835 of the
17,279 complaints filed about the Honda Odyssey
are about the airbag system —
100% of everything owners reported.
The worst model year for it is 2003.
As per the attached there is a recall on this for the airbags and you are in charge of this On Sunday XXX I was driving in [XXX] and suddenly my air bags deployed. (all driver side airbags from front to back, not the steering wheel). I took the vehicle into a body shop they reached out to my insurance for a claim. On XXX my insurer send down an adjusted who inspected the vehicle and denied the claim as the car had no impact and its its not an accident it’s a manufactures defect. On Wednesday 8/5 we took the van into Honda dealer of [XXX]. [XXX] opened the case. I called on Friday and she told me case is being handled by [XXX] On Monday I called [XXX] she said I need to speak to [XXX]. I called [XXX] numerous times and left him messages with no response. For lack of a choice I sent my wife into the dealership to speak to [XXX]. He said its not his job to take care of this I need to reach out to Honda via [XXX]. She asked him why he didn’t call and he did not respond Just said I can take my car back if I want. I called Honda and told them my story they said they will open a case and they gave me a case number. This was a few weeks ago I don’t recall exact date. I called numerous to follow up and both times I was told told case has not been assigned yet but they will accelerate the case. after many times they finally said the opened a case. i should call Honda [XXX]. i drove down and went to [XXX] and he confirmed he was asked in email to say what happenned. still dont have anything. i am more than 5 weeks without a car and need to share my car with my wife and taking uber to work and all i am getting is run around with no clear answer please help me INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
NHTSA complaint #11762755 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2018 Honda Odyssey. While the contact's wife was driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle drove over a pothole and the driver's- and passenger's-side curtain airbags deployed. The air bags deployment frightened the contact’s wife, and the steering wheel was jerked, and the vehicle crashed into the concrete median. The contact stated that the front driver's side tire was flat. The contact removed the deployed side curtain air bags and replaced the driver's side front wheel. The vehicle was inspected by the insurance company. The vehicle was deemed a total loss. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V227000 (Air Bags). The contact stated that the recall notification was received the day after the failure had occurred. The manufacturer was contacted by phone, and a case was filed. The contact was informed that the case was denied. The failure mileage was approximately 135,000.
NHTSA complaint #11762174 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
2015 Honda Odyssey Touring Elite, VIN [XXX]. Vehicle was involved in a frontal collision on XXX. The driver's frontal airbag did not deploy. During the impact, I was thrown forward and struck the steering wheel. Additionally, a side/sliding door opened during the collision. The door was closed before the collision. I am concerned about possible failures of the supplemental restraint system and door-latching system. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
NHTSA complaint #11760524 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
On XXX while traveling at approximately 50 mph on a smooth highway, both front airbags and the seatbelt pretensioners spontaneously deployed and exploded without warning. There was absolutely no collision, crash, road debris, or pothole impact. There were no vehichles in front or behind me. The vehicle continued smoothly for 100 yards post-blast. The vehicle's exterior and undercarriage remain completely undamaged. COMPONENTS FAILED: The Supplemental Restraint System (SRS) electronic control unit failed catastrophically. The explosive blast shattered the windshield, locked the seatbelt assemblies, and inflicted immediate blast-induced acoustic trauma/severe tinnitus. The vehicle is completely disabled but safely secured on private property and is available for immediate physical inspection. MANUFACTURER AND DEALER CONFIRMATION: The manufacturer (American Honda Corporate) has officially cross-referenced this vehicle and confirmed that the safety remedy for the known SRS control unit defect (NHTSA Recall Campaign 13V-412) was previously performed on XXX, at an authorized dealer (Billy Wood Honda in [XXX]). This incident represents a catastrophic failure of a certified manufacturer safety remedy. American Honda Corporate has opened a high-priority Level 1 Product Liability Investigation under Corporate Case Number XXX. RISK AND WARNING SYMPTOMS: Driver safety was put at extreme risk due to an unprovoked explosive detonation at highway speeds, causing temporary blindness from white smoke and sudden hearing deprivation. The SRS warning lamp was confirmed illuminated immediately following the zero-impact deployment. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
NHTSA complaint #11760283 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
COMPONENT THAT FAILED & AVAILABILITY: The vehicle's primary electrical architecture and data communications network (CAN bus) failed during a safety recall service for the SRS ECU and rearview camera. After attempting to complete the recall work, the vehicle is no longer able to start. SAFETY RISK: The manufacturer's federally mandated safety recall remedy compromised the vehicle's critical safety and control infrastructure. This rendered a previously reliable family vehicle entirely inoperable, destroying its ability to communicate, start, or turn on. It poses a systemic safety risk if the corporate recall procedure itself causes severe electronic failures in consumer vehicles. REPRODUCTION & DEALER CONFIRMATION: Yes. The failure was induced directly by Williams Honda ([XXX]) during service on Thursday, XXX. The dealership's Service Manager explicitly confirmed to me that their technicians compromised the electrical architecture while performing the SRS ECU and rearview camera recall work. The vehicle has remained dead at their facility ever since. INSPECTION BY OTHERS: The vehicle has been actively inspected by dealership technicians in coordination with Honda Engineering headquarters. It has not been inspected by police or insurance representatives, as no crash occurred. I have requested an inspection by a Honda Corporate Field Technical Specialist (FTS). WARNING LAMPS & PRIOR SYMPTOMS:NONE. Prior to this appointment, the vehicle was in perfect electrical and mechanical working order. There were absolutely no warning lamps, messages, or symptoms of any starting or electrical problems. The vehicle had just safely completed a seven-hour road trip immediately prior to being dropped off for the recall work. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
NHTSA complaint #11760347 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
when I start the car, I get 8 or so warnings: Adaptive cruise control, Automatic emergency braking, forward Collision warning, lane departure warning, lane keeping assistance, etc. the air bag warning for passenger also blinks. the dealer indicates this is a faulty front camera and will require about $2500 to fix it.
