2021 Honda Odyssey
Problems, recalls and owner-reported issues
Electrical system is the leading concern among 142 owner complaints filed for this model year. This is the 22nd highest complaint count among 26 Odyssey model years with reports.
Of the 2021 reports, 2 involved a crash and 1 involved a fire. 4 people were injured.
What owners report most often
Recalls and investigations
Air bags, sensor, occupant classification, front passengerMay 21, 2026
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2018-2021, 2023 Acura TLX, 2019-2024 RDX, 2017-2020, 2022-2026 MDX, 2017-2021, 2023, 2025 Honda Ridgeline, 2017-2022 Pilot, 2019-2021 Passport, 2018-2026 Odyssey, 2019-2022 Insight, 2019-2021 HR-V, 2018-2020 Fit, 2020-2022 CR-V Hybrid, 2017-2022 CR-V, 2017-2018, 2021 Civic Type R, 2017-2021 Civic hatchback, 2016-2020 Civic coupe, 2016-2022 Civic, 2017-2022 Accord Hybrid, and 2016-2022 Accord vehicles. The front passenger seat weight sensor may crack and short circuit, which can cause the air bags to deploy unintentionally during a crash.
Air bags that deploy unintentionally during a crash increase the risk of injury.
Dealers will replace the seat weight sensors, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 7, 2026. Owners may contact Honda's customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are BOL, WO9, OOA, WOM, XOH, NOC, POD, BOE, UOF, POB, EOG, AOI, QO8, TOJ, DO7, and SOK. This recall expands previous NHTSA recall number 24V064. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will be searchable on NHTSA.gov beginning May 29, 2026.
Campaign 26V332000 on NHTSA.gov
Air bags, air bag/restraint control module, softwareApr 9, 2026
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2018-2022 Odyssey vehicles. A software programming error can cause the side and side curtain air bags to deploy unexpectedly.
Air bags that deploy unexpectedly can increase the risk of injury.
Dealers will reprogram the supplemental restraint system (SRS) electronic control unit (ECU) software or replace the ECU, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed May 27, 2026. Owners may contact Honda's customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's number for this recall is UNW. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will become searchable on NHTSA.gov beginning April 16, 2026. The information in your report suggests that Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) may have been aware of this issue more than five business days before filing a report with NHTSA. Please be reminded that under Federal law, this agency is to be notified of all safety defect and/or noncompliance decisions within five business days. 49 CFR 573.6 Significant civil penalties can be assessed for this violation.
Campaign 26V227000 on NHTSA.gov
Equipment adaptive/mobility, wheelchair restraints/securement, latch/anchorDec 17, 2025
Vantage Mobility, LLC (VM) is recalling certain 2021-2026 Honda Odyssey, 2021-2025 Chrysler Pacifica, and Toyota Sienna vehicles equipped with QRT-Deluxe and QRT-Max wheelchair restraints. The retractors may not lock, preventing the wheelchair from being properly secured.
An unsecured wheelchair can move during transit, increasing the risk of injury.
Dealers will inspect and replace the retractors, free of charge. Owner notification letters was mailed January 27, 2026. Owners may contact Vantage Mobility customer service at 1-800-488-9082.
Campaign 25V877000 on NHTSA.gov
Air bags, sensor, occupant classification, front passengerFeb 1, 2024
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Pilot, Accord, Civic sedan, HR-V, Odyssey, 2020 Civic coupe, Fit, 2021-2022 Civic hatchback, 2021 Civic Type R, Insight, 2020-2021 CR-V, CR-V Hybrid, Passport, Ridgeline, Accord Hybrid, 2020 Acura MDX, 2022 Acura MDX, 2020-2022 Acura RDX, and 2020-2021 Acura TLX vehicles. The front passenger seat weight sensor may crack and short circuit, failing to suppress the air bag as intended.
An air bag that deploys unintentionally during a crash can increase the risk of injury.
Dealers will replace the seat weight sensors, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 28, 2024. This is a phased recall. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for these recalls are XHP and VHQ.
Campaign 24V064000 on NHTSA.gov
Fuel system, gasoline, delivery, fuel pumpDec 18, 2023
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2013-2023 Honda Accord, Civic Coupe, Civic Sedan, Civic Hatchback, Civic Type R, CR-V, HR-V, Ridgeline, Odyssey, Acura ILX, MDX, MDX Hybrid, RDX, RLX, TLX, 2019-2022 Honda Insight, Passport, 2020 Honda CR-V Hybrid, 2018-2019 Honda Clarity PHEV, Fit, and 2015-2020 Honda Accord Hybrid, Pilot, Acura NSX vehicles. The fuel pump inside the fuel tank may fail.
Fuel pump failure can cause an engine stall while driving, increasing the risk of a crash.
