221 of the
17,040 complaints filed about the Honda Odyssey
are about the seat belts —
1% of everything owners reported.
The worst model year for it is 2003.
My son turned around in his second-row seat of our Honda Odyssey, causing the seat belt to cinch tightly around his waist. Even after the buckle was released, the seat belt continued to tighten instead of loosening. It became so tight that he could barely breathe, and we ultimately had to cut the seat belt to free him. There was no way to manually release or loosen the belt once it had locked. This presents a serious safety hazard. Seat belts should include an emergency release or override mechanism that allows a locked belt to be loosened during an entrapment situation.
NHTSA complaint #11754973 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Right side middle row seat belt does not detect when the seat belt is connected and beeps constantly on and off. Started happening right after the manufacturers warranty ended (36k miles).
NHTSA complaint #11754131 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
While my child was riding in the second row drivers side captains chair of my 2018 Odyssey, she fell asleep and unknowingly moved the shoulder strap portion of the seat belt behind her head/ upper body. I was driving and could not see that the belt had been moved because she was seated behind me and was also covered by a blanket. After the vehicle was parked, she unbuckled the seat belt and attempted to exit the vehicle. As she got out, the seat belt retracted and tightened around her abdomen and torso, trapping her against her seat. The belt became extremely tight and we were unable to free her after 20 minutes of struggling to create slack and slide her out.The pressure from the belt cause visible injuries to her abdomen. Because we could not safely release her, we were forced to cut the seat belt. The damaged seat belt was inspected by a Honda dealership, which recommended replacement of the entire seat assembly, costing $3,000. Honda customer relations was also notified and provided us with a case number. I am submitting this report because a child was trapped by the seat belt during normal vehicle use, requiring the belt to be cut to safely free her.
NHTSA complaint #11753597 — 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.
When I am stopped at a red light, the auto shutoff is activated, and when I lift off the brake and try to accelerate forward at the green light, the vehicle stalls for about 15 seconds, leaving the driver and passengers vulnerable to a car accident. One of the passenger seatbelts triggers the "no seatbelt" alarm, even when the passenger is buckled. If no one is seated there, there is no alarm. This only happens when someone is seated there. In order to bypass the alarm sound, the passenger has to unbuckle and re-buckle so that the car knows that the passenger is seated. Once the car shifts after a turn or curved road, the alarm will sound again. During an average 20 minute car ride, it'll probably do this 5-6 times, depending on how many turns or curves there are on the route.
NHTSA complaint #11748429 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
On 4/30/26 my 10 year old son was sitting in the middle row behind the driver buckled in his seatbelt. The middle row, middle seatbelt (that comes down from ceiling) got wrapped around his neck and kept tightening. He yelled for help. I was driving and saw in my rearview mirror that my son was being pulled up by his neck from the seatbelt in the ceiling. I pulled into a shopping center immediately to try to help him. I could not reach down in between the seats to unhook it because the more I tried to release him, the more it would tighten. That seatbelt requires a tool to be pressed into the lock to release it and the more I tried to get to the seatbelt to unfasten it the more it was tightening and pulling my son up (he was literally starting to hang from the ceiling). I unhooked his seatbelt so he could push himself up to try to release some of the tension around his neck. I wound up running into a Michaels store screaming that I needed scissors because my son was hanging from a seatbelt. She gave me scissors and I went back out and cut the seatbelt to release my son from the seatbelt noose around his neck. He had red marks around his neck afterwards. I still have the cut seatbelt and the other half retracted into the ceiling. Research has confirmed that there have been other reports of issues with children having to be cut out of seatbelts due to the Automatic Locking Retractor (ALR) in Honda Odysseys, model years 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014 and my model 2018. I called Honda corporate on 6/8/26 and filed a complaint. I was told I would receive an email response. I have not received an email or any response. So I called Honda corporate again on 6/25/26 and was told someone would reach out to me, but they could not tell me anything over the phone at that time. I made an appointment at my Honda dealership to have the seatbelt replaced, but have been waiting on a response from Honda corporate before doing any repairs.
