2020 Honda Odyssey Problems

What owners report

Owners of the 2020 Odyssey most often describe infotainment and camera problems — screens going blank, crackling or popping from the speakers, "network connection lost" messages, and a rearview camera that fails to display — many of them within the first few thousand miles. A second cluster involves the idle-stop feature failing to restart the engine after a stop, and some owners report unintended activation of the forward-collision warning or braking system. A smaller but more serious group describes engine knocking or stalling that dealers traced to internal engine damage.

1. 1
   Electrical system

   Infotainment screen reboots, crackling, lost backup camera

   • 66 complaints (13%)
   • median 1,500 mi at 0.9 yrs old (15 state mileage)
   • owner-quoted repair $2,025 (median of 5 quotes)
   • filed 2019–2026

   Owners describe loud crackling or popping from the speakers, followed by a "network connection lost" or "no audio connection" message, after which the screen goes black and the system reboots — sometimes repeatedly while driving. When the screen is down, owners say the rearview camera, navigation, climate controls and audio are unavailable, and some report the radio staying on after the vehicle is shut off. Complaints describe repeated dealer visits, software or unit replacements, and in some cases the symptom returning. Mostly reported in the first few thousand miles, including on vehicles shortly after purchase.

   Recall 20V440000Recall 20V439000Recall 23V4310003 related service bulletins

   What to check: With the engine running, check that the screen, audio and rearview camera work and that no "network connection lost" message appears; ask whether any camera or display recalls and the audio software bulletin were completed.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “My vehicle's infotainment system continually turns off. The screen goes blank for long periods of time, the system will restart multiple times while driving, and it will not function properly. I have brought it in to the dealer to be fixed multiple times and nothing helps. I feel the vehicle is not safe to drive when the infotainment console controls so much of the vehicle. The buttons on the steering wheel also are disabled when I drive and have issues.”

   NHTSA complaint #11343556, filed 2020-08, 3,000 miles

   “We just bought our van 20 days ago, the infotainment system is failing. It intermittently shuts down when parked and while driving. The radio crackles, our model has a dvd player that sometimes doesn't work, back up camera sometimes doesn't work, bluetooth shuts off during a call. Screen shows connection lost and reboots while driving. We waited to take ownership of our van due to a recall that they was related to the infotainment system, I guess they didn't fix the problem.”

   NHTSA complaint #11352496, filed 2020-09, 700 miles
2. 2
   Back-over prevention (rear camera)

   Rearview camera blank or foggy; camera not working in

   Mentioned in 10 of 60 sampled complaints

   Complaints describe the rearview camera showing no image, a blank or distorted picture, or a foggy view when reversing, at times in rain. Some owners received recall notices but were told parts were not yet available, and a few describe hitting an object while the display was blank. Others report a failed front or multipurpose camera causing multiple warning lights and several driver-assist features to be disabled. Reported from roughly 14,000 to 34,000 miles, with some failures noted after starting the vehicle.

   Recall 20V438000Recall 23V431000Recall 26V423000

   What to check: Shift into reverse and confirm the camera image is clear and steady; check that open camera recalls (20V438000, 23V431000, 26V423000) were completed and ask for documentation.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “The contact owns a 2020 Honda Odyssey. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V431000 (Back Over Prevention). The contact stated that on several occasions while driving at various speeds, there was a static sound from from the radio. The vehicle was not diagnosed. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 20,000.”

   NHTSA complaint #11541250, filed 2023-08, 20,000 miles

   “The contact owns a 2020 Honda Odyssey. The contact stated while reversing from a parking spot, the back over prevention camera was blank. The contact stated that the vehicle struck a delivery truck. There were no warning lights illuminated. There was no Police report filed. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V431000 (Back Over Prevention) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was not contacted. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11537868, filed 2023-08, 14,000 miles
3. 3
   Engine

   Engine will not restart after idle-stop; stalling

   • 145 complaints (30%)
   • median 28,800 mi at 3.3 yrs old (19 state mileage)
   • 2 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • owner-quoted repair $1,760 (median of 10 quotes)
   • filed 2019–2026

   Owners describe the engine shutting off at a stoplight with the idle-stop feature engaged and then not restarting when the brake is released; in most accounts the vehicle restarts after being shifted into park and the start button pressed. Some also report the vehicle stalling while driving or losing power and needing to be restarted, and dealers were sometimes unable to duplicate the symptom. Spread across the range, with many reports between about 30,000 and 90,000 miles.

