2003 Honda Odyssey Engine

STALLS RANDOMLY WHILE ACCELERATING FROM STOP. APPEARS TO BE IGNITION SWITCH ISSUE. COULD CAUSE A CRASH RESULTING IN INJURY ESPECIALLY WHEN PULLING INTO MAIN STREET OR HIGHWAYS FROM A STOP.

I OWNED 2003 ODYSSEY FOR YEARS (APPROX. 125,000 M NOW), LAST WEEK I DROVE ON THE HIGHWAY ABOUT 70 MPH BACK HOME THEN SUDDENLY WITH NO POWER, LUCKILY, THE CAR AFTER ME WAS TOO FAR TO HIT ME. I PULLED THE CAR OVER TO THE SHOULDER AND RESTART AGAIN. THE ENGINE LIGHT IS ON. I MANAGED TO DRIVE HOME IN 20~30 MPH. CHECKED ONLINE AND FOUND OUT HONDA DID RECALL FOR THE TRANSMISSION ISSUE BUT STILL CAN'T SOLVE THE PROBLEM. REALLY LOVE THIS VAN, STILL DEBATING HOW TO DO IT, NOT DARE TO DRIVE NOW. HONDA SHOULD TAKE THE FULL RESPONSIBILITY TO SOLVE THIS ISSUE, NO MATTER WHO OWNS THE VAN. NOT JUST CARE ABOUT THE COMPANY?S PROFITS AND IGNORE THE TRAGEDY WILL BE HAPPENED ANYTIME. AS A CAR MANUFACTURER AND HUMANITY, HONDA SHOULD KNOW LIVE IS PRICELESS. *TR

OUR ODYSSEY HAS ALWAYS SHIFTED A LITTLE ROUGH, BUT I ATTRIBUTED THAT TO ITS AGE BUT ON 7/18/14 WE WERE ON GROCERY STORE VISIT AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT, TCS LIGHT, AND MAINTENANCE REQUIRED LIGHT ALL CAME ON. WE TOOK IT TO LOCAL MECHANIC TO GET THE CODES READ AND THEY SAID IT WAS THE TRANSMISSION CONTROL SYSTEM, BUT IT WAS DRIVING FINE SO I KEPT GOING AND HAD OUR NORMAL MECHANIC TAKE A LOOK AT IT ABOUT A WEEK LATER. HE TOO SAID IT WAS THE TRANSMISSION CONTROL SYSTEM, AND THAT WE SHOULDN'T NEED A NEW TRANSMISSION, SO TAKE IT TO HONDA AND GET THEM TO LOOK AT IT. THE SERVICE ADVISOR KEPT SAYING "THIS VEHICLE ISN'T GOING TO GO VERY FAR, IT'S GOING TO LEAVE YOU ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD" BUT, WE DON'T HAVE THAT KIND OF MONEY RIGHT NOW, AND SINCE IT'S DRIVING "OK" JUST SHIFTING THE SAME AS IT ALWAYS HAS, WE DECIDED TO TAKE IT HOME. *TR

THE MINIVAN WAS BEING DRIVEN AT ABOUT 30MPH WHEN THE IDLE SUDDENLY JUMPED TO 3500 RPM. THE BRAKE HAD TO BE APPLIED TO KEEP THE CAR FROM DANGEROUSLY ACCELERATING. THE DRIVER WAS ABLE TO PULL THE MINIVAN INTO A GAS STATION. THE VEHICLE WAS TURNED OFF THEN BACK ON A FEW MINUTES LATER. THE MINIVAN IMMEDIATELY IDLED AT 3500 RPM AGAIN. AFTER LETTING THE VEHICLE SIT TURNED OFF FOR 20 MINUTES, IT WAS TURNED ON AND SHOWED NO FURTHER PROBLEMS. IN THE PAST TWO YEARS THERE HAVE BEEN THREE SIMILAR INCIDENTS WITH THIS VEHICLE. OUTSIDE TEMPERATURE MAY BE A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR SINCE IT HAS ALWAYS HAPPENED IN A TEMPERATURE OF 80+ DEGREES FAHRENHEIT. AFTER LETTING THE CAR SIT FOR 10-20 MINUTES, THE PROBLEM GOES AWAY. THE LOCAL HONDA DEALERSHIP INVESTIGATED THE PROBLEM, BUT FOUND NO COMPUTER CODES OR OTHER SIGNS OF PROBLEMS. WE ARE CONCERNED THIS PROBLEM COULD CAUSE AN ACCIDENT AND THAT THE PROBLEM MAY OCCUR IN OTHER ODYSSEY'S OF THIS YEAR. *TR

