Honda Odyssey vs Toyota Sienna (2018-2024 vs 2021-2026): Which Should You Buy?

Go with the Sienna. It carries a reliability score of 8 versus the Odyssey's 6, and the files back that up: the Sienna's hybrid powertrain (engine, eCVT, hybrid battery) has "no documented pattern of failures" through mid-2026, while the Odyssey's V6 is under an open NHTSA investigation (PE25-008, ~1.4M vehicles) into rod-bearing failures beyond what its 2018-2019 recall already covers. The Odyssey's worst-case cost also runs higher and less resolved, the 2018-2019 ZF 9-speed transmission can hit $5,000-$8,000 to fix, and its auto idle-stop no-restart fault has no recall as of mid-2026 and still shows up on the refreshed 2025 model. The Sienna isn't clean either, the AWD rear-motor cable corrosion issue is "severe", but it's covered by an active Toyota customer-support program (22TE09), and its other flagged issues (brake-feel, 12V drain) carry lower documented costs. If you specifically want a 2021-2022 model year, the two are closer: that's the Odyssey's sweet spot (post-facelift, 10-speed) but also the Sienna's roughest years (188 and 128 NHTSA complaints, brake-feel complaints concentrated there), in that narrow window, verify both VIN histories carefully rather than assuming either is the safe pick.

• •Powertrain risk differs by type, not just count: the Sienna's hybrid drivetrain has no documented failure pattern per its file, while the Odyssey's V6 is the subject of an open NHTSA probe into rod-bearing failures beyond its own recall's scope.
• •The Odyssey's single costliest documented risk (2018-2019 9-speed transmission, up to $8,000) has no Sienna equivalent, the Sienna's eCVT has no comparable failure pattern noted.
• •Both need a pre-purchase VIN recall check, but the Sienna's worst fault (AWD cable corrosion) sits under active manufacturer coverage (CSP 22TE09), while the Odyssey's worst ongoing fault (idle-stop no-restart) has no recall yet and persists into the refreshed 2025 model.