Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (accelerator pedal, throttle, sudden acceleration, cruise control).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2003 Honda Odyssey owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The gear in the transmission broken in to pieces, shot in to bearing and broken the case of transmission, made a terrible big sound. The car on free way in more than 65 miles, all the lights is on. Engine died and speed out of control. I have asked just answer, the expert told me that is not normal accident! If you like we will sent pic to you and feed back center. [redacted] '
1.starting in early July 2016, my Honda Odyssey began randomly accelerating on this own, without a human depressing the gas pedal. While in drive, the car accelerates on its own. 2.when this happens, I have to press extremely hard on the brake to get the vehicle to stop. Then, when I place the car in park, the RPM increases to between 5,ooo and 7,000. Again, this is without a human depressing the gas pedal. 3.this issue seems to occur when the air conditioning is turned on, and it feels like the cruise control system is taking over even though it's turned on. 4.this issue doesn't always happen immediately once the car is turned on. It sometimes takes a random amount of time to manifest itself while the car is being driven. 5.I've faced this issue at least 15 to 20 times over the past 2 months. …
I was driving down the road at 20 MPH and I had to use the brakes, my car jerked suddenly twice while I was gently pushing the brakes (as if I slammed on them twice). I accelerated slowly and once I got back into second gear my car wouldn't catch and started to make a whirring noise. Once it got past second gear it drives slower than usual for the amount of rpms being used. This is a serious and dangerous problem. It's only on the second gear that it glitches up. I know this car has a lot of miles but it has a newer motor and we have kept up on the fluids for the vehicle. It should not be acting this way and I expect a recall on this promptly. Every time I drive my van it is not like it use to be. It's slower and as stated before the rpms it uses should makes its speed faster but the speed slowly increases while the rpms increase drastically and quickly. …
Car was running on city road and suddenly stopped running and check engine light came up immediately. It was good that I was not busy and not running fast or not in the freeway, and there is no car behind my car. I stop engine; after sometime I started and it was running again and after 20 minutes it stopped on the road again. I drove to a nearby Honda service center for checking and they gave me documents that said a transmission replacement needed that cost more than 6,000. I drove back in my parking lot and park there and did not drive on the road again. I tried in the parking lot and found it runs when the car is cold, but when it heated it stop, but after sometimes it run again. I do not feel safe and do not drive this car on the road. Some of my friends also brought the same car and they faced the same problem after 100,000-180,000. …
After leaving church, my daughter began to back out from a parking space in our 2003 Honda Odyssey. She turned to look back as she slowly pulled out of the space. Upon leaving the parking space she turned forward to shift into drive. At that point the van continued moving backward. I yelled to my daughter to brake to which she replied, "I am. I am!" but as she attempted to brake the engine revved and the van seemed to lunge backward on its own over a curbed grassy median and back down onto an adjacent parking lot and into another parked car. The distance travelled was approximately 110 feet. There is some confusion over whether or not my daughter was successful in shifting into drive. However, once the van came to a stop I leaned over to shift it into park, and at that moment it was in drive. Regardless. We both had the feeling that the vehicle was out of control. It was very strange!
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 Honda Odyssey. While driving approximately 65 MPH, the vehicle decelerated into second gear and the speed decreased to 35 MPH. The vehicle jerked violently and abruptly. The rpms increased to eight thousand rpms and the vehicle failed to shift out of second gear. The contact was forced to shift into neutral gear at 25 MPH in order to coast. The contact managed to shift into drive from neutral gear. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the transmission failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The VIN was not included in NHTSA campaign number: 04V176000 (power train). The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 249,000.
I was driving my van with my two kids in it when I noticed that the van was jerking frequently and there was no pick up. The RPM went to 4 and 5 thousand but the speed was not able to go beyond 50 and 60 MPH. This incident occurred while I was on a freeway. When I took the van to our usual mechanic shop, they found that it was a transmission problem. Getting a new transmission was very expensive and I had to settle for a rebuilt transmission. After researching online, I found that this is a common issue with Honda odysseys built during the year my van was built. I would like for NHTSA to ensure Honda pays for our repairs and ensures the company fixes all remaining vans on the road with this issue.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 Honda Odyssey. The contact stated that while the driver was entering a residential driveway, the vehicle erroneously accelerated and crashed into a home. The vehicle was taken to a private mechanic where the contact was awaiting diagnosis of the failure. The manufacturer was contacted about the failure. The failure and current mileages were 113,331. The consumer stated days later at the collision center. When the vehicle was started up it continued to accelerate. Updated 2/11/2013 updated 03/28/2013 updated 04/23/2013
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 Honda Odyssey. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to accelerate past 20 MPH when the accelerator pedal was initiated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, but was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 220,000. Updated 05/11/15 the consumer stated the vehicle must be stopped completed then accelerated again or powered off then on again. The consumer has a recording of the failure. Updated 9/16/2015
On February 11/2003 while exiting the school drive way, the vehicle began to accelerate on its own. The driver tapped the brake and the engine speed increase even more. On November 9/2003 once again the same sudden acceleration. As a result, the driver lost control of vehicle. The vehicle went airborne and landed on the neighborhood fence. There were no injures. The dealer inspected the vehicle several times but the problem had not been resolved.
Acceleration complaints in other Odyssey years
Frequently asked questions
How common are acceleration problems on the 2003 Honda Odyssey?
NHTSA has 30 complaints about the speed control & acceleration of the 2003 Honda Odyssey, 3% of the model year's 914 complaints. The component named most often is cruise control (3 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2003 Honda Odyssey acceleration problems?
No. NHTSA lists no speed control & acceleration recall for the 2003 Honda Odyssey, though it has 15 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 2003 Honda Odyssey acceleration problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 113,000 miles, and 17% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 7 crashes, 0 fires and 0 injuries to speed control & acceleration 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.