2009 Honda Odyssey Problems

What owners report

Owners of this model year most often report the power liftgate struts losing their hold, so the hatch closes or drops on its own — a symptom that appears in many complaints and is also covered by a recall for power liftgates. Engine-related reports follow, mostly electric sliding door and hatch problems, excessive oil use with spark plug fouling, and early brake vibration or grinding at low mileage.

1. 1
   Body and structure

   Liftgate struts won't hold the hatch open

   • 34 complaints (17%)
   • median 48,539 mi at 3.5 yrs old (32 state mileage)
   • 8 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2009–2020

   Owners describe the rear hatch or liftgate reaching the top and then dropping or slamming shut with little or no resistance; some say it will only stay up if someone holds it. Many mention it is worse in cold weather and that a dealer either replaced the gas struts or told them their vehicle was not covered by the liftgate recall. Several owners who had the recall work recorded still report a weak hatch. Reported from a few thousand miles up to about 160,000, with several complaints under 60,000 miles and many noting cold weather makes it worse.

   Recall 12V062000

   What to check: Open the hatch fully and watch whether it holds on its own, ideally on a cold morning, and ask for documentation that the liftgate strut recall was performed. Weak or leaking struts are usually replaced.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “The power back hatch on my 2009 Honda Odyssey ex l slams shut and will not hold. The power back hatch opens all the way up, tries to stay up but slams back down. While loading the vehicle with luggage the hatch slammed down on my back knocking me to the ground. The strut failed without warning.”

   NHTSA complaint #10430420, filed 2011-10, 50,000 miles

   “Power lift gate failed while trunk was opening; I pressed the trunk button on the inside of the car and the lift gate began to open as usual. My 10 year old child was putting baseball gear in trunk and the lift gate beeped twice as it was trying to fully open but could not. It then beeped continuously as it lowered. My son was able to get out of the way. Now the lift gate will not stay propped open and it is very difficult to open manually. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10712923, filed 2015-04, 91,523 miles
2. 2
   Body and structure

   Power sliding doors open or stick

   • 22 complaints (11%)
   • median 96,000 mi at 9.5 yrs old (15 state mileage)
   • filed 2009–2025

   Complaints describe power sliding doors that open on their own while driving, fail to close, jam, or stop working from the dash switch, remote, or handles. Some owners report grinding noises, latches and center rollers needing replacement, battery drain from a door-ajar condition, and in a few cases a door coming off its track and damaging the body. Spread from very low mileage up to well past 200,000 miles, with many reports between roughly 50,000 and 110,000 miles.

   4 related service bulletins

   What to check: Cycle both sliding doors several times with the dash switch, key fob, and inside/outside handles, and listen for grinding or repeated beeping. Ask whether the latches or center rollers have been replaced.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “The vehicle was stationary. The driver-side sliding door fell off when we opened it, falling to the ground, causing extensive body damage to the rear panel. We had the passenger side door repaired already but are having problems with it opening again. This should be a recall from Honda. I've read online that many Honda Odyssey owners are having this same experience”

   NHTSA complaint #11083949, filed 2018-04, 190,000 miles

   “Sliding door issues. First incident happened while driving on the freeway and my passenger sliding door opened. Took to dealership and got fixed at a cost. Continued to have problems with both my sliding doors not closing properly for a total of 6 times. I am now having the same problem again with my drivers side passenger door. The doors beeps while driving and does not close properly driving or standing still.”

   NHTSA complaint #11327018, filed 2020-06, 210,000 miles
3. 3
   Engine

   Excessive oil use and spark plug fouling

   • 18 complaints (9%)
   • median 90,000 mi at 8.5 yrs old (15 state mileage)
   • filed 2010–2020

   Owners report the engine using a lot of oil with no leak on the ground and no low-oil warning, along with rough running, blinking check engine and VSA lights, and misfire codes pointing to fouled spark plugs. Complaints describe repeated spark plug replacements, catalytic converter and oxygen sensor work, and variable cylinder management codes; some mention a dealer or manufacturer declining repair coverage after a warranty extension period ended. Mostly reported between about 65,000 and 170,000 miles, often on highway driving when the misfire becomes noticeable.

