I was driving on a parkway with my children aged [XXX] & [XXX]. No warning lamps or messages were present at any point before this incident: While driving straight ahead on the parkway my vehicle drove over a pothole causing the side airbags to deploy without warning. I immediately felt a burning sensation on my left arm & abdominal pain. My seatbelt had locked tightly, impairing mobility & making it difficult to view and judge the speed of other vehicles around me, thus making exiting the parkway difficult & dangerous. Upon stopping the vehicle I observed the left side curtain airbag & the driver's seat side airbag had deployed. My daughter and I, who are both asthmatic, had difficulty breathing as a result of the expelled airbag gas. My son, seated next to the airbag, suffered pain in his ears and tinnitus from the noise of the airbags. Upon inspecting the exterior of vehicle I observed no damage consequential to driving over the pothole. Inside the vehicle, a quick inspection revealed a damaged headliner from the side curtain airbag, a damaged driver seat from its airbag, & a driver's side seatbelt that would not retract or extend. I did not inspect other seatbelts. Front airbags did Not deploy. NYPD responded but did not take a report. The vehicle is now at a Honda Service department, Honda case#XXX. Presently, the case has been reviewed by a Honda case manager who refused repair for the damage resulting from this incident, in spite of an active recall addressing this issue. [MFR RECALL NO: UNW, the federal safety agency RECALL NO.:26V227- side & side curtain airbags INADVERTENTLY DEPLOY WHEN THE VEHICLE ENCOUNTERS STRONG ROAD IMPACTS SUCH AS POTHOLES]. I received no recall notice prior to this incident. I discovered the recall through my own research after this incident. I have no information on what if anything Honda has done to test or inspect any supplemental restraint system or airbag system components. Please see attached photos. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Honda Odyssey no deployment problems
123 of the 12,943 owner complaints about the Honda Odyssey describe airbags did not deploy in a crash, most of them for the 2002 model year.
- owner complaints
- 123
- worst model year
- 2002
- typical mileage
- 80,000
By model year
Often reported together
Airbag light 13Sudden acceleration 7Seat belt 7Brake failure 4Fire or smoke 3ABS 3Stalling 2Spongy pedal 2
What owners say
2015 Honda Odyssey Touring Elite, VIN [XXX]. Vehicle was involved in a frontal collision on XXX. The driver's frontal airbag did not deploy. During the impact, I was thrown forward and struck the steering wheel. Additionally, a side/sliding door opened during the collision. The door was closed before the collision. I am concerned about possible failures of the supplemental restraint system and door-latching system. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
The contact owns a 2015 Honda Odyssey. The contact's stated while her husband was driving 25-30 MPH, occupied with her their two children, he was attempting to make a right turn and he got distracted due to a medical emergency with one of the daughter 's having a seizure in the right rear driver side of the vehicle and then the vehicle collided with the curb causing the vehicle to crash into a mailbox, two trees and a light pole. The contact stated that no air bags deployed in the vehicle. The contact stated no injuries. No medical attention was required. The contact stated that a police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to contact residence and the next day will be towed to a collision center. The contact stated that the failure was not diagnosed by a dealer or independent mechanic. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed her there were no recalls on her vehicle. The approximate failure mileage was 178,581.
The contact owns a 2019 Honda Odyssey. The contact stated that while driving at 25-30 MPH on an icy road surface, the vehicle spun uncontrollably and crashed into a tree on the side of the road. The air bags failed to deploy. There was no warning light illuminated before or after the crash. The police officers arrived at the scene, but it was unknown whether a police report was filed. An ambulance transported the contact to the hospital, where it was confirmed that no serious injury was sustained. The contact sustained body soreness and a bruise on the chest from the seat belt. The vehicle was towed to a tow yard and then towed to an auto collision repair shop, where it was being repaired. The dealer was not contacted. The contact related the failure to the federal safety agency Campaign Number:Â 18V664000(Seat Belts, Air Bags). The manufacturer was contacted, but the contact only interacted with the automated system. The failure mileage was approximately 74,277.
