2019 Honda Odyssey: What to check before buying
Owners have filed 768 complaints with NHTSA about this car, most about the electrical, fuel system, and transmission. The 9 checks below target those problems, in the order you would do them at the car.
2019- Owner complaints
- 768
- Recalls
- 17
- Crashes reported
- 12
- 18 injuries
Your inspection sheet
Tick items off on your phone at the car, or print it. Ticks stay on this device.
0/9 checked
2019 Honda Odyssey: inspection sheet
Paperwork and questions
Before you go, or before you touch the car0/2
Walk-around and cabin
Engine off, key in hand0/3
Cold start, engine bay, and underside
Ask the seller not to warm the car up first0/3
Test drive
At least 20 minutes, with some highway0/1
These checks are specific to this model year. For tires, body panels, fluids, and the other basics every used car needs, use the general inspection guide.
Which Odyssey is it?
EPA figures for each version of the 2019 Honda Odyssey. Use them to confirm you are looking at the version that was advertised, and as a yardstick on the test drive.
| Version | Drive | EPA rating |
|---|---|---|
| 3.5L 6-cyl | FWD | 22 mpg |
- Reset the trip computer at the start of the drive. A Odyssey that averages well under the EPA 22 mpg combined on a mixed route may have an engine or tire problem.
Check the odometer against these mileages
Owners report these failures starting around the mileages below. A car inside one of these ranges deserves a closer look at that part, or records showing it was already fixed.
Transmission hesitation and lunge
15,000–70,000 miles
Windshield camera ADAS failure
44,500–110,000 miles
Fuel injector failure, P219A
51,000–68,000 miles
Stalling after fuel pump issues
59,000–62,000 miles
Rod bearing engine knock
63,000–72,000 miles
Unprompted air bag deployment
100,000–112,000 miles
Full transmission failure
102,800–120,000 miles
Why these checks: what owners reported
NHTSA complaints for the 2019 Honda Odyssey, grouped by the part owners named. Open a row to read what goes wrong.
Electrical1551 crash
Power sliding doors and the liftgate stop mid-travel, close on their own, or fail to sense a person in the way. Both injury reports involve sliding doors. The center display also goes black with a "network communication lost" message and crackling speakers, which takes out the backup camera, radio, and climate controls. This starts at very low mileage, sometimes on bumps. Other reports describe dead batteries and no-starts with a flood of warning messages, and stalls when auto stop-start restarts the engine. The one crash happened when the backup camera froze while reversing.
Fuel system114No crashes
Most of these reports are about fuel pump recall 23V858000, and many say the repair part was not available for a long time. Where failures happened, the van hesitates, won't accelerate even though the engine is running, or stalls, sometimes with several warning lights on. Some owners say stalling or hesitation came back after the recall repair. One van caught fire while being driven at 25 mph, and its owner was still waiting on recall parts. Separate reports cite fuel injector failure with code P219A and rough idle.
Failing fuel injectors set code P219A or P219B with an "Emissions System Problem" warning. They cause rough running, skipping, and weak acceleration. Honda extended injector coverage to 10 years or 150,000 miles under bulletin 21-010, but many owners say their VIN is excluded and they paid around $1,900. Fuel pump failures also leave vans stalled or unable to move, with a cascade of warnings for brakes, stability assist, and power steering. Several owners complain that recall parts took months to arrive.
Transmission110No crashes
The transmission hesitates or loses drive under acceleration, then re-engages with a lunge, pop, or metallic clunk. The most common trigger is lifting off the gas and pressing it again. Some vans drop into neutral or show "P" while moving, display transmission and emissions warnings, and refuse to shift back into gear. Hesitation is reported from about 15,000 miles. Full transmission replacements appear at 102,800 and 120,000 miles, and a few vans failed very early. Dealers often cannot reproduce the problem or say it works as designed.
Automatic emergency braking94No crashes
The multipurpose camera behind the windshield fails. That shuts off collision mitigation braking, lane keeping, adaptive cruise, road departure mitigation, and auto high beams, and sometimes regular cruise control too. A string of warnings then appears at every startup. Failures are reported from about 44,500 to 110,000 miles, and some vans have had a second failure. Owners describe a replacement of roughly $2,000 to $2,500 with no recall to cover it. A smaller group reports phantom braking with nothing ahead, including one full stop from 40 mph.
Engine50No crashes
Worn rod bearings cause a knocking or rattling from the engine. It gets worse over time and ends in power loss or the engine shutting off. Shops find metal in the oil and quote a full engine replacement of $9,000 to $13,000. Reports cluster between about 63,000 and 72,000 miles, and some owners say their VIN was left out of the related recall. Leaking fuel injectors cause rough idle, black smoke, and limp mode. Two reports involve fires, one after the engine lost oil at highway speed.
