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Honda OdysseyModel year report

2004 Honda Odyssey Problems

Complaints
585filed with NHTSA
Median mileage
106,800miles, 431 complaints with mileage
Recalls
13campaigns on record
Trend
FallingComplaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are at least 25% lower than in the 3 years before.
NHTSA crash rating
—overall rating starts with 2011 models
EPA fuel economy
19 mpgcombined, 3.5L 6-cyl FWD · 16 city / 23 hwy

Sources: NHTSA records for the 2004 Honda Odyssey (complaints, recalls, investigations), NHTSA crash tests, EPA fuel economy. Report an error

What owners report

Owners of this minivan most often describe automatic transmission problems, typically loss of drive, slipping between gears, or warning lights, and often at mileages above 100,000. Many reports also involve the Takata airbag inflator recalls and a separate airbag control module issue, plus power sliding door latch problems. Complaints are spread across a wide mileage range, with transmission failures frequently described as sudden rather than gradual.

  1. Transmission and drivetrain

    Automatic transmission slipping or losing drive

    • 199 complaints (34%)
    • median 111,111 mi at 8.4 yrs old (175 state mileage)
    • 8 mention a crash, fire or injury
    • owner-quoted repair $4,000 (median of 47 quotes)
    • filed 2004–2022

    Owners describe the van revving without moving, slipping between second and third gear, shuddering at low speed, and sometimes losing power entirely while driving. Many report the check engine and traction control lights coming on together, and dealers diagnosing internal transmission failure with an estimate commonly in the $4,000 range for replacement. Several owners say they had no warning beforehand, while others noticed rough or delayed shifting first. Mostly reported between roughly 75,000 and 180,000 miles, with many around 100,000 to 130,000 miles.

    Recall 04V176000Recall 12V5730002 related service bulletins

    What to check: Ask for transmission service records and have a shop read stored codes, particularly P0740, before purchase. A test drive should include steady acceleration from a stop and a check for shudder or delayed engagement.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “This is the 2nd transmission that is failed, Honda has refuse to pay anything. They claim that there transmission has no problem but after google I find that they have a class action regarding this problem. I want assistance in this problem I will not afford another $ 3000 to fix it. The first transmission failed at only 79000.00 miles now this one failed only 103093 miles.”

    NHTSA complaint #10446751, filed 2012-02, 103,093 miles

    “After reading an article on october 6, 2012 by reuters government investigates Honda pilot,Odyssey rollaway risk , I realized that is exactly what is happening to my 2004 Honda Odyssey. Many times after coming to a complete stop and after placing the gear shift arm into 'park', the vehicle does not register that the vehicle is in 'park', however I am able to remove the key from the ignition.”

    NHTSA complaint #10478861, filed 2012-10, 126,255 miles
  2. Electrical system

    Stalling, hard starting and ignition switch concerns

    • 158 complaints (27%)
    • median 110,617 mi at 8.9 yrs old (133 state mileage)
    • 13 mention a crash, fire or injury
    • owner-quoted repair $4,000 (median of 32 quotes)
    • filed 2004–2026

    Owners report the van stalling or refusing to restart, sometimes restarting after a wait, and in some cases the key being difficult to insert or remove from the ignition switch. Complaints also mention lost motive power without warning, and some owners linked the behavior to the ignition switch. Dealers sometimes could not reproduce the problem. Reported from a few hundred up to over 300,000 miles, with several cases at low mileage.

