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1996 Honda Odyssey

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Fewer warning signs than most model years

Owner complaints for the 1996 Honda Odyssey are lower than the model-year median of 249.5.

About this comparison →
70Owner complaints

Model-year median: 249.5

0Recall campaigns

View recall details →

0Investigations

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How this year compares

Owner complaints by model year

Other model years Selected year
1
199496
199570
199620
199773
1998518
1999
Compare all Odyssey years →

Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.

What owners reported most

Air Bags
24Electrical System
17Engine And Engine Cooling
11Service Brakes, Hydraulic
8Seat Belts
5
All reported categories
Unknown Or Other
5Vehicle Speed Control
4Visibility
3Equipment
2Engine
1Interior Lighting
1Power Train
1Seats
1Service Brakes, Air
1Suspension
1

Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.

When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

26 reports with mileage · 44 unknown

NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.

What to inspect

Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.

  • Air Bags. Review the 24 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Electrical System. Review the 17 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 11 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

4 crash reports2 fire reports2 injury reports

Engine And Engine Cooling complaints

11 reports
Clear category filter
Mileage unknown · Apr 8, 2000
Engine And Engine Cooling

THE COUNTER BALANCE SHAFT SEAL ON THE ENGINE "POPPED OUT". THIS DRAINED ALL OF THE ENGINE OIL OUT OF THE CRANKCASE. IN RESEARCHING THIS ON THE NHTSA WEB SITE I HAVE SEEN A LOT OF HONDA ACCORDS WITH THE SAME PROBLEM (SAME 4 CYLINDER ENGINE). WHEN I CALLED THE LOCAL HONDA DEALER OVER THE PHONE WITH THE SYMPTOMS HE CORRECTLY DI…

Read full complaint

THE COUNTER BALANCE SHAFT SEAL ON THE ENGINE "POPPED OUT". THIS DRAINED ALL OF THE ENGINE OIL OUT OF THE CRANKCASE. IN RESEARCHING THIS ON THE NHTSA WEB SITE I HAVE SEEN A LOT OF HONDA ACCORDS WITH THE SAME PROBLEM (SAME 4 CYLINDER ENGINE). WHEN I CALLED THE LOCAL HONDA DEALER OVER THE PHONE WITH THE SYMPTOMS HE CORRECTLY DIAGNOSED THE PROBLEM (THEY FIXED THE POPPED OUT SEAL, BELTS, LABOR ETC) OVER THE PHONE AS HE HAD SEEN THIS SEVERAL TIMES. HE GOES SO FAR AS TO RECOMMEND THAT THIS $5 SEAL BE CHANGED ON A ROUTINE MAINTENANCE CHECKUP. THIS WAS A CATASTROPHIC FAILURE AND THIS COULD HAVE BEEN MUCH WORSE IN PROPERTY DAMAGE AND PERSONAL INJURY DAMAGE. THE COUNTERBALANCE SHAFT WAS ADDED TO STABILIZE THE FOUR CYLINDER VIBRATION BUT THE FIX IS MUCH MORE OF A PROBLEM. THIS ENGINE IS NOT A GOOD DESIGN. I TRIED TO GET HONDA TO ANSWER HOW OFTEN THIS SHOULD OCCUR AS I KNOW THAT SOME FAILURES WILL OCCUR. THEY WOULD NOT LET ME TALK WITH AN ENGINEER AND I MERELY TALKED WITH A CUSTOMER SERVICE REP. THEY DO NOT FEEL LIKE THIS IS A PROBLEM BUT FROM WHAT I CAN FIND ON THE NET IT IS HAPPENING MUCH MORE THAN HONDA WILL ADMIT. PLEASE FOLLOW UP WITH HONDA ON THIS FOR ME. THANKS. *AK

NHTSA ODI #721198

Official recalls

0

No recalls in this snapshot.

Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗

NHTSA investigations

0

No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.