2012 Honda Odyssey reliability

Is it reliable?

NHTSA's file on the 2012 Honda Odyssey holds 245 complaints after 15 years, a rate of 23 per year. Odyssey years here cluster close together — the other years’ median is 24 complaints per year. NHTSA has 5 recalls on file, including Middle or rear assembly, Automatic transmission, and Air bags.

Honda Odyssey, 2012–2015 body — Photo by Navigator84, resized from the original. Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 3.0

Complaints

245

Per year

Recalls

Years on the road

What owners report

The complaints owners file most often name Service brakes (58 of 245), then Engine (39) and Electrical system (37). Complaints that include an odometer have a median of 40,752 miles, and the middle half falls between 15,000 and 72,000 miles. Those filings include 14 that report a crash, 6 that report a fire, and 19 that report an injury.

Next to 2013

The 2013 Odyssey has 210 complaints, 20 per year. The 2012 has more complaints per year than the 2013.

The complaint rate is complaints filed in this year’s first 3 years on the road, divided by however many of those years have passed. Recalls are a separate count. The numbers are for the US-market 2012 Honda Odyssey. How we count. Data as of 2026-10-16.

Recalls (5)

Recall seats, middle or rear assembly 2017-11-17 · NHTSA campaign 17V725000

Summary 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.

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.

Vehicles affected 806,936

Recall seats, middle or rear assembly 2016-12-27 · NHTSA campaign 16V933000

Summary 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.

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.

Vehicles affected 633,753

Recall powertrain, automatic transmission 2013-04-15 · NHTSA campaign 13V143000

Summary 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."

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.

Vehicles affected 204,169

Recall Air bags 2013-01-18 · NHTSA campaign 13V016000

Summary 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.

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.

Vehicles affected 748,481

Recall suspension, front 2011-12-22 · NHTSA campaign 11V602000

Summary 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.

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.

Vehicles affected 9

NHTSA's count is every vehicle in that campaign. A campaign can cover other model years and other models.

Complaints by component (245 total)

Service brakes

Engine

Electrical system

Structure

Powertrain

Steering

Seats

Speed control

Fuel and propulsion system

Air bags

Seat belts

Exterior lighting

Wheels

Engine and engine cooling

Tires

Suspension

Visibility and wipers

Visibility

Adaptive and mobility equipment

Air brakes

Electronic stability control (ESC)

Equipment

Hydraulic brakes

Latches, locks, and linkages

Show 16 more Show less

Crash-flagged

Fire-flagged

Injury reports

Death reports

Of the 187 complaints that include an odometer reading, the median is 40,752 miles. The middle half fall between 15,000 and 72,000 miles.

Complaints filed per year

Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings

"My vehicle electrical system has been acting up since I got vehicle and I don't know where to take vehicle for recent recalls to fix it."
Electrical system, Seats · filed 2026-09-20
"The contact owns a 2012 Honda Odyssey. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked or while driving at undisclosed speeds, the clock on the vehicle was flashing, causing a distraction to the driver while…"
Electrical system · filed 2026-09-11
"The contact owns a 2012 Honda Odyssey. The contact stated that while starting the vehicle and while driving at an undisclosed speed, the radio screen displayed "0:00", and the navigation system was inoperable. The…"
Electrical system, Equipment · filed 2026-09-09
"I own a Honda Odyssey equipped with the Auto Idle Stop (automatic engine start-stop) system. The feature has not operated properly and behaves inconsistently. In addition to frequently failing to engage when the vehicle…"
Electrical system · filed 2026-08-11
"piston rings wore out prematurely on our 2012 honda odyssey. this was caused by the vcm system. its a known issue on hondas. it only had 88,600 miles at the time. we were driving our 2012 honda odyssey in december 2023.…"
Powertrain · filed 2026-05-16

NHTSA crash ratings

Version	Overall	Front	Side	Rollover
2012 Honda Odyssey VAN FWD	5 stars	5 stars	5 stars	4 stars

Stars are how this vehicle did in NHTSA crash tests. They are a safety result, separate from the complaint record. Not rated means that test was not run for this version.

Fuel economy

Trim	Engine	Transmission	Drive	City	Hwy	Combined	Annual fuel cost
Odyssey	3.5L, 6-cyl	Automatic 5-speed	Front-wheel drive	18	27	21 MPG	$3100
Odyssey	3.5L, 6-cyl	Automatic 6-speed	Front-wheel drive	19	27	22 MPG	$2950

Specs and fitment

4th generation, 2011–2017

Body styles Minivan

Oil 0W-20 , 4.5 qt capacity

Tire size P235/65R17 (LX/EX/EX-L) to P235/60R18 (Touring)

Towing capacity 3,500 lbs

Known issues for this generation

Certain 2011-2012 Odyssey Touring and Touring Elite models have a documented torque-converter lock-up-clutch judder felt between about 20 and 45 mph. Honda's fix is a software update for the transmission plus a fluid replacement, and the company extended the torque-converter warranty for affected vehicles to 8 years from the original purchase date or 105,000 miles, whichever comes first (Service Bulletins 16-046 and 16-052).

Compare

Next year 2013 Honda Odyssey See every Honda Odyssey model year →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2012 Honda Odyssey reliable?

What are common problems with a 2012 Honda Odyssey?

Is the 2012 Honda Odyssey more reliable than the years next to it?

The 2013 Odyssey has 210 complaints, 20 per year. The 2012 has more complaints per year than the 2013.

Has the 2012 Honda Odyssey been recalled?

The 2012 Honda Odyssey has 5 recalls on file with NHTSA. See the recalls table on this page for dates, components, and remedies.

How many complaints have owners filed about the 2012 Honda Odyssey?

Owners have filed 245 complaints about the 2012 Honda Odyssey with NHTSA.

What mpg does a 2012 Honda Odyssey get?

EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the 2012 Honda Odyssey is 21.5 MPG. See the fuel economy table on this page for city and highway figures by engine and transmission.

What oil does a Honda Odyssey take?

US Odysseys in both generations tracked here use 0W-20 (about 4.5 qt on 4th gen; about 5.7 qt on 5th gen with filter).

Does recall 20V-437 cover the Honda Odyssey?

Certain 2018-2020 Odysseys (Honda A88) are covered for power sliding doors: water can enter the outer door-handle cable assemblies; dealers inspect and repair as directed.

What generation is the 2019 Honda Odyssey?

5th generation (2018 onward). 2011-2017 are 4th generation in this catalog.