2009 Honda ODYSSEY problems and owner complaints
Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.
Key facts
198 owner complaints analyzed
3 distinct recall campaigns
64,500 mi median reported failure mileage
Scope: 2009 model year. Data snapshot: . 160 complaints include usable failure mileage.
Most common problems
Structure:Body is the most frequently named component, appearing in 42 of 198 complaints (21.2%). A complaint can name multiple components.
| Topic | Matching reports | Share of complaints |
|---|---|---|
| Braking behavior | 30 | 15.2% |
| Steering behavior | 15 | 7.6% |
| Electrical and battery issues | 13 | 6.6% |
| Transmission and shifting | 12 | 6.1% |
| Engine operation | 8 | 4.0% |
| Fuel system concerns | 4 | 2.0% |
Topic matches use published keyword rules. They describe mentions, including negations or comparisons, and do not confirm a diagnosis. Read the matching rules.
Component breakdown
Number of unique complaints naming each component. Top eight shown.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Structure:Body | 42 |
| Engine | 34 |
| Electrical System | 20 |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 16 |
| Power Train | 15 |
| Steering | 8 |
| Structure:Body:Hatchback/Liftgate | 7 |
| Unknown Or Other | 7 |
Structure:Body: 42; Engine: 34; Electrical System: 20; Service Brakes, Hydraulic: 16; Power Train: 15; Steering: 8; Structure:Body:Hatchback/Liftgate: 7; Unknown Or Other: 7
Reported problems by failure mileage
Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Under 25,000 | 35 |
| 25,000 to 49,999 | 33 |
| 50,000 to 74,999 | 23 |
| 75,000 to 99,999 | 24 |
| 100,000 to 149,999 | 26 |
| 150,000 and above | 19 |
Under 25,000: 35; 25,000 to 49,999: 33; 50,000 to 74,999: 23; 75,000 to 99,999: 24; 100,000 to 149,999: 26; 150,000 and above: 19
Under 25,000 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (35). 38 complaints have missing, zero or invalid mileage.
Complaints over time
Year the complaint was filed, not the vehicle model year or incident year. The snapshot year is partial.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| 2009 | 8 |
| 2010 | 22 |
| 2011 | 21 |
| 2012 | 18 |
| 2013 | 20 |
| 2014 | 15 |
| 2015 | 11 |
| 2016 | 9 |
| 2017 | 14 |
| 2018 | 20 |
| 2019 | 17 |
| 2020 | 7 |
| 2021 | 2 |
| 2022 | 6 |
| 2023 | 3 |
| 2024 | 2 |
| 2025 | 3 |
2009: 8; 2010: 22; 2011: 21; 2012: 18; 2013: 20; 2014: 15; 2015: 11; 2016: 9; 2017: 14; 2018: 20; 2019: 17; 2020: 7; 2021: 2; 2022: 6; 2023: 3; 2024: 2; 2025: 3
Pattern summary
Structure:Body leads the component reports. Braking behavior appears in 30 complaint narratives. Steering behavior appears in 15 complaint narratives. Electrical and battery issues appears in 13 complaint narratives. Use these patterns to inspect individual reports and prepare questions for a mechanic.
Calculated from recorded counts. An AI narrative has not been published for this selection.
Complaint evidence
Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.
Owner report 10273511 · 2009-06-11 (June 11, 2009)
MY BRAKES WENT COMPLETELY OUT ON MY NEW 2009 HONDA ODYSSEY EX-L WHILE ON VACATION WITH ONLY 2,000 MILES ON THE VEHICLE. ON A FEW OCCASIONS OVER THE LAST MONTH AND A HALF THAT I HAVE OWNED MY ODYSSEY THE VSA LIGHT (VEHICLE STABILITY ASSISTANCE) HAS COME ON FOR NO REASON AND COULD NOT BE TURNED OFF. NORMALLY THE VSA IS ON ALL TIMES BUT THE LIGHT DOES NOT COME ON UNLESS THE CONDITIONS ARE BAD. (ICE, SNOW, RAIN, ROCKS) WHEN THIS LIGHT HAS COME ON I HAVE BEEN TRAVELING AT APPROX. 50MPH, NOT BRAKING, AND THE CONDITIONS WERE SUNNY AND DRY. T…
Owner-reported narrative. 2,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10273511 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10294267 · 2009-12-02 (December 2, 2009)
DRIVE OVER 65 MPH, STEERING VIBRATION BRAKE OVER 40MPH, NOISE. *TR
Owner-reported narrative. 35,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10294267 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10327876 · 2010-04-28 (April 28, 2010)
2009 HONDA ODYSSEY, PROBLEM STARTED ON MONDAY 04/26/10. EARLY MORNING AS I WAS LEAVING MY PLACE FOR WORK, I NOTICED THAT THE BRAKES WERE 'SOFT'; AT THE FIRST STOP SIGN, IT TOOK THE BRAKE TO STOP THE VAN A LONGER DISTANCE THAN USUAL, SPEED IS BELOW 20MPH. I WAS STILL ABLE TO DRIVE TO WORK WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT THAT TIME. THEN AT NOON I WENT OUT TO HAVE LUNCH, I DROVE TO A NEARBY PLACE ABOUT 10 MILES, WHILE I'M DRIVING THE VSA OFF SIGNAL LAMP CAME ON, DRIVING SPEED AT 35MPH, GOOD DRIVING/WEATHER CONDITION, ROAD IS WELL PAVED; WHEN I GOT TO MY …
