2020 Honda Odyssey Reliability Report

Two separate problems show up here. In the first, idle stop shuts the engine off at a light and it will not restart. Some owners see a Collision Mitigation warning, a flashing D and a shift-to-park message while stuck in traffic. One stall at about 28,800 miles led to a rear-end crash with injury. In the second, a knock from inside the engine gets worse until a rod bearing fails or the engine needs replacing. These reports fall between 84,688 and 105,000 miles, and one quote reached $10,000. A 2024 software recall addressed idle stop. One owner reports a trunk fire.

The forward camera above the rearview mirror fails. Lane keeping, road departure mitigation, adaptive cruise, collision braking and auto high beams all stop working, with warnings at every start. Dealers log code U3000-49 and quote about $2,060 to $2,104.99 to replace and calibrate the camera. Reports cluster around 60,000 to 66,000 miles, and one owner first saw the fault after a hot day. In a few cases the same warnings come from a water-damaged tailgate control module, which also drains the battery. One owner describes widespread electrical faults that began after an infotainment recall repair.

The power liftgate closes on its own and keeps closing when someone is standing under it. It has struck two owners, and shops blame the struts, with one quote over $1,200. Power sliding doors fail to open, reverse while closing, or open by themselves after the van is shifted into drive. Dealers cite pinch sensors and torn door bushings. Water leaking through a roof seam soaks the tailgate module, which disables driver-assist features and drains the battery. One moonroof shattered while driving on a 100+ degree day.

The 10-speed automatic fails with little or no warning. Vans lurch, drop gears at highway speed, refuse to go past first gear or go into limp mode with a burning smell. Dealers find burnt fluid or damaged gears and replace the transmission. Reported failures range from 24,000 to 67,000 miles, and one estimate came to $10k+. Other complaints describe the van shifting itself into park in traffic, refusing to accelerate after a CMBS warning, or stalling in turns. One owner reports an engine knock tied to a crankshaft bearing service bulletin.

There are two kinds of brake complaints. In a few, the van shakes or grinds and won't stop, or the pedal sinks to the floor, sometimes in the first 4,000 miles. Others describe automatic braking that kicks in for no reason while parking or right after idle stop restarts the engine. The rest are the forward camera failure, which turns on the Brake System light and disables collision mitigation and adaptive cruise. One dealer quoted $1,800 for a new camera.

Airbags go off in minor events, including pothole hits, bottoming out at 2-3 mph and low-speed curb slides in snow. A few reports describe deployment with no impact at all. Side and curtain airbags are mentioned often, and occupants describe burns and abrasions. Dealers usually call these normal deployments and send owners to their insurers. Other complaints cover a passenger airbag light that stays on, SRS faults that come back after the module is replaced, and recall 24V064000 with no parts available. The category lists 2 crashes and 3 injuries.

In low-speed turns, the wheel locks for a few seconds and pushes the van toward oncoming traffic until it stops. In one case it turned by itself while the van was stopped. The owner reporting this says lane keeping and adaptive cruise were switched off. Another report describes a rollover with injury after hydroplaning, when the brakes applied themselves and the wheel locked. That owner also describes hard braking with no obstacle ahead. One other complaint describes a front-end clunk dealers could not trace. Only 4 complaints are on file.