2026 Honda Odyssey: problems, recalls and reliability
2 recalls and 38 owner complaints on record; the weakest area is engine (38% of complaints).
Data updated weekly · 20 new complaints in the last 90 days · latest recall May 2026
All counts are reports filed with NHTSA in the United States - US market only, not worldwide totals.
Common problems
Computed from 38 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for this exact model year.
“The vehicle has now on two occasions failed to restart after the auto idle off feature has engaged. I now have to remember to turn it off every time I drive. It has left me stranded in the road waiting and hoping I can get it to restart. This has nearly happened on two other occasions as well.”Owner report · Unknown Or Other · Sep 2026
“At stop lights, the car engine will shut off. It is supposed to turn back on as you lift your foot from the break to accelerate. Three times now, most recently around 4pm yesterday, the car has not restarted. It shifts to park and an error message comes up on the dash. I'm not exactly sure what the message says but it's something like car failed to restart, shift to park. I have had to power off my car and power it back on all 3 times to get it to work properly again.”Owner report · Unknown Or Other · Sep 2026
“Sitting at a light, the auto stop system activated and shut the engine off. When the light turned green, I took my foot off the brake and the engine failed to. Start and the entire electrical system shut off. The card was completely dead. I sat there for several minutes and I was able to restart the car.”Owner report · Engine · Sep 2026
Show 7 more owner reports
“My AIS system kicked in causing the engine to shut off. Unfortunately, the engine did not restart. I was unable to start my car or even shift it to neutral for a helpful bystander to help me push my car off of the road. I was blocking traffic on a busy road and I am very fortunate that I was not rear ended. Eventually, after about half an hour, was able to get the car restarted (even then, lots of "clicking" and hesitation with starting). I then drove the vehicle home. I took it to Honda and they made me aware today that they were unable to get the car to repeat this problem, nothing was wrong, I could pick it up and let them know if it happened again.”Owner report · Unknown Or Other · Sep 2026
“While stopped at a red light, the Auto Stop/Start system shut off the engine as designed but then failed to restart it. The vehicle remained stalled in the intersection for several minutes while I attempted to restart the engine manually. This left the vehicle and my family stopped in traffic, creating a potential safety risk from surrounding vehicles. There were no warning lamps or messages prior to this incident or after.”Owner report · Engine · Sep 2026
“The blind-spot monitoring system on our 2026 Honda Odyssey Elite fails to operate properly in hot weather. When ambient temperatures are high, the system does not detect or alert to vehicles in the adjacent blind-spot areas, and an error message appears stating "blind spot detection unavailable." This failure increases the risk of collisions during lane changes or merges because the driver does not receive the expected visual or audible warnings of vehicles in the blind spots, potentially endangering the occupants of this vehicle and other road users.ââââââââââââââââââââââââââââââââââââââââââââââââââ”Owner report · Lane Departure · Sep 2026
“There is a very strong exhaust smell in the cabin. This occurs under the flow and recirculate HVAC options and is not improved by changing the engine and cabin air filters.”Owner report · Fuel/Propulsion System · Aug 2026
“While stopped at a red light- the idle stop engaged, but when released brake to go again, the engine failed to engage and I was not able to go- it then showed up on the instrument cluster to in order to drive- I needed to restart my vehicle. This has happened now 7 times in 9 months. 3 being in the last week.”Owner report · Engine · Aug 2026
“Three times in the past week my van has shut off while I was preparing to move forward at a stop light. My car begins to idle as soon as it's stopped, but when I lift my foot off the brake, instead of turning back on, my van engine shuts all the way off or jerks hard before acceleration. Resulting in me having to hurry and put my car in park & restart the engine. It's very dangerous!”Owner report · Engine · Aug 2026
“I was stopped at the light on Maple and Naper in Naperville. My car engine had turned off as part of the auto idle feature. When I took my foot off the brake, my car did not restart. A message came up telling me to put the car in park. It had already automatically shifted to park and I had to turn the car off and back on to get it to work again. This is a busy intersection and people behind me were honking.”Owner report · Unknown Or Other · Aug 2026
When filing, owners marked a crash in 1 of these complaints and injuries in 4 - self-reported to NHTSA, not verified accident statistics.
Recalls - 2 campaigns
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2018-2021, 2023 Acura TLX, 2019-2024 RDX, 2017-2020, 2022-2026 MDX, 2017-2021, 2023, 2025 Honda Ridgeline, 2017-2022 Pilot, 2019-2021 Passport, 2018-2026 Odyssey, 2019-2022 Insight, 2019-2021 HR-V, 2018-2020 Fit, 2020-2022 CR-V Hybrid, 2017-2022 CR-V, 2017-2018, 2021 Civic Type R, 2017-2021 Civic hatchback, 2016-2020 Civic coupe, 2016-2022 Civic, 2017-2022 Accord Hybrid, and 2016-2022 Accord vehicles. The front passenger seat weight sensor may crack and short circuit, which can cause the air bags to deploy unintentionally during a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the seat weight sensors, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 7, 2026. Owners may contact Honda's customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are BOL, WO9, OOA, WOM, XOH, NOC, POD, BOE, UOF, POB, EOG, AOI, QO8, TOJ, DO7, and SOK. This recall expands previous NHTSA recall number 24V064. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will be searchable on NHTSA.gov beginning May 29, 2026.
Vantage Mobility, LLC (VM) is recalling certain 2021-2026 Honda Odyssey, 2021-2025 Chrysler Pacifica, and Toyota Sienna vehicles equipped with QRT-Deluxe and QRT-Max wheelchair restraints. The retractors may not lock, preventing the wheelchair from being properly secured.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and replace the retractors, free of charge. Owner notification letters was mailed January 27, 2026. Owners may contact Vantage Mobility customer service at 1-800-488-9082.
Specifications
Factory options offered for the 2026 model year, decoded from the NHTSA vPIC database. Individual vehicles have one of each.
How other years compare
Counts are not adjusted for time on the road here - see all Odyssey years ranked fairly for the age-adjusted comparison.
Check your exact Odyssey by VIN
Recalls and equipment differ between individual vehicles. Decode your VIN to see what applies to yours.
Open VIN decoderFrequently asked questions
Is the 2026 Honda Odyssey reliable?
NHTSA has 38 owner complaints and 2 recall campaigns on record for the 2026 Honda Odyssey. The most complained-about area is engine (38% of complaints).
At what mileage do 2026 Honda Odyssey problems usually appear?
Half of the complaints that mention mileage were filed at 6,338 miles or less.
Does the 2026 Honda Odyssey have open recalls?
2 recall campaigns have been issued, the latest concerning air bags. Check your specific vehicle by VIN - recall repairs are free at franchised dealers.
Source: NHTSA recall campaigns and owner complaints (public domain). Counts reflect reports on file and are not a defect rate.