2023 Honda Odyssey Electrical System Problems

I am submitting a formal safety complaint regarding a failure of the power tailgate system on my 2023 Honda Odyssey. The issue involves water intrusion into the liftgate control system, which has resulted in corrosion and subsequent failure of the power tailgate. This malfunction presents both a safety concern and a significant reliability issue, particularly for a vehicle of this age and mileage. What is most concerning is that this does not appear to be an isolated incident. There is a documented history of similar failures in Honda Odyssey vehicles, including prior class action litigation related to tailgate and electrical system defects. Despite this, the issue does not appear to have been adequately addressed or corrected in newer models, including the 2023 version. My vehicle has approximately 30,500 miles and is only slightly outside of the warranty period. I was explicitly assured at the time of purchase that the vehicle was reliable and that the manufacturer would stand behind it. However, I have since been informed that this repair will not be covered, despite the apparent design flaw and known history of the issue. A power tailgate failure is not merely an inconvenience—it can pose safety risks, especially when transporting passengers, children, or cargo. A malfunctioning liftgate can fail to open or close properly, potentially causing injury or limiting access in urgent situations. I respectfully request that NHTSA investigate this matter further, as it appears to be part of a broader pattern affecting Honda Odyssey vehicles. Consumers should not be responsible for costly repairs stemming from known defects that have not been properly resolved. Thank you for your time and attention to this matter. I am happy to provide any additional documentation or details if needed. Sincerely, [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Rear camera/center display going black. No alarming when backing up when screen is black. Previous recall 23V431000 did not fix problem

The power tailgate control unit (part #74970-THR-A12) failed on my 2023 Honda Odyssey at approximately 46,000 miles and 3 years of age. The tailgate stopped functioning entirely. Upon removing the interior rear trim panels to diagnose, I discovered the failure was caused by water intrusion into the rear body of the vehicle. Behind the interior panels I found: significant rust on interior sheet metal, green corrosion coating the power tailgate control unit, dried water stains showing pooled standing water that had evaporated over time, and clear evidence of repeated slow water exposure over an extended period — not a single incident. The vehicle has no rear windows that open and no exterior damage that would explain the water source. The symptoms and damage pattern match the class action Dubrosky v. American Honda Motor Co., [XXX] , which alleges defective polyurethane rear body seam sealant in 2018-2021 Honda Odysseys allowing water to leak into the rear driver's side panel and destroy the power tailgate control module. My 2023 exhibits identical symptoms, raising the question whether the same defect extends to later model years. SAFETY RISK: The class action documents that this defect has caused tailgates to open or close unexpectedly while the vehicle is in motion, fail to latch, short-circuit, and in some cases cause fires. Items in the cargo area can fall out during driving, creating road hazards for other vehicles. My tailgate failed completely; I consider myself fortunate it failed closed rather than opening in motion. The damaged components are available for inspection. The vehicle has been inspected and photographed by Pohanka Honda of Salisbury, MD, who confirmed the damage but denied warranty coverage. No independent inspection has occurred. WARNINGS PRIOR TO FAILURE: None. No dashboard warning lamps, messages, or symptoms appeared before the tailgate stopped functioning. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Back up camera display went black and issued error. This error is sporadic. please approve replacement.

I reported issues regarding egress failure and children stuck within the back seat of the van, Electronic Dashboard failing while driving, and no start issues amongst others (11709419). Previously the certified dealer stated the issues just could not be reproduced, despite my videos, however, today they stated a Honda admin level director showed and told them the issues are being reported by others, they dont know how to fix it, and I need to come get my car, continue driving it.

