1996 HONDA ODYSSEY Electrical System Problems

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.

Mileage: 200,000

WAS WAITING IN THE LEFT TURN LANE TO MAKE THE TURN, LIGHT TURNED GREEN AND WHEN TRYING TO MAKE THE TURN, VEHICLE STALLED SUDDENLY WITHOUT ANY NOTICE OR ENGINE PROBLEMS. A FAMILY MEMBER WAS PRESENT IN THE CAR WHEN THIS HAPPENED. HAVE HAD ENGINE STALL AFTER STARTING BEFORE AND HAD THE BATTERY CHECKED. NO ISSUES WERE NOTED WITH ANYTHING BEFORE THIS SUDDEN STALL IN TRAFFIC. HAVE RESEARCHED AND FOUND NUMEROUS SIMILAR COMPLAINTS WITH HONDA VEHICLES AND IGNITION SWITCH PROBLEMS WITH SAME RESULTS ABOUT VEHICLE STALLING IN TRAFFIC WITHOUT ANY SIGNS OF THE STALLING ABOUT TO OCCUR. *TR

Mileage: 165,800

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

Mileage: 205,094

HONDA ODYSSEY LX 1996 WOULD NOT START IN A PARKING LOT SO I CALLED FOR A TOWING SERVICE. TOWING SERVICE TRIED TO UNLOCK ENGINE USING DOOR LOCK TRICK AND THE ENGINE STARTED. TWO DAYS LATER THE ENGINE DIED WHILE ON THE HIGHWAY. I HAD TO COAST TO AN EXIT RAMP, AND IT WOULD NOT START AT ALL AFTER THAT. MODOT TRUCK STOPPED TO CHECK IT OUT AND RECOMMENDED TO HAVE IT TOWED. VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO HONDA DEALER; SAID IT WAS AN IGNITION SWITCH DEFECT. *KB

Mileage: 157,400

HONDA ODYSSEY LX 1996 WOULD NOT START IN A PARKING LOT SO I CALLED FOR A TOWING SERVICE. TOWING SERVICE TRIED TO UNLOCK ENGINE USING DOOR LOCK TRICK AND THE ENGINE STARTED. TWO DAYS LATER THE ENGINE DIED WHILE ON THE HIGHWAY. I HAD TO COAST TO AN EXIT RAMP, AND IT WOULD NOT START AT ALL AFTER THAT. MODOT TRUCK STOPPED TO CHECK IT OUT AND RECOMMENDED TO HAVE IT TOWED. VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO HONDA DEALER; SAID IT WAS AN IGNITION SWITCH DEFECT. *KB

Mileage: 157,400

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1996 HONDA ODYSSEY. WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH, THE VEHICLE SHUT OFF IN THE MIDDLE OF THE INTERSTATE AND WOULD NOT RESTART. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A REPAIR FACILITY. THERE WERE NO WARNING LIGHTS BEFORE OR AFTER THE FAILURE OCCURRED. THE MECHANIC STATED THAT THE IGNITION SWITCH CAUSED THE FAILURE AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER HAS NOT BEEN NOTIFIED. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 197,000

Mileage: 197,000

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1996 HONDA ODYSSEY. IF THE CONTACT RELEASES THE KEY AFTER PLACING IT INTO THE IGNITION, THE VEHICLE SHUTS OFF. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE FAILURE WAS HER RESPONSIBILITY. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT HER VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 02V120000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH). THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 145,000.

