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 2011 Honda Odyssey owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Tl* the contact owns a 2011 Honda Odyssey. While driving approximately 5 MPH and pulling into a parking space, the vehicle accelerated and the brakes failed to work. The vehicle crashed into some gardening blocks around a tree. There were no warning indicators illuminated. There were no injuries and a police report was not filed. The vehicle was taken to mclean's auto body in goleta, california. From there, the technician took the vehicle to an unknown dealer where the seat belt was replaced. The failure recurred while driving at an unknown speed and the vehicle rear ended the preceding vehicle. A police report was not filed and there were no injuries. The contact's vehicle was slightly damaged, but was not towed. The failure was not reported to a dealer or the manufacturer. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 16V933000 (seats). …
When braking the vehicle shakes and the brakes vibrate to the point that the vehicle feels unsafe. This has been a continual problem. Brakes have been inspected and we are told that the rotors are warped and need to be replaced. This has been done three times and now, at 96,000 miles we are being told that the brakes/rotors need to be redone again. I wrote to Honda in 2017 and never received a reply. The Honda dealer says it is not a safety issue. Supposedly a newer version of rotor was issued and installed the last time, but the problem is back. From a driver's perspective this is a safety issue and Honda should make it right. Their brake components are undersized or not engineered properly for the size of the vehicle. The vibration is not felt anytime that the brakes are applied, but more significantly with higher speeds and quicker stops.
2011 Honda Odyssey exl as I was driving with my family two babys on the freeway 65 miles all of a sudden the vehicle the vsa light came on and the van break by itself almost got rear-ended, I was lucky that there was a exit to the left as I was driving on the left fast line. I tow to the Honda dealer the want to charge me $123+ tax for diagnosis to find out what happen. It was a nightmare with to baby in the van, after some online search I find out that alot of Honda owner complain about the same issue, defects vehicle stability assist (vsa) the vehicle has only 12000 mile, when I bought the vehicle there was nothing wrong with it. Can someone help by the Honda of America is responsible there should be a recall for this it is manufatured defective vehicle what are you guys doing to protect the American people?
Vibration in brake pedal and steering wheel when braking, extremely noticed at speeds above 45 miles per hour. Dealer did not acknowledge problem at 09/12/2012, but found and 'fixed' warped break rotor at about 45000 miles on 7/9/2013. Problem (vibration and pulsing of steering wheel and brake pedal) soon reappeared and on 7/27/2015 returned to dealer and was told that warping had again occurred. Called Honda, who said that the they were not recalling the original brake rotor (part number 45251-tk8-a01 even though it is no longer available and has been replaced by 45251-tk8-a02. The new brake rotor now being put on 2011 and later Honda Odyssey has increased internal thickness (more mass and smaller air vents) and other changes. For my car, the older rotor is defective, why has it not been recalled?
The whole van started vibrating ad shaking like the van was going to come apart.I checked on the NHTSA reports and a lot of this is happening. Some dealers are saying different things and Honda is not doing anything about it.it seems like the disks are to small for the weight. 1 person had racing disk and brakes put on and no problem.other people had the brakes redone by Honda and about a few thousand miles the same thing happened. Check to see what people are saying on your web sight. ( not safe for us ) . I knew a while back Honda always had problems with the rotors.but, I thought they fixed that by now. Please do something. I just turned 40,000 miles. After 6 years. All other service has been good.
When I brake driving 40mph or more, the car and the steering wheel will shake and vibrate extremely violently. This started when there was only 30K miles on the car so I took it to a dealer in tn and they said they didn't find a problem. Then at 42K miles, I took it to another dealer in va and the front rotors and pads were replaced. However, this did not fix the problem. Now the car has 70K miles and the shaking when I brake, was gotten worse. It feels like the car is out of control and not safe to drive, especially with passengers in the car. There seems to be a number of the same complaints on this site, so why hasn't there been a recall?
Tl* the contact owns a 2011 Honda Odyssey. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 65 MPH, the brake pedal was depressed and the front end of the vehicle shook violently. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the rotors needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 32,275. Updated 04/13/16 updated 04/26/16 the consumer experienced a wheel vibration and shimmy from the front of the vehicle on four separate occasions. The brakes and rotors were serviced each time. Updated 05/02/16.
Tl* the contact owns a 2011 Honda Odyssey. While driving at an unknown speed, the ABS indicator illuminated and the vehicle abruptly braked. The contact also stated that the vehicle accelerated without the accelerator pedal being depressed. The vehicle was towed to autofair Honda (200 keller st, manchester, nh 03103) where it was diagnosed that the alternator needed replacement. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure recurred the following day. The vehicle was towed back to the dealer for further diagnostic testing and repairs. The manufacturer was contacted. The failure mileage was 105,000. The VIN was not available.
Either the brake rotors warp or the pads deposit something onto the rotors. The car habitually goes through brakes, a single long descent will cause brand new brakes to jutter back and forth violently, which is unnerving feels like it decreases brake effectiveness. Even in light use the rotors have to be surfaced and pads are replace twice a year. This is mentioned very frequently online in forums, and when brought up to a dealership they deny any chronic brake problems. They insist drivers must be "riding the brakes".
Today, at Honda dealership, was informed that the reason our vehicle shakes and vibrates roughly at high speeds (when braking) is due to warped rotors. Was told Honda has discontinued making those rotors and would need them replaced with new rotors that have been made larger. Known issue, but not covered, cost approx $800 total with new pads, etc. Very frustrated that a part has been discontinued and deemed unsafe t be used again, but no recall or reimbursement for this.
Brake complaints in other Odyssey years
Frequently asked questions
How common are brake problems on the 2011 Honda Odyssey?
NHTSA has 44 complaints about the brakes of the 2011 Honda Odyssey, 19% of the model year's 235 complaints. The component named most often is antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip › abs warning light (1 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2011 Honda Odyssey brake problems?
No. NHTSA lists no brakes recall for the 2011 Honda Odyssey, though it has 5 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 2011 Honda Odyssey brake problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 30,000 miles, and 40% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 1 crash, 0 fires and 0 injuries 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.