My 2023 Honda Odyssey Elite has recurring, intermittent safety-related malfunctions across multiple systems. The most serious issues are: (1) door lock/unlock and rear door opening failures preventing emergency egress (children trapped), (2) intermittent “no-start/no-response” where push-button start does nothing (no click/no crank and sometimes no lights/electrical response), and (3) intermittent dashboard/instrument/electrical abnormalities while driving. I also previously experienced dangerous driver-assist behavior including unintended automatic braking and lane/steering behavior in construction zones. Door/egress: Rear doors sometimes will not open from inside or outside even when the vehicle audibly indicates it unlocked. I have video of my children unable to exit the back seat. This is an emergency egress hazard. No-start/no-response: Multiple events where the vehicle appears electrically dead and will not start, then after waiting ~10–30 minutes it starts without a jump. Stranding hazard. Recent examples: 12/31/2025 – doors would not open initially; after entry, no lights/electrical and start button produced zero response; after ~10–20 minutes it started. 01/05/2026 – while driving, dashboard/instrument display went off; buzzing noise believed HVAC related occurred. 01/05/2026 – after parking at Costco, vehicle again would not start (zero response); after ~30 minutes it started. 01/06/2026 – locking/unlocking malfunction again; rear doors would not open despite audible unlock (video). Repair history: Authorized Honda dealer (Bell Road Honda) previously stated “cannot reproduce,” replaced DVD/recall items and performed a “reset,” but did not diagnose root cause; problems returned worse. Honda Customer Service case opened. Injuries: Prior unintended automatic braking event (reported around 08/29/2023) caused injury (my legs hit dash; child had marks from car seat) and near rear-end collisions. Request: Investigate potential safety defects

failed windshield monocular cameras, Collision Mitigation LKA Adaptive cruise Lane Departure Mitigation Auto High Beam

The vehicle engine failed to restart after being idle for a few minutes in heavy traffic on Southern State Parkway. The vehicle’s Auto idle stop function was being utilized during this time.

I was driving about 15 mph in my neighborhood when my passenger side mirror exploded and flew onto my passenger side door/window. It hit so hard that it left a scratch on the window and on the paint.

Engine shut off in traffic after Auto Idle-Stop failed to restart. While stopped at a red light with Auto Idle-Stop active, the engine shut down normally. When I released the brake to proceed, all electrical power dropped—cluster went dark, accessories reset, and the engine did not crank. Vehicle coasted dead across the intersection and required a full key-cycle to restart, exposing my family and surrounding traffic to a collision risk. Component that malfunctioned Dealer diagnostic later the same day showed the 12-V battery-current sensor reporting an internal resistance spike from 3 mΩ (normal) to 25 mΩ (fault), which commands the powertrain ECU to inhibit Idle-Stop restart (“Idle-Stop Inhibit – Large battery internal R” flag). An AGM load test confirmed the battery itself is healthy (958 CCA). Reproducibility / confirmation The stall occurred twice on public roads. At the dealer, the fault could be reproduced in the data list: resistance value jumps whenever the negative-terminal sensor is jostled. Inspection status Vehicle was inspected by the franchised Honda dealer; screenshots of the diagnostic session and the Midtronics load-test slip are available on request. Manufacturer has NOT yet repaired the sensor; dealer demanded an unnecessary battery purchase first. Warning indicators No MIL or warning lamps illuminated before the stall. After the first stall, a brief “Auto Idle-Stop System Problem” message flashed but cleared on restart. Risk Loss of propulsion and power steering in the middle of an active intersection without warning. If this sensor defect is common, any similar 2022-24 Honda minivan/SUV with Auto Idle-Stop could stall in traffic. Component is still installed and available for inspection. Filed report with FTC (report #188697846).

Auto stop/start struggles to start at lights or stopped traffic, rough idles and has already killed 1 battery, replaced under warranty and I'm having to charge my new one already since my car struggles to cold start sometimes! Incredibly stressful having 5 kids and 1car I spent a fortune on so it would last forever and it's a lemon I'm holding my breath doesn't strand us any time I have to break.

Profuse amount of water intrusion and pooling of water in the rear of the vehicle near the tailgate of vehicle during rainstorm. Water not from above, ceiling not wet. Concerns about water causing rust, and electrical damage.

