Honda J35 (3.5L V6) Common Problems

For over 25 years, Honda’s J35 3.5L V6 platform has powered some of its most recognizable vehicles. While Honda’s engines are generally renowned for their dependability, this doesn’t mean every motor is without its issue. The J35 engines still have some more common issues that owners and prospective buyers should know.

Honda 3.5L V6 in engine bay

What Models Have the J35 Motor?

The J35 engines came in multiple generations over its lifespan, each with slight variations between them: the J35A, J35S, J35Z, and J35Y Here are the vehicles that make use of the J35 platform:

J35A 

  • Honda Oddessey (1998-2010)
  • Acura MDX (2001-2006)
  • Acura RL (2005-2008)
  • Honda Pilot (2003-2008)
  • Acura TL Type-S (2006-2008)
  • Honda Ridgeline (2006-2008)

J35S

  • Saturn Vue (2004-2007)

J35Z 

  • Honda Pilot (2006-2015)
  • Honda Accord (2008-2012)
  • Honda Ridgeline (2009-2014)
  • Acura RDX (2013-2018)
  • Acura TSX (2010-2014)
  • Acura TL (2009-2014)
  • Honda Oddessey (2011-2017)

J35Y

  • Honda Accord (2013-2017)
  • Acura RLX (2014-2020)
  • Honda Legend (2014-2020)
  • Acura MDX (2014-2020)
  • Acura TLX (2015-2020)
  • Honda Pilot (2016-Present)
  • Honda Ridgeline (2017-Present
  • Honda Oddessey (2018-Present)
  • Honda Passport (2019-Present)

Common Honda J35 Issues

Over its quarter-century of use and refinement, the J35 has proved itself as a solidly constructed motor, however, this doesn’t mean there aren’t problems that you should be aware of, including:

Timing Belt Wear

While this issue isn’t specific to the J35 or a result of any engineering oversites, it’s still vital to ensure the health of your timing belt regularly. The J35 is an interference engine, meaning that even the smallest problem with your timing can spell disaster for the engine as the valves may collide with each other and bend, potentially causing irreparable damage to your motor. 

You should start to regularly monitor the health of your timing belt at around 100,000 miles. 

VCM

The J35Z came with Honda’s Variable Cylinder Management (VCM) technology, which is intended to increase efficiency by shutting down three of the six cylinders at low engine loads. While this complicated system does lead to better fuel economy, it can also cause a whole host of issues on its own.

Chief among these issues is oil consumption, which occurs due to the vacuum created in the cylinders from the piston movement while the valves are closed, pulling oil into the combustion chambers where it can be burnt off.

This excess oil consumption can lead to failure of the pistons, rings, catalytic converters, spark plugs, and other vital components of your engine. 

Carbon Build-Up

This issue only affects engines that use direct injection, which was used on various iterations of the newer J35Y motors. Direct injection motors inject the fuel right into the combustion chambers rather than mixing it with air in the intake manifold prior to injection. 

While direct injection brings many benefits, such as increased compression and efficiency, it can also cause carbon debris to build-up on the valves of the motor and cause issues such as misfires and reduced performance. If left untreated, carbon build-up can cause expensive damage to your engine’s internal components. 

A fuel-injection cleaning service from a trusted repair facility can remove the harmful build-up and return lost power and efficiency to a direct injection engine. At higher mileage, you should have your carbon build-up clean every few years to avoid issues or damage.

Is the J35 Reliable?

Even with over 25 years to discover issues, the J35 still holds up as a very reliable V6 option that can be trusted to last hundreds of thousands of miles if taken care of properly. 

There’s a reason Honda and Acura continue to use this platform in their larger vehicles, as even though it is an old motor, it continues to power some of Honda’s most reliable and dependable options on the road. 

Honda Services in Tucson

If you drive a Honda/Acura with a J-series engine, trust the expert import technicians at Micro Import Service in Tucson! Our team has extensive experience working on all makes and models of Asian import vehicles, and is excited to help care for you and your vehicle. Give us a call or schedule online today.