KnownCarProblems2003 Honda Odyssey Problems and Recalls
Owners filed 914 complaints with NHTSA about the 2003 Honda Odyssey, most often about the transmission (58% of complaints, typically around 100,000 miles). It is 4th of 27 Odyssey model years by number of complaints and has 15 recalls.
Most common 2003 Honda Odyssey problems
Transmission
533 complaints · 58%Half of these problems showed up before 100,000 miles. Parts named most often: automatic transmission, manual transmission, driveline.
Tl contact owns a 2003 Honda Odyssey. When the accelerator pedal was depressed, the RPM's increased. However, the transmission failed to shift into gear. The failure occurred at all speeds. The vehicle has not been inspected by a dealer. The current mileage is 107,000 and failure mileage was 104,000.
2003 Honda Odyssey with 104,000 miles is failing to shift when under a load, engine revs but vehicle does not accelerate when pulling out into traffic. Problem is becoming more frequent and is very dangerous, this morning I was almost struck from behind by another vehicle because of this problem. Honda and NHTSA are…
Air bags
131 complaints · 14%Half of these problems showed up before 122,500 miles. Parts named most often: frontal.
Srs airbag warning light came on and stays on. When we had this checked at our local Honda dealer, thelen Honda (bay city, mi), we were told that the SRS unit has an internal malfunction would need to be replaced at a cost of about $650 to US. We have had all routine service completed at the Honda dealer since we…
The contact owns a 2003 Honda Odyssey. The contact stated that the SRS and ecu lights remained illuminated when the vehicle was in motion. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 15v045000 (air bags) and stated that the parts needed for the repair were not available. The contact stated that the…
Electrical
81 complaints · 9%Half of these problems showed up before 122,000 miles. Parts named most often: ignition, 12v/24v/48v battery, wiring.
The contact owns a 2003 Honda Odyssey. The contact stated that the key would be stuck in the ignition and was unable to be removed. The contact stated that the vehicle was previously repaired under NHTSA campaign number: 12v573000. (electrical system). The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The approximate failure…
The contact owns a 2003 Honda Odyssey. The contact stated that key could not be turned in the ignition until after several attempts. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for inspection and they stated that the lever kit needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified but provided no…
Engine
76 complaints · 8%Half of these problems showed up before 105,000 miles. Parts named most often: engine, exhaust system, cooling system.
I was driving my car told the dealership my car jerk he told I need a fuel injection. I paid for a that service . Was driving my kids home from school when the car jerk 3 time repeatly so bad we all got scared. My husband drove the car to the dealership. They did a diagnostic test and told me it was the torque chamber…
I have a 2003 Honda Odyssey. I was entering the highway from the on-ramp. The car failed to shift at around 38 MPH. The engine revved to the red line but, the car didn't accelerate. I almost got into an accident. I took the car to the dealership recommended by the guy who has serviced my three previous hondas. The…
Body and structure
40 complaints · 4%Half of these problems showed up before 117,500 miles. Parts named most often: body.
Sliding doors on 2003 Honda oddosey swing open and malfunction on highway at high travel speeds. 3 times this problem has occured on this vehicle. Dealer charges $700 to repair a safety problem tha continually repeats itself. Door does not work properly and is a major safety risk to anyone not wearing a seat belt in…
The passenger side front door glass separated from its framework/bracket and fell into the door. The vehicle was moving at the time - my daughter was driving it I believe on the highway. While we were getting the very costly repair done, another woman was there with the exact same issue - I just happened to overhear…
Speed control
30 complaints · 3%Half of these problems showed up before 113,500 miles. Parts named most often: cruise control, cables.
The contact owns a 2003 Honda Odyssey. The contact stated that while the driver was entering a residential driveway, the vehicle erroneously accelerated and crashed into a home. The vehicle was taken to a private mechanic where the contact was awaiting diagnosis of the failure. The manufacturer was contacted about the…
The car has an automatic transmission system. I was driving just fine when the transmission slipped and it felt like the car was in neutral. I was pressing the gas, but no power was given to the car. I could brake and steer just fine so I pulled over and put the car into park. It engaged into gear fine and I continued…
Doors and locks
26 complaints · 3%Half of these problems showed up before 97,500 miles. Parts named most often: doors.
2003 Honda Odyssey power doors will not close unless forced. Indicators alert that the doors are not closed. Sometimes the door will not reopen leaving passengers (kids) not able to get out. Never sure that the door is engaged properly so that the door will not open once in motion.
Just getting old, maybe the motor is getting weak, but the automatic doors on my 2003 Honda Odyssey have stopped latching completely. We have kids in the van, and it is a real safety issue, and from what I've read trying to fix this problem, it seems to me like this is very frequent problem worthy of a recall before…
Other or unspecified
26 complaints · 3%Half of these problems showed up before 111,000 miles.
I bought a 2003 Honda Odyssey and the transmission has an issue for acceleration from 20~40mph, which it looks like the gear not hooked up. I had the Honda dealer check up and they didn't think the transmission had issue. This kind of incident happened many times starting from last october to now. It happened again…
The vehicle was unable to accelerate and the check engine light and tcs lite were on and showed to a Honda dealer and he replaced a faulty electronic component. Exact same thing happened and showed again and now they say it is transmission problem and it needs replacement, costs $4900.
Complaints are owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects. One complaint can name several components, so shares add up to more than 100%.
2003 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: Air bags that do not meet the safety requirements increase the risk of occupant injury in the event of a crash.
