Honda Odyssey Engine Problems
Owners have filed 1,546 complaints with NHTSA about engine problems on the Honda Odyssey across 30 model years. The 2025 model year has the most (227). The words owners use most often: “idle stop” (11% of reports).
- 1,546engine complaints
- —median miles at failure
- 23mention a crash
- 21mention an injury
- 4related recalls
- $3,750typical repair cost reported by owners
- 39%of reports with a speed happened at 50+ mph
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- Idle stop: mentioned in 168 of 1,546 complaints (11%)
- Spark plugs: mentioned in 106 of 1,546 complaints (7%)
How much does it cost to fix?
Owners who wrote down what they paid or were quoted put the typical engine repair on the Honda Odyssey at $3,750, and half of them between $1,500 and $5,550.
Based on 84 NHTSA complaints about this problem alone that state a repair bill or quote (2012–2026), converted to 2026 dollars with the U.S. consumer price index. These are owners' own figures, not a quote: they include dealer quotes, and owners who file complaints often faced larger repairs, so they can run higher than typical shop prices. Prices vary by shop, region and warranty coverage. How we calculate this.
At what mileage do engine problems happen?
Based on 639 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 1,546 complaints, 23 mention a crash, 43 a fire, 21 an injury.
Honda Odyssey engine complaints by model year
| Model year | Engine complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 Odyssey | 19 | 40% | — |
| 2025 Odyssey | 227 | 54% | 18,266 |
| 2024 Odyssey | 43 | 37% | 25,000 |
| 2023 Odyssey | 14 | 14% | 25,500 |
| 2022 Odyssey | 15 | 11% | 4,000 |
| 2021 Odyssey | 26 | 18% | 290 |
| 2020 Odyssey | 70 | 15% | 51,000 |
| 2019 Odyssey | 134 | 14% | 16,000 |
| 2018 Odyssey | 190 | 19% | 73,500 |
| 2017 Odyssey | 10 | 26% | 1,307 |
| 2016 Odyssey | 93 | 34% | 81,600 |
| 2015 Odyssey | 53 | 26% | 37,000 |
| 2014 Odyssey | 59 | 19% | 50,650 |
| 2013 Odyssey | 69 | 33% | 73,000 |
| 2012 Odyssey | 39 | 16% | 62,500 |
| 2011 Odyssey | 25 | 11% | 57,000 |
| 2010 Odyssey | 46 | 18% | 104,700 |
| 2009 Odyssey | 34 | 17% | 103,500 |
| 2008 Odyssey | 40 | 8% | 94,000 |
| 2007 Odyssey | 58 | 7% | 100,200 |
| 2006 Odyssey | 74 | 11% | 90,000 |
| 2005 Odyssey | 68 | 8% | 106,000 |
| 2004 Odyssey | 50 | 9% | 110,000 |
| 2003 Odyssey | 32 | 4% | 119,500 |
| 2002 Odyssey | 27 | 3% | 110,500 |
| 2001 Odyssey | 9 | 1% | 150,500 |
| 2000 Odyssey | 9 | 1% | 107,000 |
| 1999 Odyssey | 9 | 2% | 128,000 |
| 1998 Odyssey | 3 | 4% | 169,000 |
| 1996 Odyssey | 1 | 1% | 165,800 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (4)
Engine and engine cooling:engine:hard parts internal/mechanical
Model years: 2018, 2019
Problem: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2015-2020 Acura TLX, 2016-2020 Acura MDX, 2016 and 2018-2019 Pilot, 2017 and 2019 Ridgeline, and 2018-2019 Odyssey vehicles. Due to a manufacturing error, the connecting rod bearing in the engine may wear and seize, damaging the engine.
Risk: A damaged engine may run improperly or stall while driving, increasing the risk of a fire, crash, or injury.
Fix: Dealers will inspect and repair, or replace the engine as necessary, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed March 28, 2024. 2016-2017 Acura MDX owner letters were mailed November 1, 2024. 2016-2020 Acura MDX owner letters are expected to be mailed in mid-December 2024. Honda began mailing owner notification letters as of March 18, 2024. 2015-2016 Acura owner letters are expected to be mailed mid-December 2024, 2018 Acura TLX owner letters are expected to be mailed the end of March/early April 2024, 2019 Acura TLX owner letters are expected to be mailed mid-May 2024, 2020 Acura TLX owner letters are expected to be mailed mid-June 2024, and 2016-2020 Acura MDX owner letters are expected to be mailed January 27, 2025. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for these recalls are XG1 and GG0.
