2025 Honda Odyssey Problems

What owners report

For this model year, the complaints are dominated by one theme: the engine's idle-stop (auto start/stop) feature shutting the engine off at stops and then failing to restart it automatically, leaving drivers to power-cycle the van in traffic. Many of these reports appear in the first 10,000-20,000 miles, and a recurring pattern in the complaints is a dealer replacing the battery or starter first. The remainder of the sample covers scattered electrical and accessory faults, sliding and tailgate door problems, water leaks into the cargo area, and drivetrain noises.

1. 1
   Engine

   Idle stop shuts engine off and it won't restart

   • 283 complaints (65%)
   • median 14,274 mi at 1.4 yrs old (16 state mileage)
   • 3 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2025–2026

   Owners describe stopping at a light or stop sign, feeling the auto idle stop shut the engine down as designed, and then, on releasing the brake or pressing the accelerator, the van not restarting. In many accounts the van shifts itself into park or accessory mode and displays a message to press the brake and the start button; drivers have to shut the vehicle fully off and restart it. Several complaints note the check engine or battery light coming on, and that dealers replaced the battery or starter, sometimes repeatedly, with the fault returning afterward. Reported across the sample from a few hundred to roughly 30,000 miles, most often in stop-and-go city driving at lights and intersections.

   3 related service bulletins

   What to check: Ask whether the vehicle has been serviced for a no-restart condition after auto idle stop, and whether the battery or starter has already been replaced under warranty. On a test drive, try the feature at a stop with the engine warm and confirm it restarts cleanly; note that the feature can be switched off, which some owners do as a workaround.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I have encountered several instances where the vehicle goes idle at a spot light as expected. However the vehicle fails to restart when letting off the brake. Instead, the vehicle shifts into park. Once the vehicle shifts into park, I am unable to shift into drive. I must restart the vehicle and try en shift into drive. This is extremely dangerous and has happened multiple times. This vehicle is one year old and has 9k miles.”

   NHTSA complaint #11737154, filed 2026-05

   “Issue with the idle auto star stop. I was driving on the freeway traffic stoped and I press fully down on the brakes and the turned of in stop and go traffic. Took about 5 minutes press and depress the brake pedal for the system to active again.”

   NHTSA complaint #11733556, filed 2026-04
2. 2
   Engine

   Stalls or loses power while driving

   Mentioned in 7 of 60 sampled complaints

   Several complaints describe the engine cutting out or the van losing power away from a stop, including at low speed in traffic and at highway speed, sometimes without any warning light. Owners report restarting after several attempts, occasionally with a stiff brake pedal, an abnormal beep, or a message asking them to press the brake and start button. These accounts are fewer than the idle-stop restart reports but describe similar recovery steps. Spread from roughly 5,000 to 19,000 miles in the sample, at both city and highway speeds.

   What to check: Ask for any stored diagnostic codes and whether the van has ever stalled while moving; a scan tool check for pending codes is reasonable before purchase.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “The vehicle's auto idle stop system is malfunctioning, resulting in the engine failing to restart from a complete stop. This total failure has occurred on five separate occasions, including while stopped in active traffic intersections. Prior to these total restart failures, the vehicle showed the following symptoms: 1) Initially, the vehicle experienced rough engine idling, abnormal vibrations, and a raw gasoline odor after driving. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11734484, filed 2026-04

   “The auto idle stop is causing the van to not start up after stopping at red light or stop sign and it causes the van to completely go dead in middle of the road. You have to turn the van completely off, while people behind you are honking their horns at you, and then crank the van back up in order to get it to go again. All dash lights are on but the engine dies and will not start without having to shut the van off. This is very dangerous and frustrating for any vehicle to do this, but especially a 2025!!!! …”

   NHTSA complaint #11770713, filed 2026-10
3. 3
   Transmission and drivetrain

   Transmission jumps into park unexpectedly

   • 62 complaints (14%)
   • median 16,500 mi at 1.2 yrs old (4 state mileage, few)
   • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2025–2026

   Owners describe the gear selector moving into park on its own, either while stopped at a light or, in one account, while the vehicle was rolling slowly on a driveway. After the shift, the van has to be turned off and restarted before it will go back into drive, and drivers report the van being stuck in place until then. Some complaints tie the event to the idle stop system or brake hold being active at the time. Reported in the sample from very low mileage (about 100 miles) up to roughly 30,000 miles, typically at stops or during low-speed maneuvering.

