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.
ATTORNEY ADVERTISING
Top Class Actions is a Proud Member of the American Bar Association
LEGAL INFORMATION IS NOT LEGAL ADVICE
Top Class Actions Legal Statement
©2008 – 2024 Top Class Actions® LLC
Various Trademarks held by their respective owners
This website is not intended for viewing or usage by European Union citizens.
51 thoughts onDrivers Report Problems With Honda Infotainment Systems
Same issues 2021 CR-V EX.
I am having the same problem with my 2018 Honda Civic. Tried to fix it by following the suggestions of different customers but the screen is still black. I cannot see anything on the screen including the the side camera and backup screen. Looks like a major issue with Honda. Right now I am at the dealer and they are charging $160 for diagnosing. Dealer mentioned that the fix may cost from $200 to $2000. I made a very wrong decision by buying 2018 Civic as I was a previous owner of 1993 Civic. 1993 Civic was hard to maintain and was nothing but a big load of problems after 100,000 miles. Lost my faith in Honda after owning the first 1993 Civic. Was against buying 2018 Civic but had to give in because of my pushy and hard headed wife.
Bought a 2020 Odyssey CPO car two days ago. Did not hear anything and was not listening for it. One mile after we buy it we have the noise. They just ordered a dash harness. I am livid!
Purchased a brand new 2021 Honda Pilot in May of 2021 after being assured by the sales manager at Walser Honda in Burnsville, MN the the sound system issue of static and crackling & popping noises had been identified and fixed. On the 3rd day of owning this car, it happened. It has not happened a total of 3X. The sales manager put it in writing that this was no longer an issue or we would never have purchased this car.
I texted and emailed him re: this happening and am now awaiting someone in service to contact me. I don’t want to deal with this hassle and livid that it began on a brand new vehicle with less than 20 miles on it. This our 5th and will be our last Honda.
I have all the issues listed here by other Honda owners in my 2019 Honda Pilot. Started on Father’s Day weekend while I was traveling. I’ve had the vehicle since Dec 2019 and it’s got just over 13,000 miles on it. Dealership can’t get me in until July 23, 2021 to look at it and I called them on June 21st, 2021. The guy I spoke to did not respond as if he knew of this issue in any other vehicles. I thought I had a random problem but now I see that’s not the case. I feel like I’m being shocked with static electricity when my system starts malfunctioning. Told my kids if I die while driving the Pilot that they sue Honda and become millionaires.
This issue needs to be elevated as a consumer warning nationally and Honda needs to issue recalls immediately.
I’m having this very same issue with my 2018 Honda Accord. The dealership told me it will cost me over $1200 ( parts & labor) to get this fixed, since I have 43K miles, it outside the warranty. This is absurd…No more honda for me…
Look into your state’s lemon law. In Virginia, there is an 18 month statue of limitations to file from the day you take delivery.
The Best
I have a 2017 Honda Accord Coupe. I have had all the same issues, CarPlay freezing, both screens going black and resetting, audio cutting off and not working, or getting cracking and fuzzy noises. The dealer claims it’s the phone or Apple but it is the car, even when nothing is plugged in it crashed within 5 minutes of driving. Honda is clearly aware and does nothing. I don’t bother getting the infotainment system replaced because from my research they are all faulty.
Just got a 2020 Odyssey touring a month ago. Started having problems with cracking radio, cabin camera and rearview camera not working, etc. Took it to the closer Honda dealership, and they did a factory reset because they could not reproduce the problem. The problem re-appeared as soon as we drove out of the parking lot. When we went back, they witnessed the issue and recommended taking it back to the dealership where we got the car from, Honda Village in Newton, MA. Once in Honda Village, they wanted to do a factory reset again. We had to talk to a sales manager. AFter spending a lot of time we decided to leave the vehicle until they were confident the problem was gone. Fast forward a week. The problem re-appeared and the screen restarted once while we were driving, and then shut off. It is not coming back again. Now I have to take time off work again to take the car in. I have paid a full price for a defective vehicle, that now needs to be refurbished. How do I join the class action?
I got a 2020 honda accord lx on Dec 5 and had the same problems as you. Did factory reset 3 times since and its Dec 29. Freezes, laggy, randomly disconnects from my phone while using maps.
My 2017 honda hatchback ex recently needed a software update and didn’t want to do it, so I took it to the dealer and they told me they couldn’t do the update because of a internal failure and told me I needed a new screen and that would cost me 4,200!!! Now I can’t use my cameras, control my ac, etc. am the only one with this problem? Is frustrating because I did nothing wrong and I’m stuck with a screen that won’t do a update.
I have the same problem with my 2020 Pilot. It was fine when we first got the SUV but about a month ago the crackling and popping noises started happening. Immediately took the vehicle to the dealership and they said “it’s normal”. Might take it to a different dealership to see if someone else is willing to do something about this situation. I don’t even want to drive it around because of how distracting the noises can be and how annoying it can be… it’s a shame really
I also have a 2020 pilot im looking into legal action over. Electrical problems are informant screen goes in and out, brake frature comes on randomly with no cars around causing car to brake at full speed. Phone no sound,echos,crackling….
Purchased a 2020 odyssey. Definitely making crackling noises, mentioned it to dealer. Pretty much told me I was hearing things. Now on long trip, audio won’t work . Frustrating!