NHTSA complaint #11746477 — 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.
While child was seated in the rear right second-row seat of a 2022 Honda Odyssey Touring, the seat belt became stuck and jammed, trapping the child in the car seat. Multiple attempts were made to release the child but the seat belt mechanism would not release. The child became distressed and complained of difficulty breathing. As an emergency measure, the child car seat had to be physically cut and destroyed to free the child. The vehicle was subsequently taken to the dealer. The dealer confirmed that the rear right second-row seat belt was found cut in half and that the seat frame had to be replaced. Dealer stated the belt mechanism tested normal during post-incident inspection but was unable to reproduce the entrapment condition. The seat belt tensioner is suspected of having gotten stuck, causing the entrapment. This is a serious child safety incident involving potential entrapment and breathing distress in the second-row seating area.
NHTSA complaint #11741904 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I was travelling on a two lane surface road with a speed of 45 mph, travelling at or below posted speed and just starting to slow to make a right hand turn when I encountered / wandered over the solid white line into a pothole at the edge of the road where there is no shoulder. Airbags on the passenger side including the sidecurtain and airbag inside the passenger seat deployed instantly. There was no collision and no deployment of the front passenger airbag or any other bags in the vehicle. There was an immediate call from Honda regarding the airbag deployment along with an automated notification to local police. Police in [XXX] responded and made a report and created a case number: #[XXX] I had a passenger in the front seat at the time who received a facial laceration, bruises to the right arm and hip. This is part of a known recall for this model and year of vehicle. Police and local dealership ( Casey Honda of XXX [XXX] ) have both confirmed visually that the airbags have deployed. No warnings, lights preceded the event. I just received the letter in the last few days regarding the recall. Honda has issued a case number for the incident: #[XXX]. I will be following up Honda for an inspection of other accident sensor and systems for safety which can be affected by the deployment. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
NHTSA complaint #11741430 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
My 8 year old child became locked in the seatbelt, the seatbelt would not unbuckle nor release tension, it kept getting tighter and tighter and he tried to get out when it then tightened around his diaphragm and chest making it very hard to take a breath. I had to pull over and ask a store for tools to try and release it but it kept getting tighter and he was panicking. I had three other children in the car and could not take the time to get help without potentially having him go into respiratory arrest. I had to cut the seat belt. My child is terrified of the car, I am terrified this could happen again. I now am down an entire seat due to the cut seatbelt.
NHTSA complaint #11737388 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The rear passenger side tire hit a pothole and it caused all of the airbags to deploy on April 6, 2026. The impact should not have set the airbags off. This has caused a severe rash/burn on my son's face and neck. The vehicle is now being totaled by my insurance company and forcing me to have to purchase a new vehicle and my insurance rates to go up. Three days later, April 9, 2026, a safety recall on the over-sensitive airbags was issued for this Odyssey. There were no other warnings leading up to this. Insurance has inspected the vehicle and deemed it a total loss.
NHTSA complaint #11731509 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
My driver seat belt keeps unlatching . It happens to often. I know there was a previous recall for it but everytime I look it up it doesn’t show on the website. I previously reported here I think last year. Also when shows as an error on the obd reader. As a failing seat belt system recall. My insurance company shows the driver air bag is recalled but again when I look it up here . You list no information about these recalls and it’s scary since both are critical.
NHTSA complaint #11721185 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2019 Honda Odyssey. The contact stated that while her son was driving at 70 MPH, he crashed into a deer. The air bags did not deploy. After investigation, the contact linked the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V064000 (Air Bags). A police report was filed. There was no reported fire. The driver struck his head on the steering wheel and sustained head injuries, and medical attention was provided on the military base. While driving, the vehicle stalled at the entrance of the military base. The vehicle was towed to an auto body repair facility. The vehicle was being recalibrated. The air bag light was illuminated. The mechanic determined there was an issue with the seat belt pretensioner. The mechanic determined that the air bag sensor was not hit during the crash. The contact called the local dealer, who confirmed there were no recalls. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified. The failure mileage was approximately 77,000. The VIN was not available.
