Powertrain, forward collision avoidance, and electrical system issues are among the top complaints received by the NHTSA from vehicle owners
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The minivan might not be as popular as it once was, but that hasn’t stopped people from buying the 2022 Honda Odyssey. The automaker claims this is a “fun, family minivan,” but many people find it to be dangerous. Complaints from owners include major transmission problems, random braking, and a variety of electrical problems.
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Complaints to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) about the 2022 Honda Odyssey span numerous systems and components. But the most common problems relate to faulty powertrains, issues relating to forward collision avoidance (including random braking), and a variety of electrical system problems. There are also problems with airbags, back-over prevention, the engine, equipment, fuel/propulsion system, seats and seat belts, steering, suspension, vehicle speed control, visibility, and the wheels of the Odyssey.
There are also 4 recalls that affect the 2022 Odyssey. These, too, are varied. One relates to second row outboard seats not locking, which increases the risk of injury. It only affects 2022 Odyssey vehicles. There’s a problem with a few 2022 Odyssey vehicles that may have tires with a pinhole that causes a slow air leak. This also increases the risk of a crash.
The other 2 recalls affect other Honda vehicles as well as the Odyssey. One of them relates to side-view mirrors that may detach, reduce driver visibility and increase the risk of a crash. The other is due to a rearview camera problem where the image doesn’t display. This increases both the risk of a crash and injury.
| Complaint Category | Number of Complaints |
|---|---|
| Electrical System | |
| Forward Collision Avoidance: Automatic Emergency Braking | |
| Power Train | |
| Unknown Or Other | |
| Forward Collision Avoidance: Warnings | |
| Air Bags | |
| Engine | |
| Visibility/wiper | |
| Service Brakes | |
| Vehicle Speed Control |
Honda was once known as a company that used reliable transmissions, but the powertrain in the 2022 Honda Odyssey is causing a lot of headaches.
Powertrain problems top the NHTSA complaints list for this vehicle. Unusually, all but one of 12 complaints (as at mid-September 2023) are listed only as powertrain issues. Of these, several state that the transmission was faulty and needed to be replaced.
An owner from Michigan describes what happened when the transmission failed. “We were exiting from one freeway to another. As we approached the exit ramp, the vehicle began to decelerate and the engine began revving. We managed to pull over to the narrow shoulder, to allow traffic to pass.” Then they turned the vehicle off, “hoping it was a simple glitch in the computer. We restarted the car and encountered the same problem.” But, eventually they had to have the Odyssey towed to the dealer. Service department technicians drove and inspected the minivan and experienced the same problem. “The entire transmission needed to be replaced. Had this occurred while we were in the middle lane rather than the exit lane, given the amount of traffic at the time, it would likely have caused multiple accidents.”
Lack of acceleration is another symptom that complaints are recording. Generally, these Odyssey transmissions also need to be replaced.
An owner from Illinois was driving an Odyssey that was less than a year old when it happened. “We were driving on the highway and all of a sudden the engine revved. The car would no longer accelerate. We were able to pull off the highway safely but the car would not accelerate more than a few miles per hour. There were no warning lights or indications of an issue with the car. The car was towed to Honda and a new transmission was installed.”
An owner from South Carolina has a similar story. “We were driving with less than 1,500 miles on the car on the interstate at roughly 70 miles an hour. Out of nowhere, the gears began slipping and when pressing the accelerator, RPMs revved to high levels but there was no acceleration as if we were driving in neutral. We were able to coast to the side of the interstate and down an off ramp. After restarting the vehicle, a litany of orange warning lights came on.” Eventually the minivan was towed to a nearby dealership where the transmission was replaced. “This was a significant safety issue with three children in the car where we could not accelerate while driving at 70 MPH on the interstate.”
With less than 500 miles on the clock, an owner from New York was stuck on the highway in a 2022 Odyssey that wouldn’t shift gears. After a while they got the car to “shift partially with lots of weird noises,” and drove home. Stating that this was “crazy scary,” the owner goes on to say, “When we wanted to put (it) in reverse to enter the driveway it did not respond. Once again we were stuck in the middle of the road for a few minutes. Luckily no cars went by at the time.”
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Random braking is the major problem reported as a forward collision avoidance issue. But some complaints say that the Collision Mitigation Braking System (CMBS) doesn’t work fast enough.
