Honda installed a VCM (Variable Cylinder Management) in this engine which shuts down the back three cylinders to save fuel when the car warms up. You’ll know when it kicks in when you see ECO on your dash. When the cylinders shut down it starts an abnormal wear and tear on those cylinders. High oil consumption, fouled plugs, the need to repair the back three cylinders and misfiring of the engine are some of the problems. Honda did repair some vehicles if they experienced rough running and misfiring on those cylinders because they knew the issue was the VCM. However, when my 2009 Honda Odyssey started having those problems in 2024 they wouldn’t fix the problem and stated it was too late to fix the engine. The timeline, according to Honda, had passed to repair the damaged engine. I never received a recall for this known safety issue. The engine would cut out and the engine light would come on and it sputtered down the road on three of the six cylinders. Honda knew this was a problem but they wouldn’t fix my engine. If I had brought it in years earlier they would have fixed the known problem with the VCM but they wouldn’t deactivate the VCM to prevent it from destroying the repaired engine. The price to fix the engine was over $4200. I feel they should have repaired the engine and then deactivated the VCM by bypassing the the temperature sensor to prevent it from going into ECO MODE VCM. The safety of the occupants was at risk due to the lack of acceleration and the ability to drive the vehicle in a normal manner. I feel a safety recall is justified and the sensor should be deactivated to prevent further damage to the engine.
The worst 2009 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.
- Body63
- Engine40
- Brakes21
- Electrical20
- Transmission18
- Fuel system8
- Steering8
- Airbags7
- Suspension7
- Acceleration6
- Seat belts6
- Tires5
- Driver assistance4
- Locks4
- Visibility4
- Wheels4
- Lights3
- Seats2
Specific symptoms reported on the 2009 Honda Odyssey
Check engine light 16Oil consumption 12Door locks 9Misfire 6Sudden acceleration 6Fire or smoke 5Jerking 5Stalling 5
Trouble codes owners of the 2009 Honda Odyssey mention
P3497 2
Recalls 3
Fuel system, gasoline: delivery: fuel pump
- What is wrong
- American Honda Motor Co., Inc. (Honda) is recalling certain 2005-2010 Honda Odyssey vehicles manufactured June 23, 2004, through September 4, 2010. In the affected vehicles, the fuel pump strainer cover may deteriorate allowing fuel to leak out.
- Risk
- A fuel leak increases the risk of a fire.
- Remedy
- Parts to permanently repair the affected vehicles are not currently available. Honda will notify owners with an interim letter during May 2014. A second notice was mailed to owners October 6, 2014 when the remedy became available. Any vehicles that are currently leaking from the fuel pump cover will get a replacement, original cover. All vehicles, including those receiving the interim repair, will get an improved cover when they are available. Owners may contact Honda at 1‑800‑999‑1009. The recall numbers associated with this campaign are JD9 (inspection and/or preliminary part replacement) and JE0 (final parts replacement).
Recall number 14V112000 · Recall details
Structure: body: hatchback/liftgate: support device/strut
- What is wrong
- Honda is recalling certain model year 2008-2009 odyssey vehicles, the gas-filled struts that help to raise and support the liftgate of vehicles equipped with a power liftgate system may be prone to early life failures due to a manufacturing flaw. The flaw can result in a leak of the pressurized gas, leading to reduced strut performance.
- Risk
- Struts with diminished performance can lead to unexpected closure, increasing the risk of personal injury.
- Remedy
- Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace both power liftgate gas struts free of charge. The safety recall began on march 12, 2012. Owners may contact honda customer service at 1‑800‑999‑1009.
Recall number 12V062000 · Recall details
Parking brake: driveline: hydraulic: hoses, lines/piping, and fittings
- What is wrong
- Honda is recalling 421 my 2009 odyssey vehicles. During assembly, incorrect front brake hoses were installed. The brake hose can contact the caliper bolt and over time a hole may develop which will allow brake fluid to leak. This would eventually result in reduced brake system performance.
