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EnginePart report

2003 Honda Odyssey Engine Problems

Complaints
32about this part
Share
4%of 914 total for the year
Median mileage
119,500miles
Trend
FallingComplaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are at least 25% lower than in the 3 years before.

NHTSA recorded 32 complaints about the engine of the 2003 Honda Odyssey, 4% of the 914 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 119,500 miles. 2 of these say a crash was involved, according to the filers.

Example complaints

Selected from NHTSA records; personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.

“The van started losing power right after the tcs light appeared. I slowed down to 45mph when I lost all acceleration and coasted to the side of the road when the vehicle stopped. The car is reported to have broken gears and the clutch in the automatic transmission that had a recall on it that reported it fixed.”

NHTSA complaint #10587255, filed 2014-05, 160,000 miles

“I was driving on highway 95 south when my car would not accelerate while I was in the middle lane. I quickly attempted to switch to the right lane as there were many cars and trucks on the highway. I finally pulled the car over to the shoulder when it began to smoke. I do not believe it was a fire, but I am not sure. I do believe it was the transmission. This transmission was replaced by Honda about 6 years ago b/c of a faulty transmission.”

NHTSA complaint #10627746, filed 2014-08, 102,000 miles

“Difficulty shifting from 2nd to 3rd gear... I called Honda care services and I was told that my vehicle is out of warranty and they can't shoulder the cost which is unacceptible given that this van had been recalled for transimission issue and many owners had failed transmission. I like Honda vehicles and recommended to my family and friends but after this incident I will never buy another Honda product again.”

NHTSA complaint #10459315, filed 2012-05, 106,000 miles

“I can take my key out of the ignition while in drive. Because of the setup of the shifter, and the short space between gears, it's not apparent that the car's not in park, and fairly common for me to remove the key while in drive. I've not had this problem with other cars. Several times I've taken the key out and the car started rolling a little before I stepped on the brake and put the key back in and shifted to park. …”

NHTSA complaint #10478857, filed 2012-10, 100,000 miles

“Traveling at 65 MPH the transmission failed without warning. No warning lights, no slippage... A complete failure. I managed to get into breakdown lane before transmission had completely seized. I was driving with my 72 yr old mother and 3 children, ages 4,6,8. I feel very lucky I was not involved or caused a vehicular fatality due to this failure. All recommended maintenance had been done at dealerships. A compete vehicle inspection was completed the day before the incident.”

NHTSA complaint #10641610, filed 2014-10, 109,000 miles

Engine: other model years

YearComplaintsShare of year
20262646%
202523955%
20244436%
20231514%
20221511%
20212618%
20207114%
201913514%
201819019%
20171026%
20169334%
20155426%
20145919%
20136933%
20123916%
20112511%
20104618%
20093417%
2008408%
2007587%
20067411%
2005688%
2004509%
2003324%
2002273%
200191%
200091%
199992%
199834%
199611%

Other parts of the 2003 Honda Odyssey

Transmission and drivetrain
533 complaintsAir bags
131 complaintsElectrical system
81 complaintsEngine cooling
44 complaintsBody and structure
40 complaintsOther or unknown
31 complaintsVehicle speed control
30 complaintsLatches, locks and linkages
26 complaintsSeat belts
21 complaintsFuel system
17 complaintsBrakes
14 complaintsSeats
13 complaints

← All problems reported for the 2003 Honda Odyssey

About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 27, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.

To check a specific vehicle for open recalls, use its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. Methodology