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 ↗2013 Honda Odyssey body problems
moderate 18 complaints filed with NHTSA · avg repair $1,500 · see body across all vehicles →
Failure mileage
Complaints
18
Recalls
0
Avg fix
$1,500
When does it fail?
Of the 18 body complaints filed for the 2013 Honda Odyssey, here's the actual mileage breakdown — failures cluster heaviest at 100,000-125,000 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 5 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 2013 Odyssey and 2013-15 Pilot 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, customer-induced damage, etc.
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗Service Bulletin - This warranty extension only applies to 2013-14 Odyssey and 2013-16 Pilot vehicles that are painted NH-603P White Diamond Pearl. 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 2013-14 Odyssey and 2013-16 Pilot 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 ↗Owner Notification Letter - On some 2013 Odyssey and 2013-15 Pilot 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 ↗Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications. Bring the bulletin number to your dealer or shop.
The failure pattern owners describe
Owners consistently report factory paint defects causing peeling, bubbling, and fading across the roof, tailgate, and doors within 1–3 years. Paint peels in large sheets and comes off like a decal with poor adhesion, exposing bare metal to rust. Honda's Service Bulletin 19-057 acknowledges the issue, but warranty repairs have failed and the defect has recurred.
Sunroof glass spontaneously shatters without impact or accident, with two owners reporting sudden explosions at highway speeds—one at 70 mph. Another heard a loud pop while parked and found the glass spider-webbed. Replacement costs exceed $800 per owner.
Sliding door hardware fails repeatedly: handles come off in owner's hands during normal, careful use; cables corrode and snap despite plastic coating, nearly trapping a child's hand and preventing full door opening; and in one wheelchair-accessible van, the door fell off completely while closing. Doors also drift or slide closed unexpectedly while occupants are entering or exiting, creating pinch hazards for children.
A third-row armrest wall becomes dangerously hot—hot enough to burn passengers—and affects cabin cooling. The driver and front passenger door-open warning beeper doesn't sound while driving, contradicting the owner's manual. Honda service has denied warranty coverage for these defects or stated they cannot find anything wrong.
Same Honda Odyssey body reports on nearby years: 2010 · 2011 · 2012 · 2014 · 2015
Failure modes owners describe
Paint peeling and premature failure
Factory paint defect causing widespread peeling, bubbling, fading, and flaking across multiple exterior surfaces. Owners report peeling in sheets and large sections, especially on roof, tailgate, and doors. Some repairs under warranty failed and peeling recurred. Paint comes off like a decal with minimal adhesion. Exposes bare metal to rust.
When: Begins 1-3 years into ownership; worsens over time
Symptoms owners cite: Paint peeling in large sheets from roof; Paint peeling from tailgate (entire lower half in one case); Paint bubbling and fading on doors and hatch; Paint chipping and flaking; Paint peeling between driver window and sunroof
Repairs/costs cited: Honda performed roof paint repairs under warranty in at least one case, but defect recurred. Owners have replaced roof and tailgate sections.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Service Bulletin 19-057 references paint defect. No systematic recall or comprehensive fix documented in narratives; warranty repairs sometimes ineffective.
Sunroof spontaneous shattering
Sunroof glass spontaneously shatters or explodes without impact or accident while vehicle is in motion or parked. Glass spider-webs across panel or shatters at center point. Owners report loud popping sound and sudden glass failure at highway speeds.
When: Incidents reported during normal highway driving and while parked
Symptoms owners cite: Loud pop or explosion sound; Sudden glass shattering (spider web pattern or center failure); Hole in middle of sunroof glass; Sunroof failed while closed at highway speeds (70 mph)
Repairs/costs cited: One owner spent $800 to replace sunroof with used unit. Owners found multiple online reports of this same failure.
Sliding door cable failure and mechanical problems
Sliding door cables corrode and break, causing door to drift closed unexpectedly or fail to open fully. In one case, cable snapped while child was using door, nearly catching hand. Plastic coating does not prevent rust-through.
When: At approximately 70,000 miles
Symptoms owners cite: Sliding door cable snapped or broke; Door drifted or slid closed during use; Door would not open completely toward rear of vehicle; Cable rust-through despite plastic coating
Repairs/costs cited: Cable replacement required. Door functionality compromised, limiting emergency exit capability.
Sliding door handle failure
Sliding door handles (driver-side and passenger-side) come off in owner's hand during normal, careful use. Dealer attributed failure to 'damage' despite normal everyday use and careful handling after first incident. Prevents secure exit from vehicle.
When: 2016 (driver-side), 2018 (passenger-side)
Symptoms owners cite: Driver-side rear door handle came off in hand; Passenger-side door handle came off in hand; Occurred during normal use, not impact
Repairs/costs cited: Dealer denied warranty coverage, claiming damage; no repair details provided.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Honda Customer Service and dealer service saw nothing wrong with door handles failing on relatively new vehicle; denied covering issue.
Sliding door fall-off (power door assembly failure)
Passenger sliding door fell completely off vehicle while closing. Occurs in wheelchair-accessible (Braun conversion) Odyssey parked at rest. No prior issues noted before complete door detachment.
When: While parked and door was closing
Symptoms owners cite: Passenger sliding door fell completely off while closing; No warning or prior malfunction before complete detachment
Repairs/costs cited: Door reinstatement required; no details on root cause or repair.
Sliding door will not stay open
Rear sliding doors close on their own or drift closed while open, endangering occupants (especially children) getting in or out. Heavy doors create injury hazard. Honda stated they could not find anything wrong despite complaint.
When: Recurring issue
Symptoms owners cite: Sliding doors close on their own or drift closed; Doors close while occupants are entering or exiting; Heavy door creates pinch/injury hazard
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Honda stated they could not find anything wrong.
Tailgate hydraulic strut failure
Hydraulic stay strut (support mechanism) on tailgate fails and requires replacement. Failure recurred after warranty replacement.
When: Unknown exact mileage; recurrence after initial repair
Symptoms owners cite: Tailgate hydraulic stay strut failed
Repairs/costs cited: Hydraulic stay strut replaced under warranty; defect recurred requiring second repair.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Replaced under warranty, but failure recurred.
Third row armrest/cup holder area excessive heat
Right-hand side third-row armrest and cup holder wall becomes dangerously hot, hot enough to burn a person. Also negatively affects cooling and air conditioning throughout vehicle. Serious fire hazard.
When: During normal vehicle operation
Symptoms owners cite: Armrest/cup holder wall becomes excessively hot; Hot enough to burn a passenger; Passenger cannot sit on that side; Cooling/air conditioning system affected
Door open warning beeper inoperative
Front driver and passenger door open warning beeper does not sound while driving, contrary to owner's manual specification. Owner's manual states beeper should sound if any door is open while driving, but feature does not work. Creates safety hazard by not alerting driver to unsecured doors.
When: On 2013 models
Symptoms owners cite: Beeper does not sound when driver or front passenger door is open while driving; Feature stated in owner's manual does not function
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Dealer and American Honda stated they could do nothing about this feature not working as stated in the manual, claiming vehicle is not designed to alert driver as documented in manual.
Synthesized from 18 NHTSA owner complaints — unverified consumer allegations, summarized for patterns. The verbatim filings appear below.
What owners are reporting 1 most recent
Paint is peeling off on the roof in big chunks.
Had body 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 body problem on the 2013 Honda Odyssey?
It's a documented issue but not catastrophic. 18 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 11 complaints that reported odometer mileage, most body failures cluster between 70,000 and 125,000 miles, with the median around 90,000. A quarter of owners report trouble before 70,000; a quarter make it past 125,000. 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/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.