‘This is why’: Expert says never buy this Honda. Then one rolls into his shop with the very issue he warned us about
When searching the internet for the most reliable cars, two brands come up over and over again: Toyota and Honda.
Mechanics have sung the praises of these cars for years, with the brands frequently making the lists of the most reliable car manufacturers on the market today.
However, just because these brands are known for their quality, that doesn’t mean that every model and year from the label is top-quality. As noted in a recent video from the TikTok account for Royalty Auto Service (@royaltyautoservice), certain years can lead to headaches down the line for car owners.
What’s wrong with this year of Honda?
In their video, the shop says that, while they love Honda and Toyota vehicles, there’s a year range of Honda vehicles that he would generally advise against.
As evidence for this, he points to a 2014 Honda Odyssey with a 3.5-liter V6 with Variable Cylinder Management. According to him, these engines tend to “oil foul” the spark plugs, something he proves by showing a spark plug that has been oil-fouled.
For context, an “oil-fouled” spark plug is one in which the tip has become covered in deposits, causing it to not fire reliably.
“This is my only—this is one of the blemishes I feel like that Honda has,” the mechanic states. “I love Honda. I think they're, you know, they've always made great cars for decades. This is a blemish to me.”
What did Honda do about this?
As mentioned by the mechanic, Honda settled a class action lawsuit to resolve this issue, though the car he shows does not appear to be included in the model year range.
Per AutoBlog, the affected cars are the “Accord (2008-12), Odyssey (2008-13), Pilot (2009-13) and Crosstour (2010-13) models equipped with the 3.5-liter V6 with Variable Cylinder Management, which might experience engine misfire, excessive oil burning and premature spark plug fouling issues.”
In response to this class action, Honda extended the powertrain warranty on the aforementioned models to eight years from the date of purchase or lease, with no mileage restrictions. Additionally, the company reimbursed customers who had incurred out-of-pocket expenses for related repairs, including spark plugs, pistons, or, in some instances, even a complete engine replacement.
Still, the mechanic in the video says it may not have been enough, as actually using the warranty required drivers to “jump through some hoops.”
To conclude, the mechanic advises against purchasing the years “2008 to 2014, anything with a 3.5 L in it, which included Accords, Pilots, Odysseys.”
@royaltyautoservice This isnt the first traveler we have had with this issue… #honda #cartok #automotive #mechanic #diy #viral #foryou #fyp #stitch #duet #tips #buyingacar #van ♬ original sound - Royaltyautoservice
'A few spark plugs every 10 years?'
In the comments section, users offered their views on the mechanic’s complaint, with many saying the problem didn’t seem as bad as he made it seem.
“A few spark plugs every 10 years? That’s the complaint???” said a commenter.
“We had a 2016 with this issue. Started fighting it at 60k miles. Just about every oil change, a spark plug fouled. We were out of the range for the extended warranty. We fought it until 160k miles and then we got rid of it,” recalled another. “Bought a Toyota without cylinder management.”
“Best Hondas and Toyotas were around 1990 -2010,” declared a third.
The Daily Dot reached out to Honda via email and Royalty Auto Service via website contact form.
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The post ‘This is why’: Expert says never buy this Honda. Then one rolls into his shop with the very issue he warned us about appeared first on The Daily Dot.