2021 Honda Odyssey Problems & Owner Complaints

Electrical System 49

“The contact owns a 2021 Honda Odyssey. The contact stated that while stopping at a red light, the vehicle idled and automatically turned off while stopped and then the vehicle restarted but the vehicle stalled. The electronics on the vehicle were not operating as designed. The contact attempted to restart the vehicle, but the vehicle failed to start. The contact's brother was able to jumpstart the vehicle, and the vehicle operated as needed. The dealer was contacted; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was…”
NHTSA complaint #11753593, 2026

“2021 Odyssey EXL shuts off completely at a traffic stop light. Happened 2 times in a 2 week period. Without warning the engine switches off completely and puts itself in "P" mode, all light comes on as if in accessory mode, radio switches off, all doors unlocked. To get going, the driver had to press brake pedal and start the car again (via Engine Start /Stop button). This issue started in my car at 93K miles. Never had any issue with mine before that. But it is scary especially the engine switch off at stop lights and blocking traffic for a number of minutes before you know what happened and…”
NHTSA complaint #11752152, 2026

“The infotainment screen randomly shuts off and displays the errors "Network communication lost" and "MOST Net Off". This has happened numerous times while in the middle of backing up and using the backup camera that normally displays on that screen. We took it to the dealership for repairs of the problem in 2025 and after changing a wiring harness, the screen itself, and then the harness again, they thought they had fixed it but the issue continued to happen and has increased in frequency since then. Honda has a recall that includes our model (NHTSA Recall No. : 23V-431) but we were apparently…”
NHTSA complaint #11751816, 2026

Unknown Or Other 29 1 fire 1 injury

“The rear lift gate will be open and then all the sudden decide it needs to be shut. Beeps really load and then come down hard and fast with no real time to recognize what is happening and get out of the way. It hurts and doesn’t stop when it hits a person”
NHTSA complaint #11526594, 2023 · 1 injury(ies)

“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.”
NHTSA complaint #11733562, 2026 · fire

“The infotainment screen randomly shuts off and displays the errors "Network communication lost" and "MOST Net Off". This has happened numerous times while in the middle of backing up and using the backup camera that normally displays on that screen. We took it to the dealership for repairs of the problem in 2025 and after changing a wiring harness, the screen itself, and then the harness again, they thought they had fixed it but the issue continued to happen and has increased in frequency since then. Honda has a recall that includes our model (NHTSA Recall No. : 23V-431) but we were apparently…”
NHTSA complaint #11751816, 2026

Engine 23

“2021 Odyssey EXL shuts off completely at a traffic stop light. Happened 2 times in a 2 week period. Without warning the engine switches off completely and puts itself in "P" mode, all light comes on as if in accessory mode, radio switches off, all doors unlocked. To get going, the driver had to press brake pedal and start the car again (via Engine Start /Stop button). This issue started in my car at 93K miles. Never had any issue with mine before that. But it is scary especially the engine switch off at stop lights and blocking traffic for a number of minutes before you know what happened and…”
NHTSA complaint #11752152, 2026

“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. T…”
NHTSA complaint #11750213, 2026

“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.”
NHTSA complaint #11747500, 2026

Forward Collision Avoidance 19 1 crash

“I was driving through an intersection. My automatic brakes activated for no reason, my car rapidly slowed down in the middle of an intersection, a bus hit my car from behind.”
NHTSA complaint #11528174, 2023 · crash

“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.”
NHTSA complaint #11724497, 2026

“My van is braking when there are no cars or dangers in front of it. Sometimes there's a metal plate on the ground or speed bump when it brakes. Other times there's nothing in front. The car slams on the brakes and I cannot override it with the gas pedal. This puts my kids and I in danger of being rear-ended. This most commonly happens around 7:30am or 4pm when I'm taking kids to school or dropping off. I'm often in the carpool like or headed to the school when the car slams on the brakes. It's very frightening. The dealer cannot find an issue and cannot replicate the problem.”
NHTSA complaint #11689340, 2025

