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2013 Honda Odyssey

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Similar to other model years

Owner complaints for the 2013 Honda Odyssey do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 249.5.

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When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

149 reports with mileage · 61 unknown

NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.

What to inspect

Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.

  • Engine. Review the 69 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Service Brakes. Review the 55 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Structure. Review the 20 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

17 crash reports4 fire reports9 injury reports

Engine complaints

69 reports
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Mileage unknown · Jan 17, 2024
EngineStructure

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 damagi…

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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.

NHTSA ODI #11566104

144,000 miles · Jan 2, 2024
Engine

The contact owns a 2013 Honda Odyssey. The contact stated that while his wife was driving approximately 45 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power and was jerking. The vehicle was driven 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 …

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The contact owns a 2013 Honda Odyssey. The contact stated that while his wife was driving approximately 45 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power and was jerking. The vehicle was driven 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 contact stated that 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.

NHTSA ODI #11563124

Mileage unknown · Jul 13, 2023
Engine

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 li…

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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.

NHTSA ODI #11532122

Mileage unknown · May 12, 2023
Engine

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 conduct…

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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.

NHTSA ODI #11521736

Mileage unknown · Jun 27, 2022
Engine

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

NHTSA ODI #11471217

45,000 miles · Jun 3, 2022
Engine

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 re…

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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 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 with the failure had expired and the VIN was not included in a recall. The failure mileage was approximately 45,000.

NHTSA ODI #11467349

Mileage unknown · May 30, 2022
Engine

The following link describes exactly what's happening to the car, and it happens almost every day (sometimes multiple times a day)! https://www.washingtonpost.com/cars/2013-honda-odyssey-pilot-recalled-due-to-stalling/2013/09/09/22be0ac6-1969-11e3-80ac-96205cacb45a_story.html

NHTSA ODI #11466634

111,917 miles · Mar 24, 2022
Engine

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 th…

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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.

NHTSA ODI #11458157

Mileage unknown · Dec 16, 2021
Engine

Car Coded P0301 Number 1 Cylinder misfire Serviced Immediately. Mechanic said Honda is having major problems with 3.5 Liter engine. Excessive wear to cylinder, Causing low oil, Misfire. Replaced sparkplug and coil. was down 1 quart of oil. It just had an oil change. Found this on line in Recall.Honda.com: INSUFFICIENT PISTON HA…

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Car Coded P0301 Number 1 Cylinder misfire Serviced Immediately. Mechanic said Honda is having major problems with 3.5 Liter engine. Excessive wear to cylinder, Causing low oil, Misfire. Replaced sparkplug and coil. was down 1 quart of oil. It just had an oil change. Found this on line in Recall.Honda.com: INSUFFICIENT PISTON HARDNESS NHTSA RECALL NUMBER:13V-382 MFR CAMPAIGN ID:JB4 CAMPAIGN DESCRIPTION:INSUFFICIENT PISTON HARDNESS RECALL DATE:08/26/2013 RECALL STATUS:17 Character VIN Required SUMMARY: HONDA IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2013 PILOT 2WD AND 4WD VEHICLES AND CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2013 ODYSSEY VEHICLES. DURING MANUFACTURING OF THE ENGINE PISTON, IT IS POSSIBLE THAT THE HEAT TREATMENT PROCESS WAS NOT PROPERLY APPLIED, RESULTING IN THE PISTON HAVING AN INSUFFICIENT HARDNESS LEVEL, MAKING IT MORE SUSCEPTIBLE TO PREMATURE WEAR. SAFETY RISK: A WORN PISTON MAY SUDDENLY FAIL, CAUSING THE ENGINE TO STALL, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH. REMEDY: HONDA WILL NOTIFY OWNERS, AND DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE ENGINE SHORT BLOCK FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON SEPTEMBER 16, 2013. OWNERS MAY CONTACT HONDA AT 1-888-234-2138. HONDA'S CAMPAIGN NUMBER FOR THIS RECALL IS JB4.

