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2012 Honda Odyssey: Complaints, Recalls & Known Issues

What the public record actually says about the 2012 Honda Odyssey — every figure below is a NHTSA or EPA number, not an opinion.

The read

Middle-of-the-pack complaint volume for minivan.

Owners filed 241 NHTSA complaints — more complaints than 60% of 2012 minivans. Service Brakes leads the reports (17%). 5 safety recall campaigns on record — check the VIN and remedy terms with a dealer.

Based on NHTSA complaint volume against 2012 minivans, not adjusted for how many were sold. It describes the model year, not the individual car you are looking at.

Complaints filed

241

Reports to NHTSA, 2012

Safety recalls

5

NHTSA campaigns on record

NHTSA crash test

Overall NCAP rating

Combined MPG

21.5

EPA estimate

Complaint volume vs. segment peers

More complaints than 60% of 2012 minivans

The bar is this car's percentile among 2012 minivans by complaint volume — a full bar means the fewest complaints in its class. Not adjusted for sales.

Known issues

Service Brakes issues lead owner complaints (17% of 241 reports), followed by electrical system (13%).

Service Brakes17% · 41 reports
Electrical System13% · 32 reports
Power Train9% · 22 reports
Steering9% · 21 reports
Structure8% · 19 reports
Engine7% · 18 reports
Unknown Or Other5% · 13 reports
Seats5% · 12 reports

+ 12 more component categories with fewer reports.

Share of all 241 NHTSA complaints for this model year, grouped by the component owners named. Bars are scaled to the largest category. Examples: ODI 10554188, ODI 11494717, ODI 11483844, ODI 11483187, ODI 11455261.

Recalls(5)

Open a recall to read what NHTSA says is wrong, what can happen, and how it gets fixed. Check the VIN and remedy eligibility with a dealer; federal no-charge requirements have an age limit, though a manufacturer may offer more coverage.

Suspension · 11V602000Details +

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.

Remedy: 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.

Air Bags · 13V016000Details +

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: 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.

Power Train · 13V143000Details +

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: 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.

Seats · 16V933000Details +

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: 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.

Seats · 17V725000Details +

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: 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.

A campaign can apply to this model year without being incomplete on a specific vehicle. Check the VIN with NHTSA or a dealer to confirm whether a particular car needs repair.

Investigations

1 NHTSA investigation on record

Investigations are agency reviews, not findings that a vehicle is defective.

Inadvertent Deployment of 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.

Crash-test ratings

2012 Honda Odyssey VAN FWD NHTSA source

Overall
Frontal
Side
Rollover

Source: NHTSA New Car Assessment Program (NCAP).

Fuel economy by trim

TrimEngineDrivetrainCityHwyCombined
Odyssey3.5L 6-cylFront-Wheel Drive192722
Odyssey3.5L 6-cylFront-Wheel Drive182721

EPA laboratory estimates by trim and engine. Actual mileage varies with driving, weather, load, and maintenance. EPA source.

Before you buy

Useful next checks

Federal records tell you about patterns. These checks can tell you more about the specific car in front of you.

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Compare model years

"Fewest reports" and "most complained" describe raw NHTSA complaint totals, not vehicle reliability. The last few model years are left unlabelled because they have had less road time.

2012 Honda Odyssey: frequently asked

What does the complaint record show for the 2012 Honda Odyssey?

Owners filed 241 NHTSA complaints about the 2012 Honda Odyssey — more complaints than 60% of comparable 2012 minivans, so it sits toward the weaker end of its class. That's a signal, not a guarantee about any single car.

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

The most-reported problem areas are Service Brakes (17% of complaints) and electrical system (13%).

How many recalls does the 2012 Honda Odyssey have?

5 recalls have been issued that affect the 2012 Honda Odyssey, covering components such as suspension. Check the VIN with NHTSA and ask a dealer to confirm remedy eligibility; federal no-charge requirements have an age limit, though manufacturers may offer more coverage.

What gas mileage does the 2012 Honda Odyssey get?

The EPA rates the 2012 Honda Odyssey between 21 and 22 mpg combined, depending on trim and drivetrain.