Complaint volume
126 consumer-submitted complaints are matched to this model year. Treat the count as a research signal, then read the actual summaries for repeated symptoms.
Complaint records
2021 Honda Odyssey Complaints
126 consumer-submitted complaints on record for the 2021 Honda Odyssey, grouped by component category.
126 Total complaints
2 Crash reports
1 Fire reports
4 Injury reports
Complaint data reflects consumer-submitted reports. A complaint is not proof
of a defect, recall, or manufacturer fault. Enriched severity fields come
from official bulk records when the complaint can be matched by ODI number.
Buyer interpretation
How to use these complaints before buying
Complaint records are most useful when they turn into inspection points, seller questions, and comparison checks against nearby model years.
Pattern to inspect
The most common categories are electrical system, air bags, unknown or other. Use those categories as a test-drive checklist instead of judging the vehicle from the total count alone.
Severity flags
Enriched records include 2 crash reports, 1 fire report, 4 injury reports, and 0 fatality reports. These fields come from complaint records and should be read in context.
Mileage clue
Mileage is available on 10 complaints, with an average reported failure mileage of 27,058 miles. Compare that with the mileage on the listing.
Questions to ask the seller
- Have you had any problems related to electrical system, air bags, unknown or other?
- Can I see recent maintenance and repair records?
- Has the vehicle ever been towed, involved in a crash, or repaired for the same issue twice?
- Can we also check the recall record for this 2021 Honda Odyssey?
Used-car checklist
Use these complaints before the test drive.
Build a buyer checklist to turn these issues into questions and inspection points.
2021 Honda Odyssey
Build buyer checklist Compare with other years Sends year, make, and model to pre-fill your checklist.
How severe are the 2021 Honda Odyssey complaints?
2 Crash
1 Fire
4 Injury
0 Fatality
1 Towed
3 Medical attention
What are the most common 2021 Honda Odyssey complaint categories?
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 16
AIR BAGS 15
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 12
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 9
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE 5
ENGINE 4
STRUCTURE 4
SUSPENSION 4
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,STRUCTURE,UNKNOWN OR OTHER 3
POWER TRAIN 3
126 total complaints on record
Latest complaints
| Date | Component | Summary | Severity | Mileage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 2026 | SERVICE BRAKES,LANE DEPARTURE,BACK OVER PREVENTION | I have a 2021 HONDA Odyssey ,40K miles, some lights on about few months ago, then i went to dealer on June 29,2026. I paid for a dealer diagnoses, they told me is the VSA modulator faulty. I don't believe that is over 36K miles warranty , so i search it on Google, shows Honda had some recall on different model and year car with the VSA modulator, so i think we must check it ,if on odyssey need recall it too. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jul 2026 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE | My 2021 Honda Odyssey Touring has experienced a severe engine stalling defect that creates an immediate traffic hazard. On multiple occasions during warm weather conditions, the Auto Idle-Stop system has engaged at a stoplight, but the vehicle completely failed to restart automatically when pressing the accelerator. Instead, the engine completely stalled out mid-drive, leaving the vehicle stranded in active traffic and requiring a manual cycle of the ignition button to turn back over. There were no dashboard warning lamps, error messages, or check engine lights prior to the engine stalling. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealership (Honda of Middleburg Heights) for an emergency safety evaluation. The certified technician physically tested the starting system and explicitly confirmed the physical hardware failure on the invoice, stating: "The starter motor can be heard cranking slower than usual during start up. Recommend replacing the starter motor and relays." Despite this official mechanical diagnosis of a failing starter component causing an immediate traffic stall, regional management issued a flat refusal of coverage because my specific VIN was omitted from the automated database recall screens for Service Bulletins A23-008 and A23-010. I am filing this complaint to ensure federal investigators document this rigid VIN exclusion loop under the active NHTSA Engineering Analysis EA25004. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jul 2026 | LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES | The contact owns a 2021 Honda Odyssey. The contact stated that the rear hatch failed to release or open as needed. The contact had to enter the rear seats of the vehicle, crawl towards the rear hatch, and manually release the rear hatch from inside the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed that there was corrosion on the PTG control unit and harness caused by a water leak from the roof guard stud. The dealer found that the spot weld was not sealed properly. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The manufacturer confirmed that the vehicle was not covered under warranty or recall. The failure mileage was 32,329. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jul 2026 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,STRUCTURE,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 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) | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jul 2026 | POWER TRAIN | While driving approximately 75 mph on I-77 S our van stopped accelerating without warning. The engine would rev but no acceleration was occuring. There had been no signs of any issue prior and no warning lights appeared. We were able to make it to the side of the road and immediately called a tow truck to take us to the nearest Honda dealership. We had to wait on the side of a very busy interstate with our one and three year old and then get all of us safely to the dealership after the tow truck arrived. We were lucky that the sudden stop to our acceleration did not cause an accident and that we were not hit while parked on the shoulder (the tow truck driver indicated that there had been two collisions of that nature in that area in the month before our incident). The dealership confirmed that the transmission needed to be replaced a couple of days later. When asked what the issue was we were really only given a vague explanation of a part inside potentially failing and causing a ripple effect. The van was 6 months out of the five year warranty and only 272 miles over the 60k warranty. It had previously been serviced by a Honda dealership in March of this year and nothing was noted at that time about the transmission needing attention (such as a transmission fluid change). At no point had the onboard "Maintenance Minder" indicated that we needed a transmission fluid change as well. The service technician who diagnosed the transmission failure also indicated that there was nothing in the transmission fluid (like parts or metal shavings) to show where the failure occurred. The fact that a transmission would have a complete failure with zero warnings beforehand or any real explanation at 60k miles seems like a serious design flaw. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jun 2026 | ENGINE | Engine locked on the crank, not part of the recall apparently. Car had no lights come on. It Could have happened as I was driving just 5 minutes prior with 4 children in the car. It has 107,000 miles. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jun 2026 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE | When stopping at an intersection the engine fails to restart after stopping due to the auto start/stop feature. The car tries to start and stalls and dies, and must be completely turned off before it will restart. This has happened 5-6 times now. There are no warning lights on the dash. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jun 2026 | FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | The van suddenly died, thankfully on a lower traffic neighborhood road. It would not start and we had it towed to the dealership. Upon troubleshooting, the "low pressure" fuel pump was bad. This resulted in a $1,500 repair for a vehicle only 5 years old. Thankfully this did not happen on the highway, but this is dangerous and should not happen on a car only 5 years old and well maintained. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jun 2026 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE | 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. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jun 2026 | ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | Vehicle shuts off completely when stopping at a light or sign. It does restart but you don't know it until you need to go. It is a safety concern! | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jun 2026 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE | What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? The Auto Start/Stop function only works intermittently on our 2021 Honda Odyssey. Occasionally, when the Auto Start/Stop function does shut off the engine when the vehicle is at a complete stop, the engine fails to restart on its own. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? This malfunction occurs intermittently and without warning when the vehicle is at a complete stop in traffic. The vehicle cannot be driven under its own power in this condition, often leaving it disabled in a traffic lane with other vehicles stuck behind and/or passing by at normal travel speeds. As such, it endangers both the occupants of my vehicle and the other vehicles in the vicinity. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? Yes. My local Honda dealership acknowledged the problem and completed a PGM-FI software update. However, this update did not correct the issue, and Honda refuses to take financial responsibility for the repairs necessary to correct the problem. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? Yes. The following timeline details my interactions with my local Honda dealership regarding this issue: 4/13/23 - The dealership inspected the vehicle and claimed the Auto Start/Stop system was "operating as designed"; 9/6/24 - The dealership completed a PGM-FI update as directed by a Honda product update campaign; 2/12/26 - The dealership inspected the vehicle, suggested battery replacement (which tested good on 3/3/26), and if still not corrected, advised replacement of the starter at my expense. Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? The problem has occurred without notice since purchase on 3/11/21. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| May 2026 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | System crackles through the speakers and infotainment system shuts down completely. It may or may not reboot.. Most recently the screen was completely unresponsive, the radio would not turn off manually, and it did not turn off when the car turned off and the door was opened. Occurrence is random. The system may work fine for a few months and then crash multiple times daily and then go back to working normal again for a few months. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Apr 2026 | EXTERIOR LIGHTING,STRUCTURE,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 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. | Crash: No Fire: Yes | Unknown |
