general problems of the 2013 Honda Odyssey - part 1

Vehicle diagnosed with code p0303 on 8/18/25. Per the dealer (big star Honda, houston TX), ". . . Examination found the number three cylinder piston rings on cylinder #3 rotated and aligned, which caused spark plug to foul out. " in October 2020, american Honda issued sb 13-081 for this known issue and to settle a class action lawsuit. In July 2025 american Honda issued sb 25-061 extending the warranty for 2013–17 Odysseys through January 31, 2026. Honda is denying covering repairs stating that it does not apply to my specific VIN. The VIN is inconsequential if the new sb simply states "2013-2017". All vehicles, regardless of VIN should be repaired given that the problem has been diagnosed as identified in both the 2020 and 2025 sbs. Absent this and a listing in the sb of all applicable vins, Honda can always indicate that a VIN isn't covered to avoid covering the repair costs, even though it should be. Repair at big star was declined to pursue coverage of the repair costs further with american Honda.

This vehicle began using oil and the mechanic I took it to told me that the piston rings were compromised. This was allowing mixing of oil and gas, overuse of oil, intermittent white plumes of exhaust and causing misfires, fouling of plugs and set off codes pertaining to the piston rings as well as the catalytic converter. He changed the spark plug and told me my options were a rebuilt engine or to replace it. It would continue and it would get worse. Honda issued a warranty extension realted to misfire dondition related to piston ring deterioration (dtcs p0301 - p0304. ) the dealer I took it too states that since the above mentioned codes are not present, they cannot perform the warranty work. The dealer did ask and corroborate that changing the spark plugs will "buy time" and is a cheap fix that does not correct the issue but may extend the life of the engine. The mechanic agrees that the issue being warranted is the issue I was experiencing but does not have a copy of the codes to prove it. I am frustrated that this warranty clearly applies to my vehicle, but because I hired a mechanic previously who has prevented the codes from being present, I am out an engine. Please help.

The contact owns a 2013 Honda Odyssey. The contact stated that while driving from a complete stop, the vehicle jerked. The check engine warning light was flashing. Additionally, the contact stated that while driving 30-35 mph, the vehicle stalled. The contact was able to pull over to the side of the road. The contact stated that the vehicle was able to restart, but there was thick black smoke coming from underneath the hood. The contact stated that upon attempting to restart the vehicle a second time, the vehicle failed to restart. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the fuel injectors and spark plugs needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 170,000.

I’m reporting a repeat engine misfire on my 2013 Honda Odyssey (p0303 – cylinder 3). Honda repaired this issue in 2018 under service bulletin 13-081, which followed the soto v. Honda settlement. Now in 2025, the exact same failure has returned—same code, same cylinder, same symptoms. Honda issued a new bulletin, 25-061 (June 17, 2025), covering 2013–2016 Odysseys with misfire codes p0301–p0304. It extends powertrain warranty coverage to 10 years or 150,000 miles, and includes a grace period through Jan 31, 2026 for any affected vehicle, regardless of mileage or age. My vehicle meets all criteria, yet Honda refuses full coverage, saying my VIN isn’t flagged and they can’t override that due to NHTSA restrictions. This seems inconsistent. The bulletin clearly applies to my make, model, year, and exact engine fault. The misfire affects drivability and long-term engine health. I’ve been a loyal Honda customer, servicing the vehicle at authorized dealerships and covering related repairs myself. In addition to the engine problem, I’ve experienced electrical instability due to a faulty battery cable, which required replacement. I’ve also had to address a damaged transmission drain bolt—caused during prior dealer maintenance—which complicated fluid service and added cost. I’m asking NHTSA to review whether more vins should be included under this bulletin, and whether Honda is limiting support too narrowly despite formally acknowledging the defect. I’m providing invoices, diagnostics, estimates and service records to support this including the video inspection.

