2020 Honda Odyssey Electrical System Problems

The power liftgate will not operate and the tailgate will not latch closed. The van was parked outside during a heavy rain, and when the vehicle was started afterward, a warning was displayed on the dash. The van has not been checked by the manufacturer. An inspection is available on request.

The same power tail gate issue as experienced by many others on models 2018-2022. Water intrusion causing the power module fail for auto operation of powerlift tail gate.

Car leaks. Cargo Bay fills with water. Possible mold issues. I am told this leaking causes damage to the control module for the tailgate. Our tailgate will close on us and has almost closed on our children. We have to be very careful when the children are around the tailgate because it will begin to close without warning.

The radar is broken leaving all ADAS unusable in addition to no option to use cruise control.

The vehicle unexpectedly shifts into Park while driving. Each time this occurs, I have to turn off the car, use the “Push to Start” feature to restart it, and then shift back into Drive. This issue has happened multiple times, creating a safety concern while on the road.

The power tailgate system on my Honda Odyssey failed. The dashboard displays a “Power Tailgate Problem” warning message and the tailgate will not open automatically using the key fob, interior button, or rear handle. When attempting to open it electronically, the vehicle beeps but the tailgate does not move. The tailgate can only be opened manually. The vehicle and tailgate system are available for inspection upon request. The failure creates a safety risk because the tailgate cannot be opened electronically in situations where quick access to the rear cargo area may be needed. Additionally, if the power tailgate system fails unexpectedly, it could malfunction while opening or closing, potentially striking someone or failing during loading/unloading. The inability to rely on the automatic tailgate also creates hazards when carrying items or supervising children around the rear of the vehicle. The problem occurs consistently every time the power tailgate button is pressed. The system beeps but does not open. The issue has not yet been formally inspected by a dealer but can be easily reproduced. The vehicle has not yet been inspected by the manufacturer, police, or insurance representatives for this issue. A “Power Tailgate Problem” warning message appeared on the dashboard when attempting to use the power tailgate. At the same time, the vehicle emits a beep but the tailgate does not move. The issue began recently and has occurred every time the power tailgate has been used since the warning first

I stopped at a red light and then my car just stopped. It seemed the car wasn’t able to start up the engine from the idle mode. I had to restart the car at the intersection with a truck behind me and with 3 kids under the age of [XXX] on the car with me. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Tailgate control module damaged by water leaking from faulty rear body seam seals on left top of vehicle Doors would lock and unlock on their own while driving and tailgate signaled it was open but never unlatched Manual tailgate opening/closing did not work at all Constantly beeped when unlocked and alarm went off randomly All electrical activity drained battery and made vehicle undriveable; tow was necessary First sign was "power tailgate problem" light on dash 5 days before vehicle battery was dead Honda charged for and replaced Tailgate control module and recommended an outside company to repair leak issues; outside company confirmed issue and noted repairs for same issue on similar models

Receiving ACC, lane keep assist, front collision , auto high beam errors on the instrument screen. None of the safety features work. Cruise control does not work.

The sliding door will not open, either manually or automatically. This is a huge safety problem since my children cannot get in or out of the vehicle quickly in an emergency. What should I do if this happens on both doors, I will not be able to open either sliding door.

Multiple Honda Sensing safety systems (collision mitigation, lane keeping, road departure, adaptive cruise, and auto high‑beam) disabled suddenly on 2020 Honda Odyssey EX‑L around 76,000 mi. Dealer and two independent diagnostics confirmed DTC U3000‑49, internal electronic failure of the forward recognition camera. The fault disables all automatic braking and lane‑keeping functions. Battery voltage and calibration verified OK; component failure is internal. Honda quoted ~$2,000 repair. This is a significant safety risk since all advertised crash‑avoidance functions stop working.

The contact owns a 2020 Honda Odyssey. The contact stated that while starting the vehicle, there were several unknown warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that several safety features were disabled during the failure. The vehicle was driven to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed, and determined that the front multi-purpose camera had experienced internal failures. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 6,000.

This is now the second time that we are having a rear hatch failure. with about 37,000 miles on this van, the control module shorted out due to water getting into it due to a bad seam (according to other Odyssey owners who are suing Honda for this). We could not get the hatch to open or close, so I paid the dealer to fix it. Honda did give us a check after the fact to cover some of the bill. Now, with less than 51,000 miles, it has happened again. The hatch will not open or close. In the event of an emergency, this is a major safety issue, to be potentially stuck inside the cabin. The hatch started going up and down randomly, and we could not control it. Now, it won't go up or down. This van is is a mess. Not only does it have this issues, but the rear back up camera still does not work, even though it was recalled...they would not honor their recall, and the brakes occasionally come on without cause, when going around a corner and there is oncoming traffic. It thinks that we are headed for a collision, and it's another safety problem here in the northeast. Honda needs to own up to their quality problems relative to these three safety issues.

