2002 Honda Odyssey Problems, Recalls & Reliability
1,117 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2002 Honda Odyssey, alongside 10 recall campaigns and 3 defect investigations. It scores 77/100 on the trouble index — one of the years to avoid for this model. Transmission & drivetrain leads the reports, typically around 86,000 miles.
Avoid this year if you can. The 2002 Honda Odyssey sits at the top of this model's complaint rankings. Quieter picks in the same family: 1995–1996, 1998, 2009, 2015, 2017, 2021–2022.
Avoid
Where 2002 sits among all Odyssey years
What owners report
“2002 honda odyssey transmission failure,73,000 miles. Vehicle has never been towed.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2002 Odyssey
“The contact owns a 2002 Honda Odyssey. The contact received recall notifications of NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V501000(Air Bags) and 15V320000(Air Bags) and would like to be removed from the recall distribution list because he no longer owns the vehicle. The dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer…”— owner report to NHTSA, 2002 Odyssey
“The contact owns a 2002 Honda Odyssey. The contact stated that while starting the vehicle, there was an abnormal sound coming from the engine. The emission switch, check engine, and air bag sensor lights were illuminated. The vehicle was diagnosed by an independent mechanic. The vehicle had not…”— owner report to NHTSA, 2002 Odyssey
“When vehicle is parked over night, the vehicles sliding door will open by itself. When consumer opens sliding door it will only open half way. Dealership has been contacted. Please provide more details. Mr”— owner report to NHTSA, 2002 Odyssey
“My vehicle tells me the passenger airbag isnt working then it turns off so something electronicly is messed up.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2002 Odyssey
“Removal of the ignition key when the gear selector of the vehicle is not in park allows the vehicle to roll away when on a slight incline. See attached image. This symptom is identical to recall 16v344000 which my honda dealer says applies only to model years 2003 and 2004. However the recall…”— owner report to NHTSA, 2002 Odyssey
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 853 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 86,000 miles. Half of those reports fall between 60,000 and 114,000 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (10)
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2003 Acura 3.2CL, 2002-2003 3.2TL, 2003-2006 MDX, 2001-2007 Honda Accord, 2001-2005 Civic, 2003-2005 Civic Hybrid, 2001-2005 Civic GX NGV, 2002-2006 CR-V, 2003-2011 Element, 2002-2004 Odyssey, 2003-2008…
Fix: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver frontal air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began August 12, 2019. Owners may contact Honda customer service at…
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2003-2006 Acura MDX, 2005-2012 RL, 2003-2007 Honda Accord, 2001-2005 Civic, 2003-2005 Civic Hybrid, 2001-2005 Civic GX NGV, 2002-2006 CR-V, 2003-2011 Element, 2007-2008 Fit, 2002-2004 Odyssey, 2003-2008…
Fix: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal airbag inflator, free of charge. The recall began August 12, 2019. Owners may contact Honda customer service at…
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling specific 2003 Acura 3.2CL, 2013-2016 ILX, 2013-2014 ILX Hybrid, 2003-2006 MDX, 2007-2016 RDX, 2002-2003 3.2TL, 2004-2006, and 2009-2014 TL, 2010-2013 ZDX and 2001-2007 and 2009 Honda Accord, 2001-2005 Civic,…
Fix: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver's air bag inflator with an alternate inflator, free of charge. The recall began April 10, 2019. Honda owners may contact customer…
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2003-2012 Honda Accord and Pilot, 2010 Accord Crosstour, 2001-2011 Civic, 2002-2011 CR-V, 2003-2004, 2006-2008 and 2011 Element, 2007 and 2009-2013 Fit, 2010-2012 Insight, 2002-2004 Odyssey, and 2012…
Fix: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and, if necessary, replace the passenger frontal air bag module assembly, free of charge. The recall began June 22, 2018. Owners may contact Honda…
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain model year 2003-2006 Acura MDX, 2005-2011 Acura RL, 2005-2006 Honda CR-V, 2003-2011 Element, 2007-2008 Fit, 2003-2008 Pilot, 2002-2004 Odyssey, and 2006-2011 Ridgeline vehicles originally sold, or that…
Fix: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began June 27, 2016. Owners may contact Honda customer service at…
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain model year 2001-2005 Honda Civic vehicles manufactured March 21, 2000, to January 20, 2005, 2001-2004 Honda Civic GX vehicles manufactured June 14, 2000, to August 19, 2004, 2003-2005 Honda Civic Hybrid…
Fix: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began on July 1, 2015. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138.…
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain model year 2001-2007 Accord, 2001-2005 Civic, 2001-2004 Honda Civic GX, 2003-2005 Honda Civic Hybrid, 2002-2006 CR-V, 2003-2011 Element, 2002-2004 Odyssey, 2003-2008 Pilot, 2006 Ridgeline, 2003 Acura…
Fix: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver frontal air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began on July 1, 2015. Owners may contact Honda customer service at…
American Honda Motor Co. (Honda) is recalling certain model year 2001-2005 Honda Civic, 2003-2004 Civic CNG and Element, 2002-2005 CR-V, 2002-2004 Odyssey, 2003-2005 Accord, Pilot, Civic Hybrid, and Acura MDX, 2005 Acura RL and 2006 Honda Ridgeline vehicles…
Fix: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger side air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began January 26, 2015. Owners may contact Honda customer service at…
ON SOME MINI VANS, SPORT UTILITY AND PASSENGER VEHICLES, CERTAIN OPERATING CONDITIONS CAN RESULT IN HEAT BUILD-UP BETWEEN THE COUNTERSHAFT AND SECONDARY SHAFT SECOND GEARS IN THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION, EVENTUALLY LEADING TO GEAR TOOTH CHIPPING OR GEAR…
Fix: ON VEHICLES WITH 15,000 MILES OR LESS, THE DEALER WILL UPDATE THE TRANSMISSION WITH A SIMPLE REVISION TO THE OIL COOLER RETURN LINE TO INCREASE LUBRICATION TO THE SECOND GEAR. ON VEHICLES WITH MORE…
ON CERTAIN MINIVANS, SEDANS, COUPES, AND SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH V6 ENGINES, A TIMING BELT TENSIONER PULLEY ON THE WATER PUMP IS MISALIGNED AND COULD CAUSE THE TIMING BELT TO CONTACT A BOLT ON THE CYLINDER HEAD. EVENTUALLY THE BELT COULD BE…
Fix: DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE WATER PUMP AND IF IT IS ONE OF THE DEFECTIVE PUMPS, THE WATER PUMP AND TIMING BELT WILL BE REPLACED. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN AUGUST 30, 2002. OWNERS WHO TAKE THEIR…
Federal defect investigations
Led to recall campaign 14V668.
Led to recall campaign 13V172000.
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 2002 Honda Odyssey reliable?
The 2002 Honda Odyssey drew 1,117 complaints in federal safety records — one of the years to avoid for this model. Its trouble index is 77/100, scored against the model's worst year (2018).
What are the most common 2002 Honda Odyssey problems?
The top reported problems for the 2002 Honda Odyssey are transmission & drivetrain (612 complaints), airbags (101), and engine (69).
At what mileage do 2002 Honda Odyssey problems show up?
Owners most often report 2002 Honda Odyssey problems around 86,000 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 60,000 and 114,000 miles.
Does the 2002 Honda Odyssey have recalls?
10 recall campaigns apply to the 2002 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.