My 2013 Honda Odyssey is experiencing a serious engine malfunction related to excessive oil consumption and spark plug fouling. On April 12, 2025, the check engine light came on and the vehicle began shaking. A diagnostic inspection at a Honda dealership revealed dtc p0301 (cylinder 1 misfire). Three spark plugs in bank 1 were heavily fouled with oil. The technician recommended piston ring replacement, noting that oil had leaked into the combustion chamber. This issue is consistent with well-known engine problems associated with Honda's vcm (variable cylinder management) system. Tsbs such as a13-081 and 11-033 have addressed similar issues in the past, but my vehicle is no longer covered under the extended warranty. I am a low-income International student currently living in the u. S. With my family. This defect creates financial hardship and safety concern. I respectfully request that NHTSA investigate this matter as a safety-related engine defect and urge the manufacturer to offer proper recall support. - mileage at most recent diagnosis: 116,520 miles - current mileage: 117,300 miles.

?July 2022 - 6 spark plugs, 3 rear ignition coils, gasket set ?new/fixed (lots of various smaller fixes between these times) August 2023 - check emissions light came on - replaced and switched the vv timing oil press switch and that quick fix had the light go away (lots of various smaller fixes between these times?, including the alternator - battery already replaced) November 2024 - check emissions light came on - cylinder 2 is dead and 1 & 3 are misfiring. Need new cylinders and spark plugs, etc. Honda should do something about this as this is a common issue with these years of Odyssey vans.

While driving vehicle check engine light illuminates from time to time and there is a stall in the engine. Also the vsa warning light comes on and goes off with engine light.

There are several recalls associated with this vehicle it is NHTSA recall number: 23v-858 mfr campaign kiz campaign description: 2013 Odyssey fuel pump module set/assy exp 2 12/28/2023 NHTSA recall number: 17v-725 mfr campaign poq campaign description: 2nd row outer seat striker bracket (seat tipping) recall date: 11/17/2017 NHTSA recall number: 16v-933 mfr campaign kd5 campaign description: 2nd row walk-in function inop recall date: 12/20/2016 NHTSA recall number: 13v-143 mfr campaign 597 campaign description: a/t shift lever recall date: 04/12/2013 NHTSA recall number: 13v-016 mfr campaign s75 campaign description: driver's airbag missing rivets recall date: 01/18/2013 NHTSA recall number: 13v-016 mfr campaign s75 campaign description: driver's airbag missing rivets recall date: 01/18/2013 current issue at hand : NHTSA recall number: 13v-382 mfr campaign jb4 campaign description: insufficient piston hardness recall date: 08/26/2013.

Engine misfire causing vehicle loss of speed. This vehicle problem was recalled per soto et al. V. American Honda motor CO. , inc. , case no. 3:12-cv-1377-si (n. D. Cal. ). However, it was limited to 8 years after purchase. I feel this recall should be covered longer as my vehicle has only 125k miles and requires engine rebuild costing approximately $3000.

Last year in 2024 we had to take our Honda Odyssey into the Honda dealership because something was going wrong with the engine. It ended up being a few of the cylinders and they went bad. They had to rebuild part of the engine.

The vehicle stalled continuously after a slight noise and speed dropped to 20-30 mph while driving on a freeway in arizona at around 9 pm in the night. We had to pull to the side of the road and once I parked and turned off the engine, the vehicle would not turn on again. All lights -check engine, were on. Once it was towed to the independent service center, it was diagnosed as engine failure with two pistons burnt out and had to get that replaced. After researching , I see a recall for certain 2013 Honda Odyssey for engine pistons issue , (link - [xxx] . ) where it may not have been properly hardened during a heat treatment process. This engine issue caused a great safety risk in the middle of freeway, thankfully the traffic was light since it was late-night. We were 6 members in the car including kids and we were stranded by the side of the road until 11 pm until tow truck or other ride arrangements could be made. We spent approx $5000 for repairs , $1000 for towing and $500 for rentals. I can provide the receipts on request. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

The contact owns a 2013 Honda Odyssey. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer and was diagnosed with engine failure. The contact was informed that the piston rings needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was opened. The failure mileage was approximately 92,000.

See attached document for complaint.

