2023 HONDA ODYSSEY Electrical System Problems
20 complaints about Electrical System
This Problem Across All Years
All Electrical System Complaints (20)
I reported issues regarding egress failure and children stuck within the back seat of the van, Electronic Dashboard failing while driving, and no start issues amongst others (11709419). Previously the certified dealer stated the issues just could not be reproduced, despite my videos, however, today they stated a Honda admin level director showed and told them the issues are being reported by others, they dont know how to fix it, and I need to come get my car, continue driving it.
My 2023 Honda Odyssey Elite has recurring, intermittent safety-related malfunctions across multiple systems. The most serious issues are: (1) door lock/unlock and rear door opening failures preventing emergency egress (children trapped), (2) intermittent “no-start/no-response” where push-button start does nothing (no click/no crank and sometimes no lights/electrical response), and (3) intermittent dashboard/instrument/electrical abnormalities while driving. I also previously experienced dangerous driver-assist behavior including unintended automatic braking and lane/steering behavior in construction zones. Door/egress: Rear doors sometimes will not open from inside or outside even when the vehicle audibly indicates it unlocked. I have video of my children unable to exit the back seat. This is an emergency egress hazard. No-start/no-response: Multiple events where the vehicle appears electrically dead and will not start, then after waiting ~10–30 minutes it starts without a jump. Stranding hazard. Recent examples: 12/31/2025 – doors would not open initially; after entry, no lights/electrical and start button produced zero response; after ~10–20 minutes it started. 01/05/2026 – while driving, dashboard/instrument display went off; buzzing noise believed HVAC related occurred. 01/05/2026 – after parking at Costco, vehicle again would not start (zero response); after ~30 minutes it started. 01/06/2026 – locking/unlocking malfunction again; rear doors would not open despite audible unlock (video). Repair history: Authorized Honda dealer (Bell Road Honda) previously stated “cannot reproduce,” replaced DVD/recall items and performed a “reset,” but did not diagnose root cause; problems returned worse. Honda Customer Service case opened. Injuries: Prior unintended automatic braking event (reported around 08/29/2023) caused injury (my legs hit dash; child had marks from car seat) and near rear-end collisions. Request: Investigate potential safety defects
Auto stop/start struggles to start at lights or stopped traffic, rough idles and has already killed 1 battery, replaced under warranty and I'm having to charge my new one already since my car struggles to cold start sometimes! Incredibly stressful having 5 kids and 1car I spent a fortune on so it would last forever and it's a lemon I'm holding my breath doesn't strand us any time I have to break.
Around Dec 2024, the central control screen started blacking out. At first, it would black out and then the screen will come back on randomly. We took the car to Tempe Honda service center, and the technician was able to reproduce the problem, and it's covered under warranty. However, they had to order, but they didn't anticipate that it would be in back order. A couple months later, we checked on the status and found out that it was on back order and there is only one manufacturer, so it could take a few more months. We kept on calling to check on the status, and the anticipated back-fill date kept on pushing out. Finally, the screen went completed black and wouldn't come back around Aug 2025. We called Tempe Honda, and the service manager suggested us to call American Honda Motor. We did, and a case was open with American Honda Motor around 10/17/2025. American Honda Motor has been providing weekly update to us, however the update has been the same, which is that they are waiting for ETA on the release date for the part. We wrote an email back on 11/20/2025 with our concerns around safety due to this defect. They called on 11/26/2025 and suggest us to file a complaint with NHTSA. Our concerns in the email include: 1) it's the central control for a lot of the functions including navigation (which we can't update because the screen is broken, and the warranty period to do so will soon be at an end); 2) It's being used when we back up our car. With the defect screen, the back-up camera is useless. This poses potential danger as we pull out of a busy parking lot, such as at school when we drop off and pick up kids. it's very difficult to back up without the screen especially when there are large vehicles parked next to us; 3) To have customers with an essential part of the car being defective for a year is unacceptable. This problem needs to be fixed ASAP. Thank you!
