Most common 2002 Honda Passport problems
Share of the 23 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Honda Passport complaints by model year
Best Passport years: 2024. Years to avoid: 2019, 2021, 2020, 2025, 2022. Compare all years →
2002 Honda Passport recalls (2)
Suspension › Rear
Isuzu is recalling certain model year 1998-2002 Isuzu rodeo and model year 2002 Isuzu axiom vehicles, and Honda is recalling certain 1998-2002 Honda passport vehicles, that were originally sold, or are currently registered, in the states of maine, new hampshire, vermont, massachusetts, rhode island, connecticut, new york, new…
Remedy: Dealers will inspect the rear suspension lower link bracket area. For vehicles in which little or no corrosion is found, the area will be treated with an anti-corrosive compound.
Fuel system, gasoline › Delivery › Fuel pump
Certain sport utility vehicles that have been exposed to fuel contaminated with silicon May develop small pin holes in the fuel pump feed port. Silicon has been identified in the fuel systems of affected vehicles and in certain fuel available in the region of tyler, texas.
Remedy: For vehicles registered in the states identified above, dealers will provide a new cover over the existing feed port on the fuel pump or, if the existing feed port has already been damaged, dealers will install a new…
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into 3 possible defects involving the 2002 Honda Passport:
Rear suspension lower link failure
During preliminary evaluation pe09-030, Isuzu motors America, inc (Isuzu) noted two primary differences once the rear suspension lower link separation occurs between the alleged defect (separation of the lower link from the frame) of this investigation and a safety defect involving lower link separation from the rear axle addressed by Isuzu in safety recall 00v-058.in the case of the defect condition identified in…
Rear Suspension Lower Link Detachment
On September 22, 2010, Isuzu Manufacturing Services of America, Inc (Isuzu) submitted a Defect Information Report (NHTSA Recall 10V-436) to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration affecting approximately 120,000 model year (MY) 1998-2002 Isuzu Rodeo and Honda Passport vehicles and MY 2002 Isuzu Axiom vehicles originally sold, or currently operated, in the following states:Connecticut, Delaware, the…
Fuel Tank Retention Failure
On April 10, 2018, NHTSA received a petition from Mr. Kevin Byrne (the Petitioner) requesting that the Agency ?undertake a defects investigation? of ?rust-related detachment of Isuzu Rodeo fuel tanks? (NHTSA ID 11091788). The Petitioner experienced a partial fuel tank detachment in his model year (MY) 2004 Isuzu Rodeo in July 2017.
What 2002 Honda Passport owners say
Suspension
I purchased a 2002 Honda Passport used, I recently heard a noise under the car and when checked part of the frame was broken. I looked online and found a recall, never notified about it. I called a dealer and waited 5 days and called them again and they set up an appointment for me. I took the vehicle in and was told that it is unsafe to drive and they will not release it to me. They said that is not the tracking link that is the problem, it is the frame. This vehicle should be recalled for the frame rotting not just the tracking links. Honda is very unprofessional and this is a serious problem.
The recall covers suvs in connecticut, delaware, illinois, indiana, iowa, kentucky, maine, maryland, massachusetts, michigan, minnesota, missouri, new hampshire, new jersey, new york, ohio, pennsylvania, rhode island, vermont, west virginia and wisconsin. I took my truck to Honda cause the chassis looks and feel really bad but the spare some black paint and told me its fine to drive but I don't really feel safe driving my truck cause it feels like a problem waiting to happen.
Body & structure
I purchased a 2002 Honda Passport used, I recently heard a noise under the car and when checked part of the frame was broken. I looked online and found a recall, never notified about it. I called a dealer and waited 5 days and called them again and they set up an appointment for me. I took the vehicle in and was told that it is unsafe to drive and they will not release it to me. They said that is not the tracking link that is the problem, it is the frame. This vehicle should be recalled for the frame rotting not just the tracking links. Honda is very unprofessional and this is a serious problem.
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 Honda Passport. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer and he was informed that the frame was severely rusted. The dealer would not give the vehicle back to the contact due to the severe level of corrosion. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and was offering to purchase the vehicle from the contact. The contact did not agree to sell the vehicle back and the vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 202,000.
Engine & cooling
While driving on freeway,in 3rd be Lane,65mph,power and motor instantly went out.Leaving me struck in the middle of freeway.On coming traffic traveling 65 to 75mph.Nearly causing major accident.I had purchased vehicle from original buyer.Incident happened right after purchase.Since incident this has happened approximately 15 other times.Within an hour or 2 car would start back up.I asked previous owner and was told that he had replaced 3 times a part to fix this problem.But still problem exists.
The motor just runs hot. 238 thru 250. My '01 rc-51 ran between 190 and 212. The '02 has two cooling fans which will come on when the temp reaches 219. In stop and go traffic the fans will cool the motor some but when running on the interstate at 70 MPH the fans work against the air flow and the motor will not cool. The temp just goes up from there. To actually get the temp to start dropping you have to break the law and do at least 105mph so the natural air flow can over power the fans. The dealer mechanic had at one point switched the fan motors polarity, reversing the direction at which they run. This did help at highway speeds but in traffic the motor ran just as hot, 238/250, because now the fans are pulling the heat off the motor. I have seen several threads at motorush.com (rc-51.net general discussion) on this matter and have posted some threads myself. …
2002 Honda Passport engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3.2L 6-cyl | 4-speed automatic | RWD | 15 / 20 / 17 |
| 3.2L 6-cyl | 5-speed manual | RWD | 15 / 19 / 17 |
| 3.2L 6-cyl | 5-speed manual | 4WD/AWD | 15 / 19 / 17 |
| 3.2L 6-cyl | 4-speed automatic | 4WD/AWD | 15 / 19 / 16 |
EPA ratings. Class: SUV.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2002 Honda Passport a good car?
Based on 23 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2002 Passport rates better than average: 72% fewer complaints than a typical year of the Passport at the same age. 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 Passport?
The suspension — 7 complaints, 30% of all complaints for this model year, most often about rear. Next are the body & structure (6) and engine & cooling (4).
How many recalls does the 2002 Honda Passport have?
There are 2 recalls for the 2002 Honda Passport, the most recent from September 22, 2010 (rear). 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 Passport?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2024. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2019, 2021, 2020, 2025 and 2022. See the full Honda Passport years comparison.
At what mileage do 2002 Honda Passport problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 117,000 miles; 27% 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.