1996 Honda Odyssey Engine Problems

WAS WAITING IN THE LEFT TURN LANE TO MAKE THE TURN, LIGHT TURNED GREEN AND WHEN TRYING TO MAKE THE TURN, VEHICLE STALLED SUDDENLY WITHOUT ANY NOTICE OR ENGINE PROBLEMS. A FAMILY MEMBER WAS PRESENT IN THE CAR WHEN THIS HAPPENED. HAVE HAD ENGINE STALL AFTER STARTING BEFORE AND HAD THE BATTERY CHECKED. NO ISSUES WERE NOTED WITH ANYTHING BEFORE THIS SUDDEN STALL IN TRAFFIC. HAVE RESEARCHED AND FOUND NUMEROUS SIMILAR COMPLAINTS WITH HONDA VEHICLES AND IGNITION SWITCH PROBLEMS WITH SAME RESULTS ABOUT VEHICLE STALLING IN TRAFFIC WITHOUT ANY SIGNS OF THE STALLING ABOUT TO OCCUR. *TR

NHTSA ID

10585159

Incident

Apr 26, 2014

Mileage

165,800 mi

MY 1996 HONDA ODYSSEY DIED SEVERAL TIMES WHILE STATIONARY AND/OR DRIVING, INCLUDING ONE INCIDENT ON THE HIGHWAY AT HIGH SPEED. I TOOK IT TO AAA CARE PLUS, GOT SPARK PLUG, SPARK PLUG WIRE SET, DISTRIBUTOR REPLACED. IT STILL STALL FREQUENTLY. AFTER DOING A GOOGLE SEARCH LEARNED THAT 1996 ODYSSEY HAS PROBLEM. OTHER HAVE ALSO REPORTED. WANT TO KNOW WHAT HONDA IS DOING ABOUT IT AS THIS MODEL WAS RECALLED FOR SAME PROBLEM IN CHINA AND EUROPE. *TR

NHTSA ID

10297010

Incident

Dec 26, 2009

Mileage

152,790 mi

COMPLAINED ABOUT A SMALL OIL LEAK WHEN AT DLR FOR OIL CHANGE AT 90000 MI. WAS TOLD THAT CAM SHAFT SEAL WAS LEAKING. OIL LEAK HAD SATURATED TIME BELT. DLR RECOMMENDED REPLACING TIMING BELT DUE TO POSSIBLE FAILURE DUE TO OIL SATURATION. ORIGINAL OWNER, TIMING BELT HAD ALREADY BEEN REPLACED AT 60000 MI AS PART OF REGULAR MAINTENANCE. REPLACED CAMSHAFT SEAL, BALANCER SHAFT SEAL, GEAR SET, TIMING BELT, AND WATER PUMP AT COST OF $866. NOTED OTHER COMPLAINTS ON SITE OF BALANCER SHAFT SEAL PROBLEMS. *JB

NHTSA ID

10056224

Incident

Jan 20, 2004

Mileage

89,951 mi

BALANCER SHAFT OIL SEAL FAILED IN JANUARY 2000. OIL HOUSING OIL SEAL (O-RING) FAILED IN JANUARY 2004. BOTH FAILURES CAUSED HEAVY OIL LOSS SO VEHICLE WAS TOWED AT MY EXPENSE. SRS LIGHT IS ON. DEALER CHARGED ME $89 DIAGNOSTIC FEE FOR SRS ESTIMATE AND SAID IT WOULD COST JUST UNDER $1000 TO REPAIR. THIS FEE WAS CHARGED EVEN THOUGH I WAS PAYING FOR THE O-RING REPAIR AT THAT TIME. * CB

