general problems of the 2016 Honda Odyssey - part 1

Repeated misfires despite repairs at a certified Honda dealership. The van has been under service since the end of August 2025. The vehicle is power off and shut down while driving or cause significant engine/transmission shuddering and stalling. I have had my kids in the vehicle when this has happened on a highway. All service records have been done by certified servicers.

The contact owns a 2016 Honda Odyssey. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the rpm increased, with several unknown warning lights illuminated. In addition, there was an abnormally loud sound and smoke coming from the exhaust system. The contact drove the vehicle to a nearby business parking lot. The contact stated that the failure started while the cruise control was enabled, so the contact disabled the cruise control. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic; however, the vehicle was not inspected. The contact stated that the vehicle was recently purchased from a dealer. The contact obtained a carfax report, which indicated that in January 2025, the dealer performed an unknown recall repair where the piston rings were replaced. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, and a case was filed. The contact was advised to take the vehicle to the dealer for a diagnostic test. The failure mileage was approximately 80,200.

The contact owns a 2016 Honda Odyssey. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the engine made rattling sounds. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who determined that the low-end rod nut had failed and that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to NHTSA campaign number: 23v751000 (engine and engine cooling); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 110,000.

09/01/2025 - claim submitted under recall for "2016 Honda Odyssey, the variable cylinder management (vcm) system can cause premature piston ring wear, leading to oil consumption, spark plug fouling, and misfires (p0301-p0304)" 09/24/2025 - Honda sent email confirming all required documents submitted and reimbursement would be processed in 6-9 weeks. 03/13/2025 (today) - no reimbursement received. Have called Honda claims 3 times over 3 months with no further information. Representatives state that reimbursement department very busy, will "flag for expediting", and to "call back in a week". It has been 24 weeks, way longer than acceptable processing by the oem.

I am sending you information about how a situation was handled by Honda, so hopefully others do not go through the same problems we did. Honda customer service and product advisory is what failed us and we are grateful that we didn't have an accident. I am attaching my documentation below.

The contact owns a 2016 Honda Odyssey. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the engine, resulting in damages to cylinders #1 and #3. The contact was informed that a partial rebuild of the engine was needed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 94,000.

Vehicle had a dead misfire on cylinder number one. Initially occurred in may 2024 - all of my dashboard lights went on and car was very shaky - made me nervous because manual said car could overheat or catch fire, so had towed to shop - girard's automotive in franklin, WI. They diagnosed as spark plug needed replacement. Van was at about 98k miles at the time so recommended changing all spark plugs, which I did. Three months later - in August 2025 the same thing occurred - all warning lights on. This time I brought it to my regular mechanic - import minded in greenfield, WI - insisting it was a faulty spark plug replacement. He removed the spark plug and found it to be oil fouled which typically indicates the vehicle was experiencing high levels of oil consumption caused by a known piston ring issue. He changed the spark plugs at the time at recommended checking with Honda as this was a known issue in which they had put out a service bulletin in oct 2020 and extended warranties for year 2011 to 2013. I went to the Honda dealership. They were familiar with the problem but stated they needed to diagnose the problem and could not do that until the engine lights came on again. So, I could not reliably drive my car any distances for fear all my engine lights would come and the shakiness would come back. This went on until this last month, March 2024 in which the engine lights came on again and I was able to get it back to the dealership where they did diagnose the issue as the piston ring problem. They would not guarantee me any assistance with the repairs but required I have them done there for any chance at getting goodwill assist to pay for the repair- to the tune of $6000. After the work was complete, they let me know they would not be able to help me out - not because they do not acknowledge this to be a known issue, but because I do not spend enough money at Honda dealerships. Safety concern - overheat/fire and shakiness causing difficulty driving.

While driving on the interstate my 2016 Honda Odyssey with 120k miles experienced a blinking check engine light along with strong engine shudder. Luckily I was close to home, and after reviewing numerous complaints of the same vcm issue from others I checked the plugs and coils and found that the 3 rear plugs covered in oil. I replaced the plugs and coils and ran fuel system cleaner for the next few fill-ups. There was no prior warning, and if I would have been further from home or continued driving I assume I would need new rings and that would be a multiple-thousand dollar fix. I still don't know if they're permanently damaged.

