I have had my kids in the vehicle when this has happened on a highway. All service records have been done by certified servicers.

This vehicle has the ability to push a button on the keyfob and all the windows and sun roof all open completely but it dose not have the ability to turn this off or close the windows with the key fob. I have gone out several times and found all my windows open and I think a 3 year old had gotten ahold of the key fob and when I tried asking a honda dealer about this feature but i was told there's nothing that could be done about it even though it could open the windows while there's bad weather like rain or snow sleet or hail. And since there's no way to close the windows with the key fob that means you have to go out and get in to the van to close the windows. So a senior citizen could fall and hurt themselve's tryling to close the windows during a bad storm or other bad weather.

The contact owns a 2016 Honda Odyssey. The contact stated while attempting to start the vehicle on several occasions, the vehicle started after the third attempt. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that there was a long crank caused by the fuel pressure bleeding back into the fuel tank. The dealer determined that the fuel pump module assembly needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 145,000.

I am sending you information about how a situation was handled by Honda, so hopefully others do not go through the same problems we did. Honda customer service and product advisory is what failed us and we are grateful that we didn't have an accident. I am attaching my documentation below.

Honda states they have issued a recall for : You paid for repairs to address a condition of engine misfire due to piston ring deterioration (that triggers DTCs P0301 thru P0304). e The repairs were completed or started prior to the notice date; repairs made after the notice date must be administered by a Honda dealer. o You owned the vehicle at the time of repair. You are still eligible if you no longer own the vehicle. • You provide a paid invoice. However when presenting receipts from a certified Honda Dealership repair shop, Honda Corporation states that not enough detail was gathered by the Honda Dealership to reimburse for the failed pistons. Honda corporation is not honoring the recall by creating additional red tape to avoid reimbursing consumers. If I had taken this to a mechanic outside of Honda I could understand, but this is an actual certified dealership where the work was done and still it's not enough proof that merits reimbursement. I have included the initial diagnosis and then the repair work that was done that meets all of the standards in the letter. Return letter from Honda Corporation: For auditing and compliance purposes, reimbursement under this warranty extension requires that both of the following be clearly documented on the repair invoice: - A qualifying DTC (P0301–P0304) - Technician notes identifying the root cause of the misfire We spoke directly with Economy Honda Superstore, who reviewed invoice #XXX along with the hard copy and technician notes. The documentation does not include any qualifying DTCs or confirmation of oil-fouled spark plugs. We understand that Service Manager Denman provided you with a separate document indicating DTC P0303. While this confirms the presence of a misfire code, it does not include clarification of the root cause of the misfire. Without this confirmation, the repair does not meet the eligibility criteria for reimbursement under the warranty extension. As such, the repair is not reimbursable. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF IN

I Have a 2016 Honda Odyssey. I have had my van for nine years My mileage is 137,000. I am always update with my upkeep with my minivan. I went over a pothole my airbags deployed. Front Passenger and Driver Side. I call the police and receive a report. The Honda Manufacturer Is refusing to help as I was told by several organization including my insurance company that Honda has a recall Takata Airbag Inflator Recall. I don't know what to do or how to proceed. My insurance is giving me a hard time.

I have a Honda Odyssey 2016 with low mileage, which I purchased almost 2 years ago.This has happened twice. While driving in traffic, I approached a stop light and applied my brakes. When I applied the brakes, the engine accelerated at the same time propelling the car forward. I pressed on the brakes as hard as I could to keep the car from hitting the car in front of me. The second time this happened, I was able to turn off the ignition and then restart it. This is a very dangerous situation because it is extremely difficult to control the car and keep it from moving ahead. I used all of my strength to push against the brake to keep the car from moving ahead. There are other instances of this identified online if you search for it. There needs to be a recall or a way to fix this problem. I took the car to the Honda dealer on October 8, 2025. He kept it for four days and examined it thoroughly but could not find anything wrong with the car and could not get it to replicate this behavior. I never know when the surging forward might happen.

The contact owns a 2016 Honda Odyssey. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the RPM increased, with several unknown warning lights illuminated. In addition, there was an abnormally loud sound and smoke coming from the exhaust system. The contact drove the vehicle to a nearby business parking lot. The contact stated that the failure started while the cruise control was enabled, so the contact disabled the cruise control. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic; however, the vehicle was not inspected. The contact stated that the vehicle was recently purchased from a dealer. The contact obtained a CARFAX report, which indicated that in January 2025, the dealer performed an unknown recall repair where the piston rings were replaced. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, and a case was filed. The contact was advised to take the vehicle to the dealer for a diagnostic test. The failure mileage was approximately 80,200.

There was a fuel pump failure causing the car to not start properly then shut off. The dealer we took the vehicle to stated that the pump almost exploded.

