There are 24 owner-reported engine complaints for the 2012 Honda Odysseyin NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
Vcm problems burn oil and misfire code
For several years now, we have misfire issue or code P0304. We continue to change spark plugs cylinders. Both usually last a year or so then they need replaced again. I research the problem, no recall or the like. I did see his report on-line, wondering if it applies to us, Warranty Extension: MIL Comes On with DTCs P0301 thru P0304. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
vehicle loses acceleration power intermittently. No response when pressing accelerator or when speeding up with cruise control. Pressing the gas harder does not help but the vehicle starts working normally a few seconds later. Dangerous on busy roads. I don't think it is a weak fuel pump because it accelerated quickly after an event
The front valve cover is exposed to extreme temperatures from the catalytic converter mounted next to it. There is nothing to protect the rubber components inside from the catalytic converter's excessive heat which is causing them to fail. The steel components inside the cylinder (e.g., the seal ring) are insulated by these rubber components. When these rubber insulators fail, the steel components are exposed and make contact with the aluminum valve cover resulting in the galvanic corrosion of the aluminum. The most common result I have seen is the deformation of the area where the seal ring is seated (along with holes and cracks). Some people have also suggested possible defects in the casting of the aluminum as a contributing factor (the aluminum is also very thin in that area). Some have suggested the possibility of the uninsulated spark plug arcing, but it seems unlikely to generate enough heat to compromise the aluminum's integrity. The way people have described how the aluminum crumbles seems more indicative of corrosion. There are countless testimonies online of similar defects in Odysseys, Pilots, Accords, and Crosstours with the same engine. I have included a photograph of my damaged valve cover and those of others I have found online.
The contact owns a 2012 Honda Odyssey. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the vehicle lost motive power inadvertently in the middle of the roadway. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact was unable to veer to the side of the roadway. The contact stated that he shifted into park (P) and was able to restart the vehicle. The contact stated that the failure had been occurring approximately twice per day while driving. The dealer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V751000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and a case was filed. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.
The contact owns a 2012 Honda Odyssey. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated on the instrument panel. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for diagnostic testing. The dealer stated that oil was leaking onto the spark plugs. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 87,000.
The contact owns a 2012 Honda Odyssey. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the check engine warning light would suddenly illuminate and the vehicle would not properly accelerate and would drive very rough. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that cylinder number one was faulty. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who diagnosed that the oil pressure switches were faulty and needed to be replaced. The oil pressure switches were replaced; however, failure reoccurred. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 78,000.
The Variable Cylinder Management (VCM) System continues to burn my spark plugs on the rear of the engine where the VCM activates and deactivates. Spark plugs and cylinder fills with oil deposits when cylinders are deactivated. Also burning in excess of one quart of oil per 1,000 miles. Not safe to continue to drive because engine failure could cause other systems like, power brakes, ABS, power steering wheel, etc to fail. Also unsafe unreliable to have my family to take long trips where road side assistance might not be available due to no cell telephone signal in certain areas of Texas isolated roads. Thank understand Honda has had recalls on these engines and VCM systems in the past but their fixes don’t appear to work. I am one of many Honda owners that are left out to spend thousands of dollars in new engines because of original and extended warranties expiring. Honda should extend these engine warranties and take ownership and responsibility for their engineering / manufacturing mistakes. A simple switch to turn off the VCM should fix this problem. Other car brands have this feature that allows vehicle owners to turn it off. This is the fourth time this vehicle gets either a p303, P302 or P301 code for damaged spark plugs and excess oil in the cylinder.
The contact owns a 2012 Honda Odyssey. The contact stated while driving 35-45 mph, the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact stated that there was blue smoke coming out of the exhaust pipe and the vehicle was shuddering. The contact continued driving the vehicle to her residence. The vehicle was towed to the dealer who diagnosed that the engine needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact they could not provide any assistance as she was the second vehicle owner. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 141,000.
VAN STARTED TO CHUG WHEN DRIVING. CHECK ENGINE LIGHT FLASHED AND IT WAS TOWED TO DEALERSHIP. PISTON RINGS ARE BAD AFTER 130,000 MILES.
CYLINDER NUMBER 3 HAS MISFIRED MULTIPLE TIMES IN LAST 14,000 MILES. SPARK PLUG 3 HAD A LOT OF CARBON. WE CHANGED ALL SPARK PLUGS AND THE PC VALVE IN JULY 2018. IT MISFIRED FEW TIMES IN 2019 BUT THEN WORKED OK AFTER RESTARTING TILL FEB 2020. IT MISFIRED MULTIPLE TIMES AND WE NOW CHANGED ALL SPARK PLUGS AGAIN AND IGNITION COIL OF CYLINDER 3
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 HONDA ODYSSEY. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED AND UNOCCUPIED IN THE DRIVEWAY, A LOUD EXPLOSION WAS HEARD FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. MOMENTS LATER, THE ENGINE CAUGHT FIRE. THE ORANGE COUNTY FIRE DEPARTMENT ARRIVED TO EXTINGUISH THE FIRE AND PROVIDED PHONE NUMBER 321-313-0541 IN LIEU OF A REPORT NUMBER. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED. THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE WAS NOT DETERMINED. THE DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 70,000.
FREQUENT CHECK ENGINE SIGN COMING ON, MECHANIC SAID EXCESSIVE OIL CONSUMPTION, OIL BURING OFF, ALTHOUGH HONDA HAS REACHED A SETTLEMENT WITH OWNERS OF ODYSSEY FROM 2008-2013 REGARDING THIS ISSUE, WHEN I CALLED WITH THE COMPLAINT THEY ARE SAYING MY 2012 ODYSSEY IS NOT ON THE LIST OF CARS WITH THIS PROBLEM. BUT MY CAR IS HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM AS OTHER OWNERS WERE HAVING.
