KnownCarProblems2002 Honda Odyssey Problems and Recalls
Owners filed 960 complaints with NHTSA about the 2002 Honda Odyssey, most often about the transmission (63% of complaints, typically around 85,000 miles). It is the 3rd most complained-about Odyssey model year since 2000 and has 10 recalls.
Most common 2002 Honda Odyssey problems
Transmission
608 complaints · 63%Half of these problems showed up before 85,000 miles. Parts named most often: automatic transmission, manual transmission, axle hubs, axle assembly.
When shifting to second gear transmission failed and lost power.consumer pulled over and restarted the vehicle. Dealership was notified, but did not resolve the problem.
During acceleration onto I-65 south, the transmission began slipping resulting in no power being applied to the drive wheels. This incident repeated itself numerous times with the most serious being after accelerating from a stop light, no power being transmitted to the drive wheels for almost a two minute period of…
Air bags
99 complaints · 10%Half of these problems showed up before 123,500 miles. Parts named most often: frontal, side/window, srs malfunction warning lamp/light.
Got a letter saying there was a recall for a 2002 Honda Odyssey with the airbags but I do not own that car anymore. That car was in an accident and is gone now.
In may, 2010, SRS light came on. Dealer diagnosed air bag sensor in passenger seat failed and replaced under extended opds warranty. In aug 2010, SRS light came on again. Dealer diagnosed SRS control unit failure and noted air bags would not deploy if there was an impact. Not covered under their extended warranty.…
Engine
69 complaints · 7%Half of these problems showed up before 80,500 miles. Parts named most often: engine, exhaust system, cooling system.
Tl contact owns a 2002 Honda Odyssey. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer for routine maintenance. The technician detected that the front and rear engine mounts were defective. In addition, the control arm bushings needed to be replaced. The contact planned to have the vehicle repaired. The failure mileage…
2002 Honda Odyssey was fourteen hours from home and getting ready to leave when the fan blade flew off and through the radiator. Thankful it was cold outside and was trying to run the heat so I noticed it was pegged on hot and pulled over before major engine damage. Heard of this problem quit a few times..
Body and structure
55 complaints · 6%Half of these problems showed up before 67,500 miles. Parts named most often: body.
The manual sliding doors for the rear seats of our 2002 Honda Odyssey stopped closing securely so we had to take the car to the dealer for repair. The red lights on the panel and the inability to close the door tightly cause parents driving children quite a bit of anxiety. Internet chat rooms indicate that this is a…
The first time while driving engine drive belt broke engine shut down suddenly could not stop hit vehicle in intersection second time similar situation my son driving to much oil on the belt, belt jump from tensioner and wrap around every thing vehicle too hard to stop engine not running ran in the back of some one…
Electrical
35 complaints · 4%Half of these problems showed up before 99,500 miles. Parts named most often: wiring, alternator/generator/regulator.
The contact owns a 2002 Honda Odyssey. The contact stated that while driving approximately 65 MPH, the vehicle lost power and stalled without warning. The contact merged to the shoulder and restarted the vehicle. The contact stated that all of the warning lights illuminated once the vehicle was restarted and the…
I purchased the Honda Odyssey 2002 on tues july 28th 930pm and was driving home. I lived 1 hour away from the Honda dealership. Upon driving for first 40 minutes of highway around 1020pm as I entered jersey city, nj the van stalled at very 1st traffic into the city. It came up with 2 indicators: tcs and malfunction…
Speed control
33 complaints · 3%Half of these problems showed up before 69,500 miles. Parts named most often: accelerator pedal, cruise control.
Honda Odyssey vehicles apparently have a well known transmission problem. Models from multiple years (including mine: 2002) have short lives compared to any other vehicle I've seen before. Worse yet, Honda refuses to admit that this is a problem, nor will Honda offer any help paying for the very costly repairs. And…
On 9/10/14 I started noticing transmission slipping/down-shifting at 40mph/2k RPM many times during a less than an hour drive. Rpm would suddenly jump to 4k, and then comes back while the car suddenly jerks/slows as if it's put on engine brake. Vehicle is 2002 Odyssey and has 69k miles. Took the car to Honda dealer…
Brakes
32 complaints · 3%Half of these problems showed up before 69,500 miles. Parts named most often: antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip, foundation components, antilock, indicator light.
