Should I buy a 2013 Honda Odyssey with documented airbags problems?

Depends on the price and the specific vehicle. Documented airbags issues should be priced into the purchase — if the seller is asking full retail, negotiate down by the expected repair cost. A pre-purchase inspection from an independent shop tells you whether THIS specific vehicle has already shown the symptoms or not.

2013 Honda Odyssey airbags problems

severe Owners of the 2013 Honda Odyssey have filed 11 NHTSA complaints about the airbags at roughly $1,100 to repair (U.S. federal records, as of September 2026). Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. See airbags across all vehicles →

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Complaints

Recalls

Avg fix

$1,100

airbags complaints on the Honda Odyssey, by model year
Model year	airbags complaints
2009 Odyssey	7
2010 Odyssey	9
2011 Odyssey	8
2012 Odyssey	10
2013 Odyssey (this page)	11
2014 Odyssey	9
2015 Odyssey	13
2016 Odyssey	8

7crashes

1fire

5injuries

What stands out

No new NHTSA airbags complaint has been filed on this vehicle in over 4 years — the issue may be aging out of the active population.

Related recalls

severe NHTSA 13V016000 January 18, 2013

Honda is recalling certain model year 2009-2013 Pilot and 2011-2013 Odyssey passenger vehicles manufactured from March 13, 2008, through December 21, 2012

The absence of more than one rivet could alter the performance of the driver's airbag during deployment. This could potentially increase the risk of injury during a crash.

Fix: Honda will notify owners and instruct them to take their vehicle to a Honda dealer. The dealer will inspect the driver's airbag module and replace it if necessary, free of charge. The recall began on March 14, 2013. Owners may contact Honda at 1-800-999-1009.

The failure pattern owners describe

Owners report two opposite problems with 2013 Odyssey airbags: failures to deploy and unexpected deployments.

Deployment failures: Multiple owners reported airbags that didn't go off during collisions. One owner hit a curb at 25-30 mph with heavy front-end damage and blown tires—nothing deployed. Another hit a stationary truck head-on at 30 mph with frame damage—no airbags. A third collided with another vehicle at 25 mph—airbags stayed put. One owner hit a deer at unspecified speed with $4,263 in damage and no bag deployment. In a low-speed garage incident (5 mph surge into a garage), the bags also failed.

Unexpected deployments: Two owners reported passenger-side airbags deploying with no collision—one while moving 5 mph, another at 10 mph in a parking garage. A dealer suggested a previous accident might explain one case, but that's speculation.

Deployment injuries: One owner's airbags deployed normally during a real crash, but the occupant's clothing caught fire, causing permanent arm damage. Another accident saw multiple occupants hurt by proper airbag deployment: the driver burned on the elbow, a rear passenger hit in the head and experiencing hearing loss, the front passenger experiencing back pain.

Dealers either found nothing wrong or diagnosed sensor issues without completing repairs. Most cases never reached Honda.

Same Honda Odyssey airbags reports on nearby years: 2012

Failure modes owners describe

Airbags deployed on minor impact or no impact

Passenger-side front and side airbags deployed while vehicle was moving at low speed (5-10 mph) in parking scenarios with no collision reported.

When: 12,060 miles and 15,000 miles

Symptoms owners cite: Airbags deployed at 5 mph with no impact; Airbags deployed at 10 mph in parking garage with no collision; Loud noise preceding inadvertent deployment

Repairs/costs cited: Dealer diagnosed possible previous crash involvement in one case; vehicle not repaired

Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Manufacturer made aware in one case (#9); not aware in other (#8)

Airbags failed to deploy in collisions

Airbags did not deploy in multiple crash scenarios ranging from low-speed curb strikes to higher-impact frontal collisions, leaving occupants unprotected.

When: 81,000 miles, 940 miles, and other mileages not specified

Symptoms owners cite: No airbag deployment in 25-30 mph curb impact with severe front-end damage and blown tires; No airbag deployment in 5 mph parking surge into garage; No airbag deployment in head-on collision at 30 mph into stationary truck; No airbag deployment in 25 mph collision after evasive maneuver; No airbag deployment in impact with deer at unspecified speed

Repairs/costs cited: Dealer diagnosed seat belt, sensors, and airbag needing replacement in one case (#4); no repairs completed in any case

Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Manufacturer made aware in one case (#6); not made aware in others

Airbags deployed excessively in minor crash with occupant burns

Airbags deployed on impact and caused ignition of occupant's clothing, resulting in burn injury to arm. Owner reports loss of arm function following the incident.

When: Unspecified mileage

Symptoms owners cite: Airbags deployed normally on crash impact; Burning smell detected at impact; Occupant's sweatshirt sleeve caught fire; Occupant sustained burn injury to arm with permanent loss of function

Repairs/costs cited: Vehicle at body shop pending insurance resolution; airbags not inspected

Airbags deployed with excessive force causing occupant injuries

Multiple occupants sustained injuries from airbag deployment during a collision event where airbags deployed appropriately but with force causing burns, head impact, and musculoskeletal injuries.

When: 200,000 miles

Symptoms owners cite: Driver's seat airbag caused burns and bruising to driver's left elbow; Passenger's seat airbag caused lower back pain to front passenger; Driver's side curtain airbag struck rear passenger's head; Rear passenger sustained bruises and hearing loss in left ear; No warning light before deployment

Repairs/costs cited: Vehicle inspected at parking lot; no repairs performed or diagnosis completed

Synthesized from 11 NHTSA owner complaints — unverified consumer allegations, summarized for patterns. The verbatim filings appear below.

What owners are reporting 1 most recent

airbags · filed 12/20/2021

I came to a stop at the stop sign and dropped off the my kids for PE at a local church. After the stop sign I went left going slowly because of kids in the area. I then went around a dark grey minivan that was pulled over on my right side of the road letting her kids out for PE. I then proceeded to take another left. I was pulling into the first parking space close to the PE field, with a…

Had airbags trouble with your 2013 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 airbags problem on the 2013 Honda Odyssey?

It's a meaningful issue. 11 complaints have been filed and the failure mode causes operational problems for owners. Repairs average $1,100.

At what mileage does the airbags typically fail?

Mileage data is limited for this issue. Owners report failures across a wide range, suggesting cause is more about driving conditions and maintenance than mileage alone.

What does it cost to fix?

Independent shops typically charge around $1,100 for airbags 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 airbags?

Yes — 1 active recall(s) cover airbags issues on this vehicle. Recall fixes are always free regardless of mileage or warranty status. Use the VIN decoder at the top of the page to check if your specific vehicle is affected.

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/2013/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.