When a sedan in front of an Odyssey stopped suddenly for a yellow light, the driver rear-ended the sedan. “The impact was so severe, the engine from my 2022 Odyssey was pushed into the firewall and most likely totaled. If the Collision Mitigation Braking System (CMBS) initiated, it did not occur before I slammed on my brakes. The airbags also did not deploy. The car is undriveable. I was taken to the hospital and was found to have a hand injury from most likely my hand hitting the dash. My neck has whiplash and upper back/sternum is sore. I am being referred to an orthopedic surgeon for further hand evaluation. I am confused why the CMBS didn’t react quicker and/or more aggressively as well as why didn’t the airbags deploy?”
A Delaware owner experienced the CMBS for no apparent reason. Both her children sustained whiplash.
On the contrary, a Florida owner states in a complaint that the vehicle auto brakes randomly for no reason. This has happened multiple times. An owner from California describes two incidents when driving on the highway with no cars in front or behind. Again, the vehicle autobraked. The complaint states that if there had been cars behind, “I would have been smashed by the car in the back.”
An owner from Washington tells how his wife was driving when the Odyssey suddenly stopped. There was a “brake” sign on the instrument dashboard as well as a beep sound. By then the car behind the minivan had collided with her. This driver was pleased that the airbags didn’t deploy!
Complaints about the electrical system range from vehicles losing power and battery issues to problems with the sliding door.
An owner from Florida states that the passenger side sliding door “closes on its own randomly,” which is a problem that is happening more frequently. The dealer can’t “figure out what is wrong. There was no warning light or error shown.” Then the door shut on his son’s foot as he was getting in the car. “The door fully closed and pinned his foot causing him great pain. He could not twist to open the door and free himself.” The complaint states that it wasn’t until he heard the boy’s screams of pain that he ran to the door and opened it from the outside.
Another owner from a different part of Florida also had problems with the sliding door. But this time, with the driver’s rear door sliding door. This, the complaint states, affects the locking and unlocking of the door, and the use of the remote locking feature. It also prevents them from “fueling the vehicle if the lock is unlocked because the fuel door will not open if the door is unlocked.”
While driving through downtown Georgia, an owner from Georgia experienced the Odyssey lock up. “The dash indicated a battery problem and advised braking and finding a shoulder,.” But the engine had cut off and the vehicle didn’t respond. With hazard lights on, “I attempted to turn off/on my engine and place the vehicle in Park without success. It would not restart until I turned off the AIS and put my van in Park in the middle of the Interstate to finally turn back on. I am a skilled driver with ample engine knowledge and even then was barely able to avoid collision because the vehicle was completely incapacitated. Honda KNOWS this is a problem (I learned after my incident today) and need to find a remedy before someone gets killed.”
An owner from Texas stopped at a red light and the Odyssey lost “all electrical power and (the) engine died.” It had to be jumped to restart. After the problem recurred several times, the owner took it into a dealership this morning. After about 3 hours, the vehicle lost all electrical power and “died.” They couldn’t restart it and were unable to identify the problem.
One final look at the visibility of the Odyssey reveals that there are also multiple problems with the mirror glass in this minivan.One NHTSA complaint says, “The driver’s side rear-view mirror glass started to vibrate two weeks ago. While driving at freeway speed, I noticed the mirror glass tilt/drop down and it looks as if it had come detached from the mirror body itself. I pulled over and was able to ‘click’ the mirror glass back in, but it has vibrated again a few times since. I’m concerned that the glass will detach while on the road.”
Another complaint states, “The driver’s side door mirror glass initially vibrated so it was impossible to see behind the vehicle. The glass fell out several times. After being repaired under warranty, the replacement glass that they put in now falls out.”
An owner from Florida states that both the “driver and passenger side rear-view mirror glass separated from the base within 3 months of ownership.” The complaint states that the glass is held onto the plastic base with adhesive.
There seem to be other visibility concerns as well. Service Bulletin #ATI&08182021 discusses getting more information about the auto-up feature failing on the rear sliding door window. However, this wasn’t just a problem with 2022 Odyssey models, but also 2021. The automaker never resolved the issue and continued selling the same defective model. This “fun, family minivan” quickly turns into a box of horrors when all the defects combine.
If you think that your 2022 Honda Odyssey might be a lemon it’s a good idea to get legal opinion. Every year automakers replace, buy back, or agree to cash settlements for vehicles that are plagued with problems that affect their value and use. If this sounds familiar, call our Helpline or fill out a contact form and Lemberg Law will assess your problems free of charge. The law says that when it’s a lemon law case, Honda must pay the legal bills.
Brian Jones spent more than 30 years working as an ASE Certified Master Tech and Parts Specialist at multiple dealerships. Brian has become an authority in the industry, traveling across the country to consult for car dealerships and contributing his expertise as a writer for several major automotive publications. In his spare time, Brian enjoys working on pickup trucks, muscle cars, Jeeps and anything related to motorsports.
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