| Apr 2026 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,STRUCTURE | Leaking from the roof and tail gate caused the electronic control modules in the sliding door and rear gate to fail. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Mar 2026 | STRUCTURE | Both door latches have failed, the first was at 3 years and the second at 5 years. When this happens the door cannot close all the way. This should be a recall as it’s a safety issue and also very costly to repair. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Mar 2026 | SUSPENSION | Rear passenger side shock absorber snapped on a family road trip. Vehicle began to fishtail with every bump in the road leading to excursions very close to lane markings at times. Inspection by dealer not only confirmed the damage but also found older damage involving the right front control arm which also had to be replaced. Owner had noticed a rattle in the steering column before original new car warranty expired. Original dealer could not locate the source years ago. Problem completely vanished after the current control arm repair. Owner is concerned that had rear passenger side shock absorber and front swing arm completely failed at the same time that vehicle would have departed.the road surface at speed. Vehicle has 64,000 miles on it, relatively low, light mileage for a vehicle of this age. A Google search reveals many other owner of this same make and model year have experienced the same problems. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Mar 2026 | FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | The forward collision prevention system engages the brakes when nothing/no one is in front of us. It will also engage the lane departure warning, which also engages the brakes, when construction zones remove the actual lane lines and temporary lines are put down. The car gets confused and brakes the car to a stop in the middle of a highway. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Mar 2026 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | The rearview camera that does not display an image which can reduce the driver's rear view, increasing the risk of a crash or injury. I had the vehicle inspected by a third party which believes this could be from insufficient repairs as part of the prior recall NHTSA ID Number: 23V431000 related to this same issue. Honda's recall service center's only solution is that I take the vehicle to a Honda dealership for inspection, at my expense, and that they will reimburse me if they determine it is related to this recall. The issue with the display not working has been going on for several weeks. The display will work temporarily when the battery is reset, the fuse is reset, or when the display itself was removed/replaced by the party I had inspect the unit. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jan 2026 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 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. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jan 2026 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,STRUCTURE,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 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 | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jan 2026 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,STRUCTURE,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 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 | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jan 2026 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | My rear hatch for the trunk was filling up with water every time it rained. Took it in to be looked at and they found the door wasn’t sealed during manufacturing and they sealed it. The water damage was already done and buttons for all things no longer lifts or opens the trunk door. My dash displays “ power tailgate problem” and nothing works to open it. I have to do it manually and I’m afraid it will cause further problems to the door. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Dec 2025 | ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | After driving for 2 hrs in single digit temperatures I entered the on ramp to interstate freeway. I lost power, couldn’t accelerate further and the Check engine light was flashing. I pulled over on the 4 lane interstate, turned off my car and restarted. CEL went away. This is the 2nd time in 2 Winters this has occurred during cold weather. Both on exit/entrance ramps when trying to accelerate after turning with traffic behind me. This can only be reproduced in specific situations and diagnostics are not stored. Honda has a service bulletin on this issue 24-085. I feel it should be covered on all vehicles, regardless of warranty status due to the safety risk. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Dec 2025 | STRUCTURE | The power tailgate on my 2021 Honda Odyssey suddenly failed. A “power tailgate problem” warning appeared, and the tailgate became completely inoperable. It would not latch manually or automatically, even when applying force. The latch would spring back open, and no mechanical sound came from the door. Because the tailgate would not latch, the interior lights stayed on, and the vehicle continued to display “tailgate open” warnings. I could not secure the tailgate for driving, which created a safety hazard since the door could not be properly closed during travel. A few days later, both sliding doors also stopped functioning, and none of the powered doors (tailgate or sliding doors) would operate from the interior switches, exterior buttons, or key fob. The Honda service center inspected the vehicle and reported that the tailgate control module was corroded and had clear evidence of water damage. They stated that they would not replace the module until the vehicle was evaluated by a body shop because a water leak was likely present and would continue damaging components. The body shop later confirmed that water intrusion was entering through the upper left rear pillar, caused by a leak in the roof seam area. Water traveled into the rear side panel and damaged the tailgate control module and related electrical systems. Their findings were documented and also confirmed by my insurance inspector. Prior to the failure, there were no symptoms. The only warning occurred at the moment the system failed (“power tailgate problem”). The issue occurred without any impact, accident, or misuse. The defects caused multiple powered doors to become inoperable, which is a significant safety risk for both passengers and the driver. Based on publicly available information, this appears to be a recurring problem in 2018–2021 Honda Odyssey vehicles involving water leaks near the rear pillar leading to electrical control module failures. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Nov 2025 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | The main screen went black for 3 mins while driving. Booted halfway back up then crashed again. Booted up again and then worked. Its done this 3 times and I've had van for 6 days. 32k miles one owner. Mint looking | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |