2016 Honda Odyssey engine problems
97 of the 270 complaints owners filed with NHTSA about the 2016 Honda Odyssey name the engine (NHTSA’s “Engine” heading — the engine and its cooling system). Filed under the same heading: 21 manufacturer bulletins. Every figure below is a document in a federal file, linked; none is a failure rate, and none is a verdict on any one car.
What owners filed about the engine
Source: NHTSA complaint database0 of the 97 reports a crash · 0 a fire · 0 injuries. Self-reported, unverified.
Filed per year: 2018: 4 · 2019: 2 · 2020: 2 · 2021: 6 · 2022: 16 · 2023: 19 · 2024: 18 · 2025: 17 · 2026: 13
Half of the 29 owners who gave an odometer reading reported the engine problem between 68,000 and 100,000 miles. A median of reports, not the life of a part.
270 complaints in all about the 2016 Honda Odyssey, 13 filed in 2026. The whole picture, every system →
Counts are owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects, and scale with how many of these were sold; nothing here is a rate. NHTSA groups complaints coarsely, so “Engine” means the same area of the vehicle, not one fault.
Across model years: Honda Odyssey engine problems, every year on file →
In owners’ own words
Source: NHTSA complaint databaseFiled with NHTSA by the people who own these cars, about the engine. Quoted as written, with anything identifying removed; unverified reports — what was said, not a finding that it was true.
We purchased this 2016 Odyssey November 7, 2016. On July 16, 2020 I had to take the car into the Honda dealer. The vehicle jerked violently when I drive from a stop position to first, second and third gears. The dealer informed that it was due to defective brakes. I paid them $1,500 for the repair but it continued to happen.
My spark plugs keep wearing out due to a piston ring issue. The Honda dealers have informed my that after 100,000 I will need my piston rings replaced. This is an issue with Honda Odysseys. My vehicle idles hard and will not properly accelerate.
The contact owns a 2016 Honda Odyssey. The contact stated while driving approximately 70 MPH, the vehicle jerked violently. The check engine warning light was flashing. The contact exited the highway. The contact called the local dealer and the vehicle was taken to be diagnosed.
The contact owns a 2016 Honda Odyssey. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a local dealer where it was diagnosed but not repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 87,178
We have been getting multiple warning lights (FCW, LDW, check engine) which occur with sluggish engine performance. The engine will misfire and not accelerate as it typically does or shudders/jitters trying to accelerate. Diagnostic tool shows P0303 for misfire in cylinder 3.
What is on file about the engine
Source: NHTSA recalls, investigations and manufacturer communications21 manufacturer bulletins filed under this heading
- A26-001 Service bulletinFeb 1, 2026
- Service Bulletin - The piston ring function deteriorates due to ring low wear toughness and sticking from sludge. Oil adheres to the spark plug leading to carbon fouling and misfire. This can set DTCs P0301 No. 1 cylinder misfire detected, P0302 No. 2 cylinder misfire detected, P0303 No. 3 cylinder misfire detected, P0304 No. 4 cylinder misfire detected, and cause the MIL to come on.
- A25-061 Service bulletinAug 29, 2025
- Service Bulletin - The piston ring function deteriorates due to ring low wear toughness and sticking from sludge. Oil adheres to the spark plug leading to carbon fouling and misfire. This can set DTCs P0301 No. 1 cylinder misfire detected, P0302 No. 2 cylinder misfire detected, P0303 No. 3 cylinder misfire detected, P0304 No. 4 cylinder misfire detected, and cause the MIL to come on.
- ONL6Z6072025 OtherJul 29, 2025
- Owner Notification Letter - the piston ring function can deteriorate due to ring low wear toughness and sticking from sludge. Oil adheres to the spark plug leading to carbon fouling and misfire. This can set DTCs P0301 No. 1 cylinder misfire detected, P0302 No. 2 cylinder misfire detected, P0303 No. 3 cylinder misfire detected, P0304 No. 4 cylinder misfire detected, and cause the Malfunction Indic
- A25-061 Service bulletinJul 18, 2025
- Service Bulletin - The piston ring function deteriorates due to ring wear and sticking from sludge. Oil from the crankcase adheres to the spark plug leading to carbon fouling and misfire. This can set DTCs P0301 No. 1 cylinder misfire detected, P0302 No. 2 cylinder misfire detected, P0303 No. 3 cylinder misfire detected, P0304 No. 4 cylinder misfire detected, and cause the MIL to come on.
- AEBM06172025901 OtherJun 17, 2025
- Dealer Message - Piston ring effectiveness may be reduced due to excessive wear and oil sludge build-up, which can cause oil to adhere to the spark plug, potentially leading to carbon fouling and misfire triggering DTCs P0301 through P0304 and cause the MIL to come on.
- A25-061 Service bulletinJun 17, 2025
- Service Bulletin - The piston ring function deteriorates due to ring low wear toughness and sticking from sludge. Oil adheres to the spark plug leading to carbon fouling and misfire.
- ATI&04082024901 Service bulletinApr 8, 2024
- Dealer Message - American Honda Motor Co., Inc. (AHM) is searching for certain 2014-2017 Odysseys and 2014-2015 Pilots with a customer complaint of the vehicle Check Engine Light (CEL) on with one or more of the DTC(s) listed below (in Qualifiers) stored. To better understand the cause of this condition, AHM would like to collect specific Information from the vehicle prior to you attempting a repa
- ATI&03212024905 Service bulletinMar 21, 2024
- Dealer Message - American Honda Motor Co., Inc. (AHM) is searching for certain 2014-2017 Odysseys and 2014-2015 Pilots with a customer complaint of the vehicle Check Engine Light (CEL) on with one or more of the DTC(s) listed below (in Qualifiers) stored. To better understand the cause of this condition, AHM would like to collect specific Information from the vehicle prior to you attempting a repa
The 8 newest are listed; every one is on the model year’s page. Quote the document number at a service desk — it is a diagnosis the maker has already written down.
Trouble codes named on this system
P0301 P0303 P0304 P0302 P0848 P3400
Codes a bulletin or an owner’s complaint about the 2016 Honda Odyssey names on this model year; a code with a record of its own links it.
Common questions
Source: NHTSA complaint database, recalls and manufacturer communicationsAre engine problems common on the 2016 Honda Odyssey?
They are documented: NHTSA holds 97 owner complaints naming the engine on this model year (36% of everything owners filed about it), and 21 manufacturer bulletins are filed under the same heading. Whether it is a problem on one particular car is a diagnosis, not a count, and a count says nothing about how many were sold.
Is there a recall for the engine on the 2016 Honda Odyssey?
No recall campaign is filed under this heading for this model year (there are 6 filed under other headings). A bulletin is not a recall: it carries no federal duty to repair for free.
When do engine problems show up on the 2016 Honda Odyssey?
Owners who gave an odometer reading reported it at a median of 85,000 miles; half of them between 68,000 and 100,000. That is when reports cluster, not the life of a part.
What does NHTSA's "Engine" heading cover?
The engine and its cooling system. Owners choose the heading when they file, so it says which area of the vehicle the complaint is about, not which part failed.