2016 Honda Odyssey Problems
Owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA, grouped by component
Data refreshed
What this page shows
Everything below is an owner-reported complaint submitted to NHTSA about the 2016 Honda Odyssey, grouped by the component NHTSA recorded on the report. These are not confirmed defects, and they are not recalls. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a category with more reports in it is not evidence that a part is defective.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Reports by component
Ranked by how many owner reports name each component category
- Engine9630.1%
- Electrical3912.2%
- Powertrain (other)3811.9%
- Interior & seats309.4%
- Driver assistance288.8%
- Body & structure257.8%
- Fuel system196.0%
- Brakes123.8%
- Airbags103.1%
- Steering61.9%
- Other / unspecified51.6%
- Visibility41.3%
- Seat belts30.9%
- Tires & wheels30.9%
- Suspension10.3%
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
Each component in detail
What the reports in each category say, in the owners' own words
Engine
Reports naming the engine itself — including stalling, misfires, oil consumption, cooling and internal engine components.
From owner reports, verbatim
the problem only happens after driving for more than 30 minutes. when I stop at a light, the engine starts shaking and stalls. the starter seems cranking normally, but it takes about 3 attempts and about 40 seconds to restart. One day, the engine stopped while I was driving. There is no Check Engine Light. I took it to Honda dealer. but they keep saying they cannot replicate the problem. It is so dangerous to drive this car.
The contact owns a 2016 Honda Odyssey. The contact stated that while driving 45 MPH, the Forward Collision Warning, Lane Departure Warning, engine, and VSA warning lights were illuminated. While at the stoplight, the vehicle started jerking and sputtering. The contact stated that the failure was related to Technical Service Bulletins: 25-060 and 25-061. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that there was a misfire coming from the engine. The contact stated that there was oil in the cylinder head. The manufacturer was contacted and opened a case. The manufacturer confirmed that the warranty had expired months earlier, and the case was closed. The failure mileage was approximately 162,600.
Electrical
Reports naming the electrical system — wiring, battery, charging, control modules, infotainment and electrical accessories.
From owner reports, verbatim
I am reporting a serious electrical shock/electrocution hazard involving the factory-installed 115V AC power inverter outlet in my 2016 Honda Odyssey. While the vehicle was in motion, my [XXX] son was able, without tools, to pull the AC outlet assembly completely out of the interior panel. He was then able to detach the molded electrical connector/plug from the back of the outlet, exposing the electrical terminals/conductors. The inverter/outlet was powered at the time, meaning my [XXX] had direct physical access to energized electrical components. He was about to touch the exposed terminals when his sibling saw what he was doing and stopped him. This prevented potential electrical contact and injury. I immediately stopped the vehicle, turned off the power, moved my child away from the area, and removed the applicable fuse to ensure the circuit was de-energized before securing/reassembling the connector and outlet. No injury occurred, but this was a serious near-miss. A [XXX] passenger was able to remove a factory AC electrical outlet and expose energized electrical terminals without tools or adult-level disassembly. The outlet's mounting/retention and connector design did not prevent a young child from accessing energized conductors within the passenger compartment. This creates a potential electrical shock, burn, electrocution, and electrical-short hazard, including the possibility of a child inserting a finger or conductive object into the exposed area. I request that NHTSA investigate the outlet assembly, retention method, connector, and protection from access to energized components in the 2016 Honda Odyssey, and determine whether other vehicles using the same components are affected. This design should not permit a young child to gain tool-free access to energized electrical terminals. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
After the vehicle is off, and after the smart key fob is removed from the vehicle, the dashboard will flicker, the alarm sometimes goes off and the headlights turn on draining the battery and leading to me having to jump the car to get it started. This makes the car undependable as it could happen after driving somewhere and leave myself or my wife stranded. I have taken this in to the Honda dealership but they noted that it did not occur when they were servicing the vehicle and they weren't sure what the issue could be. Many times the check engine light, FCW and LDW lights will come on and then reset after the car has been driven.
Powertrain (other)
Powertrain reports that are not specifically the engine or transmission — driveshafts, axles, transfer cases and differentials.
From owner reports, verbatim
I am sending you information about how a situation was handled by Honda, so hopefully others do not go through the same problems we did. Honda customer service and product advisory is what failed us and we are grateful that we didn't have an accident. I am attaching my documentation below.
Spark plug fouling, Piston seal leak on 60,000 miles car
Interior & seats
Reports naming seats, latches, locks, linkages and interior fittings.
