NHTSA closes probe into 2018–2022 Honda Odyssey: Inadvertent Deployment of Side Air Bags
On October 28, 2025, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened a Preliminary Evaluation (PE25018) into 2018–2022 Honda Odyssey, concerning the air bags. A Preliminary Evaluation is the first formal stage of an NHTSA defect investigation: ODI gathers information from the manufacturer and from owner reports to decide whether to close the case or take it further. ODI closed the preliminary evaluation on June 25, 2026.
- Action
- PE25018 (Preliminary Evaluation)
- Status
- Closed June 25, 2026
- Component
- Air Bags: Sensor: Side Impact; Air Bags: Side/Window
- Listed
- 5 make/model/year entries in NHTSA’s file
Vehicles under investigation
| Make | Honda |
|---|---|
| Model | Odyssey |
| Model years | 2018–2022 |
As listed in NHTSA’s investigation file. Not every vehicle of a listed model is necessarily affected.
What ODI says
On October 28, 2025, the Office of Defects Investigations (ODI) opened PE25018 to investigate complaints of inadvertent deployment of the side curtain and/or side thorax air bags. These complaints concern model year (MY) 2018-2022 Honda Odyssey vehicles manufactured by American Honda Motor Co. (Honda). Honda issued recall 26V227 on April 9, 2026, to address concerns of inadvertent side air bag deployment. In the recall filing, the company stated that “[a]s of April 2, 2026, Honda has had 130 warranty claims, 25 reports of an injury, and no reports of death related to this issue from January 24, 2017 – April 2, 2026.” Honda states that the Supplemental Restraint System (SRS) Electronic Control Unit (ECU) contains incorrect deployment parameters for the side thorax and side curtain air bags, which may cause inadvertent deployment when the vehicle encounters strong road impacts, such as driving over potholes, speed bumps, or road debris. Honda stated that the SRS control logic for the second and third rows of seating contained an insufficient deployment threshold margin, allowing signal inputs to be misinterpreted as side impacts and causing inadvertent deployment of the side thorax and side curtain air bags. Recall 26V227 states that dealers will reprogram or replace the SRS ECU with improved air bag deployment parameters. Consumers received notice of this recall in late May 2026. In view of the recall being conducted by Honda, ODI is closing this Preliminary Evaluation (PE). The Agency reserves the right to take additional action if warranted by future circumstances. To review the ODI reports cited in the Closing Resume ODI Report Identification Number document, go to NHTSA.gov.
Official summary by NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation for PE25018, quoted in full (U.S. government work, public domain).
What owners have reported
Owners filed 2,734 complaints with NHTSA about the model years in this investigation, reporting 40 crashes, 14 fires, 95 injuries, 3 deaths. These are all complaints on file for those vehicles, about any problem, not only this one; complaints are unverified owner reports.
| Vehicle | Complaints | Crashes | Injuries | Deaths |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 Odyssey | 997 | 14 | 30 | 3 |
| 2019 Odyssey | 978 | 16 | 19 | 0 |
| 2020 Odyssey | 478 | 4 | 20 | 0 |
| 2021 Odyssey | 144 | 2 | 4 | 0 |
| 2022 Odyssey | 137 | 4 | 22 | 0 |
Recalls and problems for these vehicles
Related recalls
NHTSA links these recall campaigns to PE25018.
Timeline
- ODI opens preliminary evaluation PE25018
- ODI closes PE25018
- NHTSA recall 26V227000 (recall date)
What this means for owners
- ODI closes an investigation when a recall addresses the issue or when it does not find enough evidence to continue. NHTSA’s closing report gives the reason; the recalls above are the ones NHTSA links to it.
- Check your vehicle for open recalls with a free VIN recall check.
- Had this problem? File a complaint with NHTSA. Owner complaints are the evidence ODI uses to open and expand investigations.
Official record: search PE25018 or your vehicle at NHTSA.gov/recalls, which lists investigations alongside recalls. Data: NHTSA ODI investigations file, updated daily. All NHTSA investigations.