NHTSA ID

10054340

Incident

Jan 10, 2004

FRONT BALANCER SHAFT SEAL FAILED AND ALL OF THE OIL LEAKED OUT OF THE ENGINE...RAPIDLY!!! *JB

NHTSA ID

10018926

Incident

May 18, 2003

Mileage

84,595 mi

COUNTER BALANCE SHAFT SEAL POPPED OUT. OIL WAS PUMPED OUT OF ENGINE RAPIDLY. WE DISCOVERED BY FINDING POOL OF OIL UNDER LEFT FRONT TIRE. DEALER REPAIR WAS PROMPT. HONDA PAID FOR SEAL AND NEW TIMING BELT. I HAD TO PAY FOR CAM SEAL, CRANKSHAFT SEAL, WATER PUMP, AND COOLANT. HONDA'S CUSTOMER RELATIONS AT 1-800-999-1009 WAS UNRESPONSIVE. THEIR ATTITUDE WAS "NOT OUR FAULT" . I ASKED WHAT THEY WOULD DO IF ENGINE HAD BLOWN. THEIR RESPONSE WAS "TO PROBABLY DENY CLAIM SINCE THE ENGINE WOULD HAVE TO BE DRIVEN WITH THE ENGINE LIGHT ON.*AK

NHTSA ID

762162

Incident

May 20, 2002

AIR BAG -- CONTROL MODULE FAILURE AT 67000 MILES. SRS LIGHT ON PANEL INDICATED PROBLEM. DIAGNOSTICS SHOWED CODE 6-2. CAR NEEDS CONTROL UNIT #06772-SX0-A70. COST $654.00 + TAX. IF OWNER CANNOT AFFORD REPAIR, CAR WILL BE DRIVEN WITHOUT BENEFIT OF AIR BAGS. POWER WINDOW -- DRIVER'S SIDE FRONT, CLICK SOUND WHEN ROLLING UP WINDOW AT 42,000 MILES. WINDOW STOPPED WORKING ENTIRELY AT DEALER'S REPAIR FACILITY. REGULATOR AND MOTOR WERE REPLACED. POWER DOOR LOCKS -- LOCKS WOULD RECYCLE WHEN OWNER ATTEMPTED TO LOCK THE CAR. LEFT FRONT POWER DOOR LATCH AND ACTUATOR REPLACED AT 42,000 MILES. ENGINE -- OWNER DROVE THE CAR 9 MILES TO WORK BEFORE OIL INDICATOR LAMP FINALLY CAME ON WHEN PARKING. SOMETHING IN THE ENGINE FAILED WHEN CAR STARTED, EVIDENCE OF SUDDEN OIL LEAK IN HOME DRIVEWAY, AND OIL SPILLED OUT OF ENGINE ALL THE WAY TO WORK. ENGINE OIL COMPLETELY GONE. CURRENTLY UNDER INSPECTION FOR REPAIR AT AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR FACILITY.*AK

NHTSA ID

748579

Incident

Jul 16, 2001

COUNTER BALANCE SHAFT SEAL POPPED OUT, CAUSING OIL LEAKAGE, MASSIVE DAMAGE TO ENGINE CAM SHAFT AND MASTER CYLINDER, VAN DIED AND HAD TO BE TOWED TO A DEALERSHIP, HONDA HAS BEEN AWARE OF THIS SITUATION FOR SEVERAL YEARS. CJ

NHTSA ID

559302

Incident

Dec 24, 2000

BALANCE SHAFT SEAL BLEW OUT, CAUSING OIL TO GUSH OUT OF ENGINE. DEALER COVERED REPAIR. *AK

NHTSA ID

739208

Incident

Jan 7, 2001

ABS LIGHT CAME ON AND MODULATOR AND ACCELERATOR WERE LEAKING, BALANCE SHAFT SEAL CAUSED OIL TO POOR OUT, AND THEY REPLACED THAT.*AK

NHTSA ID

871077

Incident

May 30, 2000

WIFE WAS DRIVING ON HIGHWAY OIL LIGHT CAME ON AND SHE PULLED OVER. OIL WAS POURING OUT FROM THE ENGINE. HAD IT TOWED TO A LOCAL MECHANIC. CONSUMER WAS TOLD THAT COUNTER BALANCE SHAFT SEAL. HAD POPPED OUT.*AK

NHTSA ID

865810

Incident

Jul 18, 2000

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 ID

721198

Incident

Nov 6, 1999