2012 Honda Odyssey problems

What is wrong

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.

Recall number 17V725000 · Recall details

What is wrong

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.

Recall number 16V933000 · Recall details

What is wrong

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.

Recall number 13V143000 · Recall details

What is wrong

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.

Recall number 13V016000 · Recall details

What is wrong

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.

Recall number 11V602000 · Recall details

The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) has completed its review of a Petition dated May 30, 2026. The Petition requested an investigation into inadvertent air bag deployment in model year (MY) 2011-2017 Honda Odyssey vehicles. The Petition contended 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 alleged that the Diagnostic Trouble Codes (DTCs) and Supplemental Restraint System (SRS) conflict and inaccurate data is being recorded for the air bag system. An air bag is a supplemental vehicle occupant restraint system that deploys a cushion designed to inflate in milliseconds during a collision. The cushion prevents vehicle occupants from striking hard interior surfaces and, in some cases, exterior surfaces. Air bags are designed to work in conjunction with seat belts, the primary occupant restraint system. Seat belts restrain occupants keeping them in place for the air bag to provide proper protection and to mitigate injury from air bag deployment. An air bag system consists of an air bag cushion, an inflator module, an air bag Electronic Control Unit (ECU), and impact sensors. When a crash begins, impact sensors located on the vehicle exterior begin to measure impact severity. If a crash is severe enough, the sensors send a signal to the system’s ECU, which then signals the inflator to fill the air bag. ODI reviewed 9 Vehicle Owner Questionnaires (VOQs), one Early Warning Reporting (EWR) Death & Injury (D&I) report, and several TREAD (Transportation Recall Enhancement, Accountability, and Documentation) Field Reports alleging inadvertent air bag deployment in the Subject Vehicles. Several complaints allege that the inadvertent deployment of air bags occurred while traveling over potholes, road debris, or during minor curb strikes. All the complaints allege that there was no warning prior to the inadvertent deployment. In general, different types of air bags are designed for different types of impacts. For instance, frontal air bags are generally designed to deploy during frontal impacts; side curtain air bags are generally designed to deploy both during rollovers and impacts to the sides of the vehicle; and side thorax air bags are generally designed to deploy during impacts to the sides of the vehicle. While these are broad categories of crash scenarios, the specific conditions under which deployment is intended are multifaceted and dependent on complex algorithms. Differences in particular variables can make a deployment an intended part of the design in one scenario and not in another similar scenario. Although the reports described above all contain allegations of inadvertent deployment, the conditions under which those reported deployments occurred differ widely. The reports ranged different types of air bags, different combinations of air bags, and different driving scenarios preceding the deployment. Based on the data available to ODI, there is no clear pattern or factor to prompt the alleged inadvertent deployments. Thus, ODI’s review did not identify a trend of a vehicle defect regarding any type of air bag in the Subject Vehicles. Moreover, ODI did not identify any reports of inadvertent air bag deployment that resulted in a loss of vehicle control. ODI is likewise not aware of any crashes or severe injuries involving the Subject Vehicles that resulted from inadvertent deployment of the air bags. ODI recognizes that inadvertent air bag deployments can create dangerous safety hazards. For instance, an inadvertent deployment can surprise a driver, leading to a loss of vehicle control; or if an inadvertent deployment occurs when an occupant is out of position, the force of the deployment may injure the occupant. Inadvertent deployments have been the basis for past the federal safety agency recalls and investigations. Here, the Petition cites one such recall: Recall 26V‑227, which concerns inadvertent deployment of the side curtain and thoracic air bags in MY 2018 to 2022 Honda Odyssey vehicles (the “Recalled Vehicles”) due to the air bag ECU containing incorrect deployment parameters. Although this recall involved Honda Odyssey vehicles in adjacent model years to the Odyssey vehicles that are the subject of this Petition, ODI understands certain key differences to exist between the two groups of Odyssey models. Honda introduced a new generation of the Odyssey line in 2018. This new generation involved a large-scale redesign and a new vehicle platform compared to the previous model years. As a result, the vehicles covered by the Petition differ from the recalled vehicles in many characteristics, including physical dimensions, engines, transmissions, and air bag ECU algorithms. Given these differences, ODI’s review has not identified evidence that the reports of inadvertent deployment in the Odyssey models covered by the Petition correlate to Recall 26V‑227. After thoroughly assessing the material submitted by the Petitioner, consumer complaint information in the federal safety agency’s databases, and other relevant information already in possession of the Agency, the federal safety agency has not found sufficient evidence to indicate that a trend of inadvertent air bag deployments as alleged by the Petitioner is likely to present a safety related defect that would warrant a formal investigation. After full consideration of the available information the Petition is denied. A denial report will be posted in the Federal Register. The closing of the Petition does not constitute a finding by the federal safety agency that a safety related defect does not exist, and the agency reserves the right to take additional action if warranted by future circumstances. The Petition can be viewed at under ODI Number 11744118.

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