The contact owns a 2016 Honda Odyssey. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the engine made rattling sounds. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who determined that the low-end rod nut had failed and that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V751000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 110,000.

I am reporting a recurring safety defect in the 2016 Honda Odyssey Touring involving the backup camera display system. The issue causes the camera feed to unexpectedly go completely blank when the vehicle is shifted into reverse. This failure appears to be triggered by short stops or intermittent use, as would happen when parking, dropping off passengers or similar manouvers and the only way to restore functionality is to turn off and restart the entire vehicle. This behavior is not isolated. Multiple owners have documented identical symptoms on public forums (e.g., OdyClub), suggesting a systemic software flaw in the infotainment system. The failure disables a federally mandated safety feature (FMVSS 111), creating a hazardous condition for drivers, pedestrians, and nearby vehicles. I have experienced this multiple times with the latest occurrence on 9/10/25 as I was attempting to back into a parking space.

The contact owns a 2016 Honda Odyssey. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was a misfire coming from the engine, with the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact stated that shortly afterwards, the vehicle vibrated abnormally and hesitated while accelerating. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed, and the contact was informed that the ignition coils and spark plugs were faulty and needed to be replaced. However, the failure returned a year later, with a misfire coming from the engine while driving, with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed, and the contact was informed that the ignition coils and spark plugs were faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure reoccurred months later. This vehicle was taken to a Honda dealer to be diagnosed, and the contact was informed that the cylinder rings were faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure persisted. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 85,000.

The contact owns a 2016 Honda Odyssey. The contact stated that while driving 40 MPH, the front passenger’s side tire drove over a pothole, and immediately afterwards, all the air bags on the passenger’s side of the vehicle inadvertently deployed. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, but the vehicle was not yet diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 120,000.

split developed in tread area, unknown date, recently observed

Spark plug fouling, Piston seal leak on 60,000 miles car

The contact owns a 2016 Honda Odyssey. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the engine, resulting in damages to cylinders #1 and #3. The contact was informed that a partial rebuild of the engine was needed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 94,000.

While driving on the interstate my 2016 Honda Odyssey with 120k miles experienced a blinking check engine light along with strong engine shudder. Luckily I was close to home, and after reviewing numerous complaints of the same VCM issue from others I checked the plugs and coils and found that the 3 rear plugs covered in oil. I replaced the plugs and coils and ran fuel system cleaner for the next few fill-ups. There was no prior warning, and if I would have been further from home or continued driving i assume I would need new rings and that would be a multiple-thousand dollar fix. I still don't know if they're permanently damaged.

Vehicle had a dead misfire on cylinder number one. Initially occurred in May 2024 - all of my dashboard lights went on and car was very shaky - made me nervous because manual said car could overheat or catch fire, so had towed to shop - Girard's Automotive in Franklin, WI. They diagnosed as spark plug needed replacement. Van was at about 98K miles at the time so recommended changing all spark plugs, which I did. Three months later - in August 2025 the same thing occurred - all warning lights on. This time I brought it to my regular mechanic - Import Minded in Greenfield, WI - insisting it was a faulty spark plug replacement. He removed the spark plug and found it to be oil fouled which typically indicates the vehicle was experiencing high levels of oil consumption caused by a known piston ring issue. He changed the spark plugs at the time at recommended checking with Honda as this was a known issue in which they had put out a service bulletin in Oct 2020 and extended warranties for year 2011 to 2013. I went to the Honda dealership. They were familiar with the problem but stated they needed to diagnose the problem and could not do that until the engine lights came on again. So, I could not reliably drive my car any distances for fear all my engine lights would come and the shakiness would come back. This went on until this last month, March 2024 in which the engine lights came on again and I was able to get it back to the dealership where they did diagnose the issue as the piston ring problem. They would not guarantee me any assistance with the repairs but required I have them done there for any chance at getting goodwill assist to pay for the repair- to the tune of $6000. After the work was complete, they let me know they would not be able to help me out - not because they do not acknowledge this to be a known issue, but because I do not spend enough money at Honda dealerships. Safety concern - overheat/fire and shakiness causing difficulty driving.

Under 45 degrees, the back door will not open. The latch is faulty and fails in moderate to severe cold weather. In an emergency where we would need to exit the rear of the vehicle, there’s no way to open the rear door from the inside or outside. It is under 45 degrees for about half the year where I live. It is more than just an inconvenience, it is a safety concern.

The contact owns a 2016 Honda Odyssey. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormal knocking sound coming from the engine compartment. In addition, the contact noticed the knocking sound when the vehicle started. The contact stated that the failure was persistent, and the abnormal knocking sound had gotten louder. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or the dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 72,000.

