The Honda Odyssey has always been a reliable choice for those who are looking for the best blend of space and practicality for not that big of a price tag. However, with the introduction of the new generation last year, the reliability aspect of this family van has taken quite a turn. The year 2019 sees around 13 recalls, which is pretty unheard of for new generation Honda vehicles. The official complaint figures also stand at around 155 and that’s just scratching the surface, given the actual numbers popping up on unofficial platforms. Has the Honda Odyssey lost its charm and reputation with the update? Does the $30,190 base price make it a viable option against the likes of the Toyota Sienna, the Chrysler Pacifica, and the Kia Sedona? This article should give you an idea.
2019 Honda Odyssey User Complaints and Problems
Mechanical Complaints
- Engine- The engine on the 2019 Honda Odyssey lurches and stalls without warning while on the move. Some owners also complain about the engine behaving as if it was choking, intermittently losing power upon throttle input, and also throwing an engine warning light along with it. Most of these issues were traced to be with the fuel lift pump in the fuel tank, which was replaced under the recall (ID 21V215000) while the rest awaits a proper diagnosis. The average failure mileage was around 15,000-miles.
- Transmission- The transmission occasionally jerks and fails to upshift as per the owners. It usually happens at low speeds when trying to pick up the pace. The unit is also said to shift roughly, lurch on slight throttle input, and even downshift abruptly when cruising. Most users report failure/delay in diagnosing the issue from the dealer side or recurrence after firmware reveals. The average mileage of failure is around 10,000-miles. At least three instances of transmission replacements have been recorded by the NHTSA.
- Service brakes- Premature brake pad wear, vibration on heavy braking, and brakes locking up are major issues reported on the 2019 Honda Odyssey. As the problems were varied the fix for each issue was approached differently by the dealer. That said, the van had separate recalls for faulty wheel speed sensors and rear brake caliper issues.
Electric System complaints
- In-car electronics- Owners complain about the in-car electronics including the infotainment, driver’s display, and AC randomly shutting off on the 2019 Honda Odyssey while driving. This issue could be traced to two separate problems one being a faulty instrumentation software and the second being a loose/degraded battery terminal, both of which received separate recalls from the manufacturer.
Structural Complaints
- Rear litigate- The rear liftgate is said to close without warning while the boot is in access resulting in minor injuries in some cases. A power lift age module firmware update solved this issue for most users.
- Power sliding doors- The rear sliding door opening without warning while on the move has been a pretty common anomaly on the Honda Odyssey. The automaker was aware of this issue and did initiate two separate recalls (IDs-20V437000, 18V795000) to fix the reported lock and cable freezing issues.
Safety Complaints
- Forward collision avoidance system- The van is said to often brake vigorously on freeway speeds even when obstructions or traffic are at safe distance from the vehicle. The auto emergency brakes, as reported, override the throttle inputs by the user in some cases. No fixes are released as the issue could not be replicated by the dealer.
- Backup camera- Multiple owners complain about the backup camera on the Honda Odyssey being blurry or failing to come on when slotted into reverse. Both these issues received separate recalls (IDs-20V438000, 20V440000) later down the line as they started getting common among owners.