Dealers will replace the fuel pump module, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed September 6, 2024. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are KGC and KGD. This recall is an expansion of NHTSA recall numbers 21V-215 and 20V-314.
Campaign 23V858000 on NHTSA.gov
Back over prevention, display functionJun 15, 2023
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2018-2023 Odyssey, 2019-2022 Pilot, and 2019-2023 Passport vehicles. Due to a faulty Media Oriented Systems Transport (MOST) communication coaxial cable connector, the rearview camera image may not appear on the display. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 111, "Rear Visibility."
A rearview camera that does not display an image can reduce the driver's rear view, increasing the risk of a crash or injury.
Dealers will replace the MOST cable harness and install a straightening cover over the vehicle cable connector, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 24, 2023. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are EEL, ZEM, and SFC.
Campaign 23V431000 on NHTSA.gov
Visibility, rearview mirrors/devices, exteriorMar 16, 2023
Honda (American Honda Motor Co) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Pilot and Ridgeline, and 2020-2022 Passport and Odyssey vehicles. The heating pads behind both side-view mirrors may not be bonded properly, allowing the mirror glass to detach. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 111, "Rear Visibility."
Detached mirror glass can reduce driver visibility, increasing the risk of a crash.
Dealers will replace both left and right side-view mirrors, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed January 17, 2024. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's number for this recall is FE5.
Campaign 23V174000 on NHTSA.gov
Fuel system, gasoline, storageJan 14, 2021
Braun Corporation (Braun) is recalling certain 2018-2021 Braun-modified Honda Odyssey vehicles. The fuel tank assembly installed by Braun may be susceptible to the fuel tank overfilling into the charcoal canister. If the charcoal canister fills with a sufficient amount of fuel, fuel may leak out.
A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source may increase the risk of fire.
Braun will notify owners, and dealers will inspect vehicles. If evidence of a fuel leak is present, a new fuel tank assembly and a new Honda charcoal canister will be installed, free of charge. The recall began February 22, 2021. Owners may contact Braun customer service at 1-800-488-0359.
Campaign 21V010000 on NHTSA.gov
Representative owner complaints: other or unspecified
33 reports, newest first. Show all
Other or unspecified, Sep 3, 2026
The infotainment system and back up camera screen went completely black. We took it to Howdy Honda since there was a NHTSA Recall 23V-482 that they had fixed once before. Now though, they are saying the issue isn't covered by safety recall and that we have to pay $6900 to have it repaired. However this faulty camera system is a known issue. In addition to the recall, there has also been a class-action lawsuit filed Mar. 22, 2019 in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, owners of the affected vehicles report that the infotainment system – an integrated in-vehicle communication, navigation and entertainment system – behaves erratically, malfunctioning, freezing, and creating a safety hazard and distraction. This is exactly what happened with our vehicle. The defect caused safety-related systems (including backup camera functions) to fail. The defect also caused the entire center console to go black while the vehicle is in motion, and caused navigation and other dashboard features to shut down completely while in use. The lawsuit alleges Honda breached its own warranty by simply replacing defective parts with equally defective parts. This is exactly what they did with the first recall. And now they're trying to charge us $6900 to fix it.
Other or unspecified, Aug 27, 2026
The van’s CarPlay quit working while navigating thru Louisville traffic. The display scene indicated MOST Net off error. It has happened 5 times since then.
Other or unspecified, Aug 27, 2026
The van’s CarPlay quit working while navigating thru Louisville traffic. The display scene indicated MOST Net off error. It has happened 5 times since then.
Electrical system, Other or unspecified, Engine, Aug 14, 2026
When coming to a complete atop, the engine switches off (the idle stop function), which is ok, but when I release the brake the engine often fails to restart. I’ve replaced the battery but this appears to be a common problem. It’s been happening more now at the end of summer when it’s hot for some reason. I was told there is a similar investigation open: EA25004
Electrical system, Other or unspecified, Jul 21, 2026
The infotainment screen randomly shuts off and displays the errors "Network communication lost" and "MOST Net Off". This has happened numerous times while in the middle of backing up and using the backup camera that normally displays on that screen. We took it to the dealership for repairs of the problem in 2025 and after changing a wiring harness, the screen itself, and then the harness again, they thought they had fixed it but the issue continued to happen and has increased in frequency since then. Honda has a recall that includes our model (NHTSA Recall No. : 23V-431) but we were apparently not included in it and their press release on it estimates 50% of vehicles of the year and model are affected. It's unclear what arbitrary data was used to determine effected vehicles but it's obvious by the amount of discourse about it online that it affects more than their initial estimate. Many people, like us, have tried to have it repaired at a dealership to no avail.
