2012 Honda Odyssey Engine Problems

Vcm problems burn oil and misfire code

NHTSA ID

11687498

Incident

Sep 1, 2025

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.

NHTSA ID

11684172

Incident

Aug 2, 2025

Dear NHTSA Advisor, Thank you for regarding my request for warranty coverage for the critical misfire and overheating defect with my 2012 Odyssey Honda Engine 3.5L Engine. Odyssey, as described in Honda’s Service Technical Bulletin 13-081. I must reiterate the severity of my situation: the part required for repair is quoted at $7,500.00—and that does not include labor. This amount far exceeds the current market value of my vehicle, effectively making it impossible to afford repairs without Honda’s intervention, it’s aSafety Defect & Known Manufacturer Issue. The misfiring and overheating problems represent major safety risks for my family and anyone who operates the vehicle. This is not routine maintenance, but a substantial defect that Honda has addressed in its own technical bulletin. I have adhered diligently to Honda’s maintenance schedule throughout my ownership. Attached to this correspondence is a PDF containing the complete Service Technical Bulletin 13-081. I am prepared to provide any additional documentation upon request. WARRANTY EXTENSION: MIL COMES ON WITH DTCS P0301 THRU P0304 TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN Reference Numbers): 13-081, Date of Issue: October 08, 2020 HONDA: 2011-13 Odyssey Superceded Bulletin(s): 13-081, Date of Issue: June 18, 2019 Aug 5, 2025 License: Odometer: NOTE: Supersedes 13-081, dated June 18, 2019, to revise the information below. AFFECTED VEHICLES AFFECTED VEHICLES Year Model Trim Level VIN Range 2011-13 Odyssey ALL Check the iN VIN status for eligibility. REVISION SUMMARY Under CUSTOMER NOTIFICATION, outdated information was removed. CORRECTIVE ACTION 2011 Models: Complete diagnosis procedure and if necessary, update PCM software (Procedure A) , replace affected spark plugs then clean pistons and replace the piston rings (Procedure B) • 2012-13 Models: Complete diagnosis procedure, replace affected spark plugs then clean the pistons and replace the pistons rings (Procedure B). No need for software update as 2012-13

NHTSA ID

11683289

Incident

Aug 5, 2025

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

NHTSA ID

11641339

Incident

Feb 7, 2025

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.

NHTSA ID

11584638

Incident

Apr 13, 2024

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.

NHTSA ID

11556273

Incident

Nov 21, 2022

Mileage

100,000 mi

Misfiring, I have had to change the spark plugs and coils multiple times. I have contact Honda in Green Bay wi and Appleton wi, they have told me the recall has expired. We just bought this car this year from a none Honda dealership used. Had this problems days after getting it.

NHTSA ID

11526788

Incident

May 1, 2023

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.

NHTSA ID

11469637

Incident

May 16, 2022

Mileage

87,000 mi

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.

NHTSA ID

11460477

Incident

Nov 14, 2021

Mileage

78,000 mi

Misfire in cylinder 1 Caused van to lose power on freeway almost causing an accident. From 2011-2013 there was a settlement that gave an 8 year extended warranty, but why is it only 8 years when not everyone’s driving is the same? My van was brought to the Honda dealer Check engine light came on, then it flashes

NHTSA ID

11443422

Incident

Dec 6, 2021

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.

NHTSA ID

11425860

Incident

May 5, 2021

Mileage

141,000 mi

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.

NHTSA ID

11419578

Incident

Jun 1, 2021

VAN STARTED TO CHUG WHEN DRIVING. CHECK ENGINE LIGHT FLASHED AND IT WAS TOWED TO DEALERSHIP. PISTON RINGS ARE BAD AFTER 130,000 MILES.

NHTSA ID

11372684

Incident

Oct 30, 2020

Mileage

130,000 mi

WAS DRIVING NORMAL STARTED MISSING AND SPUTTERING REALLY BAD JERKING VIOLENTY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT STARTED FLASHING BARELY WAS ABLE TO GET SAFELY OFF THE ROAD. GOT BACK HOME IGHT GOES OFF AND DRIVES NORMAL FEW DAYS LATER SAME THING HAPPENED AGAIN.

NHTSA ID

11366934

Incident

Oct 22, 2020

Mileage

155,757 mi

VAN CAUGHT FIRE WHILE DRIVING

NHTSA ID

11322629

Incident

Apr 13, 2020

Mileage

128,438 mi

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

NHTSA ID

11309672

Incident

Feb 17, 2020

Mileage

100 mi

THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT STARTED TO BLINK AND THE VSA CAME ON AS WELL. THIS HAPPENED AFTER I PULLED INTO OUR DRIVEWAY THANK GOODNESS BECAUSE THE ENGINE STARTED TO SHAKE THE CAR. WE TOOK THE VAN IN OUR LOCAL DEALERSHIP AND IT HAD A P0302 CODE. ENGINE MISFIRE. THIS WAS CAUSED BY OIL GETTING INTO THE SPARK PLUG. PISTON AND RING JOB WAS RECOMMENDED. THE 2012 HONDA HAD A TSB 11-033 FOR THIS ISSUE. WE ARE BEING DENIED OUR CLAIM. I AM INCLUDING A PICTURE OF OUR SPARK PLUG THAT SHOWS WHERE THERE WAS A LOT OF OIL WHEN IT WAS FIRED UPON ALONG WITH TALKS I HAVE HAD WITH HONDA.