Radar structed ,blind spot off,brake system light on

Around Dec 2024, the central control screen started blacking out. At first, it would black out and then the screen will come back on randomly. We took the car to Tempe Honda service center, and the technician was able to reproduce the problem, and it's covered under warranty. However, they had to order, but they didn't anticipate that it would be in back order. A couple months later, we checked on the status and found out that it was on back order and there is only one manufacturer, so it could take a few more months. We kept on calling to check on the status, and the anticipated back-fill date kept on pushing out. Finally, the screen went completed black and wouldn't come back around Aug 2025. We called Tempe Honda, and the service manager suggested us to call American Honda Motor. We did, and a case was open with American Honda Motor around 10/17/2025. American Honda Motor has been providing weekly update to us, however the update has been the same, which is that they are waiting for ETA on the release date for the part. We wrote an email back on 11/20/2025 with our concerns around safety due to this defect. They called on 11/26/2025 and suggest us to file a complaint with NHTSA. Our concerns in the email include: 1) it's the central control for a lot of the functions including navigation (which we can't update because the screen is broken, and the warranty period to do so will soon be at an end); 2) It's being used when we back up our car. With the defect screen, the back-up camera is useless. This poses potential danger as we pull out of a busy parking lot, such as at school when we drop off and pick up kids. it's very difficult to back up without the screen especially when there are large vehicles parked next to us; 3) To have customers with an essential part of the car being defective for a year is unacceptable. This problem needs to be fixed ASAP. Thank you!

Our auto idle randomly will shut the entire van off. Leaving us stranded without being able to go for 15-30 seconds until we can get It restarted. There has been no warnings or codes thrown Early on it has been unable to reproduce for them when at the dealership It has been to dealership numerous times because it’s a scary safety issue with cars usually behind us honking, yelling, and holding up a finger. They did try update some software the most recent time which was unsuccessful. Now they want to put a new starter and relay and engine valve adjustment. Leaving me with the bill for something that happened in warranty since they can’t replicate it within a few minutes

The car appears to power up on its own even after it has been shut off. I have noticed that the car was on even after I turned it off, so I have been even more diligent about making sure it was turned off. One day I turned off the car. About an hour later, I heard the speakers in my car blaring. When I was finally able to reach the car the sound was off and the car was black. I didn't even get a chance to open the door and turn it off. It just shut down on its own. Yesterday, when I went to start my car, there was a message that the battery was low. As if the car had been on for a while. But when I got in the car it wasn't on. This appears to be a known problem from other Odyssey owners. Specifically I am seeing issue with 2018 models. However mine is a 2023 model.

I was driving on the freeway at approx 65mph with no cars around me when the orange light that said brake came on and the car slowed down on its own. Could not override problem for a few seconds.

The infotainment screen goes in and out. The screen makes crackling sounds and just goes blank. Causing problems with gps, sound, back up camera, emergency help feature etc. nothing functions. Extremely dangerous. When you rely on your GPS and the entire system malfunctions it is so dangerous. Honda had recalls on previous models for the same feature. They need to extend the year to 2023 models as well for faulty wiring. They are trying to charge thousands to replace a system that they have admitted has these issues at no fault of the consumer.

Twice while at a stop light, when the car was in Auto Idle Stop, it suddenly shut down completely. There was no power on the dashboard. I couldn't even turn on the hazard lights. The first time, this lasted several minutes, the second time, a few seconds. After this time, the electronics spontaneously came back up and I was able to restart the engine.

While accelerating, well after a car far infront of me turned, the forward collision warning went off and automatically applied full breaks while I was accelerating slamming my legs into the dash. My kid has marks from his car seat. This is 3rd and most sever instance of this almost causing a severe crash behind me. While I hate the automatic idle stop function and want it gone, it hasn’t worked in 4 week and randomly started doing it today and now stopped again. The AC in the seets also stopped working when temps hit 110 in Phoenix.