Three problems related to battery cable have been reported for the 2012 Honda Odyssey. The most recently reported issues are listed below. Please also check out the statistics and reliability analysis of the 2012 Honda Odyssey based on all problems reported for the 2012 Odyssey.
I was driving/exiting a parking garage onto a street into traffic. Suddenly, the panel lights and and cabin lights started flashing and the radio and ac cut off, and immediately after, the car cut off and I coasted, through cars moving at speed, to the side of the road. The car was in motion on a city street. At the Honda dealership they took a few days to contact me, then told me I need to pay $800 for a battery cable before they diagnose any issues with the alternator.
The positive battery cable became disconnected from the battery terminal post while driving at full highway speed (75 mph)!! this resulted in complete electrical failure. I was able to pull off the road, but the door locks were locked and inoperable. Without power I was unable to unlock the doors or roll down the windows. Without power I had no air conditioning. I was trapped in the car on a hot day. The battery cable mismatch (clamp too big to tighten completely on post) is a known Odyssey problem that has been discussed on online forums. Door auto-locking problems in a variety of Honda models have also been documented. Putting the two together is a deadly mix. Without a cell phone to call my husband and 911, I and my three small dogs would have died in the hot car. This is a fatal design flaw.
The battery cuts out when I drive through a puddle of water more than 2" high. The dashboard battery light comes on & the steering locks. This very dangerous when I am making a right turn & have to drive through that puddle that collects on the corner. This is very common in rainy south florida. When I'm in the turn & the battery cuts ot & the steering locks up, I have no choice but to drive straight & pray that another car is not right next to me, that I'll end up slamming into. Several mechanics have explianed to me that, apparently, a battery cable is mounted too low on the car. Please advise.
| Electrical System problems | |
| Battery Cable problems | |
| Car Will Not Start problems | |
| Instrument Panel problems |