Every recall campaign and owner complaint the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration holds for the 1996 Honda Odyssey. Nothing on this page is written from memory — it is all imported from NHTSA's public database.
NHTSA's recall database returned no campaign filed by Honda itself for the 1996 Odyssey. Aftermarket-equipment campaigns that merely list this vehicle as compatible are excluded from this count.
80 owner complaints on file with NHTSA for the 1996 Odyssey, grouped by the component owners reported. Counts reflect how many owners complained, not how often the fault actually occurs.
| Reported component | Complaints | |
|---|---|---|
| Air Bags 1 crash |
21 | |
| Electrical System 2 fire, 1 injured |
14 | |
| Engine And Engine Cooling | 8 | |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic 1 crash |
8 | |
| Vehicle Speed Control 2 crash, 2 injured |
4 | |
| Visibility | 4 | |
| Seat Belts | 4 | |
| Power Train | 2 | |
| Unknown Or Other | 2 | |
| Air Bags,Unknown Or Other | 1 | |
| Electrical System,Engine | 1 | |
| Service Brakes, Air,Electrical System,Air Bags | 1 |
A complaint is an unverified owner report. It is a signal about where to look, not proof of a defect.
Verbatim excerpts from NHTSA complaint filings on this model year. These are the owners' own words, not our diagnosis, and each one is a single unverified report.
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.
filed 09/02/2014 · ODI 10630084
SRS LIGHT CAME ON AND STAYED ON AT 73522 MI. HONDA DEALER CHECKED ALL CONNECTIONS AND WIRING, ALSO TRIED RE-PROGRAMMING-THAT DID NOT WORK. DEALER SAID THAT AIR BAGS ARE INOPERATIVE, AND THAT A NEW SRS CONTROL UNIT IS NEEDED - AT COST OF OVER $700. THE COST IS PROHIBITIVE FOR US. DEALER SAYS THEY HAVE REPLACED NUMEROUS SRS CONTROL UNITS ON ODYSSEYS. THIS INDICATES A MANUFACTURING DEFECT RENDERING KEY SAFETY SYSTEM INOPERATIVE. THE DEALER INDICATED THAT HONDA HAS NOT ISSUED A RECALL AND DOES NOT ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR FAILURE OF KEY SAFETY COMPONENT DURING NORMAL USE--THE STATED REASON
filed 10/10/2004 · ODI 10093907
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.
filed 06/22/2016 · ODI 10876011
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. *TT
filed 08/07/2011 · ODI 10417876
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. *TR
filed 12/26/2009 · ODI 10297010
COMPLAINED ABOUT A SMALL OIL LEAK WHEN AT DLR FOR OIL CHANGE AT 90000 MI. WAS TOLD THAT CAM SHAFT SEAL WAS LEAKING. OIL LEAK HAD SATURATED TIME BELT. DLR RECOMMENDED REPLACING TIMING BELT DUE TO POSSIBLE FAILURE DUE TO OIL SATURATION. ORIGINAL OWNER, TIMING BELT HAD ALREADY BEEN REPLACED AT 60000 MI AS PART OF REGULAR MAINTENANCE. REPLACED CAMSHAFT SEAL, BALANCER SHAFT SEAL, GEAR SET, TIMING BELT, AND WATER PUMP AT COST OF $866. NOTED OTHER COMPLAINTS ON SITE OF BALANCER SHAFT SEAL PROBLEMS. *JB
filed 01/31/2004 · ODI 10056224
AT 117,000 MILES THE ABS WARNING LIGHT ON OUR 1996 HONDA ODYSSEY CAME ON AND STAYED ON. ALSO, AT THE SAME TIME ABS SYSTEM WOULD IMPROPERLY ENGAGE AT LOW SPEEDS ON DRY PAVEMENT WHEN APPROACHING A STOP. TOOK TO HONDA DEALER, WAS GIVEN DIAGNOSIS THAT ABS CONTROL UNIT HAS FAILED. THE COST OF REPLACEMENT IS $1227 PLUS TAX, WHICH IS PROHIBITIVELY EXPENSIVE. IN MY OPINION THIS UNIT SHOULD LAST THE LIFE OF THE VEHICLE, IT HAS FAILED BECAUSE HONDA PROVIDED A CONTROL UNIT OF POOR QUALITY. EVIDENCED BY THE FACT THAT THIS IS THE SECOND SAFETY-RELATED ELECTRONIC CONTROL UNIT TO COMPLETELY FAIL ON THI
filed 10/18/2004 · ODI 10095989
CONSUMER COMPLAINED ABOUT ABS BRAKE FAILURE. THE ACCUMULATOR WAS LEAKING BRAKE FLUID.*AK
filed 12/18/2003 · ODI 10051795
A recall only matters if it is open on your car. The lists above are for the model year as a whole; the free official lookup below tells you what applies to your specific 17-character VIN.
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NHTSA's recall database returned no campaign filed by Honda for the 1996 Odyssey. That is an absence of records, not a guarantee — always confirm against your own VIN.
The most-reported component is Air Bags with 21 of the 80 owner complaints on file, including 1 reports involving a crash. Complaint counts show where owners report trouble; they are not proof of a defect.
80 complaints with NHTSA for the 1996 Odyssey, spread across 22 reported component groups.
Enter your 17-character VIN at NHTSA's free recall lookup. Recalls are applied per vehicle, so the model-year lists above cannot tell you whether your particular car is covered.