I own a 2016 Honda Odyssey. This past summer ,while driving the vehicle began to lose power and shake. I had it towed in where I was told that the piston rings needed to be replaced, however, the first step would be to replace the spark plugs. They knew exactly what was going on because numerous individuals have had the same issue with their Honda Odyssey. Now just last week the same problem happened and the piston rings are being replaced for $5000. There was previously a class action lawsuit on earlier model year Honda Odyssey's due to the same issue. Honda then did nothing to fix the issue with the next model of the Odyssey. It is frustrating that their is a known issue that they are doing nothing about. We literally lost power while driving down a busy highway putting us and others at risk. Luckily we were able to get off of the road safely without causing any issues. You have previously looked into the earlier model Honda Odyssey's I would appreciate it if you would with the newer models as well. Thank you.

Local mechanic informed me that there there is a defect in the piston causing oil to leak in and ruin the piston and spark plugs. This is fouling up the spark plugs, which are covered in oil. Temporarily he said to replace the spark plug. If that does work, he recommended a valve cover replacement. And if that still doesn't work to replace the engine. This was on cylinder number 1. This also happened last year with cylinder number 3. The engine light comes on and the vehicle starts shaking and causing engine misfiring. The oil was changed approximately 1 week ago when cylinder 1 was having issues. Yes, this vehicle is currently available for inspection. This could be a safety issue due to engine failure while driving on a busy road. This van was purchased used in 2018 with 1 previous owner. This problem has been confirmed by a repair shop.

Vehicle started showing "check engine" light and some other incidental warning lights. Engine started running roughly. We took this to the dealer and they said that engine needed to have piston rings replaced (along with some other unrelated items. ).

Alex from germaine Honda informed us “there is a defect in the piston causing oil to leak in and ruin the piston and spark plugs. The only option is to replace the engine. There was a light that came on indicating oil was low a few weeks before it symptoms started however there was plenty of oil when checked and it was not time for oil change per record. While driving one day car started shaking and engine misfire. Multiple engine and system warning lights came on. In 2022, we had a similar issue with piston rings out of alignment and spark plugs fouled with oil that resulted in costly repairs. Yes this vehicle is currently available for inspection. This could be a safety issue due to engine failure while driving on a busy road. This van was purchased used in 2018 with 2+ previous owners. This problem has been confirmed by a Honda dealer.

Just before hitting 100k miles and planning for timing belt maintenance, I got hit with the well known vcm v6 engine issue. Fix for 7k from my own pocket? no. I just replaced spark plugs and as the advisor suggested I have to install the vcm muzzler (from after market, as Honda don't do this) to deactivate eco mode in order to prevent future damage. I hope NHTSA will force Honda to recognize this is their fault (poor design) and fix this on a big recall, otherwise I'll participate in a lawsuit when that will occur for this lemon car.

Connecting rod failure. This could have been a serious issue as it happened on the highway. I was in the middle lane when it locked up. Luckily I was able to safely get to the shoulder. There was no warning before it happened. ( no engine light, no noises at all). This has been inspected by my local Honda dealer and confirmed.

Brought brand new in 2016, our Honda Odyssey has been well maintained by the dealer. Just hit 148k miles, and the check engine light started flashing - took it straight to the dealer. Said that we need the engine rebuilt for $4k replacing spark plugs and cylinders. Upon further research, this is a known issue with the vcm motors by Honda, and had a class action lawsuit for previous years of the Odyssey- but when the lawsuit was done, our years had not reached over 100k miles yet. Honda service is saying there is now a software update to prevent this from happening again, when we replace cylinders, but why is this happening when we have brought it to the dealer for all maintenance and if there was a preventative fix for this, why wasn’t it done before damage was done to the engine? we are being given the run around, was offered $500 to buy our van, or pay the $4k+ to fix. Honda corporate is just going in circles not giving us answers and why this is being allowed to happen. This is my 4th Honda - 2nd to buy brand new- and this is making me question loyalty to the brand.