Engine backfired and failed at 125000 going 60 mph on major highway. Mechanic found the problem to be with the pistons, rings, oil and the vehicle's continues system to reduce miles per gallon of gas system. He replaced rings and pistons. The problems were identical to the service bulletin 1301 put out by Honda in 2015 yet this VIN was not included. From bulletin 1301 "warranty extension: mil comes on with dtcs p0301 through p0304 (supersedes 13-081, dated December 20, 2013, to revise the information marked by the black bars) revision summary under diagnosis, VIN information was added to indicate which vehicles need software updates. Background american Honda is announcing a powertrain warranty extension as a result of a settlement of a class action captioned, [xxx] v. American Honda motor CO. , inc. , case no. [xxx] (n. D. Cal. ). The piston rings on certain cylinders may rotate and align which can lead to spark plug fouling. This can set dtcs p0301 through p0304 and cause the mil to come on. American Honda is extending the powertrain warranty to cover repairs related to engine misfire (that triggers dtcs p0301 through p0304) to 8 years with unlimited mileage from the original date of purchase and has settled a class action based on this remedial measure. This warranty extension does not apply to any vehicle that has ever been declared a total loss or sold for salvage by a financial institution or insurer, or has a branded or similar title under any state’s law. Customer notification owners of affected vehicles were sent a class action settlement notice regarding this warranty extension starting in October 2013. Before doing work on a vehicle, verify its eligibility by doing an in VIN status inquiry. . Read more...

Honda odessey 2013driving down a highway at 55mph when we heard a loud backfire. Engine light came on, car shook violently. We immediately pulled into a gas station where a mechanic was present. Mechanic scanned for codes and codes p0302 and p0303 came up. The cylinders had rotated and aligned fouling the spark plugs. And damaging the coil. Had we continued to drive we would have ruined the engine. He changed the coil and spark plugs but noted that the oil consumption was extremely high since last change due to the vcm issue. The Honda service bulletin 13-081 revealed the vcm system poses risk of ruining the engine. When I returned home, I inquired what could be done to fix it. The local dealership said purchase a new engine and spark plugs. The warranty fix for this ended in 2021 and I did not buy the car until 2022. The same faulty system has been on the odessey since 2011 and continues to be installed as of this date 2024. This issue along with the peeling paint coming off in large sheets from the roof and rear door make this car a complete failure and safety hazard.

The contact owns a 2013 Honda Odyssey. The contact wife was driving approximately 45 mph when the vehicle loss power and was jerking. The contact drove the vehicle to the residence.   the contact stated that the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken to a local mechanic and was diagnosed, but not repaired.   the vehicle was not included in NHTSA campaign number 13v382000 (engine).   the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 144,000.  .

Driving down the road at 45mph when suddenly in heavy traffic my 2013 Honda Odyssey's check engine light begins flashing and the vehicle begins to shudder. I was unable to accelerate to the speed limit and had to pull the vehicle over. Had to have the vehicle towed to the Honda dealership where they confirmed the check engine light illuminated due to codes p0301, p0302, p0303, and p0304. I was told that the spark plugs are being fouled with oil. I experienced this same issue in March of 2022 and had to have half of the engine rebuilt by Honda. I was told that would correct problem but a little over a year later the same issue is occurring and I've now been quoted $12000 to replace the short block. At no point did any warning lights or messages illuminate to portray any issue with the vehicle. This car should be deemed a lemon as this issue is occurring at only 150,000 miles.

Vehicle has 102k miles and the piston rings, catalytic and timing belt need to be replaced. Engine light came on yesterday and we immediately took to the Honda dealership. Van has been serviced by Honda exclusively for the duration. No prior warnings have been found during service calls. No prior inspections have been conducted even though an adjacent service bulletin was issued addressing the very issue the cars has today.

See attached letter. References/attachments are available if needed. This is based on a NHTSA bulletin from 2013.

The contact owns a 2013 Honda Odyssey. The contact stated while driving 45 mph, the traction control warning light and the check engine warning light illuminated on the instrument panel. The contact continued to drive; however, the warning lights remained illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the pistons were damaged and needed to be replaced. The contact's husband was informed of an extended warranty associated to the failure and was referred to the manufacturer for further assistance. The vehicle was not repaired. Upon contacting the manufacturer several times, the contact was informed that the repair would not be covered under warranty. The contact became aware of NHTSA campaign number: 13v382000 (engine) which she associated to the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 111,917.