NHTSA ID

11308670

Incident

Jan 24, 2020

Mileage

75,000 mi

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.

NHTSA ID

11166205

Incident

Jan 1, 2019

Mileage

70,000 mi

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.

NHTSA ID

11119334

Incident

May 15, 2018

Mileage

51,000 mi

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.

NHTSA ID

11078532

Incident

Mar 9, 2018

Mileage

62,000 mi

AFTER STOPPING THE CAR HAS TRIED TO ACCELERATE ON ITS OWN WHILE THE BRAKE WAS APPLIED. SIX TIMES SINCE PURCHASE, FOUR TIMES THIS YEAR. I HAVE REPORTED THE PROBLEM TWICE TO HONDA SERVICE AS IT OCCURED TWICE ON THE WAY THERE FOR AN OIL CHANGE. THE CAR WAS DEFINITELY STOPPED AT BUSY INTERSECTIONSA AND TURNING IT OFF DID NOT STOP THE PROBLEM IMMEDIATELY. IT REQUIRED TWO OR THREE ON AND OFFS IN BUSY TRAFFICE. HAVE TRIED TO VIDEOTAPE PROBLEM BUT TRAFFIC HAS SPOOKED MY ABILITY AND CONCERN THAT ENGINE WOULD BLOW, SO LOUD IS THE REARING UP. ONLY AFFIRMATION IS MY WIFE AS AN EYEWITNESS ONCE, AND TWO REPAIR BILLS THAT SHOW REPORT OF PROBLEM IN 2017. ONE IN MAY AND ONE IN NOVEMBER. SERVICE SAYS COMPUTER SHOULD CONFIRM PROBLEMS AND THAT IT IS HONDA, NOT HONDA DEALERS ULTIMATE PROBLEM.

NHTSA ID

11057960

Incident

Dec 28, 2017

Mileage

60,000 mi

I STOPPED AT A T-INTERSECTION AND TURNED RIGHT. AS SOON AS I MADE THE TURN, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY BEGAN SHIFTING ODDLY. IT WAS GOING TO VERY HIGH RPMS BEFORE IT WOULD SHIFT. I IMMEDIATELY CHECKED THE TEMPERATURE GAUGE, BUT THE ENGINE WAS NOT OVERHEATING. WE WERE ON A MOUNTAIN ROAD SO I BEGAN LOOKING FOR A PLACE TO PULL OVER. I CHECKED MY REAR VIEW MIRROR AND SAW THE CAR BEHIND ME FLASHING THEIR LIGHTS AND HONKING THEIR HORN. AT THAT POINT I NOTICED SMOKE IN THE REAR VIEW. I IMMEDIATELY STOPPED THE CAR AND AS SOON AS I DID, THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE WENT UP IN FLAMES. MY PREGNANT WIFE AND I GOT OUR THREE LITTLE CHILDREN OUT OF THE CAR EXTREMELY QUICKLY AND THEY GOT BACK DOWN THE ROAD A WAYS TO GET AWAY FROM THE BURNING VEHICLE. I BEGAN THROWING CAR SEATS AND OTHER THINGS OUT OF THE CAR AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE, BUT WITHIN TWO MINUTES AFTER I STOPPED THE CAR, THE FLAMES WERE TO BIG TO BE ANYWHERE NEAR IT. THE CAR BURNED EXTREMELY FAST AND THE FIRE WAS EXTREMELY HOT, COMPLETELY DESTROYING THE CAR.

NHTSA ID

11040001

Incident

Oct 7, 2017

Mileage

81,000 mi

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.

NHTSA ID

11022072

Incident

Aug 28, 2017

Mileage

171,332 mi

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.

NHTSA ID

11013732

Incident

Jul 18, 2017

Mileage

51,879 mi

AS MY WIFE WAS DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY THE VEHICLE STOPPED ACCELERATING FLUCTUATING RPMS AND ACCELERATION FOR REST OF DRIVE HOME. AFTER GETTING HOME EVEN IN PARKING AT IDLE WHEN I TURN ON THE AIR CONDITIONING THE VEHICLE VIBRATES. IN PARK WHEN I TURN UP THE RPMS IT SPUTTERS AFTER ABOUT 3K RPM. 100K MILES

NHTSA ID

11003919

Incident

Jul 9, 2017