Our auto idle randomly will shut the entire van off. Leaving us stranded without being able to go for 15-30 seconds until we can get It restarted. There has been no warnings or codes thrown Early on it has been unable to reproduce for them when at the dealership It has been to dealership numerous times because it’s a scary safety issue with cars usually behind us honking, yelling, and holding up a finger. They did try update some software the most recent time which was unsuccessful. Now they want to put a new starter and relay and engine valve adjustment. Leaving me with the bill for something that happened in warranty since they can’t replicate it within a few minutes
failed windshield monocular cameras, Collision Mitigation LKA Adaptive cruise Lane Departure Mitigation Auto High Beam
The vehicle engine failed to restart after being idle for a few minutes in heavy traffic on Southern State Parkway. The vehicle’s Auto idle stop function was being utilized during this time.
I was driving about 15 mph in my neighborhood when my passenger side mirror exploded and flew onto my passenger side door/window. It hit so hard that it left a scratch on the window and on the paint.
Engine shut off in traffic after Auto Idle-Stop failed to restart. While stopped at a red light with Auto Idle-Stop active, the engine shut down normally. When I released the brake to proceed, all electrical power dropped—cluster went dark, accessories reset, and the engine did not crank. Vehicle coasted dead across the intersection and required a full key-cycle to restart, exposing my family and surrounding traffic to a collision risk. Component that malfunctioned Dealer diagnostic later the same day showed the 12-V battery-current sensor reporting an internal resistance spike from 3 mΩ (normal) to 25 mΩ (fault), which commands the powertrain ECU to inhibit Idle-Stop restart (“Idle-Stop Inhibit – Large battery internal R” flag). An AGM load test confirmed the battery itself is healthy (958 CCA). Reproducibility / confirmation The stall occurred twice on public roads. At the dealer, the fault could be reproduced in the data list: resistance value jumps whenever the negative-terminal sensor is jostled. Inspection status Vehicle was inspected by the franchised Honda dealer; screenshots of the diagnostic session and the Midtronics load-test slip are available on request. Manufacturer has NOT yet repaired the sensor; dealer demanded an unnecessary battery purchase first. Warning indicators No MIL or warning lamps illuminated before the stall. After the first stall, a brief “Auto Idle-Stop System Problem” message flashed but cleared on restart. Risk Loss of propulsion and power steering in the middle of an active intersection without warning. If this sensor defect is common, any similar 2022-24 Honda minivan/SUV with Auto Idle-Stop could stall in traffic. Component is still installed and available for inspection. Filed report with FTC (report #188697846).
The contact owns a 2023 Honda Odyssey. The contact stated that the idle stop system/auto start-stop system became inoperable. The contact stated that when the battery was fully charged, the idle start worked for several days then became inoperable. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V858000 (Fuel System, Gasoline); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the battery needed to be replaced. The dealer advised the contact to drive the vehicle for several weeks. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure recurred. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was unknown. Parts distribution disconnect.
Profuse amount of water intrusion and pooling of water in the rear of the vehicle near the tailgate of vehicle during rainstorm. Water not from above, ceiling not wet. Concerns about water causing rust, and electrical damage.
The infotainment screen goes in and out. The screen makes crackling sounds and just goes blank. Causing problems with gps, sound, back up camera, emergency help feature etc. nothing functions. Extremely dangerous. When you rely on your GPS and the entire system malfunctions it is so dangerous. Honda had recalls on previous models for the same feature. They need to extend the year to 2023 models as well for faulty wiring. They are trying to charge thousands to replace a system that they have admitted has these issues at no fault of the consumer.
Radar structed ,blind spot off,brake system light on
The car appears to power up on its own even after it has been shut off. I have noticed that the car was on even after I turned it off, so I have been even more diligent about making sure it was turned off. One day I turned off the car. About an hour later, I heard the speakers in my car blaring. When I was finally able to reach the car the sound was off and the car was black. I didn't even get a chance to open the door and turn it off. It just shut down on its own. Yesterday, when I went to start my car, there was a message that the battery was low. As if the car had been on for a while. But when I got in the car it wasn't on. This appears to be a known problem from other Odyssey owners. Specifically I am seeing issue with 2018 models. However mine is a 2023 model.
