2020 HONDA ODYSSEY Complaints

My vehicle started cycling between all of the check engine types of lights to include the emissions system. When taking it to my local Honda dealership, they determined that it was my front camera (multi-purpose camera internal failure). After some research and speaking to the service department, this major safety failure has been happening to many other Honda vehicles. The emissions system failure seems to also be a faulty design. I feel that the camera system failure could have resulted in an accident or major injury. And of no fault of my own. My vehicle is regularly maintained and is merely 6 years old. I should not be replacing a mayor system like the front camera every 6 years.

The power liftgate will not operate and the tailgate will not latch closed. The van was parked outside during a heavy rain, and when the vehicle was started afterward, a warning was displayed on the dash. The van has not been checked by the manufacturer. An inspection is available on request.

The front windshield camera completely failed. No longer have emergency braking. Honda said known problem and want to charge $2000 to fix

Car leaks. Cargo Bay fills with water. Possible mold issues. I am told this leaking causes damage to the control module for the tailgate. Our tailgate will close on us and has almost closed on our children. We have to be very careful when the children are around the tailgate because it will begin to close without warning.

Following replacement of the small block in Dec. 2025 for bad pushrod bearings. The vehicle ran for 3000 miles, before the engine seized up again while driving at 50 mph. The vehicle came to a stop in the travel lanes and could not be moved due to engine failure. Upon having the vehicle towed back to the dealership for inspection and repair, they found that the #3 cylinder had both valves broken and metal pieces shavings found in the engine. The dealer claimed that this was not related to the previous replacement of the small block as they did not work on the headers. However I believe the original issue of the bad pushrod bearings caused poor oil flow to the headers and the valves were already worn before the Dec. 2025 engine seizure. The dealer has now replaced the small block (for a 2nd time) headers, intake manifold, injectors and timing chain.

The front camera that controls adaptive system died within 4years of owning the vehicle so all the warning lights come on now.

The Multipurpose Camera failed. Searches online and discussion with the dealers show this is a common problem. Result is shutdown of collision mitigation systems, blind spot indicators, lane divergence system, auto high beam, etc.

The vehicle unexpectedly shifts into Park while driving. Each time this occurs, I have to turn off the car, use the “Push to Start” feature to restart it, and then shift back into Drive. This issue has happened multiple times, creating a safety concern while on the road.

The power liftgate opens, but then closes unexpectedly. It will open fully, dip down a couple inches, open back up fully and then close quickly. It does not stop closing when it meets moderate resistance, only stops when the button is pressed. I was unloading groceries into the back and it came down on me. Luckily, I was able to reach and press the button. Had it been my children I'm afraid it would have crushed them. This has now happened numerous times and through research I have found a Honda service bulletin about this known issue. I feel it should be a recall since it poses a safety hazard. As I said, it could really harm someone not able to move quickly or a child could lose a limb or be crushed. I shouldn't have to pay for a very expensive repair to maintain safety when Honda knows this is an issue caused by a defect in the spring assembly. Service bulletin 22-018. This happens nearly every time I open the liftgate now, less often when it's cold outside than when it is warm. Makes it hard/nearly impossible to use my trunk space.

The multipurpose camera unit failed causing the Forward Collision Warning, Automatic Braking, Lane Keeping Assistance, and Lane Departure warnings lights to come on and rendering all those systems inoperable. Part of the selling point of this vehicle is these additional safety features and for them to fail within 5 years of owning the vehicle is a safety concern. From my own research online, it seems this is a common problem for Odysseys built around this timeframe. This part is extremely expensive and is a required repair if you want the original safety features for the vehicle. I made the repairs, but the life of these units is something that should be looked into.