2003 HONDA Odyssey

Transmission failure

Performance: 0 Comfort: 0 Fuel Economy: 0 Fun To Drive: 0 Interior Design: 0 Exterior Design: 0 Build Quality: 0 Reliability: 0 Comfort Rating: 4 Performance Rating: 3 Interior Rating: 5 Reliability Rating: 3 Safety Rating: 5 Technology Rating: 3 Value Rating:

I have a 2003 @ 110,000 TCS and check engine light came on. Complete transmission rebuild. Cost us $3500 plus the $5000 I paid for it used. Stay away from all older Honda Odysseys!!! I wish I had went with another Kia they never die.

would buy 3 more

Performance: 0 Comfort: 0 Fuel Economy: 0 Fun To Drive: 0 Interior Design: 0 Exterior Design: 0 Build Quality: 0 Reliability: 0 Comfort Rating: 5 Performance Rating: 5 Interior Rating: 5 Reliability Rating: 5 Safety Rating: 5 Technology Rating: 4 Value Rating: 5

look everything over before buying its been great to me I love it!!!!

Good van

Performance: 0 Comfort: 0 Fuel Economy: 0 Fun To Drive: 0 Interior Design: 0 Exterior Design: 0 Build Quality: 0 Reliability: 0 Comfort Rating: 4 Performance Rating: 3 Interior Rating: 3 Reliability Rating: 3 Safety Rating: 3 Technology Rating: 3 Value Rating: 3

Make sure to do a full expection

Been driving it for 12 years

Performance: 5 Comfort: 4 Fuel Economy: 5 Fun To Drive: 5 Interior Design: 4 Exterior Design: 5 Build Quality: 4 Reliability: 5 Comfort Rating: 4 Performance Rating: 5 Interior Rating: 4 Reliability Rating: 5

Bought it new as a family van and now has 178,000 miles. In early years, we used it for long trips to Florida, New York, & Canada. Got power and accelerates well. Comfort is fine for local driving but on very long road trips, I wished I had more seat adjustments. The design ambiance is awesome and that's why it's still in our driveway. Had two repaint jobs, one major maintenance overhaul, and transmission was rebuilt once. For many years, this minivan has performed better than I expected. Now that it's 12 years old, our air conditioner acts weird about every 6 months until my mechanic tinkers around with it. We are tough and assertive urban city drivers.

Family workhorse

Performance: 5 Comfort: 5 Fuel Economy: 5 Fun To Drive: 4 Interior Design: 4 Exterior Design: 5 Build Quality: 4 Reliability: 5 Comfort Rating: 5 Performance Rating: 5 Interior Rating: 4 Reliability Rating: 5

We were gifted our 2003 Odyssey 3 years ago from a friend when it had 184,000 miles. Now is has 315,000. It's our family workhorse and it's been a dandy. I'd buy another Odyssey for certain. Original engine and auto trans. We stay up on our maintenance and it's been very good. Excellent value. We've got our sights on 500K miles!

Transmission Problems

Performance: 3 Comfort: 4 Fuel Economy: 3 Fun To Drive: 3 Interior Design: 4 Exterior Design: 4 Build Quality: 3 Reliability: 3 Comfort Rating: 4 Performance Rating: 3 Interior Rating: 4 Reliability Rating: 3

We own a 2004 Honda Odyssey EX-L van & encouraged our son, with a baby on the way, to purchase a 2003 (147,000 miles) van 5 days ago. We felt it was a great investment for a new family with limited cash. Less than a week & the transmission is slipping between 30-40 mph. These kids don't have the money to fix the issue because the Honda dealer told me a new tranny is thousands of $'s. The private party, who admits to selling cars as his business, will not stand behind the vehicle. Of course Honda is not standing behind these tranny problems. How many times will Honda have to be sued, due to transmission lock-ups causing crashes, before they will take responsibility for the tranny issue?

garbage

Performance: 2 Comfort: 1 Fuel Economy: 1 Fun To Drive: 2 Interior Design: 1 Exterior Design: 3 Build Quality: 1 Reliability: 1 Comfort Rating: 1 Performance Rating: 2 Interior Rating: 1 Reliability Rating: 1

we have had this thing for 6 months we bought with 120,000 miles... 3 days later the transmission blew out on me... then here we are 8,000 miles later and the transmission is shot again WTF... the heated seats dont work half the time it has no EVIC and thats just stupid for a 2003... it is just AWFUL in the snow with good tires... the clock on the dash doesnt light up another stupid thing... the battery went i had to take the thing in just to get the factory radio set... i have a 2000 jeep grand cherokee with 225,000 miles never had ANY mojor problems i will try to convince her to sell this crap box and get a jeep... my jeep in 2wd is better than this thing with front wheel drive DONT BUY

