2025 Honda Odyssey: What to check before buying

The engine fails to restart after Auto Idle Stop shuts it off at a light. Drivers release the brake and get a hesitant crank, a rough sputtering restart, or nothing at all, often with the battery light and other warnings on the dash. Many end up stuck in intersections and must shut the van off and restart it, sometimes more than once. Several reports come in under 10,000 miles. Dealers often cannot duplicate the problem. Some replace the starter, and others tell owners to switch the feature off on every drive. Several owners cite federal investigation EA25004.

Stalling at stops after Auto Idle Stop dominates this category. The engine shuts off as designed, then struggles to turn over or will not restart, leaving the van dead at busy intersections. Getting it going can take several button presses, a shift into park, or 1-2 minutes. Dealer responses vary. Some replace a battery that does not fix it, some replace the starter, and some advise disabling the feature every drive. A report involving 2 injuries describes shutdowns during adaptive cruise control. Other reports describe a loss of power while driving.

Shutdowns at stops after Auto Idle Stop also show up here. The van shifts itself into park and will not restart until the driver repeats the start sequence, sometimes many times. Other reports describe the van failing to accelerate from a stoplight with idle stop enabled. Dealers repeatedly suggest turning the feature off. Separate reports describe more serious transmission trouble: a transmission needing full replacement for faulty internal seals in a van less than one year old, and a transmission that dropped into park while the van was rolling, causing a whiplash-like jolt.

Automatic emergency braking slams on the brakes with nothing ahead, triggered by shadows, hills, or nothing visible. These events lead to near rear-end collisions, one crash, and neck and shoulder injuries. Dealers find the activation in stored data but no reason code. A second pattern shows up on hot days. After the van sits in the sun, the dash fills with beeping warnings such as an Adaptive Cruise Control System Problem, and driver aids shut off until the van cools after 15 to 20 minutes of driving.

Moonroof glass shatters without warning while driving, including at highway speed on a hot day. A closed sliding cover keeps the glass out of the cabin. Other reports in this group describe idle stop shutdowns blamed on a failed starter, with the replacement part on backorder for over a month. Factory build flaws also appear. These include a lane departure system that jerks the wheel, an A/C system found overfilled with an electrical connection left unhooked, and wide body panel gaps near the sliding door.

Vibration and shaking show up early in the van's life. In one report the rear shakes only under braking at moderate to highway speeds. The dealer documents rear brake rotor thickness variation but makes no repair. Another report pairs a vibration diagnosed as worn shocks, with tire wear not covered, with an idle stop restart failure that the dealer blames on the battery. With only 2 complaints on file, the data shows no clear pattern.

The brake pedal stiffens sharply at low speed while the red brake warning lights up, and the van barely stops. Stability warnings and a Call your Dealer message come with it, and the repair is a replacement brake booster. In the other report, the emergency avoidance system brakes hard at about 40 mph on a clear road and the van is nearly rear-ended. Only 2 complaints are on file, but both involve a real loss of braking control.