2021 Honda Odyssey Problems

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 33,000 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

The contact owns a 2021 Honda Odyssey. The contact stated that while driving 50 MPH, the radio displayed a blank screen. In addition, the contact stated that while reversing, the rear-view camera turned on and off. Additionally, there was a cracking sound coming from the speakers. The dealer was contacted by phone and made aware of the…Owner complaint, filed 2026, at 34,100 miles

The contact owns a 2021 Honda Odyssey. The contact stated that while stopping at a red light, the vehicle idled and automatically turned off while stopped and then the vehicle restarted but the vehicle stalled. The electronics on the vehicle were not operating as designed. The contact attempted to restart the vehicle, but the vehicle…Owner complaint, filed 2026, at 72,000 miles

Parts named most: Automatic emergency braking (15), Warnings (11), Adaptive cruise control (7).

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

After the MOST/FAKRA recall (NHTSA 23V-431) was completed, the center display showed a MOST bus/network loss message, then the infotainment system went dead and will not power on. The dealer would like 1800$ to repair this already "repaired" safety system. The rearview screen is unavailable when the screen is blank which is the same…Owner complaint, filed 2026

The contact owns a 2021 Honda Odyssey. The contact stated that while reversing, the rear-view camera display flickered on and off. The contact stated that while using the GPS, the display went blank. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, and the dealer attempted to reset the rear-view camera display; however, the failure reoccurred. The…Owner complaint, filed 2026, at 49,231 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

Engine locked on the crank, not part of the recall apparently. Car had no lights come on. It Could have happened as I was driving just 5 minutes prior with 4 children in the car. It has 107,000 miles.Owner complaint, filed 2026

While stopped at a stop light at an intersection in our 2021 Hond Odyssey, the idle auto off feature kicked in, and then as we let off the brake and went to hit the gas to move forward the car shut off completely. The car had to be restarted by applying the brake and pressing the start/stop ignition button. This is not the first time…Owner complaint, filed 2025

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

Active recall cannot be repaired as there is no parts after reaching out to four local Honda dealerships in the upper Annapolis, Md area. Have been added to the "list" of owners needing the recall completed for about a year and a half now.Owner complaint, filed 2025

The contact owns a 2021 Honda Odyssey. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V064000 (Air Bags); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was made aware of the issue and…Owner complaint, filed 2025

Parts named most: Body (9).

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 contact owns a 2021 Honda Odyssey. The contact stated that the rear hatch failed to release or open as needed. The contact had to enter the rear seats of the vehicle, crawl towards the rear hatch, and manually release the rear hatch from inside the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed that there was corrosion…Owner complaint, filed 2026, at 32,329 miles

Both door latches have failed, the first was at 3 years and the second at 5 years. When this happens the door cannot close all the way. This should be a recall as it’s a safety issue and also very costly to repair.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

After 4 attempts by the dealership to correct the issue, The windshield inside view mirror malfunctions when adjusted. The mirror dislocated and falls off and cannot be adjusted per driver viewing needs. There is a defective assembly and it inhibits driver view causing hazardous conditions that could cause accidents.Owner complaint, filed 2023

The interior rear view mirror falls off. Dealership is not fixing the problem after 4 visits. This creates a safety issue because the driver cannot view traffic that is behind the vehicle while driving in trafficOwner 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

Both rear coil springs rusted completely through and failed at approximately 57,876 miles on this 2021 Honda Odyssey. This is a premature failure of a primary suspension safety component. A broken coil spring can cause sudden loss of vehicle support and handling instability, and a fractured spring can puncture a tire or damage…Owner complaint, filed 2026

Discovered rear driver side spring fractured during oil change with routine use of the vehicle below 50k miles. Read that these are seen frequently in 2018-2022 models. Thought it should be reported.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

While driving approximately 75 mph on I-77 S our van stopped accelerating without warning. The engine would rev but no acceleration was occuring. There had been no signs of any issue prior and no warning lights appeared. We were able to make it to the side of the road and immediately called a tow truck to take us to the nearest Honda…Owner complaint, filed 2026

While driving the car suddenly lost power and display warning indicated that you should steer to a safe location and turn off the vehicle. Turned the vehicle on to put it into neutral (would not go into neutral unless the engine was running) to get it on the wrecker. Smoke started coming from the engine compartment. Called Honda…Owner complaint, filed 2023

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

The van suddenly died, thankfully on a lower traffic neighborhood road. It would not start and we had it towed to the dealership. Upon troubleshooting, the "low pressure" fuel pump was bad. This resulted in a $1,500 repair for a vehicle only 5 years old. Thankfully this did not happen on the highway, but this is dangerous and should not…Owner complaint, filed 2026

Vehicle shuts off completely when stopping at a light or sign. It does restart but you don't know it until you need to go. It is a safety concern!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

After the PGM-FI update was put into our car, the engine cuts out entirely while at stop lights and will not wake back up. The Honda dealership is saying that there is nothing they can do.Owner complaint, filed 2024

Once the cruise control is set, it consistently drops below the set speed and surges back up or over the set speed. Set on 62, it drops to 59 or 60, then surges back up to 62 or 63. This happens on perfectly flat roads with no traffic in front or beside the car. The dealership tried to tell me that the camera for the adaptive cruise…Owner complaint, filed 2023

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

The infotainment screen had a recall that has not been properly fixed so that my rearview camera does not work for backing up.Owner complaint, filed 2026

I have a 2021 HONDA Odyssey ,40K miles, some lights on about few months ago, then i went to dealer on June 29,2026. I paid for a dealer diagnoses, they told me is the VSA modulator faulty. I don't believe that is over 36K miles warranty , so i search it on Google, shows Honda had some recall on different model and year car with the VSA…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

The third row seat latching mechanism will not lock the seat into place on the floor. We had a child who was sitting in the seat and the seat flipped backward. It is the left side seat in the third row. It appears the mechanism inside the seat that secures to the floorboard is missing or broke.Owner complaint, filed 2024

contacted dealership in Newburgh NY for recall. The rep pushed back making me wait 8 weeks. Dearlership in Middletown NY did not return call.Owner complaint, filed 2025

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

Vehicle lost power resulting in the vehicle automatically going into park and powering off while driving. This has happened multiple times. In addition, we will get strange electronic codes. Tested battery and systems successfully, but problem persists.Owner complaint, filed 2025