From owner reports, verbatim
Left Side Airbag Deployment control circuit - B0020 Right Side Airbag Deployment control circuit - B0028 Driver Seat Belt Sensor - Circuit open B0050 Occupant Classification System- missing message - BOOAO Driver Seat Track Position - BOOB5 Passenger Seat Belt Sensor - B0052
The contact owns a 2016 Honda Odyssey. The contact stated that the driver's side and passenger's side sliding doors were difficult to open and close. The vehicle was taken to the dealer on several occasions, and the dealer replaced the passenger's side sliding door motors and cables twice however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer, where the cause of the failure could not be determined. The dealer applied lubricant to the cables; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 60,000.
Driver assistance
Reports naming forward-collision avoidance, lane keeping, back-over prevention, cruise control and related electronic driver-assistance systems.
From owner reports, verbatim
The contact owns a 2016 Honda Odyssey. The contact stated that while driving 45 MPH, the Forward Collision Warning, Lane Departure Warning, engine, and VSA warning lights were illuminated. While at the stoplight, the vehicle started jerking and sputtering. The contact stated that the failure was related to Technical Service Bulletins: 25-060 and 25-061. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that there was a misfire coming from the engine. The contact stated that there was oil in the cylinder head. The manufacturer was contacted and opened a case. The manufacturer confirmed that the warranty had expired months earlier, and the case was closed. The failure mileage was approximately 162,600.
After the vehicle is off, and after the smart key fob is removed from the vehicle, the dashboard will flicker, the alarm sometimes goes off and the headlights turn on draining the battery and leading to me having to jump the car to get it started. This makes the car undependable as it could happen after driving somewhere and leave myself or my wife stranded. I have taken this in to the Honda dealership but they noted that it did not occur when they were servicing the vehicle and they weren't sure what the issue could be. Many times the check engine light, FCW and LDW lights will come on and then reset after the car has been driven.
Body & structure
Reports naming the vehicle structure, frame, body panels, doors, hood and trim.
From owner reports, verbatim
Under 45 degrees, the back door will not open. The latch is faulty and fails in moderate to severe cold weather. In an emergency where we would need to exit the rear of the vehicle, there’s no way to open the rear door from the inside or outside. It is under 45 degrees for about half the year where I live. It is more than just an inconvenience, it is a safety concern.
the trunk has been difficult to open in cold weather ever since car was purchased. car was new when purchased and the issue was infrequent over time, issue has become so pervasive that we are unable to open the trunk at all even when weather is reasonable honda issued a "service bulletin" in 2018 admitting part was faulty however as it was not an official recall, we were not notified when looking into solving this problem, we came across the "service bulletin" information. Honda has NOT included our VIN # in this issue and accepts no responsibility for fixing the faulty part of this car *** inability to open the trunk reduces means of egress from the vehicle in the event of an accident thereby creating a safety risk *** please see:[XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Fuel system
Reports naming fuel storage or delivery — tanks, pumps, lines, injectors and fuel leaks.
From owner reports, verbatim
the problem only happens after driving for more than 30 minutes. when I stop at a light, the engine starts shaking and stalls. the starter seems cranking normally, but it takes about 3 attempts and about 40 seconds to restart. One day, the engine stopped while I was driving. There is no Check Engine Light. I took it to Honda dealer. but they keep saying they cannot replicate the problem. It is so dangerous to drive this car.
My vehicle is having issues with the fuel engagement system. This is a recall on 2016 Honda Odyssey but when I type in my VIN it says my vehicle is not affected. My vehicle is affected and would like it looked at under this recall.
Brakes
Reports naming service brakes, the antilock braking system, brake hoses, master cylinders or the parking brake.
From owner reports, verbatim
I have a Honda Odyssey 2016 with low mileage, which I purchased almost 2 years ago.This has happened twice. While driving in traffic, I approached a stop light and applied my brakes. When I applied the brakes, the engine accelerated at the same time propelling the car forward. I pressed on the brakes as hard as I could to keep the car from hitting the car in front of me. The second time this happened, I was able to turn off the ignition and then restart it. This is a very dangerous situation because it is extremely difficult to control the car and keep it from moving ahead. I used all of my strength to push against the brake to keep the car from moving ahead. There are other instances of this identified online if you search for it. There needs to be a recall or a way to fix this problem. I took the car to the Honda dealer on October 8, 2025. He kept it for four days and examined it thoroughly but could not find anything wrong with the car and could not get it to replicate this behavior. I never know when the surging forward might happen.
I was traveling on a local street around 35mph and braking for a red light. The braking felt funny in that it didn't slow the car down like normal, but it felt like the car's accelerator was still engaged. I managed to come to a stop, but the car seemed to want to move forward and I had to really stomp on the brake to keep it from moving forward. I put the car into park and the engine started revving and the car started shaking. I then turned the car off. When I turned the car back on, I was not able to shift back into drive from park. I turned the car off again. Waited about 10 seconds and started the car again. I was able to put it into drive and was able to drive home. This was normal braking for a red light, not a panic brake when I might have hit the accelerator. I also check the pedal positions and when the brake is pressed, it is about level with the accelerator, so I doubt that I was pressing both pedals at the same time. I don't have an extra floor mat and the mat I have is an OEM mat that is secured down. Brought the car to a Honda Service Center and they could not reproduce the problem. This is certainly a safety issue if the braking and engine do not respond to the driver input.