Mileage: 145,000

VEHICLE BEGAN HAVING STARTING PROBLEMS - WOULD CRANK BUT NOT ALWAYS CATCH AND RUN. THEN ENGINE STOPPED WHILE DRIVING SEVERAL TIMES, AN UNSAFE SITUATION. FINALLY WOULD NOT START AGAIN. REPLACED IGNITION SWITCH, WORKS FINE. NOTED THAT SIMILAR (MODEL, YEAR) VEHICLES IN AUSTRALIA AND JAPAN HAD THE IGNITION SWITCH RECALLED FOR SAME SYMPTOMS - IS THERE A LINK? *TR

Mileage: 110,000

JULY 2002, I TOOK MY ODYSSEY TO A HONDA DEALER BECAUSE I WAS HAVING SEVERAL ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS: 1. MY SRS LIGHT CAME ON AND WOULDN'T GO OFF. 2. MY ABS LIGHT HAD ALSO BEGUN TO GO ON AND OFF. 3. MY POWER LOCKS WOULD LOCK UNCONTROLLABLY AND DRAIN BATTERY. I ASKED THEM TO TAKE A LOOK. AFTER $160 DIAGNOSTIC CHARGE, I WAS TOLD THE FOLLOWING: CODE 8-3 PRESENT ON SRS. CLEARED CODE AND TEST DROVE. LIGHT REMAINED OFF FOR DRIVE. SUGGEST REPLACING AIRBAG IF LIGHT COMES ON AGAIN. PROBABLY A SENSOR PROBLEM. COST $748 CODE 44 PRESENT ON ABS. RIGHT REAR WHEEL SPEED SENSOR IS FAULTY. SUGGEST REPLACING SENSOR. COST $283 ELECTRONIC LOCKS NEED NEW LOCK UNIT. COST $256 I WAS SHOCKED THAT REPAIRS WOULD COST ANOTHER $1300. AFTER DISCUSSING THESE PROBLEMS WITH THE DEALER AND BEING TOLD THE ISSUES WERE PROBABLY ALL SENSOR MALFUNCTIONS, I OPTED NOT TO PAY FOR REPAIRS. JUST AFTER DRIVING OFF, MY SRS AND ABS LIGHTS CAME BACK ON AND HAVE REMAINED ON EVER SINCE. NOW, AFTER SEEING THE NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS BY OTHER ODYSSEY OWNERS AND LEARNING THAT THE AIRBAGS MAY ACTUALLY NOT WORK, I AM REPORTING MY EXPERIENCE AS WELL... I JUST BOUGHT A CHEVY.

Mileage: 105,261

IN THE PAST 2 MONTHS MY 1996 HONDA ODYSSEY DIED NUMEROUS TIMES WHILE STATIONARY AND 3 TIMES WHILE DRIVING, INCLUDING 2 INCIDENTS ON THE HIGHWAY AT HIGH SPEED IN RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC ON A BUSY HIGHWAY. I WAS ABLE TO RECOGNIZE THE POWER FAILURE AND REACT QUICKLY ENOUGH TO GET OFF THE ROAD AND AVOID BEING RAMMED INTO BY OTHER VEHICLES, BUT IT WAS A FRIGHTENING AND DANGEROUS SITUATION. AFTER THE FIRST EPISODE ON THE HIGHWAY, I TOOK IT TO MY LOCAL MECHANIC, WHO SUSPECTED EITHER A FUEL LINE PROBLEM OR IGNITION SWITCH PROBLEM, BUT GIVEN THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DEAD, THEY COULD NOT IDENTIFY THE PROBLEM WITH CERTAINTY. ON JANUARY 3, 2007 THE CAR DIED WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY, AND I HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED BACK TO MY LOCAL MECHANIC. THEY WERE ABLE TO DETERMINE THAT THE PROBLEM WAS A FAULTY IGNITION SWITCH. IT IS CLEAR FROM SEARCHING ONLINE ABOUT THIS PROBLEM THAT THIS YEAR AND MODEL HAS HAD MANY REPORTED PROBLEMS OF THIS NATURE. THERE ARE ALSO NUMEROUS BULLETINS ABOUT THIS PROBLEM FOR THE 1996 HONDA ODYSSEY. THERE IS A REPORT OF A RECALL FOR FAULTY IGNITION SWITCHES BY HONDA OF OVER 484,000 VEHICLES IN JAPAN AND CHINA FOR MODELS INCLUDING MY VEHICLE MODEL AND YEAR. HTTP://WWW.THEMONEYTIMES.COM/ARTICLES/20060615/HONDA_RECALLS_484_626_CARS_TO_FIX_FAULTY_IGNITION_SWITCH-ID-10585.HTML I HAD NO HELP FROM MULTIPLE CALLS TO HONDA CUSTOMER SERVICE ON JAN. 3, 2007. THEY TELL ME THERE IS NO RECALL ON MY SPECIFIC VIN AND THAT THERE IS NOTHING FURTHER I CAN DO OTHER THAN FILE THE REPORT WITH NHTSA. THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION TO THIS MATTER. NOTE THAT I CALLED NHTSA TWICE TO REPORT THIS AND WAS INSTRUCTED TO LEAVE MY NAME AND PHONE # WHICH I HAVE DONE. *JB UPDATED 04/13/07.*JB