SECOND REPORT OF SAME. HONDA LOOKED AT PROBLEM BUT CLAIMED CANT FIX WITHOUT COMPUTER REPORT. ENGINE ACCELERATED DANGEROUSLY WHILE IDLING FIVE TIMES AFTER EACH TURN OFF IN A PHARMACY DRIVE IN LINE. HAPPENED MARCH 9,, 9:30 AM 7TH SERIOUS INCIDENT TRYING TO FILM BUT HAVE NOT YET SUCCEEDED DUE TO PANIC AND PROXIMITY OF CAMERA WHICH WIFE ALWAYS MOVES. CAR WAS STATIONARY.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 HONDA ODYSSEY. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE CHECK ENGINE WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. HERITAGE HONDA WESTMINSTER (580 BALTIMORE BLVD, WESTMINSTER, MD) WAS CONTACTED AND DIAGNOSED THAT THE ENGINE ASSEMBLY WAS DEFECTIVE AND THE SHORT BLOCK AND PISTONS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED, BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE VEHICLE WAS RETURNED TO HERITAGE HONDA WESTMINSTER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER MALFUNCTIONED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 171,332.
MY WIFE WAS DRIVING OUT 2012 HONDA ODYSSEY ON A HIGHWAY AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT STARTED FLASHING. SHE PULLED OVER, TURNED OFF THE CAR AND RESTARTED IT. AFTER A SHORT PERIOD, THE LIGHT FLASHED AGAIN. SHE HAD A AAA TOW THE VEHICLE BACK TO OUR MECHANIC, WHO INDICATED THAT SOME OF THE SPARK PLUGS HAD FOULED, AND HE NOTIFIED US OF THE "EXCESSIVE OIL CONSUMPTION" ISSUE RELATED TO THESE VEHICLES, A KNOW ISSUE TO HONDA. THE MECHANIC INDICATED THAT THE EXCESS OIL CONSUMPTION WILL BE AN ONGOING PROBLEM. THE OIL GAUGE ON THE VEHICLE INDICATED FALSELY INDICATED THAT THE OIL LEVEL WAS FINE, SO THERE IS NO WARNING THAT THE ENGINES ARE ABOUT TO FAIL. THIS IS A DANGEROUS CONDITION, AND PUTS FAMILIES AT RISK FOR AS LONG AS THEY OWN VEHICLES WITH THIS PROBLEM.
MY VAN HAS AN ISSUE WITH EXCESSIVE OIL CONSUMPTION (A KNOWN ISSUE BY HONDA), THE SPARK PLUGS EXCESSIVELY FIRE WHICH IS WHAT CAUSES THE EXCESSIVE OIL CONSUMPTION AS WELL AS AN EXCESSIVE NEED TO CHANGE THE SPARK PLUG. THIS MAY ALSO LEAD TO PRE MATURE WEAR ON THE ENGINE,ALSO MAY CAUSE THE ENGINE TO GET TOO HOT WITH NO OIL IN IT AND MAY CATCH FIRE. WHEN I FIRST NOTICED THE ISSUE I TOOK MY CAR IN FOR AN OIL CHANGE AND WAS TOLD IT HAD NO OIL IN IT (MY OIL LIGHT NEVER CAME ON) THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME I WAS TOLD THIS AND THE FIRST TIME I WENT TO A NON-HONDA MECHANIC . I AM NOW HAVING TO UNDER GO A SERIES OF TESTS IN ORDER TO GET THE ISSUE FIXED
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 HONDA ODYSSEY. WHILE DRIVING AT AN UNKNOWN SPEED, THE VEHICLE DECELERATED AND THE EMISSION WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER AWAITING DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.
THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN DIAGNOSED AS MISSING ON 5 OF 6 CYLINDERS. DRIVING PERFORMANCE IS GREATLY IMPAIRED. THE VEHICLE MISSES WHILE STATIONARY IDLING AND WHILE OPERATING IN MOTION. THE EXHAUST BLOWS SOOT ON THE PASSENGER REAR END AND SIDE OF THE VAN. FUEL ECONOMY HAS DROPPED TO ABOUT 18 ON THE HWY. HONDA DECLINES TO MAKE THE REPAIR UNTIL IT DISPLAYS DTC CODE. DEALERSHIPS ADVISE THAT IT IS COMPENSATING FOR THE MISSES CURRENTLY. THIS VAN IS INCLUDED IN THE CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT FOR 3.5 ENGINES MADE BY HONDA. EVEN WITH IT BEING A KNOWN ISSUE AND THEIR OWN MECHANICS DIAGNOSING THE MISSING THEY HAVE SET REQUIREMENTS THAT PROLONG REPAIRS. *TR
I WAS DRIVING THE CAR AND THE POWER TO THE ENGINE STARTED DIMINISHING SUDDENLY WHILE ON THE FREEWAY. QUICKLY I COULD BARELY ACCELERATE. APPARENTLY THE ECO DRIVING MODE HAD SHIFT OFF A FEW CYCLING ERA OF THE ENGINE MAKING THE CAR IMPOSSIBLE TO DRIVE AND ALSO PROHIBITIVELY DANGEROUS.... *TR
Showing 1–20 of 24 complaints
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
Data synced from NHTSA on Apr 26, 2026