Air Bags 16

“The contact owns a 2021 Honda Odyssey. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V064000 (Air Bags); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact had not experienced a failure.”
NHTSA complaint #11693613, 2025

“The contact owns a 2021 Honda Odyssey. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V064000 (Air Bags); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact had not experienced a failure.”
NHTSA complaint #11692563, 2025

“Active recall cannot be repaired as there is no parts after reaching out to four local Honda dealerships in the upper Annapolis, Md area. Have been added to the "list" of owners needing the recall completed for about a year and a half now.”
NHTSA complaint #11693565, 2024

Structure 10 1 fire 2 injury

“The sliding door closed on my child's hand cutting the top of his finger off down to his finger bone.”
NHTSA complaint #11629558, 2024 · 1 injury(ies)

“The back-right passenger side door was opened by pulling on the outside handle after a hobbled passenger was cautioned that the door was going to slide open and moved a few inches away from the vehicle to allow for that. The door required more clearance than either of us anticipated. The passenger fell backwards either trying to avoid being hit by the door or by actually being hit by it, leading to a broken bone, hospitalization, cancellation of the pending surgery to address a pre-existing orthopedic issue, and many continuing expenses. I have not attempted to reproduce this accident (duh), a…”
NHTSA complaint #11489995, 2022 · 1 injury(ies)

“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.”
NHTSA complaint #11733562, 2026 · fire

Lane Departure 9 1 crash

“Rear view mirror on the windshield has a factory defect. It falls off and causes hazardous conditions. I backed into a parked and unoccupied vehicle. It was dark, the warning beeper did not sound until I hit the vehicle. The dealership has attempted to fix the issue 3 times, the item is ordered to fix the mirror. I have reported this issue to the NHSTA twice. This is my second update after the initial report. The sales manager, Bobby, (cell#336-740-4273), says that he is aware that other Honda vehicles have had this problem with the mirror.”
NHTSA complaint #11556927, 2023 · crash

“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.”
NHTSA complaint #11750699, 2026

“It started that all the sensor in our car started to go off. We were told we had a bad battery, even thought we had replaced it new just last year. Once we had the battery checked and alternator. The sensors started to act up again, out tail gate started to malfunction. Wouldn’t automatically close. A few weeks ago driving down the road the tail gate opened and the anti theft system started going off while the car was running and still going. Come to find out there is a water leak in the rear that has gotten into the rear fuse box and has cause substantial corrosion. The latch to the tail gate…”
NHTSA complaint #11652678, 2025

Back Over Prevention 6 1 injury

“HI, A driver of a 2021 Honda odyssey EX-L struck and ran over my 6 yr old child, driver was unable to see the child sitting on the driveway ground from his view, If this Honda odyssey EX-L would have Parking Sensors this accident would be avoided. I urge you to request Honda to install this feature in all Honda Odyssey models as this feature can save lives. Thanks”
NHTSA complaint #11537437, 2023 · 1 injury(ies)

“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.”
NHTSA complaint #11750699, 2026

“I hear a popping/crackling noise from the speakers then I get complete network loss for my backup camera, my dvd player, my clock, maps etc.System does a report after 5+ minutes. Message displayed before everything goes black is Network Connection Lost and MOST Net Off. This issue is ongoing and seems to happen now every day sometimes multiple times in a driving session. It just started about 2 weeks ago. There is an active recall for this exact issue for 2021 Honda Odysseys but my VIN does not seem to be included.”
NHTSA complaint #11689851, 2025

Power Train 6

“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…”
NHTSA complaint #11747846, 2026

“1. Incident: I was driving and stopped at a red light, took my foot off of the brake and the car completely died, leaving me stranded at the intersection. The car started back up after 4 minutes. Note: This incident happened after 2 months of weird electrical things happening to the car, such as the radio turning on after the car had been turned off, car not starting, sliding doors losing power when they are halfway closed, coming to a stop and putting the car in park then the car completely loses all power/interior lights, and more... 2. My safety was put at risk by having a non-functionin…”
NHTSA complaint #11604609, 2024

