1998 Honda Odyssey Problems, Recalls & Reliability
89 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 1998 Honda Odyssey, alongside 4 recall campaigns and 0 defect investigations. It scores 7/100 on the trouble index — one of this model's quieter years. Electrical leads the reports, typically around 163,111 miles.
One of the quieter years. Relative to its siblings, the 1998 Honda Odyssey has drawn well-below-average complaint volume with at least four years on the road.
Better year
Where 1998 sits among all Odyssey years
What owners report
“Consumer states a recall on the ignition, dealer does not have parts available at this time, due to manufactured. Ts”— owner report to NHTSA, 1998 Odyssey
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 34 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 156,136 miles. Half of those reports fall between 99,000 and 170,000 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (4)
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,…
Fix: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the driver frontal air bag inflator, and replace it if necessary, with an inflator of a different design, free of charge. The recall began October…
SABERSPORT IS RECALLING 16,270 COMBINATION CORNER AND BUMPER LAMP ASSEMBLIES OF VARIOUS PART NUMBERS SOLD FOR USE AS AFTERMARKET EQUIPMENT FOR VARIOUS PASSENGER VEHICLES. THESE HEADLAMPS FAIL TO CONFORM TO THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY…
Fix: SABERSPORT WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND OFFER A FULL REFUND FOR THE NONCOMPLIANT COMBINATION LAMPS. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON MAY 11, 2009. OWNERS MAY CONTACT SABERSPORT AT 1-909-598-7589.
ON CERTAIN SEDANS, COUPES, HATCHBACKS, AND SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES, ELECTRICAL CONTACTS IN THE IGNITION SWITCH CAN DEGRADE DUE TO THE HIGH ELECTRICAL CURRENT PASSING THROUGH THE SWITCH WHEN THE VEHICLE IS STARTED.
Fix: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE IGNITION SWITCH. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN JUNE 14, 2002. OWNERS WHO TAKE THEIR VEHICLES TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER ON AN AGREED UPON SERVICE DATE AND DO NOT RECEIVE THE FREE…
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. CERTAIN VEHICLES WERE MANUFACTURED WITH BALL JOINTS THAT CAN PREMATURELY WEAR OUT AND, IN THE WORSE CASE, THE BALL JOINT WOULD SEPARATE CAUSING THE FRONT SUSPENSION TO COLLAPSE.
Fix: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE FRONT SUSPENSION LOWER BALL JOINTS.
Complaint history for this model year
When owners filed their reports — a long tail means problems kept surfacing for years.
Questions buyers ask
Is the 1998 Honda Odyssey reliable?
The 1998 Honda Odyssey drew 89 complaints in federal safety records — one of this model's quieter years. Its trouble index is 7/100, scored against the model's worst year (2018).
What are the most common 1998 Honda Odyssey problems?
The top reported problems for the 1998 Honda Odyssey are electrical (36 complaints), transmission & drivetrain (16), and brakes & stability (9).
At what mileage do 1998 Honda Odyssey problems show up?
Owners most often report 1998 Honda Odyssey problems around 156,136 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 99,000 and 170,000 miles.
Does the 1998 Honda Odyssey have recalls?
4 recall campaigns apply to the 1998 Honda Odyssey. Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer.
Every number on this page is a count of records in the federal complaint, recall, and investigation files published by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. Check any specific vehicle's open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.