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 2006 Honda Odyssey owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Tl contact owns a 2006 Honda Odyssey. The contact stated that the front passenger seat warmer burned the leg of a nine year old child. The child was taken to the doctor and suffered second and third degree burns on his left calf. The contact feels that a recall should be issued. The current mileage was 81,000 and failure mileage was 70,000.
Failure of exhaust system heat shields could cause vehicle fire. Consumer has no way of knowing that the safety shields are no longer in place. Dealer indicated exhaust system heat shields were loose and missing and had to be replaced. Dealer indicated failure to replace could result in melting of insulation on electrical wires. I feel the heat shields should have been manufactured using stainless steel to prevent corrosion and loss of this important safety feature. At $615 to replace, it is unlikely many people will have this work performed, especially as the vehicle ages. There are normal/expected safety features that car owners expect to replace (tires, wiper blades and bulbs). The consumer has no way of knowing if the safety shields have fallen from the vehicle. When contacting Honda customer service I was told it was my responsibility to keep the car operating in a safe manner. …
I own a 2006 Honda Odyssey with 22K, bought new in 14 months ago. The air conditioner worked this past summer, but due to warm weather attempted to run it this weekend and only warm air came out. My wife took it to wolfchase Honda in bartlett, tn. And the dealer charged her $95 to tell us that it wasn't covered under warranty due to a stone hitting the compressor. It is an obvious design flaw with the vehicle as I've found countless others now have experienced the same problem at http://www.topix.com/forum/autos/Honda-Odyssey/tjbopfur3svarkhcj I called American Honda to put in a complaint and the rep said that she has had several of these calls. I do see that the 2008 has a new modified grille that should prevent this. I believe Honda is responsible for a design flaw and should repair under warranty and do something to prevent this from happening again.
I have a 2006 Honda Odyssey and just recently my air conditioner stopped working so I brought it to my local dealership to have it checked out. About an hour later the service man came to me to tell me that a rock has hit my ac condenser and it would cost $820.00 to fix it because it is not covered under warranty or extended warranty. The service man also stated that this has been happening quite often. I decide to google my ac condenser and to my surprise pops up this forum with hundreds of people with the same story. Sounds like a rehearsed story "a rock has hit your ac condenser putting a hole in it" . After reading other people's stories, what they have stated is that this is a manufacturer defect, the grill has to much space in between by the license plate so debris is able to get in. This should be paid for by Honda since its their mistake.
Found my A/C not working. Took it to the dealer and was told that a rock must have hit the condenser and caused a pin hole. Was also advised by the service writer that this was a common occurrence and was due to the condenser being mounted very low to the ground behind the bumper. I asked if there was a shield or other solution to prevent a recurrence; I was told no. I then researched the issue online and found literally hundreds of folks with the same experience. The repair cost is $700.00 with no assurance that it won't happen then moment you leave the dealership. This is a serious design flaw that Honda is well aware of. In addition, they are referring folks to claim the damage on their insurance to cover the repair costs. Honda has responded by adding a "shield" to their 2008 models.....but has done nothing for previous model year owners.
I owned a 2006 Honda Odyssey with 5 year / 60000 mile extended warranty. On jan 4, 2010, A/C stop working and I brought the car to the dealer expecting for warranty repair. However, the dealer told me the damage was due to road hazard and will not be covered under warranty. Dealer stated this is very common problem for this model year but they can not do anything about it. I called American Honda customer service center and they told me the same thing. They can not repair any damages due to road hazard. I checked the internet and found many Honda owner had exact problem as I did. If it a well known problem, why Honda is not coming up with a fix to minimize the chance. Dealer is enjoying this "design" flaw by charging innocent customer with more than $1300 repair. Can you kindly investigate this un-ethical practice?
I have a 2006 Honda Odyssey and is still under warranty period. My A/C stopped working and I brought in to a Honda dealership and was told a rock had hit the A/C condenser and it was not covered under warranty. I refused repair because I believe it has to be a design flaw for a rock to be able to enter through big gap grille and damage the condenser plus my van is still under warranty and should be repaired at no charge because of a design flaw. Mine is not an isolated case as it has happened to many other Honda Odyssey owners who reported it online. It would cost $1000 to repair it. I called Honda corporate office and talked to their supervisor jeremy rudner who refused to talk to me the second time I called in to speak to a manager.
The A/C started blowing hot air on 6/10/07. The dealer informed us there would be a $195 inspection fee before repairs were started. We were informed a rock hit the condenser, and repairs would not be under warranty. We were shown no evidence of the damage. The dealer implied this was a rare problem, yet insisted that American Honda would not cover any part of the response, as the dealer had dealt with them on this issue in the past. Not wanting to waste the $195 inspection fee, I gave the go ahead to what I found out later was an over-priced $840 repair. This is an obvious design flaw, one that American Honda told me was addressed in the 2008 model redesign. I am pursuing this issue with the attorney general's office.
I purchased a new 2006 Honda Odyssey end of April, 2006. Two months later my air conditioner stopped working (it was 100 degrees outside). Took it to the dealer, was told it would be $125 to diagnose the problem because "we see a lot of rocks damaging air-conditioners, and it's not covered under warranty." turns out a rock impacted the condenser while I was driving, causing the air-conditioner to stop working. This is clearly a design defect, there have been other complaints documented since 2005 (year Odyssey was redesigned) and numerous complaints found on the internet. Problem can be fixed with a grille cover, Honda refuses to fix problem and charges customers for the repair.
My 2006 Honda Odyssey minivan developed a hole in the air conditioner condenser after just 4 months of driving (8K miles) and I was told by the dealer this was a freak accident of a pebble puncturing the condenser that was covered under bumper to bumper warranty or insurance. The warranty is supposed to cover all items that aren't normal wear and tear, but it doesn't. I have also heard countless people claim the same damage to their minivans so it seems to be a design flaw and not a freak accident. There are even special grill covers manufactured by other companies to fix the hondas problem. I feel Honda should stand up their warranty.
AC & Heater complaints in other Odyssey years
Frequently asked questions
How common are ac & heater problems on the 2006 Honda Odyssey?
NHTSA has 38 complaints about the a/c & heater of the 2006 Honda Odyssey, 5% of the model year's 703 complaints. The component named most often is appliance › air conditioner (35 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2006 Honda Odyssey ac & heater problems?
No. NHTSA lists no a/c & heater recall for the 2006 Honda Odyssey, though it has 3 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 2006 Honda Odyssey ac & heater problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 25,000 miles, and 53% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 0 crashes, 1 fire and 1 injury 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.