An Excellant family vehicle

Performance: 5 Comfort: 4 Fuel Economy: 5 Fun To Drive: 5 Interior Design: 5 Exterior Design: 5 Build Quality: 5 Reliability: 5 Comfort Rating: 5 Performance Rating: 5 Interior Rating: 5 Reliability Rating: 5 Safety Rating: 5 Technology Rating: Value Rating: 5

I really like my 2003 Honda Odyssey. It now has 143,000 miles and runs like it's brand new. Very smooth, powerful and dependable. Like any other car it does have some quirks. My Odyssey goes through tires every 35,000 miles (wears evenly, and I rotate them every 3000-6000 miles), and goes through front brakes every 40,000 miles (evenly worn brakes). I just installed top of the line ceramic brakes to see if this would improve the ride. My car has no rust (wax every 3-4 months), no wear on the interior, and I change the oil every 3,000 miles. My dealer is great and I like working with them. The car is very versatile and we enjoy going on trips with it. No major issues yet. Update: Now that the car has 172,000 miles on it. I had replaced the brakes with Duralast top of the line ceramic pads and top of the line rotors. Getting excellant wear out of both front and rear (about 29k miles on the brakes and they still look new). Overall mileage is about 20 (city/hwy mixed) with highway mileage frequently at 24 mpg (running 75-80 mph). Still runs like brand new, still looks great. No wear on the interior except some stains in the storage area (mulch, trees, etc.). Still have the original struts, and no sign of wear on them. Still has plenty of power, very reliable. This has become the family favorite for trips due to the room, comfort, and quietness. I have a 2011 Dodge Grand Caravan as a company car and found that the Odyssey is smoother, easier to get in and out, (seats are lower), has better visibility, is more comfortable, though the Dodge has the edge over this 2003 Honda in power (183 vs. 145) and the fuel mileage is higher in the Dodge (23 overall with mostly highway driving). The Dodge has a 6 speed trans. vs. the Honda 5. The Dodge also eats brakes. I'd prefer a Honda Odyssey as a company car, but it was not my choice. Even though mini-vans are not supposed to be cool anymore, I have to say that this is the perfect family car. It's versatile, comfortable, roomy, can handle a huge amount of cargo, especially with the seats down or out, but within minutes can haul a total of 7. It's fast, gets good fuel economy, insurance rates are low (Odysseys are apparently one of the safest vehicles on the road- fatalities per million miles is 0. One of only 6 to achieve this, according to a recent article on car safety). I would certainly buy it again. I do prefer the looks of the 2003 and 2006 to the current Odyssey though, but that is my personal opinion.

Transmission Failed

Performance: 3 Comfort: 5 Fuel Economy: 3 Fun To Drive: 4 Interior Design: 4 Exterior Design: 4 Build Quality: 3 Reliability: 3 Comfort Rating: 5 Performance Rating: 3 Interior Rating: 4 Reliability Rating: 3

Purchased 2003 Odyssey new from the dealer (had to preorder because they were in such demand?) NHTSA tranny recall @ dealer 8/2004 w/39,000 miles. Last week, with 164,000 highway miles (never TOWED) slipping btween 2nd & 3rd gears & lock up 2x on busy highway. Extremely scary could have been hit and killed. Dealer diagnosed "internal transmission failure". American Honda is useless & tried blaming us. Dealer agreed to discount AFTER we asked, they never offered. Inherent well-documented serious tranny problem. Shame on Honda. Just traded our '93 Ford Aerostar w/just 157K miles & never had tranny problem. Wonder why Hyundai is America's #1 Car Dealer....No more Hondas for us!!!

A "Me Too" Transmission Failure

Performance: 5 Comfort: 5 Fuel Economy: 5 Fun To Drive: 5 Interior Design: 5 Exterior Design: 5 Build Quality: 3 Reliability: 4 Comfort Rating: 5 Performance Rating: 5 Interior Rating: 5 Reliability Rating: 4

Add me to the long list of people who have experienced transmission failure. My check engine and traction control lights came on last week while I was on the highway to the airport. I figured I'd take it in when I got back. Transmission started slipping and died less than 50 miles later, just this morning on the way back from a short trip to the airport. 135K miles on the car and it has been running like a champ. And now I get online and see that I'm not the only one. I was always a little suspect about the speed at which they were making these models. Now I guess we are seeing the effect.

