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2021 Honda Odyssey: false forward collision warnings

6 of the 148 complaints about the 2021 Honda Odyssey describe false forward collision warnings.

owner complaints
6
of this car's complaints
4%
recalls
1
Is there a fix? There is 1 recall for this area of the car. See below

False forward collision warnings by model year

What owners say

Filed Jun 30, 2025 · Driver assistance, Electrical · TX

2021 Odyssey EXL the Electric parking brake 'issue' warning comes on while driving and collision mitigation warning / lane assist switches off and flashes in console; when this happens the car continues to run but the dashboard warning lights comes up for Parking brake / Collision Warning and or Lane assist. It gets cleared after I turn on/off the car couple of times and drive for approximately 5 miles. Those features had to be turned on manually, once the car is in parked mode, again. The issue started in the car at around 48K miles. Never had any issue with it before that.

Filed Aug 30, 2024 · Driver assistance · NY

After a slight rain, the error of Radar Obstructed is being displayed. Can’t get this error removed or fixed. After searching more I found out that: 1. Honda has a defective design in the Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) of all Honda Odysseys, models 2018-2023. 2. Namely, Honda has placed the RADAR behind the large HONDA emblem on the front grille. This causes the radar to give a "RADAR OBSTRUCTED" warning, which disables all Advanced Driver Assistance Systems in the car (Automatic Emergency Braking, Adaptive Cruise Control, Forward Collision Warning). 3. The "RADAR OBSTRUCTED" warning cannot be reset by restarting the vehicle or disconnecting the battery, requiring recalibration of the RADAR at the cost of $800 each time since it takes several hours to do (per Dealership). 4. The official Honda Odyssey Forum online has countless complaints on the same issue without resolution by Honda. 5. Honda has acted in bad-faith towards their customers since this defect impacts the vehicle's advanced safety features for which buyers incur additional expenses, endangering the lives of passengers. 6. Honda has acted in bad-faith towards their customers by designing a system that requires continuous and substantial expenditures without resolution because it is an engineering problem, i.e., the placement of the radar behind the large, thick plastic H emblem obstructs the radar. 7. I hereby ask that the federal safety agency investigate this issue and order Honda to offer a solution in the form of a RECALL that permanently addresses the problem.

Filed Apr 12, 2024 · Driver assistance · NY

I am writing to urgently bring to your attention a critical issue plaguing the driver assist systems in Honda Odyssey 2018+ vehicles. Despite meticulous maintenance and adherence to manufacturer guidelines, I have encountered a persistent and alarming problem that appears to affect numerous other vehicle owners, as evidenced by online forums and discussions. The issue initially arose during a rainstorm, where I received a warning message stating, "Some Driver Assist Systems Cannot Operate: Radar Obstructed." Despite the weather clearing and thorough cleaning of both the sensors and the windshield camera, the warning persisted. Subsequently, a series of related problems emerged, including: Illumination of the BRAKE SYSTEM LIGHT Malfunctioning adaptive cruise control Faulty collision mitigation system Inoperative road departure mitigation system These errors not only pose a significant safety risk to myself and others on the road but also indicate a systemic issue with the vehicle's safety systems. As my vehicle is just past the three-year mark and out of warranty, I am apprehensive about incurring substantial costs for dealership repairs, especially considering the widespread nature of these complaints among Honda Odyssey owners. Extensive research reveals that I am not alone in experiencing these issues. Multiple reports and discussions online highlight similar complaints from other Honda Odyssey 2018+ owners, particularly following exposure to adverse weather conditions. Therefore, I implore the federal safety agency to conduct a thorough investigation into this matter. It is crucial to identify the underlying cause of these recurring issues and hold the manufacturer accountable for any design flaws or defects contributing to the malfunction of critical safety systems. Furthermore, I urge the federal safety agency to prioritize public safety and take immediate action to ensure affected vehicles are promptly recalled or repaired to prevent further incident

Filed Aug 8, 2023 · Driver assistance · IN

While driving in highway construction zones the car's lane departure system attempted to steer the car along lane markings set before the construction zone was established. In several instances this caused my car to steer, contrary to my steering input, towards Jersey barriers and dangerously close to a collision. The car's collision warning and automatic braking systems then engaged and applied the brakes regardless of following traffic. After the first instance, luckily in light traffic, I became aware of this issue and aware of how to quickly defeat these safety systems. After several additional instances, some in traffic at highway speed, I determined the lane departure system was more dangerous than helpful and I suspended it by a simple dashboard procedure. I am now able to negotiate construction zones without issue.

Filed Jun 5, 2023 · Driver assistance · MA

While driving on a straight, wide open road at approximately 45mph with no vehicle in any close proximity in front, the forward Collision Mitigation Braking System alarmed and activated and strongly braked, slowing the car quickly down to about 20mph before releasing. Fortunately, there was no one behind me to react to the unexpected slowing down of my car. There was no apparent reason why this should have activated. The CMBS has activated previously in other non-threatening situations but there was usually a condition where you could justify why it made a mistake, such as being in the left lane of a two lane road which curves to the left and a car in the right lane slows to turn right, my car thinks it is in front of me when it is not. Still, these situations result in a danger of getting hit from behind.

Filed May 23, 2022 · Driver assistance · VA

On numerous occasions the forward collision warning has caused hard braking when there is nothing close in front of me. I fear that a close following vehicle will hit me when this occurs. This has not caused an accident yet, but the following vehicle driver must think that I'm a terrible driver for unnecessarily hitting my brakes.

Related recalls

Back over prevention: display functionReported June 15, 2023 · 1,209,673 vehicles affected
What is wrong
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2018-2023 Odyssey, 2019-2022 Pilot, and 2019-2023 Passport vehicles. Due to a faulty Media Oriented Systems Transport (MOST) communication coaxial cable connector, the rearview camera image may not appear on the display. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 111, "Rear Visibility."
Risk
A rearview camera that does not display an image can reduce the driver's rear view, increasing the risk of a crash or injury.
Remedy
Dealers will replace the MOST cable harness and install a straightening cover over the vehicle cable connector, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 24, 2023. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1‑888‑234‑2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are EEL, ZEM, and SFC.

Recall number 23V431000 · Recall details

Questions about the 2021 Honda Odyssey collision warning

Is false forward collision warnings a common problem on the 2021 Honda Odyssey?

6 of 148 owner complaints about the 2021 Honda Odyssey (4%) mention false forward collision warnings. The model year with the most reports is 2018.

Is there a recall or service bulletin for this on the 2021 Honda Odyssey?

There is 1 recall and 0 service bulletins for the same area of the car. Check them below with your VIN.

Other symptoms on the 2021 Honda Odyssey

Backup camera 10Stalling 10Water leak 8Loss of power 7Screen failure 6Key fob 5Start-stop 5Won't start 5

All model years of the Honda Odyssey

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