NHTSA complaint #11758803 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
NHTSA Campaign 26V227000. My vehicle VIN: [XXX] Vehicle modified by Vantage Mobility International (VMI) into a Mobility Van. Van submitted to dealer 7/16/2026. Dealer claims they cannot perform work until factory clearance obtained. I cannot get information on when repair can be completed. VMI engineer Andrew Socha (602) 304 3294 informed me on 7/20/2026 there was nothing in the VMI modification that would interfere with this safety upgrade I called American Honda Motor Co, Inc Headquarters in Torrance, CA (800 999 1009) pn 7/22/2026 where safety recall department employee Antonio (would not give last name) commiserated with my situation but had no authority to ameliorate the situation I can't get a straight answer from American Honda Motor Co. Inc. and when or whether this repair is done. The 30 day window for this repair is closing in 5 days. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
NHTSA complaint #11756210 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2015 Honda Odyssey. While the contact's fiancé was driving 30 MPH with the contact seated in the passenger's seat, the passenger's side air bag deployed without impact. The contact sustained injuries to the right arm and neck. Medical attention was provided. The air bag warning light was not illuminated. The local dealer was contacted; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 221,092.
NHTSA complaint #11755046 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
While driving at approximately 22–25 mph in rainy conditions, my vehicle hit a pothole, causing immediate spontaneous deployment of the side curtain and passenger-seat airbags. No vehicle crash occurred. An independent Bosch Event Data Recorder (EDR) extraction logged an 11 mph longitudinal delta-V and recorded 0 ms for all SRS airbag deployment commands, confirming a system malfunction/glitch. Honda Corporate opened a safety case but has stalled response efforts while the vehicle remains in an un-repaired, unsafe condition. No warning lamps, or lights or messages were present before the incident.
NHTSA complaint #11754016 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I drove very slowly over a speed bump by my local public high school and my airbags deployed. My hand was burnt from the airbag, my insurer gave me 14K + to repair the car, but that was not enough and so I took the money and bought a different car. furthermore because of this , my insurer increased significantly my monthly premium. My young children were in the car and were terrified. My insurer also only paid for a certain amount of days with the rental car, and I had to pay out-of-pocket for the other days.
NHTSA complaint #11751923 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
My SRS light went on without being in an accident. Around the same time I noticed that there was a recall reported (NHTSA Recall Number 26V-227) which states that the vehicle may deploy airbags without cause by going over a pothole etc. I took my vehicle in to the Honda dealership and they confirmed that my SRS ECU needs to be replaced bc it detected an airbag deployment but since it already deployed they will not replace it under the recall. However, the recall states that they need to update the SRS ECU to prevent this exact scenario from happening without proper cause and if it already happened the SRS ECU will need to be replaced. The worst part is, that they cleared the recall through the database for my vehicle but did not actually fix any issues and the SRS system is still not functioning. I already made a complaint with Honda corporation over two months ago but so far they have not provided a resolution.
NHTSA complaint #11751830 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2019 Honda Odyssey. The contact stated that while driving approximately 35 MPH uphill, the vehicle struck a curb. The vehicle was able to drive over the curb, but the air bags deployed. The contact stated that there was no damage to the vehicle to cause the air bags to deploy. The contact referenced NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V227000 (Air Bags); as a possible cause for the failure; however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unavailable.
