2020 Honda Odyssey Problems

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 32,000 miles. Parts named most: Adaptive cruise control (132), Warnings (101), Assist (84).

What to check before you buy

• Where it is safe, try the adaptive cruise and lane keeping on the test drive and watch for sudden braking or warnings with nothing there.
• Check the windshield in front of the camera and the bumper sensors for cracks, chips or poor repairs.
• Ask whether the windshield has been replaced. The camera has to be recalibrated afterward, and many shops skip it.

Tools that help

What owners said

The contact owns a 2020 Honda Odyssey. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle in the driveway, the automatic braking system, adaptive cruise control, auto hi-beams, and Lane Keep Assist warning lights illuminated, followed by a beeping sound, and the systems became inoperable. In addition, the multi-point camera was…Owner complaint, filed 2026, at 83,300 miles

The contact owns a 2020 Honda Odyssey. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V423000 (Back Over Prevention); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The dealer was contacted and informed the contact that the parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was contacted by phone and the contact…Owner complaint, filed 2026

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 5,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• Test every switch: windows, locks, mirrors, seat heaters, the screen, the backup camera, Bluetooth and every USB port.
• Watch the dash at startup. Every warning light should come on briefly and then go out.
• Have the battery and charging system tested. A weak alternator or battery drain shows up here.

Tools that help

What owners said

While sitting at light, Idle stop engaged and engine stopped - then car lost all power. I was boxed in in heavy traffic and could not move. The car could not be shifted to neutral when I tried to consider how I could get off the road. After a minute or so power suddenly returned to the vehicle and I was able to proceed. The next day…Owner complaint, filed 2026

SUNROOF stopped working. diagnosis: motor is the issue. I may have used it 20 times since purchase. I believe water intrusion caused this. it just decided to stop working.Owner complaint, filed 2026

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 51,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• Ask the seller not to warm the car up, and start it cold. Listen for ticking, knocking or a rough idle in the first minute.
• Pull the oil dipstick and the oil cap. Low oil, a gasoline smell or a milky film on the cap are reasons to walk away or get an inspection.
• Plug in an OBD2 scanner. Stored or pending codes matter, and so do readiness monitors that show "not ready", which usually means the codes were cleared right before the sale.
• Ask for oil change records. A gap in the records on a model known for engine complaints is a negotiating point at minimum.

Tools that help

What owners said

The contact owns a 2020 Honda Odyssey. The contact stated that while driving 45 MPH, the contact heard a knocking sound coming from the engine, and the vehicle went into LIMP Mode with the low oil warning light illuminated. The contact became aware of a burning odor coming from under the hood, and the vehicle needed to be towed. The…Owner complaint, filed 2026, at 50,000 miles

The engine auto idle system failed at a stoplight. The auto-idle engaged, but when I took my foot off the brake, the engine did not restart. It completely shut down, putting my car in park in a busy intersection. The engine light and an error message flashed briefly but disappeared. I was able to restart the car and drive, however, only…Owner complaint, filed 2026

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 18,000 miles. Parts named most: Body (30).

What to check before you buy

• Look underneath with a flashlight. Utah road salt is hard on frames, brake lines and the bottoms of doors.
• Open and close every door, the hood and the liftgate, and lock and unlock each one.
• Use a paint thickness gauge and compare panels. A panel that reads very differently from the rest has likely been repaired.

Tools that help

What owners said

The power tailgate on my 2020 Honda Odyssey EX-L will not stay open sometimes. After it is raised it sags and soemtimes closes on its own, with a beep. This happened mutltiples times over the past year and a few times in XXX where it has closed on my young children while they were near or loading into the vehicle, and it hit me on the…Owner complaint, filed 2026

The contact owns a 2020 Honda Odyssey. The contact stated that while driving approximately 60 MPH, the rear hatch tailgate door opened unintendedly. The vehicle was previously taken to the local mechanic who diagnosed the vehicle with electronic tailgate door control module failure, which was caused by water intrusion from the roof…Owner complaint, filed 2026, at 50,000 miles

What to check before you buy

• Smell around the engine bay and under the rear of the car for raw fuel.
• On the test drive, accelerate firmly from a stop and up a grade. Stumbling, surging or a flashing check engine light are red flags.
• Fuel pump recalls are common. Check this exact VIN for open recalls before you buy.

