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 2016 Honda Odyssey owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owns a 2016 Honda Odyssey. The contact stated while driving at 35 MPH with his daughter sitting in the rear driver's side seat, the rear driver's side seat reclined unintendedly. The contact stated that the seat was moving back forth. The contact that he had not been able to readjust the seat though it was manual seat. The dealer and the manufacturer were notified of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle could not be repaired under Honda Technical Service Bulletin Number:18-026 as the VIN was not included. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000
the trunk has been difficult to open in cold weather ever since car was purchased. car was new when purchased and the issue was infrequent over time, issue has become so pervasive that we are unable to open the trunk at all even when weather is reasonable honda issued a "service bulletin" in 2018 admitting part was faulty however as it was not an official recall, we were not notified when looking into solving this problem, we came across the "service bulletin" information. Honda has NOT included our VIN # in this issue and accepts no responsibility for fixing the faulty part of this car *** inability to open the trunk reduces means of egress from the vehicle in the event of an accident thereby creating a safety risk *** please see:[redacted]
Consumer complaint: Repeated failed batteries (3), alternators (3), Start button (1) and left stranded multiple times due to no start. Problem: Honda Odyssey keyless entry computer board not fully sealed. This allows dendridic growth of corrosion on the board. This causes a short that endlessly sets the vehicle ignition into "Run" position. Eventually this shorts the alternator and drains battery. Solution: Cleaned and seal affected area. You can find a repair video and explanation here: [redacted]
Under 45 degrees, the back door will not open. The latch is faulty and fails in moderate to severe cold weather. In an emergency where we would need to exit the rear of the vehicle, there's no way to open the rear door from the inside or outside. It is under 45 degrees for about half the year where I live. It is more than just an inconvenience, it is a safety concern.
Had an accident, front driver side impact, air bags inflated, passenger side not damaged but electric side door locked and don't opened, passenger side also electric and didn't work, my kids jumped to front to go out, several people helped trying to open door, finally door was opened but now is not working, I was on red light then light changed to green, started driving, a medium SUV hit car on my left and also mine, I was scare because smog (from airbags) was inside minivan, no way to go out on my side, only available option was passenger door o side sliding door, but sliding door was not responding, a nightmare, thanks god we are OK.
Takata recall my Honda Odyssey is a 2016 model. I took it to the dealer when I discovered the wires were broken to the sliding electric door. I was told it would be $1500 to fix. I inquired about this because a Mini van is built to allow the doors to easily be opened and closed. The dealership said that they had seen many complaints about the door regarding this model.they turned off the door, so that I couldn't open it. I told them I would call Honda headquarters and they said nothing could be done. I essentiallly had to turn off the ability to automatically open the door when a stop is made otherwise a loud beep would emit. This is very unsafe beacuse I am hard of hearing. When it is time to get out of the car I turn the automatic back on, so that the kids can easily exit from one door. I open the left door manually which is very hard. …
2016 Honda Odyssey. Driver side sliding door latches failed to operate. There were no warning indicators illuminated. The vehicle made a beeping noise and the door light illuminated when the doors were not latched. Took the vehicle to vic bailey Honda Honda (500 e daniel morgan ave, spartanburg, sc 29302) where it was diagnosed as a sun sensor defect and returned to owner. Owner got vehicle home and the beeping occurred again. Owner took vehicle back to vic bailey Honda, and was quoted an estimate of $700 for the repairs. The manufacturer was never notified by vic bailey Honda, nor did vic bailey Honda offer to notify manufacturer even when asked to do so by the owner, so owner will file complaint to manufacturer. Owner discovered NHTSA campaign number: 18V795000 (latches/locks/linkages) for the 2018 Honda Odyssey, which is likely associated with the 2016 Odyssey failure. …
The driver side automatic sliding passenger van door operated improperly - as the door was moving backward to open, our 3 year old granddaughter slipped and her head was lodged between the inside door frame and door the door lodged her head and stopped moving-backward, trapping her head, placing extreme pressure on her skull. We could not get the door to release for several minutes. She was screaming - causing her siblings much terror as we worked to free her from the entrapment. We were very fortunate that we were able to get her released. She was seen by her pediatrician immediately after her getting her out. I will send pictures. …
On September 12th 2019, around 11 pm I was driving approx 45mph on a road with no other cars in sight. It was one of the hottest days of the year with the heat index that day over 100 degrees f. While I was driving there was a loud explosion above my head. After recovering from the shock, I looked up and discovered that the sunroof had shattered completely (still together). I pulled over. There was no holes or nicks but a large outward protrusion as if the it exploded outward from the interior of the car. As I drove it home some of the top pieces of the crack eventually broke away forming a hole. The next morning I took it into the Honda dealership and they didn't even look at it but just claimed that a rock must have hit it. They told me the large upward protrusion was caused my driving wind after the crack had happened (but I pulled over instantly). …
Trying to get a major safety issue escalated as the dealers (took to two different dealers) don't seem to believe me that this is happening. I have a 2016 Honda Odyssey, bought used. The driver side power sliding door recently stopped opening properly and stops half way through opening on occasion. There is a fundamental programming issue that by-passes the safety pinch point feature when the door fails to open and the door automatically starts to close. The door starts to close and smashed my wife between the door and the frame of the van. The program should not by-pass the pinch point safety feature if it sees a door failure to open alarm. I tested the pinch point safety feature and it works perfectly when the door opens and closes properly. My vehicle is no longer under warranty, but this is a big safety concern as that could have been my kids getting smashed. …
Body complaints in other Odyssey years
Frequently asked questions
How common are body problems on the 2016 Honda Odyssey?
NHTSA has 25 complaints about the body & structure of the 2016 Honda Odyssey, 9% of the model year's 271 complaints. The component named most often is body (19 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2016 Honda Odyssey body problems?
No. NHTSA lists no body & structure recall for the 2016 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 2016 Honda Odyssey body problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 34,000 miles, and 13% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 1 crash, 0 fires and 2 injuries 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.