2026 Honda Odyssey Problems

What owners report

Owners of this model year most often report the auto idle stop feature shutting the engine off at a stop light and then not restarting when the brake is released, often needing a manual restart in traffic. Other frequent reports describe automatic braking that applies without an obstacle, and sunroof or rear glass that shatters without impact. Because the model year is early in its life, most complaints do not state mileage, and the few that do describe events at low mileage.

1. 1
   Engine

   Engine fails to restart after auto idle stop

   • 31 complaints (51%)
   • typically at 1.0 yrs old
   • filed 2026

   Owners describe the engine shutting off at a stop light or stop sign under the auto idle stop feature and then failing to restart when the brake is released. Many reports say the vehicle shifted into Park or showed a message asking the driver to hold the brake, and the owner had to shift to Park and restart the engine with the start/stop button. Some complaints describe being stalled in live traffic or an intersection for several minutes, and some owners say they turn the feature off every time they drive. According to complaints, the dealer could not duplicate the concern on some visits, and an owner reported that pressing the off button did not prevent the shutdown. Most of these complaints do not state mileage, and the few that do describe failures from about 6,000 to 21,000 miles.

   What to check: During a test drive, watch whether the engine restarts reliably after the auto idle stop engages at a stop, and ask the dealer whether any idle stop or starter updates are pending.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Three times in the past week my van has shut off while I was preparing to move forward at a stop light. My car begins to idle as soon as it’s stopped, but when I lift my foot off the brake, instead of turning back on, my van engine shuts all the way off or jerks hard before acceleration. Resulting in me having to hurry and put my car in park & restart the engine. It’s very dangerous!”

   NHTSA complaint #11759648, filed 2026-08

   “While stopped at a red light- the idle stop engaged, but when released brake to go again, the engine failed to engage and I was not able to go- it then showed up on the instrument cluster to in order to drive- I needed to restart my vehicle. This has happened now 7 times in 9 months. 3 being in the last week.”

   NHTSA complaint #11759963, filed 2026-08
2. 2
   Forward collision avoidance

   Automatic braking applies without an obstacle

   • 21 complaints (34%)
   • median 6,338 mi at 1.0 yrs old (1 states mileage, few)
   • 2 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2025–2026

   Owners describe the vehicle applying the brakes on its own, sometimes with a beep or warning, when no obstacle was present in front of them. Reports describe a sudden hard stop or a brief braking tap on highways and roads, and some owners say there was no warning before the brakes engaged. Some complaints describe adaptive cruise control cutting speed or braking when the road surface changed, such as crossing a bridge or entering a toll plaza. A complaint says the dealer could not duplicate the concern on early visits and that the problem remained unresolved. Events are described at speeds from about 35 mph to highway speeds, and none of these complaints states mileage.

   What to check: Ask the dealer to check for stored forward collision and adaptive cruise codes and whether any software update is pending for those systems.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “While changing lanes to an off-ramp the Collision Mitigation Braking system suddenly activated along with a collision warning beep even though there were no automobiles nearby to trigger the warning. No cars in front of me and no cars to the right of me in the exit lane. My car immediately braked and tried to steer back into the main roadway, away from the exit lane. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11715844, filed 2026-02

   “I was driving down a 35mph road, the car in front of me slowed down, I was about 2 car lengths behind it. No notice, no warning, my Odyssey SLAMMED on the brakes and brought me to an abrupt stop with no notice and no need. Everything in the van flew forward and in the floor. Luckily there was no one directly behind me. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11742115, filed 2026-06
3. 3
   Other or unknown

   Sunroof or rear glass shatters without impact

   • 7 complaints (11%)
   • typically at 0.8 yrs old
   • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2026

   Owners describe a sunroof or moonroof that burst or shattered, sometimes while driving, with glass falling into the cabin. A complaint describes a rear windshield with fracture lines that appeared without impact or vandalism, and another describes a fixed rear side window that shattered during a sliding-door malfunction. According to complaints, repairs had not been made at the time of the report, and some owners filed police reports or insurance claims. None of these complaints states mileage, and the breakage is described both while driving and while the vehicle was parked.

   What to check: Check the sunroof glass and rear windows for cracks or fracture lines, and ask the dealer whether any sunroof or glass repair has been documented for the VIN.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Moonroof exploded while driving 55 mph. I took pictures. It was completely distracting while driving and a very scary incident. Searching online provided a class action lawsuit against Honda for this issue. We have not been able to get it looked at due to it being the weekend and the service department is not open. No police were called. Insurance claim started. No warning before it happened.”

   NHTSA complaint #11740995, filed 2026-05

   “My husband and I are driving down the road to go to the store and the sunroof exploaded there was no car in front or behind us for something to of had hit it. It just burst into pieces”

   NHTSA complaint #11728552, filed 2026-04
4. 4
   Electrical system

   Starter failure or slow starting

   Mentioned in 4 of 50 sampled complaints

   Owners report that the starter failed or the engine started slowly after stopping at a light, and in some cases the dealer diagnosed a starter failure and replaced the part. A complaint says the starter failed early, that a technician acknowledged the problem is common, and that the owner is concerned about costs once the vehicle is out of warranty. Where mileage is stated, starter failures are described at about 7,000 to 21,000 miles.

   What to check: Ask whether the starter has been tested or replaced, and confirm what warranty coverage applies to the starter for this model year.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Starter went bad at 15,000 miles… I’m part of some online forums and it’s a common problem. Honda tech even admitted that it common. Honda knows about the problem, but I don’t see any recall for the common problem. What happens when it goes out and the car is out of warranty? I’ll be eating the cost. It’s something worth looking into…”

   NHTSA complaint #11768873, filed 2026-10

   “At a stop light the van turned off and would not turn back on...finally was able to get it to auto zone who said it was a bad battery, we then took it to honda with it only having 7k miles on it. They determined it was the starter from the auto/start/stop feature. What if this was the highway? A 2026 vehicle this should not happen to.”

   NHTSA complaint #11764398, filed 2026-09

Buying note. A buyer considering this model year may want to observe the auto idle stop restart during a test drive, ask whether any starter, idle stop, or automatic braking updates are pending, and check the sunroof and rear glass for cracks.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 50 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.