Comprehensive guide to Honda Odyssey lemon law claims, common defects, NHTSA recalls, and your legal rights as an owner.
Model years covered: 2018-2024
The Honda Odyssey (2018-2024) is widely regarded as one of the most popular family minivans on the market, offering spacious seating, advanced safety features, and strong overall performance. However, despite its reputation for reliability, this generation of the Odyssey has been plagued by several persistent defects that have led to numerous lemon law claims and recalls.
Owners have frequently reported severe issues with the 9-speed and 10-speed automatic transmissions, electrical system malfunctions affecting the infotainment and rearview cameras, and engine problems such as the connecting rod bearing defect. If your Honda Odyssey has spent an unreasonable amount of time at the dealership for repairs or has a recurring defect that impairs its safety, use, or value, it may qualify as a lemon under state and federal laws.
Total recalls: 24
The 2018-2024 Honda Odyssey has been subject to numerous recalls, with the 2018 and 2019 models being the most heavily affected. Major recall campaigns include the connecting rod bearing wear issue (NHTSA 23V751) which can cause engine seizure, and multiple recalls for the rearview camera failing to display an image due to faulty MOST communication cables (NHTSA 23V431, 20V437, etc.).
Other significant recalls involve the low-pressure fuel pump failing and causing engine stalls (NHTSA 23V858), steering gear box water intrusion leading to corrosion and binding (NHTSA 24V114), and unexpected side airbag deployment. In total, there have been over 20 recalls affecting this generation of the Odyssey.
View all Honda recalls and NHTSA safety alerts
Honda has issued numerous Technical Service Bulletins (TSBs) for the 2018-2024 Odyssey to address common owner complaints that have not resulted in full recalls. Notable TSBs include addressing front damper squeaking or creaking noises over bumps, power sliding door upper roller noises, and fuel doors failing to open when pressed.
Additionally, TSBs have been released for the purge control solenoid valve sticking (setting DTC P0441) and various software updates for the transmission control unit to address harsh shifting and unexpected reboots.
The Honda Odyssey has been the subject of several class action lawsuits regarding its defects. A major class action lawsuit (Carole Bodney, et al. v. American Honda Motor Co., Inc.) alleges that 2018-2025 Odyssey minivans have a defective starting system that fails to adequately charge the battery, leaving drivers stranded.
Other litigation has focused on the infotainment system failures, the 9-speed transmission defects, and the Honda Sensing phantom braking issues. Many of these cases are either ongoing or have resulted in settlements that extended warranty coverage or provided software updates, though individual lemon law claims often yield better results for severely affected owners.
While the Odyssey is generally popular, the 2018-2024 generation has a higher-than-average number of complaints and recalls, particularly concerning the transmission, infotainment system, and engine connecting rod bearings. The 2021-2023 models tend to be more reliable if recall work has been completed.
This is a known defect that has led to multiple recalls. You should take your vehicle to an authorized Honda dealer for repair. If the dealer cannot permanently fix the issue after multiple attempts, your vehicle may qualify as a lemon.
Yes, many owners of 2018-2024 Odysseys have reported harsh shifting, hesitation, and shuddering. Honda has issued software updates to address some of these issues, but mechanical failures still occur.
It varies by state, but generally, if your vehicle has been in the shop 3-4 times for the same issue, or 2 times for a severe safety defect, or has been out of service for 30 days or more, it may qualify as a lemon.
Under state lemon laws and the federal Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act, if you win your case, the manufacturer (Honda) is required to pay your attorney's fees. Most lemon law attorneys work on a contingency basis, meaning no out-of-pocket cost to you.