1,944 of the
17,040 complaints filed about the Honda Odyssey
are about the engine —
11% of everything owners reported.
The worst model year for it is 2018.
I was stopped at a stoplight. The car has idle stop so the engine turns off at the light. When I tried to go the car went into park. I could not get it back in drive and had to turn the car off then back on. Meanwhile I am stuck in the middle of the road with traffic. This has happened several times before.
NHTSA complaint #11758869 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Yesterday (8/21/2026) my husband took this vehicle in for a routine oil change and upon the 100 point inspection was informed there was an oil leak somewhere from the engine. This vehicle is barely 2 years old and barely at 30,000 miles. There were 0 signs of a leak somewhere we had no idea. They completed diagnostics and determined it was the axle seal. Thankfully this was covered under warranty but their master mechanic shared with my husband that this is a very well known issue with the 2024 models and the fix is using the newer manufacturing parts. Again, there were no visible signs of a leak, there were no vehicle computer warnings of an issue other than the oil life alerts that are programmed.
NHTSA complaint #11758767 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
After stopping at a red light the engine auto stopped and would not restart after releasing the brake. After 20 minutes of trying to turn the vehicle on/off it finally restarted. Serious safety concern since it was a busy road and the vehicle couldn’t be put into neutral to push it out of the lane. The vehicle is under 20,000 miles and in the warranty period. I haven’t taken it to the dealership to determine the issue however they did say there are no service bulletins for this issue. This is the first time it has happened but I have since turned off the auto start/stop before every drive in fear that it will cause a crash in the future.
NHTSA complaint #11758807 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I'm filing a formal safety complaint regarding my 2019 Honda Odyssey, VIN [XXX], & requesting an engineering-level review by American Honda. I've brought this vehicle to an authorized Honda dealer numerous times for recurring & increasingly serious electrical, engine/power-loss, & transmission problems. Despite thousands of dollars in repairs, the problems continue. The vehicle has unexpectedly shut off/lost power; the power sliding doors have failed & required manual opening; low-battery warnings have appeared; & the radio/infotainment system repeatedly loses power and resets. I have photographs showing the message: “Anti Theft System–This system has lost power.” More seriously, the vehicle has malfunctioned in Park, Reverse, while shifting into Drive, & while turning. Most recently, the transmission would not engage properly and the vehicle had to be shut off and restarted multiple times before it would go into Drive. Delray Honda documented this transmission failure/no-drive incident on its August 2026 repair order. In May 2026, I brought the vehicle to Delray Honda for a Check Engine Management System warning. Repairs were performed, but the warning returned within days. Delray Honda then replaced the power distribution module, costing me approximately $2,000. I've spent thousands more dollars addressing these recurring problems without resolution. I understand Honda/NHTSA Recall 19V-299 involved certain 2018–2019 Odysseys and a loss of power to the Transmission Control Unit. My Odyssey appears to have been manufactured around the time of those Hondas that were covered by that recall. I'm not claiming without diagnosis that the defect is identical, but the similarity of the symptoms warrants an urgent investigation. I request that Honda open a formal safety case, review my complete service history, DTCs and TCM/PCM data, determine whether my vehicle has the same or a related defect, and review my prior repair costs for reimbursement. Thank you. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT
NHTSA complaint #11758453 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
After stopping the car in a left turn lane in the intersection, the car engine, dash board and infotainment system shut down. No warnings or other items appeared, the car died. After scrambling since it put traffic to a standstill, I shifter to park and returned on the car. Which worked and allowed me to continue. This happened again 1 week later while at a red light.
NHTSA complaint #11758148 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The Auto Idle Stop mode has caused my car to stall out at least 10 times since I bought the vehicle in August 2024. Each time it has occurred, it has taken me several minutes to restart the car. I’ve bought my vehicle to Hilton Head Honda in Bluffton, SC two times to have them inspect the vehicle. The only thing they have done is replaced the battery which has not solved the problem.
NHTSA complaint #11758238 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The engine auto idle system failed at a stoplight. The auto-idle engaged, but when I took my foot off the brake, the engine did not restart. It completely shut down, putting my car in park in a busy intersection. The engine light and an error message flashed briefly but disappeared. I was able to restart the car and drive, however, only after waving several other cars to pass by me. I've noticed recently the restart function lagging, and if I put my foot on the gas too soon, the car lurching and jerking forward (indicating the engine isn't restarting quickly or properly). I recently had a full routine service on the vehicle, indicating battery life is good. No other issues appeared such as overheating.
