2006 Honda Odyssey Problems

What owners report

Owners of the 2006 Odyssey most often describe hard-to-turn steering at low speeds or at idle, power sliding doors that open or fail to close on their own, and transmission shudder or slipping. Many complaints come from well-used vans in the 70,000-150,000 mile range, while a smaller group of low-mileage reports covers door problems and A/C condenser damage from road debris.

1. 1
   Steering

   Hard-to-turn steering / power steering loss at low speed

   • 112 complaints (16%)
   • median 50,500 mi at 4.2 yrs old (96 state mileage)
   • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • owner-quoted repair $700 (median of 15 quotes)
   • filed 2006–2022

   Complaints describe the steering wheel becoming stiff or very hard to turn when maneuvering at low speeds, parking, or while stationary, sometimes with a whine, squeal or rattling noise and occasionally a shimmy. Some owners report that the power steering pump, reservoir filter or a hose was replaced, and in some cases the difficulty returned afterward. In a few accounts the assist dropped out briefly while driving. Mostly reported between roughly 3,000 and 105,000 miles, often at idle or parking-lot speeds and sometimes in wet weather.

   1 related service bulletin

   What to check: Ask whether the power steering pump, reservoir filter or hose has been replaced, and check for whine or stiffness when turning the wheel at idle. A service bulletin describes reduced assist when turning quickly at low speeds.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Occasionally during heavy rain, we loose our power steering for a period of 20-45 seconds or more. At the same time the battery warning indicator lights up. It is almost impossible to control the vehicle when this occurs. Fortunately it has not happened in heavy traffic and have not had an accident as of yet. This is dangerous and could cause a very serious accident with serious injury or death. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10426972, filed 2011-09, 25,000 miles

   “Steering wheel locks up midway into steering when turning. This happened twice today. You have to steering it other way or loosens up after few seconds. I have had the recall service already performed regarding recent hard to steer at low speed. Now it completely locks up - major safety hazard!!!”

   NHTSA complaint #10460033, filed 2012-05, 90,000 miles
2. 2
   Transmission and drivetrain

   Transmission shudder, slipping or failure

   • 86 complaints (12%)
   • median 90,350 mi at 6.2 yrs old (78 state mileage)
   • 6 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • owner-quoted repair $3,231 (median of 12 quotes)
   • filed 2005–2024

   Complaints describe a shudder or vibration under light acceleration at low speeds, harsh downshifts, hesitant or delayed shifting, and in some cases the van losing drive and needing a transmission replacement. Several owners took the van to a dealer that could not reproduce the shudder on a short test drive. Mostly reported between about 30,000 and 190,000 miles, often during in-town driving or after the van is fully warmed up.

   1 related service bulletin

   What to check: Test drive at steady light throttle around 30-45 mph and feel for shudder or hesitation, and ask whether the transmission software update described in a service bulletin was applied.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I wan on vacation 500 miles away from home. Driving the 2006 Honda Odyssey as normal on the highway. All of a sudden the engine started over-revving and the van slowed down. I pulled over safely. The van would not move in drive although the engine was fine. It had to be towed 100 miles to a transmission shop where we discovered the transmission had to be replaced at great cost.”

   NHTSA complaint #10588208, filed 2014-05, 99,155 miles

   “While driving down the road and once the engine reaches operating temperature the vehicle fails to accelerate and shift gears. I mash the gas pedal and the RPM gauge goes up but the vehicle doesn't move. I let the engine and transmission cool down and sometimes it will operate properly again until everything warms up. It doesn't matter if im sitting at a light or in actual motion going down the road, the vehicle ceases to continue moving. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11384023, filed 2020-12, 187,000 miles
3. 3
   Body and structure

   Power sliding doors open or won't latch/close

   • 84 complaints (12%)
   • median 88,854 mi at 5.4 yrs old (70 state mileage)
   • 11 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2005–2024

   Owners describe the power sliding doors opening by themselves while driving, failing to close when the dash or key fob button is pressed, or not latching securely. Some reports mention the door ajar message and having to close the door manually; a few describe a door detaching. Dealers often could not reproduce the problem, and in some cases told owners it was a common failure for the model. Spread widely across the sample, from about 3,000 up to 180,000 miles, with no clear mileage pattern.