Side airbags deployed while driving down road at about 35 mph hitting a minor bump in road. Air bags deployment while the car is in motion during safe driving conditions is a distraction to the driver and harms the passengers who are in the vehicle who if the airbags did not deploy would have remained safe since no collision was experienced. Took vehicle to Honda dealership- who stated airbags worked as intended and we needed to file a collision claim with insurance- despite no collision taking place and no other damage to the car i.e. no bent rim or flat tire/tire damage. Just saw article stating our scenario was not unique to our make/model of van.
The contact owns a 2019 Honda Odyssey. The contact stated that while her son was driving at 70 MPH, he crashed into a deer. The air bags did not deploy. After investigation, the contact linked the failure to the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 24V064000 (Air Bags). A police report was filed. There was no reported fire. The driver struck his head on the steering wheel and sustained head injuries, and medical attention was provided on the military base. While driving, the vehicle stalled at the entrance of the military base. The vehicle was towed to an auto body repair facility. The vehicle was being recalibrated. The air bag light was illuminated. The mechanic determined there was an issue with the seat belt pretensioner. The mechanic determined that the air bag sensor was not hit during the crash. The contact called the local dealer, who confirmed there were no recalls. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified. The failure mileage was approximately 77,000. The VIN was not available.
On Saturday, May 24, 2025. I had my foot on the break as I was turning into the driveway of the building. Suddenly the car engine reved and the car acceletated toward the building wall. As this was happening I began to pump on the break and the car only stopped because it it hit the curb. This cause my passenger and me to lunge forward. My passenger hurt their wrist putting their hands on the dash as they braced for impact and I hit my forehead on the stearing wheel. . The airbags did not deploy. My cars front bumper was pushed in at the bottom and out on the right side. Thank God there was no one walking on the side walk,. The car could have crashed iinto a person or the building. There were no warning indicators .There was no police called since no one was seriously injured and the only damage done was to my car. I then carfully and slowly drove the car home and parked it. I had to wait till Tuesday to take the car to the mechanic. He kept it for 2 days and could not find anything wrong. This was very scary and I am afraid the continue driving this car. This had never happenef before. I would like the car checked for any recalls and inspected by the dealer.
The contact owns a 2015 Honda Odyssey. The contact stated that while pulling out of the parking space, the vehicle RPM had increased while the brake pedal had been depressed. As a result, the vehicle crashed into another vehicle in the lot. The rpm had continued to increase even with the vehicle being in the park position. The air bags did not deploy. No warning light was illuminated. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to an auto collision center. The driver was injured. No one outside of the vehicle was injured. The contact sustained back, neck, pelvic, and head inquiries that required medical attention. The doctor provided shots and medicine for the pain. The vehicle had not been diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 159,000. VIN not provided.
The contact owned a 2001 Honda Odyssey. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 30 MPH, she was blinded by sun glare and crashed into the back of a maintenance trailer. The air bags failed to deploy. The contact had sustained a mild head injury. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to a tow yard and deemed totaled. The VIN was included in the federal safety agency Campaign Number:Â 20V027000 (Air Bags). The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.
The contact owns a 2013 Honda Odyssey. The contact stated that while her husband was driving approximately 25 - 30 mph when another vehicle was coming towards him. To avoid a crash the driver turned the vehicle but ended up crashing into the curb in the middle of the road. The contact stated that the vehicle's front end was severely damaged and the tires blew out. The air bags failed to deploy. There was no police report. The driver had no injuries and no medical attention was needed. The vehicle was towed to the dealer who diagnosed that the seat belt, sensors, and air bag needed to be replaced. The vehicle had been repaired for the exterior damage, however the air bag failure was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 81,000.
