Honda Odyssey
Problems & Worst Years

Water and electronics don't mix well in the 2018 Odyssey's complaint record. That model year drew 523 total complaints, led by forward collision avoidance system failure (117 occurrences) and a powertrain issue causing random jerking, rated as a safety concern (98). Right behind those, tailgate malfunctions tied specifically to water damage were reported 86 times, with a related power tailgate failure from water damage adding another 74 safety-rated complaints — an unusually literal case of electronics failing where they get wet. Recalls 18V777, 19V213, 19V299, 20V066, and 23V751 all apply to this model year.

The following year, 2019, pushed the safety picture further: 492 total complaints across eight safety-rated clusters, the most of any year for this model, still led by forward collision avoidance malfunctions (173 occurrences, safety-rated) but now joined by a transmission problem causing the vehicle to jump into neutral unexpectedly (63, safety-rated) and electrical failures causing infotainment malfunctions (59, safety-rated). Recalls stack up heavily that year, including 19V298, 19V299, 20V066, 20V440, 21V010, 21V215, 23V751, and 23V858. Complaint volume eased somewhat in 2020 to 329, still centered on the same forward-collision and camera-electronics theme.

The newest year in this data, 2025, introduces a different but equally concerning pattern: engines stalling at idle due to a stop-start system failure (82 occurrences, safety-rated), paired with the vehicle failing to restart after the auto idle-stop feature engages (41, also safety-rated). No recall campaigns are yet attached to that model year here, though it's worth noting that a car this new has had comparatively little time to accumulate complaints, and eight safety clusters showing up in just 203 total reports is a higher-than-usual concentration. Earlier 2015 and 2016 models dealt with a different issue entirely — sunroofs shattering without impact and engine misfires tied to piston ring wear. Whichever year you're considering, these numbers reflect what owners reported to NHTSA rather than a measured failure rate, and a pre-purchase inspection plus full service history should guide the decision more than the model year alone.