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 2004 Honda Odyssey owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owns a 2004 Honda Odyssey. The contact stated that while driving 45 MPH and depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle failed to respond as intended. The contact pulled over to the right side of the roadway, turned off the vehicle for approximately 30-minutes before restarting the vehicle; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was towed to her residence. The failure had occurred several times. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer or an independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 284,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 Honda Odyssey. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign numbers: 16V344000 (air bags), 15V320000 (air bags), and 15V045000 (air bags). The parts for the recall repairs were unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repairs. While attempting to reverse the vehicle into the garage, it began to accelerate independently. The vehicle crashed into the garage and the air bags deployed. The contact received injuries to the hands, eyes, and face from the air bag debris. Medical attention was needed. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed and taken to the dealer. The diagnostic results were unknown. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 70,000. Parts distribution disconnect.
I was turning right into a parking spot and had my foot on the brake the whole time. When I was more than halfway in the spot, the engine revved and the car plunged forward going over the concrete barrier and into a pole. The airbags did not deploy and thankfully everyone was OK. The officer investigating the crash insisted that my foot must have slipped off the brake pedal but I am positively sure that my foot was on the brake the whole time as it was still on the brake when the car came to a stop after hitting the pole. Witnesses to the crash confirmed that I was traveling very slow as I pulled in the parking spot and that they heard the engine rev and the car accelerated very fast over the barrier and into the pole.
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 Honda Odyssey. While backing into the driveway, the vehicle made an abnormal noise and accelerated backwards. The contact shifted into drive and the vehicle continued to accelerate. The contact attempted to engage the brakes; however, the brakes failed and the vehicle crashed into a parked vehicle. The air bags deployed and caught fire. The contact suffered injuries to the hands and eyes, which required medical attention. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, but was not repaired. A police report was filed. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 70,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 Honda Odyssey. While reversing, the vehicle independently accelerated while the brake pedal was depressed. As a result, the contact crashed into another vehicle. The air bags deployed causing the contact to sustain burns on both hands that required medical attention. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to the contact's residence. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 70,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 Honda Odyssey. While parked, the air bag made an abnormal noise and the vehicle accelerated. The vehicle caught on fire. The contact sustained injuries to the eye and arm that required medical attention. The contact extinguished the fire. A police report was filed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, but was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made of aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 70,000. The VIN was not available.
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 Honda Odyssey. While shifting the vehicle in reverse, it made an abnormal nose and began to accelerate backwards. The contact shifted gears to drive and the vehicle continued to accelerate forward. The contact was able to stop the vehicle. The contact took the vehicle to the dealer, but the diagnostic results were unknown. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure recurred. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.
While idling in the driveway vehicle accelerated backwards. As a result, the vehicle collided into the garage with children aboard. No injuries reported. The dealer was unable to duplicate the problem.
I was driving my Honda '04 Odyssey Mini-van on the taconic parkway, ny with my 3 young children when the transmission began to buck, then race then shut down. I slowly hit brakes to a stop, turned the engine off then let the car rest with hazards on for about 5 mins. I then restarted the car, it ran well for a few miles till a hill. Then it bucked, raced again and I pulled off the highway. I was lucky that I was near home and was able to slowly get it to a Honda dealer shop. This is the only time that this has ever happened to the car. They looked it over the next day and I was told I needed a new transmission which would cost about $4,000.00. I have had my car serviced religiously according to Honda guide lines and recommendations by only Honda dealers, first where I bought it in tarry town, then brewster, then finally in yorktown heights, ny. The car has 82,000 miles on it. …
When driving around 60 MPH on the highway our 2004 Honda Odyssey began to accelerate on its own like someone pushed the accelerator all the way to the floor and held it to the floor. This constant acceleration almost caused an accident as we were forced to weave around in traffic until we could pull over to the side of the road where the acceleration continued and we fought the van with the brakes on until we could shut the engine off. When restarting the engine in park, the engine continued to rev at redline levels. Turned the engine off and on again a couple of times as it continued to be revving at red line levels. Eventually after slamming on the accelerator several times, the engine idled at normal levels. This was a very frightening experience in a light traffic and could have been disastrous in moderate or heavy traffic - especially since we have 4 kids.
Acceleration complaints in other Odyssey years
Frequently asked questions
How common are acceleration problems on the 2004 Honda Odyssey?
NHTSA has 23 complaints about the speed control & acceleration of the 2004 Honda Odyssey, 4% of the model year's 585 complaints. The component named most often is accelerator pedal (2 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2004 Honda Odyssey acceleration problems?
No. NHTSA lists no speed control & acceleration recall for the 2004 Honda Odyssey, though it has 13 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 2004 Honda Odyssey acceleration problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 70,000 miles, and 39% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 7 crashes, 2 fires and 4 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.