Honda Odyssey EX-L. Vehicle was showing tailgate issues starting around 30,000 miles. Dashboard will sometimes say "Power Tail Gate Problem". When opening the power tailgate the vehicle will beep and refuse to open. Other times, the tail gate will open on it's own without any input. Upon looking into the electrical wiring on the driver's side trunk compartment, the 74970-THR-A12 2018-2024 Honda Odyssey Control Unit Power Tailgate was completely soaked with water and showed signs of corrosion. Suspected issue: Due to rain or car washing, water leaks into that compartment somehow and into the control unit and causing corrosion. Many users online are reporting this issue, suspecting leakage from the C pillar.
2019 Honda Odyssey: water leaks into the cabin
19 of the 1,005 complaints about the 2019 Honda Odyssey describe water leaks into the cabin.
- owner complaints
- 19
- of this car's complaints
- 2%
- recalls
- 0
Is there a fix? 32 service bulletins cover this area of the car. See below
Water leaks into the cabin by model year
What owners say
Water entered rear panel causing tailgate control module to get wet and stop working. This caused my tailgate to have no power and unable to close due to the latch being stuck in a closed position. Door was open unable to latch closed while I had to drive the vehicle to a mechanic.
The rear portion of the vehicle is leaking water through the seams and cause major issues to the power tailgate control module. Water is infiltrating through either the seams of the trunk or side panels and right onto the module that controls the power tailgate. I’ve replaced the module at 95,000 miles, and now within 4000 miles is having the exact same issue. I can see water leaking inside right onto the electrical components that are behind the drivers side rear panel.
Improper seal on the seam (?) above let water leak into my power tailgate control module. It caused all the dash lights to sporadically rapidly flash, told me I have a transmission problem and my blind spot warning didn’t work right. Pulled out the tailgate module to find water in the module with a failed circuit board. Also wires leading into the module were wet
Power Tailgate Problem is going off repeatedly while car is on. Power tailgate does not open with remote or button inside car. There seems to be water leaking in tailgate seams. The constant beeping of problem popping up is startling and distracting to driver.
Water intrusion from driver side roof rack seal caused water entering the vehicle. Trunk underneath carpet wet. Power Tailgate stopped working and it was identified that the ECU (control unit) part number 74970-THR-A12 located behind the rear driver side trunk trim got water into it and corroded. Need to be replaced. Roof need to be re sealed. Further damage/corrosion from water which already was entering the vehicle unknown at this point.
The power tail gate stopped working on 1/28/2025. After diagnosis the power tail gate and it's controls on passenger side rear control panel it is observed that there is water on the controls module. Part 74970-THR-A12Control Module for tailgate has been taken out and found that the water coming though it's sockets. The $200 new control module will temporarily fix the issue but the defective rear body seam seals made of polyurethane that allow water to leak into the rear driver’s side panels can cause the following issues. The tailgate opens and closes at random, The tailgate stays open or fails to close, Tailgate short circuits and causes a fire, Water leaks cause mold and rusting. I request Honda to take responsibility of the issue and fix the problem making sure it meet the safety standards.
I have had the trunk struts and power module replaced twice due to water leaks into the compute module of my trunk. It has cost me headaches and thousand of dollars to have it fixed. This issue should be recalled to fix and for a reseal of the trunk. My dash has a power lift gate error show up and will not open anymore. Also it will not stay open as well and slowly just close itself.
Leak in roof rail seam causes interior water leak and fried liftgate opener. Known issue manufacturer is not willing to address. Recent class action: [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
The Tailgate Control Module failed on three different occasion on my 2019 Honda Odyssey mini van causing the tailgate to fail to be opened by fob or manually. This was caused by water leaking through the roof rail where there was a failure by the manufacturer to properly seal the area between the roof and body.I have two of the failed TCMs in my possession.On 2 different occasions the tailgate flew opened as I was driving at approximately 55 mph.At that time the tailgate could not be closed entirely and caused my battery to run down entirely.The problem has been confirmed by the local Honda dealership and another independent service center.A warning and beeping noice came on as the first sign of the problem.I have photos of the crack and what was done to try to remediate the problem.This problem has been recognized and occurred to many other owners of 2018 - present day Honda Odyssey mini vans.
It is very common problem with 2018-2023 honda odyssey. Water leaks inside from the seam crack under roof drip trim. This water is dripping right on the tailgate control electronic module. And module is short circuit and dead. Now tailgate is either stays locked or stays open all the time as the latch is not operating at all. This is safety issue as if tail gate is not latched properly it can be open while driving on the road. Also with water leaking inside in trunk area it's a issue with growing mold under the carpet. It shows error message on instrument panel about trouble with tailgate system.
A water leak has ruined TWO power liftgate control modules. The water leak probably comes from the roof or driver rear window welds. I replaced one module two months ago and the new one has also malfunctioned due to water intrusion. This causes the liftgate to be stuck open or closed and could potentially open when driving!
Service bulletins that may apply
Related recalls
No recalls on record for this model year.
Questions about the 2019 Honda Odyssey water leak
Is water leaks into the cabin a common problem on the 2019 Honda Odyssey?
19 of 1,005 owner complaints about the 2019 Honda Odyssey (2%) mention water leaks into the cabin. The model year with the most reports is 2018.
Is there a recall or service bulletin for this on the 2019 Honda Odyssey?
There are 0 recalls and 32 service bulletins for the same area of the car. Check them below with your VIN.
Other symptoms on the 2019 Honda Odyssey
Adaptive cruise 125Lane assist 121Collision warning 119Stalling 82Headlights 68Hesitation 64Fuel pump 55Backup camera 43Check engine light 42Jerking 42Warning lights 36Loss of power 33Harsh shifting 28Knocking 25Transmission failure 24Engine failure 22Door locks 19Overheating 16Screen failure 15Won't start 14Won't shift 13Grinding brakes 11Airbag light 10Misfire 10Battery drain 9Slipping 9Sudden acceleration 9Fire or smoke 8ABS 7Coil spring 7Seat belt 6Phantom braking 5Start-stop 5Sunroof shattered 5Wipers 5
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