“1. While I was driving on the freeway, my radio turned off and my car put itself into NEUTRAL! I was able to safely pull over and put it back in drive. Note: This incident happened after 2 months of weird electrical things happening to the car, such as the radio turning on after the car had been turned off, car not starting, sliding doors losing power when they are halfway closed, coming to a stop and putting the car in park then the car completely loses all power/interior lights, the car turning off while stopped at a light and more... 2. Had there been more traffic I would have been in ma…”
NHTSA complaint #11604614, 2024

Fuel/Propulsion System 5

“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.”
NHTSA complaint #11746889, 2026

“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!”
NHTSA complaint #11744196, 2026

“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…”
NHTSA complaint #11705252, 2025

Suspension 5

“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 sho…”
NHTSA complaint #11726851, 2026

“Can has been making a popping noise that can be felt in the steering wheel for 2 years. Honda has told me nothing was wrong after taking it in 4 times. Now my car keeps stalling at lights, sometimes it takes a while to get it to restart, and they can not figure out why. They keep saying the battery is fine and diagnostics finds nothing.”
NHTSA complaint #11683344, 2025

“Approximately May 2023, while pulling away from stop light, heard loud pop (like gunshot inside vehicle) and vehicle shuddered/jolted. It feels almost like someone hit vehicle with sledgehammer. I looked underneath but no issues found. No bump in road was hit at the time. December 24th 2024, while moving at less then 5 mph, heard another loud pop and shudder/jolt. Someone sitting in the back thought that something fell on the vehicle. This time noticed that left rear tire was into wheel well with vehicle unloaded. After pulling wheel, found left rear coil spring broken in 2 places. Be…”
NHTSA complaint #11682656, 2025

Visibility/Wiper 5 1 crash

“Rear view mirror on the windshield has a factory defect. It falls off and causes hazardous conditions. I backed into a parked and unoccupied vehicle. It was dark, the warning beeper did not sound until I hit the vehicle. The dealership has attempted to fix the issue 3 times, the item is ordered to fix the mirror. I have reported this issue to the NHSTA twice. This is my second update after the initial report. The sales manager, Bobby, (cell#336-740-4273), says that he is aware that other Honda vehicles have had this problem with the mirror.”
NHTSA complaint #11556927, 2023 · crash

“Recall for driver side view mirror completed. However the replacement mirror is distorted and causes blurred, wavy, double images. This replacement mirror needs to be addressed as soon as possible since proper representation of objects is distorted and poses a high safety concern. This issue has been reported in several forums as well.”
NHTSA complaint #11569641, 2024

“After 4 attempts by the dealership to correct the issue, The windshield inside view mirror malfunctions when adjusted. The mirror dislocated and falls off and cannot be adjusted per driver viewing needs. There is a defective assembly and it inhibits driver view causing hazardous conditions that could cause accidents.”
NHTSA complaint #11556582, 2023

Vehicle Speed Control 3

“After the PGM-FI update was put into our car, the engine cuts out entirely while at stop lights and will not wake back up. The Honda dealership is saying that there is nothing they can do.”
NHTSA complaint #11619730, 2024

“Once the cruise control is set, it consistently drops below the set speed and surges back up or over the set speed. Set on 62, it drops to 59 or 60, then surges back up to 62 or 63. This happens on perfectly flat roads with no traffic in front or beside the car. The dealership tried to tell me that the camera for the adaptive cruise might be seeing things in its peripheral vision area, but there is nothing there, the shoulder of the road is wide and free of obstacles. I've owned many other brands of vehicle, and never had this trouble with the cruise control on any of them. This is also a safe…”
NHTSA complaint #11540905, 2023

