Honda 3.5 V6 Engines: Common Problems, J35A, J35Z, J35Y Differences. Is it worth it?

The J35 has been used in various Honda and Acura models, such as the Odyssey, Pilot, Ridgeline, Accord, MDX, TLX, RLX, and Passport. It is known for its reliability, power, and smoothness, but also has some common problems such as VCM issues, timing belt wear, and carbon buildup.

Timecode:
00:00:00 - Honda J35 Engine Overview
00:01:12 - Differences between J35A, J35Z, and J35Y
00:02:20 - Common Problems
00:02:36 - Timing Belt Failure
00:03:03 - VCM Problems
00:03:35 - Oil Consumption
00:03:50 - Carbon buildup
00:04:15 - Transmission Problems
00:04:32 - Is it worth it?

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[haydenredraven]

I've beat the living snot out of my 2007 Honda pilot. I bang it off the limited for 10 seconds at a time. I drive the car at top speed for 15 minutes at a time. Floor it from every light. I've ran it without oil (twice 😬) and hopped the car over hills and round abouts whenever I get the chance. I bought it at 165k miles and I'm now at 220k and it's running perfectly fine. Maybe the transmission isn't quite as good as it used to be. But it'll still last a lot longer. If u can kill a Honda pilot in under 50k miles you deserve a medal 🏅

[Keith-MrFixIt]

My 2007 honda accord sedan EX with the v6 Auto trans. Is still running strong asf, no check engine light. And original Motor/Trans at 275, 000 miles

[patchesw]

Had this engine is many vehicles we’ve owned-Odyssey, Pilot, now an Acura RDX & MDX. If you have this engine and intend on keeping the vehicle, it’s worth the money to have the timing belt and water pump replaced at 100K. Usually it’s sold as a kit, $700 parts/labor. Prices may depend on the vehicle too.

[TheDivergentDrummer]

"Difficult spark plug changes"....If you say so....They are right there. On the top, COP, 1 you have a hard time with that, then put the tools away and go eat some glue or something....

[MyBrothersKeeper]

Got a 2015 Accord 3.5 w 6 Spd no VCM. We are right besides the Dodge 5.7 all day. This motor has been bulletproof and redlined countless times. Timing belt still holding on at 118 k😢

[badmandontdance]

Have 2015 honda odyssey touring, 360, 000km with no issues. We'll some small issues nothing major.
It's a work horse, but I do reg maintenance on this vehicle. I don't drive it hard as I have high km. Don't burn oil at this moment. Only major concern I have with this vevehicle is the break wear and rotors.
I recommend this van at low mileage if buying used.
High mileage you may have problems as it's unclear how it was maintained.
I bought mines used with 70, 000km.

[StobetheHobobyDaniel]

I have a 2006 Honda 3.5L j35 with 282, 000 miles on it. Runs smooth as glass, and doesn’t burn or loose oil. Love this engine so much. Regular maintenance is the key. Keep up with oil changes, run carbon cleaner in it, change timing belt and water pump, adjust the valves, and this thing will treat you good. Oh, and put genuine Honda parts on it ok. Aftermarket are junk. You can get genuine parts for way less than the dealer at Hondapartsnow.

[dr.k]

I think the timing belt being a "problem" is a HUGE misconception. It is a mandatory service item thet only has to be replaced once in a very long while. If it fails, yeah youre probably gonna have smashed valves. But get this: if you replace them with in the service interval, they DONT FAIL!!! Simple as that. Im sure there exists outliers from extreme climates, but overall the timing belt is NOT a problem.

[timothyforce]

The J35Y1 (2013-2017 6-speed Automatic Accords) is NOT GDI. It is MPFI, so there is no carbon build-up issue with the J35Y1. Also, Honda pretty much fixed the VCM issues with the J35Y1 and newer J's.

If the owner keeps up with the PMs for this engine, it is extremely reliable.

[MayorMcCheese]

Some J35Y variants are SOHC and have no direct injection or VCM such as the J35Y2 in my accord for example

[crisman]

This is why I love my j30a4, j32a3, j35a6 non vcm engines, awesome running engines with the proper maintenance

[vee]

I never had these issues but brought with 195k now at 282k its highway driven Mobile1 oil only 80% of the time i use 93 octane i only had spool valve issue and there notorious for valve covers leaking thats it's also the guy said replacing spark plugs hard lol 😆 when its really an easy task it was to me

[peterealey]

Most people bitch about engine problems but don’t realize it directly related to them not getting regular maintenance done, putting gas in your tank and topping off the windshield washer fluid is NOT MAINTENANCE!

[roundtownKen]

Guess I got a good combination of J35y WITHOUT vcm, and a 6 speed manual tranny. I already use a valve/injector cleaner regularly. My previous J30 was bulletproof too.

[gary]

Well this vidya sets my mind at ease knowing I own one with over 200k miles

[hellswindstaff]

forgot about the EGR ports clogging up. was a common job when i was a Acura tech EGR pipe kit and clean. take out the upper intake plenum flip it upside down and youll see the ports clogged with carbon. the CEL will come on and code is always a EGR code so many people just replaced the EGR valve but the car will come back with the same issue

[JC-jqmk]

Slight correction. Only the newest j35Y8 has DOHC. That motor started out in the 2023 Honda pilot. It does away with vtec and instead uses cam phasing to moderate low and higher speed performance. By doing this it has reduced emissions by 40-50%. ALL other iterations of the j35Y motors are SOHC

[PLATINUMU]

My j35Y1 doesn’t have direct fuel injection. Thankfully 😮‍💨😮‍💨

[ThatHondaGuy]

Dang! Guy driving in that short video was gettin’ it! I’ve only gone that fast 2, maybe 4x in my 2006 Ridgeline.

[charbvin]

Spark plugs are actually easy to change. First time I did mine on my Ridgeline only took 20 min.