Acceleration and cruise control315 crashes
The van fails to accelerate when pulling away from a stop or during a turn, then surges forward. That leaves drivers stuck in traffic or braking hard to avoid the car ahead. Five reports involve crashes. In one, another car hit the van when it would not accelerate from a stop, and the owner was still waiting on fuel pump recall parts. Others describe unintended acceleration in reverse and a confused braking response when collision mitigation kicked in. Some owners say stalling continued after the fuel pump module was replaced.
Body and structure28No crashes
Power sliding doors stop after about an inch, won't open even by hand, fail to latch, or reopen again and again. Most of these reports involve the driver's side door, and owners cite repairs near $1,000. On the liftgate, water leaks through the rear body seams onto the control module, so the gate opens or closes at random or stops working. Some power liftgates close by themselves on a slope. Non-power tailgates open only to about 5 ft 10 in, and owners report repeated head strikes.
Airbags185 crashes
Curtain, seat, or driver air bags go off with no crash, often after a pothole or bump, sometimes at highway speed. Owners report ringing ears, hearing damage, a minor burn, and blocked side visibility. Many of these vans had roughly 100,000 to 112,000 miles. Other reports describe the opposite: front air bags that stayed off in crashes, including a deer strike at 70 mph and a collision with a tree. An SRS warning light that keeps returning after module, wiring, and air bag replacements is another repeated complaint.
In owners' own words
Excerpts from complaints Odyssey owners filed with NHTSA, as written. Listen for the same symptoms on your test drive.
Out of nowhere... a bunch of warnings lights have appeared and disabled a lot of the safety features on the vehicle. Adaptive Cruise Control Problem Lane Keeping Assist Problem Collision Mitigation System Problem Road Departure Mitigation System Problem Auto High Beam Problem The car drives fine but the safety features do not work, along with the cruise control. This is a known issue for Honda and there needs to be a recall before someone get hurt!!!
Filed with NHTSA, November 2024
A number of warnings popped up: adaptive cruise control problem, lane keeping assist problem, collision mitigation system problem, road departure mitigation problem, and auto high beam problem. Only light that is on is my brake system light. I read a bit on some forums and it is likely to be the the front camera. Apparently the Multipurpose Camera Unit (MCU) fails often on these vehicles, causing these errors and the cruise control to stop working.
Filed with NHTSA, March 2025
Vehicle intermittently loses propulsion during acceleration when merging. Engine RPM remains low despite throttle input. After a delay, transmission re-engages abruptly with a metallic scraping noise. This creates unsafe merging conditions. This happened today, 2/14/2026 in 4 instances in the same trip. It has also occurred approximately 50 other times over the past six months when the mileage was as low as 66,100 miles.
Filed with NHTSA, February 2026
The van had 75k miles and would lose propulsion on the highway with no warning and no dash light coming on. van would slow way down causing other drivers to hard brake behind us, Then finally go back into gear and drive like nothing happened, couple days later the same thing would happen. We took it to Honda and said the transmission will need to be replaced.
Filed with NHTSA, January 2024
Multipurpose Camera failed at 110000 miles. This causes deactivation of the Lane Keep Assist, Collision Mitigation, Road Departure Mitigation, Auto High Beam and cruise control systems. The primary advanced safety features of the vehicle are disabled due to this issue. Issue has been reported to the dealer and they state that it is a common issue, but no recall or TSB for it yet. Warning lights come up on the dash every time the vehicle is turned on.
Filed with NHTSA, October 2025
When my car hit 40000 miles or so, I started getting all sorts of warning lights showing up when I turned my car on. Took my car in to Honda today, and they said upon checking it that the multifunction camera which is located behind the rear view mirror has stopped working. The car has 44,500 miles on it. It has been in no accidents. There seems to be no reason for such a part to just stop working (needing a $2500 repair to fix).
Filed with NHTSA, January 2026
How the 2019 compares with other Odyssey years
Complaints for this year next to the average for the other model years, area by area.
The 2019 ranks second for owner complaints among 9 Odyssey years, about 3.8 times the average of the others. Newer years have had less time to collect complaints, so compare like with like.
- Electrical15554
- Fuel system1144
- Transmission11024
- Automatic emergency braking9423
- Engine5019
- Acceleration and cruise control313
Recalls to confirm (17)
Recall repairs are free at any Honda dealer, but the seller may never have had them done. Check each campaign number against the VIN.