NHTSA ODI #11444021

Mileage unknown · Dec 3, 2021
Engine

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, …

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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.

NHTSA ODI #11442539

Official recalls

6

23V858000 · Fuel System, Gasoline:delivery:fuel Pump

Dec 18, 2023

Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2013-2023 Honda Accord, Civic Coupe, Civic Sedan, Civic Hatchback, Civic Type R, CR-V, HR-V, Ridgeline, Odyssey, Acura ILX, MDX, MDX Hybrid, RDX, RLX, TLX, 2019-2022 Honda Insight, Passport, 2020 Honda CR-V Hybrid, 2018-2019 Honda Clarity PHEV, Fit, and 2015-2020 Honda Accord Hybrid, Pilot, Acura NSX vehicles. The fuel pump inside the fuel tank may fail.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: Fuel pump failure can cause an engine stall while driving, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Dealers will replace the fuel pump module, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed September 6, 2024. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are KGC and KGD. This recall is an expansion of NHTSA recall numbers 21V-215 and 20V-314.

17V725000 · Seats:mid/rear Assembly

Nov 17, 2017

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 seat is placed between either of the two positions when attaching the seat to the vehicle floor, the seat will not latch properly to the seat striker, allowing the seat to tip forward unexpectedly during braking.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: If the seat tips forward during braking, it can increase the risk of injury.

Remedy: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will install a bracket to the second row outboard floor strikers, free of charge. The recall began April 2, 2018. Owners may contact American Honda Customer Support & Campaign Center at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's number for this recall is S0G.

16V933000 · Seats:mid/rear Assembly

Dec 27, 2016

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 second row outboard seats that have a release lever that allows the seats to move for easier access to the third row of seats. This release lever may remain in the unlocked position allowing the seats to move unexpectedly.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: An unlocked second row outboard seat increases the risk of injury to the seat occupant during a crash.

Remedy: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will install an additional bracket and spring to both second row outboard seats, free of charge. Interim letter has been mailed, and a second notification will be sent . Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's number for this recall is KD5.

13V382000 · Engine

Aug 27, 2013

Honda is recalling certain model year 2013 Pilot 2WD and 4WD vehicles and certain model year 2013 Odyssey vehicles. During manufacturing of the engine piston, it is possible that the heat treatment process was not properly applied, resulting in the piston having an insufficient hardness level, making it more susceptible to premature wear.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: A worn piston may suddenly fail, causing the engine to stall, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the engine short block free of charge. The recall began on September 16, 2013. Owners may contact Honda at 1-800-999-1009. Honda's recall numbers are JB4 (Honda Odyssey) and JB5 (Honda Pilot).

13V143000 · Power Train:automatic Transmission

Apr 15, 2013

Honda is recalling certain model year 2012-2013 CR-V, Odyssey, and model year 2013 Acura RDX vehicles. During sub-freezing temperatures, the brake-shift interlock blocking mechanism may become slow and allow the gear selector to be moved from the Park position without pressing the brake pedal. As such, these vehicles fail to conform to the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 114, "Theft Protection and Rollaway Prevention."

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: If the gear selector is moved from the park position without pressing the brake pedal it can allow the vehicle to roll away, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Honda will notify owners and instruct them to take their vehicle to a Honda or Acura dealer. The dealer will install an updated brake shift interlock blocking mechanism free of charge. The recall began on May 13, 2013. Owners may contact Honda at 1-800-999-1009. Honda's campaign recall numbers are S96, S97, and S98.

13V016000 · Air Bags

Jan 18, 2013

Honda is recalling certain model year 2009-2013 Pilot and 2011-2013 Odyssey passenger vehicles manufactured from March 13, 2008, through December 21, 2012. One or more rivets that attach the airbag module to the airbag cover may be missing.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: The absence of more than one rivet could alter the performance of the driver's airbag during deployment. This could potentially increase the risk of injury during a crash.