- Risk
- Drivers would not be aware of brake system failure and braking capability would not be possible, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will inspect both front brake hoses and replace with the correct brake hoses free of charge. The recall began on february 12, 2009. Owners may contact honda at 1‑800‑999‑1009.
Recall number 09V057000 · Recall details
See all 3 recalls for the 2009 Honda Odyssey
Defect investigations
Stabilus Rear Liftgate Struts Failing
Please see the attached closing resume summary.It has been attached to this document as a PDF.
EQ12010
Unexpected Closing of Power Liftgate
The investigation found that the liftgate struts were failing prematurely and at an abnormal rate in certain model year (MY) 2008 Honda Odyssey Touring and 2009 Honda Odyssey Touring and EX-L model vehicles equipped with power-operated rear liftgates (note: MY 2008 Odyssey EX-L was not equipped with a power liftgate).Unlike vehicles with non-powered (manual) liftgates, the subject vehicle's liftgate can be opened automatically (via the power liftgate motor) even when the struts are in a degraded condition and can no longer support it in the open position.Consumers standing or accessing the rear cargo area under the liftgate and expecting the liftgate will stay open, can be struck when the liftgate unexpectedly drops, or can be trapped under the liftgate as it power closes, both of which can occur when the system detects and reacts to degraded struts.By contrast, users of a manual liftgate assist in lifting it, and thus notice the lack of support as the struts degrade.Honda is conducting a recall to replace the liftgate struts in approximately 45,747 MY 2008 and early MY 2009 Odyssey vehicles equipped with power liftgates built before a manufacturing change of the liftgate strut assembly that occurred on January 13, 2009 (see the federal safety agency Safety Recall No. 12V‑062 for further details).The vehicles subject to the recall account for 101 complaints, 12 injuries, and 5,630 of the warranty claims shown above (i.e., the MY 2009 and 2010 vehicles built after the manufacturing change experience lower failure rates).In addition, and based on consumer complaints to the federal safety agency, Odyssey vehicles without power liftgates experience lower complaint and injury rates than the Odyssey vehicles equipped with power liftgates (subject vehicles).The reports cited above can be reviewed online at www-odi.the federal safety agency.dot.gov/owners/Searchreference under the following identification (ODI) numbers:10442027, 10441232, 10437461, 10432557, 10430420, 10429962, 10412908, 10401388, 10395475, 10390216, 10343678, 10336744, 10294156
PE11034
Technical service bulletins for the 2009 Honda Odyssey 58
Bulletins tell dealers how to fix known problems. A warranty extension means the manufacturer pays for that repair for longer.
- Service News
- ServiceNews Article
- There are several A/C leak detection tools available
- These SKUs are Exhaust Manifolds with Catalytic Converters
- Dealer Message
- The front rocker arm oil control valve is leaking.
- Equipment
- Service Bulletin sent to all dealers to inspect L-track bolts for correct torque and to incorporate torque...
- Electrical system: software
- The piston rings on certain cylinders may rotate and align which can lead to spark plug fouling
2009 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5L 6‑cyl | FWD | 16-17 | 23-25 | 18-20 |
What 2009 Honda Odyssey owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
Passenger side slider won’t shut, Driver’s side slider won’t latch. Driver side door suddenly opens when driving!!!! Honda dealer Tech found worn bushing on passenger side center rollers, faulty, driver side, sliding door rear latch, passenger side, outer handle cable popped out. Check installed cable for passenger side outer handle recommended replaced driver side sliding door rear latch assembly estimated $930. Also recommended latch passenger side center rollers estimated 485.
White paint is peeling, chipping and of inferior quality to a black Chevy Trailblazer I own that is 8 years older.