I was driving on the freeway at approx 65mph with no cars around me when the orange light that said brake came on and the car slowed down on its own. Could not override problem for a few seconds.
Twice while at a stop light, when the car was in Auto Idle Stop, it suddenly shut down completely. There was no power on the dashboard. I couldn't even turn on the hazard lights. The first time, this lasted several minutes, the second time, a few seconds. After this time, the electronics spontaneously came back up and I was able to restart the engine.
HONDA CORPORATION IS NOT COMPENSATING DEALERS FAIRLY FOR THIS SIGNIFICANT RECALL ON HONDA ODYSSEYS. THIS RECALL INVOLVES DISASSEMBLING MUCH OF THE INTERIOR TO REPLACE THESE DEFECTIVE COMMUNICATION CABLES. TO DO IT CORRECTLY AND REASSEMBLE THE VEHICLE CORRECTLY THE WORK COULD TAKE 8 HOURS OR MORE. BECAUSE HONDA OF AMERICA IS COMPENSATING DEALERS FOR MUCH LESS THAN THE CORRECT WORK TIME, TO DO THE WORK, HONDA OWNERS ARE HAVING ISSUES WITH THEIR REPAIRS. HONDA'S UNFAIR COMPENSATION TO DEALERS IS CAUSING OTHER MECHANICAL ISSUES ON HONDA ODYSSEY VEHICLES. On another note Honda Odyssey vans have some defective blind spot sensors. When we merge onto the Interstate (if we do forget to use our turn signal..... it does happen at times) the van goes (on its own) into emergency braking mode (when you are accelerating to highway speeds), causing us to almost CAUSE several Interstate accidents..... because of this SAFETY feature. These vans are very unsafe.
While accelerating, well after a car far infront of me turned, the forward collision warning went off and automatically applied full breaks while I was accelerating slamming my legs into the dash. My kid has marks from his car seat. This is 3rd and most sever instance of this almost causing a severe crash behind me. While I hate the automatic idle stop function and want it gone, it hasn’t worked in 4 week and randomly started doing it today and now stopped again. The AC in the seets also stopped working when temps hit 110 in Phoenix.
On the display next to the speedometer, reading the vehicle lists, the speed limit for the road you were currently driving on. The speed limit listed by the car is often wrong. When it states the speed limit is 100 mph it is obvious to the driver that it is incorrect. However, when it states the speed limit is 65 mph, but the speed limit is actually 45 mph. This causes an issue because it’s very possible that the speed limit could be 65 miles an hour. I have called Honda about the issue at the corporate level and they have stated they are not aware of any problems and I have called our local dealership who claims they are very aware of these problems and that Honda does not have any way to fix this. I am concerned for my self, as well as my children, who are not very experienced drivers and are likely to trust the speed limit stated on the display of our brand new Odyssey van. This is very dangerous especially when the error that the display makes is almost always listing a much faster speed limit than the actual speed limit is. This has been happening since we purchased the car six weeks ago. I have attached several examples of where the speed limit. The car lists is obviously wrong. If I post any where it states a plausible speed limit, it would be hard to make the same point but those are the ones I’m most concerned about.
Yesterday we were in our minvan (I had not entered yet and was standing outside the fornt passenger door but wife, children, and dog were inside. My daughter mashed the button to close the power sliding door on the right side of the van but did not notice that the dogs tail was wagging near the door entrance. All of a sudden I heard loud screaming and I opened the door on the right side. She was bleeding and in tears and said that the power door had closed on our dog's tail. I am a physician so I provided first aid. My concern is that when we bought the van we aksed about the power doors because we were concerned about them possibly closing on someone or something since they can be closed by multiple passengers. The salesmen assured us that the doors would not close on anything or anyone and would reverse if they met any resistance. Well the door completely closed all the way in this case despite the dogs tail sticking out of it.