Tools that help

What owners said

On September 14, 2026, my 2020 Honda Odyssey experienced a sudden, severe low-pressure fuel pump failure while idling/parked. The engine began running extremely rough, surging repeatedly between 300 RPM and 1,000 RPM, knocking, and stalling. I was parked at the time, preventing a severe accident. Upon trying to restart, the vehicle…Owner complaint, filed 2026

The high pressure fuel pump has failed on this vehicle. This is a known problem for vehicles between 2017 and 2020 and has not been adequately addressed by the corporation.Owner complaint, filed 2026

What to check before you buy

• The pedal should feel firm and the car should stop straight without pulling, grinding or a pulsing pedal.
• The ABS and stability control lights should go out after startup and stay out.
• Look through the wheels at the rotors. A deep lip on the edge means brakes are due soon, which is a fair thing to negotiate on.

Tools that help

What owners said

First instance of the problem: Upon approaching a stop sign I pressed the brake pedal, the 2020 Honda Odyssey van started to shake, and no matter how hard I pressed the brake pedal, the vehicle would not stop. I intended to make a right turn at the stop sign, but since the vehicle would not stop, I had to swerve to get back into the…Owner complaint, filed 2023

The contact owns a 2020 Honda Odyssey. The contact stated while driving 45 mph, there was an abnormal sound coming from the brakes. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was diagnosed but not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure but offered no assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 4,000.Owner complaint, filed 2021, at 4,000 miles

What to check before you buy

• The air bag (SRS) light should come on at startup and go out within a few seconds. If it stays on, the system may not work in a crash.
• Air bag recalls are some of the most serious. Check this exact VIN for open recalls and get proof any recall work was done.

Tools that help

What owners said

As per the attached there is a recall on this for the airbags and you are in charge of this On Sunday XXX I was driving in [XXX] and suddenly my air bags deployed. (all driver side airbags from front to back, not the steering wheel). I took the vehicle into a body shop they reached out to my insurance for a claim. On XXX my insurer send…Owner complaint, filed 2026

NHTSA Campaign 26V227000. My vehicle VIN: [XXX] Vehicle modified by Vantage Mobility International (VMI) into a Mobility Van. Van submitted to dealer 7/16/2026. Dealer claims they cannot perform work until factory clearance obtained. I cannot get information on when repair can be completed. VMI engineer Andrew Socha (602) 304 3294…Owner complaint, filed 2026

What to check before you buy

• Drive it from cold if you can. Shifts should be smooth in every gear, including reverse.
• Feel for slipping (revs rise without the car speeding up), shudder at low speed and a delay when you put it in gear.
• Listen for whining, which is a common CVT complaint, and clunks when you go from drive to reverse.
• If it has 4WD or AWD, engage it on the test drive and ask when the transmission and differential fluids were last changed.

Tools that help

What owners said

The contact owns a 2020 Honda Odyssey. The contact stated that while coming to a stop, the vehicle independently shifted into Park (P). The contact stated that the check engine warning light initially illuminated before the vehicle automatically shifted into Park (P); however, the failure escalated, with the vehicle shifting into Park…Owner complaint, filed 2026, at 55,000 miles

At roughly 5,000 miles, this 2020 Honda Odyssey was brought into an authorized Honda dealership due to transmission concerns. The dealership service department improperly evaluated the 10 speed transmission, and diagnosed a 9 speed transmission system, assured me that what I was feeling was completely normal, and instructed me to only…Owner complaint, filed 2026

What to check before you buy

• On the test drive, press the gas gently and firmly. The response should be smooth with no lag or surge.
• Set the cruise control, then use resume and cancel to make sure each one works.