I BROUGHT MY ODYSSEY TO THE HONDA DEALER FOR AN OIL AND FILTER CHANGE ON 4/3/2014. WHILE THERE, THE SERVICE ADVISOR, [XXX], INFORMED ME THAT MY MOTOR MOUNTS WERE FAILING. WHEN I QUESTIONED THAT THIS SOUNDED LIKE A MANUFACTURING DEFECT THAT SHOULD BE SUBJECT TO A RECALL, HIS RESPONSE WAS THAT THEY REPLACE SO MANY MOTOR MOUNTS THAT THEY ALWAYS KEEP A GOOD SUPPLY IN STOCK. THIS WOULD SEEM TO STRENGTHEN MY POSITION, NOT HIS. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

THE ENGINE MOTOR MOUNTS CRACK OR FAIL PREMATURELY. DEFECT IS UNRELATED TO DRIVER BEHAVIOR AND IS SOLELY A FUNCTION OF DESIGN. FAILED MOUNTS CAN BOTH CAUSE ACCIDENTS AND CREATE A PROJECTILE FROM IMPACT. ON-LINE RESEARCH, SUCH AS THE CAR TALK COMMUNITY, SUGGEST THIS IS A WIDESPREAD PROBLEM WITH ODYSSEYS OVER 65,000 MILES. *TR

THE MINIVAN SUDDENLY SLOWED DOWN AND CAME TO A STOP ON THE HIGHWAY. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WENT ON. THE CAR STARTS BUT DOES NOT PICK UP SPEED AND I FEEL IS DANGEROUS TO DRIVE. *TR

TRANSMISSION FAILED, WHICH, APPARENTLY IS COMMON TO OLDER HONDA ODYSSEYS, BUT WAS NOT FIXED UNTIL AFTER 2005. *TR

I NOTICED QUITE A BIT OF OIL LEAKING ON THE GARAGE FLOOR AND TOOK THE VEHICLE IN FOR SERVICE. I WAS TOLD THAT THE HEAD GASKET WAS LEAKING AND THERE WERE 2 KNOWN ISSUES THAT MAY BE THE CAUSE: A HEAD BOLT ISSUE OR ENGINE PITTING. THEY WOULDN'T KNOW UNTIL THEY 'OPENED IT UP'. IT TURNED OUT TO BE THE HEAD BOLT FOR CYLINDER #6, WHICH THEY SAID SEEMED TO BE A KNOWN ISSUE ON THE INTERNET AND OTHER SITES THEY HAD ACCESS TO. HONDA IS EVEN AWARE OF THIS ISSUE AS THEY CREATED A REPAIR KIT SPECIFICALLY FOR THE ISSUE. WHEN OUR CERTIFIED MECHANIC CALLED THE DEALER, THE DEALER RECOMMENDED REPLACING THE ENGINE, WHICH WAS OBVIOUSLY WAY TOO EXPENSIVE. THEY THEN RECOMMENDED THE TIME-SERT THREAD REPAIR KIT. ONCE THE MECHANIC GOT INTO THINGS THEY ALSO REALIZED THAT 2 OF THE BOLTS WERE STRIPPED, SO THEY REPAIRED BOTH. I JUST GOT OFF THE PHONE WITH HONDA AUTOMOBILE CUSTOMER SERVICE AND WAS BASICALLY TOLD THERE IS NOTHING THEY CAN (OR WILL) DO TO HELP OFFSET THE $2500 REPAIR COST FOR THIS KNOWN ISSUE. IT IS TERRIBLE THAT HONDA OFFERS NO ASSISTANCE DESPITE THIS CLEARLY BEING A DEFECT IN THE STRENGTH OF THE BOLT OR THE THREADING PROCESS. THERE ARE JUST TOO MANY OTHER INSTANCES OF THE EXACT SAME ISSUE AND THE EXACT SAME CYLINDER NUMBER. AS AN OWNER OF THREE HONDA VEHICLES, NEEDLESS TO SAY I AM EXTREMELY DISAPPOINTED WITH THE LACK OF CARING AND WILLINGNESS TO MAKE THINGS RIGHT AND WILL ABSOLUTELY LOOK AT OTHER VEHICLES NOW. *TR

