MODELYEARINDEX

Which Honda Odyssey years to avoid

Across 12 scored model years, the 2018, 2019 and 2020 model years carry the highest severity-weighted complaint rates.

Ownership label · Honda Odyssey Full report
F
Grade 2010–2021
2018 vs model median 2.5×
Model median3× median
Electrical 83
Drivetrain 57
Body & Interior 49
Avoid

2018 · 2019

Best

2010 · 2017

Year by year

Severity-weighted complaints filed in each model year’s first 60 months on the road, so every year is measured over an identical window.

Year Complaint volume vs median Reports Grade
2010
0.79× 119 B
2011
1.07× 158 C
2012
0.97× 140 C
2013
0.99× 134 C
2014
1.47× 243 D
2015
1.01× 156 C
2016
0.97× 129 C
2017
0.13× 17 A
2018
2.52× 390 F
2019
2.25× 357 F
2020
1.78× 274 F
2021
0.90× 144 C
2022 P
1.26× 167 D
2023 P
0.97× 150 C
2024 P
1.07× 145 C
2025 P
3.98× 485 F

P — provisional. These years have not completed 60 months on the road, so their totals are incomplete and they are excluded from the verdict.

What owners report

The component groups most often named, with one representative report. These are unverified — allegations, not findings.

2018 F 390 reports · median 13,000 mi

  1. Electrical 83

    New 2018 honda odyssey elite (10-speed transmission) driving on highway and many error messages appeared about steering system, brake system, lane departure system and other failures. owner complaint filed with NHTSA

  2. Drivetrain 57

    1. One of the two keys provided did not open the doors. We took it to the service center and it was reprogrammed. 2. A few weeks later, the driver door would not unlock, not even from the inside. owner complaint filed with NHTSA

  3. Body & Interior 49

    I was driving our 2018 honda odyssey elite on highway and the sunroof glass exploded. We only have 2500 miles on the car.the honda dealer of bellevue wa are trying to make US pay because they didn't find anything wrong… owner complaint filed with NHTSA

5 crash · 7 fire · 12 injuries

2019 F 357 reports · median 8,000 mi

  1. Electrical 66

    Vehicles in motion on freeway and city roads. Dash warning lights go haywire when driving. Loss of of lane keep assist and adaptive cruise control while driving is a serious safety issues. All warning lights turn on. owner complaint filed with NHTSA

  2. Drivetrain 52

    Vehicle is prohibited from shifting transmission out of park when engine is not running. If vehicle engine shuts off and will not re-start and vehicle is in unsafe location (I.e. owner complaint filed with NHTSA

  3. Driver Assist 47

    Van randomly slammed on the brakes, with nobody in front of me, while I was going 75mph on the highway. Van will sporadically not accelerate when pressing gas pedal, then slowing start to move but not fast enough to… owner complaint filed with NHTSA

7 crash · 3 fire · 12 injuries

The best year for the Odyssey

Ranked by overall score among years with a full 60 months on the road.

2017 is the best-scoring Odyssey model year with a full 60 months on the road, at 88.4 out of 100 — a score that combines complaint rate, recall campaigns and open investigations.

Yearvs medianReportsGrade
2017 0.13× 17 A
2010 0.79× 119 B
2012 0.97× 140 C

Recalls

42 campaigns on record.

Campaign Component Model years Units affected
23V858000 FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP 2013–2023 2,490,460
23V431000 BACK OVER PREVENTION:DISPLAY FUNCTION 2018–2023 1,209,673
14V112000 FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP 2010 886,815
17V725000 SEATS:MID/REAR ASSEMBLY 2011–2017 806,936
24V064000 AIR BAGS:SENSOR:OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION:FRONT PASSENGER 2020–2022 750,114
13V016000 AIR BAGS 2011–2013 748,481
16V933000 SEATS:MID/REAR ASSEMBLY 2011–2016 633,753
21V215000 FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP 2019 624,552
20V439000 BACK OVER PREVENTION: SENSING SYSTEM: CAMERA 2018–2020 607,786
20V440000 ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:SOFTWARE 2019, 2020 499,344
23V158000 SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY 2018–2020 448,613
26V227000 AIR BAGS: AIR BAG/RESTRAINT CONTROL MODULE:SOFTWARE 2018–2022 440,830

+ 30 further campaigns

How long do they last?

Complaint records show when problems get reported, not how long a car survives. Where owners gave an odometer reading, faults on the 2018 were reported at a median of 13,000 miles. Treat that as the point problems start being noticed, not a lifespan.

Common questions

Answered directly from this model’s record.

Which Honda Odyssey years should you avoid?
2018, 2019, 2020 carry the highest severity-weighted complaint rates of any Honda Odyssey model year measured over an identical 60-month window.
What is the best year for the Honda Odyssey?
2017 is the best-scoring Honda Odyssey model year with a full 60 months on the road, at 88.4 out of 100. The score combines complaint rate, recall campaigns and open investigations.
How many recalls does the Honda Odyssey have?
42 distinct recall campaigns are on record across all scored Honda Odyssey model years. A recall is a matter of record: the manufacturer filed a defect report with NHTSA.

How this was calculated

Every model year is scored over an identical window: complaints filed with NHTSA during the first 60 months after that model year went on sale. Without this, older cars look worse purely because they have had longer to accumulate reports.

Limitations. Complaints are unverified reports submitted voluntarily by owners; they are allegations, not findings, and reporting rates vary between models. Model years with fewer than 60 months on the road are marked provisional and excluded from verdicts. Cross-model comparison is withheld pending production-volume data.

Full methodology · Sources · Data vintage August 9, 2026

Working 2018 Odyssey
Complaints in window
390
Severity-weighted
537
Model median (weighted)
214
vs model median
2.52×
Recall campaigns (weighted)
16
Open investigations
2
Score 15.5 F