Trans Failure

Performance: 3 Comfort: 3 Fuel Economy: 2 Fun To Drive: 3 Interior Design: 4 Exterior Design: 4 Build Quality: 1 Reliability: 1 Comfort Rating: 3 Performance Rating: 3 Interior Rating: 4 Reliability Rating: 1

Loved my 2003 Honda Odyssey till transmission suddenly failed going 70mph on the freeway with my children in the back seat. Trans suddenly downshifted to 2nd/1st then continued to wildly shift back and forth, just through good luck no horrible accident. For $100, dealer tells me trans is cooked. Found out via Internet this is a very common problem, in fact most people don't get as much use as we did. We took good care and was in beautiful condition prior to this incident. New trans -> $4800, Honda America refuses to help, they say warranty is 36,000 miles and I should be happy I got 160,000 miles. If I'd have known of this potential issue, I'd have sold it pronto while value was $5k.

Disappointed Honda Owner

Performance: 1 Comfort: 3 Fuel Economy: 1 Fun To Drive: 3 Interior Design: 3 Exterior Design: 3 Build Quality: 1 Reliability: 1 Comfort Rating: 3 Performance Rating: 1 Interior Rating: 3 Reliability Rating: 1

Purchased a 2003 Honda Odyssey in Fall 2002. I started having trouble with it after 100,000 miles. All maintenance were kept up. Transmission was the major problem. I had to replace it twice within 1 month (had to pay about $1500, while Honda covered the rest). Then a year later I was told the transmission was leaking. Shift Solenoids A and B Gaskets had to be replaced, luckily it was still under warranty. Now Jan 2011, I found out my transmission has a leak again with other major issues. I'm told the cost of repair is not worth it. The car is almost 180,000mile. Extremely disappointed that it could not make it to 200,000miles.Told it should last well over 200,000.Will not buy Honda again!

Why all the negative comments?

Performance: 4 Comfort: 5 Fuel Economy: 5 Fun To Drive: 5 Interior Design: 5 Exterior Design: 4 Build Quality: 5 Reliability: 5 Comfort Rating: 5 Performance Rating: 4 Interior Rating: 5 Reliability Rating: 5

The 2003 Odyssey EX-L we purchased new about 8 years ago has been a very good, reliable and enjoyable car. I read on the post about all transmission and door problems, etc. but we have not experienced those problems. We drive about 12k miles/year. I'm not saying we're lucky... I think we take care of our car with maintenance, with not driving it hard, etc. This was our first Honda and we don't have anything bad to say about it. It's plenty spacious for the family and all the trips and things we take with us. My 2 cents. it's a great car , but if you get a lemon, you'll have a sour taste in your mouth - (we must have got the cherry)!

Not the quality of Toyota

Performance: 4 Comfort: 5 Fuel Economy: 2 Fun To Drive: 3 Interior Design: 4 Exterior Design: 2 Build Quality: 2 Reliability: 2 Comfort Rating: 5 Performance Rating: 4 Interior Rating: 4 Reliability Rating: 2

We bought this car in late '06, have put 85k miles since. Every year the repairs total approximately 1000.(in addition to regular maintenance). I found out this car has a coil for each cylinder. Brakes are noisy. Piddly electrical problems also. So far, the trans hasn't died, but is slipping a little. It doesn't hold an alignment very long. The ride is very comfortable and fits all five kids and their stuff. The ride is good, seats are comfy even on 1600 mile round trips to relatives. It is pretty good in No. New England snow. Avg 27 mpg on highway trips/17 in town. I doubt it will make it another year.

So far so good

Performance: 5 Comfort: 5 Fuel Economy: 5 Fun To Drive: 3 Interior Design: 5 Exterior Design: 1 Build Quality: 5 Reliability: 5 Comfort Rating: 5 Performance Rating: 5 Interior Rating: 5 Reliability Rating: 5

We bought this 4 years ago when it had 67k miles on it. It now has 110k miles on it. It was a certified Honda so we had coverage until 100k mile, this replaced the motor mount for free. Motor mounts going bad is normal wear for a FWD car at 100k miles. It has leather seats that are EXTREMELY comfortable Road noise is worst than other vans. If you apply 'undercoat' to the wheel wells and buy good tires it will be silent. Bad quality tires make it worse. I have flushed the transmission fluid at 75k miles and changed it at 100k miles. No transmission problems yet. I get 26 mpg driving from Denver to Utah over 11,000 foot mountain passes with the cruise set, fully loaded Love it!

Honda LX

Performance: 4 Comfort: 3 Fuel Economy: 3 Fun To Drive: 3 Interior Design: 4 Exterior Design: 4 Build Quality: 4 Reliability: 4 Comfort Rating: 3 Performance Rating: 4 Interior Rating: 4 Reliability Rating: 4

Purchased vehicle with $19K, 2nd owner. Replaced transmission right away. Overall vehicle has been pretty good. Can't believe though it did not have CD player. Strangest thing happened all my locks gummed up on me. Had to replace the locks on the van and not cheap to do that over $500 dollars. Rear wiper motor went at $100K mi. Body has help up great. Can be a little uncomfortable in the drivers seat if you have the manual seats and not the power seats.