My engine's check-engine light began flashing, and it turned out to be misfiring on one of the cylinders. The dealer disassembled the cylinder and found that it was filled with oil, and the piston seals had failed for cylinders 1-3, and they are now saying it will be a $4k rebuild of the seals. Looking online, this appears to be a very common problem with these v6 Honda engines that have vcm on them; this is the same vcm system for which Honda had to settle a class-action lawsuit for this exact issue happening to thousands of engines. They only included vehicles through the 2013 model year, but continued to use the vcm system in later engines; there are thousands of reports of this same issue continuing to occur.

The contact owns a 2016 Honda Odyssey. While the contact's wife was driving at an undisclosed speed, the dtc: p0301 (cylinder #1 misfire) was displayed. The vehicle was driven to the shoulder of the road and turned off. The driver attempted to restart the vehicle, and the vehicle restarted. Several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the residence. The vehicle was taken to the independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed with spark plug failures due to an oil leak. The six spark plugs were replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The contact stated that a year later, the contact received an extended warranty regarding the failure. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, and a case was filed. The contact requested to be reimbursed for the repair. The contact stated that the initial reimbursement request was denied. The contact resubmitted the case and all the requested documentation. The contact submitted all the requested documentation. In addition, the contact stated that the mileage was under the mileage limit. The failure mileage was approximately 89,689.

The engine failed and required a complete ring/piston replacement at a cost of $5,670,52 with only 135,946 miles. I purchased the vehicle new and had it serviced at Honda dealerships throughout its life. These vehicles are used by families and many older citizens because of their ease of access and advertised reliability. Such an unexpected expense should be covered by Honda. This ring/piston replacement has been a problem in earlier modules and was covered by Honda.

The contact owns a 2016 Honda Odyssey. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormal knocking sound coming from the engine compartment. In addition, the contact noticed the knocking sound when the vehicle started. The contact stated that the failure was persistent, and the abnormal knocking sound had gotten louder. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or the dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 72,000.

Timing belt tensioner failing with only 51k miles.

In January 2024 engine began misfiring, towed to shop, all spark plugs replaced due to fouling by oil. June 2024 issue began again, towed to shop, spark plug 1 found to be fouled by oil. Shop states this issue is likely caused by piston ring malfunction known to be an issue in earlier year Honda Odysseys. Honda states issue was fixed in 2014 and newer models, yet many complaints found online for 2016 model.

While driving on I-85 in GA in 2024, my engine started to misfire and I had to pull over. At that point, I turned the engine off. If this had happened in the evening or on a road without a shoulder, I could have been at risk of being hit and/or stranded. After waiting a dew minutes, I restarted the engine and was able to make it home. My husband took it to our mechanic who indicated that the engine had registered a cylinder misfire (dtc p0303). Apparently, this was a serious flaw recognized in earlier (2008-2013) Honda Odysseys with variable cylinder management (vcm). See alex soto, et al. V. American Honda motor CO. Inc. , case no. 3:12-cv-01377-si, in the u. S. District court for the northern district of California. I received a notice from american Honda concerning a warranty extension related to TSB 25-061, which would seem to indicate that this is a known flaw that should be handled as a safety recall.

The engine has failure has been twice 5500 repair, because the eco mode that was known in a former class action. Honda motor has done nothing to actually cure the problem and continues to sell faulty engines that can cause engine failure mid drive and causes a safety issue, and has proven over and over again that this failure has not been resolved. We were told by a few places so the engine doesn't go out again this would be a third time and all work has been done at Honda! to buy from amazon a item called the vcm muzzler to shut down the software so the engine will work for longer, and there is a secondary market for this , and a few of the 3. 5 liter v6 Honda engines- how is this not been a engine recall, on a 46k vechial with 5500 repairs required 2 times in 50k and we know it will go out a third time, and the van is no longer safe and reliable and yet we purchased the car new all work done at Honda, and another 5500 for the repair, and the car still does run as it should doesn't accelerate as it should causing safety issues. I really hope you research and get people that own these cars recalled to be a safe car. Thank you.