Owner-reported narrative. 15,900 miles reported. Look up ODI 10327876 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10488006 · 2012-12-11 (December 11, 2012)
THE AIR CONDITIONING (A/C) CONTROL RELAY ON MY 2009 HONDA ODYSSEY FAILED LESS THAN 3 YEARS AFTER PURCHASE, CAUSING INTERMITTENT ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS THAT WOULD PREVENT THE CAR FROM STARTING. WHEN THE CAR'S IGNITION SWITCH IS PLACED IN THE "ACCESSORY I" POSITION, ONLY THE AUDIO SYSTEM AND ACCESSORY POWER SOCKETS SHOULD BE ENGAGED AND ABLE TO OPERATE. MY A/C CONTROL RELAY FAILED IN THE CLOSED POSITION, CAUSING THE A/C COMPRESSOR IN MY CAR TO RUN CONTINUOUSLY, EVEN WHEN THE IGNITION SWITCH WAS IN THE ACCESSORY I POSITION. THE END RESULT WAS WHE…
Owner-reported narrative. 46,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10488006 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10515867 · 2013-06-09 (June 9, 2013)
BATTERY WENT DEAD AT IDLE WITH AC ON. WHILE STARTING HE ENGINE, A ABNORMAL SOUND WAS MAKE BY WHEN TRYING TO TURN THE ENGINE OVER AND THE AC FREON LEAKED OUT, DOORS WOULD NOT OPEN. AFTER SHUT DOWN, THE CAR WOULD NOT START AND DOORS WOULD NOT OPEN. *TR
Owner-reported narrative. 67,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10515867 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10289845 · 2009-10-26 (October 26, 2009)
2009 HONDA ODYSSEY - VEHICLE HAS MODERATE VIBRATION AT AROUND 40 MPH. ROOT CAUSE ACCORDING TO HONDA IS DEFECTIVE TORQUE CONVERTER CLUTCH. HAVE NOT VERIFIED ROOT CAUSE WITH INDEPENDENT SOURCE. NO ACCIDENT REPORTED AS OF 10/26/09. *TR
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10289845 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10310423 · 2010-02-15 (February 15, 2010)
TRANSMISSION HAS ROUGH DOWNSHIFTS WHILE DECELERATING. FIRST ROUGH DOWNSHIFT OCCURS AROUND 40-45 MPH. THE SECOND ROUGH DOWNSHIFT OCCURS AROUND 25 MPH. DURING THE SECOND ROUGH DOWNSHIFT, IT FEELS AS THOUGH THE TRANSMISSION IS SHIFTING TWICE. YOU CAN ALSO HEAR A DISTINCT CLACK NOISE AND FEEL IT THROUGH THE FLOORBOARD OF THE VEHICLE. TRANSMISSION SOFTWARE UPDATED TWICE BUT PROBLEM STILL EXISTS. WE ALSO EXPERIENCE ABRUPT DECELERATION WHEN REMOVING YOUR FOOT FROM THE ACCELERATOR AROUND 30 MPH. THE VAN SLOWS DOWN ABRUPTLY AS THOUGH THE ENGINE H…
Owner-reported narrative. 7,767 miles reported. Look up ODI 10310423 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10273827 · 2009-06-15 (June 15, 2009)
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 HONDA ODYSSEY. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER AND THEY STATED THAT THE BOLTS FOR THE ENGINE DISINTEGRATED. THE FRONT OF THE ENGINE WAS REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WOULD NOT ASSIST. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 3,700.
Owner-reported narrative. 3,700 miles reported. Look up ODI 10273827 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10622588 · 2014-08-15 (August 15, 2014)
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 HONDA ODYSSEY. THE CONTACT RECEIVED A NOTIFICATION FOR NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 14V112000 (FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE). HOWEVER, THE DEALER REFUSED TO PERFORM THE RECALL REPAIRS SINCE THE VEHICLE HAD BEEN MODIFIED CHANGING THE LOCATION OF THE FUEL TANK. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE PROBLEM. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT EXHIBITED THE FAILURE.
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10622588 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11186087 · 2019-03-12 (March 12, 2019)
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 HONDA ODYSSEY. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE LEAKED FUEL. THE CONTACT HAD TO FILL THE FUEL TANK MORE THAN USUAL AND THE FUEL WOULD CONTINUE TO LEAK. THE FAILURE CAUSED A FUEL ODOR TO BE PRESENT INSIDE THE VEHICLE. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO HONDA OF ORLANDO (2211 NORTH SEMORAN BLVD, ORLANDO, FL 32807, [phone removed]) AND THE POWER STEERING FLUID WAS REPLACED, BUT THE FUEL LEAK CONTINUED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 13,7…
Owner-reported narrative. 13,754 miles reported. Look up ODI 11186087 at NHTSA ↗