   5 related service bulletins

   What to check: Cycle both sliding doors several times with the dash switch, key fob and handles, and check that they latch firmly. Several service bulletins cover door troubleshooting and squeaks or rattles over bumps.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “The sliding doors, pop open when driving down the road , when done driving the vechile I have to unhook my battery because the doors draw power and will kill my battery, the automatic doors do not open you have to manually open them up”

   NHTSA complaint #11344176, filed 2020-08, 150,000 miles

   “The owns a 2006 Honda Odyssey. The contact stated that while attempting to close the passenger’s side sliding door, the door failed to lock securely. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was diagnosed by a friend with an unknown door failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 145,000.”

   NHTSA complaint #11460160, filed 2022-04, 145,000 miles
4. 4
   Brakes

   Brake pedal low or soft, weak stopping

   • 70 complaints (10%)
   • median 39,000 mi at 4.3 yrs old (55 state mileage)
   • 5 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2006–2024

   Owners describe a low or spongy brake pedal, longer stopping distances and shuddering under braking, and in some cases the pedal going to the floor. Dealers sometimes replaced rear brakes or rotors without improving the pedal feel; one report cites a rear caliper failure. Reported from very low mileage up to about 240,000 miles, with several accounts in the 25,000-50,000 mile range.

   Recall 10V5040001 related service bulletin

   What to check: Press the pedal firmly with the engine running to check for a low or spongy feel, and ask whether the master cylinder recall work was completed and what brake fluid was used.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Tried to stop at an intersection with a stop going 25 miles early on. The car would not stop on time and brake will terminate it distance before the actual car stopped. It has soft brakes from the beginning but now it is getting worse and the brake do not work properly. We were lucky because no other car were around as we stopped 10 feet in the intersection. Is there any recall for sponge brakes for Odyssey 2006?”

   NHTSA complaint #10300031, filed 2010-01, 30,100 miles

   “I purchased this vehicle, 2006 Honda Odyssey used and noticed that the brake pedal was low. I took it to a Honda dealer and had them do an inspection and complained that the brake pedal was low. (noted in my work order). They told me the rear brakes were the cause and needed replacing. I agreed to have them replaced and to check for anything else it may need.my vehicle passed the nys inspection. As soon as I entered the vehicle at the dealer I noticed the pedal had not improved. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10520001, filed 2013-06, 48,000 miles
5. 5
   Engine cooling

   A/C condenser punctured by road debris

   • 67 complaints (10%)
   • median 25,500 mi at 2.5 yrs old (53 state mileage)
   • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • owner-quoted repair $773 (median of 33 quotes)
   • filed 2006–2014

   Complaints describe the air conditioning blowing warm air or not cooling, traced to a hole in the condenser that dealers attributed to debris passing through the front bumper opening. Owners report the condenser must be replaced and that it stays exposed to the same risk afterward. Reported from about 12,000 to 42,000 miles in the sample.

   What to check: Run the A/C and confirm cold air, and look at the condenser through the lower grille for damage or an added protective screen.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Debris must have hit my air conditioner condenser and put a hole in it. Only 12,150 miles on it and just out of warranty by 2 months. Cost me $1334 to have it replaced.”

   NHTSA complaint #10288974, filed 2009-10, 12,000 miles

   “Air conditioner stopped working. Took it to a dealer and they said there was a hole in the condenser. Honda knew that there was a defect in some models that allows rocks to go through the grille and hit the condenser making a hole.”

   NHTSA complaint #10258857, filed 2009-02, 40,000 miles

Buying note. Check the steering assist at low speed, both sliding doors, and the transmission on a long enough test drive to warm it up, since these are the areas owners write about most. Ask for service records showing whether the brake master cylinder recall and any transmission software update were completed.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 60 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.