NHTSA complaint #11693533 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
My daughter was injured when the third row, far right side seat belt malfunctioned, and she became entrapped. My daughter had fallen asleep in the seat and lay a little sideways resting on a sibling buckled in the center seat. When she arrived home the belt was very tight, and would not undo. She tried to get out and the seat belt auto retractor mechanism was working making it harder to move and then impossible. We reclined the seat a little to try and pull her out and this didn’t help. We also tried removing pieces of clothing and pulling her out to no avail. By this time our child was in pain as the belt was cutting into her waist. Neighbors came out of their homes due to the screaming, this was evening time so felt no option but to cut the belt and release her. This event was very frightening and distressing for our family. We do not understand how the auto retractor and buckle mechanisms malfunctioned but worry it may happen again. We have read similar accounts on the Honda forums. The staff were not helpful or concerned about this malfunction despite a mechanic at Honda acknowledging this has happened before. I would like to formally lodge my concerns over this incident.
NHTSA complaint #11691270 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2022 Honda Odyssey. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the front driver’s side seat belt buckle unexpectedly unlatched. The failure had occurred on several occasions. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The local dealer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The manufacturer was not yet contacted. The failure mileage was 50,000.
NHTSA complaint #11686375 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2019 Honda Odyssey. The contact stated that while idled in traffic, the vehicle was rear-ended at approximately 60 MPH. No air bags were deployed. The seat belts retracted as intended during impact, and the lift gate and rear driver's side window were shattered as a result of the crash. In addition, the vehicle occupied one passenger in the front passenger side seat and a second child passenger in the rear row driver's side seat. No warning lights were illuminated. Medical attention was sought for the front passenger for back injuries upon hitting the dashboard during the impact. Medical attention was sought for a strained neck for the driver. The child did not sustain any injuries or seek medical attention. A police report was filed. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was left at the contact residence, where it remained for further investigation. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 33,740.
NHTSA complaint #11676953 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Subject: Urgent Safety Concern: Driver Side middle Seat Belt Malfunction I am writing to report a serious and distressing incident involving the driver-side middle seat belt in our Honda Odyssey van. While parked, the seat belt became stuck and tightly wrapped around my [XXX] son. Despite trying all possible options, including turning off the engine and shifting to park, we were unable to release the belt. After struggling for 45 minutes, we had no choice but to cut the seat belt in order to free the child. The experience caused significant panic and distress to my child and was extremely dangerous. This raises serious safety concerns. Please let me know immediately: •If this is a known issue or part of a recall. •What steps Honda is taking to address this. •Whether it is safe to use the vehicle until this is resolved. We are extremely concerned and would appreciate your urgent attention to this matter. Sincerely, INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
NHTSA complaint #11671820 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Driver seat belt keeps releasing by itself. I put on my seat belt and then it pops open. I haven’t been in any accidents but it’s scares me that it can just release easily therefore no providing me with any protection. I have not taking it in to be reviewed but it has happened multiple times
NHTSA complaint #11647207 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Top left rear exterior seam/seal on the top of the roof, under the black strip that runs front to back is leaking inside the left inner side/panel of the trunk, leaking water into all electrical components (break/turning lights) as well as the left rear seatbelt mechanism, soaking seatbelt, rendering it unusable. Could be a potential fatality in case of an accident.
NHTSA complaint #11644275 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
drivers2nd row seat belt would not release, seatbelt continues to apply tension on child, after trying to slide seat and tilt seat forward, no release, had to cut seat belt in order to safely remove child from seat
NHTSA complaint #11609822 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.