The engine failed while driving on the highway. All lights flashed on dashboard and loss of power to the vehicle. There were no prior check engine lights on before it activated and started flashing. Piston 3 failure that had to be replaced (pistons 1-3). Engine had been burning oil but no low oil indication had been illuminated nor was car due for an oil change. Spark plugs and ignition coil had been replaced approx. A year prior due to similar but less severe incident of check engine light coming on and misfiring engine. Six months after the pistons were replaced, the oil pressure switches were diagnosed as faulty and needed replacement due to a false low oil pressure reading.

Engine in this vehicle keeps having a misfire in cylinder 2 (when looking at engine in car, it is the back side, 2nd from the left) caused by eco mode per Honda techs. The piston ring needs replaced per tech and car is 2 model years outside the warranty for this issue that is still going on. Its a common issue and is still occurring even is newer models according to the 2 local dealerships.

The engine failed, at 90,238 piston misfire it was replaced 1-3, this happened a second time at 143,000 miles- while the car was moving and same thing engine failed a second time- had it towed in due to the engine not working it doesn't accelerate on a highway to merge has been dangerous- brought to Honda a few times, because the engine was not working right you cannot accelerate properly on a on ramp and will not accelerate how it should, this is the same issue that was known by Honda. Called Honda they will not do anything more - it was "fixed" according to Honda , but still not running how it should it feels like a bad transmission wont accelerate property when- so the car is not safe to drive in any distance misfire all work van was done at Honda dealer only.

We are reporting a safety concern on the Honda Odyssey that Honda corporation is aware of on the 2016 Honda Odyssey. They have a defect in the piston rings on the engine. This engine design on the 2016 engine is the same where a recall was called on older versions of the Odyssey and other Honda vehicles. They have not included the 2016 as they say that they haven't had many cases of this version having the problem. With a quick search of the web you will find many people who are reporting or talking about piston ring issues, misfire and spark plug problems on the 2016 Odyssey. They are then asking customers to spend between $3 and $5 to fix this problem in the engine. Which is a known engineering defect! I have kept up with my oil changes and had a well maintained vehicle rating on carfax. We are reporting the problem to you as when this happened it was extremely dangerous to drive the van. We were stopped at a red light just stopped and the engine was idling when all of a sudden the van started shaking. No sign of a problem prior to this happening. Then we looked and no lights were on but as soon as we started to drive the check engine light came on. We drove the van the couple of miles home as it was a Sunday and the engine had no pick up and go. Pulling into traffic or turning was a danger. This is a danger to not only us in the van but others around us who are not aware of a problem. We drove the van to the dealership on Monday morning. They said that it had caused a bad spark plug and they could clean the area and we may get 5000 to 20000 more miles but that recommended that we would some point need to spend the $4600 to fix the piston rings as well. We did the spark plug repair and they returned the van to us. It still seemed sluggish but we quickly realized that it was having major problems. This is a danger to people in the vans as well as others on the road. Honda should be required to cover the cost of piston ring issues on all years.

The engine. I have a 2016 Honda Odyssey. All scheduled maintenance has always been done on this vehicle. I have all the documentation. And I mean it has been babied. It has 110,000 miles. Driving one morning last week and the car just seized up. No warning. No previous warning light. Had it towed to the dealership. The variable cylinder management system had allowed a build up of gunk in the engine. Need an engine rebuild. $5600. Honda just had a recall for cars of the same model manufactured before 2014 for the same issue. As for safety having your engine seize up on the highway is dangerous.

Piston ring failure at 73k miles. Repair costs $5000. The check engine light started flashing and whole vehicle started shaking while driving it on the highway. This is a known issue with Honda and the vcm system they installed on these vehicles.

Piston ring failure at 90k miles. Mechanic says repair will cost over $10k. Seems to be a known issue with this year/model based on internet searches.

Pistons ring premature wear . Car only have 100000 miles on odometer but during 100000 mile service. Honda dealer find abnormal wear of piston ring due to which they suspect leak in combustion chamber which can cause further issue . I bought the Odyssey to last longer , did not expect to do major repairs on only 100k miles and unfortunately that's not the case. Now, I need to make a decision. Pay the 4k get it fixed or keep it as is.