Disappointed

Performance: 4 Comfort: 4 Fuel Economy: 4 Fun To Drive: 3 Interior Design: 4 Exterior Design: 3 Build Quality: 3 Reliability: 3 Comfort Rating: 4 Performance Rating: 4 Interior Rating: 4 Reliability Rating: 3

I turned in a Chrysler Town & Country lease to pick this Odyssey up because of it's reliable reputation. Wrong! I purchased it with 106,000 miles and the transmission went yesterday at 112,000 miles stranding my wife and three kids 200 miles from home. $3000 later it will be fixed, but I must say I am very disappointed. Also, the stereo is terrible. I regret not getting another Chrysler.

80,000 miles and gooing strong

Performance: 5 Comfort: 5 Fuel Economy: 5 Fun To Drive: 5 Interior Design: 5 Exterior Design: 5 Build Quality: 5 Reliability: 5 Comfort Rating: 5 Performance Rating: 5 Interior Rating: 5 Reliability Rating: 5

i bought the 03 as a demo with 1400 miles on it. i bought the extended warranty,and it payed for the recall on the trans fix, at about 50,0000 miles the volatility joint went out,they fixed it. i had a little trouble with the car pulling to the right. honda fixed it. i bought the van in couer d'alene honda and have had the best of service.and would buy another car from them. i do not commute with the car,mostly long trips. 38,000 miles the first 10 months . i have seance towed a 24 ft airstream trailer almost 10,000 miles with no trouble. the car lives in a garage when not being used,and kept clean and always serviced ever 3 to 4000 miles. i have replaced the tires. should have 80,000 soon.

More and More Disappointing

Performance: 4 Comfort: 3 Fuel Economy: 3 Fun To Drive: 4 Interior Design: 4 Exterior Design: 4 Build Quality: 3 Reliability: 2 Comfort Rating: 3 Performance Rating: 4 Interior Rating: 4 Reliability Rating: 2

With a growing family, my wife and I bought a new Odyssey in 2003 and had to replace the transmission within a year (on recall). It's now at almost 190,000 miles and the 2nd tranny is shot. What makes this so disappointing is that we have taken very good care of the minivan, following Honda's maintenance schedule to the "T" with the dealer's service department --- "regular maintenance" for this vehicle has been to the tune of $1000 to $2000 PER YEAR. I've never heard of regular maintenance being so expensive for any other car. This minivan has proved over 6 years to be a very poor value --- we now wish that we had paid a little extra up front and bought the Toyota Sienna instead!

Great Vehicle

Performance: 4 Comfort: 4 Fuel Economy: 5 Fun To Drive: 4 Interior Design: 4 Exterior Design: 4 Build Quality: 5 Reliability: 5 Comfort Rating: 4 Performance Rating: 4 Interior Rating: 4 Reliability Rating: 5

Purchased new 7 years ago, will turn over 180k next week. Better fuel economy now than when new. Not uncommon to hit 25 mpg and it gets DRIVEN, mostly by my wife . Brake life incredible, tire life fantastic! No repairs, only recommended maintenance. If only we could tow it, 4 wheels down, behind our motor home it would be perfect. My wife will cry when she has to give it up. Going to look at a new CR-V today.

Transmission Trouble

Performance: 4 Comfort: 3 Fuel Economy: 4 Fun To Drive: 4 Interior Design: 3 Exterior Design: 4 Build Quality: 4 Reliability: 1 Comfort Rating: 3 Performance Rating: 4 Interior Rating: 3 Reliability Rating: 1

Transmission goes out about every 50,000 miles, so far 3 in 150,000 miles. Honda replaced, ate the cost the first time. Looking to dump this thing. Power sliding door also quit working a while ago.

Still Wish I Had It

Performance: 5 Comfort: 4 Fuel Economy: 5 Fun To Drive: 4 Interior Design: 4 Exterior Design: 5 Build Quality: 5 Reliability: 5 Comfort Rating: 4 Performance Rating: 5 Interior Rating: 4 Reliability Rating: 5

Just had my '03 EX-L totaled Monday. Had 122K on it, never a mechanical problem. Transmission recall done. Towed jet ski's, 21' Maxxum boat 150+ miles in Ozarks for years. Never a problem. Had problems with passenger sliding door. Had intermittent problems with steering wheel audio controls. Cabin was nosier than I'd prefer, but was bearable. Consistently achieved 25+ mpg on highway across I- 70 with family (4 persons) and luggage. Good in rain/snow for what it was; for lacking today's modern safety equipment. Motor mounts were suggested by dealer to be changed out at 90K, but independent mechanic said they were fine, showing some wear, but, didn't need to be replaced.