Tools that help

What owners said

I went to park at a curb, and when I went to stop the van jumped over the curb and almost into a building. I had to almost push the brakes into the floorboard. It was like the car accelerated on its own. I was lucky there was only a flower bed it went through and nobody was on the sidewalk. I have called multiple Honda dealerships and…Owner complaint, filed 2021

Over the course of 3 days, cruise control and lane assist systems would shut off and messages would display about adaptive cruise control, lane keep assist, lane departure warning, and collision avoidance system not working. Sometimes a transmission problem message would also become active. Sometimes the messages would be present at…Owner complaint, filed 2026

What to check before you buy

• Check every light: headlights on low and high, fog lights, brake lights, turn signals and reverse lights.
• Run the wipers on every speed with washer fluid, and run the defroster front and back.

Tools that help

What owners said

The outside mirrors had a recall for potential detachment. My driver's side mirror detaches sometimes even after the replacement. When I contacted Honda over this issue, they told me that they can't take my complaint and I should go back to the dealer which replaced it.Owner complaint, filed 2026

I had a Recall on my 2020 Honda Odyssey Vin # [XXX] for NHTSA Recall # 23V-431. The recall was for rear camera failure. The Fix was to replace MOST cable harness. In Early October 2023 my rear view camera did fail and no longer conformed to Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No 111, “Rear Visibility” I took my Honda Odyssey to Serra…Owner complaint, filed 2023

What to check before you buy

• Drive over a few bumps and potholes slowly with the radio off and listen for clunks or rattles.
• Check the tires for uneven wear on the inside or outside edges, a sign of alignment or suspension trouble.
• Look behind the wheels for oily, wet shocks or struts.

Tools that help

What owners said

The rear coil springs on my vehicle failed before reaching 100000 miles. This affected the performance of the suspension system which reduced steering response and stability at highway speeds. It also likely caused early failure of the rear shocks which had to be replaced at about 105000 miles. The problem also lead to uneven tire wear…Owner complaint, filed 2026

The driver side rear coil spring broke abruptly on both the top and bottom leaving the majority of the spring mechanically unattached. The driver side rear shock also broke from the additional strain on it. With a complete loss of suspension on the rear driver side, as I hit bumps on the freeway, I could feel the van jerking quickly…Owner complaint, filed 2026

What to check before you buy

• Pull out and latch every seat belt, and let each one retract on its own.
• Try every seat adjuster, and watch for a passenger air bag "off" light when an adult is in the seat.

Tools that help

What owners said

My son turned around in his second-row seat of our Honda Odyssey, causing the seat belt to cinch tightly around his waist. Even after the buckle was released, the seat belt continued to tighten instead of loosening. It became so tight that he could barely breathe, and we ultimately had to cut the seat belt to free him. There was no way…Owner complaint, filed 2026

2020 Honda Odyssey EX-L, 49k miles, no prior collisions. 1. Faulty system: SRS airbag module, defective factory aluminum clip (official Honda recall defect). EDR data verified this component failure by dealer technicians. ​ 2. Safety risk: Driver airbag spontaneously deployed at 41MPH with zero impact. Seven occupants suffered soft…Owner complaint, filed 2026

What to check before you buy

• Turn the wheel lock to lock while parked and listen for groaning, clicking or binding.
• On a straight road the car should track straight with the wheel centered and no loose feeling.
• A power steering warning on the dash, even briefly, deserves a mechanic’s look before you buy.

Tools that help

What owners said

This is a follow up report to 11343147. Since the subject report we have had 3 more incidents (in about a week) of the steering wheel locking and preventing the car from turning. One time the locked steering wheel forced the car into the oncoming lane of traffic during a basic right hand turn into a neighborhood. One instance while…Owner complaint, filed 2020, at 2,122 miles

On a sunny, clear, dry day and on a paved and marked two lane country road, the car would not let me turn to the right on a swtichback turn. I was travelling at approximately 25 -30 MPH with my foot lightly on the accelerator to maintain speed. The switchback was to the right and upward and it was around 14:00. Basically the steering…Owner complaint, filed 2020, at 1,500 miles