FRONT AND PASSENGER ENGINE MOUNTS ARE BROKEN AT 48K MILEAGES DURING A MAINTAIN CHECKING AT A HONDA DEALER SHOP. *TR

FAILED FRONT AND SIDE ENGINE MOUNTS REPLACED. COSTLY REPAIR APPEARS TO BE COMMON ODYSSEY MAINTENANCE ISSUE. *TR

2003 ODYSSEY APPROXIMATELY 67K MILES DEVELOPED FLUID LEAK IN PAST WEEK. VEHICLE HAD BEEN SERVICED REGULARLY. WHILE DRIVING WITH FAMILY COOLANT LEAKED ONTO EXHAUST SYSTEM CAUSING SMOKE AND HAD TO PULL OFF INTERSTATE. ENGINE HAD OPERATED NORMALLY AND THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS OR ABNORMAL TEMPERATURE GAGE READINGS. HAD VEHICLE TOWED TO LOCAL HONDA DEALER. DIAGNOSED AS LEAKING HEAD GASKET. UPON REMOVAL OF THE CYLINDER HEAD, THE HEAD BOLTS PULL FROM THE BLOCK PORTS WITH THE BOLT THREADS. APPARENTLY HEAD BOLTS HAD BECOME LOOSE GIVEN THE THREAD FAILURE IN THE BLOCK AND ALLOWED LEAKAGE OF FLUIDS IN THE CYLINDER HEAD. HONDA STATED THAT THE ENGINE WILL NEED TO BE REPLACED AT A COST OF 3K++. APPARENTLY THIS SAME ISSUE HAS OCCURRED TO SEVERAL OTHER 2003 ODYSSEY OWNERS ACCORDING TO ON-LINE SEARCH. THE DEALER WAS AT A LOSS TO EXPLAIN THE FAILURE OF THE BOLTS AT THE GIVEN MILEAGE. IT APPEARS THAT THIS COULD BE A DEFECT IN THE BLOCK DESIGN OR MANUFACTURE AND COULD LEAD TO PREMATURE ENGINE FAILURE. HONDA SHOULD ADDRESS THIS ISSUE AS WELL AS AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION AND EGR VALVE DEFECTS WHICH HAVE ALSO BEEN A CONTINUAL PROBLEM WITH THE 2003 ODYSSEY. VERY DISAPPOINTED IN THE RELIABILITY OF THIS VAN *TR

2003 HONDA ODYSSEY. CONSUMER STATES PROBLEM WITH BROKEN MOTOR MOUNT *TGW

KNOWN TRANSMISSION FAILURE FOR 2003 HONDA ODYSSEY. NOTED AND CASCADED BY AMERICAN HONDA. REPAIRS COULD BE DONE UNDER GOODWILL AT HONDAS DISCRETION. COVERAGE WAS EXTENDED TO 7 YEARS OR 100,000 MILES. IT APPEARS THAT INTERNAL DAMAGE COULD HAPPEN BEYOND THE SAID YEARS/MILEAGE RANGE FOR WARRANTY REPAIR OR REPLACEMENT. FROM A CONSUMERS PERSPECTIVE, IT IS A CLAUSE OR LANGUAGE USED TO LEVERAGE HONDAS GOODWILL DISCRETION. THIS ISSUE HAS BEEN MADE PUBLIC BY THE NHTSA, WHILE HONDA SETTLED OUT OF COURT, YET DID NOT TAKE FULL ACCOUNTABILITY FOR THE KNOWN AND VALIDATED TRANSMISSION DEFICIENCY. GEAR SLIPS BETWEEN FIRST AND SECOND GEAR IN THE RANGE OF 20-30MPH. ENGINE LIGHT AND TCS LIGHT TURNS ON, AS WELL AS THE DRIVE LIGHT FLASHING (INSTEAD OF BEING SOLID LIGHT). ACCELERATING AFTER A COMPLETE STOP IS VERY DIFFICULT WHEN CROSSING THE INTERSECTIONS. REPAIRING THE PRESSURE SWITCH ON 11/2/11 DID NOT RECTIFY THE SITUATION.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS 2003 HONDA ODYSSEY. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR ROUTINE MAINTENANCE. THE DIAGNOSTIC TEST INDICATED THAT THE MOTOR MOUNTS WERE COMING APART AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED BUT THEY REFUSED TO OFFER ANY ASSISTANCE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 45,000.

