← New search

2016 Honda Odyssey

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Similar to other model years

Owner complaints for the 2016 Honda Odyssey do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 249.5.

About this comparison →

When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

129 reports with mileage · 140 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.

  • Engine. Review the 92 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Electrical System. Review the 39 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Power Train. Review the 38 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

9 crash reports2 fire reports10 injury reports

Engine complaints

92 reports
Clear category filter
Mileage unknown · Nov 2, 2023
Engine

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…

Read full complaint

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.

NHTSA ODI #11553187

80,000 miles · Aug 18, 2023
Engine

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 plu…

Read full complaint

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.

NHTSA ODI #11539287

Mileage unknown · Aug 10, 2023
Electrical SystemEngine

While driving in October 2022, my car suddenly had the check engine light begin flashing. My car immediately began to lose power and would barely accelerate. Multiple other dash lights then started flashing. I called the Honda dealership who told me to drive it there. I barely made it to the dealership (having to drive slowl…

Read full complaint

While driving in October 2022, my car suddenly had the check engine light begin flashing. My car immediately began to lose power and would barely accelerate. Multiple other dash lights then started flashing. I called the Honda dealership who told me to drive it there. I barely made it to the dealership (having to drive slowly, not being able to accelerate, and not knowing if the car was suddenly going to die). The Honda dealership diagnosed it as a failure of the piston rings leading to a catastrophic engine failure. These piston rings needed to be replaced, which could only be done with an entire engine rebuild. This cost approximately $5000. I got the car back and then the next day was driving on a major interstate traveling 70mph. All of the sudden the car completely shut down. It was so extremely dangerous. I had to pull over to the side of the road and wait for a tow truck. The town truck took the car back to the Honda dealer, which diagnosed a timing belt failure. The timing belt and water pump had to be replaced, costing an additional $1-2k. Then in August 2023 the alternator has now failed. This caused the car to again suddenly die while driving it.

NHTSA ODI #11537618

Mileage unknown · Aug 2, 2023
EngineFuel/propulsion System

This is a problem with the car’s variable cylinder management. It causes the spark plug to degrade, the engine cylinders fill with oil and damages the piston rings. This has happened to me on my 2016 Honda Odyssey which has less then 50,000 miles. When the engine cylinders misfire while driving, it causes sudden loss of power a…

Read full complaint

This is a problem with the car’s variable cylinder management. It causes the spark plug to degrade, the engine cylinders fill with oil and damages the piston rings. This has happened to me on my 2016 Honda Odyssey which has less then 50,000 miles. When the engine cylinders misfire while driving, it causes sudden loss of power and an inability to drive. The repairs are very costly. There was a class action lawsuit aimed at this very problem in the 2008-2013 Honda Odyssey - Honda settled the lawsuit March of 2014. Honda extended the warranty and would fix the issue on the existing 2008-2013 Honda Odysseys. Honda has not fixed the problem and they continue to sell vehicles with this known issue and not disclosing it to their customers. It remains a safety issue while driving.

NHTSA ODI #11536044

Mileage unknown · Jul 26, 2023
EngineForward Collision AvoidanceFuel/propulsion System

The exact issue was reported for 2011-13 Honda OdesseY Models, All TRIMS and HONDA was issued a extended warranty for those vehicles and Honda is denying the same warranty extension for 2016 Honda Odessey models. The details are published in Service Bulletin 13-081 , which says

NHTSA ODI #11534542

Mileage unknown · Jul 10, 2023
Engine

This is a problem with the car’s variable cylinder management. It causes the spark plug to degrade, the engine cylinders fill with oil and damages the piston rings. This has happened to me twice now, where the engine cylinders misfire while driving, causing sudden loss of control of the vehicle and an inability to drive. The rep…

Read full complaint

This is a problem with the car’s variable cylinder management. It causes the spark plug to degrade, the engine cylinders fill with oil and damages the piston rings. This has happened to me twice now, where the engine cylinders misfire while driving, causing sudden loss of control of the vehicle and an inability to drive. The repairs are very costly. There was a class action lawsuit aimed at this very problem in 2013, but Honda has not fixed the problem and it remains a safety issue while driving.

NHTSA ODI #11531269

Mileage unknown · Mar 20, 2023
Engine

I was driving down a city road and engine light came on as well as traction control light. The car began shaking and lost power slowing down while I had 4 kids in the van. I took it to a Honda dealer the next morning and they said that oil is leaking past the piston rings and fouling the #3 spark plug causing misfiring. They …

Read full complaint

I was driving down a city road and engine light came on as well as traction control light. The car began shaking and lost power slowing down while I had 4 kids in the van. I took it to a Honda dealer the next morning and they said that oil is leaking past the piston rings and fouling the #3 spark plug causing misfiring. They suggested a replacement of the engine as they indicated a head job may not fix the issue. The engine light had come on once before accompanied by the loss of power and shaking about 4-5 months prior but the issue was not found at that time by the Honda service shop as when I brought it in the check engine light was gone. But I I had all the spark plugs replaced as I was at approximately 106,000 miles at that time. Now I'm at 109,000 and the issue returned as noted above, but much worse. Basically I'm forced to sell the van as it's unsafe to drive and too costly to repair.

