Subject: Airbag Deployment After Recall Repair - 2018 Honda Odyssey My 2018 Honda Odyssey received the Honda airbag recall repair in XXX. After the recall remedy was completed, the driver's side by side curtain airbags deployed unexpectedly while I was driving. At the time of the incident, I struck a curb at approximately 25-30 mph. However, there was no collision involving another vehicle, object, or side-impact event, and there was no contact with the vehicle's bumper or body. The tire was not damaged. Fortunately, I was the sole occupant of the vehicle, and no children were present. Despite the absence of what I believe would be a qualifying side-impact collision, the driver's side curtain and side airbags deployed. I am reporting this incident because it occurred after the manufacturer's recall repair had already been performed. I will also provide the inspection report from Firestone, which indicates that the front passenger-side wheel alignment was affected as a result of the curb impact. I respectfully request that Honda investigate this incident, review any available SRS (airbag system) diagnostic data, and determine whether the airbag deployment was related to the previously recalled condition or another defect. Please advise if any additional information or documentation is needed. Thank you for your attention to this matter. Sincerely, [XXX] [XXX] [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
2018 Honda Odyssey: airbag warning light
8 of the 1,016 complaints about the 2018 Honda Odyssey describe airbag warning light.
- owner complaints
- 8
- of this car's complaints
- 1%
- recalls
- 2
Airbag warning light by model year
What owners say
COMPONENT THAT FAILED & AVAILABILITY: The vehicle's primary electrical architecture and data communications network (CAN bus) failed during a safety recall service for the SRS ECU and rearview camera. After attempting to complete the recall work, the vehicle is no longer able to start. SAFETY RISK: The manufacturer's federally mandated safety recall remedy compromised the vehicle's critical safety and control infrastructure. This rendered a previously reliable family vehicle entirely inoperable, destroying its ability to communicate, start, or turn on. It poses a systemic safety risk if the corporate recall procedure itself causes severe electronic failures in consumer vehicles. REPRODUCTION & DEALER CONFIRMATION: Yes. The failure was induced directly by Williams Honda ([XXX]) during service on Thursday, XXX. The dealership's Service Manager explicitly confirmed to me that their technicians compromised the electrical architecture while performing the SRS ECU and rearview camera recall work. The vehicle has remained dead at their facility ever since. INSPECTION BY OTHERS: The vehicle has been actively inspected by dealership technicians in coordination with Honda Engineering headquarters. It has not been inspected by police or insurance representatives, as no crash occurred. I have requested an inspection by a Honda Corporate Field Technical Specialist (FTS). WARNING LAMPS & PRIOR SYMPTOMS:NONE. Prior to this appointment, the vehicle was in perfect electrical and mechanical working order. There were absolutely no warning lamps, messages, or symptoms of any starting or electrical problems. The vehicle had just safely completed a seven-hour road trip immediately prior to being dropped off for the recall work. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
All warning lights began flashing after a SRS recall fix at Honda of Joliet, Illinois. Dealer wanted to do a in depth vehicle scan for $279. I brought it to an independent care repair shop where they did the scan for $199. They found engine damage per attached report. My vehicle’s VIN was not included in the initial recall for the same problem for the same vehicle, year, and engine type. Contacted Honda Customer service a more or less ‘good luck’ response.
On April 20, 2026, at approximately 12:00 pm. I was driving my 2018 Honda Odyssey (VIN [XXX] ) southbound on [XXX] , approximately 3 miles north of the junction of [XXX] and [XXX] . I was traveling at approximately 30 mph. The vehicle struck a pothole in the road. Immediately upon impact, the passenger-side curtain airbag deployed with a loud report that I described as sounding like a gunshot next to my right ear. There was no collision with another vehicle or object, and no warning of any kind preceded the deployment. I was startled by the sudden deployment and noise, and the vehicle briefly swerved before I regained control. The deployed passenger-side curtain airbag completely obstructed my visibility through the passenger-side and right-rear windows. The road at that location runs along a narrow embankment with no shoulder, so I was unable to safely pull over. I had to continue driving approximately 3 to 4 miles with severely compromised visibility until I reached a safe location to park near the 9W and 340 junction. I was the sole occupant at the time of the incident. The curtain airbag deployed directly adjacent to my child’s car seat, which was installed in the rear passenger-side seat. My child was not in the vehicle at the time. Given the force and location of the deployment, a child seated in that position could have been seriously injured. Following the deployment, I experienced ringing in my right ear and ear pain that persisted for several hours. I was also significantly shaken by the incident. Component that failed: Supplemental Restraint System (SRS) Electronic Control Unit (ECU), which caused inadvertent deployment of the passenger-side curtain airbag. The vehicle and deployed airbag are available for inspection. Safety risk: The inadvertent deployment created multiple safety hazards. First, the deployment itself startled me and caused the vehicle to swerve at 30 mph on INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
During a side impact accident to the driver's side door, the SRS airbag system did not deploy the airbags. Driver ended up hitting their head and shoulder on the door frame. Police report does exist for the accident and there was no recall on this part for this vehicle but for the next model year, there was a recall for the SRS control system for a few vehicles.