2002 Honda Odyssey brakes make noise when backing up and stopping. Transmission shifts hard. Mechanic also determined there was a problem with the weld near transmission mount. The consumer was told that the noise created by the rear disc brakes was by design. When the brakes wore out the consumer replaced all four…
The first time while driving engine drive belt broke engine shut down suddenly could not stop hit vehicle in intersection second time similar situation my son driving to much oil on the belt, belt jump from tensioner and wrap around every thing vehicle too hard to stop engine not running ran in the back of some one…
Wheels and tires
25 complaints · 3%Half of these problems showed up before 100,500 miles. Parts named most often: rim, bead, sidewall, lugs/nuts/bolts/studs.
While driving at 70mph on interstate 65 near montgomery, alabama there was a sudden transmission failure in our 2002 Honda Odyssey resulting in the front wheels locking up and the vehicle skidding to a halt. The vehicle came to rest in the left lane of the interstate. We exited the vehicle quickly and called 911. A…
Tl contact owns a 2002 Honda Odyssey. While driving approximately 75 MPH, the transmission locked. As a result, the front wheels locked and the vehicle skidded to a halt without warning. The vehicle was repaired by the dealer according to NHTSA campaign id number 04v176000 (power train:automatic transmission). The…
Complaints are owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects. One complaint can name several components, so shares add up to more than 100%.
2002 Honda Odyssey recalls
Air bags: inflator module
Risk: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Fix: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver frontal air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began august 12, 2019. Owners may contact honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are q5a and y58.
Full defect summary
Honda (american honda motor co.) is recalling certain 2003 acura 3.2cl, 2002-2003 3.2tl, 2003-2006 mdx, 2001-2007 honda accord, 2001-2005 civic, 2003-2005 civic hybrid, 2001-2005 civic gx ngv, 2002-2006 cr-v, 2003-2011 element, 2002-2004 odyssey, 2003-2008 pilot and 2006 ridgeline vehicles. These vehicles are equipped with driver frontal air bag inflators assembled as a recall remedy part or replacement service part, that may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, temperature and temperature cycling.
Air bags: inflator module
Risk: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Fix: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal airbag inflator, free of charge. The recall began august 12, 2019. Owners may contact honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are e5d and x5c.
Full defect summary
Honda (american honda motor co.) is recalling certain 2003-2006 acura mdx, 2005-2012 rl, 2003-2007 honda accord, 2001-2005 civic, 2003-2005 civic hybrid, 2001-2005 civic gx ngv, 2002-2006 cr-v, 2003-2011 element, 2007-2008 fit, 2002-2004 odyssey, 2003-2008 pilot, and 2006-2014 ridgeline vehicles. The vehicles are equipped with passenger frontal air bag inflators assembled as a recall remedy part or replacement service part, that may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, temperature and temperature cycling.
Air bags: inflator module
Risk: An explosion of an inflator within the driver frontal air bag module may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver, front seat passenger or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Fix: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver's air bag inflator with an alternate inflator, free of charge. The recall began april 10, 2019. Honda owners may contact customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's number for this recall is o41. Acura owners may contact customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Acura's number for this recall is u40.
Full defect summary
Honda (american honda motor co.) is recalling specific 2003 acura 3.2cl, 2013-2016 ilx, 2013-2014 ilx hybrid, 2003-2006 mdx, 2007-2016 rdx, 2002-2003 3.2tl, 2004-2006, and 2009-2014 tl, 2010-2013 zdx and 2001-2007 and 2009 honda accord, 2001-2005 civic, 2003-2005 civic hybrid, 2001-2005 civic gx ngv, 2002-2007 and 2010-2011 cr-v, 2003-2011 element, 2007 fit, 2002-2004 odyssey, 2003-2008 pilot, and 2006-2014 ridgeline vehicles. The affected vehicles received a replacement driver air bag inflator as part of a previous takata inflator recall remedy or a replacement driver air bag module containing the same inflator type as a service part. Due to a manufacturing error, in the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver frontal air bag, these inflators may explode.
Air bags: inflator module
Risk: An incorrectly installed air bag may deploy improperly in the event of a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
Fix: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and, if necessary, replace the passenger frontal air bag module assembly, free of charge. The recall began june 22, 2018. Owners may contact honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are k1p, and m1o.
Full defect summary
Honda (american honda motor co.) is recalling certain 2003-2012 honda accord and pilot, 2010 accord crosstour, 2001-2011 civic, 2002-2011 cr-v, 2003-2004, 2006-2008 and 2011 element, 2007 and 2009-2013 fit, 2010-2012 insight, 2002-2004 odyssey, and 2012 ridgeline vehicles. The front passenger air bag may have been installed incorrectly during replacement.
