2009 Honda Odyssey: misfire or rough idle

Filed Aug 25, 2025 · Transmission · MO

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.

Filed Aug 13, 2018 · Engine · 112,805 miles · MI

3.5l v6 engine misfire, plugs fouling, piston ring replacement as part of the class action settlement for engine misfire, honda corp issued a service bulletin to update the PCM software and replace the affected spark plugs. This remedy does not fix the problem. Recognizing the original remedy was not affective, honda corp issued a service bulletin to extend engine warranty to 8 years or 125,000 miles whichever it comes first. For my specific case, the first time this problem occurred while driving in aug 2014 with 57,486 miles (mil light on, engine stumbles, loss of power), the honda dealership serviced my vehicle by following the service bulletin to update the PCM software and replace the affected spark plugs. The 2nd time this problem occurred in apr 2018 while driving with 112,805 miles (mil light on, rough idle, vibrates excessively while driving), the honda dealership charged me a fee in excess of $619 to replace foul plugs and v tec switches. The 3rd time this issue occurred while driving on aug 2018 with 112,805 (mil light on, vehicle vibrates excessively while driving, loss of power and stumble), the honda dealership is charging me over $1100 to replace piston rings and affected foul plugs. This is a safety issue when the engine is losing power and vibrates excessively while driving. The service bulletin and the extended warranty does not resolve the problem completely and leave the customers with a large cost to repair for something that should be resolved. A safety recall is strongly recommended for the affected vehicles with 3.5l v6 engines. Many customers are at risk while driving their vehicles with loss of power, stumbles, vibrates excessively, as well as many angry customers are demanding action to resolve this issue completely.

Filed Jan 8, 2018 · Engine · 105,000 miles · TX

In fall 2016, the dealership addressed a misfire engine reading on my van. I had taken it in at least two other times because of sluggish acceleration or vehicle dying while at a stop. In spring 2017, the van became disabled at an intersection and it was found that the cause was the same misfire code. According to honda's the federal safety agency id number: 10099308 manufacturer communication number: we - a13-080, this repair would have been covered. But because of this extended warranty's 8yr from date of purchase timeframe, honda corp. Denied my repairs because it was three months out of the 8yr extended warranty. I communicated with honda back and forth urging them to fix the van especially since the repair had been address before and it was three months out of their class action agreement. Ultimately, they denied coverage of any repairs.

Filed Nov 17, 2016 · Engine · 146,950 miles · VA

During driving in the city or on the highway I've been having an engine misfire with spark plug fouling causing problems resulting in a catalytic converter and o2 sensor replacement. My van is still in the shop and has to be towed to a dealer 46 miles away to see if they can get it to stop spewing oil into the combustion chamber.

Filed Oct 3, 2015 · Engine · CA

Engine burns excessive amount oil without any warning lights. Slowing eating up the camshaft and valve rocker arm. Casing misfire to the engine and eventually engine stops working. Mine did not have the engine stop, but local mechanic verifies that there is a excessive wear to the camshaft units

Filed Aug 13, 2013 · Electrical, Engine · 88,333 miles · FL

On may 12, 2012, I was driving about 50 MPH when the van started to sputter. I came to a red light and the car acted as if it were about to cut off. The check engine light started blinking along with the vsa light. It rode very rough all the way to the closest honda dealership as I was not in my hometown. They informed me that one of the spark plugs needed to be replaced. I went ahead and replaced all of them to the tune of $308.23. On november 23, 2012, I was driving about 60 MPH when the same thing happened. The mileage was 105,001. Again, I was out of town and drove the car to the nearest honda dealership. They said the #3 spark plug had fouled out. I told them to replace only the #3 plug. On my receipt it says, "retrieved code p0303...misfire #3 cylinder...found spark plug fouled out. Possible faulty valve seals...replaced spark plug and performed PCM software update." that cost me $138.76. On the drive home the air conditioning started to act up. It would run but sometimes it was cold and sometimes the air was not. On november 24, 2012, I took the car to the honda dealership that I normally use. They couldn't figure out what was wrong with the air conditioning except for a dirty cabin filter. They replaced it and charged me $131.97. However, they said my brakes were worn out. That cost $359.68. Then there was the brake fluid exchange, transmission fluid exchange, and power steering flush. All in all the visit cost me $1049.61. Funny, on november 19, 2012, I had taken the van in for an oil change and they did a courtesy inspection. No mention of brake problem. November 26, 2012, car dead, wouldn't start. They replaced the battery under warranty. December 3, 2012, car dead again. Invoice reads, "A/C clutch relay stuck killing battery making A/C compressor run even when A/C off." fixed for free due to all the problems.