2015 Honda Odyssey Engine Problems

Your 2015 Honda Odyssey may experience engine misfires and loss of power due to piston ring deterioration and oil fouling — a condition Honda has acknowledged through a warranty extension. You had this problem repaired with a spark plug replacement before the warranty extension was issued, but Honda is refusing to reimburse you because you didn't replace the piston rings or engine block as specified in their campaign. Honda says they won't perform the covered repair unless the misfire code is currently active, which means you may need to wait for the problem to happen again — potentially after the warranty coverage expires.

Your engine has piston ring deterioration that causes misfires, which Honda initially offered a warranty extension to cover. However, Honda denied your claim for repair reimbursement. This is a safety issue because your car can't accelerate properly to merge onto highways safely. The repair will likely involve removing the engine to replace the damaged piston rings.

Your check engine light started flashing while driving at night, and a mechanic found a misfire in cylinder #1. The dealer diagnosed that both your spark plugs and piston rings needed replacement to fix the problem. The repairs were completed, but Honda determined the failure wasn't covered under warranty.

Your engine developed a rough idle and poor acceleration without warning while stopped at a traffic light, with your children in the car. A mechanic diagnosed that your spark plugs were misfiring due to oil buildup from a faulty piston ring valve, a problem your mechanic said is common in Odysseys. Honda has refused to cover the repair under a warranty extension they sent you, claiming they need the check engine light to be on and specific diagnostic codes to appear before they'll authorize the work—even though your mechanic documented the issue with pictures and codes. The repair will likely require replacing the piston rings and spark plugs, with a permanent fix costing around $5,000 or a temporary spark plug replacement lasting 6-8 months.

Your engine is experiencing frequent misfires (7 in 4 years) caused by carbon buildup and oil leaking past the piston rings — a known issue Honda has acknowledged. Honda attempted to repair the piston rings but the problem persisted, requiring additional spark plug and coil replacements. While Honda extended the warranty in July 2025 to cover misfires for 10 years or 150,000 miles from the original purchase date, they have denied your reimbursement request for the repairs you've already paid for out of pocket. Resolving this may require pursuing a warranty claim under the extended coverage or escalating your case with Honda Customer Service.

Your engine's cylinder 1 has misfired twice in the past month due to spark plugs fouled with oil, which also caused ignition coil problems. When this happened while driving at highway speeds, your vehicle went into limp mode with a flashing check engine light and disabled safety features like forward collision monitoring and lane departure warning. The mechanic found diagnostic code P0301 both times. This may be related to known issues with your 3.5L engine's VCM system that can cause oil to leak into the cylinders. Repair will likely involve replacing the fouled spark plugs and ignition coil pack, and possibly addressing the underlying oil leak source.

Cylinders misfire due to leaky cylinder rings. Causes car to ride rough / shake violently. Needs to replace spark plugs, which were completely fouled out with oil. We have needed to have this car towed multiple times and make repeat repairs.

The contact owns a 2015 Honda Odyssey. The contact stated while driving 55 MPH, the vehicle began to lose power upon the depression of the accelerator pedal. A warning message appeared on the instrument panel that instructed the contact to take the vehicle to a dealer for service. The contact initially took the vehicle to a dealer but due to a high volume of customers, the dealer could not service the vehicle. The next day, the vehicle was taken to a second dealer where a diagnostic test was performed that showed a piston ring failure had caused the engine oil to contaminate the spark plugs which led to an engine misfire. The dealer replaced the spark plugs, piston rings, and cylinder rings in cylinders number 1, 2, and 3. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was repaired. The failure mileage was 133,597.

Honda's variable cylinder management (VCM) system puts inordinate wear on engine cylinders that causes the vehicle to shake and misfire and eventually shut down the engine. It causes spark plug and cylinder coil failures and cylinder damage. This is not due to age, misuse or lack of proper maintenance. The VCM causes engine build up as a normal course of action. This is a known issue that Honda has never communicated to owners of these vehicles. Model years 2011-2013 had the same issue. Honda has offered no recourse, or even communication, to owners of 2014-2017 Odysseys with the exact same VCM (VCM2) mechanism and the same wear and tear on the engine. You can read more about the issues these vehicles have and how common this is here: [XXX] Honda dealerships will replace your cylinder rings (at a HIGH cost) but this does not fix or prevent the issue from recurring. Our vehicle had this work done at 77K miles, but it does not stop the VCM from causing build up and malfunctioning again in the future. Families like ours buy these vans because they are supposed to have reliable engines, and be safe for their families. They sold 450K model year 2014-2017 Honda Odysseys and this effects EVERY one of them on the road today. This is a consumer issue AND a safety issue. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

