1996 Honda Odyssey Engine

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

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

BALANCER SHAFT OIL SEAL FAILED IN JANUARY 2000. OIL HOUSING OIL SEAL (O-RING) FAILED IN JANUARY 2004. BOTH FAILURES CAUSED HEAVY OIL LOSS SO VEHICLE WAS TOWED AT MY EXPENSE. SRS LIGHT IS ON. DEALER CHARGED ME $89 DIAGNOSTIC FEE FOR SRS ESTIMATE AND SAID IT WOULD COST JUST UNDER $1000 TO REPAIR. THIS FEE WAS CHARGED EVEN THOUGH I WAS PAYING FOR THE O-RING REPAIR AT THAT TIME. * CB

FRONT BALANCER SHAFT SEAL FAILED AND ALL OF THE OIL LEAKED OUT OF THE ENGINE...RAPIDLY!!! *JB

COUNTER BALANCE SHAFT SEAL POPPED OUT. OIL WAS PUMPED OUT OF ENGINE RAPIDLY. WE DISCOVERED BY FINDING POOL OF OIL UNDER LEFT FRONT TIRE. DEALER REPAIR WAS PROMPT. HONDA PAID FOR SEAL AND NEW TIMING BELT. I HAD TO PAY FOR CAM SEAL, CRANKSHAFT SEAL, WATER PUMP, AND COOLANT. HONDA'S CUSTOMER RELATIONS AT 1-800-999-1009 WAS UNRESPONSIVE. THEIR ATTITUDE WAS "NOT OUR FAULT" . I ASKED WHAT THEY WOULD DO IF ENGINE HAD BLOWN. THEIR RESPONSE WAS "TO PROBABLY DENY CLAIM SINCE THE ENGINE WOULD HAVE TO BE DRIVEN WITH THE ENGINE LIGHT ON.*AK

BALANCE SHAFT SEAL BLEW OUT, CAUSING OIL TO GUSH OUT OF ENGINE. DEALER COVERED REPAIR. *AK

COUNTER BALANCE SHAFT SEAL POPPED OUT, CAUSING OIL LEAKAGE, MASSIVE DAMAGE TO ENGINE CAM SHAFT AND MASTER CYLINDER, VAN DIED AND HAD TO BE TOWED TO A DEALERSHIP, HONDA HAS BEEN AWARE OF THIS SITUATION FOR SEVERAL YEARS. CJ

THE COUNTER BALANCE SHAFT SEAL ON THE ENGINE "POPPED OUT". THIS DRAINED ALL OF THE ENGINE OIL OUT OF THE CRANKCASE. IN RESEARCHING THIS ON THE NHTSA WEB SITE I HAVE SEEN A LOT OF HONDA ACCORDS WITH THE SAME PROBLEM (SAME 4 CYLINDER ENGINE). WHEN I CALLED THE LOCAL HONDA DEALER OVER THE PHONE WITH THE SYMPTOMS HE CORRECTLY DIAGNOSED THE PROBLEM (THEY FIXED THE POPPED OUT SEAL, BELTS, LABOR ETC) OVER THE PHONE AS HE HAD SEEN THIS SEVERAL TIMES. HE GOES SO FAR AS TO RECOMMEND THAT THIS $5 SEAL BE CHANGED ON A ROUTINE MAINTENANCE CHECKUP. THIS WAS A CATASTROPHIC FAILURE AND THIS COULD HAVE BEEN MUCH WORSE IN PROPERTY DAMAGE AND PERSONAL INJURY DAMAGE. THE COUNTERBALANCE SHAFT WAS ADDED TO STABILIZE THE FOUR CYLINDER VIBRATION BUT THE FIX IS MUCH MORE OF A PROBLEM. THIS ENGINE IS NOT A GOOD DESIGN. I TRIED TO GET HONDA TO ANSWER HOW OFTEN THIS SHOULD OCCUR AS I KNOW THAT SOME FAILURES WILL OCCUR. THEY WOULD NOT LET ME TALK WITH AN ENGINEER AND I MERELY TALKED WITH A CUSTOMER SERVICE REP. THEY DO NOT FEEL LIKE THIS IS A PROBLEM BUT FROM WHAT I CAN FIND ON THE NET IT IS HAPPENING MUCH MORE THAN HONDA WILL ADMIT. PLEASE FOLLOW UP WITH HONDA ON THIS FOR ME. THANKS. *AK