   11 related service bulletins

   What to check: Check the oil level and look for a fuel or burnt smell, ask for oil change records, and ask whether the piston ring / spark plug fouling warranty extension work was ever done. A scan for stored misfire codes is worthwhile.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “During driving in the city or on the highway I've been having an engine misfire with spark plug fouling causing problems resulting in a catalytic converter and o2 sensor replacement. My van is still in the shop and has to be towed to a dealer 46 miles away to see if they can get it to stop spewing oil into the combustion chamber.”

   NHTSA complaint #10926779, filed 2016-11, 146,950 miles

   “The vehicle is consuming a lot of oil. The last 2 times I took it to walmart I was informed there was no oil in my engine. No lights came on, the oil indicator stated I still had life left in the oil. There has been no oil on the ground. This is dangerous as the engine can seize and cause and accident.”

   NHTSA complaint #11299418, filed 2020-01, 167,000 miles
4. 4
   Electrical system

   Battery drain and electrical faults

   • 12 complaints (6%)
   • median 99,000 mi at 8.9 yrs old (9 state mileage, few)
   • 2 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2012–2023

   Owners report the battery going dead with no obvious cause, sometimes linked to a door-ajar condition or an air conditioning relay that stayed engaged, and occasionally a no-start condition. Others describe dash, clock, immobilizer, and interior electrical oddities that dealers could not reproduce. Reported across a wide mileage range, roughly 46,000 to 224,000 miles, often after several years of use.

   3 related service bulletins

   What to check: Ask about any history of repeat battery replacement or no-start episodes, check that all doors and the hatch report closed, and have a mechanic check for parasitic draw if the battery has been replaced more than once.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “The air conditioning (A/C) control relay on my 2009 Honda Odyssey failed less than 3 years after purchase, causing intermittent electrical problems that would prevent the car from starting. When the car's ignition switch is placed in the accessory I position, only the audio system and accessory power sockets should be engaged and able to operate. My A/C control relay failed in the closed position, causing the A/C compressor in my car to run continuously, even when the ignition switch was in the accessory I position. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10488006, filed 2012-12, 46,000 miles

   “Leak on driver side side airbag. Possibly trim piece that runs entire length of the car. Shorted out entire electrical fuse box I under the hood. Told it was cause of the windshield gasket. Replaced entire electrical issue and windshield to now have the same leak issue again!”

   NHTSA complaint #11184927, filed 2019-03, 150,000 miles
5. 5
   Brakes

   Early brake vibration and grinding

   • 18 complaints (9%)
   • median 20,600 mi at 1.8 yrs old (16 state mileage)
   • filed 2009–2017

   Complaints describe vibration through the wheel or pedal at highway speeds and a grinding noise when braking, sometimes at well under 30,000 miles. Owners say dealers turned or replaced rotors and that the vibration returned within a few thousand miles; some also describe a soft or long pedal that a dealer could not reproduce. Mostly reported under about 30,000 miles, with a few later reports.

   Recall 09V057000

   What to check: Test braking from highway speed and feel for pedal or steering-wheel vibration, check rotor condition and thickness, and confirm the front brake hose recall was completed.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “First time noticed soft brakes then pedal went down almost to the floor which ended up making girding noise. This now has occurred many times over especially going down hill of any grade low or high. I have complained to my local Honda dealer but no action but to say they have heard of others complaints but can't re-duplicate nor has fix for that. I went to the Honda forum and there were many complaints regards to these soft brakes and similar issues. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10455078, filed 2012-04, 19,500 miles

   “2009 Honda Odyssey lx. 2 times I was stopping and pushed the brake and accelerator at same time. Motor was racing and ABS was coming on - very frightening as I did not know what the problem was and motor is very powerful. Almost rolled into busy 55 MPH intersection first time and almost hit basketball post in driveway second time. Have never had this problem with a vehicle and have been driving for over 30 years. Plain sneakers were being worn - not winter boots. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10302930, filed 2010-01, 3,000 miles

Buying note. Inspect the liftgate and both sliding doors carefully, since door and hatch complaints dominate this model year, and be ready to verify oil consumption, brake condition, and battery history. Records showing completed recall work and any piston ring warranty extension repairs are worth asking for.

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.