At 87,000 miles the piston valves failed in my 2015 Odyssey. Safety was put at risk as the spark plugs would fail due to oil leaking from the piston valves and the engine would flash all the lights and run super hard. Unable to drive it for 1 mile after the spark plugs failed. After the 2nd spark plug failure, a dealership confirmed the issue was the piston valves. 2 Honda dealerships confirmed that this is a known issue with Odysseys, Pilots and Accords and they have multiple vehicles in weekly to address this issue. Honda has had recalls on prior year Odysseys 2008-2013 for the piston valves but does not do anything to recognize this issue remains with the 2014-2017 vehicles. In 2018 the engine/build of the Odysseys changed and the piston valves are not an issue for that year and up.

The contact owns a 2015 Honda Odyssey. The contact stated that while pulling out of the parking space, the vehicle RPM had increased while the brake pedal had been depressed. As a result, the vehicle crashed into another vehicle in the lot. The rpm had continued to increase even with the vehicle being in the park position. The air bags did not deploy. No warning light was illuminated. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to an auto collision center. The driver was injured. No one outside of the vehicle was injured. The contact sustained back, neck, pelvic, and head inquiries that required medical attention. The doctor provided shots and medicine for the pain. The vehicle had not been diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 159,000. VIN not provided.

My 2015 Honda Odyssey has suffered a well known and common engine problem. It currently has 92000 miles on it the engine is being rebuilt by a Honda service department at MY expense. This engine (3.5L) is leaking oil into the combustion chamber in cylinder #3. It has caused a misfire and the inability to maintain speed or control of the vehicle. this has occurred several times and now we are being told that cylinders 1-3 need to be rebuilt, along with some head components that have burned and fouled. When these misfires have ocurred, multiple warning lights (check engine) come on. This is a well known fault with this engine. Honda extended warranties on vehicles with this engine through model year 2013, however they are not covering this issue and it clearly hasn't been resolved.

Piston rings allowed oil to enter a combustion cylinder, resulting in misfiring and lack of power. The inability to accelerate was a potential hazard. The vehicle was taken to the dealership and they diagnosed the problem. Internet reports suggest that this is a known problem with this vehicle. The check engine light came on about a month earlier, but the light went off and stayed off until the event that led to the trip to the dealership.

I own a 2015 Honda Odyssey EX-L purchased new at the Pacific Honda dealership in San Diego, CA. I wrote to American Honda Motor Co. requesting a partial reimbursement for the cost of significant engine repair work required on my Odyssey over the Christmas holiday, even though the car was well-maintained and had only been driven for 88,700 miles. Specifically, on or about December 14, 2022, my wife was driving our Odyssey with our two young children when the car began shaking and became difficult to drive, the check engine light began blinking, and numerous other warning lights flashed on the dashboard. My wife stopped the car and we reviewed the owner’s manual and learned that the blinking check engine light and other warnings could indicate a critical malfunction, and that the car should not be driven and should be taken to a dealership. We immediately contacted our local Honda dealership, Pacific Honda, and had the car towed, at a cost of approximately $100, to this dealership. The dealership (where the engine repair work was done) said my car needed an “engine rebuild” because the piston rings needed to be replaced and charged me $6,000 for the repairs, despite the car’s relatively low mileage. During the engine repair process, which spanned weeks and ruined my family’s Christmas holiday, multiple employees at the dealership repeatedly admitted that this engine problem was a “common” and “known issue,” and my brief research showed that this same engine problem has been the subject of a class action and recall in the past. In addition, online forums indicate that numerous Odysseys from 2014 through 2016 or later continue to have piston ring, fouled spark plug, and related problems potentially tied to the Variable Cylinder Management system.