Air bags: inflator module
Risk: An inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Fix: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began june 27, 2016. Owners may contact honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are ka0, ka1, ka2, and ka3.
Full defect summary
Honda (american honda motor co.) is recalling certain model year 2003-2006 acura mdx, 2005-2011 acura rl, 2005-2006 honda cr-v, 2003-2011 element, 2007-2008 fit, 2003-2008 pilot, 2002-2004 odyssey, and 2006-2011 ridgeline vehicles originally sold, or that have ever been registered, in alabama, california, florida, georgia, hawaii, louisiana, mississippi, south carolina, texas, puerto rico, american samoa, guam, the northern mariana islands (saipan), and the u.s. Virgin islands, or "zone a." additionally, unless included in "zone a" above, honda is recalling certain model year 2003-2006 acura mdx, 2005-2008 acura rl, 2005-2006 honda cr-v, 2003-2008 element, 2007-2008 fit, 2003-2008 pilot, 2002-2004 odyssey, and 2006-2008 ridgeline vehicles originally sold, or that have ever been registered, in arizona, arkansas, delaware, district of columbia, illinois, indiana, kansas, kentucky, maryland
Air bags: inflator module
Risk: In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passenger's frontal air bag, the inflator could rupture with metal fragments striking the passenger seat occupant or other occupants possibly causing serious injury or death.
Fix: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began on july 1, 2015. Owners may contact honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are ju4, ju5, ju6, and ju7. Note: vehicles that have already received a replacement passenger air bag inflator as part of the recall remedy for an earlier campaign such as 14v353 or 14v700 (honda recall numbers s95, jh6, jh7, jh8, jh9, jj0, jj1, jj2, jj6, jm5 and jm6) are not included in this recall. However, this recall does supersede 13v132 and 14v349. Note: on december
Full defect summary
Honda (american honda motor co.) is recalling certain model year 2001-2005 honda civic vehicles manufactured march 21, 2000, to january 20, 2005, 2001-2004 honda civic gx vehicles manufactured june 14, 2000, to august 19, 2004, 2003-2005 honda civic hybrid vehicles manufactured february 24, 2002, to january 18, 2005, 2003-2007 honda accord vehicles manufactured february 21, 2002, to august 28, 2007, 2002-2004 honda cr-v vehicles, 2002-2003 honda odyssey vehicles manufactured june 19, 2001, to july 12, 2003, 2003 acura mdx vehicles manufactured september 19, 2002, to june 19, 2003, 2003 honda element vehicles manufactured june 25, 2002, to july 31, 2003, and 2003 honda pilot vehicles manufactured november 26, 2001, to august 21, 2003. The affected vehicles have a passenger side frontal air bag that may be susceptible to moisture intrusion which, over time, could cause the inflator to rupt
Air bags: inflator module
Risk: In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, the inflator could rupture with metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Fix: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver frontal air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began on july 1, 2015. Owners may contact honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Owners may contact acura customer service at 1-800-382-2238, select option 4. Note: vehicles that have had their driver frontal air bag replaced previously as part of a recall remedy prior to september 12, 2014 need to have their air bag replaced under this recall as well. Vehicles that, on or after september 12, 2014, received a remedy for a prior driver frontal air bag inflator recall already rec
Full defect summary
Honda (american honda motor co.) is recalling certain model year 2001-2007 accord, 2001-2005 civic, 2001-2004 honda civic gx, 2003-2005 honda civic hybrid, 2002-2006 cr-v, 2003-2011 element, 2002-2004 odyssey, 2003-2008 pilot, 2006 ridgeline, 2003 acura 3.2cl, 2003-2006 acura mdx, and 2002-2003 acura 3.2tl vehicles. The affected vehicles are equipped with a dual-stage driver frontal air bag that may be susceptible to moisture intrusion and other factors, including manufacturing variability that, over time, could cause the inflator to rupture.
Air bags
Risk: In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passengerâs frontal air bag, the inflator could rupture with metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants potentially resulting in serious injury or death.
Fix: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger side air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began january 26, 2015. Owners may contact honda customer service at 1-800-999-1009.