The contact owns a 2016 Honda Odyssey. The contact stated while driving at undisclosed speeds, the vehicle experienced a loss of automotive power. The contact was able to coast to the side of the road and noticed several unknown warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and an independent mechanic; however, no cause for the failure was found. However, the dealer replaced the oil gasket, and the spark plugs. Ken Garff Honda of Orem (195 E University Pkwy) replaced the timing belt. The contact stated that the failure persisted. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 67,000.

I own a 2016 Honda Odyssey. This past summer ,while driving the vehicle began to lose power and shake. I had it towed in where I was told that the piston rings needed to be replaced, however, the first step would be to replace the spark plugs. They knew exactly what was going on because numerous individuals have had the same issue with their Honda Odyssey. Now just last week the same problem happened and the piston rings are being replaced for $5000. There was previously a class action lawsuit on earlier model year Honda Odyssey's due to the same issue. Honda then did nothing to fix the issue with the next model of the Odyssey. It is frustrating that their is a known issue that they are doing nothing about. We literally lost power while driving down a busy highway putting us and others at risk. Luckily we were able to get off of the road safely without causing any issues. You have previously looked into the earlier model Honda odyssey's I would appreciate it if you would with the newer models as well. Thank you.

The contact owns a 2016 Honda Odyssey. The contact stated that the driver's side and passenger's side sliding doors were difficult to open and close. The vehicle was taken to the dealer on several occasions, and the dealer replaced the passenger's side sliding door motors and cables twice however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer, where the cause of the failure could not be determined. The dealer applied lubricant to the cables; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 60,000.

Dear Honda Customer Service, I am writing to formally report a serious issue with my 2016 Honda Odyssey and to request a full repair at no cost due to what appears to be a manufacturer defect. In March 2024, my vehicle began experiencing a mild shudder/vibration noise, and the Check Engine Light turned on. I took the vehicle to Vacaville Honda, where a diagnostic was performed. The technicians informed me that the engine has a faulty VCM (Variable Cylinder Management) system, causing misfiring due to oil leakage on the spark plugs and piston rings. The only solution given was to replace the engine at a cost of $6,000, which is an unreasonable expense for a known issue related to Hondas VCM system. I have maintained my vehicle regularly at Honda dealerships and followed all manufacturer-recommended maintenance schedules. This engine failure is not due to negligence or wear and tear, but rather a design defect that has affected many Honda owners. Given these circumstances, I respectfully request that Honda cover the full cost of the engine repair or replacement under a goodwill warranty. I also ask that you investigate whether this issue qualifies for a recall or extended warranty assistance. Please respond as soon as possible, as my vehicle is currently unsafe to drive. Thank you.

Vehicle started showing "check engine" light and some other incidental warning lights. Engine started running roughly. We took this to the dealer and they said that engine needed to have piston rings replaced (along with some other unrelated items.)

Local mechanic informed me that there there is a defect in the piston causing oil to leak in and ruin the piston and spark plugs. This is fouling up the spark plugs, which are covered in oil. Temporarily he said to replace the spark plug. If that does work, he recommended a valve cover replacement. And if that still doesn't work to replace the engine. This was on cylinder number 1. This also happened last year with cylinder number 3. The engine light comes on and the vehicle starts shaking and causing engine misfiring. The oil was changed approximately 1 week ago when cylinder 1 was having issues. Yes, this vehicle is currently available for inspection. This could be a safety issue due to engine failure while driving on a busy road. This van was purchased used in 2018 with 1 previous owner. This problem has been confirmed by a repair shop.

The engine failed while driving on the highway. All lights flashed on dashboard and loss of power to the vehicle. There were no prior check engine lights on before it activated and started flashing. Piston 3 failure that had to be replaced (pistons 1-3). Engine had been burning oil but no low oil indication had been illuminated nor was car due for an oil change. Spark plugs and ignition coil had been replaced approx. a year prior due to similar but less severe incident of check engine light coming on and misfiring engine. Six months after the pistons were replaced, the oil pressure switches were diagnosed as faulty and needed replacement due to a false low oil pressure reading.

Alex from Germaine Honda informed us “There is a defect in the piston causing oil to leak in and ruin the piston and spark plugs. The only option is to replace the engine. There was a light that came on indicating oil was low a few weeks before it symptoms started however there was plenty of oil when checked and it was not time for oil change per record. While driving one day car started shaking and engine misfire. Multiple engine and system warning lights came on. In 2022, we had a similar issue with piston rings out of alignment and spark plugs fouled with oil that resulted in costly repairs. Yes this vehicle is currently available for inspection. This could be a safety issue due to engine failure while driving on a busy road. This van was purchased used in 2018 with 2+ previous owners. This problem has been confirmed by a honda dealer.