Oil leaked onto sparkplug, and caused engine misfire. While driving on the expressway the vehicle started misfiring causing us to have to exit get the vehicle serviced. The service shop confirmed this issue happens with Honda vehicles, and we observed a recall has been issued for this exact issue, but my VIN, for some reason, is not eligible. The check engine light flashed when this issue occurred.

We have been told by the dealership we purchased this vehicle from that there was an extension for issues with the piston rings going bad on this van. For some reason it is not included in this extension. The check engine light is flashing and the car is shaking violently. We’ve been told that the issue is oil getting into the cylinders causing misfires in the engine. At this point we are on our own to repair even though it is a wide spread issue with these vehicles.

My car engine light came on. I had towed to place of repair. They replaced valve cover gaskets and spark plug well gaskets. Within 2 months did it again. They replaced #3. In 3 months did it again and we found out a warranty extension was put in place but customers were not contacted. My car was in for 2 recalls but they did not catch this. The warranty extension is over and it is going to be costly to get it fixed. The more I checked into this it is a safety hazard on the car. I am asking for help and they are not willing to help. I lost my job and during covid and live on my social security which is not much. I called asking for help and they said sorry. Is there any way you can help me.

The contact owns a 2013 Honda Odyssey. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated and the vehicle started shuddering. The contact veered to the side of the roadway. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where the engine oil was replaced; however, the failure recurred while driving. The vehicle was taken back to the independent mechanic who diagnosed that the #2 spark plug had failed and there was engine oil leaking onto the spark plug. The independent mechanic replaced the spark plug. The vehicle was then taken to the dealer who informed the contact that the failure was related to an unknown extended warranty. The dealer informed the contact that they could not repair the vehicle under the extended warranty since the check engine warning light was not illuminated. The contact stated that the failure recurred. The contact pulled into a parking lot and turned off the vehicle. Upon restarting the vehicle, the check engine warning light was no longer illuminated. The failure persisted. The contact stated that the failure recurred more frequently and worsened. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the #2 spark plug needed to be replaced. The vehicle was then towed to the dealer who provided the same diagnostic result. Additionally, the dealer informed the contact that the engine needed to be disassembled and rebuilt it at her expense. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact referenced NHTSA campaign number: 13v382000 (engine). The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact they could not assist as the extended warranty associated to the failure had expired and the VIN was not included in a recall. The failure mileage was approximately 45,000.

I have a 2013 Honda Odyssey. The engine began to miss badly. I took it to the dealership for repairs. The mechanic said that the oil was getting on the spark plugs and causing them to fail. The cost to repair would be very expensive. The mechanic and manager said that my van was not under warranty. I did some checking and found that there was an extended warranty for the 2013 Honda Odyssey for the exact problem my van had. Despite explaining this to the dealership manager he completely stone walled and refused to help. Apparently alot of Honda Odysseys in the 2011-2014 time period are having this same issue. Honda refuses to accept responsibility and make the repairs. Do not by a Honda as they do not back up their product.

A service bulletin and warranty extension for 2011 - 2013 Odyssey's was issued on January 20, 2015 regarding an issue with piston rings resulting in the fouling of spark plugs setting dtc's p0301 through p0304. Late in 2019 our Odyssey threw a p0302 code and started running very rough. After some diagnosing of the problem it was found that cylinder 2's spark plug was fouled; it was replaced and the problem went away. In March of 2020 the same issue occurred, the same spark plug was fouled again, replaced and the problem went away. A week later, code p0301 appeared and cylinder 1's spark plug was fouled. I took the van to the dealership and was told that this was a common problem with this year of Odyssey. After paying $2,686. 36 for labor and parts by my Honda dealership to repair this issue I started doing some research and found the 13-081 bulletin stating that a warranty extension was issued for this very issue. I called Honda to ask why the dealership did not mention the warranty extension and to see what needed to be done to cover the repair bill, I was told that my VIN number was not included in the warranty extension. I am not understanding how my very make and model was left out of the warranty extension when it obviously had the same issue that the service bulletin was issued for. Can you help?.