23V858000Fuel systemDec 2023
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2013-2023 Honda Accord, Civic Coupe, Civic Sedan, Civic Hatchback, Civic Type R, CR-V, HR-V, Ridgeline, Odyssey, Acura ILX, MDX, MDX Hybrid, RDX, RLX, TLX, 2019-2022 Honda Insight, Passport, 2020 Honda CR-V Hybrid, 2018-2019 Honda Clarity PHEV, Fit, and 2015-2020 Honda Accord Hybrid, Pilot, Acura NSX vehicles. The fuel pump inside the fuel tank may fail.
Risk: Fuel pump failure can cause an engine stall while driving, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will replace the fuel pump module, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed September 6, 2024. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are KGC and KGD. This recall is an expansion of NHTSA recall numbers 21V-215 and 20V-314.
23V751000EngineNov 2023
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.
23V431000Backup cameraJun 2023
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2018-2023 Odyssey, 2019-2022 Pilot, and 2019-2023 Passport vehicles. Due to a faulty Media Oriented Systems Transport (MOST) communication coaxial cable connector, the rearview camera image may not appear on the display. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 111, "Rear Visibility.".
Risk: A rearview camera that does not display an image can reduce the driver's rear view, increasing the risk of a crash or injury.
Fix: Dealers will replace the MOST cable harness and install a straightening cover over the vehicle cable connector, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 24, 2023. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are EEL, ZEM, and SFC.
23V158000Seat beltsMar 2023
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2017-2020 CR-V, 2018-2019 Accord and Accord Hybrid, 2018-2020 Odyssey, 2019 Insight, and 2019-2020 Acura RDX vehicles. A manufacturing issue with the front seat belts may cause the seat belt buckle channel to interfere with the release button, preventing the seat belt buckle from latching.
Risk: An unlatched seat belt cannot properly restrain the seat occupant during a crash, increasing their risk of injury.
Fix: Dealers will replace the driver and front passenger seat belt buckle release buttons or the buckle assemblies as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 18, 2023. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are NDA, QDB, BDC, MDD, LD9. TDF, FDG, ODH, YDI, ZDE.
21V215000Fuel systemMar 2021
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2019-2020 Acura MDX, MDX Sport Hybrid, RDX, TLX, Honda Accord, Civic Hatchback, Insight, 2019 Acura ILX, Honda Accord Hybrid, Civic Coupe, Civic Coupe Si, Civic Sedan, Civic Sedan Si, Civic Type R, Fit, HR-V, Odyssey, Passport, Pilot and Ridgeline, and 2018-2019 CR-V vehicles. The low-pressure fuel pump inside the fuel tank may fail.
Risk: Fuel pump failure can cause an engine stall while driving, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fuel pump assembly, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed May 18, 2021. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Note: This recall is an expansion of recall 20V-314.
21V010000Fuel systemJan 2021
Braun Corporation (Braun) is recalling certain 2018-2021 Braun-modified Honda Odyssey vehicles. The fuel tank assembly installed by Braun may be susceptible to the fuel tank overfilling into the charcoal canister. If the charcoal canister fills with a sufficient amount of fuel, fuel may leak out.
Risk: A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source may increase the risk of fire.
Fix: Braun will notify owners, and dealers will inspect vehicles. If evidence of a fuel leak is present, a new fuel tank assembly and a new Honda charcoal canister will be installed, free of charge. The recall began February 22, 2021. Owners may contact Braun customer service at 1-800-488-0359.
20V438000Backup cameraJul 2020
American Honda Motor Co. (Honda) is recalling certain 2019-2020 Odyssey vehicles. Water may get into the rearview camera mounting holes and enter the camera lens and cause a distorted image, or no image at all. Additionally, if the rearview camera view mode is set to top-down view, or switched from that view to another mode in a bright environment, the image may not display. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 111, "Rearview Mirrors.".
Risk: A distorted or inoperative rearview camera display can reduce the driver's view of what is behind the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the rearview camera, free of charge. The recall began September 23, 2020. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's number for this recall is W83.
20V439000Backup cameraJul 2020
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2018-2020 Odyssey, 2019-2020 Passport, and 2019-2021 Pilot vehicles. Incorrect instrument panel control module software can cause the instrument panel to not display critical information, such as engine oil pressure, speedometer, and gear selector position until the next ignition cycle. Additionally, it can prevent the rearview camera image from displaying. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) numbers 101, "Control and Displays" and 111, "Rearview Mirrors.".
Risk: Operating a vehicle without a functioning instrument panel or rearview camera display increases the risk of a crash.
Fix: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the instrument panel control module software, free of charge. The recall began September 23, 2020. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's number for this recall is T89.
20V440000ElectricalJul 2020
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2019-2021 Pilot, 2019-2020 Odyssey and 2019-2020 Passport vehicles. Incorrect central network software programming may cause several errors to occur that can delay or prevent the rearview camera image from displaying. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 111, "Rearview Mirrors.".
Risk: A delayed or inoperative rearview camera display can reduce the driver's view of what is behind the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Honda will notify owners that updated software is available. Owners have the option to either follow the mailed instructions to download and update the software for free, or visit a dealer to have the software update performed, free of charge. The recall began September 23, 2020. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's number for this recall is Y7Y.
20V437000Door latches and locksJul 2020
Honda (America Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2018-2020 Odyssey vehicles. Water may enter the outer door handle cables for the sliding doors. If this occurs, the outer door handle cables may freeze in cold temperatures, preventing the front and rear sliding door latches from securely latching.
Risk: A power sliding door that fails to latch may open while moving, increasing the risk of injury.
Fix: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the power sliding door outer handle cables, free of charge. The recall began September 23, 2020. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's number for this recall is A88.
20V066000ElectricalFeb 2020
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2018-2020 Odyssey vehicles. The wire harness for the third row seat accessory power outlet may get pinched between the unibody and rear trim panel, possibly damaging the wires and causing an electrical short.
Risk: An intermittent electrical short could overheat the wire harness, increasing the risk of a fire.
Fix: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the third row seat accessory power outlet wire harness for damage, replacing it as necessary. If no damage is found, the dealer will apply protective tape and re-route the harness. All repairs will be performed free of charge. The recall began March 16, 2020. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's number for this recall is T6U.
19V298000EngineApr 2019
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.
19V299000TransmissionApr 2019
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Odyssey vehicles. Loose battery terminal connections or a degraded battery may cause the Transmission Control Unit (TCU) to unexpectedly reboot. Upon rebooting, the TCU may shift the transmission to the "Park" position, possibly damaging the parking rod.
Risk: A damaged parking rod can allow the vehicle to roll when parked, increasing the risk of a crash or injury.
Fix: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will ensure the battery terminal connections are secure and will update the TCU software, free of charge. Additionally, the parking rod effectiveness will be checked. The recall began May 31, 2019. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are Z4J, Y4K.
19V213000BrakesMar 2019
Braun Corporation (Braun) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Honda Odyessy vehicles modified to be equipped with an in-floor wheelchair ramp conversion. The rear wheel speed sensor harnesses may have been routed to the incorrect rear wheels, resulting in the possibility that the anti-lock brake system will not recognize each rear wheel speed properly. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 135, "Light Vehicle Brake System" and 404, "Electronic Stability Control Systems.".
Risk: If the rear wheel speeds cannot be correctly monitored, the anti-lock brake system may not engage properly to prevent the wheels from locking up, increasing the risk of crash.
Fix: Braun has notified owners, and dealers will inspect and correct the rear wheel speed sensor harnesses, if necessary, free of charge. The recall began on April 4, 2019. Owners may contact Braun customer service at 1-800-488-0359.
18V795000Door latches and locksNov 2018
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain model year 2018 and 2019 Honda Odyssey vehicles. The latch assemblies for the power sliding doors may stick and not properly latch to the door strikers.
Risk: If the power sliding doors fails to latch, the doors may open while moving, increasing the risk of injury.
Fix: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the left and right power sliding door rear latch assemblies, free of charge. The recall began January 3, 2019. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are Z33 and O36.
18V777000BrakesNov 2018
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2017-2019 Acura MDX, 2017-2018 Acura MDX Sport Hybrid, 2018-2019 Honda HR-V and Honda Odyssey, and 2016 Honda HR-V vehicles. The rear brake caliper pistons may have an insufficient coating, causing gas pockets to form, reducing brake performance. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 135, "Light Vehicle Brake Systems.".
Risk: A reduction of braking performance increases the risk of a crash.
Fix: Owners will be notified, and Honda or Acura dealers will bleed the brakes, free of charge. The recall began December 11, 2018. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are C31 and L30.
18V664000Seat beltsSep 2018
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2019 Honda Insight, Odyssey, and Ridgeline vehicles. The Supplemental Restraint System (SRS) control unit may have a manufacturing error, possibly resulting in the air bags or seatbelt pretensioners not deploying in the event of a crash.
Risk: In the event of a crash, if the air bags or seatbelt pretensioners do not function as intended, there would be an increased risk of injury.
Fix: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the SRS unit, free of charge. The recall began November 8, 2018. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are B2R, C2P, and Z2Q.
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