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
Air bags: sensor: occupant classification: front passenger
- What is wrong
- Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Pilot, Accord, Civic sedan, HR-V, Odyssey, 2020 Civic coupe, Fit, 2021-2022 Civic hatchback, 2021 Civic Type R, Insight, 2020-2021 CR-V, CR-V Hybrid, Passport, Ridgeline, Accord Hybrid, 2020 Acura MDX, 2022 Acura MDX, 2020-2022 Acura RDX, and 2020-2021 Acura TLX vehicles. The front passenger seat weight sensor may crack and short circuit, failing to suppress the air bag as intended.
- Risk
- An air bag that deploys unintentionally during a crash can increase the risk of injury.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace the seat weight sensors, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 28, 2024. This is a phased recall. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1‑888‑234‑2138. Honda's numbers for these recalls are XHP and VHQ.
Recall number 24V064000 · Recall details
Air bags: frontal: driver side: inflator module
- What is wrong
- Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2001-2002 Acura 3.2CL, 2000-2003 Acura 3.5RL, 2000-2001 Acura 3.2TL, Honda CR-V and Honda Odyssey, 2001-2002 Acura MDX and 2000 Accord Coupe, Accord Sedan, Civic Coupe, and Civic Sedan vehicles. These vehicles may have received a replacement driver frontal air bag module as part of a vehicle repair. Due to a manufacturing issue, the replacement NADI inflator may absorb moisture, causing the inflator to rupture or the air bag cushion to underinflate.
- Risk
- In the event of a crash necessitating air bag deployment, an inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants. An underinflated air bag cushion may not properly protect the occupant. These scenarios increase the risk of serious injury or death.
- Remedy
- Honda will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the air bags in the vehicles, replacing the driver frontal air bag inflator with an inflator of a different design, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began October 1, 2020. Owners may contact American Honda's Customer Support & Campaign Center at 1‑888‑234‑2138.
Recall number 20V027000 · Recall details
Air bags: frontal: driver side: inflator module
- What is wrong
- Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 1998 Acura 2.2CL, 1998-1999 Acura 2.3CL, 1998-1999 Acura 3.0CL, 2001 Acura 3.2CL and Acura MDX, 1998-2000 Honda Accord Coupe, Accord Sedan, Civic Sedan, Odyssey and Acura 3.5RL, 1999-2000 Acura 3.2TL, 1996-2000 Civic Coupe, 1997-2000 CR-V, 1997-1998 EV Plus, and 1998-1999 Isuzu Oasis vehicles. These vehicles were equipped with Non-Azide Driver air bag Inflators (NADI) and do not contain phase stabilized ammonium nitrate (PSAN) propellant. Due to a manufacturing issue, the NADI inflators may absorb moisture, causing the inflators to rupture or the air bag cushion to underinflate.
- Risk
- In the event of a crash necessitating air bag deployment, an inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants. An underinflated air bag cushion may not properly protect the occupant. These scenarios increase the risk of serious injury or death.
- Remedy
- Honda will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the driver frontal air bag inflator, and replace it if necessary, with an inflator of a different design, free of charge. The recall began October 1, 2020. Owners may contact American Honda's Customer Support & Campaign Center at 1‑888‑234‑2138 or Isuzu customer service at 1‑800‑255‑6727.
Recall number 20V026000 · Recall details
Air bags: frontal: passenger side: inflator module
- What is wrong
- Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2003-2006 Acura MDX, 2005-2012 RL, 2003-2007 Honda Accord, 2001-2005 Civic, 2003-2005 Civic Hybrid, 2001-2005 Civic GX NGV, 2002-2006 CR-V, 2003-2011 Element, 2007-2008 Fit, 2002-2004 Odyssey, 2003-2008 Pilot, and 2006-2014 Ridgeline vehicles. The vehicles are equipped with passenger frontal air bag inflators assembled as a recall remedy part or replacement service part, that may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, temperature and temperature cycling.
- Risk
- An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
- Remedy
- Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal airbag inflator, free of charge. The recall began August 12, 2019. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1‑888‑234‑2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are E5D and X5C.
