What 241 owners told NHTSA about the 2012 Honda Odyssey

VAN CAUGHT FIRE WHILE DRIVING

NHTSA ODI 11322629

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 HONDA ODYSSEY. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED AND UNOCCUPIED IN THE DRIVEWAY, A LOUD EXPLOSION WAS HEARD FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. MOMENTS LATER, THE ENGINE CAUGHT FIRE. THE ORANGE COUNTY FIRE DEPARTMENT ARRIVED TO EXTINGUISH THE FIRE AND PROVIDED PHONE NUMBER 321-313-0541 IN LIEU OF A REPORT NUMBER. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED. THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE WAS NOT DETERMINED. THE DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 70,000.

NHTSA ODI 11166205

I STOPPED AT A T-INTERSECTION AND TURNED RIGHT. AS SOON AS I MADE THE TURN, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY BEGAN SHIFTING ODDLY. IT WAS GOING TO VERY HIGH RPMS BEFORE IT WOULD SHIFT. I IMMEDIATELY CHECKED THE TEMPERATURE GAUGE, BUT THE ENGINE WAS NOT OVERHEATING. WE WERE ON A MOUNTAIN ROAD SO I BEGAN LOOKING FOR A PLACE TO PULL OVER. I CHECKED MY REAR VIEW MIRROR AND SAW THE CAR BEHIND ME FLASHING THEIR LIGHTS AND HONKING THEIR HORN. AT THAT POINT I NOTICED SMOKE IN THE REAR VIEW. I IMMEDIATELY STOPPED THE CAR AND AS SOON AS I DID, THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE WENT UP IN FLAMES. MY PREGNANT WIFE AND I GOT OUR THREE LITTLE CHILDREN OUT OF THE CAR EXTREMELY QUICKLY AND THEY GOT BACK DOWN THE ROAD A WAYS TO GET AWAY FROM THE BURNING VEHICLE. I BEGAN THROWING CAR SEATS AND OTHER THINGS OUT OF THE CAR AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE, BUT WITHIN TWO MINUTES AFTER I STOPPED THE CAR, THE FLAMES WERE TO BIG TO BE ANYWHERE NEAR IT. THE CAR BURNED EXTREMELY FAST AND THE FIRE WAS EXTREMELY HOT, COMPLETELY DESTROYING THE CAR.

NHTSA ODI 11040001

THE POSITIVE BATTERY CABLE BECAME DISCONNECTED FROM THE BATTERY TERMINAL POST WHILE DRIVING AT FULL HIGHWAY SPEED (75 MPH)!! THIS RESULTED IN COMPLETE ELECTRICAL FAILURE. I WAS ABLE TO PULL OFF THE ROAD, BUT THE DOOR LOCKS WERE LOCKED AND INOPERABLE. WITHOUT POWER I WAS UNABLE TO UNLOCK THE DOORS OR ROLL DOWN THE WINDOWS. WITHOUT POWER I HAD NO AIR CONDITIONING. I WAS TRAPPED IN THE CAR ON A HOT DAY. THE BATTERY CABLE MISMATCH (CLAMP TOO BIG TO TIGHTEN COMPLETELY ON POST) IS A KNOWN ODYSSEY PROBLEM THAT HAS BEEN DISCUSSED ON ONLINE FORUMS. DOOR AUTO-LOCKING PROBLEMS IN A VARIETY OF HONDA MODELS HAVE ALSO BEEN DOCUMENTED. PUTTING THE TWO TOGETHER IS A DEADLY MIX. WITHOUT A CELL PHONE TO CALL MY HUSBAND AND 911, I AND MY THREE SMALL DOGS WOULD HAVE DIED IN THE HOT CAR. THIS IS A FATAL DESIGN FLAW.

NHTSA ODI 10993345

I WAS IN MY DRIVEWAY, STOPPED, GETTING READY TO PULL IN TO THE GARAGE. I HAD STOPPED WITH MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE PEDAL, AND THEN I PRESSED THE BUTTON TO OPEN THE GARAGE DOOR AND WAITED FOR THE GARAGE DOOR TO GO UP. WHILE THE GARAGE DOOR WAS STARTING TO GO UP AND THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS STILL PRESSED, THE CAR SUDDENLY, UNINTENTIONALLY, UNEXPECTEDLY ACCELERATED BY ITSELF INTO THE GARAGE DOOR CAUSING THE WINDSHIELD TO BREAK ON THE GARAGE DOOR AND THE GARAGE DOOR TO BREAK OFF OF ITS TRACKS. IT IS UNKNOWN THE COMPONENT OR SYSTEM THAT CAUSED THE SUDDEN UNEXPECTED ACCELERATION. IT COULD HAVE BEEN THE ENGINE, FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM, OR SPEED CONTROL. BUT SOMETHING CAUSED A SUDDEN UNEXPECTED ACCELERATION WHILE THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS APPLIED.

NHTSA ODI 10925655

1. BRAKES AND ROTORS ARE UNDERSIZED AND WARPED CAUSING A MASSIVE VIBRATION WHEN YOU BREAK. HONDA DEALERS WORKED 3 TIMES ON IT BUT THE PROBLEM CONTINUED UNTIL I PURCHASED AFTER MARKET PARTS AND REPLACED THEM. 2. I RECEIVED NO WARRANTY LETTER OR WARNING ABOUT AN ENGINE FAILURE (PISTON RECALL WARNING) LETTING ME KNOW THAT THE ENGINE NEEDED REPAIRS. I WAS ON A TRIP WHEN THE CAR ALMOST STALLED ON THE FREEWAY AND I HAD TO TAKE EVASIVE ACTIONS TO PREVENT A DEVASTATING ACCIDENT.

NHTSA ODI 10920508