Honda Odyssey Years to Avoid
Based on CarWhere's analysis of 5,306 NHTSA complaints, the Honda Odyssey years to avoid are 2008, 2016, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2022 and 2025 — the worst logged up to 5.4× the model's median severity-weighted complaint rate, driven by electrical failures. Updated July 2026.
Source: NHTSA owner complaints & recall campaigns · Data as of July 2026 · How we rate model years
Year-by-year verdict
| Model year | Complaints | Severe | Recalls | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 499 | 314 | 5 | AVOID |
| 2009 | 198 | 100 | 4 | SOLID |
| 2010 | 254 | 150 | 2 | CAUTION |
| 2011 | 232 | 106 | 5 | SOLID |
| 2012 | 241 | 155 | 5 | CAUTION |
| 2013 | 209 | 153 | 6 | CAUTION |
| 2014 | 307 | 192 | 5 | CAUTION |
| 2015 | 199 | 106 | 6 | SOLID |
| 2016 | 262 | 159 | 6 | AVOID |
| 2017 | 38 | 23 | 2 | BEST |
| 2018 | 933 | 447 | 16 | AVOID |
| 2019 | 877 | 417 | 20 | AVOID |
| 2020 | 418 | 124 | 14 | AVOID |
| 2021 | 123 | 36 | 8 | CAUTION |
| 2022 | 127 | 58 | 9 | AVOID |
| 2023 | 87 | 35 | 5 | CAUTION |
| 2024 | 71 | 37 | 3 | SOLID |
| 2025 | 231 | 151 | 2 | AVOID |
"Severe" = complaints reporting a crash, fire, injury, or a safety-critical component. Counts are raw federal filings, not adjusted for sales volume; verdicts compare each year against the rest of the Honda Odyssey. Full methodology.
Common Honda Odyssey problems
Across the federal record, the most-reported problem areas on the Honda Odyssey are electrical, body, engine. The confirmed and owner-reported issues below include owner mileage and repair-cost ranges where available.
Front camera failure disabling driver assist features
· Honda Odyssey 2018–2020Corroborated by 8 owner accounts of this failure, within a federal cluster of 594 electrical complaints across 2018–2020. Owner-reported repair cost $1,850–$2,443.
Sliding door derailment
· Honda Odyssey 2008–2021Corroborated by 21 owner accounts of this failure, within a federal cluster of 394 body complaints across 2008–2021, typically 79,694–166,005 miles. Owner-reported repair cost $485–$930.
Engine misfire with piston ring/spark plug fouling
· Honda Odyssey 2008–2017Corroborated by 16 owner accounts of this failure, within a federal cluster of 331 engine complaints across 2008–2017, typically 71,000–179,000 miles. Owner-reported repair cost $3,500–$8,000.
Why these years stand out
2008 Honda Odyssey: 499 owner complaints on federal record, 314 of them severe, plus 5 recall campaigns — among the highest severity-weighted rates for the Honda Odyssey.
2016 Honda Odyssey: 262 owner complaints on federal record, 159 of them severe, plus 6 recall campaigns — among the highest severity-weighted rates for the Honda Odyssey.
2018 Honda Odyssey: 933 owner complaints on federal record, 447 of them severe, plus 16 recall campaigns — among the highest severity-weighted rates for the Honda Odyssey.
2019 Honda Odyssey: 877 owner complaints on federal record, 417 of them severe, plus 20 recall campaigns — among the highest severity-weighted rates for the Honda Odyssey.
2020 Honda Odyssey: 418 owner complaints on federal record, 124 of them severe, plus 14 recall campaigns — among the highest severity-weighted rates for the Honda Odyssey.
2022 Honda Odyssey: 127 owner complaints on federal record, 58 of them severe, plus 9 recall campaigns — among the highest severity-weighted rates for the Honda Odyssey.
2025 Honda Odyssey: 231 owner complaints on federal record, 151 of them severe, plus 2 recall campaigns — among the highest severity-weighted rates for the Honda Odyssey.
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FAQ
What years of the Honda Odyssey should you avoid?
Based on federal NHTSA complaint and recall data, the Honda Odyssey years to avoid are 2008, 2016, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2022 and 2025 — they carry the model's highest severity-weighted complaint rates, led by electrical issues. See the year-by-year table for the full picture. Counts are raw federal filings, not adjusted for sales volume.
What are the best years for the Honda Odyssey?
The 2017 Honda Odyssey shows the cleanest federal records among years with enough time on the road to judge — the lowest severity-weighted complaint rates for the model.
How is the Honda Odyssey verdict calculated?
Each model year's NHTSA owner complaints are weighted for severity (crashes, fires, injuries, and safety-critical components count more), converted to a rate per year on the road, and compared against the rest of the Honda Odyssey's own history, then adjusted for recalls. Full method at /research/years-to-avoid/methodology.
How do I check a specific Honda Odyssey before buying?
Decode the VIN free at carwhere.com/tools/vin-decoder to confirm the exact year and build, then run the $9.99 CarWhere Full VIN Report — it includes the recall, complaint, and service-bulletin record for that exact VIN plus a market price check from verified buyers.
Is the Honda Odyssey reliable?
The Honda Odyssey's reliability depends heavily on the model year. Across 5,306 NHTSA owner complaints, 2008, 2016, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2022 and 2025 rate "avoid", while 2017 shows the cleanest federal records — see the year-by-year verdicts above. Counts are raw federal filings, not adjusted for sales volume.
What are the most common problems with the Honda Odyssey?
The most-reported problem area for the Honda Odyssey is electrical, followed by body and engine. Confirmed failures include front camera failure disabling driver assist features, sliding door derailment, engine misfire with piston ring/spark plug fouling. See the common-problems section above for owner-reported mileage and repair costs where available.
Sources & data notes
All figures are drawn from the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), Office of Defects Investigation — owner-filed complaints and recall campaigns — covering the Honda Odyssey across every model year on record. Retrieved July 2026. Counts are raw federal filings and are not adjusted for the number of vehicles sold or registered; a verdict compares each model year against the rest of the Honda Odyssey, not against other vehicles. Full scoring at the methodology page.
Verdicts are computed from federal NHTSA complaint and recall records, refreshed monthly. Read the full methodology.