Owners and lessees of a number of Honda vehicles are reporting problems with the infotainment systems of their vehicles. Reportedly, the display function of the system fails, making the system unusable in some cases.
These problems have led to a downgrade of Consumer Reports’ opinions rating on the systems and have prompted some consumers to file lawsuits against the makers over the Honda infotainment issues.
Because of the defect, Consumer Reports now rates the 2018 Honda Odyssey as “no longer recommends” because of the “much-worse-than-average reliability” of the infotainment display.
About the Infotainment Defect
Reportedly, the infotainment system in some Honda vehicles possesses a defect that causes the system to freeze and crash. Allegedly, this can pose as a distraction to the driver and affects some safety-related features including the backup camera.
Some consumers claim that this infotainment defect causes a number of systems to malfunction, including:
- Navigation System
- Rear-Entertainment System
- Audio System (radio, cd player, satellite radio, etc.)
- Backup Camera
- Cabin Watch System
- Bluetooth
- What vehicles are affected?
Consumers say that the 2018 and 2019 Honda Odyssey and 2019 Pilot possess the same defect in their infotainment system, as they have the same system. The system in the 2019 Acura RDX may be the same. Drivers of the aforementioned vehicles have made similar complaints to the National Highway Safety Administration about the alleged defect with Hondas.
When do consumers notice the defect?
According to Business Wire, the attorney who represents Honda drivers in a class action lawsuit over this issue says that consumers may experience the defect as soon as the car drives off the dealership lot.
Dangers Associated With The Defect
Some drivers worry what drivers can become distracted when the Honda infotainment system crashes or freezes, which could cause a driver to get into an accident or drive in ways that are more dangerous than advisable.
Additionally, safety features may be affected by the defect. The back-up camera is on the console, and if the back-up camera ceases to work, a driver may be more likely to hit something when backing up, which could put pedestrians, drivers, and property at risk.
What is Honda doing to fix the problem?
Drivers who filed a class action lawsuit over the alleged defect claim that Honda refuses to acknowledge the problems with the infotainment system, hiding it from current and former customers unless a driver actively experiences the problem and requests a repair.
Drivers say that they had to have their Honda infotainment centers replaced, but this does not fix the problem because Honda allegedly switches one defective system out for another. According to drivers who filed a Honda infotainment class action lawsuit, Honda “continues to conceal the fact that the replacement components it provides in an attempt to conceal the defect are equally defective.”
According to some drivers, the car maker knew of the possible Honda infotainment defect but sold the vehicles anyway, or did not know of the defect and did not conduct enough testing on the vehicles before releasing them onto the market.
Join a Free Honda Class Action Lawsuit Investigation
If you own or lease a 2018-2019 Honda Odyssey, a 2019 Honda Pilot, or a 2019 Acura RDX and have experienced problems with the vehicle’s Infotainment Display, you may be entitled to compensation.
This article is not legal advice. It is presented
for informational purposes only.
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51 thoughts onDrivers Report Problems With Honda Infotainment Systems
2020 odyssey, crackling, mentioned it to dealer. Pretty much told me I was hearing things. Now on long trip, audio won’t work . Frustrating!
I have this same issue with my 2016 Civic EX-L 1.5 turbo. Purchased brand new, and the info screen has gone completely black. The backup and side camera sometimes will function, however, even when the back up camera is functioning it is missing the guide lines and other features. I have no way to adjust air settings, time, there is no radio. SO FRUSTRATED!
I also have had this issue repeatedly with my 2019 Odyssey (infotainment freezing, won’t shut off even when car is off, wont update, sound goes out…I could keep going on and on with the issues) and Honda just says I need to come in and have it reset. I had to order a USB keyboard to reset it myself to avoid having to bring it in again and again. This is not my first issue with the entertainment center in a Honda. My last Osyssey (2016) had to have the entire sound system replaced after 2 years of me bringing it in and complaining that the rear DVD player headphones weren’t working properly, and the sound would go out during a call. They repeatedly told me it was fine, and then finally admitted it had been an issue and replaced it 2 years into my lease. Also – my daughter’s sliding door window exploded going under an underpass in the 2016. And, in this 2019 my sons finger got STUCK in his sliding door and required a trip to urgent care and x-rays. Hundreds of dollars later and all of that trauma, and they didn’t even apologize or acknowledge there was any issue with the door. It literally closed on his finger and then wouldn’t open for close to a minute with it trapped in the latch. This will be my LAST Honda.
Same issues as noted here and in all the comments. 2019 Pilot. We filed a lemon law claim in Florida against Honda and they sent a special tech out to ‘repair’ the problem. Basically did nothing but reset and upgraded the software. A month later-Same problem. Honda sent a letter In response to our lemon law filing that basically said we have had our tech review it, problem solved and Go pound sand. Oh yes- they also showed us what fuse to pull to reset it ourselves but I cannot believe they are asking customers who purchase $40k cars to pull fuses to reset things!! Honda doesn’t care- they are just churning through these defective systems and blowing off the consumers.
Just got 2019 Odyssey EX-L and experiencing same exact problem the entire entertainment unit is not responding, I was driving with my family and put map via car play and suddenly it’s crash and we were dead in water, FM, Radio, Bluetooth, car play, backup camera, climate control everything just lost.
Paid a huge amount to defected car…its safety issue
Same thing with Honda Civic 2019 hatchback!
This issue is present in 2020 Honda Odyssey as well.
I recently purchased 2020 Honda Odyssey EX-L and now continuously hearing cracking/popping sounds from infotainment center.
Contacted dealership and they say that Honda is still working on it because the solution/parts Honda provide to fix this issue is not solving problem.
This is very frustrating, because Honda knew this issue since 2018, yet they fail to fix OR communicate to there customers before sale.
It isn’t just for 2018 and up.I have a 2017 Honda CRV that has been doing this since shortly after purchase!! Honda dealership has refused any help or guides to fix this problem! My entire system locks up. I have to find a safe place and pull over, turn car off wait a minute and restart the car. It is a hit or miss if this is going to fix it for 5 minutes, an hour or a few days. I very much regret purchasing this car and will not purchase another Honda.
I have a 2017 Honda that has been doing this since shortly after purchase!! Honda dealership has refused any help or guides to fix this problem! My entire system locks up. I have to find a safe place and pull over, turn car off wait a minute and restart the car. It is a hit or miss if this is going to fix it for 5 minutes, an hour or a few days. I very much regret purchasing this car and will not purchase another Honda. Am seriously looking to trade it in very soon.
My 2020 Honda Pilot leases in Oct. 2019 has had these similar issues multiple times. Dealer couldn’t fix and was told to pull the fuse to reset audio system when it happens. This is totally unacceptable and Honda needs to remedy this. Very frustrated!!!