repaired · 2020 Q4
Driver side: inflator module
Risk. An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
2003 Honda OdysseyProblems, recalls & complaints
NHTSA has logged 914 owner complaints about the 2003 Honda Odyssey, most often about the power train. It is covered by 15 safety recalls, and for recall 19V-499 the manufacturer reports only 22% of affected cars repaired.
Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through May 31, 2026. Updated daily. Photo: Elise240SX, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Complaints by system
Where the 2003 Honda Odyssey has problems
914 complaints grouped by the system owners reported.
533Power train21 crash/fire/injury
131Air bags27 crash/fire/injury
81Electrical system14 crash/fire/injury
44Engine and engine cooling
40Structure
32Engine
30Vehicle speed control
26Latches/locks/linkages
21Seat belts
11521 other systems14 crash/fire/injury
| System | Complaints | Crash, fire or injury |
|---|---|---|
| Power train | 533 | 21 |
| Air bags | 131 | 27 |
| Electrical system | 81 | 14 |
| Engine and engine cooling | 44 | 2 |
| Structure | 40 | 7 |
| Engine | 32 | 2 |
| Vehicle speed control | 30 | 7 |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 26 | 3 |
| Seat belts | 21 | 2 |
| 21 other systems | 115 | 14 |
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Complaints are submitted by the public and are not verified by NHTSA.
15 recalls
2003 Honda Odyssey recalls and how many were fixed
Each ring shows the share of affected cars repaired, from the manufacturer’s latest quarterly report to NHTSA. Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
repaired · 2020 Q4
Passenger side: inflator module
Risk. An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
repaired · 2020 Q3
Driver side: 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…
repaired · 2019 Q3
Passenger side: inflator module
Risk. An incorrectly installed air bag may deploy improperly in the event of a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
Show 11 more recalls
repaired · 2017 Q3
Passenger side: inflator module
Risk. An inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
repaired · 2017 Q1
Passenger side: inflator module
Risk. Air bags that do not meet the safety requirements increase the risk of occupant injury in the event of a crash.
repaired · 2017 Q4
Passenger side: 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…
repaired · 2017 Q4
Driver side: 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…
repaired · 2017 Q2
Air bags: frontal
Risk. Inadvertent deployment of the air bags may increase the risk of injury and the possibility of a vehicle crash.
repaired · 2016 Q1
Air bags
Risk. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passengers frontal air bag, the inflator could rupture with metal fragments striking the vehicle…
repaired · 2015 Q4
Air bags
Risk. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passengers frontal air bag, the inflator could rupture with metal fragments striking the vehicle…
repaired · 2015 Q1
Air bags
Risk. Inadvertent deployment of the air bags may increase the risk of injury and the possibility of a vehicle crash.
no report yet
Ignition: 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…
no report yet
Power train: automatic transmission
Risk. GEAR FAILURE COULD RESULT IN TRANSMISSION LOCKUP, WHICH COULD RESULT IN A CRASH.
no report yet
Storage: tank assembly
Risk. FUEL LEAKAGE, IN THE PRESENCE OF AN IGNITION SOURCE, COULD RESULT IN A FIRE.
Recalls apply to specific cars. To see whether a recall is still open on yours, enter the 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with Honda.
Mileage at failure
When do power train problems start?
100kmiles, median
Based on the odometer reading in 495 power train complaints. 50% were reported before 100,000 miles.
28under 30k miles247under 100k miles248100k miles or more
Owner-reported costs
What owners say repairs cost
Dollar amounts owners wrote in their complaints when describing a repair or a quote. These are not price estimates; a system is shown only when at least 8 owners mentioned a cost.
Power train
100 owners mentioned a cost$4,000median
Middle half: $3,236 – $5,000
Air bags
8 owners mentioned a cost$1,500median
Middle half: $913 – $2,773
If a problem is covered by a recall, the dealer fixes it for free. Some manufacturers also reimburse owners who paid for a repair before a recall was announced.
Best & worst years
2003 vs. every other Odyssey year
Bars show complaints per model year. Colors show the CarFlaw verdict: complaints weighted for crashes, fires and injuries, adjusted for years on the road and compared with the Odyssey median. How we score
'95'96'97'98'99'00'01'02'03'04'05'06'07'08'09'10'11'12'13'14'15'16'17'18'19'20'21'22'23'24'25'26'27
- Avoid
- Caution
- Solid
- Best
- Not rated
NHTSA crash tests
2003 Honda Odyssey safety ratings
2003 Honda Odyssey w/SAB in NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program. Photos are from NHTSA's crash tests.
Frontal crashNot rated
Side barrierNot rated
- Stability control: No
- Forward collision warning: No
- Lane departure warning: No
5 investigations
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal investigations that included the 2003 Honda Odyssey, and the recalls they led to.
- Air Bag Inflator RuptureLed to recall 18V-032
- Desiccated Air Bag Inflator RuptureOpen
- Ignition Interlock Failure - RollawayLed to recall 12V-573
- Inadvertent Air Bag DeploymentLed to recall 13V-412
- Air Bag Inflator RuptureLed to recall 13V-172
In owners' words
What Odyssey owners report
Recent power train complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.
The contact owns a 2003 Honda Odyssey. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the transmission unintendedly shifted into gear. An unknown dealer was made aware of the failure and informed the contact that the VIN was included in four unrepaired recalls. The contact informed the…
I never had issues with my van when I bought it but On Monday got all the fluids drove to Phoenix and the transmission got hot the TCL light and ABs light turned on as well as the SRS light no check engine the floor on the driver side and passenger side was super hot. The transmission on 1st gear…
The contact owns a 2003 Honda Odyssey. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the transmission hesitated to shift into third gear. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the torque converter, clutch, and hydraulic control…
Own a 2003 Odyssey?
Decode your VIN to see the recalls for your exact car, then confirm open recalls with NHTSA.