NHTSA ODI #11512712

Mileage unknown · Mar 4, 2023
Engine

While driving my family on a major highway, the flashing check engine light was triggered Upon checking the oil level, which was fine, I again slowly drove the van to a mechanic. The mechanic removed all spark plugs and checked the coils. Spark plugs 1-3 all had oil on them causing them to foul and the coil on piston 3 was destr…

Read full complaint

While driving my family on a major highway, the flashing check engine light was triggered Upon checking the oil level, which was fine, I again slowly drove the van to a mechanic. The mechanic removed all spark plugs and checked the coils. Spark plugs 1-3 all had oil on them causing them to foul and the coil on piston 3 was destroyed. This very same issue was the cause of a class action lawsuit for which honda issued recalls and extended warranties for vehicles ranging from 2008 - 2013, yes the issue continued in honda vehicles such as mine until 2018. I am now forced to pay for a repair that should have been covered under a voluntary recall. Oil in the spark plugs is a known fire hazard and this willful neglect by honda placed the lives of myself and my family at risk. Even more shameful is that multiple honda service departments in my area were contacted as a result of this faulty piston issue and each independently stated that this is a known issue in honda models up through 2017. If honda service centers can attest to this, and they are the face of honda america to consumers, yet have taken no responsible actions to date to offer consideration for their loyal patrons, then the government has a duty to protect consumers through a mandatory recall to address this prevalent safety issue. Do so now before an engine fire caused by gross negligence takes the life or lives of innocent children.

NHTSA ODI #11510164

Mileage unknown · Mar 3, 2023
Engine

At highway speed (70mph), our van suddenly lost acceleration while the engine began to shudder while the check engine light came on. I had to maneuver to the shoulder of the highway and turn off the vehicle. Upon trying to restart the vehicle, both the check engine and Forward Collision Warning failure messages appeared. The …

Read full complaint

At highway speed (70mph), our van suddenly lost acceleration while the engine began to shudder while the check engine light came on. I had to maneuver to the shoulder of the highway and turn off the vehicle. Upon trying to restart the vehicle, both the check engine and Forward Collision Warning failure messages appeared. The vehicle required towing by AAA to a repair garage. The garage reported that the malfunction code was "Misfire Cylinder #3". Cylinder #3 and spark plug were removed and cleaned due to deposits from oil entering the engine.

NHTSA ODI #11510026

Mileage unknown · Feb 6, 2023
EngineFuel/propulsion System

On December 7, 2022, while driving my family of six, my 2016 Honda Odyssey EX-L with 83,000 miles triggered a flashing check engine light and lost most acceleration while on a busy highway. I was able to limp the vehicle to a repair shop who identified that the van appeared to be burning oil. Oil was changed in its entirety and …

Read full complaint

On December 7, 2022, while driving my family of six, my 2016 Honda Odyssey EX-L with 83,000 miles triggered a flashing check engine light and lost most acceleration while on a busy highway. I was able to limp the vehicle to a repair shop who identified that the van appeared to be burning oil. Oil was changed in its entirety and was advised to check oil frequently. On February 5, 2023, again while driving my family on a major highway, the flashing check engine light was triggered along with the antilock braking system, lane departure warning and front collision warning, along with a display message of front ‘FCW system failed’. Upon checking the oil level, which was fine, I again slowly drove the van to a mechanic. The mechanic removed all spark plugs and checked the coils. Spark plugs 1-3 all had oil on them causing them to foul and the coil on piston 3 was destroyed. This very same issue was the cause of a class action lawsuit for which Honda issued recalls and extended warranties for vehicles ranging from 2008 - 2013, yes the issue continued in Honda vehicles such as mine until 2018. I am now forced to pay ~$4500 for a repair that should have been covered under a voluntary recall. Oil in the spark plugs is a known fire hazard and this willful neglect by Honda placed the lives of myself and my family of six at risk. Even more shameful is that multiple Honda service departments in my area were contacted as a result of this faulty piston issue and each independently stated that this is a known issue in Honda models up through 2017. If Honda service centers can attest to this, and they are the face of Honda America to consumers, yet have taken no responsible actions to date to offer consideration for their loyal patrons, then the government has a duty to protect consumers through a mandatory recall to address this prevalent safety issue. Do so now before an engine fire caused by gross negligence takes the life or lives of innocent children.