Today I found out that my pistons were bad in my 2013 Odyssey. I had just had my points, plugs and wires changed out in late November early December. I was surprised to see that this is a common problems with the Odysseys. I had taken my van to auto zone to have it diagnosed and it said code p0302 indicates that cylinder 2 had to many misfires same code that is in the extended warranty for this issue. I was told that my VIN number was not on the list to serve. Wow. I asked why and the customer service representative stated because that no one had complained with that VIN number. Well if you ask me the VIN number is different for each car, or am I wrong?? how would I complain if the problem had not started as of yet? knowing that this is an issue with the 2013 Odyssey vans. It should include the ones that you built for that year. Not just the ones you had complaints on. It is ironic that the same issue is occurring in my van. When the tech called me this morning he mentioned 3 different cylinders that were misfiring. If this was a problem shouldn't processes been put in place to check the pistons regardless if there is an issue to make sure this is not problem in that particular vehicle. I now am paying for not only all of the pistons seals to be replaced but also another points, plugs, and wire replacement that is only a few months old. I am very disappointed in Honda right now. If you had asked me last week what my next car would be I would have said another Honda but after today not so sure on that.

American Honda announced a powertrain warranty extension as a result of a settlement of a class action captioned, soto et al. V. American Honda motor CO. , inc. , case no. 3:12-cv-1377-si (n. D. Cal. ). For specific 2013 Honda Odyssey only. This issue do impact other Mini-vans that are not part of original settlement, like mine. I want this issue to re-open so that VIN that were not originally part of this settlement is included too and all repair cost are born by Honda.

Pistons are misfiring. This has caused its rings to move and allow oil through and ruin spark plugs significantly.

Tl the contact owns a 2013 Honda Odyssey. While driving approximately 70 mph, the vehicle performed as if it changed gears and the check engine indicator illuminated. The vehicle was taken to vandergriff Honda (817-533-4266, located at 1104 w interstate 20, arlington, TX 76017) where it was diagnosed that the failure was due to carbon build up. The dealer recommended that cylinders 1, 2, and 3 be replaced. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 97,000.

Hi, my Honda Odyssey ex has just 65000 miles on it and always maintained very well. But suddenly engine blinking check sign and steady traction control sign turn on. Took to dealer right away as I was just quarter mile away of it. Dealer says it is code p0302 issue and they need to rebuild engine and replace piston rings, spark plugs , etc. Estimated cost is $5000/-. I just don't understand how come well maintained brand name car has engine problem in just 65k miles?!! I never have any problem with Toyota cars. I also find from google that some 2013 model do had recall with similar type engine issue but dealer says my car is not part of that recall. This is a very bad experience. Dealer says as warranty expired just 6 months ago, Honda will cover 85% repair cost. I can say this is still costly repair for me. Now how can I trust Honda and this care for reliability as I need to make long distance family trips???.

Engine is backfiring due to piston malfunctioning.

Spark plugs are getting wet with oil since the day I bought it I had to replace them every 2 months but now is more often spark plugs they need to be replaced every 20 days because the oil is filtering to the spark plugs. Please if someone else has the same problem advance what is the next step. Mi name is corne 224 578-3290 or email me djcornemix@yahoo. Com.

Rear engine mount failed within 5 years less than 36,000 miles in normal driving condition. This caused excessive engine vibration.

The contact owns a 2013 Honda Odyssey. The contact stated while driving 55 mph, the engine misfired and the vehicle inadvertently stalled. The check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer and was repaired under NHTSA campaign number: 13v382000 (engine) however, the dealer replaced the piston rings instead of replacing the engine short block per the manufacturer's instructions. The contact stated that the engine had been misfiring and smoke had been coming from underneath the hood of the vehicle. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who diagnosed the failure as oil leaking from the head gasket. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and advised the contact that they could not assist because the recall history on the VIN did not show a recall that required the engine short block to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 70,000.