2012 Honda Odyssey recalls and problems

The 2012 Honda Odyssey has 5 recalls and 246 owner complaints on file with NHTSA; the most reported problem area is service brakes.

Pictured: a 2011 model; the 2012 may differ in details. Photo: 2011 Honda Odyssey by Elise240SX, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

How the 2012 compares

Average

Fewest complaintsMost complaints

Average complaint count among 28 Odyssey model years — 17th most.

5recalls

246complaints

14crashes

6fires

22injuries

40,752median miles

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA, not verified and not adjusted for sales. Ranking compares this model's own years only.

Does your car have an open recall?
Recalls apply to specific vehicles. Only a VIN lookup on NHTSA's official site shows whether yours is affected and still unrepaired.

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5 recalls

Seats

Nov 17, 2017 · NHTSA campaign 17V725000 · 806,936 vehicles

Problem: 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.

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

Remedy & notes

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.

Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.

Seats

Dec 27, 2016 · NHTSA campaign 16V933000 · 633,753 vehicles

Problem: 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.

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

Remedy & notes

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.

Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.

Power Train

Apr 15, 2013 · NHTSA campaign 13V143000 · 204,169 vehicles

Problem: 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."

Risk: 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 & notes

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.

Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.

Air Bags

Jan 18, 2013 · NHTSA campaign 13V016000 · 748,481 vehicles

Problem: 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.

Risk: 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 & notes

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.

Honda's recall campaign number is S75.Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.

Suspension

Dec 22, 2011 · NHTSA campaign 11V602000 · 9 vehicles

Problem: 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 suspension damper bolt May not have been tightened to the proper torque, potentially allowing the nut to loosen.

Original NHTSA wording

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 SUSPENSION DAMPER BOLT MAY NOT HAVE BEEN TIGHTENED TO THE PROPER TORQUE, POTENTIALLY ALLOWING THE NUT TO LOOSEN.

Risk: If the nut loosens, the front hub assembly would only be attached by one bolt, allowing the wheel assembly to shift to an extreme inward angle, resulting in a loss of steering, increasing the risk of a crash.

Original NHTSA wording

IF THE NUT LOOSENS, THE FRONT HUB ASSEMBLY WOULD ONLY BE ATTACHED BY ONE BOLT, ALLOWING THE WHEEL ASSEMBLY TO SHIFT TO AN EXTREME INWARD ANGLE, RESULTING IN A LOSS OF STEERING, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.

Remedy & notes

Honda contacted all nine owners by phone on December 19, 2011, and repaired the vehicles as necessary free of charge. Owners May contact Honda at 1-800-999-1009.

Owners May also contact the national highway traffic safety administration's vehicle safety hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (tty 1-800-424-9153), or go to <a href=http://www.safercar.gov>http://www.safercar.gov</a> .

Recall text as published by NHTSA and the manufacturer.

What owners complain about

Engine45

Unknown or other24

Seats14

Vehicle Speed Control13

Fuel System11

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA; one complaint can name several areas. Not verified by NHTSA.

Complaints by year filed

NHTSA investigations

Inadvertent Deployment of Air Bags

DP26005 · opened Jul 13, 2026 · closed Sep 24, 2026

Summary

The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) has completed its review of a Petition dated May 30, 2026. The Petition requested an investigation into inadvertent air bag deployment in model year (MY) 2011-2017 Honda Odyssey vehicles. The Petition contended 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 alleged that the Diagnostic Trouble Codes (DTCs) and Supplemental Restraint System (SRS) conflict and inaccurate data is being recorded for the air bag system. An air bag is a supplemental vehicle occupant restraint system that deploys a cushion designed to inflate in milliseconds during a collision. The cushion prevents vehicle occupants from striking hard interior surfaces and, in some cases, exterior surfaces. Air bags are designed to work in conjunction with seat belts, the primary occupant restraint system. Seat belts restrain occupants keeping them in place for the air bag to provide proper protection and to mitigate injury from air bag deployment. An air bag system consists of an air bag cushion, an inflator module, an air bag Electronic Control Unit (ECU), and impact sensors. When a crash begins, impact sensors located on the vehicle exterior begin to measure impact severity. If a crash is severe enough, the sensors send a signal to the systemâs ECU, which then signals the inflator to fill the air bag. ODI reviewed 9 Vehicle Owner Questionnaires (VOQs…

2012 vs. other Honda Odyssey years

Owner complaints by model year; the darker bar is the 2012. Click a bar to switch year.

Questions

Does the 2012 Honda Odyssey have recalls?

Yes — NHTSA lists 5 recall campaigns covering the 2012 Honda Odyssey, the latest from Nov 17, 2017 (seats). A recall applies to specific vehicles: enter your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see whether yours is affected and still open.

What are the most common problems with the 2012 Honda Odyssey?

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA most often mention service brakes (60), engine (45), electrical system (37). Complaints are consumer reports and are not verified by NHTSA.