Recall number 19V501000 · Recall details
Air bags: frontal: driver side: inflator module
- What is wrong
- Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2003 Acura 3.2CL, 2002-2003 3.2TL, 2003-2006 MDX, 2001-2007 Honda Accord, 2001-2005 Civic, 2003-2005 Civic Hybrid, 2001-2005 Civic GX NGV, 2002-2006 CR-V, 2003-2011 Element, 2002-2004 Odyssey, 2003-2008 Pilot and 2006 Ridgeline vehicles. These vehicles are equipped with driver frontal air bag inflators assembled as a recall remedy part or replacement service part, that may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, temperature and temperature cycling.
- Risk
- An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
- Remedy
- Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver frontal air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began August 12, 2019. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1‑888‑234‑2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are Q5A and Y58.
Recall number 19V499000 · Recall details
Air bags: frontal: driver side: inflator module
- What is wrong
- Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling specific 2003 Acura 3.2CL, 2013-2016 ILX, 2013-2014 ILX Hybrid, 2003-2006 MDX, 2007-2016 RDX, 2002-2003 3.2TL, 2004-2006, and 2009-2014 TL, 2010-2013 ZDX and 2001-2007 and 2009 Honda Accord, 2001-2005 Civic, 2003-2005 Civic Hybrid, 2001-2005 Civic GX NGV, 2002-2007 and 2010-2011 CR-V, 2003-2011 Element, 2007 Fit, 2002-2004 Odyssey, 2003-2008 Pilot, and 2006-2014 Ridgeline vehicles. The affected vehicles received a replacement driver air bag inflator as part of a previous Takata inflator recall remedy or a replacement driver air bag module containing the same inflator type as a service part. Due to a manufacturing error, in the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver frontal air bag, these inflators may explode.
- Risk
- An explosion of an inflator within the driver frontal air bag module may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver, front seat passenger or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
- Remedy
- Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver's air bag inflator with an alternate inflator, free of charge. The recall began April 10, 2019. Honda owners may contact customer service at 1‑888‑234‑2138. Honda's number for this recall is O41. Acura owners may contact customer service at 1‑888‑234‑2138. Acura's number for this recall is U40.
Recall number 19V182000 · Recall details
Air bags: air bag/restraint control module
- What is wrong
- Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2019 Honda Insight, Odyssey, and Ridgeline vehicles. The Supplemental Restraint System (SRS) control unit may have a manufacturing error, possibly resulting in the air bags or seatbelt pretensioners not deploying in the event of a crash.
- Risk
- In the event of a crash, if the air bags or seatbelt pretensioners do not function as intended, there would be an increased risk of injury.
- Remedy
- Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the SRS unit, free of charge. The recall began November 8, 2018. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1‑888‑234‑2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are B2R, C2P, and Z2Q.
Recall number 18V664000 · Recall details
Air bags: frontal: passenger side: inflator module
- What is wrong
- Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2003-2012 Honda Accord and Pilot, 2010 Accord Crosstour, 2001-2011 Civic, 2002-2011 CR-V, 2003-2004, 2006-2008 and 2011 Element, 2007 and 2009-2013 Fit, 2010-2012 Insight, 2002-2004 Odyssey, and 2012 Ridgeline vehicles. The front passenger air bag may have been installed incorrectly during replacement.
- Risk
- An incorrectly installed air bag may deploy improperly in the event of a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
- Remedy
- Honda will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and, if necessary, replace the passenger frontal air bag module assembly, free of charge. The recall began June 22, 2018. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1‑888‑234‑2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are K1P, and M1O.
Recall number 18V268000 · Recall details
Questions about the Honda Odyssey no deployment
Which Honda Odyssey years have airbags did not deploy in a crash problems?
The model years with the most reports are 2002 (18 complaints), 2004 (14 complaints) and 2003 (12 complaints).
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