“I have a 2021 modely Honda Odyssey Elite (purchased in November 2020). This car has 14,000 miles on it as of July 29, 2022. When accelerating from a complete stop or accelerating after slowing down, upon depressing the accelerator pedal the car simply refuses to accelerate for a second or two and simply coasts due to momentum and then after a while accelerates hard causing a sudden jerky take off. This might not seem like a big issue on its face, but that delay has almost caused me to get hit by the oncoming traffic especially when making a right turn or when changing lanes. I have 3 small kid…”
NHTSA complaint #11476449, 2022

Visibility 3

“The contact owns a 2021 Honda Odyssey. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V174000 (Visibility), and the vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the recall repair was completed; however, while driving from the dealer, the contact noticed that the replacement side-view mirrors displayed a distorted image. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer, who replaced the side-view mirrors; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer a third time, and the side-view mirrors were replaced; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was not repaired. Th…”
NHTSA complaint #11541871, 2023

“I received a recall and call from the Honda dealership about a left and right side mirror recall, and they needed to be replaced. They were replaced with distorted blurry concave mirrors. Honda dealership was aware of this issue yet still installed them. After going back and getting them installed again, the mirror is still distorted. There has been no remedy or follow up.”
NHTSA complaint #11532898, 2023

“The drivers side side-view mirror was vibrating for serval days making it impossible to see correctly and was very distracting. While waiting for a new one to come in, I was driving on the highway it came off and smashed into the door. It was still hanging by the wire and smashing into the door over and over till I could get it to the dealer. The dealer said they've have multiple customers with this same problem. When it happened I was very lucky no one was near me on the highway because I was so startled by the crash that I was swerving. Then I had to drive to the dealer without a working sid…”
NHTSA complaint #11426112, 2021

Exterior Lighting 2 1 fire

“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.”
NHTSA complaint #11733562, 2026 · fire

“Honda Odyssey 2021 has major safety issues – the van starts engine on itself, shuts the engine on itself, tail lights are on when the engine is running, the knob for the lights on the turn signal handle was in OFF position when the van was observed starting, running and shutting engine on itself – for no reason. In all occasions key fobs were untouched. Once Honda Odyssey was observed with the engine starting and shutting on itself when both of the key fobs were in 10 miles distance from the vehicle. Brought twice to the dealer, cannot fix it. Contacted Honda on 2/17/22 informed about the prob…”
NHTSA complaint #11454053, 2022

Latches/Locks/Linkages 2

“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…”
NHTSA complaint #11750008, 2026

“The contact owns a 2021 Honda Odyssey. The contact stated that on one occasion while the vehicle was parked, the rear hatch failed to open. Additionally, the contact stated that while driving at approximately 35 MPH, the rear hatch opened inadvertently. The contact pulled over to the side of the road where the door was closed but failed to securely latch. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that condensation had leaked into to the driver’s side of the gate and damaged the rear gate control unit. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of…”
NHTSA complaint #11628305, 2024

Seats 2

“contacted dealership in Newburgh NY for recall. The rep pushed back making me wait 8 weeks. Dearlership in Middletown NY did not return call.”
NHTSA complaint #11642774, 2025

“The third row seat latching mechanism will not lock the seat into place on the floor. We had a child who was sitting in the seat and the seat flipped backward. It is the left side seat in the third row. It appears the mechanism inside the seat that secures to the floorboard is missing or broke.”
NHTSA complaint #11586354, 2024

Engine And Engine Cooling 1

“The contact owns a 2021 Honda Odyssey. While the contact’s wife was driving approximately 70 MPH, the vehicle began to lose automotive power with several unknown warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was driven to the shoulder of the roadway before stalling. The vehicle was unable to be restarted and was later towed to the local dealer. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 72,000.”
NHTSA complaint #11629582, 2024

Service Brakes 1

“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.”
NHTSA complaint #11750699, 2026

Steering 1

“Vehicle lost power resulting in the vehicle automatically going into park and powering off while driving. This has happened multiple times. In addition, we will get strange electronic codes. Tested battery and systems successfully, but problem persists.”
NHTSA complaint #11689213, 2025