2012 Honda Odyssey Problems, Complaints & Recalls

Source: NHTSA · Updated Sep 24, 2026 · 245 owner complaints analyzed

Compared with other Odyssey years
About as many complaints as other years 18th of 32 for complaints
NHTSA crash rating
5 out of 5 stars

Owners have filed 245 complaints with NHTSA about the 2012 Honda Odyssey. That ranks 18th out of 32 Odyssey model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is service brakes (58 complaints, 24%), typically at around 22,000 miles. Complaints mention 14 crashes, 6 fires, 22 injuries. There are 5 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 1 defect investigation involving it.

Honda Odyssey
Front view of a 2025 Honda Odyssey minivan. Representative photo; appearance varies by model year. Photo: Deathpallie325, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.

Compare with another car

Most common 2012 Honda Odyssey problems

Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.

Service Brakes58 · ~22,000 mi
Engine39 · ~62,500 mi
Electrical System37 · ~66,650 mi
Structure25 · ~70,000 mi
Power Train24 · ~22,025 mi
Unknown or Other23 · ~63,000 mi
Steering21 · ~27,500 mi
Seats14 · ~52,500 mi
Vehicle Speed Control13 · ~23,690 mi
Fuel/propulsion System11 · ~48,300 mi
Problem areaComplaintsShareMedian milesOwners mention mostTypical repair cost
Service Brakes problems5824%22,000“brake pads” (17%)—
Engine3916%62,500——
Electrical System3715%66,650——
Structure2510%70,000——
Power Train2410%22,025——
Unknown or Other239%63,000——
Steering219%27,500——
Seats146%52,500——
Vehicle Speed Control135%23,690——
Fuel/propulsion System114%48,300——
Air Bags104%76,400——
Seat Belts94%45,000——
Exterior Lighting73%690——
Wheels73%16,000——
Engine and Engine Cooling62%7,400——
Tires62%35,616——
Suspension52%20,500——
Visibility/wiper52%33,500——
Visibility31%20,000——
Electronic Stability Control (esc)10%77,000——
Equipment10%190,000——
Equipment Adaptive/mobility10%40,000——
Latches/locks/linkages10%———
Service Brakes, Air10%16,000——
Service Brakes, Hydraulic10%58,000——

One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.

Complaints by year received

Peak: 2017, with 32 complaints
2011: 3201132012: 14142013: 242013242014: 29292015: 222015222016: 17172017: 322017322018: 24242019: 172019172020: 16162021: 9202192022: 992023: 9202392024: 552025: 7202572026: 88

n = 245 complaints · Source: NHTSA

2012 Honda Odyssey recalls (5)

Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.

Seats:mid/rear assemblyNov 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.

Fix: 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.

Seats:mid/rear assemblyDec 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.

Fix: 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.

Power train:automatic transmissionApr 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.

Fix: 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.

Air bagsJan 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.

Fix: 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.

Suspension:frontDec 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.

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.

Fix: 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.

To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.

NHTSA defect investigations

  • Inadvertent Deployment of Air Bags (DP26005) — opened Jul 13, 2026, closed Sep 24, 2026.

Recent owner reports

Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.

My vehicle electrical system has been acting up since I got vehicle and I don't know where to take vehicle for recent recalls to fix it.

Electrical System · received Sep 20, 2026 · NHTSA complaint 11765690

The contact owns a 2012 Honda Odyssey. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked or while driving at undisclosed speeds, the clock on the vehicle was flashing, causing a distraction to the driver while driving. The contact stated that the flashing of the clock was controlled by satellite…

Electrical System · received Sep 11, 2026 · NHTSA complaint 11763713

The contact owns a 2012 Honda Odyssey. The contact stated that while starting the vehicle and while driving at an undisclosed speed, the radio screen displayed "0:00", and the navigation system was inoperable. The manufacturer was notified of the failure by phone. The failure mileage was…

Electrical System · received Sep 9, 2026 · NHTSA complaint 11763084

I own a Honda Odyssey equipped with the Auto Idle Stop (automatic engine start-stop) system. The feature has not operated properly and behaves inconsistently. In addition to frequently failing to engage when the vehicle is stopped, I have experienced several instances where the engine shut off as…

Electrical System · received Aug 11, 2026 · NHTSA complaint 11756147

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…

Power Train · received May 16, 2026 · NHTSA complaint 11738298

Other Honda Odyssey years

← 2011 Odyssey · 2013 Odyssey →

See all Honda Odyssey problems by year, every Honda model, or the Honda VIN decoder.

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Frequently asked questions

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

Owners most often report service brakes, engine, electrical system problems. The top one, service brakes, accounts for 58 complaints.

Was there a recall on the 2012 Honda Odyssey?

Yes, 5 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.

Was the 2012 Honda Odyssey a good year?

Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Odyssey model years, the 2012 has about as many complaints as a typical year, and NHTSA rates it 5 out of 5 stars overall in crash tests. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.