Table 1 shows one common service brakes related problems of the 2026 Honda Odyssey.
| Problem Category | Number of Problems |
|---|---|
| Service Brakes problems |
On xxx my 2026 Honda Odyssey touring, bought new on xxx and driven about 6,000 miles, was stopped at a red light in [xxx], with auto idle stop engaged as designed. When the light turned green and I released the brake, the engine did not restart. The transmission shifted itself into park, and the display showed a message to hold the brake and press d to restart. I followed it, but the vehicle would not shift into drive. The only way to get moving was to turn the vehicle completely off and restart it with the start button, stopped in a live traffic lane while cars behind me honked. The vehicle was disabled without warning in a travel lane at an intersection, exposing its occupants to a rear-end collision. Had the same failure happened while I was turning or crossing an intersection, the vehicle would have been stranded in cross traffic. For about two before this, restarts from auto idle stop had become slow and labored, with a noticeable delay before the engine caught. No warning lights appeared before the failure. The failure appears to involve the auto idle stop restart system. The vehicle has not yet been inspected. It is scheduled for warranty diagnosis at a Honda dealer on xxx, and is available for inspection on request. I understand NHTSA’s engineering analysis ea25-004 covers this failure on 2018–2025 Odysseys; this 2026 model shows the same failure. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).
The contact owns a 2026 Honda Odyssey. The contact stated that while pulling halfway into a parking spot with her foot on the brake pedal, the vehicle suddenly accelerated, turning slightly right to miss a handicapped spot, crashed into a palm tree, and drove over rocks before the vehicle stopped. The vehicle went from 0 to 30 mph within seconds. The ignition was turned off during the failure. The driver’s side seat and top air bags deployed and struck the contact in the face, causing a burning of the face. There was smoke inside the vehicle. The driver was able to exit the vehicle. The contact sustained bruises. The driver's son was seated in the driver's side rear seat. The air pressure warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer for an oil change the day before the failure. The vehicle was towed to the residence and then later towed to a geico lot. The insurance company had inspected the vehicle. The vehicle was scheduled to go to a body shop for further inspection. A police report was filed. The failure mileage was approximately 6,338.
When I was driving, going about 45 mph, the emergency braking system beeped and breaks were engaged. Not to a complete stop but like a "break tap". Nothing was in front of beside our behind me. It was terrifying and I'm unsure why this happened. Please be advised, this can cause an accident.
I was driving down a 35mph road, the car in front of me slowed down, I was about 2 car lengths behind it. No notice, no warning, my Odyssey slammed on the brakes and brought me to an abrupt stop with no notice and no need. Everything in the van flew forward and in the floor. Luckily there was no one directly behind me. It gives me serious whiplash when this happens and it is uncalled for, the car in front of me did not stop it only slowed down, there was plenty of room between our vehicles (we were only going about 30 mph) and there was absolutely no warning- just bam! and my van was stopped in the middle of the road. Something needs to be done about this, someone is going to be killed! I took it to the dealer the last time and they said the van did not record it. So another easy out for Honda! and nothing they can do. . .
On November 12, I was on the highway in the right lane, there was a car about 4 car lengths ahead of me in my lane and the car in the middle lane was quite a distance ahead. Just as I got in the middle lane, boom! the vehicle's cmbs malfunctioned and slammed on the brakes - no warning, visual or audible, just came to an abrupt stop. Thank goodness no one was behind me or I would have been dead. It was an instant whiplash effect as well and then as I was then merging back into the right lane to exit the highway, it did it again! there were no cars anywhere near me as I had slowed down due to the trauma from the first braking malfunction and all the cars were quite a distance ahead and thank goodness there were no cars behind me. Then on November 25, the same thing happened again. Driving down the highway, no cars near and boom! I am brought to an abrupt stop in the middle of the highway! the cmbs malfunctioned again in the middle of the highway. I took it to the dealer and conveniently there were no codes so they said there was nothing they could do. Someone needs to do something about this! to answer your questions 1) cmbs system is malfunctioning and has been for quite some time on Honda vehicles 2) if there would have been a vehicle behind me, I most likely would have been killed. If my dogs would have been in the van, they would have been injured. It gave me whiplash 3) I took it in and they did nothing until I complained, then they kept it a second day and drove it and said it didn't do it. But they weren't even going to do anything until I pushed the issue. This is a known issue with Honda as I found out after it happened to me. 4) the dealer 5) absolutely no warnings before it happened.
Observed repeatedly while operating at highway/interstate cruising speed, with adaptive cruise engaged: any changes in road texture - concrete to blacktop, between different types of blacktop or concrete, separation joints, etc - such as when crossing a bridge, crossing state lines, entering open-road toll plazas, etc - results in a sharp lifting of the throttle and at times will also automatically engage the brakes. This results in rapidly and unexpectedly cutting speed by 10-15 mph before automatically resuming set speed 1-2 seconds later. This has resulted in trailing vehicles to think I am brake-checking them or otherwise caused them to abruptly brake or swerve out from behind me. It also can cause driver and occupants in the Odyssey to lurch forward and back unexpectedly - which has had a residual affect of unintended input on the steering wheel, cascading into unintended direction change and amplifying vehicle instability issues already introduced by the sudden speed change. There are multiple other owners of 2018+ Odysseys on the forum [xxx] which have reported similar situations. I have tried to encourage them to register their observations here. I believe this issue poses a significant risk to the operator and occupants, as well as surrounding motorists. Rental/fleet vehicles with drivers who are otherwise unfamiliar with the issue would be at exceptional risk. I have experienced this issue numerous times as I live near & frequent highways and interstates with these types of road conditions nearby. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).