Dealer Message - On August 29, 2019, American Honda launched five revised and one new Warranty Extension paint bulletins. Please review the following summary of requirements within these bulletins and share with the appropriate staff to ensure proper claim submission.
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗2011 Honda Odyssey body problems
moderate Owners of the 2011 Honda Odyssey have filed 16 NHTSA complaints about the body, typically surfacing around 79,500 miles at roughly $1,500 to repair (U.S. federal records, as of July 2026). Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. See body across all vehicles →
Failure mileage
Complaints
16
Recalls
0
Avg fix
$1,500
| Model year | body complaints |
|---|---|
| 2007 Odyssey | 116 |
| 2008 Odyssey | 114 |
| 2009 Odyssey | 54 |
| 2010 Odyssey | 46 |
| 2011 Odyssey (this page) | 16 |
| 2012 Odyssey | 19 |
| 2013 Odyssey | 18 |
| 2014 Odyssey | 31 |
| 2015 Odyssey | 18 |
When does it fail?
Of the 16 body complaints filed for the 2011 Honda Odyssey, here's the actual mileage breakdown — failures cluster heaviest at 50,000-75,000 mi.
0-25k
25-50k
50-75k
75-100k
100-125k
125-150k
150k+
Each bar shows the share of total complaints filed at that mileage range. Peak failure window highlighted. Some owners report problems earlier; some make it well past 150,000 miles symptom-free. Maintenance habits and driving conditions shift the curve as much as mileage alone.
What stands out
No new NHTSA body complaint has been filed on this vehicle in over 10 years — the issue may be aging out of the active population.
Is there a fix? Manufacturer service bulletins
The manufacturer has issued service bulletins covering body on this vehicle — documented repair instructions, service campaigns, or warranty extensions sent to dealers. A TSB isn't a recall (it's not a free safety remedy), but it's the manufacturer acknowledging the issue and how to fix it.
Service Bulletin - This warranty extension only applies to 2011-12 Odyssey vehicles painted NH-578 Taffeta White. The exterior paint on the roof and/or tailgate may peel off. American Honda is extending the warranty on the paint of the affected vehicles to 7 years from the original date of purchase with no mileage limit. This warranty extension does not apply to other paint issues like rock chips, scratches, bird droppings, sap, wraps, dents, collision damage, customerinduced damage, etc.
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗Owner Notification Letter - On some 2011-12 Odyssey models, the exterior paint on the roof and tailgate may peel off. To ensure your confidence in your vehicle, American Honda is extending the warranty on the paint in these areas to 7 years from the original date of purchase.
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗Dealer Message - In the last few weeks, American Honda has issued several paint warranty extension service bulletins on the Pilot, Odyssey, HR-V and Fit models due to paint defects under S/B# 19-055, 19-056, 19 057, 19-058 and 19-064. It is important that your dealership follows the requirements listed in the service bulletins (and below) or your claim may be debited.
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗Service Bulletin - This warranty extension only applies to 2011-12 Odyssey vehicles painted NH-578 Taffeta White. The exterior paint on the roof and/or tailgate may peel off. American Honda is extending the warranty on the paint of the affected vehicles to 7 years from the original date of purchase with no mileage limit. This warranty extension does not apply to other paint issues like rock chips, scratches, bird droppings, sap, etc.
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications. Bring the bulletin number to your dealer or shop.
The failure pattern owners describe
Manual sliding doors require extreme force to open from inside or outside—owners describe leaning into the door while pulling backward and toward the rear, a process that strains children and adults alike. Dealers spray seals without solving it. In emergency situations, rear passengers could be trapped.
Automatic sliding door cables snap, sometimes audibly, rendering doors inoperable both ways. Owners report doors falling off tracks or slamming shut midway. One door failure is documented; another owner had both cables fail. When one cable breaks, rear passengers lose a primary exit path and must climb over seats through the front or use the liftgate.
Latch mechanisms on motorized doors fail to keep doors shut after closing, popping them open an inch or so and triggering repeated dashboard alerts. The only workaround owners found is pulling the door fuse and going manual.
Roof and tailgate paint peels in large sections, typically starting beneath trim and seams—suggesting sealant or primer failure rather than normal wear. Corrosion follows. Owners report peeling appearing within a year of purchase. Honda issued a recall for some 2011 models and offered a seven-year paint warranty, but coverage gaps exist: some 2011s were excluded, and others had already lost warranty coverage by the time paint failure became visible.
Tailgates fail to stay open when lifted; gas struts collapse under their own weight, creating crush hazard if you're leaning inside loading cargo.
Running boards are slippery when wet, causing near-falls when accessing rear seats.
Same Honda Odyssey body reports on nearby years: 2008 · 2009 · 2010 · 2012 · 2013
Failure modes owners describe
Manual sliding door excessive force required
Manual sliding doors (both sides) require extreme force to open from inside and outside. Owners report needing to pull the handle while simultaneously pushing out on the door and pulling toward the rear. Doors do not pop out or disengage like typical sliding doors. Poses a hazard in emergency situations.