2019 Honda Odyssey Recalls
|
S. No |
Date |
NHTSA ID |
Issues Noticed |
Additional Remarks |
Remedy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1 |
25th March 2021 |
21V215000 |
Fuel pump may fail. |
The low-pressure fuel pump inside the fuel tank may fail, causing an engine stall and increasing the risk of a crash. |
The dealers will replace the fuel pump assembly, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed on May 18, 2021. |
|
2 |
14th January 2021 |
21V010000 |
The fuel tank may overfill into charcoal canister. |
The fuel tank assembly installed by Braun may be susceptible to the fuel tank overfilling into the charcoal canister, which may leak and increase the risk of fire in the presence of an ignition source. |
The dealers will inspect vehicles. If evidence of a fuel leak is present, a new fuel tank assembly and a new Honda charcoal canister will be installed, free of charge. The recall began on February 22, 2021. |
|
3 |
28th July 2020 |
20V437000 |
Power sliding doors may open while moving |
The outer door handle cables may freeze in cold temperatures, preventing the front and rear sliding door latches from securely latching which may cause them to open while moving, increasing the risk of a crash. |
The dealers will replace the power sliding door outer handle cables, free of charge. The recall began on September 23, 2020. |
|
4 |
28th July 2020 |
20V438000 |
Distorted or inoperative rear-view camera |
Water may get into the rearview camera mounting holes and enter the camera lens, and cause a distorted image, reducing rear visibility, and increasing the risk of a crash. |
The dealers will replace the rearview camera, free of charge. The recall began on September 23, 2020. |
|
5 |
28th July 2020 |
20V439000 |
The instrument panel software is incorrect. |
Incorrect instrument panel control module software can cause the instrument panel to not display critical information, which can confuse the operator and increase the risk of a crash. |
The dealers will reprogram the instrument panel control module software, free of charge. The recall began on September 23, 2020. |
|
6 |
28th July 2020 |
20V440000 |
Delayed or inoperative rear-view camera. |
Incorrect central network software programming may cause several errors to occur that can delay or prevent the rearview camera image from displaying, reducing the driver’s view of what’s behind and increasing the risk of a crash. |
Owners have the option to either follow the mailed instructions to download and update the software for free or visit a dealer to have the software update performed, free of charge. The recall began on September 23, 2020. |
|
7 |
6th February 2020 |
20V066000 |
Accessory power outlet harness may short circuit. |
The wire harness for the third-row seat accessory power outlet may get pinched between the unibody and rear trim panel, possibly damaging the wires and causing an electrical short, which increases the risk of a fire. |
The dealers will inspect the third-row seat accessory power outlet wire harness for damage, replacing it as necessary. If no damage is found, the dealer will apply protective tape and re-route the harness. All repairs will be performed free of charge. The recall began on March 16, 2020. |
|
8 |
12th April 2019 |
19V298000 |
Timing belt tooth may separate. |
The timing belt teeth may separate from the belt which may cause an engine stall and increase the risk of a crash. |
The dealers will inspect the vehicle and replace any affected timing belt free of charge. Vehicles receiving a replacement timing belt will also have the engine inspected and any damaged components will be replaced for free. The recall began on June 7, 2019. |
|
9 |
12th April 2019 |
19V299000 |
Loose battery terminal connection. |
Loose battery terminal connections or a degraded battery may cause the Transmission Control Unit (TCU) to unexpectedly reboot and shift into ‘park’, possibly damaging the parking rod and also increasing the risk of a crash. |
The dealers will ensure the battery terminal connections are secure and will update the TCU software, free of charge. Additionally, the parking rod effectiveness will be checked. The recall began on May 31, 2019. |
|
10 |
20th March 2019 |
19V213000 |
Rear wheel-speed sensor harness |
The rear-wheel speed sensor harnesses may have been routed to the incorrect rear wheels, resulting in the possibility that the ABS will not recognize each rear-wheel speed properly, possibly locking up the wheels and increasing the risk of a crash. |
The dealers will inspect and correct the rear wheel speed sensor harnesses, if necessary, free of charge. The recall began on April 4, 2019. |
|
11 |
9th November 2018 |
18V795000 |
Power sliding doors may open while moving |
The latch assemblies for the power sliding doors may stick and not properly latch to the door strikers, causing the door to come open while moving and increasing the risk of injury. |
The dealers will replace the left and right power sliding door rear latch assemblies, free of charge. The recall began on January 3, 2019. |
|
12 |
1st November 2018 |
18V777000 |
The coating on rear brake caliper pistons. |
The rear brake caliper pistons may have an insufficient coating, causing gas pockets to form, reducing brake performance and increasing the risk of a crash. |
The dealers will bleed the brakes, free of charge. The recall began on December 11, 2018. |
|
13 |
27th September 2018 |
18V664000 |
SRS may become disabled due to manufacturing errors. |
SRS control unit may have a manufacturing error, possibly resulting in the airbags or seatbelt pre-tensioners not deploying in the event of a crash, increasing the risk of injury. |
The dealers will replace the SRS unit, free of charge. The recall began on November 8, 2018 |
Should you buy a used Honda Odyssey?
Chances of us not recommending a Honda vehicle are highly unlikely. But there are instances where we find it hard to recommend even the best and this is one of them. As good as this family van gets, the 2019 Honda Odyssey is turning out to be such trouble for both the automaker and the owners. With 13 recalls and over 150 complaints, this brand new van has still got a long way to go in making itself truly reliable by real Honda standards. So on that, we stay by our opinion of not recommending it as a used buy for the time being.