NHTSA complaint #11750687 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Vehicle: 2019 Honda Odyssey Issue: Unintended airbag deployment consistent with Honda Recall UNW (SRS Control Unit Calibration Defect) Incident Type: Safety defect – airbags deployed without collision Location & Date: Highway 131, outside of Kalamazoo, MI - travel – normal road conditions on July 6, 2026 Insurance Outcome: Denied due to manufacturer defect, will only cover minor wheel damage While driving my 2019 Honda Odyssey on the highway, the vehicle hit a pot hole in the main lane and multiple airbags deployed without any collision, impact, or hazardous event. The side, and curtain airbags all deployed simultaneously. These airbags also did not deflate making it very difficult to see and could have been extremely dangerous. There was no crash, no debris, and no external damage to the vehicle. The deployment was sudden, violent, and completely unexpected. The circumstances of this incident match the description of Honda Safety Recall UNW, which identifies a defect in the SRS control unit calibration that can cause airbags to deploy from normal road vibration, potholes, or bumps. My vehicle’s behavior aligns exactly with the recall conditions. I filed a claim with my insurance provider (Allstate), and they issued a denial because the airbag deployment was caused by a manufacturer defect, not a collision or comprehensive event. As a result, I am left with over $10,000 in airbag related repair costs, including replacement of the airbag modules, seat airbags, curtain airbags, SRS sensors, and interior trim damaged by the deployment. I contacted Honda to request reimbursement under the recall, but Honda has refused my claim and pushed me back to my insurance provider. The lack of response from Honda leaves me with significant financial damage caused directly by a known recall defect. I am requesting NHTSA’s assistance in compelling Honda to address this recall related failure, reimburse the repair costs and ensure proper handling of unintended airbag deployments
NHTSA complaint #11750385 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
2020 Honda Odyssey EX-L, 49k miles, no prior collisions. 1. Faulty system: SRS airbag module, defective factory aluminum clip (official Honda recall defect). EDR data verified this component failure by dealer technicians. 2. Safety risk: Driver airbag spontaneously deployed at 41MPH with zero impact. Seven occupants suffered soft tissue injuries and PTSD; sudden deployment created severe risk of secondary crash. 3. Dealer confirmation: Bay Ridge Honda (Brooklyn NY) diagnosed and confirmed the airbag clip defect via EDR readout and physical teardown, filed service records for this issue. 4. Inspectors reviewed vehicle: Honda dealer techs, EDR forensic specialists, and GEICO adjuster all inspected the car and confirmed no pre-crash damage. 5. Pre-fault warnings: No SRS warning lights, error codes or abnormal electrical symptoms appeared before the airbag deployed unexpectedly.
NHTSA complaint #11750427 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
While traveling from Florida to our home in Pennsylvania in December 2022, we were on [XXX] and after going over a pothole, the side curtain airbag, and the driver seat side airbag inadvertently deployed. It was very traumatic and we are fortunate that we were able to pull off the side of the highway without getting hit by vehicles., The repair, which totaled over$16,000 was done by GERBER COLLISION AND GLASS Easton, PA. we personally are trying to recoup our out of pocket expenses of $781.08 from HONDA. And now, a month ago, May 2026,(almost 4 years after our incident) we received a SAFETY RECALL notification from explaining the exact issue we had.NHTSA Recall number26V227. we can provide photos and documentation, invoices, out of pocket expenses, etc if necessary but we have no idea how to include them on this form. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
NHTSA complaint #11746315 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
My wife was driving the vehicle after dropping off my kid at a swim meet in Dearborn heights MI, the Side curtain and all the passenger side airbags deployed after what she thinks is hitting a pothole. She heard big sound, she initially thought that the window glasses were broken but later realized that all the passenger side airbags deployed. She immediately slowed and took a right on the neighboring street and parked the car and exited. She mentioned a burning smell but I think it’s because of the airbag deployment. I looked for any recalls on this vehicle, there were none. But I noticed a recall on a similar situation for the same models from year 2018-2022. ,
NHTSA complaint #11745395 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2018 Honda Odyssey. The contact stated that while driving approximately 10 MPH over a pothole in the roadway, the passenger’s side air bags deployed unintendedly. The contact became aware of NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V227000 (Air Bags). The vehicle was taken to the dealer but was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The manufacturer informed the contact that the failure reoccurred because the vehicle was not taken in for the reprogramming stated in the recall remedy. The manufacturer informed the contact that the air bag replacement was not covered under the recall. The contact had not received the recall notification before the failure. The manufacturer opened a case. The failure mileage was 120,657.
NHTSA complaint #11744399 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.