Mileage: 140,788

NHTSA 02V120000 IGNITION PROBLEM OCCURS ON 1996 HONDA ODYSSEY TOO. HONDA DEALER WILL NOT FIX UNDER RECALL BECAUSE 1996 VIN NUMBERS ARE NOT FLAGGED FOR RECALL. *NM

Mileage: 179,000

2 RELATED INCIDENTS -- CAR NO LONGER RUNS OR SHUTS OFF IF IGNITION KEY IS NOT FIDDLED WITH. SOLDER FROM IGNITION SWITCH MELTED, DRIPPED AND BURNED MY WIFE'S FOOT. *JB

Mileage: 72,500

IGNITION SWITCHES I HAVE A 1996 HONDA ODYSSEY VAN AND THE VEHICLE COMPLETELY SHUT OFF WHILE DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY. THIS WAS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS AND I HAD THREE CHILDREN IN THE VEHICLE AT THE TIME. *NM

I HAVE A 1996 HONDA ODYSSEY LX AND IT HAS STALLED OUT MANY TIMES WITH MY FOUR YEAR OLD DAUGHTER IN ATLANTA, GA RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC. I DRIVE THIRTY MILES TO WORK EACH DAY AND IS VERY DANGEROUS TO NOT KNOW WHEN THE CAR WILL JUST QUIT. I TOOK THE CAR TO CATHERINE'S AUTOMOTIVE REPAIR & SERVICE AND THEY DETERMINED IT WAS AN ELECTRICAL PROBLEM WITH THE IGNITION SWITCH. THEY HAVE SEEN MANY OTHER HONDAS WITH THE SAME PROBLEM AND ARE AWARE OF HONDA RECALLS. MY CAR IS A '96 AND WAS NOT UNDER THE RECALL. I BELIEVE THIS IS UNFAIR THAT A CERTAIN YEAR SHOULD BE DISQUALIFIED WHEN IT HAS EXACTLY THE SAME PROBLEMS AS OTHER HONDAS. *JB