I DROVE MY CAR TO HONDA DEALER IN HILLSIDE , NJ FOR CHECK-ENGINE-LIGHT ON. ITS SERVICE REP GAVE ME CODES PO 700 & PO 740 FOR TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS. HE FIRST GAVE ESTIMATION OF AROUND $4000. I IMMEDIATELY TOLD HIM NO, NOT TO FIX IT. HE THEN SAID TO CHECK HONDA FOR COST. I DROVE AWAY AND HE CALLED ME FOR A QUOTE OF ABOUT $2100. I SAID NO WHEN HE GAVE ME COST OF $4000 BECAUSE I DECIDED TO SELL THE CAR AND BUY A NEW ONE. I TOLD HIM TO ORDER THE PART WHEN HE CALLED ME LATER ON BECAUSE HE COULD FIX THE PROBLEMS AT $2100. DEALER HAD TRANSMISSION CHANGED ON 3/8/10 , AND THE NEXT DAY (3/9/10) THE SAME CHECK-ENGINE-LIGHT CAME ON WITHIN 24 HOURS. I DROVE BACK TO THE DEALER. I WAS SO DISAPPOINTED THAT THE REP GUY TOLD ME THAT ANYTHING COULD CAUSE THE LIGHT ON, AND THE TECHNICIAN GAVE A DIFFERENT CODE. I WAS THEN TOLD IT WAS NOT CHEAP TO FIX IT. I QUESTIONED WHY THEY DID NOT GIVE ME ALL THE PROBLEM CODES AND COSTS IN THE BEGINNING. I WOULD HAVE MADE DECISION TO TRADE IN INSTEAD OF SPENDING $2200, AND THEN BEING TOLD MORE SPENDING TO COME. I WENT IN FOR THE CHECK-ENGINE-LIGHT ON AND I CAME BACK FOR THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM WITHIN 24 HOURS. WHY WOULDN'T I SELL IT BEFORE I PUT IN $2200? THE SERVICE REP GUY HAD SUCH A BAD ATTITUDE BY KICKING OUT PROBLEMS AND PUSHING AWAY RESPONSIBILITIES. HE SAID DEALER DID NOT MANUFACTURE THE CAR AND INSISTED SAYING MY CAR WAS 10 YEARS OLD. THE SERVICE MANAGER, REQUESTED THE TECHNICIAN TO RESET THE LIGHT, AND SAID HOPEFULLY IT WOULD NOT COME BACK ON AGAIN. I'M AWARE IF A PROBLEM EXISTS, LIGHT WILL COME BACK ON SOONER OR LATER. AND INSPECTION WON'T GO THROUGH WHEN SUCH A LIGHT IS ON. AS PREDICTED, SAME CHECK-ENGINE-LIGHT CAME BACK ON THE 3/10/10 WITHIN 48 HOURS. AND I CALLED THE MANAGER, HE SAID IT WAS GOING TO COST ANOTHER $875 PLUS TAX. I DIDN'T EXPECT A TRANSMISSION'S PROBLEM BEFORE 100K MILES FOR A JAPANESE CAR. I AM VERY DISAPPOINTED. *TR

1. FAILURE OCCURRED MUST LIKELY THROUGH DEFECTIVE PARTS IN 2003-2005 HONDA ODYSSEY'S. 2. FRONT AND SIDE ENGINE MOUNTS NO LONGER CONNECTED. 3. FAILURE HAS NOT YET BEEN REPLACED. FAILURE OF THE MOUNTS LEAVES THE POSSIBILITY OF ENGINE DROPPING OUT. THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH ODYSSEY'S OF THIS YEAR. NOT NEAR CAR TO OBTAIN VIN#. *TR

