Most common 2002 Honda Odyssey problems
Share of the 960 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Honda Odyssey complaints by model year
Best Odyssey years: 2017, 2015, 2013. Years to avoid: 2025, 2019, 2018, 2020, 2002. Compare all years →
2002 Honda Odyssey recalls (10)
Air bags › Frontal › Passenger side › Inflator module
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 Pilot, and 2006-2014 Ridgeline vehicles.
Remedy: 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 1-888-234-2138.
Air bags › Frontal › Driver side › Inflator module
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 Pilot and 2006 Ridgeline vehicles.
Remedy: 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 1-888-234-2138.
Air bags › Frontal › Driver side › Inflator module
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, 2003-2005 Civic Hybrid, 2001-2005 Civic GX NGV, 2002-2007 and 2010-2011…
Remedy: 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 service at 1-888-234-2138.
Air bags › Frontal › Passenger side › Inflator module
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 Ridgeline vehicles.
Remedy: 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.
Air bags › Frontal › Passenger side › Inflator module
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 have ever been registered, in Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia,…
Remedy: 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 1-888-234-2138.
Air bags › Frontal › Passenger side › Inflator module
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 vehicles manufactured February 24, 2002, to January 18, 2005, 2003-2007…
Remedy: 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.
Show 4 more recalls
Air bags › Frontal › Driver side › Inflator module
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 3.2CL, 2003-2006 Acura MDX, and 2002-2003 Acura 3.2TL vehicles.
Remedy: 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 1-888-234-2138.
Air bags
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 originally sold, or ever registered, in geographic locations associated…
Remedy: 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 1-800-999-1009.
Power train › Automatic transmission
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 breakage.
Remedy: 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.
Engine and engine cooling › Engine
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 damaged and fail.
Remedy: 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.
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into 3 possible defects involving the 2002 Honda Odyssey:
Air Bag Inflator Rupture
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened PE14-016 in June 2014 based on six inflator rupture incidents involving consumer owned vehicles produced by five vehicle manufacturers.All six vehicles were operated in Florida or Puerto Rico at the time of the rupture and for the majority of their service life, and were equipped with inflators produced by Takata, a tier-one supplier of automotive air bag…
Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture
From 2000 through 2017, Takata produced millions of air bag inflators using two types of phase-stabilized ammonium nitrate ("PSAN") propellant -- propellant 2004 and propellant 2004L. After prolonged exposure to high temperature cycles and humidity, inflators using propellant 2004 can degrade, causing the propellant to burn too quickly when ignited.
Air Bag Inflator Rupture
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened PE14-016 in June 2014 based on six inflator rupture incidents involving consumer owned vehicles produced by five vehicle manufacturers.All six vehicles were operated in Florida or Puerto Rico at the time of the rupture and for the majority of their service life, and were equipped with inflators produced by Takata, a tier-one supplier of automotive air bag…
What 2002 Honda Odyssey owners say
Transmission & drivetrain all 608 →
The contact owns a 2002 Honda Odyssey. The contact stated that the air bag warning light was illuminated along with a warning message which stated that the driver's and passenger's side air bags need to be repaired. The contact referenced NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V501000 (Air Bags) as the cause for the failure. The Vin was not included in the recall. The contact also stated that the manual transmission would jump out of gear and would not accelerate out of second gear until she manually shifted the vehicle to park and then back to drive. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed with a fuel pump and fluids needing to be replaced. The contact stated that the failure recurred. The dealer and manufacturer were not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 165,555.
What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? The transmission How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? When I was on the highway the car lost power and I was almost rear-ended by a car when I was stopped on the freeway on my way to the doctor. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? No, I am a recent buyer and do not have much information about previous problems with this vehicle. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? No, when it broke down, I just called the tow truck and they transported it to a mechanic and the mechanic put the machine in to find out what the fault was, and he told me and showed me that the fault was in the transmission and the cost would be $1800 to $2000 dollars or so to fix it. …
Air bags all 99 →
The contact owns a 2002 Honda Odyssey. The contact stated that the air bag warning light was illuminated along with a warning message which stated that the driver's and passenger's side air bags need to be repaired. The contact referenced NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V501000 (Air Bags) as the cause for the failure. The Vin was not included in the recall. The contact also stated that the manual transmission would jump out of gear and would not accelerate out of second gear until she manually shifted the vehicle to park and then back to drive. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed with a fuel pump and fluids needing to be replaced. The contact stated that the failure recurred. The dealer and manufacturer were not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 165,555.
The contact owns a 2002 Honda Odyssey. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the SRS warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, and the dealer informed the contact that he had to pay out-of-pocket for the diagnostic test. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 180,000.
Engine & cooling all 69 →
The contact owns a 2002 Honda Odyssey. The contact stated while driving around a bend, the vehicle stalled. Additionally, the brake pedal was depressed however, the vehicle failed to respond. The contact stated that the wheels locked up, and the parking brake was engaged to stop vehicle. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer but was not diagnosed nor repaired. The contact stated that failure was similar NHTSA campaign number: 02V226000 (Engine and Engine and Cooling). The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 190,000.
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 been repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 176,000.
2002 Honda Odyssey engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5L 6-cyl | 5-speed automatic | FWD | 16 / 23 / 19 |
EPA ratings. Class: Minivan.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2002 Honda Odyssey a good car?
Based on 960 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2002 Odyssey rates avoid: 3.2× as many complaints as a typical year of the Odyssey at the same age. It is one of the Odyssey years we suggest avoiding. Complaint counts don't account for sales volume or individual maintenance, so have any used car inspected before buying.
What is the most common problem with the 2002 Honda Odyssey?
The transmission & drivetrain — 608 complaints, 63% of all complaints for this model year, most often about automatic transmission. Next are the air bags (99) and engine & cooling (69).
How many recalls does the 2002 Honda Odyssey have?
There are 10 recalls for the 2002 Honda Odyssey, the most recent from June 27, 2019 (inflator module). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer — check whether yours has been done with the VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the Honda Odyssey?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2017, 2015 and 2013. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2025, 2019, 2018, 2020 and 2002. See the full Honda Odyssey years comparison.
At what mileage do 2002 Honda Odyssey problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 84,000 miles; 20% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 miles.
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.