NHTSA complaint #11757997 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Starter issue both during idle start/stop mode and going from off to on. Owned for about 20mos and happened first maybe 6mos ago and has happened a dozen times since then. So dangerous! We have had idle start freeze at a green light and are worried we’ll get hit. Sister in law has the same problem with hers. This needs to be fixed immediately!
NHTSA complaint #11757592 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
When the engine is hot, the car hesitates to start for a couple seconds. Occurs on really hot days especially after stopping and starting the engine such as after getting gas or on idle stop at a redlight. The motor starter has been replaced by Honda to a new one but the issue can re-occur as the part being replaced is the same with the same build and will likely fail again in hot conditions.
NHTSA complaint #11757634 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2025 Honda Odyssey. The contact stated that while sitting at a traffic light, with the Auto START/STOP feature engaged, the vehicle completely shut off. The contact was able to restart the vehicle after several attempts. The failure was a recurring failure. The battery was replaced; however, the failure persisted. The contact associated the failure with NHTSA Action Number: EA25004 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 30,000.
NHTSA complaint #11757715 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Seems like due to the auto idle, it makes the engine idle so low that it dies- my car died in middle of the road- the first time, I had it jumped, and mechanic said it was a fluke, second time, despite the testing not showing any issue, he said we can try to replace the battery, so we did, but 6 weeks later my car died, and it took 5 attempts to get it to restart with the external battery pack! each time there was NO issue with the electrical system- my A/C was running fine, the whole dashboard showed up fine. Seems like according to a class action suit in california this is an issue Honda KNEW about! People now know to press the Auto-off button so the car does not auto idle- but this needs to be done EACH time, or you will end up KILLING your engine! How is this allowed to be sold?? I was stuck in MIDDLE of a busy street with my DAUGHTER in the car!!!!
NHTSA complaint #11757567 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
While at a stop light on a major road, the vehicles auto start stop engaged. Upon the light turning green, I released the brake and vehicle failed to restart. The vehicle put itself into park and flashed a warning message "problem detected....." . I pressed the start button, and at first the vehicle failed to start, making a clicking sound, consistent with a dead battery or starter. I had to press the start button 4 times before the vehicle restarted and I could proceed. I was extremely concerned as I had my wife and three kids in the car, unable to move forward on a major roadway. I have an appointment at the dealer for this Friday.
NHTSA complaint #11757358 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I was at the red light and the car wouldn't come out of idle. The battery light came on and the i tried to turn the car off and it just keeps cycling. I had to open the door for the car to cut off and then restart the car. This is the 3rd time this has happened and almost resulted in me and my children being hit.
NHTSA complaint #11757371 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
While stopped at a red light or intersection, the vehicle's Auto Idle Stop feature engages and shuts off the engine as designed. However, on multiple occasions, the engine has failed to automatically restart when the brake pedal is released. The vehicle remains stalled and unresponsive in the middle of the intersection or traffic lane, creating a safety risk to myself and other drivers, particularly at busy intersections. In some instances, the vehicle needed to be fully powered off and restarted before it would move again. This is a known and widely reported defect affecting Honda and Acura vehicles with the Auto Idle Stop system, currently under NHTSA Engineering Analysis EA25004. The problem has occurred repeatedly and unpredictably, with no consistent warning beforehand. The vehicle and its Auto Idle Stop system are available for inspection upon request. The problem has not yet been confirmed by a dealer, though I intend to bring it in for diagnosis. There were no warning lamps or messages before the failures occurred; the only symptom was the engine simply not restarting after an automatic idle stop.
NHTSA complaint #11757543 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
When driving the vehicle it always has a lag in acceleration when pressing on the gas pedal. There are numerous times I can press the gas pedal and the car will not move. I've taken back to the dealer to see what their service department says.
NHTSA complaint #11757105 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
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
NHTSA complaint #11757074 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
My van has an auto-stop feature that shuts the engine off at stop lights. This feature will now occasionally shut the car off, but then fail to restart it. We have stalled out at intersections with the van not restarting for up to a full minute. This is incredibly dangerous and needs to be addressed immediately
NHTSA complaint #11756849 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.