Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (doors, hood, frame, rust, paint and trim).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2013 Honda Odyssey owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Honda Odessey 2013Driving down a highway at 55mph when we heard a loud backfire. Engine light came on, car shook violently. We immediately pulled into a gas station where a mechanic was present. Mechanic scanned for codes and codes p0302 and P0303 came up. The cylinders had rotated and aligned fouling the spark plugs. and damaging the coil. Had we continued to drive we would have ruined the engine. He changed the coil and spark plugs but noted that the oil consumption was extremely high since last change due to the VCM issue. The Honda Service Bulletin 13-081 revealed the VCM system poses risk of ruining the engine. When I returned home, I inquired what could be done to fix it. The local dealership said purchase a new engine and spark plugs. The warranty fix for this ended in 2021 and I did not buy the car until 2022. …
Driver's side rear door handle for sliding door came off in my hand when I was trying to get my child out of the vehicle in 2016. Took vehicle into the dealership for repair and they stated that the handle must have come off due to alleged and impossible "damage" even though the handle was never subjected to anything but normal everyday use. In 2018, the door handle on the passenger side came off in the same manner even though we have been even more careful with the handles after the first incident. Reported second incident to Honda customer service and dealer service shop. Both saw nothing wrong with door handles falling off relatively new vehicle with normal use. Very unsafe to be unpredictably prevented from getting your child out of the vehicle.
Van has the braun conversion package (wheelchair accessible van). While parked the passenger sliding door fell completely off of the van as if was closing. No prior issues with the door. The motor to the wheelchair ramp has needed to be replaced twice. The first replacement ramp motor did not last 18 months and cost over $1800 to replace. When you hit any of the buttons to engage the ramp, you hear the motor, however it is not moving. You must physically pull the ramp out and lift it up. I was told the the gear system in the motor goes bad often. The door still works(until today) when you hit the button to open or close.
I was driving down hwy 41 in acworth, ga, with my 2 kids in the car, and I heard a very loud "pop." it sounded like something exploded, but I didn't see anything. I then heard the sound of wind, thinking one of my kids rolled down one of the windows, but I checked them all and they had not. I opened the shade cover for the sunroof, to find a huge hole in the middle of it, and the rest of the glass spider webbed/shattered. I quickly closed it and got home to further inspect. We were unable to figure out why it happened, but spent $800 having it repaired (and that was with a used sunroof).
We were on vacation last week as we were driving at approximately 70mph on I-64 eastbound in virginia we heard a loud popping sound an then loud airflow. We quickly realized our sunroof had exploded. Thankfully we had it closed and the shade was also closed and no one was hurt. Nothing hit our van and we were not involved in a accident the sunroof just suddenly exploded. When we were able to pull over we found the center of our sunroof was completely shattered. We have found other reports online of this happening.
My 2013 Honda Odyssey sliding door cable broke and the door slid forward nearly catching my young son's hand between the door and the front part of the frame. Also now that the cable has snapped the door will not open completely toward the rear of the vehicle limiting the ability to exit the vehicle from that side in an emergency. The vehicle has approximately 70K miles on in it and it appears as though the cable rusted through in one spot although it is coated in plastic.
White paint is peeling off of the vehicle in 3 spots. This began about a year ago and continues to get worse. Right and left side of the tailgate, and 1 spot on the roof between the windshield and the moonroof. Many other Honda Odyssey and pilot owners are experiencing this same problem.
Paint peeling in various spots on the vehicle. First spot was a small peel on the roof, Honda repaired. Now the entire lower half of the tailgate peeled during a simple car washing. It came of like it was a decal with no more glue! Ughh.
Our 2013 Honda Odyssey with 22,000 miles was parked in our driveway for 2 days and spontaneously combusted. The vehicle is a total loss and the fire damages our pop-up camper and the siding on our home.
We have discovered that the 2013 models of this vehicle do not sound the beeper if the driver or front passenger door is open while driving. Page 77 of the owner's manual clearly states "the beeper sounds and the indicator comes on if any door or the tailgate is open while driving." we have contacted the dealer and America Honda and they say they can do nothing about this feature not working as stated in the manual and the vehicle is not designed to alert the driver to this hazard as stated in the manual. This could be quite dangerous to smaller individuals should someone be driving without a door completely closed. This also makes one wonder how many other safety features Honda claims to have in their vehicles that do not work as they claim and have the potential to cause injury and Honda is hiding from the consumers.
Body complaints in other Odyssey years
Frequently asked questions
How common are body problems on the 2013 Honda Odyssey?
NHTSA has 20 complaints about the body & structure of the 2013 Honda Odyssey, 10% of the model year's 210 complaints. The component named most often is body (17 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2013 Honda Odyssey body problems?
No. NHTSA lists no body & structure recall for the 2013 Honda Odyssey, though it has 6 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 2013 Honda Odyssey body problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 80,000 miles, and 29% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 0 crashes, 1 fire and 1 injury to body & structure 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.