Airbags
Reports naming the air-bag system — deployment behaviour, inflators, sensors and warning lights.
From owner reports, verbatim
My wife was driving the vehicle after dropping off my kid at a swim meet in Dearborn heights MI, the Side curtain and all the passenger side airbags deployed after what she thinks is hitting a pothole. She heard big sound, she initially thought that the window glasses were broken but later realized that all the passenger side airbags deployed. She immediately slowed and took a right on the neighboring street and parked the car and exited. She mentioned a burning smell but I think it’s because of the airbag deployment. I looked for any recalls on this vehicle, there were none. But I noticed a recall on a similar situation for the same models from year 2018-2022. ,
Left Side Airbag Deployment control circuit - B0020 Right Side Airbag Deployment control circuit - B0028 Driver Seat Belt Sensor - Circuit open B0050 Occupant Classification System- missing message - BOOAO Driver Seat Track Position - BOOB5 Passenger Seat Belt Sensor - B0052
Steering
Reports naming the steering system — racks, columns, power-steering assist and steering linkage.
From owner reports, verbatim
May 2, 2022 - While driving home one evening, my check engine light came on, flashing. I was able to get into my neighborhood and once I got on my street, the front of the car started shaking violently. I made it into my driveway. This was very distressing and frightening. Scheduled a tow through USAA mobile app for next morning to be taken to Honda. There is way more detail - can't paste all here. July 9, 2022 - At approx 10AM, we left our vacation rental and started the drive home to MS. My check engine light came on and started flashing again. I made it to the middle of the island and met my husband. I was visibly shaken because I knew this was a serious issue. I had three kids and a 175lb dog in my van, along with half of our belongings. If I had gone a few miles or two more, I would have been stranded on a four-mile bridge. I had driven my car frequently while we were on the island (2 weeks) and there were no issues - until this day. - Again, I have WAY more information on this - cannot paste it all here.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 HONDA ODYSSEY. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, THERE WAS AN ABNORMAL CLICKING SOUND IN THE STEERING COLUMN WHILE TURNING THE STEERING WHEEL. THERE WAS NO WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT THE STEERING COLUMN SHOOK EACH TIME THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO UNIVERSITY HONDA (2150 NW 9TH ST, CORVALLIS, OR 97330) WHERE THE VEHICLE WAS DIAGNOSED WITH A DEFECTIVE STEERING COLUMN. THE MANUFACTURER HAD BEEN NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE VEHICLE REMAINED IN THE POSSESSION OF THE DEALER AND WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 28,000. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Other / unspecified
Reports whose component NHTSA recorded as unknown, or that do not map to one of the categories above.
From owner reports, verbatim
The central front adjuster lever (the release mechanism located at the front bottom of the car seat shell) has suffered a catastrophic mechanical failure. The lever is physically stuck in the "open" position and fails to snap back down or engage. Because the lever remains stuck open, the internal metal locking teeth cannot clamp down onto the harness adjustment webbing strap. Consequently, the child restraint harness completely fails to lock or hold tension. In a vehicle collision, sudden braking event, or even under standard manual pressure, the harness straps pull entirely loose. This defect prevents the seat from securing the child, posing an immediate risk of severe injury or ejection during a crash. The manufacturer (Graco) was contacted regarding this critical component failure under reference case #[XXX]. They refused a structural replacement or shell exchange, offering only a minor $40 purchase rebate, effectively leaving the vehicle occupant unprotected unless a new seat is purchased out-of-pocket. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
The car seat’s affiliated app and buckle’s vehicular heatstroke prevention technology didn’t work right, and a potential privacy safety concern. A colleague and I (both CPST-I’s) were demoing her seat. 1- Privacy concern: I was able to download the app and connect to her seat from outside her vehicle, gaining access to her child’s name, child’s birthdate, and a map that showed me the approximate location of where she drove. The seat owner did not have to approve my access to her seat. A stranger could access a child’s personal information with this lack of security. I was given “limited access” as the second connector but was actually able to see more details than the seat’s owner 2- The heatstroke prevention technology- the car seat buckle and affiliated app- glitched several times. It showed different alerts between two apps that accessed the same car seat. User A is car seat owner, user B is me: -After the car seat was buckled for a 1.5 hour drive in User A’s car, user A’s app logged 0 minutes in the seat. User B’s app showed accurate time the seat was buckled. -When the seat was buckled, User A and User B received completely different “child left in car” alerts at different times. The seat was left buckled overnight and did not alert user A or B that a child was left in the car. Despite receiving no alert, user B’s app logged the child having sat 7 hours in car seat overnight. -When the seat was left unbuckled and empty, user A received an alert that the child was still in the seat. Despite getting that alert, their app still showed 0 minutes logged in the seat. 3. The app says “buckled securely” when the buckle stalk is flipped up toward the child and didn’t actually require any buckling of either buckle or chest clip. 4. The app said the seat was installed correctly when it wasn't, and the installation directions wouldn’t continue unless the load leg was in place, which some vehicles don’t allow didn’t get great pics.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Visibility
Reports naming windshields, glass, wipers, defrosters and mirrors.