NHTSA ODI #11505933

Official recalls

6

23V858000 · Fuel System, Gasoline:delivery:fuel Pump

Dec 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.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: Fuel pump failure can cause an engine stall while driving, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: 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.

18V170000 · Seats:mid/rear Assembly

Mar 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.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: An unlocked second row left outboard seatback increases the risk of injury to the seat occupant during a crash.

Remedy: 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.

17V725000 · Seats:mid/rear Assembly

Nov 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.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: If the seat tips forward during braking, it can increase the risk of injury.

Remedy: 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.

16V932000 · Seats:mid/rear Assembly

Dec 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."

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: An unlocked second row center seat may increase the risk of injury to the seat occupant in the event of a crash.

Remedy: 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.

16V933000 · Seats:mid/rear Assembly

Dec 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.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: An unlocked second row outboard seat increases the risk of injury to the seat occupant during a crash.

Remedy: 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.

16V417000 · Fuel System, Gasoline:storage:tank Assembly

Jun 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.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source may result in a fire.

Remedy: 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).

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

1

DP26005 · Inadvertent Deployment Of Air Bags

Opened Jul 13, 2026 · No close date supplied

Status: open (inferred from source dates) · Air Bags; Air Bags: Air Bag/restraint Control Module; Air Bags: Air Bag/restraint Control Module:software

The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) received a Petition dated May 30, 2026. The Petition is requesting an investigation into inadvertent air bag deployment in model year (MY) 2011-2017 Honda Odyssey vehicles. The Petition contends that air bags can deploy absent a sufficiently severe event to trigger a deployment, such as an impact, rollover event, or G-force threshold breach. The Petition further alleges that the Diagnostic Trouble Codes (DTCs) and Supplemental Restraint System (SRS) conflict and inaccurate data is being recorded for the air bag system. The Petitioner cites 10 complaints received by ODI alleging the same failure. ODI will evaluate these complaints to determine if they are related to the failure cited in the Petition andconduct a technical review under 49 CFR Part 552. This Defect Petition is being opened to evaluate whether to grant or deny the Petition. The Petition can be viewed at NHTSA.gov under NHTSA Number 11744118.

Additional source detail variants (3)

Air Bags: Air Bag/restraint Control Module

The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) received a Petition dated May 30, 2026. The Petition is requesting an investigation into inadvertent air bag deployment in model year (MY) 2011-2017 Honda Odyssey vehicles. The Petition contends that air bags can deploy absent a sufficiently severe event to trigger a deployment, such as an impact, rollover event, or G-force threshold breach. The Petition further alleges that the Diagnostic Trouble Codes (DTCs) and Supplemental Restraint System (SRS) conflict and inaccurate data is being recorded for the air bag system. The Petitioner cites 10 complaints received by ODI alleging the same failure. ODI will evaluate these complaints to determine if they are related to the failure cited in the Petition andconduct a technical review under 49 CFR Part 552. This Defect Petition is being opened to evaluate whether to grant or deny the Petition. The Petition can be viewed at NHTSA.gov under NHTSA Number 11744118.

Air Bags: Air Bag/restraint Control Module:software

The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) received a Petition dated May 30, 2026. The Petition is requesting an investigation into inadvertent air bag deployment in model year (MY) 2011-2017 Honda Odyssey vehicles. The Petition contends that air bags can deploy absent a sufficiently severe event to trigger a deployment, such as an impact, rollover event, or G-force threshold breach. The Petition further alleges that the Diagnostic Trouble Codes (DTCs) and Supplemental Restraint System (SRS) conflict and inaccurate data is being recorded for the air bag system. The Petitioner cites 10 complaints received by ODI alleging the same failure. ODI will evaluate these complaints to determine if they are related to the failure cited in the Petition andconduct a technical review under 49 CFR Part 552. This Defect Petition is being opened to evaluate whether to grant or deny the Petition. The Petition can be viewed at NHTSA.gov under NHTSA Number 11744118.

Air Bags

The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) received a Petition dated May 30, 2026. The Petition is requesting an investigation into inadvertent air bag deployment in model year (MY) 2011-2017 Honda Odyssey vehicles. The Petition contends that air bags can deploy absent a sufficiently severe event to trigger a deployment, such as an impact, rollover event, or G-force threshold breach. The Petition further alleges that the Diagnostic Trouble Codes (DTCs) and Supplemental Restraint System (SRS) conflict and inaccurate data is being recorded for the air bag system. The Petitioner cites 10 complaints received by ODI alleging the same failure. ODI will evaluate these complaints to determine if they are related to the failure cited in the Petition andconduct a technical review under 49 CFR Part 552. This Defect Petition is being opened to evaluate whether to grant or deny the Petition. The Petition can be viewed at NHTSA.gov under NHTSA Number 11744118.