Full defect summary
American honda motor co. (honda) is recalling certain model year 2001-2005 honda civic, 2003-2004 civic cng and element, 2002-2005 cr-v, 2002-2004 odyssey, 2003-2005 accord, pilot, civic hybrid, and acura mdx, 2005 acura rl and 2006 honda ridgeline vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in geographic locations associated with high absolute humidity. Specifically, vehicles sold, or ever registered, in alabama, florida, georgia, hawaii, louisiana, mississippi, south carolina, texas, puerto rico, u.s. Virgin islands, saipan, guam, and american samoa are addressed by this recall. Upon deployment of the passenger side frontal air bag, excessive internal pressure may cause the inflator to rupture.
Transmission: automatic transmission
Risk: Gear failure could result in transmission lockup, which could result in a crash.
Fix: On vehicles with 15,000 miles or less, the dealer will update the transmission with a simple revision to the oil cooler return line to increase lubrication to the second gear. On vehicles with more than 15,000 miles, the dealer will inspect the transmission to identify gears that have already experienced discoloration due to overheating. If discoloration exists, the transmission will be replaced if discoloration is not present, the dealer will perform the revision to the oil cooler return line. The recall began on april 21, 2004, for pilot, odyssey, and mdx owners. Owners of the accord vehicle
Full defect summary
On some mini vans, sport utility and passenger vehicles, certain operating conditions can result in heat build-up between the countershaft and secondary shaft second gears in the automatic transmission, eventually leading to gear tooth chipping or gear breakage.
Engine
Risk: If the timing belt breaks, the engine will stall, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will inspect the water pump and if it is one of the defective pumps, the water pump and timing belt will be replaced. Owner notification began august 30, 2002. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact honda at 1-800-999-1009 or acura at 1-800-382-2238.
Full defect summary
On certain minivans, sedans, coupes, and sport utility vehicles equipped with v6 engines, a timing belt tensioner pulley on the water pump is misaligned and could cause the timing belt to contact a bolt on the cylinder head. Eventually the belt could be damaged and fail.
Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer. Enter your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see which recalls are still open on your car.
NHTSA defect investigations
Desiccated air bag inflator rupture
Summary
From 2000 through 2017, takata produced millions of air bag inflators using two types of phase-stabilized ammonium nitrate ("psan") propellant -- propellant 2004 and propellant 2004l. After prolonged exposure to high temperature cycles and humidity, inflators using propellant 2004 can degrade, causing the propellant to burn too quickly when ignited. The rapid burning can cause the inflator to rupture during deployment, potentially causing serious or even fatal injury to vehicle occupants. See 2016 blomquist report at www.NHTSA.gov/sites/NHTSA.gov/files/documents/expert_report-hrblomquist.pdf.consequently, all frontal inflators using propellant 2004 that do not contain a "desiccant" (a substa
Air bag inflator rupture
Summary
The office of defects investigation (odi) opened pe14-016 in june 2014 based on six inflator rupture incidents involving consumer owned vehicles produced by five vehicle manufacturers.all six vehicles were operated in florida or puerto rico at the time of the rupture and for the majority of their service life, and were equipped with inflators produced by takata, a tier-one supplier of automotive air bag systems.during the course of pe14-016, odi determined that five additional vehicle manufacturers used inflators of a similar design and vintage also supplied by takata. No evidence of field failures was found in vehicles produced by these five additional manufacturers.nonetheless, at odi's in
Air bag inflator rupture
Summary
The office of defects investigation (odi) opened pe14-016 in june 2014 based on six inflator rupture incidents involving consumer owned vehicles produced by five vehicle manufacturers.all six vehicles were operated in florida or puerto rico at the time of the rupture and for the majority of their service life, and were equipped with inflators produced by takata, a tier-one supplier of automotive air bag systems.during the course of pe14-016, odi determined that five additional vehicle manufacturers used inflators of a similar design and vintage also supplied by takata. No evidence of field failures was found in vehicles produced by these five additional manufacturers.nonetheless, at odi's in
Questions about the 2002 Honda Odyssey
- What are the most common problems with the 2002 Honda Odyssey?
- By NHTSA owner complaints: transmission (608 complaints, typically around 85,000 miles); air bags (99 complaints, typically around 123,500 miles); engine (69 complaints, typically around 80,500 miles).
- How many recalls does the 2002 Honda Odyssey have?
- 10 recalls listed by NHTSA, the latest from June 27, 2019 (air bags). Check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see which ones are still open on your car.
- Is the 2002 a bad year for the Honda Odyssey?
- It is the 3rd most complained-about Odyssey model year since 2000, with 960 complaints. Complaint counts are not adjusted for how many cars were sold, so popular years collect more of them, and the newest years have had less time to.