Began to accelerate onto I-70 west (on-ramp) and the engine began shaking and lost compression to accelerate quickly to merge into the right lane. The engine icon light was blinking and I had to remain on the far right side of I-70 because I could not get up to speed (70MPH). It did not break down but had to drive at speeds below the minimum speed limit. I took the vehicle to the dealership where I purchased it and was told oil had breached and caused the spark plug oil fouled. It required a RING/PISTON job, all new spark plugs, timing belts, O-rings, manifold gaskets, water pump, drive belts, and coolant. Honda responded and would not provide financial assistance. Total cost $5072.67

Several times in recent years my car will start sputtering and misfire, losing significant power. Last time I was getting onto the freeway and it was quite dangerous as I was unable to accelerate sufficiently. My engine light also went on. The Honda dealership diagnosed the problem as a problem with the pistons, which needed replacing at a cost of some $4,000. The dealership shared that they were aware of this problem and that Honda had a newly designed piston to replace it. This seems to be the same problem covered by a RECALL for Honda Odyssey's 2011-2013 - but it does not cover my 2015 model. I am attaching info on the recall (Soto et al v. Amer. Honda Motor Co, Case No. 3:12-cv-1377-SI)

The contact owns a 2015 Honda Odyssey. The contact stated while driving approximately 35 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be diagnosed. The mechanic informed the contact of spark plugs and oil contamination causing engine damage. The contact stated that a temporary repair was performed however, the failure recurred. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 88,652.

Piston rings in cylinders 1-3 failed and allow oil to foul spark plugs and causes misfires. Same issue they have on the older models and subject to class action suit. TSB has been released, but repair charge for this continued design flaw estimated over $4000. 140,791 miles, services maintained. A search of the Honda blogs show this to be a continuing issue for many owners.

The Spool Valve leak oil onto the alternator causing the battery not be recharged and the car powering off and shutting down on the highway. This happened on my way from Kansas City Kansas. With the electrical unit completely shut down due to oil leak from the spool valve that caused the alternator to short circuit, my car slowed down from 65 mph to a halt in less than 10 seconds. Luckily enough I was at an exit and hence maneuvered the car to safety. Had I been on a bridge or narrow road with no shoulder, it could have led to potentially deathly situation. Took My car to a Honda dealer in davenport, where I was told the cause was a spool valve leak that is very common with Honda Odysseys built from 2010 to 2018. The issue was not inspected by the police nor my insurance. There was no warning other than my battery light that came on the dash board. The light came on 20 minutes prior to the car shutting down.

CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON UPON STARTING VEHICLE. VEHICLE WAS STATIONARY AND IN PARK. OBD READER SHOWS CYLINDER 3 MISFIRE. MECHANIC REPORTS FOULED PLUG AND OIL CONTROL ISSUES DUE TO VCM. ALL MAINTENANCE PERFORMED ON SCHEDULE BY ASE CERTIFIED MECHANIC. VEHICLE HAS 73000 MILES.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2015 HONDA ODYSSEY. WHILE PULLING IN THE GARAGE, THE VEHICLE CAUGHT FIRE. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE. THE CONTACT HAD NO RECOLLECTION OF A POLICE REPORT BEING FILED. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT STATED THAT THE FIREWALL WAS THE CAUSE OF THE FIRE. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOT CONTACTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN. *BF *TR

FIRE STARTED IN ENGINE COMPARTMENT AND ENGULFED FRONT END OF VEHICLE WITHIN 10 MINS. VEHICLE HAD JUST BEEN PARKED IN DRIVEWAY OF HOME AFTER BEING DRIVEN FOR APPROXIMATELY 1 HOUR. MY WIFE NOTICED THE SMELL OF SMOKE UPON EXITING VEHICLE AND WHEN I OPENED THE HOOD THERE WERE FLAMES VISIBLE AT THE BACK OF THE ENGINE.

LESS THAN 2 YEAR OLD HONDA ODYSSEY IN PERFECT CONDITION. FOR NO REASON CHARCOAL CANISTER SENSOR FAILED AND CAUSE THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ON. AT THE SAME TIME TAIL LIGHT BULB IS OUT.

WHEN I PULLED UP TO A PARKING SPOT AND TOOK MY FOOT OFF THE GAS PEDDLE AND PLACED IT ON THE BREAK THE ENGINE STARTED TO ACCELERATE AND ENGINE RPM'S CLIMBED ABOUT 1000 RPM'S. THE CAR'S TRANSMISSION WAS STILL IN DRIVE (D). I HAD TO FORCE THE TRANSMISSION INTO PARK (P) AND PUSH THE START/STOP BUTTON TO SHUT THE ENGINE OFF. THIS INCIDENT ALMOST CAUSED ME TO REAR END A PARKED CAR.