Engine and engine cooling:engine:gasoline:belts and associated pulleys
Model years: 2019
Problem: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Acura MDX and Honda Pilot vehicles and 2019 Acura RLX, RLX Sport Hybrid, TLX and Honda Odyssey and Ridgeline vehicles. The timing belt teeth may separate from the belt.
Risk: Teeth separation from the timing belt may result in an engine stall, increasing the risk of crash.
Fix: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the vehicle and replace any affected timing belt free of charge. Vehicles receiving a replacement timing belt will also have the engine inspected and any damaged components will be replaced for free. The recall began June 7, 2019. Honda owners may contact customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's number for this recall is L4M. Acura owners may contact customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Acura's number for this recall is Z4L.
Engine
Model years: 2013
Problem: Honda is recalling certain model year 2013 Pilot 2WD and 4WD vehicles and certain model year 2013 Odyssey vehicles. During manufacturing of the engine piston, it is possible that the heat treatment process was not properly applied, resulting in the piston having an insufficient hardness level, making it more susceptible to premature wear.
Risk: A worn piston may suddenly fail, causing the engine to stall, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the engine short block free of charge. The recall began on September 16, 2013. Owners may contact Honda at 1-800-999-1009. Honda's recall numbers are JB4 (Honda Odyssey) and JB5 (Honda Pilot).
Engine and engine cooling:engine
Model years: 2002
Problem: On certain minivans, sedans, coupes, and sport utility vehicles equipped with v6 engines, a timing belt tensioner pulley on the water pump is misaligned and could cause the timing belt to contact a bolt on the cylinder head. Eventually the belt could be damaged and fail.
Risk: If the timing belt breaks, the engine will stall, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will inspect the water pump and if it is one of the defective pumps, the water pump and timing belt will be replaced. Owner notification began august 30, 2002. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact honda at 1-800-999-1009 or acura at 1-800-382-2238.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
I purchased a used 2024 Honda Odyssey in September 2026 with approximately 12,000 miles. The vehicle intermittently experiences delayed starting and extended cranking when attempting to start the engine. CarMax was aware of the starting concern at the time of purchase. After purchase, CarMax…
My car has shutoff due to an orange system error of the idle auto stop/start system. This appears connected to EA25004. When at a traffic light, after the engine shuts off, my car occasionally fails to restart or is slow to restart when reapplying the gas. If the error occurrs, it requires me to…
The auto stop/restart failed regularly at intersections. Being stopped at intersections and having to try to restart the vehicle was not safe for us or others at the intersection. The problem was not confirmed by the dealer, but the dealer did say they've seen similar issues with similar models…
My 2024 Honda Odyssey repeatedly failed to restart after the automatic idle stop system engaged at traffic lights. On numerous occasions, the engine shut off normally but would not restart when I attempted to resume driving. I had to shift into Park and manually restart the engine before…
The auto idle stop is causing the van to not start up after stopping at red light or stop sign and it causes the van to completely go dead in middle of the road. You have to turn the van completely off, while people behind you are honking their horns at you, and then crank the van back up in order…
Frequently asked questions
Do all Honda Odysseys have engine problems?
No. NHTSA has 1,546 owner complaints about engine for the Honda Odyssey. Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the Honda Odyssey engine?
Yes: 4 safety recalls list engine. Check your VIN on NHTSA.gov to see whether the fix was done on your car.
How much does it cost to fix engine problems on the Honda Odyssey?
Owners report a typical cost of $3,750 (half paid between $1,500 and $5,550), from 84 complaints that state a repair bill or quote, in 2026 dollars.
What do owners say about engine problems on the Honda Odyssey?
The most frequent phrase is “idle stop”, in 168 of 1,546 complaints, followed by “spark plugs” (106).
Other Honda Odyssey problems
- Power Train problems (3,063)
- Electrical System problems (1,950)
- Structure problems (1,410)
- Air Bags problems (832)
- Forward Collision Avoidance problems (751)
- Service Brakes problems (622)
- Steering problems (557)
- Service Brakes, Hydraulic problems (501)
See all Honda Odyssey problems.