Just before hitting 100k miles and planning for timing belt maintenance, I got hit with the well known VCM V6 engine issue. Fix for 7k from my own pocket? No. I just replaced spark plugs and as the advisor suggested I have to install the VCM Muzzler (from after market, as Honda don't do this) to deactivate ECO mode in order to prevent future damage. I hope NHTSA will force Honda to recognize this is their fault (poor design) and fix this on a big recall, otherwise I'll participate in a lawsuit when that will occur for this lemon car.

the trunk has been difficult to open in cold weather ever since car was purchased. car was new when purchased and the issue was infrequent over time, issue has become so pervasive that we are unable to open the trunk at all even when weather is reasonable honda issued a "service bulletin" in 2018 admitting part was faulty however as it was not an official recall, we were not notified when looking into solving this problem, we came across the "service bulletin" information. Honda has NOT included our VIN # in this issue and accepts no responsibility for fixing the faulty part of this car *** inability to open the trunk reduces means of egress from the vehicle in the event of an accident thereby creating a safety risk *** please see:[XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Connecting rod failure. This could have been a serious issue as it happened on the highway. I was in the middle lane when it locked up. Luckily I was able to safely get to the shoulder. There was no warning before it happened. ( No engine light, no noises at all). This has been inspected by my local Honda dealer and confirmed.

Vehicle shudders on acceleration

Passenger powersliding door sensor went off while driving indicating door was open when it was closed, door not latching properly to close

Brought brand new in 2016, our Honda odyssey has been well maintained by the dealer. Just hit 148k miles, and the check engine light started flashing - took it straight to the dealer. Said that we need the engine rebuilt for $4k replacing spark plugs and cylinders. Upon further research, this is a known issue with the VCM motors by Honda, and had a class action lawsuit for previous years of the odyssey- but when the lawsuit was done, our years had not reached over 100k miles yet. Honda service is saying there is now a software update to prevent this from happening again, when we replace cylinders, but why is this happening when we have brought it to the dealer for all maintenance and if there was a preventative fix for this, why wasn’t it done before damage was done to the engine? We are being given the run around, was offered $500 to buy our van, or pay the $4k+ to fix. Honda corporate is just going in circles not giving us answers and why this is being allowed to happen. This is my 4th Honda - 2nd to buy brand new- and this is making me question loyalty to the brand.

The contact owns a 2016 Honda Odyssey. The contact stated while driving 65 MPH and depressing the accelerator pedal to pass another vehicle, the vehicle hesitated to respond and the engine sputtered. Additionally, the contact stated while driving from a complete stop the failure recurred. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the failure had been recurring while driving. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the dealer for diagnostic testing. The failure mileage was approximately 76,000.

My engine's check-engine light began flashing, and it turned out to be misfiring on one of the cylinders. The dealer disassembled the cylinder and found that it was filled with oil, and the piston seals had failed for cylinders 1-3, and they are now saying it will be a $4K rebuild of the seals. Looking online, this appears to be a VERY common problem with these V6 Honda engines that have VCM on them; this is the same VCM system for which Honda had to settle a class-action lawsuit for this exact issue happening to thousands of engines. They only included vehicles through the 2013 model year, but continued to use the VCM system in later engines; there are thousands of reports of this same issue continuing to occur.

The engine failed and required a complete ring/piston replacement at a cost of $5,670,52 with only 135,946 miles. I purchased the vehicle new and had it serviced at Honda dealerships throughout its life. These vehicles are used by families and many older citizens because of their ease of access and advertised reliability. Such an unexpected expense should be covered by Honda. This ring/piston replacement has been a problem in earlier modules and was covered by Honda.

I was traveling on a local street around 35mph and braking for a red light. The braking felt funny in that it didn't slow the car down like normal, but it felt like the car's accelerator was still engaged. I managed to come to a stop, but the car seemed to want to move forward and I had to really stomp on the brake to keep it from moving forward. I put the car into park and the engine started revving and the car started shaking. I then turned the car off. When I turned the car back on, I was not able to shift back into drive from park. I turned the car off again. Waited about 10 seconds and started the car again. I was able to put it into drive and was able to drive home. This was normal braking for a red light, not a panic brake when I might have hit the accelerator. I also check the pedal positions and when the brake is pressed, it is about level with the accelerator, so I doubt that I was pressing both pedals at the same time. I don't have an extra floor mat and the mat I have is an OEM mat that is secured down. Brought the car to a Honda Service Center and they could not reproduce the problem. This is certainly a safety issue if the braking and engine do not respond to the driver input.

Car stalled while driving, requiring restart. Independent Service Center determined fuel pump failure. Independent Service Center replaced fuel pump.