While driving certainly Air bag SRS problem information came up on the dashboard and never went away during my four hours of driving. I know this is a safety issue and so many accident happened before for failure of the air bags and people died. I though I should inform to the federal safety agency about this safety issue. I contacted the dealer and take my car to check this problem.
The contact owns a 2018 Honda Odyssey. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the front passenger’s and rear passenger’s side air bags deployed without a crash or an impact. The contact stated that the front passenger’s seat and rear passenger’s seat were damaged due to the air bags deploying. The air bag warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but offered no assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 103,000.
The air bag light came up on 7/13/21 because according to the owner’s manual this is a warning and it can be a tragically event. I was afraid that if an incident happened my family would be in danger. I took the van to the Honda dealer it has 59,000 miles and I was told the I need to replace passenger seat weight sensor assembly (seat rail with sensor) part #81201-THR-A01. I asked told them that this might be a manufacturer’s problem because when I turn on the van the light was already on. I purchased the extended warranty and this vehicle was certified and we have to pay for the repair and labor. Because I was told this is not covered under any warranty which in my opinion since this is a safety feature should be covered.
Related recalls
Air bags: sensor: occupant classification: front passenger
- What is wrong
- Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2018-2021, 2023 Acura TLX, 2019-2024 RDX, 2017-2020, 2022-2026 MDX, 2017-2021, 2023, 2025 Honda Ridgeline, 2017-2022 Pilot, 2019-2021 Passport, 2018-2026 Odyssey, 2019-2022 Insight, 2019-2021 HR-V, 2018-2020 Fit, 2020-2022 CR-V Hybrid, 2017-2022 CR-V, 2017-2018, 2021 Civic Type R, 2017-2021 Civic hatchback, 2016-2020 Civic coupe, 2016-2022 Civic, 2017-2022 Accord Hybrid, and 2016-2022 Accord vehicles. The front passenger seat weight sensor may crack and short circuit, which can cause the air bags to deploy unintentionally during a crash.
- Risk
- Air bags that deploy unintentionally during a crash increase the risk of injury.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace the seat weight sensors, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 7, 2026. Owners may contact Honda's customer service at 1‑888‑234‑2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are BOL, WO9, OOA, WOM, XOH, NOC, POD, BOE, UOF, POB, EOG, AOI, QO8, TOJ, DO7, and SOK. This recall expands previous the federal safety agency recall number 24V064. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will be searchable on beginning May 29, 2026.
Recall number 26V332000 · Recall details
Air bags: air bag/restraint control module: software
- What is wrong
- Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2018-2022 Odyssey vehicles. A software programming error can cause the side and side curtain air bags to deploy unexpectedly.
- Risk
- Air bags that deploy unexpectedly can increase the risk of injury.
- Remedy
- Dealers will reprogram the supplemental restraint system (SRS) electronic control unit (ECU) software or replace the ECU, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed May 27, 2026. Owners may contact Honda's customer service at 1‑888‑234‑2138. Honda's number for this recall is UNW. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will become searchable on beginning April 16, 2026. The information in your report suggests that Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) may have been aware of this issue more than five business days before filing a report with the federal safety agency. Please be reminded that under Federal law, this agency is to be notified of all safety defect and/or noncompliance decisions within five business days. 49 CFR 573.6 Significant civil penalties can be assessed for this violation.
Recall number 26V227000 · Recall details
Questions about the 2018 Honda Odyssey airbag light
Is airbag warning light a common problem on the 2018 Honda Odyssey?
8 of 1,016 owner complaints about the 2018 Honda Odyssey (1%) mention airbag warning light. The model year with the most reports is 2002.
Is there a recall or service bulletin for this on the 2018 Honda Odyssey?
There are 2 recalls and 0 service bulletins for the same area of the car. Check them below with your VIN.
Other symptoms on the 2018 Honda Odyssey
Collision warning 126Lane assist 117Adaptive cruise 113Stalling 91Knocking 65Hesitation 59Engine failure 55Check engine light 52Jerking 48Headlights 46Backup camera 42Fuel pump 42Warning lights 41Loss of power 37Water leak 31Door locks 27Transmission failure 27Won't shift 20Won't start 19Harsh shifting 13Screen failure 13Overheating 13Key fob 11Battery drain 10Grinding brakes 10Fire or smoke 8Seat belt 8Shudder 7Slipping 7Sunroof shattered 7Misfire 6Start-stop 6Power steering loss 5
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