Fix: Honda will notify owners, dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag module, free of charge. The recall began on october 27, 2015. Owners may contact honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's number for this recall is ju0.
Full defect summary
Honda (american honda motor co.) is recalling certain model year 2003 odyssey vehicles manufactured august 28, 2002, to august 30, 2002. The affected vehicles were manufactured with the incorrect air bag modules, rendering the vehicles noncompliant with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard (fmvss) number 208, "occupant crash protection."
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: frontal
Risk: Inadvertent deployment of the air bags may increase the risk of injury and the possibility of a vehicle crash.
Fix: Honda dealers will replace the supplemental restraint system electronic control unit (SRS ecu). The recall began on february 22, 2016. Owners may contact honda customer service at 1-800-999-1009. Honda's number for this recall is jn6 (odyssey), and jn7 (mdx). Note: this recall supersedes recall 13v-412. Vehicles that had a noise filter installed as the remedy for that campaign need to have the SRS ecu replaced under this campaign.
Full defect summary
Honda is recalling certain model year 2003-2004 honda odyssey vehicles manufactured february 13, 2002, to august 13, 2004, and 2003 acura mdx vehicles manufactured february 21, 2002, to september 23, 2003. Due to electrical noise, a component in the air bag control module may fail, causing the front air bags, side air bags, and/or seatbelt pretensioners to deploy inadvertently while the vehicle is being operated.
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.
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 inflators in all affected vehicles, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin during august 2014. Owners may contact honda customer service at 1-800-999-1009.
Full defect summary
American honda motor company, inc.'s (honda) is conducting a limited regional recall for certain model year 2003-2005 accord, civic, cr-v, pilot and acura mdx, model year 2003-2004 odyssey and element, and model year 2005 acura rl, and 2006 honda ridgeline vehicles originally sold, or ever registered in california, and equipped with takata-brand air bag inflators. Upon deployment of the passenger side frontal air bag, excessive internal pressure may cause the inflator to rupture.
Air bags
Risk: Inadvertent deployment of the air bags may increase the risk of injury and the possibility of a vehicle crash.
Fix: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will install a noise suppressor unit, free of charge. The recall began on november 1, 2013. A renotification letter went out on july 11, 2014 for the 2003 acura and the 2003-2004 odyssey. Owners may contact honda at 1-800-999-1009. Honda's recall numbers are jc2 (honda odyssey) and jc3 (acura mdx).
Full defect summary
Honda is recalling certain model year 2003 and 2004 odyssey and model year 2003 acura mdx vehicles. Due to electrical noise, a component in the air bag control module may fail causing the front air bags, side curtain air bags, and/or seatbelt pretensioners to deploy inadvertently while the vehicle is being operated.
Electrical: switch
Risk: Removal of the ignition key when the gear selector of a vehicle with an automatic transmission has not been shifted to the park position can allow the vehicle to roll away, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Honda will notify owners and instruct them to take their vehicle to a honda or acura dealer. The dealer will install an updated shift interlock lever and, if necessary, replace any necessary part of the ignition switch, free of charge. The recall began on february 22, 2013. Owners may contact honda at 1-800-999-1009.
Full defect summary
Honda is recalling certain model year 2003 and 2004 pilot and odyssey and 2003 through 2006 acura mdx passenger vehicles manufactured from november 26, 2001, through august 30, 2006. The interlock lever of the ignition switch may deform, which can allow the interlock function of a vehicle with an automatic transmission to be defeated.
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.
Fuel system: tank assembly
Risk: Fuel leakage, in the presence of an ignition source, could result in a fire.
Fix: Dealers will inspect the fuel tank for surface imperfections. If any imperfections are found, the fuel tank will be replaced. Owner notification began january 16, 2003. 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.
Full defect summary
On certain mini vans, some fuel tanks have surface imperfections that could allow fuel to leak from the tank.
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
Inadvertent air bag deployment
Summary
The investigation was opened based on reports of frontal air bag inadvertent deployments (abids) on model year (my) 2003-2004 honda odyssey vehicles.in its response dated september 20, 2013, honda indicated that the my 2003 acura mdx vehicles use a SRS electronic control unit (ecu) which contains the same electrical component (an asic chip) as the odyssey, and has a similar vehicle electrical system architecture.through inspection and analysis of field returned vehicles and components, honda determined that the SRS ecus used in the odyssey and mdx can degrade over time and result in the deployment of either the driver and/or the passenger frontal air bags.the deployment occurs without a cras
Ignition interlock failure - rollaway
Summary
On december 10, 2012, honda motor company submitted a defect information report to NHTSA regarding ignition interlocks in approximately 576,117 model year my) 2003 through 2004 honda pilot and odyssey vehicles that are the subject of this investigation and 231,044 my 2003 through 2006 acura mdx vehicles (recall no. 12v-573).honda's report states that a design change to the ignition switch used in the recalled vehicles reduced the range of rotation for the ignition switch from 160 degrees in earlier designs to 125 degrees without a corresponding change to the ignition interlock blocking mechanism.the result was that excessive rotational force could damage a lever that would allow the driver t
Questions about the 2003 Honda Odyssey
- What are the most common problems with the 2003 Honda Odyssey?
- By NHTSA owner complaints: transmission (533 complaints, typically around 100,000 miles); air bags (131 complaints, typically around 122,500 miles); electrical (81 complaints, typically around 122,000 miles).
- How many recalls does the 2003 Honda Odyssey have?
- 15 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 2003 a bad year for the Honda Odyssey?
- It is 4th of 27 Odyssey model years by number of complaints, with 914 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.