   What to check: During a test drive, check that the shifter engages each gear firmly and that auto brake hold and idle stop behave normally at a stop; ask the dealer whether any shifter or park-lock work has been done.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I came to a stop at a stop sign. Then auto off shut off the engine. Next, the vehicle went into park. A message came on screen telling me to press the brake and the start button. Doing so had no effect. Cars behind me started honking. After repeatedly stabbing the start button and opening and closing my driver's door, the vehicle eventually rebooted, and the engine started as normal. This caused a dangerous situation where other cars went into opposing traffic to get around me.”

   NHTSA complaint #11697301, filed 2025-11

   “On June 14th 2025, I reversed up my driveway, uphill, shifted to neutral to allow the vehicle to roll downhill a bit so I could straighten it out. While rolling forward, the transmission was jammed into park with no warning or interaction from me, causing my head to sling forwards in a whiplash fashion from the abrupt change in inertia. This was both harmful to me, to the transmission, and is a major defect. Engaging a transmission into park while moving is reckless, harmful and extremely dangerous. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11666930, filed 2025-06
4. 4
   Electrical system

   Sliding doors and tailgate won't close or behave

   Mentioned in 6 of 60 sampled complaints

   Complaints describe the power sliding doors failing to close when the button is pressed, needing to be shut by hand, and a power tailgate opening to reveal water in the cargo floor. One owner reports a door closing on its own while someone was leaning into the vehicle. Dealers were often unable to duplicate the door faults according to the complaints. Reported from about 2,500 to 50,000 miles, with no clear pattern by climate or season in the sample.

   What to check: Cycle both sliding doors and the tailgate several times during inspection, including from the buttons inside and out, and lift the cargo-area carpet to check for dampness or odor.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I have a 2025 honda odyssey, I bought mine with 2 miles on it, it was rhe first vehicle ive owned that was new so we had something safe and reliable and this has been far from it. So far we have had 1.The USB port not working in the center console 2.Battery was draining and it was struggling to start, died at lights and barely turned back on 3. Door sensor on passenger side kept saying it was open when it wasnt 4. Air barely working 5. Wind sound whipping through the driver side 6. Raining in to the vehicle on the passenger side 7. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11736711, filed 2026-05

   “Since purchasing this vehicle brand new off the truck, we have had it back at the dealership multiple times ,we've taken it for the plug in console not working for firesticks, a sensor not working on the passenger side door and claiming it to be open, the sliding door not working correctly, the doors locking and refusing to unlock, battery draining, ac not working, stalling, dying at lights, slamming on its own brakes with nothing around, transmission acting weird, it putting itself in to sport mode, transmission sticking, doors not unlocking …”

   NHTSA complaint #11712818, filed 2026-01
5. 5
   Other or unknown

   Water leaks and musty smell inside cabin

   • 24 complaints (5%)
   • median 9,549 mi at 1.0 yrs old (2 state mileage, few)
   • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2025–2026

   A few owners report finding standing water in the rear cargo area after rain and a musty smell, with carpet staining or mold noted in one account. Others mention rain entering on the passenger side and wind noise at the driver's side. The complaints describe limited dealer follow-up, with the leaks either not diagnosed or not repaired. Reported in the sample at low mileage, under about 10,000 miles in the accounts that state mileage.

   What to check: Inspect the cargo floor, rear quarter panels and passenger footwell for water stains or damp carpet after wet weather, and check for musty odors with the windows closed.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “1.The USB port not working in the center console 2.Battery was draining and it was struggling to start, died at lights and barely turned back on 3. Door sensor on passenger side kept saying it was open when it wasnt 4. Air barely working 5. Wind sound whipping through the driver side 6. Raining in to the vehicle on the passenger side 7. Screen barely works, sometimes it takes forever to turn on sometimes it just wont switch or load or it just stays on a black screen 8. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11736712, filed 2026-05

   “The contact owns a 2025 Honda Odyssey. The contact stated that upon opening the electronic tailgate, the contact noticed 2 inches of water at the bottom of the interior of the trunk. No warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that a musty odor was emitting from the vehicle. No cause for the failure was found. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The contact stated that the carpet in the back interior has mold. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11654123, filed 2025-04, 2,500 miles

Buying note. This model year is recent enough that most complaints center on the idle-stop restart behavior, so it is worth confirming the feature operates correctly on a test drive and asking for the vehicle's service history on battery, starter and idle-stop work. Beyond that, check the power doors and the cargo area for water, since those reports are less common but easy to spot during an inspection.

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.