   Recall 23V8580003 related service bulletins

   What to check: During a test drive, stop with the idle-stop engaged and confirm the engine restarts cleanly; ask whether the idle-stop restart bulletin was applied and whether the fuel pump recall was completed.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “The contact owns a 2020 Honda Odyssey. The contact stated that while coming to a stop, the vehicle independently shifted into Park (P). The contact stated that the check engine warning light initially illuminated before the vehicle automatically shifted into Park (P); however, the failure escalated, with the vehicle shifting into Park (P) and shutting off the engine entirely without warning light illumination. The vehicle was able to be restarted following the failure. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11771109, filed 2026-10, 55,000 miles

   “The contact owns a 2020 Honda Odyssey. The contact stated that on two occasions while driving with the idle stop feature engaged, while the vehicle was idling and stopped, the engine failed to restart as intended when the brake pedal was released. The vehicle was restarted and operated normally. The vehicle was then taken to a dealer however, the failure was not able to be duplicated. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 88,000.”

   NHTSA complaint #11684482, filed 2025-09, 88,000 miles
4. 4
   Engine

   Engine knocking, stalling, and engine replacement

   • 30 complaints (6%)
   • median 54,500 mi at 5.7 yrs old (8 state mileage, few)
   • 2 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2022–2026

   Complaints describe a knocking or ticking sound from the engine, sometimes with a low oil warning, burning smell or loss of power, and in some cases stalling while driving. According to the complaints, dealers found connecting rod bearing failure or metal in the oil and told owners the engine needed replacement. Reported from about 3,000 miles up to roughly 130,000 miles, with many around 50,000 to 85,000.

   What to check: Listen for knocking or ticking at start-up and under light acceleration, check the oil level and condition, and ask whether any engine noise or oil-consumption concerns were inspected.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “The contact owns a 2020 Honda Odyssey. The contact stated that while reversing at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a dealer where it was diagnosed and it was determined that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 59,000.”

   NHTSA complaint #11745963, filed 2026-06, 59,000 miles

   “The contact owns a 2020 Honda Odyssey. The contact stated that there was an abnormal knocking sound coming from the engine. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer where it was diagnosed. The contact was informed that the knocking sound coming from the engine became louder to take the vehicle back for inspection. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 3,000.”

   NHTSA complaint #11624995, filed 2024-11, 3,000 miles
5. 5
   Forward collision avoidance

   Unexpected forward-collision braking and warning lights

   Mentioned in 4 of 60 sampled complaints

   Owners report the vehicle braking on its own at various speeds while the brake warning symbol flashes, sometimes with the steering wheel shaking, or the collision mitigation warning appearing with a request to shift to park. Some describe the vehicle failing to accelerate afterward until it is shut off and restarted, and dealers often could not reproduce the condition. Mostly reported between roughly 30,000 and 55,000 miles.

   What to check: Check for stored driver-assist or camera-related codes and confirm the front camera and radar are functioning; ask whether any warning lights or unintended braking have been reported.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Major safety concern (brake fail during driving) with new 2020 Honda Odyssey with 2618 miles driven. Brake made loud squeak noise right after purchase and took it to local Honda dealership where car was purchased 4 times. Honda dealership resurfaced rotor 2 different times. About 12-14 days ago, Honda Odyssey brake failed when going down at slight grade. When brake paddle was applied, entire van, including steering wheel shake and van failed to stop. My driving habit of leaving large gap between vehicle saved my life. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11378406, filed 2020-12, 2,618 miles

   “The contact owns a 2020 Honda Odyssey. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle would intermittently brake independently as the brake warning symbol would flash on the instrument panel. The contact also stated that the steering wheel would shake during the failure. The contact took the vehicle to a dealer where it remained in their possession. The dealer stated that the mechanic was unable to duplicate the failure. The manufacturer had yet to be notified of the failure. The vehicle had yet to be repaired. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11458001, filed 2022-03, 32,000 miles

Buying note. A 2020 Odyssey is worth a careful electronics check: verify the infotainment screen, rearview camera and driver-assist warnings all behave normally, and confirm which of the open recalls have actually been completed. Also listen for engine noise and ask for service records, since a few owners reported engine replacement.

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.