Transmission failure

Performance: 5 Comfort: 4 Fuel Economy: 4 Fun To Drive: 4 Interior Design: 4 Exterior Design: 4 Build Quality: 1 Reliability: 1 Comfort Rating: 4 Performance Rating: 5 Interior Rating: 4 Reliability Rating: 1

99k miles before transmission failed. Bought new late 2004. No warranty, no luck. Others worldwide with same problem. I know for a fact, 2003 extends its transmission failure, not just the media reported for 2000 through 2002. Caveat Emptor.

Honda Odyssey 2003 EXL

Performance: 2 Comfort: 3 Fuel Economy: 1 Fun To Drive: 2 Interior Design: 3 Exterior Design: 3 Build Quality: 2 Reliability: 2 Comfort Rating: 3 Performance Rating: 2 Interior Rating: 3 Reliability Rating: 2

I wonder what the new 2011 Honda Odyssey looks like. But couldn't wait until the fall. My kid needs to go vacation in the summer and the 2003 Honda Odyssey I have had way too old. Got broken transmission @ 120,000 miles. Now leaking steering wheel oil, just fixed it. Too much wind noise and road noise when driving a Honda car. I already looked at the 2011 Toyota Sienna and love it so much, quiet drive and interior room is awesome. Will go with the Toyota Minivan then 2011 Sienna.

Love Car, Hate Transmission

Performance: 4 Comfort: 4 Fuel Economy: 2 Fun To Drive: 3 Interior Design: 4 Exterior Design: 4 Build Quality: 4 Reliability: 2 Comfort Rating: 4 Performance Rating: 4 Interior Rating: 4 Reliability Rating: 2

We purchased this car second hand from a local Honda dealer, and until recently I considered it the best car I have ever owned. This was my first Honda and I was so impressed with it that when the time came to replace my commuter car I purchased a new Civic. This was until the tranny started to act strange. Soon after the dash warning lights come on. A trip to the local mechanic confirmed that the transmission is throwing three separate failure codes and will need to be rebuilt or replaced. Internet search has shown me that these failures are commonplace and that I got more life than most out my transmission. I expected more from Honda.

Motor Mounts/Transmission Trouble Dont

Performance: 1 Comfort: 1 Fuel Economy: 2 Fun To Drive: 1 Interior Design: 1 Exterior Design: 1 Build Quality: 1 Reliability: 1 Comfort Rating: 1 Performance Rating: 1 Interior Rating: 1 Reliability Rating: 1

Always had the recommended maintenance done. One motor mount broke early on. The other one went out at 90,000 miles = $2,500. The transmission went out at 96,000 miles over $4,000 to repair. Timing belt $980. Thought Hondas were reliable. From this site I see that it can be relied on to have costly repairs starting at around 80,000 miles. (I didn't list the previous problems just the most recent.) Has always had a lot of road noise as well as many rattles.

Hindsight is 20/20

Performance: 2 Comfort: 3 Fuel Economy: 3 Fun To Drive: 3 Interior Design: 4 Exterior Design: 4 Build Quality: 2 Reliability: 1 Comfort Rating: 3 Performance Rating: 2 Interior Rating: 4 Reliability Rating: 1

Purchased this vehicle @ 80K miles 9 mos. ago w/ 12K mile extended warranty. 93K miles tranny starts slipping between 2nd and 3rd gear. Then 1st and 2nd gear. No more extended warranty and Honda dealer says it's nothing they can do. This is absolutely ridiculous $4000 to have my tranny rebuilt and $6300 for brand new. I paid $10,000 for the car.

knock on wood- no problems here.

Performance: 5 Comfort: 5 Fuel Economy: 4 Fun To Drive: 5 Interior Design: 5 Exterior Design: 5 Build Quality: 5 Reliability: 5 Comfort Rating: 5 Performance Rating: 5 Interior Rating: 5 Reliability Rating: 5

I bought this van new in '03. It now has 85k miles. After reading about the transmission problems that others are having I feel pretty lucky. i haven't had any big issues with mine. Just this past week the passenger power window motor broke $200 repair. The sliding doors act up sometimes, but it usually happens when children & adults are pushing the auto open buttons and door handles/locks at the same time. The only other issue I've had is the radio controls on the steering wheel. I can't lower the volume-when I hit the button the radio gets louder. I also don't like the seek/scan that they have on the wheel. It only scrolls thru your pre-set stations rather than all the stations.

