Cruising at 35 miles an hour down park boulevard without hitting any bumps the passenger airbag exploded. The explosion was so hard that it knocked down the rearview mirror, the glove compartment door, and caused damage to the windshield. I was so lucky not to have been hurt by flying debris or having my ear drums blowing out. Everyone I spoken to in the car service business has never heard of anything like this. An airbag exploding without impact or hitting a major bump. I had local ems come to check me out.
The worst 1996 Honda Odyssey problems
Ranked by number of owner complaints. Mileage and cost come from what owners wrote.
Problems by type
Tap a problem to see which part fails, at what mileage and in which other years.
- Airbags24
- Electrical17
- Engine12
- Brakes9
- Seat belts5
- Acceleration4
- Visibility3
- Lights1
- Seats1
- Suspension1
- Transmission1
Specific symptoms reported on the 1996 Honda Odyssey
Recalls
No recalls on record for this model year.
Technical service bulletins for the 1996 Honda Odyssey 33
Bulletins tell dealers how to fix known problems. A warranty extension means the manufacturer pays for that repair for longer.
- Audio unit and navigation system anti-theft codes available on interactive network
- Audio, anti-theft codes
- Heater blower motor gets hot or blows a fuse
- Grade logic control information
- SRS indicator on with no SRS diagnostic trouble codes (DTC) set
- Check (ATF) automatic transmission fluid condition to diagnose (a/t) automatic transmissions
- Searching isis for diagnostic trouble code information
- Straining the automatic transmission fluid (ATF) to diagnose automatic transmissions
- Damaged cable reel CAN cause SRS diagnostic trouble codes (DTCS)
- Keyless entry, ceiling light, ignition key beeper logic
1996 Honda Odyssey fuel economy
Official EPA estimates in miles per gallon (MPGe for electric). Ranges cover trims that share the same engine.
| Engine | Drive | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2.2L 4‑cyl | FWD | 18 | 22 | 19 |
What 1996 Honda Odyssey owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
This is the second time that we have had an ignition switch failure on this 1996 honda odyssey. It will sometimes start, with some jiggling of the key, or will not start at all. It has cut out while driving, a dangerous situation, especially when carrying children. At this point, it will not start at all. How often do we need to replace this? Honda odysseys of this year were subject to recall for this very problem in australia, japan, and china. Why not here? China, in this instance, has more concern for safety than the obsessively safety-oriented USA.
Tl* the contact owns a 1996 honda odyssey. While the vehicle was parked and the engine was running, the driver side air bag deployed independently. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 120,064.
Was waiting in the left turn lane to make the turn, light turned green and when trying to make the turn, vehicle stalled suddenly without any notice or engine problems. A family member was present in the car when this happened. Have had engine stall after starting before and had the battery checked. No issues were noted with anything before this sudden stall in traffic. Have researched and found numerous similar complaints with honda vehicles and ignition switch problems with same results about vehicle stalling in traffic without any signs of the stalling about to occur.
Driving down the road engine just quit..ignition would not turn on any lights ,but radio would work had it towed 45 mikes back home. Honda knows about the problem on 97 accords bad ignition switch.had to pull off the road quick to keep from being rearended, hiway 252.
Honda odyssey lx 1996 would not start in a parking lot so I called for a towing service. Towing service tried to unlock engine using door lock trick and the engine started. Two days later the engine died while on the highway. I had to coast to an exit ramp, and it would not start at all after that. Modot truck stopped to check it out and recommended to have it towed. Vehicle was towed to honda dealer; said it was an ignition switch defect.
Car was taken in for inspection and told that rear engine mounts need replaced at 71,000 miles. Told repair cost was $940 and not covered by warranty.
My 1996 honda odyssey died several times while stationary and/or driving, including one incident on the highway at high speed. I took it to aaa care plus, got spark plug, spark plug wire set, distributor replaced. It still stall frequently. After doing a google search learned that 1996 odyssey has problem. Other have also reported. Want to know what honda is doing about it as this model was recalled for same problem in china and europe.
Tl*the contact owns a 1996 honda odyssey. While driving 60 MPH, the vehicle shut off in the middle of the interstate and would not restart. The vehicle was towed to a repair facility. There were no warning lights before or after the failure occurred. The mechanic stated that the ignition switch caused the failure and needed to be replaced. The manufacturer has not been notified. The VIN was unavailable. The failure mileage was 197,000
Tl*the contact owns a 1996 honda odyssey. If the contact releases the key after placing it into the ignition, the vehicle shuts off. The dealer stated that the failure was her responsibility. The contact was informed that her VIN was not included in the federal safety agency campaign id number 02v120000 (electrical system:ignition:switch). The current and failure mileages were 145,000.
Compare the 1996 Honda Odyssey
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Other model years
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Questions about the 1996 Honda Odyssey
Is the 1996 Honda Odyssey reliable?
Owners have filed 70 complaints about the 1996 Honda Odyssey, fewer than a typical Odyssey model year.
What is the most common problem with the 1996 Honda Odyssey?
Airbags, with 24 complaints, typically around 105,261 miles. Next is electrical (17).
How many recalls does the 1996 Honda Odyssey have?
No recalls on record.
What year does the Honda Odyssey have bad airbags?
The Honda Odyssey model years with the most airbags complaints are 2003 (131 complaints), 2004 (111 complaints) and 2002 (99 complaints).
What gas mileage does the 1996 Honda Odyssey get?
Official estimates for the 1996 Honda Odyssey range from 19 mpg combined. The most efficient version (2.2L 4-cyl, FWD) gets 18 city and 22 highway.
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