2012 Honda Odyssey: engine and transmission complaints
NO ELEVATED SIGNAL
30%
65 of 220 relevant owner complaints are about the engine, transmission or fuel system
No elevated drivetrain complaint concentration in the available NHTSA records for the 2012 Honda Odyssey. Engine, transmission and fuel system account for 30% of relevant complaints.
Better than 71% of the 1,230 model years we track (2010–2023).
Excludes 23 airbag, lighting and seat-belt recall complaints that would otherwise mask the signal (unadjusted: 27%).
Manufacturers fix things mid-generation. A bad year next to a clean one is common; the fix usually arrived in between.
What owners reported
SERVICE BRAKES,ENGINE11/01/20163 INJURED
1. BRAKES AND ROTORS ARE UNDERSIZED AND WARPED CAUSING A MASSIVE VIBRATION WHEN YOU BREAK. HONDA DEALERS WORKED 3 TIMES ON IT BUT THE PROBLEM CONTINUED UNTIL I PURCHASED AFTER MARKET PARTS AND REPLACED THEM. 2. I RECEIVED NO WARRANTY LETTER OR WARNING ABOUT AN ENGINE FAILURE (PISTON RECALL WARNING) LETTING ME KNO…
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE06/06/20171 INJURED
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…
POWER TRAIN05/16/2026
piston rings wore out prematurely on our 2012 honda odyssey. this was caused by the vcm system. its a known issue on hondas. it only had 88,600 miles at the time. we were driving our 2012 honda odyssey in december 2023. the check engine light began to flash. it starting running rough. we had it towed to a honda deale…
Three of 65 drivetrain complaints. The full report shows more, with quotes about the engine in the car you are looking at first.
Recall campaigns on this model year (5)
SEATS:MID/REAR ASSEMBLY
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2011-2017 Honda Odyssey vehicles. The second row outboard seats can slide sideways to one of two positions. If a s…
SEATS:MID/REAR ASSEMBLY
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain model year 2011-2016 Odyssey vehicles manufactured August 17, 2010, to October 1, 2015. The affected vehicles have …
SUSPENSION:FRONT
HONDA IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2012, ODYSSEY VEHICLES MANUFACTURED FROM OCTOBER 31, 2011, THROUGH NOVEMBER 30, 2011. THE RETENTION NUT FOR THE FRONT RIGHT LOWER S…
This does not say whether a particular car has an open, unrepaired recall. That depends on the VIN.
Before you buy a 2012 Honda Odyssey
No elevated drivetrain pattern for this model year. That describes the model, not the car in front of you.
Get an independent pre-purchase inspection from a mechanic you choose.
5 recall campaigns on this model year. Whether a specific car still has one open depends on the VIN; the report checks that.
Ask for service records. A engine already replaced under warranty is a different car from one that was not.
Have the VIN?Paste it and get the full report for that car. First report free, then a 30-day pass covers a whole car search.
Experimental model-level information. This is not a vehicle inspection, vehicle-history
report, financial advice or purchase recommendation. It describes patterns across a model year, not the condition
of any individual vehicle.