Odyssey should have been more

Performance: 5 Comfort: 3 Fuel Economy: 3 Fun To Drive: 5 Interior Design: 3 Exterior Design: 3 Build Quality: 3 Reliability: 3 Comfort Rating: 3 Performance Rating: 5 Interior Rating: 3 Reliability Rating: 3

It all began with broken motor mounts at 90,000. Never heard of this. Transmission failed at 127,000 miles several months ago. Honda recommended a $4000 replacement of sealed transmission. Found someone who did the work for a lot less. It runs fine now. I was hoping to get 200,000 miles but I have my doubts that this car will last another 3 years. Seats are very uncomfortable for long drives. I always thought Hondas were the best but I have my doubts about them now.

Still kickin' at 127k

Performance: 4 Comfort: 4 Fuel Economy: 4 Fun To Drive: 3 Interior Design: 4 Exterior Design: 5 Build Quality: 4 Reliability: 4 Comfort Rating: 4 Performance Rating: 4 Interior Rating: 4 Reliability Rating: 4

Overall this van has been pretty good to us. We bought it new and had the transmission recall done immediately within a few months of buying I think. I have had the tranny fluid changed every 15k and flushed every 30k and never had a problem with it. The 3 stupid motor mounts needed to be replaced though at 90k covered under our 100k warranty thankfully. That seemed like a strange part to wear out. Rear main seal was leaking oil and just replaced at 120k. Engine has been bullet proof with just a timing belt/water pump service at 105k. We have been very satisfied with this vehicle.

What problems?

Performance: 5 Comfort: 4 Fuel Economy: 3 Fun To Drive: 5 Interior Design: 4 Exterior Design: 4 Build Quality: 4 Reliability: 5 Comfort Rating: 4 Performance Rating: 5 Interior Rating: 4 Reliability Rating: 5

Since the time I purchased my van I've NEVER had a single problem! When the recall for the transmission's second gear came up I took it in for repair immediately and it's run perfectly ever since. No lights came on unexpectedly, doors worked fine every time; I've always kept up with oil changes and yearly tune-ups; only invested in new brakes at 95,000 mi. (which was to be expected because I have a tendency to brake hard.)

Transmission Beware!

Performance: 1 Comfort: 3 Fuel Economy: 3 Fun To Drive: 5 Interior Design: 4 Exterior Design: 4 Build Quality: 1 Reliability: 2 Comfort Rating: 3 Performance Rating: 1 Interior Rating: 4 Reliability Rating: 2

I loved this van! I do a lot of driving as a taxi mom of three children-135,000 miles to be exact. Then, I had three lights appear on the dash that indicated that the transmission was going out. I got a quote for $3500 from Honda and $2800 from a local transmission guy. The local guy told me that the month before I talked to him that he replaced more Honda transmissions than GM cars. Honda doesn't make the cars that they used to. Quite frankly, they don't care because they are selling plenty of vehicles. Please investigate this before making the same mistake that I did.

Lemon

Performance: 1 Comfort: 5 Fuel Economy: 1 Fun To Drive: 4 Interior Design: 5 Exterior Design: 4 Build Quality: 1 Reliability: 1 Comfort Rating: 5 Performance Rating: 1 Interior Rating: 5 Reliability Rating: 1

Most car companies have lemons even if it's once in a blue moon. I bought my new Odyssey on a blue moon. The very least a company can do about a lemon after not being able to fix the problem is to replace it. Honda had my van in their shop for a month and still couldn't figure it out. The dealer had the nerve to blame me for the problem stating I put diesel by mistake and saying that he has proof. That accusation ended my claim. After three years of nothing but problems and one near accident when the engine just died on a freeway with my 1 year old and 3 year old inside. I decided to get a Sienna. I called the corporation and told them about the near mishap but did not get any sympathy.

What Honda Quality?

Performance: 4 Comfort: 4 Fuel Economy: 3 Fun To Drive: 3 Interior Design: 4 Exterior Design: 4 Build Quality: 3 Reliability: 2 Comfort Rating: 4 Performance Rating: 4 Interior Rating: 4 Reliability Rating: 2

Purchased this vehicle new in 2003. It has been a good van until now. This week the transmission failed at $89,000 and Honda is quoting $5000 for repairs. Van has been very well taken care of. Called Honda America and they came down to $3675. Still too high---private garage on the outside quoted $1900 - $2600. Although the warranty is better w/ Honda, who can afford that bill in this economy! My Ford Explorer lasted longer than this Van...it made it to 125K with no major repairs!! This was my first and last Honda purchase!

Motor mount change not true

Performance: 4 Comfort: 4 Fuel Economy: 2 Fun To Drive: 4 Interior Design: 4 Exterior Design: 4 Build Quality: 4 Reliability: 4 Comfort Rating: 4 Performance Rating: 4 Interior Rating: 4 Reliability Rating: 4

Van is very reliable and useful whether you're hauling people or building materials. MPG is very poor though maybe needs a new tire. I read about motor mount issue on odyssey. I experienced the same thing when I brought to dealer for maintenance. The associate told me, I need to replace motor mount. I said no because it was expensive then brought van to a mechanic, turns out my motor mount is okay.