    Recall 12V573000Recall 04V4200002 related service bulletins

    What to check: Ask whether the ignition switch recall work was completed, and check for any history of no-start or stalling complaints. Test that the key turns freely and the engine restarts reliably.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “I was coming out of apartment parking lot and suddenly car stopped. I have to towed car to herb chamber of Honda in westborough, ma. Technician told me that it is a computer failure. I am not sure why computer fail as before this incident my used not to start after parking. To start I had to insert key and move gear from parking to d1 and move it back to p and it started all the time. I not sure this is a computer issue. They are charging me $1500.00 for this. Could you please help to resolve this. …”

    NHTSA complaint #10520350, filed 2013-06, 103,000 miles

    “My van continues to stall. The fuel pump and fuel pump relay was replaced in late september, but the van continues to have the same problem. It will start, run for 1-3 seconds, and shut down. It will take anywhere from one try one hour worth of tries to get it to start up again. The van has left my family stranded on several occasions. I have contacted the Honda dealer, and they tell me this is normal. I don't believe a vehicle with 7000 miles normally does not start, and can take up to one hour to start. …”

    NHTSA complaint #10102179, filed 2004-12, 300 miles
  3. Latches, locks and linkages

    Power sliding door opens or fails to latch

    Mentioned in 6 of 60 sampled complaints

    Owners describe power sliding doors that open on their own while driving, fail to latch when closed, or stop partway and sound an alarm. Several reports mention the door closing on a person or object, and dealers often could not duplicate the fault or replaced a latch that later failed again. Reported from very low mileage up to roughly 135,000 miles, in varied conditions.

    What to check: Cycle both sliding doors several times, including with the dash button and remote, and check that each latches securely and that the door-open warning behaves as expected.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “Latches/locks/linkages:doors:latch while my wife was retrieving my 1yr old daughter from her child restraining device my 3.5yr old son activated the automatic sliding rear/left passenger door crushing my wife causing bruses to her left shoulder. Neither child were hurt in this incident.”

    NHTSA complaint #10185319, filed 2007-03, 25,435 miles

    “My daughter opened the car door and , not realizing this, I pushed the keyless entry/door open button. These actions made the door stop with a small opening. My daughter then tried to maunally open the door at the same time I pushed the button again. This resulted in her hand being crushed/caught and shut in the van door. I ran and maunally opened the door to see her hand crushed. This all happend in a matter of seconds. We iced it and upon her pediatricians request,took her to the emergency room for x-rays. …”

    NHTSA complaint #10079187, filed 2004-07, 6,400 miles
  4. Air bags

    Airbag inflator recalls and unexpected deployment

    Mentioned in 4 of 60 sampled complaints

    Many complaints concern the front airbag inflators covered by the Takata recalls, with owners reporting rust found around an inflator area and asking whether replacements were done. Other reports describe airbags deploying without an impact, or failing to deploy in a collision, and some mention burns or injuries after deployment. Dealers handled these under recall campaigns according to the complaints. Scattered across the model year's life, from moderate mileage up to around 170,000 miles.

    Recall 19V501000Recall 19V499000Recall 19V182000Recall 18V268000Recall 16V344000Recall 15V320000Recall 15V045000Recall 14V700000Recall 14V353000Recall 13V4120007 related service bulletins

    What to check: Check the VIN against open safety recalls and ask for documentation that the driver and passenger inflators were replaced. A service bulletin notes a warranty extension program for replacement inflators.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “I got car accident by mar 9th, 2010 when I was driving a 2004 Honda Odyssey in hwy 405 in irvine, orange county, ca. I hit the car in front my car. The drive side air bag was deployed. My right waist got bad burn. It has been ten days since I got the accident, my waist is still bad.”

    NHTSA complaint #10320925, filed 2010-03, 105,000 miles

    “The contact owns a 2004 Honda Odyssey. The contact stated that rust was discovered underneath the passenger side air bag inflator. The contact stated that the vehicle was repaired under NHTSA campaign number: 14v351000 (air bags). The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 110,000.”

    NHTSA complaint #10667627, filed 2014-12, 110,000 miles

Buying note. This model year is old enough that condition and service history matter more than the badge. Budget for transmission work unless records show recent service, and confirm that the outstanding airbag recalls were completed before driving it.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 60 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.

