Honda Odyssey Reliability — Best and Worst Years by the Data

Quick answer

The 2018 draws 17.59 complaints per run and the 2009 2.82, a 6.2-fold gap within the same model. Half of all complaints arrive by 5 years of age, so 72.8% land after the 3-year basic warranty ends. The system owners report most is Power Train, with 2,665 complaints, typically at 6.3 years.

Honda Odyssey years to avoid — and the best ones

FIG.01·Honda Odyssey — complaint rate by model year
Model year	Per run	Complaints	Runs	Enough history?
2026	1.71	24	14	too new
2025	9.57	421	44	too new
2024	3.11	115	37	too new
2023	2.37	102	43	too new
2022	3.39	139	41	too new
2021	3.4	146	43	too new
2020	11.16	480	43	yes
2019	17	969	57	yes
2018	17.59	985	56	yes
2017	1.46	35	24	yes
2016	5.4	259	48	yes
2015	4.97	194	39	yes
2014	6.09	274	45	yes
2013	4.35	187	43	yes
2012	5.46	224	41	yes
2011	4.39	202	46	yes
2010	3.38	220	65	yes
2009	2.82	175	62	yes
2008	6.58	434	66	yes
2007	8.71	688	79	yes
2006	7.8	554	71	yes
2005	8.96	681	76	yes
2004	6.1	494	81	yes
2003	7.19	776	108	yes
2002	6.46	788	122	yes
2001	9.53	505	53	yes
2000	8.57	540	63	yes
1999	8.9	427	48	yes
1998	1.93	58	30	yes
1997	1.08	14	13	yes
1996	2	56	28	yes
1995	2.44	78	32	yes

ROWS 32·SOURCE NHTSA complaints, grouped by VIN production run

Does the market discount it? In our listings a 2018 Odyssey asks a median $17,700, against $19,550 for a 2019, the next model year: about 9% less, so sellers do price some of the trouble in.

Among the 13 Honda Odyssey years with enough history, the three to walk away from are 2018, 2019, 2001; the three worth hunting are 2009, 2010, 2004.

When it starts to break

FIG.02·Honda Odyssey — age at failure
Age at failure	Complaints	Running total	Warranty
0 years	1088	10.2%	covered
1 year	1056	20.1%	covered
2 years	765	27.2%	covered
3 years	813	34.8%	you pay
4 years	903	43.3%	you pay
5 years	1080	53.4%	you pay
6 years	1117	63.9%	you pay
7 years	1030	73.5%	you pay
8 years	788	80.9%	you pay
9 years	535	85.9%	you pay
10 years	435	89.9%	you pay
11 years	373	93.4%	you pay
12 years	299	96.2%	you pay
13 years	184	98%	you pay
14 years	130	99.2%	you pay
15 years	88	100%	you pay

ROWS 16·SOURCE NHTSA complaints with incident dates

Basic warranty on this car is 3 years / 36,000 miles. Only 27.2% of reported failures happen inside it — the remaining 72.8% come out of the owner's pocket. Powertrain cover (5 years / 60,000 miles) reaches further, but it only covers the engine and transmission, which account for about 37% of the complaints here.

What actually fails — and at what age

On the Honda Odyssey, the early trouble is Service Brakes — reported at around 3.5 years, so a car still under warranty is the one to check for it. What waits further out is Power Train at 6.3 years — past every basic warranty, and the bill lands on whoever owns the car then.

FIG.03·Honda Odyssey — what fails and when
System	Complaints	Typical age	Crash	Fire
Power Train	2665	6.3 yrs	39	20
Electrical System	1806	4.8 yrs	26	45
Engine	1458	5.6 yrs	20	39
Structure	1196	5.3 yrs	23	8
Service Brakes	1017	3.5 yrs	87	3
Unknown Or Other	990	4.7 yrs	16	18
Air Bags	763	7.7 yrs	156	3
Forward Collision Avoidance	748	5.2 yrs	18	—

ROWS 8·SOURCE NHTSA complaints

What else in this class

6 models share the Odyssey's vehicle class. Per production run, the Toyota Sienna draws 6.57, the Kia Carnival 2.83 and the Chrysler Pacifica 6.94, against 7.17 for the Odyssey. That is the most complaints of the group.

FIG.05·Honda Odyssey — rivals in the same class
Same class as the Odyssey	Complaints on record	Recall campaigns	Years built
Toyota Sienna	8,640	165	1995–2026
Kia Carnival	388	16	2022–2026
Chrysler Pacifica	7,112	98	2004–2026
Chrysler Town and Country	4,148	174	1990–2016
Kia Sedona	2,544	70	2001–2021
Dodge Grand Caravan	7,201	103	1988–2023

ROWS 6·SOURCE NHTSA complaints and recall campaigns

The table shows totals on record; the rates per production run are in the sentence above.

Upgrade to Pro

Good year or bad year — the VIN settles it.

Check any VIN against complaints for its exact build year and plant
Exact value for that car, adjusted for its mileage
Full research report as a PDF you can hand to a mechanic
Alerts if a recall lands on a car in your garage
No ads, on every page
No ads, no tracking — and much more

See plans → Start free →

Free plan available — no credit card needed

Everything on the Honda Odyssey

Recalls206 campaigns Fuel economy22 mpg best Common problems12,904 complaints Check a VINAgainst this exact build DimensionsSize, weight, generations Cargo space46 cu ft Used prices7,553 listings What yours is worthValue by year & mileage Insurance costEstimated per year Window stickerOriginal Monroney label Decode a VINWhat each character means About this car1995–2026

Frequently asked questions

Is the Honda Odyssey reliable?

By complaints per production run it is worse than typical: 7.17 against 3.73 for the average car, and more than each of the 3 class rivals we compared.

Which Odyssey years should you avoid?

By complaints per production run, 2018, 2019, 2001. The cleanest years old enough to judge are 2009, 2010, 2004. Years newer than 6 are left out: complaints keep arriving for years after a car is sold.

When do Odyssey problems usually start?

Half of all complaints arrive by 5 years of age. The most reported system is Power Train, typically at 6.3 years, followed by Electrical System.

Will the warranty cover Odyssey problems?

Mostly not: basic cover is 3 years / 36,000 miles, and only 27.2% of reported failures fall inside it. Powertrain cover lasts longer, but engine and transmission make up about 37% of the complaints here.

Is the Odyssey more reliable than the Toyota Sienna?

No: 7.17 complaints per production run for the Odyssey against 6.57 for the Toyota Sienna.

Complaint records from NHTSA, grouped by VIN production run (characters 1–11). Rates, age-at-failure and warranty coverage computed by ForCar. Model years newer than 6 years are excluded from rankings — complaints accumulate for a decade (how we measure). Last updated Nov 2026. — ForCar Reviewed by Denis Kataev, founder of ForCar.

Found this useful?

Mark ForCar as a preferred source and our data shows up first in your Google results. One click, no account.

Prefer ForCar →