Bad Transmission

Performance: 4 Comfort: 5 Fuel Economy: 3 Fun To Drive: 3 Interior Design: 4 Exterior Design: 4 Build Quality: 3 Reliability: 3 Comfort Rating: 5 Performance Rating: 4 Interior Rating: 4 Reliability Rating: 3

This model year has several major limitations that you will consistently read about online. The transmission had a recall early after purchase and recently finally bit the dust completely. It's always had trouble changing gears, slipping and revving. All of the electric windows have broken and are outrageously expensive to repair. The engine block mounts have been repaired...also incredibly expensive and the brakes are in continuous need of replacement. Each maintenance appointment brings new issues.

Honest evaluation 2003 Honda Odyssey

Performance: 3 Comfort: 2 Fuel Economy: 3 Fun To Drive: 3 Interior Design: 3 Exterior Design: 3 Build Quality: 3 Reliability: 3 Comfort Rating: 2 Performance Rating: 3 Interior Rating: 3 Reliability Rating: 3

Very noisy inside the cabin. Not very good seats for long trips. Bad transmission. According with Honda, the transmission failed one year after new, in 2004. Even Honda admitted is a bad transmission, but they didn't do anything. Broke two (2) engine mounts (first time in my life). In my opinion, not as good as the publicity wants us to believe.

Honda Quality gone south

Performance: 4 Comfort: 4 Fuel Economy: 2 Fun To Drive: 3 Interior Design: 4 Exterior Design: 4 Build Quality: 1 Reliability: 2 Comfort Rating: 4 Performance Rating: 4 Interior Rating: 4 Reliability Rating: 2

Had my Honda since new. Always did maintenance on schedule. At 57k miles had issue with A/C, turned out to be a Transistor issue. VERY common apparently as I found many complaints, but part was only $65 and replaced myself. Brought to dealer anyway only to find they recommended a timing belt change (not due for another 40k miles), bad tensioner and 2 broken motor mounts. All recommended service was around $2500... When questioning dealer about motor mounts, the reply was "they just get old and break". I have owned all my other Toyotas over 10years and NEVER had a motor mount just break due to age. This was my first Honda and will most likely be my last!

Poor Transmission Quality - Buyer Beware

Performance: 4 Comfort: 5 Fuel Economy: 4 Fun To Drive: 4 Interior Design: 4 Exterior Design: 4 Build Quality: 1 Reliability: 1 Comfort Rating: 5 Performance Rating: 4 Interior Rating: 4 Reliability Rating: 1

After 88K miles, the transmission started slipping dangerously while my wife was driving with our two young children on the highway. Although the vehicle was serviced appropriately by a Honda dealer, so far, American Honda has been unable to provide any assistance on fixing the $5600 repair that I was quoted. Apparently, you need to have purchased 7-8 Honda's before they are willing to help, not spent $70K on Honda's over the last decade as I have done. Unless you want to have to pay for costly repairs to a 6 year old car with relatively low miles, avoid this vehicle (and all V6 models between 1999 and 2005) because there is a known defect with their transmissions.

Transmission trouble

Performance: 4 Comfort: 5 Fuel Economy: 5 Fun To Drive: 5 Interior Design: 4 Exterior Design: 4 Build Quality: 2 Reliability: 2 Comfort Rating: 5 Performance Rating: 4 Interior Rating: 4 Reliability Rating: 2

At 96,000 miles the transmission failed, $4700 later and Honda won't cover it! Unbelievable, we took excellent care of this van and had hoped it would last MUCH longer. I won't buy another Honda.

Happy with Honda

Performance: 5 Comfort: 4 Fuel Economy: 5 Fun To Drive: 3 Interior Design: 4 Exterior Design: 5 Build Quality: 5 Reliability: 5 Comfort Rating: 4 Performance Rating: 5 Interior Rating: 4 Reliability Rating: 5

Needed to respond based on the reviews of some grouchy drivers not happy with their Odysseys. Have had my Odyssey since new. Very little trouble (125k mi). Good power when needed, but decent gas mileage (18-20) for a people mover. With 4 growing boys, have thought about moving up to a Yukon XL. Nothing against the GMC but there are a ton of used ones for sale. Not many used Odysseys. People are happy with them and keep them.

Don't buy this car

Performance: 2 Comfort: 2 Fuel Economy: 2 Fun To Drive: 1 Interior Design: 1 Exterior Design: 1 Build Quality: 1 Reliability: 1 Comfort Rating: 2 Performance Rating: 2 Interior Rating: 1 Reliability Rating: 1

Man what a mistake. Had the chance to purchase a Chrysler for $3,000 less. Decided to go with the Honda because they are much more reliable. Man was that a mistake. New transmission new brakes new front end and all the scheduled mait. Car has been to the shop and all the costs have been outrageous. Car has never been in an accident. I am now the poster child for not buying a HONDA!

