Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (engine, cooling system, oil leaks, timing chain, exhaust).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2001 Honda Odyssey owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Van was parked in driveway. I was washing it and opened the hood. Luckily I noticed that the negative battery terminal was almost cut clean through. There were only a couple of copper strands grounding my Honda van. I do not want to know what would have happened if it had lost electrical connection while driving!!!
It will shift hard in all gears. Sometimes won't start, won't move with the transmission shifting issues. If you get in the highway it does it. If you are at low speeds it does it. It's scary when it does it. And dangerous when it happens.
I was driving in motion in a neighborhood and the engine cut off and could barely pull over cause the steering locked up. Before that, I was leaving a gas station and again the engine shut off while in motion.
The vehicle experienced the following: out of alignment, loud bang/ticking, shaking, engine hesitation, inoperative A/C, a contaminated filter with metal shavings, A/C drain tube was rubbing and draining on the steering rack boot, coolant reservoir was empty and the right front seal on the body was damaged due to it being improperly placed, A/C knob was broken, the A/C airflow automatically changed, when the A/C blower motor speed decreased, various dash lights would dim, the hood latch was defective, static shock problem, there was a coolant smell, due to the reservoir fluid level, the sliding door was inoperative, the transmission was defective, the crankshaft pulley and the steering wheel vibrated, the right door seal had come apart, the splash shield clip was missing, the idle speed fluctuated from 750 to 2000 RPM with the vehicle in park/neutral, and immediately after, the MIL …
During the safety inspection the fairfax Honda dealer informed front motor mount cracked and need replacement. Car mileage 85K. A month (2/21/2011) back, I had changed timing belt assembly with the same dealer but they didn't inform about motor mount condition. Yesterday (6/19/2013) the same dealer during the safety inspection service called to inform the van is failing the safety inspection due to rear engine mount crack. Considering the expense and experience about another vehicle diagnosis, I preferred to hold the repair and investigate further. After reading the on-line blogs and cartalk website, it seems the Honda Odyssey vans has this recurring problem with the engine mount failures. I have owned the van since the year 2000 and maintained regularly through the dealer service all my other Honda or Acura vehicles. …
The "check engine" light came on (a $1,500 repair) for the catalytic converter replacement and the transmission had to be replaced (at 93K). Apparently these are both increasingly common problems in this model. It's hard to believe that my van carries the Honda name. Then I started googling and found many sites reporting the same horror stories here I realized that many of these vehicles were manufactured with faulty parts and May be a lemons as well? The prospect to paying $100 every time the check engine light turns on is not a pleasant one. Vehicles built today should not require transmissions & emission converter at a mere 93,000 miles. I have been very disappointed with the reliability of my Honda Odyssey. …
Honda is not taking responsibility for transmission failure while driving in I-25 highway with my family the car was stopped and due to less traffic I was saved. I called up the Honda America on the next day and their support person told me that they don't have procedure in place to figure out transmission failure and they cannot help in terms of even goodwill repair. I have also told the nightmare of transmission failure and we all have been killed on highway. The people in Honda said--sorry to hear that but we won't help you neither we are supposed to give you any explanation. This is a great surprise to me that they have 100% failure in customer service and they lack really a transparent information system. I want really make Honda accountable for their manufacturing defect or they should give a reason of transmission failure. They cannot simply say they are not suppose to do this. …
Tl contact owns a 2001 Honda Odyssey. While driving uphill and stopping the vehicle, the vehicle rolled backwards when the contact released the brake pedal to accelerate. He took the vehicle to the dealer for other services and was informed that his transmission needed to be replaced. The dealer made the replacement for free. When the failure recurred, all of the instrument panel lights illuminated. With less than 19,000 miles on the new transmission, the vehicle was taken back to the dealer and the transmission was replaced again for free. The contact feels that it is only a matter of time before the failure recurs. The failure mileage was 77,234 and current mileage was 98,910. Updated 08/20/08 the consumer has had 3 transmission within six years. The timing belt was replaced and the vehicle was leaking coolant, the dealer replaced the water pump. The check engine light illuminated. …
I was driving my van. It showed no problems at all but the engine light appeared while driving home Friday evening. I had the shop pick it up and check it out on Monday. They found two codes but no support for the problem in the test drive. Approximately 20 minutes after I left the shop, the first sign appeared with my RPM revving up to 5K before shifting into 2nd gear. I stopped at a stop light briefly. When I started to go forward, the van bumped and hesitated before getting in to gear and being able to accelerate forward. This continued at the next two stop lights back to the shop. Since it is my only vehicle and I am a single mom, he had me keep the van until Monday. The car drove fine home and then would not accelerate above 20 MPH on the way home from church. Reading a Honda forum informed me this is not a unique situation.
(2001 Odyssey-one owner)-TCS and check engine light came on while driving at 35 MPH at 72,000 miles/7 yrs & 5 months on the road. Van stalled/hard shifting and was driven to nearby auto repair shop. Diagnosis was transmission failure. Towed to the Honda dealership. Honda replaced the transmission under warranty, however suggested replacing the timing belt and water pump as well. Power steering cable also found to be corroded. $850 total. TCS and check engine light came on again on 9-2011 with 102,000 miles with some hesitation and a grinding noise heard. Diagnoses was transmission again (po-740 code ). Called Honda dealership who said it was about $4000 for a "Honda" replacement transmission, or the dealer could do it themselves for about $2600.
Engine complaints in other Odyssey years
Frequently asked questions
How common are engine problems on the 2001 Honda Odyssey?
NHTSA has 37 complaints about the engine & cooling of the 2001 Honda Odyssey, 6% of the model year's 619 complaints. The component named most often is engine (8 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2001 Honda Odyssey engine problems?
No. NHTSA lists no engine & cooling recall for the 2001 Honda Odyssey, though it has 1 recall for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2001 Honda Odyssey engine problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 95,000 miles, and 11% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 0 crashes, 1 fire and 0 injuries to engine & cooling problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.