2004 Honda Odyssey Problems, Recalls & Reliability
715 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2004 Honda Odyssey, alongside 13 recall campaigns and 5 defect investigations. It scores 58/100 on the trouble index — one of the years to avoid for this model. Transmission & drivetrain leads the reports, typically around 111,156 miles.
Avoid this year if you can. The 2004 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 2004 sits among all Odyssey years
What owners report
“Transmission slipping while driving on city street - transmission needs to be replaced”— owner report to NHTSA, 2004 Odyssey
“Takata inflator passenger side recall, part not available and no estimate on time for part to become available”— owner report to NHTSA, 2004 Odyssey
“The van is going backward when you put it in drive and when you press it does not go forward it just revs up the gas. The car was in motion driving when it went from driving to reving the gas and not going forward.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2004 Odyssey
“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…”— owner report to NHTSA, 2004 Odyssey
“Paint began peeling sometime but not noticeably until a year ago. When serviced at a honda dealer, they shrugged and said they didn't handle paint. The damage has increased greatly (see photos) and rust is beginning to be visible. The paint flakes off while i drive. I cannot sell the car in this…”— owner report to NHTSA, 2004 Odyssey
“Transmission overheats and stops working completely. Have to change fluid about every 750 miles to keep it moving somewhat”— owner report to NHTSA, 2004 Odyssey
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 516 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 108,000 miles. Half of those reports fall between 79,123 and 145,000 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (13)
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 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 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 2001-2007 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…
Honda is recalling certain model year 2003-2004 Honda Odyssey vehicles manufactured February 13, 2002, to August 13, 2004, and 2003 Acura MDX vehicles manufactured February 21, 2002, to September 23, 2003. Due to electrical noise, a component in the air bag…
Fix: Honda dealers will replace the supplemental restraint system electronic control unit (SRS ECU). The recall began on February 22, 2016. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-800-999-1009.…
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…
American Honda Motor Company, Inc.'s (Honda) is conducting a limited regional recall for certain model year 2003-2005 Accord, Civic, CR-V, Pilot and Acura MDX, model year 2003-2004 Odyssey and Element, and model year 2005 Acura RL, and 2006 Honda Ridgeline…
Fix: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the inflators in all affected vehicles, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin during August 2014. Owners may contact Honda customer…
Honda is recalling certain model year 2003 and 2004 Odyssey and model year 2003 Acura MDX vehicles. Due to electrical noise, a component in the air bag control module may fail causing the front air bags, side curtain air bags, and/or seatbelt pretensioners…
Fix: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will install a noise suppressor unit, free of charge. The recall began on November 1, 2013. A renotification letter went out on July 11, 2014 for the 2003…
Honda is recalling certain model year 2003 and 2004 Pilot and Odyssey and 2003 through 2006 Acura MDX passenger vehicles manufactured from November 26, 2001, through August 30, 2006. The interlock lever of the ignition switch may deform, which can allow the…
Fix: Honda will notify owners and instruct them to take their vehicle to a Honda or Acura dealer. The dealer will install an updated shift interlock lever and, if necessary, replace any necessary part of…
ON CERTAIN MINIVANS, THE FUEL PUMP MAY FAIL DUE TO CORROSION OF AN ELECTRICAL TERMINAL.
Fix: DEALERS WILL CHECK THE ELECTRICAL COUPLER TERMINAL OF THE FUEL PUMP. IF ANY CORROSION IS FOUND, THE PUMP WILL BE REPLACED. THE RECALL BEGAN SEPTEMBER 27, 2004. OWNERS SHOULD CONTACT HONDA 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…
Federal defect investigations
Led to recall campaign 14V668.
Led to recall campaign 13V172000.
Led to recall campaign 13V412000.
Led to recall campaign 12V573000.
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 2004 Honda Odyssey reliable?
The 2004 Honda Odyssey drew 715 complaints in federal safety records — one of the years to avoid for this model. Its trouble index is 58/100, scored against the model's worst year (2018).
What are the most common 2004 Honda Odyssey problems?
The top reported problems for the 2004 Honda Odyssey are transmission & drivetrain (224 complaints), airbags (110), and engine (72).
At what mileage do 2004 Honda Odyssey problems show up?
Owners most often report 2004 Honda Odyssey problems around 108,000 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 79,123 and 145,000 miles.
Does the 2004 Honda Odyssey have recalls?
13 recall campaigns apply to the 2004 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.