Is the 2011 Honda Odyssey a bad year?
235 owner complaints to NHTSA. Engine and transmission complaints are in line with other Odyssey years.
Keep it. You picked a good year.
Engine and transmission complaints for the 2011 Honda Odyssey are in line with other Odyssey years. Electrical system and brakes stand out for this year: see below.
5th quietest of 20 Odyssey years by owner complaints (years with 7+ years on the road).
The verdict moves with mileage: the same car reads differently at 30,000 and at 150,000 miles.
What 2011 Odyssey owners report, by mileage
Each system owners named in five or more complaints, with the mileage range where the middle half of those complaints were filed. Read at 2,000 miles.
| SYSTEM | COMPLAINTS | MIDDLE HALF FILED AT | TYPICAL US REPAIR BILLS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical systemSTANDS OUT | 66 (28%) | 1k–37k miles · around this mileage | 12-volt battery replacement $100–$400 · Starter motor replacement $350–$1,200 |
| BrakesSTANDS OUT | 44 (19%) | 18k–43k miles · ahead | Brake pad replacement (one axle) $115–$390 · Brake pads and rotors replacement (one axle) $200–$1,084 |
| Transmission and drivetrain | 19 (8%) | 1k–61k miles · around this mileage | CV axle / CV joint replacement (one side) $300–$1,500 · Automatic transmission replacement $2,500–$7,000 |
| Engine | 28 (12%) | 34k–112k miles · ahead | Valve cover gasket replacement $110–$500 · Timing chain replacement $1,000–$4,000 |
| Body structure | 20 (9%) | 48k–102k miles · ahead | — |
| Air bags | 11 (5%) | 42k–97k miles · ahead | — |
| Steering | 10 (4%) | 16k–62k miles · ahead | Steering rack and pinion replacement $700–$2,100 |
| Speed control | 6 (3%) | 19k–88k miles · ahead | — |
| Seats | 14 (6%) | too few with a mileage | — |
| Tires | 12 (5%) | too few with a mileage | — |
| Visibility and wipers | 10 (4%) | too few with a mileage | — |
| Seat belts | 6 (3%) | too few with a mileage | — |
Bills are typical US ranges from the sources named in the tool (J.D. Power, Kelley Blue Book, CarParts.com and others), printed only for systems that stand out or sit at or ahead of 2,000 miles. Not a quote.
What owners reported alongside their complaints
Of 235 complaints: 11 mention a crash · 2 mention a fire · 12 report an injury · 5 say the car was towed.
5 complaints were filed in the last 12 months, the newest in Oct 2026.
Counts of what owners wrote in their complaints, not verified by anyone.
Recalls for the 2011 Honda Odyssey: 5
The second row outboard seats can slide sideways to one of two positions. If a seat is placed between either of the two positions when attaching the seat to the vehicle floor, the seat will not latch properly to the seat striker, allowing the seat to tip forward unexpectedly during braking. If the seat tips forward during braking, it can increase the risk of injury.
The affected vehicles have second row outboard seats that have a release lever that allows the seats to move for easier access to the third row of seats. This release lever may remain in the unlocked position allowing the seats to move unexpectedly. An unlocked second row outboard seat increases the risk of injury to the seat occupant during a crash.
One or more rivets that attach the airbag module to the airbag cover may be missing. The absence of more than one rivet could alter the performance of the driver's airbag during deployment. This could potentially increase the risk of injury during a crash.
There is a potential failure with the driver and the front passenger door power windows in which the window may come off the track causing the window to become inoperative and preventing it from being rolled up or down or it could drop into the door. The window may shatter into the passenger cabin causing a risk of injury to the vehicle occupants.
If the front windshield wiper blades become frozen to the windshield and the wiper motor is switched on, one of the front windshield wiper linkage rods may bend or separate from the motor due to insufficient stiffness of the rod. The windshield wipers may fail to operate, decreasing the driver's visibility in adverse weather conditions increasing the risk of a crash.
A recall may cover only some cars of a model year; the campaign size counts every model and year it lists. Enter your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls: dealers fix open recalls free.
Service bulletins from Honda: 84
Repair instructions Honda sent its dealers for symptoms seen in the shop on the 2011 Honda Odyssey. Ask a dealer or mechanic for a bulletin by its number.
The front rocker arm oil control valve is leaking
The piston rings on certain cylinders may rotate and align which can lead to spark plug fouling
If the engine is overheating and there s engine oil mixed in the coolant reservoir, chances are the cylinder head may be cracked
Since the posting of service bulletin 16-066 for 2010 crosstour software update for lock-up function there has been a sharp rise in claims for torque converter…
NHTSA defect investigations: 1
Inadvertent Deployment of Air Bags
Neighbouring years
2010 Odyssey: 255 complaints, keep it, but watch the engine · 2012 Odyssey: 246 complaints, keep it.
Every Honda Odyssey year
2000 · 2001 · 2002 · 2003 · 2004 · 2005 · 2006 · 2007 · 2008 · 2009 · 2010 · 2011 · 2012 · 2013 · 2014 · 2015 · 2016 · 2017 · 2018 · 2019 · 2020 · 2021 · 2022 · 2023 · 2024 · 2025 · 2026 · All Odyssey years side by side
Other Honda models: Honda Accord · Honda Accord Hybrid · Honda CR-V · Honda CR-V Hybrid · Honda Civic · Honda Civic Hybrid · Honda Civic Si · Honda Clarity Plug-In Hybrid · Honda Crosstour · Honda Element · Honda Fit · Honda GL1800 · Honda HR-V · Honda Insight · Honda Passport · Honda Pilot · Honda Prologue · Honda Ridgeline · Honda VTX1300. All makes and models.
Questions
Is the 2011 Honda Odyssey a bad year?
235 owner complaints to NHTSA. Engine and transmission complaints are in line with other Odyssey years. At 2,000 miles the tool says: Keep it.
What are the most common problems with the 2011 Honda Odyssey?
By owner complaints to NHTSA: electrical system (66), brakes (44), transmission and drivetrain (19), engine (28), body structure (20).
How many recalls does the 2011 Honda Odyssey have?
5 recall campaigns list this model year: Seats (NHTSA 17V-725), Seats (NHTSA 16V-933), Air bags (NHTSA 13V-016), Visibility and wipers (NHTSA 11V-181) and more. A recall may cover only some cars; check by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Method: counts of unverified owner complaints filed with NHTSA, compared only with other years of the same model (sales volumes are unknown, so no failure rate is computed). A system stands out at 40+ complaints and at least twice the model's quiet (lower-quartile) year, or twice the share across every vehicle of that model year. The mileage range is the 25th to 75th percentile of the mileages owners reported. Data received by NHTSA through November 5, 2026. Repair prices are typical US ranges from named sources, not quotes. Not a diagnosis and not financial advice. PulsCar is not affiliated with NHTSA. Check this car at your own mileage.