The contact owns a 2009 Honda Odyssey. The contact stated while underneath the vehicle, he became aware that there was severe rust on the muffler. The contact stated that there were flakes on the ground. The contact touched the muffler and put a hole in the plate. The manufacturer and dealer were notified of the failure however, the vehicle was not inspected by an independent mechanic or dealer. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 100,000.
Windshield wipers and also the key fob and the sliding doors as well as the blinkers do not work all at the same time first time it’s ever happened. It was December 8, 2023 and now it happened again in January 29 of 2024 and the issue still persisted when I look this issue up this has been an ongoing issue for many years and yet Honda has done nothing about this and it’s not just the 2009 it’s other years as well as other Hondas from other years as well, it is a defect within the company where they’re doing something that causes these things to go! It is a safety issue as this just happens out of nowhere without any warning while I’m driving. All of a sudden it just happened the first time and I didn’t even realize it until I didn’t hear the clicking and someone said hey your blinkers are not working. Also, the second time it happened happened all over again while I was driving out of nowhere would not work and it was raining as well and I couldn’t see anything and my lights wouldn’t work so it’s definitely a safety issue .
The contact owns a 2009 Honda Odyssey. The contact stated that the front passenger’s side door failed to open. The contact’s handicapped wife was trapped in the vehicle. The contact had to remove the door handle to unlock the door. There were no warning lights illuminated. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 231,438.
Twice during the last year, the bolt securing the drive belt tensioner has broken while driving the vehicle. This results in loss of steering, electrical, and cooling of the engine. The first time the incident occurred on a stretch of rural highway where the lone occupant had to wait for help to arrive. The first date was on May 12, 2022. The second incident took place in an urban area on January 25, 2023. But, with only 8 months in between the incidents, it is apparent there is a problem in this. The original repair in May was accomplished by a Honda dealer.
Transmission gears, while driving gears don't engage properly. It struggles to change gears specifically between 3rd to 4th gear. Also when parked and change to Drive makes a stump noise.
Van was driven at approximately 7:50pm a short distance. After parking vehicle, 10 minutes later the alarm went off. Upon disarming the alarm, the entire engine was engulfed in flames. Van is maintained regularly, no check engine light indicating any issues with vehicle. Entire engine caught fire. Fire dept extinguished fire. No comprehensive insurance so no inspection to cause of actual fire. Neighbors Ring camera shows alarm going off and as soon as it was disarmed, engine completely engulfed in flames. This video was sent to fire dept for their report. Vehicle still sitting where it caught fire, in front of my residence. I have yet to get it towed or inspected.
Vibration between 30-40 mph is usually caused by axles of this car, 06-09 models, that might have safe issue in long run.
Compare the 2009 Honda Odyssey
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Other model years
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Questions about the 2009 Honda Odyssey
Is the 2009 Honda Odyssey reliable?
Owners have filed 198 complaints about the 2009 Honda Odyssey, fewer than a typical Odyssey model year.
What is the 2009 Honda Odyssey year score?
The 2009 Honda Odyssey scores 81 out of 100 (good). The score compares it with the other model years of the Honda Odyssey: 75 is a typical year, 50 means twice the usual complaints, and serious complaints and recalls lower it.
What is the most common problem with the 2009 Honda Odyssey?
Body and structure, with 63 complaints, typically around 65,000 miles. Next is engine (40).
How many recalls does the 2009 Honda Odyssey have?
3 recalls, covering fuel system, gasoline, structure and parking brake.
Was there a recall on the 2009 Honda Odyssey body?
Yes, 1 recall: 12V062000. Check your VIN to see if your car still needs the free repair.
What year does the Honda Odyssey have the most body problems?
The Honda Odyssey model years with the most body complaints are 2005 (138 complaints), 2007 (134 complaints) and 2008 (123 complaints).
What gas mileage does the 2009 Honda Odyssey get?
Official estimates for the 2009 Honda Odyssey range from 18 to 20 mpg combined. The most efficient version (3.5L 6-cyl, FWD) gets 16-17 city and 23-25 highway.
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