NHTSA recorded 585 consumer complaints for the 2004 Honda Odyssey. 431 of the complaints include a mileage, and 13% of those were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the median is 106,800 miles. Of all complaints, 41 involved a crash, 6 a fire, 45 an injury, 1 a death, according to the filers. NHTSA lists 13 recall campaigns and 163 technical service bulletins for this model year.

Not compared (before 2008). Model years 2008–2023 of the same vehicle that have at least 25 complaints are compared, and a model needs at least 3 of them.

Which parts are reported most

Complaints can name more than one part, so the counts add up to more than the total. Select a part to see its complaints, recalls and bulletins.

Also reported: Seats (22), Seat belts (18), Tires (14), Brakes (13), Steering (12), Exterior lighting (7), Suspension (7), Visibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors) (6), Equipment (4), Wheels (3), Interior lighting (1).

Example complaints

Transmission and drivetrain: “Transmission wants to shift but doesn't and it does it while driving down the highway at higher speeds to. I think it is bs that they know there is a problem with their transmissions and they tell me mine doesn't qualify because the VIN doesn't match. I feel like they should fix it hasn't gone out yet but it will one day then I'm supposed to cover it.”

NHTSA complaint #10593917, filed 2014-05, 137,000 miles

Air bags: “I received a second recall notice from Honda last march stating that the second part for airbag recall would be ready in summer 2015. I called a dealer a few times to see the part was available. They said that it was not available. It is almost a year since honday notified me of the recall. I cannot believe why the part is not available by now.”

NHTSA complaint #10819345, filed 2016-01, 155,000 miles

Body and structure: “I stopped behind a car waiting to merge from a parking lot to highway 193. The car ahead pulled out a little. Then apparently changing his mind, he backed up into me. I had not pulled forward, but he still totaled my car. Surprisingly, my airbags did not inflate. The collision bent my hood, cracked the grill, broke the bumper.”

NHTSA complaint #11042922, filed 2017-11, 200,000 miles

Electrical system: “Hi there, I have issues with ignition cylinder lock system and looks like there was a recall for the model/year of Honda Odyssey I currently own. I was wondering if the recall missed other batches of Honda Odyssey vans manufactured during the same time. Electrical system:ignition:switch recall for 2004 Honda Odyssey thanks, raj”

NHTSA complaint #11092177, filed 2018-05, 165,000 miles

Mileage when problems were reported

13% of the 431 complaints with a mileage were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the middle half falls between 78,500 and 141,000 miles.

7%0–103%10–254%25–5010%50–7519%75–10036%100–15022%150+
Share of complaints by mileage when the problem was reported, in thousands of miles (431 complaints with mileage). Red bars: under 50,000 miles. Bucket widths differ. Median: 106,800 miles.

Complaints by year filed

Trend: falling. Complaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are at least 25% lower than in the 3 years before.

’05’08’1166’14’17’20’23’26
Complaints by year the complaint was filed with NHTSA. Red bars: the last 3 full calendar years used for the trend. The current year (2026) is partial.

Crash test ratings

NHTSA's 5-Star Safety Ratings for the 2004 Honda Odyssey. Frontal results are shown driver / passenger; rollover shows the star rating and NHTSA's estimated risk of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.

VersionOverallFrontalSideSide poleRollover
Odyssey · sedan FWDnot rated5 / 5———

Ratings before the 2011 model year come from an older, less demanding test and are not comparable with ratings for 2011 and later.

Source: NHTSA New Car Assessment Program (5-Star Safety Ratings), nhtsa.gov/ratings.

Fuel economy and running cost

EPA ratings for each 2004 Honda Odyssey version. Annual fuel cost is the EPA's estimate at its current fuel prices for 15,000 miles a year (55% city driving).

VersionEngineTransmissionCityHwyComb.Fuel / yr
Odyssey FWD3.5L 6-cyl5-speed automatic162319$3,550

Source: U.S. EPA and Department of Energy, fueleconomy.gov. Ratings are for comparing vehicles; real-world mileage varies with driving and conditions.