When: Ongoing issue from ownership period
Symptoms owners cite: Extremely difficult to open from inside and outside; Requires leaning into door while pulling back; No pop-out/disengage mechanism; Children and adults struggle with force required
Repairs/costs cited: Dealer applied seal spray without fixing issue
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Honda customer service suggested purchasing EX model with automatic doors instead
Automatic sliding door cable failure
Cable in automatic sliding door mechanism snaps, rendering door inoperable both automatically and manually. Occurs on one or both sides. Door will not open or close, leaving rear passengers with limited emergency exit options (front doors or liftgate only).
When: Various timeframes; occurs while vehicle parked or during opening/closing
Symptoms owners cite: Audible snap when door operates; Door becomes stuck or slams shut; Door will not open automatically or manually after cable breaks; Cable visible evidence of breakage
Repairs/costs cited: Dealership confirms cable replacement required; one owner reported door fell off track after cable snapped, requiring additional parts repair
Automatic sliding door latch failure
After motorized door closes, latch fails to secure door. Door pops open about one inch, triggering continuous dashboard alerts and beeping. Temporary fix is removing fuse and operating door manually.
When: During normal operation
Symptoms owners cite: Door will not remain latched after closing; Door pops open approximately one inch; Continuous dashboard beeping and alerts; Latch mechanism releases after door is shut
Repairs/costs cited: Temporary workaround: remove door fuse and operate manually
Roof and tailgate paint peeling/adhesion failure
Paint peels or flakes off roof and tailgate in large sections, often beginning beneath trim or roof components rather than surface exposure. Suggests underlying seam sealant failure, drainage defect, or factory primer failure. Issue appears as early as one year after purchase and progresses over time. Honda issued recall for some model years and extended paint warranty to 7 years on affected units, but 2011 models initially excluded or warranty already expired for late-discovered issues.
When: As early as one year after purchase (2013 for 2011 model); continues to spread
Symptoms owners cite: Paint peeling off in large sections; Rust and corrosion visible along roof line; Paint failure originating beneath trim/seams, not surface; Severe adhesion failure; Not typical wear pattern for vehicle age
Repairs/costs cited: Dealer offered only $400 toward repair, insufficient for full roof/tailgate repainting. One owner attempted dealer repair but was denied warranty coverage due to expired window
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Recall issued for some 2011 models; extended paint warranty to 7 years on affected units. Some 2011 models initially excluded or warranty period expired before owner discovered issue. Limited warranty period created coverage gap.
Tailgate strut failure
Power or manual tailgate will not stay open when lifted. Gas struts fail to support weight, causing tailgate to fall or crash down unexpectedly. Poses injury risk if owner is leaning over or working inside cargo area when gate fails.
When: During use
Symptoms owners cite: Tailgate falls after being lifted; Power-assist or manual operation both affected; Struts not holding in up position; Unexpected crash down motion
Running board slip hazard
Running board (step rail) on driver side is slippery when wet. Required to access rear seat passengers, creating slip and fall hazard with bruising reported from near-falls.
When: When wet conditions present
Symptoms owners cite: Slippery surface when wet; Foot slips off during access to rear seat; Near-falls occurring
Synthesized from 16 NHTSA owner complaints — unverified consumer allegations, summarized for patterns. The verbatim filings appear below.
What owners are reporting 1 most recent
I purchased a 2011 white Honda odyssey from a small time dealer on nov 2012. I observed that the roof of the car had its paint peeling off after about a year 2013 nov. I went to a reputed dealer, who acknowledged the paint issues with Honda but told that 2011 models are not one of those. He contacted Honda and came back with an offer of $400 to cover the paint issues. But that would no way cut…
Had body trouble with your 2011 Honda Odyssey?
File a complaint with NHTSA → It's free, official, and how every report above got here — owner filings are the federal safety record this page is built on.
Common questions
How serious is the body problem on the 2011 Honda Odyssey?
It's a documented issue but not catastrophic. 16 complaints have been filed. Repairs average $1,500 and most owners catch it before it causes a breakdown.
At what mileage does the body typically fail?
Across the 9 complaints that reported odometer mileage, most body failures cluster between 50,000 and 102,000 miles, with the median around 79,500. A quarter of owners report trouble before 50,000; a quarter make it past 102,000. Maintenance history matters more than the odometer alone — this is the reported failure window, not a guarantee.
What does it cost to fix?
Independent shops typically charge around $1,500 for body repairs on this vehicle. Dealer pricing tends to run 20-40% higher. The exact figure depends on the specific failure mode, parts availability, and your local labor rates. If you're outside factory warranty, an extended service contract often covers this category.
Are there any recalls related to body?
No active recalls currently cover body issues on this vehicle. The complaints filed represent owner-reported failures that haven't risen to the level of a manufacturer-issued recall — but they're still worth knowing about before you buy or budget for repairs.
Related
Complaint and recall data sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
public records database. Verify the raw federal record at
nhtsa.gov/vehicle/2011/Honda/Odyssey.
Severity ratings are derived from reported crashes, fires, injuries, and fatalities. Repair cost estimates are
independent-shop national averages and may differ in your area. Some links on this page are affiliate links.