NHTSA Complaint #10386115 — 2005 HONDA ODYSSEY

DEAR SAFECAR.GOV: I AM AN OWNER OF A 2005 HONDA ODYSSEY VAN. I HAVE EXPERIENCED SUDDEN ENGINE STALLING AND HIGHWAY SPEED DROPPED TO BELOW 15 MPH ON MY VAN SINCE JANUARY, 2010. IT HAS HAPPENED FOUR TIMES. I HAVE WORKED WITH HONDA DEALERS AND HONDA CAR FOR OVER EIGHT MONTHS, FROM JAN 2010 TO AUG 2010 WITHOUT SUCCESS. I THEN WENT TO ANOTHER HONDA DEALER AND FINALLY ABLE TO FIND THE PROBLEM: THE 2005 ODYSSEY VAN IS THE FIRST MODEL AND YEAR HONDA HAS PUT THE NEW V6 ENGINE WITH THREE CYLINDERS SHUTTING OFF DURING CRUISING SPEED TO SAVE GAS, WHICH MAKES SENSE. HOWEVER, BECAUSE OF THE TEMPERATURE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE CYLINDERS, THE IDLING CYLINDERS BEGIN TO BURN OIL ON THE CYLINDER RINGS. AND THERE IS NO ?LOW OIL? WARNING SENSOR FROM THE CAR, BUT HAS A ?LOW OIL PRESSURE WARNING?. HOWEVER, THE ?LOW OIL PRESSURE? WILL ONLY KICKS ON WITH THE CAR ENGINE STARTS TO STALL. IT WAS VERY DANGEROUS TO HAVE MY VAN STAFF FROM HIGHWAY SPEED TO LESS THEN 15 MPH IN A MATTER OF COUPLE SECONDS. IT HAS HAPPENED FOUR TIMES FROM JANUARY, 2010 TO MAY, 2010. I HAVE ALL THE SERVICE RECORDS AND DESCRIPTIONS. HONDA HAS BEEN DENYING ANY PROBLEM UNTIL THEY LIMITED RELEASE A NEW SOFTWARE IN JANUARY, 2011 TO PERIODICALLY FIRE THE IDLE CYLINDERS TO MINIMIZE TEMPERATURE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE CYLINDERS SO THAT THEY WILL NOT BURN MOTOR OIL. HOWEVER, HONDA HAS NOT DONE A ?RECALL? ON THIS SAFETY ISSUE (THE ENGINE STALLING AT HIGH SPEED WHEN OIL PRESSURE IS TOO LOW DUE TO MOTOR OIL BURNING). THE DEALER SERVICE MANAGER TOLD ME THAT HONDA IS RELUCTANT TO CONDUCT SUCH SAFETY RECALL, THEY ARE AFRAID THAT WITH FIRING UP THE IDLED CYLINDERS; THEY MAY FAIL THE EPA MILEAGE CLAIMS. ALL THE POST 2005 V6 WITH ?ECON? MODE TO SAVE GAS MODELS WILL HAVE THIS PROBLEMS ONCE THE CARS ARE DRIVEN, LET SAY OVER 70,000 MILES. IT WILL TAKE A FEW YEARS OF MOTOR OIL BURNING BEFORE THE OIL LEVEL IS LOW ENOUGH TO TRIGGER THE LOW OIL PRESSURE SENSOR AND STALLS THE ENGINE. PLEASE LOOK INTO THIS ISSUE AND FEEL FREE TO CONTACT. *TR