Recalls and investigations

See all 13 recalls for the 2004 Honda Odyssey → · Check a VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls

NHTSA investigations

Technical service bulletins

TSBs are manufacturer notes to dealers about known repair procedures. They are not recalls and do not by themselves mean a vehicle has a fault. 163 on record; the latest 10 are shown.

See all 163 bulletins →

Other model years of the Honda Odyssey

YearComplaintsMedian miRecallsCrash ★MPGScore (50 = typical)Trend
2026606,3382522Too new to compareToo new
202544215,3002522Too new to compareToo new
202412314,5003522Too new to compareToo new
202310528,412552242 · TypicalToo new
202214131,400952255 · TypicalRising
202114732,164852235 · FewerRising
202049114,0001452282 · MoreRising
201999723,00020522100 · MoreRising
20181,00924,00016522100 · MoreRising
20173924,00025220 · FewerRising
201627130,344652252 · TypicalRising
201520732,000652246 · TypicalRising
201431028,000552257 · TypicalStable
201321034,000652239 · TypicalRising
201224540,376552248 · TypicalFalling
201123521,400552264 · TypicalStable
201025562,2771—2017 · FewerFalling
200919864,5003—2033 · FewerFalling
200849950,0004—2065 · MoreFalling
200783054,7204—19Not compared (before 2008)Falling
200670365,3503—20Not compared (before 2008)Falling
200583074,2108—20Not compared (before 2008)Falling
2004585106,80013—19Not compared (before 2008)Falling
2003914102,00015—19Not compared (before 2008)Falling
200296084,00010—19Not compared (before 2008)Falling
2001619100,0001—18Not compared (before 2008)Falling
200067597,6346—19Not compared (before 2008)Falling
1999518100,0009—19Not compared (before 2008)Falling
199873139,0343—21Not compared (before 2008)Falling
199720104,0002—20—Falling
199670113,4680—19Not compared (before 2008)Falling
199596128,0000—20Not compared (before 2008)Stable

All Honda Odyssey model years · Best and worst years by complaints

Frequently asked questions

What are the most common problems with the 2004 Honda Odyssey?

Owners of this minivan most often describe automatic transmission problems, typically loss of drive, slipping between gears, or warning lights, and often at mileages above 100,000. The issues reported most often: Automatic transmission slipping or losing drive; Stalling, hard starting and ignition switch concerns; Power sliding door opens or fails to latch.

How many NHTSA complaints does the 2004 Honda Odyssey have?

NHTSA recorded 585 consumer complaints for the 2004 Honda Odyssey as of Oct 28, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.

What part of the 2004 Honda Odyssey is reported most often?

Transmission and drivetrain is named most often, in 221 complaints (38% of the total), followed by air bags with 111.

Has the 2004 Honda Odyssey been recalled?

NHTSA lists 13 recall campaigns for this model year. To check a specific vehicle, enter its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

What gas mileage does the 2004 Honda Odyssey get?

The EPA rates the 2004 Honda Odyssey (Odyssey, 3.5L 6-cyl) at 19 mpg combined, 16 city and 23 highway, with an estimated annual fuel cost of $3,550 at 15,000 miles a year. Other engine and drive versions are rated differently.

At what mileage are problems with the 2004 Honda Odyssey reported?

Among the 431 complaints that include a mileage, the median is 106,800 miles and the middle half falls between 78,500 and 141,000 miles; 13% were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles.

About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 28, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate. Crash ratings are from NHTSA’s New Car Assessment Program. Fuel economy is from the EPA and DOE (fueleconomy.gov).

Complaint counts come from NHTSA’s public complaint database; we count each complaint once. The source records for this vehicle are on nhtsa.gov. Scores and trends are our own summaries of that data, described in the methodology. This page is not legal, safety or repair advice: for a specific vehicle, check its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls and ask a qualified mechanic. See an error? Tell us.