Remedy: Honda will notify owners and instruct them to take their vehicle to a Honda dealer. The dealer will inspect the driver's airbag module and replace it if necessary, free of charge. The recall began on March 14, 2013. Owners may contact Honda at 1-800-999-1009.

Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗

NHTSA investigations

1

DP26005 · Inadvertent Deployment Of Air Bags

Opened Jul 13, 2026 · No close date supplied

Status: open (inferred from source dates) · Air Bags; Air Bags: Air Bag/restraint Control Module; Air Bags: Air Bag/restraint Control Module:software

The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) received a Petition dated May 30, 2026. The Petition is requesting an investigation into inadvertent air bag deployment in model year (MY) 2011-2017 Honda Odyssey vehicles. The Petition contends that air bags can deploy absent a sufficiently severe event to trigger a deployment, such as an impact, rollover event, or G-force threshold breach. The Petition further alleges that the Diagnostic Trouble Codes (DTCs) and Supplemental Restraint System (SRS) conflict and inaccurate data is being recorded for the air bag system. The Petitioner cites 10 complaints received by ODI alleging the same failure. ODI will evaluate these complaints to determine if they are related to the failure cited in the Petition andconduct a technical review under 49 CFR Part 552. This Defect Petition is being opened to evaluate whether to grant or deny the Petition. The Petition can be viewed at NHTSA.gov under NHTSA Number 11744118.

Additional source detail variants (3)

Air Bags: Air Bag/restraint Control Module

The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) received a Petition dated May 30, 2026. The Petition is requesting an investigation into inadvertent air bag deployment in model year (MY) 2011-2017 Honda Odyssey vehicles. The Petition contends that air bags can deploy absent a sufficiently severe event to trigger a deployment, such as an impact, rollover event, or G-force threshold breach. The Petition further alleges that the Diagnostic Trouble Codes (DTCs) and Supplemental Restraint System (SRS) conflict and inaccurate data is being recorded for the air bag system. The Petitioner cites 10 complaints received by ODI alleging the same failure. ODI will evaluate these complaints to determine if they are related to the failure cited in the Petition andconduct a technical review under 49 CFR Part 552. This Defect Petition is being opened to evaluate whether to grant or deny the Petition. The Petition can be viewed at NHTSA.gov under NHTSA Number 11744118.

Air Bags: Air Bag/restraint Control Module:software

The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) received a Petition dated May 30, 2026. The Petition is requesting an investigation into inadvertent air bag deployment in model year (MY) 2011-2017 Honda Odyssey vehicles. The Petition contends that air bags can deploy absent a sufficiently severe event to trigger a deployment, such as an impact, rollover event, or G-force threshold breach. The Petition further alleges that the Diagnostic Trouble Codes (DTCs) and Supplemental Restraint System (SRS) conflict and inaccurate data is being recorded for the air bag system. The Petitioner cites 10 complaints received by ODI alleging the same failure. ODI will evaluate these complaints to determine if they are related to the failure cited in the Petition andconduct a technical review under 49 CFR Part 552. This Defect Petition is being opened to evaluate whether to grant or deny the Petition. The Petition can be viewed at NHTSA.gov under NHTSA Number 11744118.

Air Bags

The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) received a Petition dated May 30, 2026. The Petition is requesting an investigation into inadvertent air bag deployment in model year (MY) 2011-2017 Honda Odyssey vehicles. The Petition contends that air bags can deploy absent a sufficiently severe event to trigger a deployment, such as an impact, rollover event, or G-force threshold breach. The Petition further alleges that the Diagnostic Trouble Codes (DTCs) and Supplemental Restraint System (SRS) conflict and inaccurate data is being recorded for the air bag system. The Petitioner cites 10 complaints received by ODI alleging the same failure. ODI will evaluate these complaints to determine if they are related to the failure cited in the Petition andconduct a technical review under 49 CFR Part 552. This Defect Petition is being opened to evaluate whether to grant or deny the Petition. The Petition can be viewed at NHTSA.gov under NHTSA Number 11744118.