Just when Honda was finally starting to think its airbag recall problems of the last decade were over, a new one has surfaced. Honda has just recalled 441,000 Odyssey minivans because of an issue that can make some of the bags deploy when they aren't supposed to. Investigation Goes Back Nine Years Honda This latest issue with Honda has been under investigation for several years. The initial report of a problem goes back to 2017, with investigations continuing into 2021. In late 2025, the NHTSA notified Honda that it was looking into reports of a problem, and that has led to the current recall.As a result of the investigation, Honda is recalling 440,830 Odyssey vans from model years 2018-2020. The problem is, according to official documents, that airbag programming "may cause inadvertent deployment when the vehicle encounters strong road impacts." What kind of road impacts can set off the side airbags and side curtain airbags? "Driving over potholes, speed bumps, or road debris," Honda says.Including the first report from 2017, Honda said that it has received 130 warranty claims regarding inadvertent airbag deployment. There have been 25 reports of injury from the airbags, though no reports of any deaths.In July 2021, the Japanese automaker's investigation concluded that "there were no safety concerns." Its investigation blamed "conditions such as poor road surfaces, driving over debris or undercarriage impacts," putting the issue on the driver and not the vehicle.The fix is new software for the SRS ECU, the computer that controls the Supplemental Restraint System (airbags). Honda dealers will reprogram or replace the module as needed. The update will change what Honda now calls "incorrect deployment parameters" for the side and side curtain airbags in the vans. As Many As 18 Recalls For This Generation Odyssey Honda Honda started letting its dealers know about the recall on April 10. Letters to owners are set to go out May 25, but any Odyssey owners can search for their VIN now either on Honda's website or with the NHTSA's Recall Database.This era of Odyssey has a high number of recalls, with the 2019 model year in particular having 18 safety campaigns. The issues include this most recent airbag issue, as well as campaigns involving rear view camera failures, engine failures, and even two to address sliding doors that could open while moving.For the last 12 years, Honda has also been dealing with the fallout from the Takata airbag recall. While more than 67 million vehicles across the industry have been affected by the recall of defective Takata airbags, Honda has been one of the most heavily involved.Honda has been the most aggressive company about the issue and about getting customer vehicles fixed, and was one of the first to bring the issue to light. The airbags could rupture and fire shrapnel at the driver or front passenger, which has resulted in numerous deaths.
