Reliability
Honda

Odyssey (RA6)

2000-2004 · Minivan · 3 engines
3,737 NHTSA Complaints
23 Recalls
30 Fire Reports
171 Crash Reports
View all 5 generations of the Honda Odyssey → Inspection checklist

Reliability Score

2.5 / 10

Reliability score

Many more owner complaints than similar minivans

The class average is 7.0. Based on complaints owners filed with NHTSA about the engine, transmission or drivetrain.

Complaints of a failed or replaced engine, transmission or drive unit run well above similar vehicles. They set this score.

Owners filed 2,131 powertrain complaints. A typical minivan fleet of this size and age would have drawn about 928.

Scores this low have often eased: the three years after looked about 1.8 points better in the typical case.

Breakdown
Complaints overall2,131 complaints against about 928 for similar vehicles
4.6
Last three years
n/aNot enough data
Engine, transmission or drive unit failed or replaced1,281 complaints against about 224 for similar vehicles
2.5
Oil consumption, fuel in the oil or overheating50 complaints against about 33 for similar vehicles
5.9

Each line scores one view of the same complaints the same way, so the lines overlap. The mark on each bar is the class average. A line needs 20 expected complaints to show a number.

By model year
  • 20003.7
  • 20012.5
  • 20021.9
  • 20032.3
  • 20044.2

Similar vehicles are others in the same class, compared at the same age and in the same years. The score counts complaints owners filed with NHTSA, per vehicle built, which is different from the share of vehicles that fail. How the score is worked out

On the record

No serious powertrain recall covering 5% or more of this generation and no escalated investigation in NHTSA's files. Warranty extensions and settlements have not been researched.

Complaints by Engine Code

J35A4

3.5L 6-cyl / 240 hp
2,375 complaints 475.0 per year Gasoline
20 fire reports 10 fatalities
View details

Complaint Breakdown

transmission
1318
safety systems
301
body
250
engine
187
electrical
157

J35A1

3.5L 4-cyl / 210 hp
692 complaints 138.4 per year Gasoline
4 fire reports
View details

Complaint Breakdown

transmission
330
body
104
safety systems
72
suspension
65
engine
53

Same engine used in

Honda Odyssey Unidentified Engine

667 complaints 133.4 per year
6 fire reports
View details

Complaint Breakdown

transmission
266
body
153
other
51
engine
50
electrical
37
Show 3 additional engine variants with limited data
These engines appear in fewer than 10 owner complaints. A low count can mean a clean record, and it can also be a VIN-decode anomaly in NHTSA's data.

J35A7

3.5L 6-cyl / 255 hp
1 complaint 1.0 per year Gasoline
View details

Complaint Breakdown

steering
1

J35A3

3.5L 6-cyl / 240 hp
1 complaint 1.0 per year Gasoline
View details

Complaint Breakdown

transmission
1

Same engine used in

B18A1

1.8L 4-cyl
1 complaint 1.0 per year Gasoline
View details

Complaint Breakdown

body
1

Owner Complaints by System

Complaints owners filed with NHTSA about the Honda Odyssey, counted across every engine. A complaint can name more than one system.

Transmission: 1,915 owner complaints
Body/Trim: 508 owner complaints
Safety Systems: 407 owner complaints
Engine: 290 owner complaints
Electrical System: 234 owner complaints

What to check on a used 2000-2004 Honda Odyssey

On a used 2000-2004 Honda Odyssey, the systems with the most NHTSA owner complaints are the transmission and drivetrain (1,915), the body and structure (508) and the airbags and driver-assist systems (407). Each one has an inspection step below, with counts as of 2026-10-12. A complaint is an owner report, not a confirmed defect, and counts rise with sales.

  1. Accelerate gently through every gear, then once at full throttle. Shift into Reverse and back to Drive.Costly repair. NHTSA has 1,915 owner complaints on the 2000-2004 Honda Odyssey about the transmission and drivetrain, all engines combined.
  2. Open and close every door, the hood and the trunk or hatch. Check the latches, the seals and the gaps between panels.Minor. NHTSA has 508 owner complaints on the 2000-2004 Honda Odyssey about the body and structure.
  3. Switch the ignition on and watch the airbag light. On the drive, check the backup camera and any collision or lane warning.Safety. NHTSA has 407 owner complaints on the 2000-2004 Honda Odyssey about the airbags and driver-assist systems.
  4. Start the engine cold and listen for the first 30 seconds, then again at idle once it is warm.Costly repair. NHTSA has 290 owner complaints on the 2000-2004 Honda Odyssey about the engine, all engines combined.
  5. Switch on every electrical item in turn: lights, windows, locks, wipers, climate fan, screen and power outlets.Costly repair. NHTSA has 234 owner complaints on the 2000-2004 Honda Odyssey about the electrical system.
Open the full inspection checklist for the 2000-2004 Honda Odyssey

Recalls (23)

20V026000Jan 17, 2020critical
Air Bags

Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 1998 Acura 2.2CL, 1998-1999 Acura 2.3CL, 1998-1999 Acura 3.0CL, 2001 Acura 3.2CL and Acura MDX, 1998-2000 Honda Accord Coupe, Accord Sedan, Civic Sedan, Odyssey and Acura 3.5RL, 1999-2000 Acura 3.2TL, 1996-2000 Civic Coupe, 1997-2000 CR-V, 1997-1998 EV Plus, and 1998-1999 Isuzu Oasis vehicles. These vehicles were equipped with Non-Azide Driver air bag Inflators (NADI) and do not contain phase stabilized ammonium nitrate (PSAN) propellant. Due to a manufacturing issue, the NADI inflators may absorb moisture, causing the inflators to rupture or the air bag cushion to underinflate.

