Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (service brakes, ABS, rotors and pads, parking brake).
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).
The contact owns a 2005 Honda Odyssey. The contact stated while driving approximately 25 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power, power steering and braking functionality before the vehicle stalled. The contact was able to coast into a parking lot. The contact did not notice any warning lights being illuminated. The contact had the vehicle towed to her residence. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the drive belt needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The contact stated that the vehicle had become difficult to turn with the occasional recurring loss of power steering functionality. The contact related the steering failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 05V039000 (Steering). The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 190,000.
Tl* the contact owned a 2005 Honda Odyssey. While driving approximately 70 MPH, the brakes failed and made a roaring noise. The brake pedal traveled to the floorboard when depressed and the contact's vehicle crashed into the rear of the preceding vehicle. The air bags did not deploy. There were no warning indicators. A police report was filed and there were no injuries. The vehicle was destroyed and towed to a tow yard. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 140,000.
Yes when I purchased the vehicle I was missing a few fuses, my back left door won't open or close on my car display it always shows that the back left door is always open. Also the car was missing a break pad on the front left wheel. It's also missing the passenger airbag. The dvd player doesn't work it always says error. And the car is missing all motor mounts so basically my motor is just hanging on top of cables in my car. The GPS display was also missing and my front right window doesn't close all the way up. The major #1 issue is the electrical problems in my car. I have 2 children I'm scared on day everything is fine & then one day it's not with my kids in the car god forbid. Oh yeah and the middle row left seat doesn't lean forward or back.
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 Honda Odyssey. While driving approximately 30 MPH, the brake pedal was depressed but the vehicle did not stop. The contact had to turn the ignition to the off position in order to stop the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the brakes and transmission failed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure and the VIN was not included in NHTSA campaign number: 10V504000 (service brakes, hydraulic). The approximate failure mileage was 135,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 Honda Odyssey. The contact stated while driving 35 MPH, the brakes failed. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to lynnwood Honda (22020 hwy 99, edmonds, wa 98026) to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the brake master cylinder needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired however, the failure persisted. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 132,000.
The brakes on this car never worked well. They screeched and squealed and were slow to respond. Despite many trips to the dealer and mechanics, they insisted nothing was wrong. I rear ended someone coming down a hill because I was unable to brake. The difference in speed must have been at least 35 MPH. My airbags did not go off. I hit the seatbelt way too hard. The car in front of me did have his airbags go off.
The ABS brakes perform normally 90% of the time . However at least once during a trip usually at 5 or 10 MPH speed I step on the brakes and must floor them with extreme pressure to get them to work .I end up stopping 5 to 10 feet past where I should . The remainder of a trip the brakes seem to behave normally . No brake warnings appear on the dash and my fluid level is normal with no visible leaks .
My 2005 Honda Odyssey van did not stop while I was braking during a stop at a traffic light. The brakes got to the floor and I hit the car in front of me causing a minor traffic accident. I have not taken it to the dealer yet but I have scheduled an appt. I was found "at-fault" and the vehicle I hit received compensation for collision. The owner of the vehicle also claim he was injured.
Transmission currently vehicle has less than 88,000 miles and transmission is about ready to fail completely hard gear shifting and when shifting from park to reverse or drive transmission makes a big metal clunk and harsh movement of vehicle
I just purchased a 2005 Honda Odyssey about a month ago, it currently has 500 miles on it. Last week, the ABS, vsa, and brake light came on. I had it towed into the koons Honda dealership in manassas for repair. I was notified that the vsa control unit was bad, however they could not repair it because the part is on indefinite backorder from Honda. They stated that they had no idea if the part would take day, weeks, or months to get in. The did state that my car was 'safe' to drive, however it would not have ABS, vsa, braking assist, or traction control until the vsa module is replaced. This does not reflect 'safe' in my eyes, especially given the weather we are supposed to have tomorrow. Could this not pose some type of liability issue for Honda if there was an accident that could have possibly been prevented if the safety features were active. …
Related recalls
Service brakes, hydraulic › Foundation components › Master cylinder
Honda is recalling certain model year 2005-2007 odyssey and Acura rl vehicles. Brake fluid containing polymers is used that acts as a lubricant for certain brake system components. If replacement brake fluid is used that does not contain such polymers, or that contains only small amounts, a part of the rubber seal located at…
Remedy: Dealers will replace the brake master cylinder seal free of charge. The recall is expected to begin during December 2010. Owners May contact Honda at 1-800-999-1009.
Service brakes, air › Antilock › Wheel speed sensor
On certain minivans, the anti-lock brake system (ABS) uses a sensor on each wheel to detect wheel speed. Some sensors on the rear wheels were installed incorrectly, which means the sensor May report the wrong wheel speed to the ABS control unit.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect the rear wheel speed sensors. If an incorrect gap is detected, the sensor will be removed and the knuckle checked for cross threading damage. If damage is found, the knuckle will be replaced.
Brake complaints in other Odyssey years
Frequently asked questions
How common are brake problems on the 2005 Honda Odyssey?
NHTSA has 78 complaints about the brakes of the 2005 Honda Odyssey, 9% of the model year's 830 complaints. The component named most often is foundation components › disc › pads (10 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2005 Honda Odyssey brake problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 10V-504 (master cylinder, Oct 22, 2010); NHTSA recall 04V-536 (wheel speed sensor, Nov 15, 2004). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 2005 Honda Odyssey brake problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 25,000 miles, and 48% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 5 crashes, 0 fires and 1 injury to brakes 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.