Transmission Problems.....

Performance: 3 Comfort: 5 Fuel Economy: 4 Fun To Drive: 5 Interior Design: 5 Exterior Design: 5 Build Quality: 5 Reliability: 3 Comfort Rating: 5 Performance Rating: 3 Interior Rating: 5 Reliability Rating: 3

I think that I have always had a problem with this cars transmission, but it is completely gone at 116,000 miles. New tranny ect. $6600.00!!!!! I thought I would have this car forever, but now I will probably buy a Mazda or a Toyota).

Not what I expected

Performance: 4 Comfort: 4 Fuel Economy: 4 Fun To Drive: 3 Interior Design: 4 Exterior Design: 4 Build Quality: 4 Reliability: 2 Comfort Rating: 4 Performance Rating: 4 Interior Rating: 4 Reliability Rating: 2

I purchased my 2003 Honda Odyssey as a certified used car and thank GOD it came with an extended warranty. I have been experiencing various transmission issues. When taken to the dealer they claim not to be able to find any issue. This week as I was on my way to work the car popped out of gear, the engine revved wildly, the check engine light and traction control lights came on and stayed on. Took it to the dealer and at 64957 miles the transmission is dead. Chrysler took a beating over transmission failures on their minivans. It's time Honda acknowledges that this design has some serious issues. I used to consider myself a loyal Honda owner. No MORE.

105k Review

Performance: 5 Comfort: 5 Fuel Economy: 3 Fun To Drive: 4 Interior Design: 4 Exterior Design: 4 Build Quality: 4 Reliability: 4 Comfort Rating: 5 Performance Rating: 5 Interior Rating: 4 Reliability Rating: 4

Bought new with DVD system (nav and DVD not possible together on this version). Powerful van and rides smooth today like it did when we bought it. Lots of space. Had 2 recalls which were fixed. Minor annoyances with engine check light coming on at times. Left sliding door is now malfunctioning and needs to be fixed. When braking hard, there is sometimes a clunking noise at the back that sounds like ABS. Fuel economy is avg at 20 mpg combined. Overall - satisfied.

Great Warrior

Performance: 5 Comfort: 5 Fuel Economy: 3 Fun To Drive: 5 Interior Design: 5 Exterior Design: 5 Build Quality: 5 Reliability: 5 Comfort Rating: 5 Performance Rating: 5 Interior Rating: 5 Reliability Rating: 5

Have owned since new. Great family vehicle. Better usable space than a Tahoe or Expedition. Very few problems and extremely low maintenance costs for first 128k miles. Transmission then rebuilt at 128k for $3400; doesn't bother me since I'm planning on keeping the Ody for another 125k miles.

Transmission

Performance: 4 Comfort: 4 Fuel Economy: 4 Fun To Drive: 4 Interior Design: 4 Exterior Design: 4 Build Quality: 4 Reliability: 4 Comfort Rating: 4 Performance Rating: 4 Interior Rating: 4 Reliability Rating: 4

We bought our van used, but it only had 43K miles. At 52K miles we noticed that every morning it would hesitate shifting, or shift hard. Once it warmed up, the problem wouldn't appear until the next morning. We took it to the dealership, and they said it needed a new transmission. I am a die hard Honda lover, but am disappointed with this flaw. We buy Honda for their reliability.

This van had 2 recalls.

Performance: 5 Comfort: 5 Fuel Economy: 5 Fun To Drive: 5 Interior Design: 5 Exterior Design: 5 Build Quality: 5 Reliability: 5 Comfort Rating: 5 Performance Rating: 5 Interior Rating: 5 Reliability Rating: 5

Has any one had tranny problems after the recall was done ? They added a oil cooler line to 2nd gear, Honda told me this stopped the transmission problem, I have my doubts.

Transmission is prone to failure at 90K

Performance: 4 Comfort: 5 Fuel Economy: 4 Fun To Drive: 4 Interior Design: 5 Exterior Design: 5 Build Quality: 4 Reliability: 3 Comfort Rating: 5 Performance Rating: 4 Interior Rating: 5 Reliability Rating: 3

The 2003 purchased brand new along with a service plan for 3 years. Rides great good for long trips with the family. Transmission had a recall service done to it back in 2003 for slipping gears 2nd and 3rd. All fine till it hit 92,000 transmission totally failed and had to split the cost with Honda for a $4,000 transmission. I will not buy another Honda for this reason. Nissan Altima looks good to me.