Mileage: 103,300

I PURCHASED A 1996 HONDA ODYSSEY VAN NEW IN 1996. (VIN#: [XXX]) ON MARCH 11, 2003 WE DROVE IT WITH SOME FRIENDS TO A NEIGHBORHOOD RESTAURANT WHERE WE PARKED AND LOCKED THE CAR, AND WENT IN. ABOUT 15 MINUTES LATER A MAN CAME INTO THE RESTAURANT SAYING THERE WAS A CAR ON FIRE IN THE PARKING LOT. THE DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR OF MY HONDA WAS ON FIRE. FORTUNATELY, THE RESTAURANT OWNER HAD A FIRE EXTINGUISHER, AND WE WERE ABLE TO GET THE DOOR OPEN AND PUT OUT THE FIRE. THE FIRE APPEARS TO HAVE STARTED IN THE ELECTRICAL WIRING WITHIN THE INTERIOR OF THE DRIVER'S DOOR. AS A RESULT OF THE FIRE, THE PLASTIC POWER WINDOW SWITCH ASSEMBLY WAS MELTED, RENDERING THE WINDOWS INOPERATIVE, THE PLASTIC DOOR LATCH MECHANISM THAT ENABLES THE DOOR TO BE OPENED FROM THE INSIDE WAS ALSO MELTED AND INOPERABLE. THIS RENDERED THE DRIVER'S DOOR INOPERATIVE FROM THE INSIDE. THE FIRE FILLED THE CAR WITH SMOKE FROM THE BURNING DOOR PANEL AND INSULATION, THE WIRE INSULATION, AND VARIOUS PLASTIC PARTS OF THE DOOR ASSEMBLY. I'M SURE THE SMOKE WAS QUITE TOXIC, AND HAD SOMEONE BEEN IN THE CAR AT THE TIME OF THE FIRE, THEY WOULD HAVE LIKELY BEEN OVERCOME. PARTICULARLY IF THEY WERE IN THE DRIVERS SEAT AND UNABLE TO OPEN THE DOOR OR THE WINDOW TO LET THE SMOKE OUT OR EXIT THE CAR. TO ANSWER A POTENTIAL QUESTION, WE DO NOT SMOKE, AND DO NOT ALLOW SMOKING IN THE CAR. I REALIZE THIS IS BEYOND THE WARRANTY PERIOD FOR THIS VEHICLE, AND THAT THE FAILURE OF SOME ELECTRICAL PART OF THE DOOR COULD BE DUE TO THE AGE OF THE VEHICLE, AND NORMAL DETERIORATION OF MECHANICAL PARTS WITH AGE. MY CONCERN IS THAT THOUGH SOME PART OF THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM FAILED CATASTROPHICALLY, THE DESIGN OF THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM WAS SUCH THAT IT DID NOT FAIL SAFELY. A FUSE OR CIRCUIT BREAKER SHOULD HAVE BEEN THE PROTECTIVE DEVICE THAT FAILED, PROTECTING THE WIRING AND THE OCCUPANTS OF THE CAR FROM A POTENTIALLY VERY HAZARDOUS, AND POSSIBLY FATAL FIRE. *NLM INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

Mileage: 75,000

THE VEHICLE CAUGHT FIRE, WHICH SEEMED TO BE ELECTRICAL RELATED. *JB

CONSUMER STATES THAT WHILE DRVING, VEHICLE WILL STALL OR SOMETIMES WILL NOT EVEN START. VEHICLE HAS BEEN SERVICED 6 TIMES FOR THE SAME PROBLEM. DEALER IS UNABLE TO FIX. FINALLY CONSUMER ASKED TO HAVE IGNITION SWITCH REPLACED. FOUND OUT THAT IT HAD REPEATEDLY FAILED. TSCONSUMER REQUESTS REIMBURSEMENT OF MONIES PAID FOR REPAIRS BECAUSE OF A RECALL ISSUED REGARDING THIS SAME PROBLEM. *JG

2ND INCIDENT OF SRS LIGHT STAYING ON IN 11 MONTHS. BOTH TIMES LIGHT RESET, HOWEVER THE DEALER RECOMMENDED REPLACEMENT OF CONTROL UNIT AT A COST OF $750 DUE TO CODE8-3 REPORTED BY COMPUTER. DECLINED THIS SERVICE DUE TO LACK OF ABILITY TO CONFIRM DIAGNOSTICS. ALSO WAS TOLD ON FIRST INCIDENT THAT ELECTRICAL SYSTEM CAN CAUSE THIS UNIT TO REPORT FAULTS -- AT THAT TIME BATTERY WAS RECOMMENDED TO BE REPLACED. ALSO RUMORED THAT CELL PHONE USAGE OR RADIO TRANSMITTERS CAN MAKE SYSTEM REPORT FAULTS. NEED MORE INFORMATION ON THESE UNITS AND THEIR FAILURES.. *AK