The multipurpose camera module has failed, on the vehicle resulting in the simultaneous loss of several driver-assistance and safety systems while the vehicle is in operation. These systems include cruise control, lane keep assist, lane departure warning, collision mitigation, automatic high beams, and the brake system warning. Upon inspection, there appears to be overheating within the camera module. This overheating has caused visible discoloration both inside and outside the module housing. Based on these observations, I believe the condition may present a potential fire hazard. Additionally, the plastic cover mounted to the windshield becomes extremely hot to the touch, creating a risk of skin burns if it is accidentally contacted. This malfunction poses a significant safety concern for my family. If the camera fails while driving, the vehicle’s safety systems may not function as intended, increasing the risk of an accident. All of the failures chime in one after another displaying a problem with the malfunctioning components stated earlier in the text. Furthermore, if a driver is deaf or not actively monitoring the instrument panel or speedometer, they may not hear or immediately notice the warning alerts indicating that these systems are no longer functioning. The issue has been diagnosed by my local repair shop finding error code U3000-49: Camera/Radar Internal Failure. Repair requires replacement of the multipurpose camera module, with an estimated cost exceeding $2,000 in parts and labor, which represents a significant financial burden.

Dash has warning light showing "Power Tailgate Problem", and power tailgate will not function. The next day there was heavy rain, and the dash had a flickering warning showing the tailgate was open. This also caused the interior lights to flicker on and off as the tailgate open warning was flickering on and off. I returned the van to my home for fear that the tailgate would open automatically while driving down the road. I had the tailgate control module replaced on February 27, 2025 for this same issue, which was due to a tailgate seal leaking water onto the tailgate control module that shorted the module. This is now the second time within less than one year this same module has shorted out. This is a known issue with a class action lawsuit already filed against Honda that should result in a recall. The potential danger of the tailgate opening while driving makes this minivan not usable to transport my kids for fear of their safety.

The auto slide door latch will not disengage. The rear passenger door cannot be opened electronically OR manually.

Car would randomly die while I was driving, causing my children and I to be in severe danger in the middle of a busy road multiple times

Honda Odyssey Idle Stop system failure Vehicle: 2020 Honda Odyssey (Elite) Incident description: While driving, the vehicle's "Idle Stop" system engaged as I came to a complete stop at [e.g., a traffic light, intersection, stop sign]. The engine shut off as designed, but failed to restart automatically when I released the brake pedal. This left my vehicle stalled and disabled in the middle of [e.g., an intersection, a lane of traffic] with no forward power. I was scared as there were lots of cars behind me in the intersection. This has happened over a dozen times. Safety risk: This failure created an immediate and dangerous safety hazard. My vehicle was a risk for being rear-ended by traffic from behind, and my family was stranded in a vulnerable position. The vehicle was unable to move out of harm's way, and I had to put the vehicle in park and manually restart the engine. This is unacceptable for a system designed to work seamlessly and automatically. Additional information: This is not an isolated incident. The auto start-stop failure has occurred multiple times since March 2025. The system failure has put me and my passengers in a position of significant risk multiple times. Failed component: The vehicle's "Auto Idle Stop" (AIS) system, which failed to restart the engine after it was automatically shut off. Resolution: An immediate and permanent recall is necessary to address this dangerous defect. Existing service bulletins have not corrected the problem. I urge the NHTSA to require Honda to provide an effective, long-term solution to ensure the safety of Odyssey owners.

My can intermittently fails to start after the auto idle start system has engaged. I am stopped at a light on a busy road. When the light turns the car tries to start but fails. Some times it is able to start but I get warnings that multiple systems had an issue or at disabled. Other times it fails to start completely and I have to cycle the power off and open my driver door before I can start the car. This has been happening for more than a year and the battery has already been replaced.

On 9/11/25 and 9/12/25. Vehicle would not start. Engine would not turnover and no power to display or lights. After 15 minutes, each occurrence car would start with my diehard jump starter. Battery replaced 3 weeks prior and also checked on 9/11/25 . Battery should 600 cold crank amps and alternator was good. Then on 9/13/25, I was at a red light and proceeded when light turn green and shut off. Was same results afterwards wait 15 minutes and jump started.