From owner reports, verbatim
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 HONDA ODYSSEY. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 70 MPH, AN ABNORMALLY LOUD BOOMING SOUND WAS HEARD. AFTER STOPPING TO INSPECT THE VEHICLE, IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE GLASS SUNROOF HAD EXPLODED. THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE WAS NOT DETERMINED. THE LOCAL DEALER WILLIAMS HONDA LOCATED AT 2650 US HWY 31, TRAVERSE CITY MI 49684 WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 125,000.
THE BACK WINDSHIELD EXPLODED FOR NO REASON. THE CAR WAS PARKED AND NOT STRUCK BY ANY OBJECTS. POLICE INVESTIGATED AND FIRST POINTED OUT THAT IT LOOKS LIKE IT EXPLODED OUTWARD, FROM THE INSIDE RATHER THAN BEING HIT. TWO HOLES WHERE GLASS FELL OUTSIDE THE VEHICLE, BUT IT IS CLEARLY BOWING OUTWARD
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Seat belts
Reports naming seat belts, buckles, retractors and pretensioners.
From owner reports, verbatim
PURCHASED A NEW 2016 HONDA ODYSSEY IN 2016. I NOTICED MY SEAT BELT WAS STARTING TO FRAY IN LATE AUG 2020. I CALLED 2 LOCAL HONDA DEALERS AND SPOKE TO SERVICE. I ASKED ABOUT THE SEAT BELTH, I WAS TOLD NO RECALL, AND HONDA DOES NOT COVER THE MATERIAL. IT IS COSMETIC. I FAIL TO SEE HOW A FRAYING BELT IS COSMETIC. THE MECHANIC WHO REPLACED THE BELT SYSTEM FET THAT THE BELT MAY NOT HOLD IF THERE WAS A FRONT END COLLISION. I ASKED HONDA TO REIMBURSE ME. THEY DECLINED STATING THAT THE WEB MATERIAL OF THE BELT WAS NOT COVERED. IT WAS A SAFETY HAZARD. THE MECHANIC STATED HE HAD NEVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE THIS. I FEEL HONDA IS IGNORING THIS SINCE THIS MAY BE AN ISOLATED CASE. IT IS CLEARLY A HAZARD, AND A DEFECTIVE BELT.
THERE WAS AN RECALL, RECALL NUMBER 17V-725, BUT THE DEALER OR MANUFACTURER CLEARLY DIDN'T MENTION WHEN THEY WILL ASK US TO GET THE VEHICLE INTO THE LOCAL DEALER FOR REPAIR. WE DIDN'T EVEN RECEIVE ANY PHONE CALL FROM LOCAL DEALER ASKING US TO COME IN AND GET THE VEHICLE REPAIRED.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Tires & wheels
Reports naming tires, wheels, hubs, or the tire-pressure monitoring system.
From owner reports, verbatim
split developed in tread area, unknown date, recently observed
We ask to rotate tires, and at that point we find CRACKS on inside wall of tires/ 2 pcs size 235/65/R17. see pictures provided. If we didn't discover this , it might be catastrophic failure/ explosion of tire. New Tires were installed immediately to avoid accident.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Suspension
Reports naming suspension components — springs, struts, shocks, control arms and related hardware.
From owner reports, verbatim
My wife was driving the vehicle after dropping off my kid at a swim meet in Dearborn heights MI, the Side curtain and all the passenger side airbags deployed after what she thinks is hitting a pothole. She heard big sound, she initially thought that the window glasses were broken but later realized that all the passenger side airbags deployed. She immediately slowed and took a right on the neighboring street and parked the car and exited. She mentioned a burning smell but I think it’s because of the airbag deployment. I looked for any recalls on this vehicle, there were none. But I noticed a recall on a similar situation for the same models from year 2018-2022. ,
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Elsewhere on this vehicle
Data sources
- NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation — owner-reported complaints and the components recorded on them
Data on this page last refreshed .