Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (air conditioning, heater, defroster, HVAC controls).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2005 Honda Odyssey owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
This is to file a formal complaint and request Honda. I purchased a 2005 Honda Odyssey counting on its quality and reliability and unfortunately have been disappointed. The air conditioner stopped working after only 3 years and I had to replace the condenser just at 37,000 miles. Better yet I was told by Honda dealership that it would not have been covered by warranty anyway because it was caused by 'some road debris hitting the condenser'. What is the odd that hundreds of Honda customers have run into the same issue (evidenced by the discussion forum threads on many that's out there on the internet). Honda's official site states: 'caution: radiator and condenser fins are very thin and easily damaged. Do not bend them with high water pressure or brush'. …
I am the original owner of the 2005 Honda Odyssey with about 15 k miles. In June we noticed loss of the ac system. Upon a visit to local Honda dealer I was told that a rock/road debris punctured the ac condenser and the repair estimate runs about $ 700.00. In a process of calling 5 other local Honda dealers trying to get a better pricing, I learned that my case is not that rare as it May sound. I was told that on average they replace about 2-3 ac condensers a month. Then I checked the internet and found much more Odyssey's owner with identical stories. My issue is that 2005-2007 Odyssey has a design flaw - too big opening under the bumper that allows any road debris to penetrate ac condenser and/or radiator. …
Purchased a 2005 Honda Odyssey minivan with 11000 miles. The air conditioning became intermittent; then gradually became warmer and warmer until it stopped. Went to Honda dealer in weymouth, ma. Initially they said if a rock or other object May have caused the a leak, it would not be covered under warranty. I initially agreed, however, this is not just my van with a freak problem. On "topix.net" you will see that many, many others are having a similar problem. NHTSA needs to help the manufacturer recognize that they need to step up and cover the repair which will repeat time and again if no retro fit is made to protect the condenser. This is a very expensive repair and consumers are being saddled with costs, on top of owning a new vehicle, that has a warranty. The sad thing is the dealer acted like they don't know that hundreds of others have had a similar problem! Please help!
Recently noticed like the brakes are not released fully after the application resulting in a "flat tire feeling with noise" took the minivan for scheduled recall service. Per service person, they replaced the caps of brake master cylinder. Driving back home @ 70 miles, felt like the steering loosing control, stopped at the near by Chevrolet service center: they didn't felt any major issues with the steering but felt like the service wasn't done as they said. All the dust was evenly there all over the master cylinder: all over the bonnet. I feel no change with the friction noise from the brakes: " a little worse?" how do I ensure that a genuine service was done? Now I feel insecure to drive on this, like driving on black ices. The electronic system was rest last time, but not it is back to not working good: resulting with trouble with the A/C knob not working smoothly.
On 07/16/07 my wife drove about 65 miles to a dr. Appointment. When she stopped smoke came from under the hood. She called me and I drove the 65 miles to check the van. The air conditioner was not working so I took the van to the dealer thinking a warranty repair. They told me a object hit the air conditioner coil in front of the radiator and this was not covered under warranty. It cost me $720.35. They advised me to order a aftermarket billite grill from e bay and this will keep this from happening again. I did and this cost me $104.00. I did a search in the internet and found this is happening to a lot of people in all areas of the country. Seems there is poor designing for this area of the van allowing objects to damage the vehicle's parts. Please investigate this problem.
The air conditioner A/C on my 2005 Honda Odyssey stopped working. I took vehicle to the dealer, who said a rock had hit the condenser and caused a hole. This was not covered by warranty and will cost between $800 and $1000 to fix. Honda stated that it was not under warranty because it was caused by an outside influence ie the rock. There was no protection for the condenser as it was located near two big holes for air intake under the licence plate, and the A/C condenserwas not protected by mesh or anything that would prevent rocks from hitting it under normal road conditions. If I could not drive it on the road without worrying about a rock hitting the A/C, then where can I drive it?
Air conditioning (A/C) problem was diagnosed as having a hole in the A/C condenser which Honda dealer stated was caused by road debris which was not covered by the warranty. After researching further the obvious cause of this was an engineering design flaw .- the A/C condenser was completely exposed to all the elements of the road with no grille/protection in front of it. Honda should recall these vehicles and install a grille in front of the condenser to protect it, and reimburse those of us who have paid to have condensers replaced due to their error. This design flaw also left the radiator exposed which was a safety hazard. Note, the 2008 Odyssey appeared to have a grille for protection.
Tl contact owns a 2005 Honda Odyssey. While driving approximately 30 MPH on normal road conditions, the air conditioning system was activated. Warm air immediately circulated throughout the air vents in the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer for diagnostic testing and they found a puncture in the condenser unit. The technician stated that the failure resulted from rocks in damaged roads. The vehicle has not been repaired. The failure mileage was 26,000 and current mileage is 38,000. Updated 06/23/09. The passengers side blows cold air and the drivers side blows warm air. Updated 06/23/09.
Honda Odyssey 2005, air conditioner (a/)c condenser just had no visible hole. The dealer claimed only a little pebble could cause a leak. A/C stopped working as all the fluid leake d out, causing lot of environmental damage as A/C was filled with toxic chemicals. It was costing $100, which was a design flaw from Honda. All over people were complaining but Honda was just riding their high name and making people suffer. Http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&rlz=1b2gggl_en___us207&q=Honda+Odyssey+2005+ac+not+working&btng=search. Http://www.topix.net/forum/autos/Honda-Odyssey/tjbopfur3svarkhcj/p3.
Tl contact owns a 2005 Honda Odyssey. While driving approximately 55-65 MPH, a rock struck the air conditioner condenser. The contact stated later the air conditioner started blowing hot air instead of cold air. There were no warning lights. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who advised the contact that the air conditioner condenser was punctured and needed to be replaced. The vehicle had not been repaired. The contact stated he filed a complaint with the manufacturer. The failure mileage was 85,400 and the current mileage was 85,445. Updated 5/2/11 updated 05/13/11
AC & Heater complaints in other Odyssey years
Frequently asked questions
How common are ac & heater problems on the 2005 Honda Odyssey?
NHTSA has 32 complaints about the a/c & heater of the 2005 Honda Odyssey, 4% of the model year's 830 complaints. The component named most often is appliance › air conditioner (31 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2005 Honda Odyssey ac & heater problems?
No. NHTSA lists no a/c & heater recall for the 2005 Honda Odyssey, though it has 8 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2005 Honda Odyssey ac & heater problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 37,000 miles, and 24% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 0 crashes, 1 fire and 0 injuries to a/c & heater problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.