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Severity: ModerateHonda

P0303 on Honda Vehicles: Cylinder 3 Misfire Detected

Cylinder 3 is misfiring. Check whether it misses at idle or under load before you blame the coil. P0303 →

66Complaints mentioning the code
#2Rank among 15 brands
9.1%Share of Honda DTC complaints

In NHTSA owner complaints we analyzed for Honda, P0303 was mentioned 66 times.

Notes by brand

Many Honda four-cylinder engines use screw-type valve adjusters and need periodic valve clearance checks. When an exhaust valve's clearance tightens up, that cylinder misfires, mostly when hot, and new coils or plugs don't help. A valve adjustment done in time usually cures it before the valve burns.

Most mentioned models

Honda Cr-V19
Honda Odyssey16
Honda Accord14
Honda Pilot7
Honda Fit5
Honda Accord Crosstour3

Model years mentioned

Model years mentioned – Honda P030310820921011181351421581610172218519
2008: 1 · 2009: 2 · 2010: 2 · 2011: 1 · 2013: 8 · 2014: 5 · 2015: 2 · 2016: 8 · 2017: 10 · 2018: 22 · 2019: 5

Components named in these complaints

  • Engine (49)
  • Fuel/propulsion System (28)
  • Power Train (10)
  • Electrical System (9)
  • Forward Collision Avoidance (6)

Often appears together with

P0302 Powertrain Cylinder 2 keeps misfiring. On inline engines it's a middle cylinder, so rule out coolant… Moderate P0304 Powertrain Cylinder 4 is misfiring. Its end or rear position makes water, oil and intake leaks common… Moderate P0172 Powertrain The engine computer is pulling as much fuel as it's allowed on bank 1 and the mixture is still… Moderate P0301 Powertrain Cylinder 1 is repeatedly failing to fire. The cause is almost always its coil, plug, injector… Moderate P0300 Powertrain The engine computer sees misfires that jump between cylinders or hit several cylinders at once. High P0305 Powertrain Cylinder 5 is misfiring. First job: work out which bank it sits on, because that decides what… Moderate

Possible causes

  1. Failing ignition coil or boot on cylinder 3 (or the shared 2/3 coil on wasted-spark engines)26%
  2. Worn or damaged cylinder 3 spark plug24%
  3. Clogged, sticking or leaking cylinder 3 fuel injector22%
  4. Valve problem on cylinder 3: tight exhaust valve clearance, burned valve or worn cam lobe10%

P0303: Diagnosis step by step →

Related codes

HondaIgnition & MisfireCheck engine light onCheck engine light flashingRough idleLoss of powerPoor fuel economy P0303 · Hyundai

Source: NHTSA Complaints API (US government open data), analyzed by DTC mention.