Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (doors, hood, frame, rust, paint and trim).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2002 Honda Odyssey owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
I was involved in a traffic collision on December 15, 2023. The California DMV requires a brake and light inspection for a salvage retention reregistration of my car. After going to two brake and light shops they will not perform a brake and light inspection due to a recall P30 04V-176. I went to a Honda dealer to get the recall fixed and they said they cannot or will not perform the recall as it is not needed. Please let me know what I can do to fix this issue as I don't see what and why the brake and light inspections cannot be done and I need them completed.
The airbags on my Honda were recalled and we had them replaced at nanuet Honda where we purchased the car. Thinking after we had them replaced that they would actually work if we got into and accident. The Honda hit a deer on the highway and the whole front end was destroyed and the airbags never went off. Please see pictures below. We paid a lot of money for this car due to the safety features and not having them work is unacceptable. Please check into this because other people will have there families in the car and would like to make people aware of the malfunction of the airbag because my airbags were replaced with the recall and did not work. Not a happy customer [redacted] please respond [redacted]
Seat failure - rear ended by Honda accord at approx. 40 MPH while stopped on a 2-lane state highway to turn left . Foot off brake. Propelled forward about 3 car lengths. Massive failure of second row seat backs. Second row seat backs broke and reclined against 3rd row seats. Had there been passengers in the 3rd row, they would likely have sustained serious injuries. Front passenger seat twisted left. Other vehicle (Honda accord) had front driver-side airbag deployed and driver-side side air curtains deployed.
My Odyssey was involved in a front collision at 45 miles per hour. T-boned another vehicle when they pulled out in front of the Odyssey. Neither front air bags deployed. I had just in the past few months had the air bags replaced due to the recall. My mother who was driving received neck, shoulder and back whiplash and a seat belt burn. The passenger in the other vehicle broke his hip and femur and went into surgery yesterday. Why did the airbags not deploy?
Tl contact owns a 2002 Honda Odyssey. When appyling pressure to the brake pedal, the contact heard and felt a loud grinding noise. The dealer changed the brake shoes, but the problem still persists. The vehicle was inspected by two additional professional technicains and they advised her that nothing was wrong with the brake system. On two occasions, the sliding door would spontaneously open, allowing her children to exit the vehicle while in motion. The dealer could not duplicate the failure; however, they greased the rollers on the sliding door, which remedied the failure. Several months later, the vehicle was rear ended directly in the center of the vehicle by another vehicle traveling 35 MPH. None of the air bags deployed. There were no warning lights prior to the crash. The dealer was not notified. …
The first time while driving engine drive belt broke engine shut down suddenly could not stop hit vehicle in intersection second time similar situation my son driving to much oil on the belt, belt jump from tensioner and wrap around every thing vehicle too hard to stop engine not running ran in the back of some one mechanic diagnostic says it is the tensioner ,water pump,oil failed causing a over heating internally in the motor blowing the head gasket with only 70,000 miles I notified my dealer and no reply because you cant drive the vehicle in to the dealership.
When I went to fl I was going 80 miles an hour and I kept hearing a noise I stopped and saw that my mud guard, fender, and bumper were loose and the mud guard was dragging the ground. I only had 126,000 miles on this vehicle, then I keep it maintained and do not know why these parts were falling apart. I was told the clips fell out. I guess the wind from driving 80 miles an hr blew it apart. I did not know it was that fragile. I saw there were other complaints about this, I now have 128,000 miles on it.
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 Honda Odyssey. While the vehicle was parked, the rear sliding doors on both sides of the vehicle would not open without warning. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer for diagnosis testing. The manufacturer was notified. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 50,000. Updated 03/03/17
I was driving 2002 Honda Odyssey ex-l on the freeway. It was a stop and go traffic, vehicle in front of me stopped at certain point and I couldn't stop quick enough. To my surprise the air bag never deployed which caused a whiplash, bruise on the right side of upper body and also my left knee bump in to the dashboard.
I would like to report a safety issue with the Honda Odyssey minivan. The metal hinges on the driver and passenger door do a terrible job at keeping the doors open. A slight gust of wind or if the car is on an incline, the doors will slam shut on their own. I broke a watch band and was fortunate not to severely injure my wrist one time. It probably closed on my shins before that. I won't let my children near the front doors when they are open, for fear of severe injury to some body part being slammed into the door. I make a point to have my whole body leaning on the door if it needs to stay open for some purpose now. This is really a safety issue for the whole family. The dealership seemed to recognize the symptom, but said there was no replacement part available to fix the problem. I bet other owners have the same experience. …
Body complaints in other Odyssey years
Frequently asked questions
How common are body problems on the 2002 Honda Odyssey?
NHTSA has 55 complaints about the body & structure of the 2002 Honda Odyssey, 6% of the model year's 960 complaints. The component named most often is body › door (27 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2002 Honda Odyssey body problems?
No. NHTSA lists no body & structure recall for the 2002 Honda Odyssey, though it has 10 recalls 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 2002 Honda Odyssey body problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 75,000 miles, and 28% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 6 crashes, 0 fires and 12 injuries to body & structure 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.