Other or unspecified, Jul 19, 2026
Our van is experiencing Auto Idle Stop failure to restart. We experienced it one time last month (June 2026) and then again 2 days ago. I also experienced it 2 summers ago in 2024. We noticed it seems to happen in the heat and when we have been driving a while. In 2024 and then June 2026, I was able to quickly turn off and restart the car. Two days ago, we were stuck at a busy intersection with the car unable to start but also unable to turn off the car nor switch gears. After 5 min with multiple security alerts flashing it seems as though the computer timed out and we were able to start the car. We drove another 300 miles this weekend on a road trip with no further issues but we were sure to manually turn off auto stop each time. We are concerned about the safety implications of being stopped at traffic stop due to auto stop.
Electrical system, Structure, Other or unspecified, Jul 1, 2026
In mid-March 2026, the power tailgate on my [year] Honda Odyssey lost power entirely. It does not respond to the key fob, the tailgate button, or the dashboard button — it will not open or close by any control. I personally inspected the tailgate area and found corrosion and rust present, consistent with prior water intrusion. I have since learned that this is a widely reported issue among 2018–2021 Honda Odyssey owners, and that a class action lawsuit ([XXX] v. American Honda Motor Co., Inc., filed in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California) alleges a defect in rear body seam seals that lets water leak into the power tailgate control module, causing it to fail. The symptoms and physical evidence I found match those described by other owners and in the litigation. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Other or unspecified, Engine, Jun 15, 2026
Stopped at a stoplight, the engine will just die. It won't start again by pressing the gas peddle. It will require a few moments to try to restart it. It is very stressful and dangerous when people are waiting behind you. This is not safe. It won't happen every time but the few and far between are not good. We have replaced the battery and it sounds like other people have had this problem but no recall has been made to fix it.
Exterior lighting, Structure, Other or unspecified, Apr 24, 2026, fire
Power tailgate problems caused by water leaking through body seams. A visible gap in the rear hatch allows water to flow into the vehicle and shorts out control module. This has ruined my control module, caused mold and I noticed a burning smell.
Electrical system, Other or unspecified, Jan 21, 2026
The error message “Power Tailgate Problem” appeared on the dash. Following the error message, the power tailgate stopped working. It would not open or close with the remote, the button on the dash, or the button on the tailgate itself. I discovered water had been leaking in the tailgate and the trunk area of my vehicle as well as the back seat that was folded down in storage had gotten soaked. I took my van to the service center and they told me it was the seal above the door and that the leak had ruined the power module controlling the door. They repaired the issues. That was in April 2025. The same thing happened last week (January 2026). After looking into the error message and the tailgate problem, I’m finding that the door may open or close at any time on its own. The water in the electrical module may also start a fire. I have two small children and this van is our primary vehicle. I’ve reached out to the dealership from which I purchased the van, I reached out to a local Honda dealer and I contacted Honda customer service and no one is willing to fix this issue. I will be required to pay out of pocket again. I’m requesting a recall on this defect in design.
Electrical system, Structure, Other or unspecified, Jan 15, 2026
the trunk door stopped working due to a leak from the rear left window seal causing the computer to become waterlogged the mechanic that fixed it said its a common issue with the Honda odyssey and should be recalled by Honda, I am therefore requesting the nhtsa to investigate this matter further so Honda should reimburse for the cost of the repair this issue can be a safety hazard in the event of a emergency egress from the trunk as it's not possible to open from the exterior and there was no prior warnings lamps or messages
Electrical system, Structure, Other or unspecified, Jan 14, 2026
Power tailgate stopped working. Warning indicator indicated Power Tailgate failure. Dealer found water to be leaking onto tailgate unit from driver’s side roof rail. Recommended replacing and programming new PTG unit and resealing water leak. Repair cost was $1,311.51
Other or unspecified, Oct 14, 2025
Component or System Failed: Idle Stop System – The vehicle completely shuts off and requires a full restart at red lights or when stopped for several minutes. Safety Risk: The vehicle shutting off unexpectedly in traffic poses a serious safety hazard to both occupants and nearby drivers, especially when traveling with young children. I am genuinely fearful for our safety — particularly at red lights, where the risk of being rear-ended is high. There are numerous reports online of this same issue occurring in Honda Odyssey vehicles, indicating a wider safety concern. Reproduction of Issue: I have contacted both Honda and the dealership, and no effective solution has been provided. This vehicle is not safe to operate under these conditions. Inspection: The issue has been inspected by the Honda dealership, but no permanent resolution has been offered. Warning Lamps/Messages: There were no warning lights, messages, or alerts prior to the failure. The vehicle shuts off without any prior indication. Assessment of Cause: The problem appears to stem from a malfunctioning Idle Stop system, potentially related to the electrical or battery system. I understand that Honda has received multiple similar complaints from other Odyssey owners experiencing the same dangerous issue.
