Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (door latches, locks, hood and tailgate latches).
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).
Driver-side passenger sliding door opened suddenly while driving on interstate. Adult family member had just switched seats with child, moving the child to the back seat. Emergency flashers were put on, carefully pulled over and tried all tricks we could think of to close and lock the door, all in vain. Finally, used cord/rope/strings contraption to pull the door shut and tied it to driver seat with another adult member holding/pushing the door with leg to keep it shut till we reached home that evening. Called dealer & had it fixed next day at 730 am for $450.00. Official problem name: "latch broken.' searched nhsta and surprisingly found many more people reporting this type of failure. I think it's just a matter of time before someone has a fatality given the sudden nature of this door failure flinging wide open when the vehicle is moving. …
Tl contact owns a 2003 Honda Odyssey which was purchased in August 2003. He stated that when he closed the driver's side rear sliding door, it would not close. He also stated while the vehicle was in motion at various speeds to include approximately 35 MPH, the door would open without intent. The dealer stated that the electric motor assembly failed and needed to be replaced in order for the door to latch closed. The contact was concerned that there was not a manual override which allowed the door to latch closed. He was concerned about the risk including his small children potentially falling out of the vehicle while it was in motion. There were no recalls pertaining to the type of failure. Repairs were being made at the owner's expense. The failure mileage was 90,000 and the current mileage was 94,000.
Tl contact owns a 2003 Honda Odyssey. The contact stated that the doors on the vehicle fail to shut properly. NHTSA campaign id number 00V119000 (latches/locks/linkages:doors:latch) was referenced for an earlier model. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and they stated that both latch assembly motors needed to be replaced. One of the rollers needed to be replaced again, which had previously been replaced in the past year. In addition, the passenger side body junction switch needed to be repaired. The vehicle has not been repaired. The contact would have to pay $905 for the repair. The failure and current mileages were 177,000.
I am the owner of a 2003 Honda Odyssey. I have been having trouble with the ignition switch. I am able to remove the key without the van being placed in park. I do not have to struggle the least amount to get the key to come out; it slips right out of the ignition whether the van is in park or in gear without hesitation. This has occurred accidentally on a few occasions only to be realized when I return to my vehicle. After the first incident, I tried to duplicate it with knowledge and sure enough, the key came right out while the van was still in driving gear.
Without any warning the engine light and the TCS light came on in my van, I was told by the dealer just from that information "oh you need a new transmission" I had Honda perform all required servicing on the vehicle as defined yet it still failed. Also my van has the same ignition issue (key can be removed without the vehicle in park) that Honda recalled cars for, yet when I contacted my dealer he said it's not part of the recall so they would not fix it. I guess it's unsafe in a car but safe in a van.
2003 Honda Odyssey ignition switch: we can remove the key without putting the vehicle in park problem has existed for at least 1 year. Vehicle does not appear to be covered by a recall for this problem (per Honda recall lookup by VIN), but npr reports that Honda has recalled some 1.4 million vehicles for this problem, including minivans (http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyid=129085652 ) it seems likely that our vehicle model & year should be included in the recall, but is not.
Just getting old, maybe the motor is getting weak, but the automatic doors on my 2003 Honda Odyssey have stopped latching completely. We have kids in the van, and it is a real safety issue, and from what I've read trying to fix this problem, it seems to me like this is very frequent problem worthy of a recall before something terrible happens.
Sliding doors on 2003 Honda oddosey swing open and malfunction on highway at high travel speeds. 3 times this problem has occured on this vehicle. Dealer charges $700 to repair a safety problem tha continually repeats itself. Door does not work properly and is a major safety risk to anyone not wearing a seat belt in midrow seats.
Tl contact owns a 2003 Honda Odyssey. The rear power door would automatically open next to where the contact's child was seated. The door began to push against the child's leg and would not stop. The child's leg was injured. The vehicle has not been diagnosed by the dealer. The current and failure mileages were 48,935.
The automatic passenger sliding door opened while the child was entering inside the vehicle. The door closed on child's head, and child sustained head injuries. The mother drove him to the hospital. Consumer took vehicle to the dealer, but the problem could not be duplicated or solved.
Door Lock & Latch complaints in other Odyssey years
Frequently asked questions
How common are door lock & latch problems on the 2003 Honda Odyssey?
NHTSA has 26 complaints about the locks & latches of the 2003 Honda Odyssey, 3% of the model year's 914 complaints. The component named most often is doors › latch (11 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2003 Honda Odyssey door lock & latch problems?
No. NHTSA lists no locks & latches 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 door lock & latch problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 98,000 miles, and 6% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 0 crashes, 0 fires and 3 injuries to locks & latches 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.