The spool valve had a complete seal failure leaking oil onto the alternator causing the alternator to fail. As result the entire electrical system failed, shutting off all propulsion of the van. This occurred while the vehicle was in the high speed left lane on I 71 west @ the 57 mile exit. I had to coast the vehicle across two lanes of 75 mph traffic, cars and large tracker trailers. I was passed by several cars and tracker trailer while coasting across the two lanes of traffic as there was no shoulder on the left side of I-74. There were no warning lights prior to the event. American Honda motor CO. Issued service bulletin 20-023on March 5, 2020 to Honda dealers/service about the potential for the spool valve casket to leak and fail so that Honda could check for this failure and replace the defective spool valve. The service bulletin covers five (5) different models and for some models six (6) model years. The part number identified is 15810-r70-a04, front rocker arm oil control valve (spool valve). The correction action is to inspect the front rocker arm oil control valve for leaks and, if needed replace it. The possible causes are the gasket on the front rocker arm oil control valve has deteriorated or the gasket groove is out of specification. Service personnel at jeff wyler Honda, 949 burlington pike florence ky 41042, admitted to replacing this spool valve on my Honda Odyssey model several times a month. They admitted that the failure of the spool valve seal can leak oil on to the alternator causing the alternator to fail causing a complete lose of the electrical system and propulsion, seen reports of complete engine fires due to the spool valve gasket failure, noted that the the service bulletin was not attached to my vehicle VIN as did Honda of jackson 1408 u. S. Highway 45 bypass jackson TN 38305. Because America Honda motor CO. Failed to attached the service bulletin to my VIN, my vehicle was not inspected properly for this safety defect.

Dear Honda customer service, I am writing to formally report a serious issue with my 2016 Honda Odyssey and to request a full repair at no cost due to what appears to be a manufacturer defect. In March 2024, my vehicle began experiencing a mild shudder/vibration noise, and the check engine light turned on. I took the vehicle to vacaville Honda, where a diagnostic was performed. The technicians informed me that the engine has a faulty vcm (variable cylinder management) system, causing misfiring due to oil leakage on the spark plugs and piston rings. The only solution given was to replace the engine at a cost of $6,000, which is an unreasonable expense for a known issue related to Hondas vcm system. I have maintained my vehicle regularly at Honda dealerships and followed all manufacturer-recommended maintenance schedules. This engine failure is not due to negligence or wear and tear, but rather a design defect that has affected many Honda owners. Given these circumstances, I respectfully request that Honda cover the full cost of the engine repair or replacement under a goodwill warranty. I also ask that you investigate whether this issue qualifies for a recall or extended warranty assistance. Please respond as soon as possible, as my vehicle is currently unsafe to drive. Thank you.

My vehicle problems started on February 6, 2024 while my daughter was driving back to her house. My 2016 Honda Odyssey exl started shaking violently at 55 - 60 mph. Upon towing my vehicle to have my certified mechanic to check it out, check engine light was on with codes and misfires. He determined that the variable timing valve solenoid was bad. He replaced faulty part as well as both oil pressure switches and it then came up with check engine light, as well as fcw, ldw, & anti-skid warning lights!? it also had a couple different codes. He then replace other variable timing valve solenoid on front of the engine. After taking vehicle to dealership, to get diagnosed, they suggested several repairs totaling over $3800, which none could insure that it would fix problem (2 of their suggestions were already done by my mechanic). Taking dealership suggestions, my mechanic replaced spark plugs and coil boots, adjusted valves which were fairly close, along with new valve cover gaskets. Now my vehicle runs better but has this engine knock when engine switches from eco mode to regular full cylinders. Asked dealership about checking/reprogramming control module, but they won't do it!? any suggestions??? considering purchasing bypass kit even though I will lose gas mileage.

While driving the engine started to run rough and the vehicle started to decelerate. The check engine light and the traction control light came on. I let up on the gas pedal, the van continued to run rough. I made it home and the next day took the van to a mechanic, he told me that he observed oil fouling on the #3 spark plug, consistent with worn piston rings. The van is a 2016 Honda Odyssey with 91,000 miles.