20V027000Jan 17, 2020critical
Air Bags

Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2001-2002 Acura 3.2CL, 2000-2003 Acura 3.5RL, 2000-2001 Acura 3.2TL, Honda CR-V and Honda Odyssey, 2001-2002 Acura MDX and 2000 Accord Coupe, Accord Sedan, Civic Coupe, and Civic Sedan vehicles. These vehicles may have received a replacement driver frontal air bag module as part of a vehicle repair. Due to a manufacturing issue, the replacement NADI inflator may absorb moisture, causing the inflator to rupture or the air bag cushion to underinflate.

19V499000Jun 27, 2019critical
Air Bags

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.

19V501000Jun 27, 2019critical
Air Bags

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.

19V182000Mar 6, 2019critical
Air Bags

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.

Show 18 older recalls
18V268000Apr 26, 2018serious
Air Bags

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.

16V344000May 23, 2016critical
Air Bags

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, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia, or "Zone B." Lastly, unless included in "Zone A" or "Zone B" above, Honda is recalling model year 2002-2004 Odyssey and model year 2003-2004 Acura MDX, Honda Element, and Honda Pilot vehicles originally sold, or registered, in Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. These vehicles are equipped with certain air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules, and used as original equipment or replacement equipment. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the front air bags, these inflators may rupture due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to absolute humidity and temperature cycling.

15V563000Sep 4, 2015serious
Air Bags

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."

15V370000Jun 15, 2015critical
Air Bags

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 rupture upon its deployment.

15V320000May 28, 2015critical
Air Bags

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.

15V045000Jan 28, 2015serious
Air Bags

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.

14V700000Nov 4, 2014critical
Air Bags

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.

14V353000Jun 20, 2014critical
Air Bags

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.

13V412000Sep 19, 2013serious
Air Bags

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.

12V573000Dec 11, 2012serious
Electrical System

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.

04V420000Aug 27, 2004serious
Fuel System

ON CERTAIN MINIVANS, THE FUEL PUMP MAY FAIL DUE TO CORROSION OF AN ELECTRICAL TERMINAL.

04V176000Apr 15, 2004serious
Powertrain

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.

03V014000Jan 16, 2003serious
Fuel System

ON CERTAIN MINI VANS, SOME FUEL TANKS HAVE SURFACE IMPERFECTIONS THAT COULD ALLOW FUEL TO LEAK FROM THE TANK.

02V226000Aug 28, 2002serious
Engine & Cooling

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.

00V183000Jul 6, 2000cosmetic
Interior Lighting

VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: MINI VANS. THE DIMMER CONTROL FOR THE INSTRUMENT PANEL LIGHTS CAN FAIL.

00V119000Apr 25, 2000critical
Latches/Locks/Linkages

VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: MINIVAN. THE SLIDING DOORS MAY NOT LATCH PROPERLY.

00V030000Feb 11, 2000cosmetic
Electrical System

VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: MINI VANS. A WIRE HARNESS, LOCATED WITHIN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT, COULD BE DAMAGED BY CONTACT WITH A METAL PIPE, POSSIBLY RESULTING IN A BLOWN FUSE.

99V339000Dec 15, 1999moderate
Structure

VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: MINIVANS. THE FRONT BODY/FRAME IS MISSING SPOT WELDS.

Alternatives in Minivan

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the most common 2000-2004 Honda Odyssey complaints?

Owners have filed 3,737 complaints with NHTSA about the 2000-2004 Honda Odyssey. The systems they name most often are the transmission, the body and trim and the safety systems.

Is the 2000-2004 Honda Odyssey a good used car?

That depends on the model year, the mileage and the maintenance history of the car in front of you. Owners have filed 3,737 complaints with NHTSA about the 2000-2004 Honda Odyssey. Check which systems they name most often and whether a recall is still open on that car.

How many NHTSA complaints does the 2000-2004 Honda Odyssey have?

NHTSA has 3,737 owner complaints on file for the 2000-2004 Honda Odyssey as of the latest data pull. A complaint is an owner's report, not a confirmed defect, and counts rise with sales.

What recalls affect the 2000-2004 Honda Odyssey?

NHTSA lists 23 recalls covering some 2000-2004 Honda Odyssey vehicles. Which ones apply depends on the VIN: enter it at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see the open campaigns on a specific car.

What should I check before buying a used Honda Odyssey?

Run the VIN through NHTSA's recall lookup and confirm every open recall has been done. Look hardest at the transmission, the body and trim and the safety systems, the systems owners complain about most. Ask for maintenance records, have an independent mechanic inspect the car and run a vehicle history report for prior accidents and title issues.

Does the Odyssey have NHTSA crash test ratings?

NHTSA has not published crash test ratings for the 2000-2004 Honda Odyssey. Not all vehicles are tested each year. For the latest NHTSA safety information, visit nhtsa.gov/ratings.

Data from NHTSA federal complaints database. 3,737 complaints analyzed. Data confidence: high. Last updated: 2026-10-12.

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