Other or unspecified, Sep 23, 2025
Dealership has been unable to complete recall repair due to parts being unavailable. The original recall is over 18 months old.
Other or unspecified, Engine, Sep 9, 2025
When attempting to restart from the autostop function (i.e. the fuel economy function), the vehicle fails to restart successfully. This has happened on multiple occasions. It is not a battery problem and I have had the battery tested and even replaced (by Honda) and the problem has continued. The vehicle will stutter, stall or even completely shut down. This has happened when I have been at intersections and on busier roads or even in traffic on the highway. Its very concerning to me and seems extremely unsafe. No warning signs come in this scenario until the vehicle shuts down and the regular dash light engages indicating the engine is inoperable. I have today's date below but this has been happening consistently the last several months.
Other or unspecified, Jul 22, 2025
There is a message that pops up in our front touch screen panel " com.honda.auto.hars has stopped" which is not allowing us to use the touchscreen panel.for anything - from making or receiving calls , navigation , etc .. , which makes it hazardous to drive the vehicle on the road & not able to use hands free. We tried factory reset & also using USB drive to update , but the car is not recognizing the USB drive & also says that our system is up-to-date!! We are not able to find a solution . Please help . Advice needed.
Other or unspecified, Mar 21, 2025
Took my car to dealer 4/15/2024. Dealer stated no stock parts available. Dealer never contacted me anymore.
Other or unspecified, Feb 18, 2025
The power trunk stopped working. The car starts warning me about a power tailgate problem. I have seen this issue reported by others as well. The warning light comes and goes randomly. The power trunk does not work at all anymore I have to open and close the trunk manually. I am concerned about the trunk malfunctioning further.
Electrical system, Seats, Other or unspecified, Feb 14, 2025
contacted dealership in Newburgh NY for recall. The rep pushed back making me wait 8 weeks. Dearlership in Middletown NY did not return call.
Other or unspecified, Jan 17, 2025
Power tailgate problem displayed on dashboard. Suddenly stopped working. Constant dinging noise when driving.
Electrical system, Other or unspecified, Nov 1, 2024
Drive side rear power door stopped working. Upon using handl to opperate as usual the door stopped only a few inches open. A gentle shove got it open and opperational. The next day it did the same thing this time refuding to eithe ropen completely or re-latch. My children were in the car with me on the way to school and the door could not be opened to let them out or closed to safely proceed on our route. We began diagnositcs and found that the door continued to be problematic; opening just enough to be unlatched but nor going further, opening only half way and locking in place, or openeing completely then refusing to close... the door being in manual mode or power mode makes no differnece. after complelty disasembling the door/panel to check calbles and motor, checking fuses etc we put it all back to gether and suddenly it worked fin for about a dozen tries. HOWEVER the passanger side rear door (perviously untouched) suddenly developed the same problem. Now both doors will not function in either power or manual mode and I am waiting on the dealership to look into possible computer issues.
Other or unspecified, Engine, Fuel/propulsion system, Oct 25, 2024
After having the Honda Dealership perform an oil change and software update 23-008 (updating the Auto Idle Stop Software) last week, my engine stalled while at a busy intersection (PA turnpike/70 junction) during a road trip. At the long stop light the auto idle function engaged and the engine turned off. When the stop light turned green and I lifted my foot off the brake and pressed the gas the engine shut down and automatically went into Park. I had to press the start/stop button to fully turn off then turn back on the car to get the engine to restart. This is with a giant semitruck honking right behind me. The auto idle feature does not work. It sounds terrible every time the engine restarts after it has been engaged. There really should be an option to allow users to permanently disable it, and not have to remember to turn it off every time they start the car--terrible user experience.
Electrical system, Air bags, Other or unspecified, Apr 30, 2024
A recall has been issued on my vehicle since February. It is now almost May and when I call Honda about the recall they tell me that they do not have the solution as of yet.
Electrical system, Other or unspecified, Back over prevention, Apr 13, 2024
Team Honda in Merrillville refused to fix my recall unless I paid for diagnostics.
Other or unspecified, Feb 15, 2024
The 2021 Honda Odyssey with the VIN provided had 1) Auto Stop Idle Failure in June 2023 where the car would turn off completely at a stop (intersection, stop sign, etc.) and the car would have to me restarted. Sometimes restarting more than once. Honda replaced the car battery and conducted a software update. 2) About 7 months later in February 2024 the dashboard displayed two warnings A) Auto Engine Idle Stop System Problem and B) Charging System Problem. Honda had performed a second software update just prior to the second occurrence on 1/25/24. As of 2/15/24 Honda still has the car and is going to replace a battery sensor.