HOLE IN CONDENSER. *TR

I HAVE A 2003 HONDA ODESSY AND DISCOVERED THIS PASS WEEKEND THAT THERE WAS A MAJOR OIL LEAK THE CAR HAS ONLY BEEN SERVICED BY A HONDA DEALER, I WAS TOLD THAT THERE IS A STRIPPED HEAD BOLT, AFTER SEARCHING ON THE INTERNET HONDA IS AWARE OF THE ISSUE BUT IS KEEPING THIS QUIET, MY OUT OF POCKET COST IS OVER $2,000.00. *TR

ENGINE MOUNTS ON 2003 HONDA ODYSSEY NEED TO BE REPLACED AT 80,000 MILES...SEEMS TO BE HAPPENING TO ALOT OF PEOPLE...DESIGN FLAW PERHAPS? $700 DOLLARS TO REPAIR...AMERICAN HONDA NO HELP...DEALER NO HELP. *TR

FAILURE OF GASKET MATERIAL TO CONTAIN OIL WITHIN ENGINE VALVE COVER CYLINDER HEAD HAS CREATED OIL LEAK THAT WAS INITIALLY NOTICED ON THE GARAGE FLOOR. DEALER HAS VERIFIED PROBLEM BY INJECTING DYE AND USING BLACK-LIGHT TO ESTABLISH THE SOURCE OF THE OIL LEAK. THIS MIGHT TYPICALLY BE A NON-ISSUE FOR AN OLDER MODEL YEAR VEHICLE BUT I WOULD NOT EXPECT SUCH A PROBLEM ON A VEHICLE THAT HAS BEEN IN SERVICE LESS THAN 4 YEARS AND PERSONALLY OWNED FOR ONLY 2 1/4 YEARS. PROBLEM COULD BE ONE OF MANUFACTURE INSTALLATION OR MATERIAL DEFECT OR A COMBINATION OF THE TWO. ENGINE FAILURE COULD RESULT IF PROBLEM IS NOT ADDRESSED/RESOLVED. RESOLUTION OF THE PROBLEM REQUIRES A SIGNIFICANT FINANCIAL COMMITMENT THAT COVERS THE LABOR TO DROP THE ENGINE IN ORDER TO REMOVE AND REPLACE THE VALVE COVER GASKET. THIS OWNER THINKS THAT THIS IS A MANUFACTURER DEFECT THAT SHOULD BE COVERED BY THE DEALER SINCE THIS VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN ABUSED OR OPERATED IN EXTREME CONDITIONS. *JB

2003 HONDA ODYSSEY VEHICLE QUALITY AND VEHICLE SERVICE***CC THE CONSUMER STATED THE DEALERSHIP WAS DOING DISHONEST BUSINESS PRACTICES. THE CONSUMER STATED THE DEALERSHIP DID NOT DO ENOUGH TO HELP WITH THE PROBLEMS HE WAS EXPERIENCING WITH HIS VEHICLE. THE CONSUMER STATED AFTER THE RECALL WAS PERFORMED REGARDING THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION, THE TCS AND ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED. IT WAS LATER DETERMINED THAT THE PROBLEM WAS DUE TO A FAULTY EGR VALVE. THE PART WAS NOT AVAILABLE, SO THE DEALER RESET THE LIGHT, HOWEVER THE NEXT DAY IT ILLUMINATED AGAIN. THE CONSUMER WAS LATER INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT, WHICH THE CONSUMER BELIEVED WAS DUE TO MECHANICAL PROBLEMS WITH THE VEHICLE. THE CONSUMER STATED THE STEERING WAS OFF CENTER, IT WAS RECOMMENDED THAT AN ALIGNMENT BE PERFORMED, THE CONSUMER WAS TOLD THE STEERING PROBLEM WAS DUE TO THE ACCIDENT. *JB

DT: A HONDA 2003, GETS VERY BAD GAS FUMES IN THE CAR WHEN STARTING THE CAR. HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR 2 YEARS. HE HAS 4 SMALL CHILDREN. *AK

ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON.V EHICLE STARTED TO STALL. VEHICLE IS AT THE DEALER, AND CONSUMER HAS BEEN TOLD TO CHANGE THE GAS HE USES. *AK A DIAGNOSTIC TEST WAS RUN ON THE VEHICE WHICH FOUND CODES P0301, P0304, P0305. *NM

I HAD LEASED A BRAND NEW, 2003 HONDA ODYSSEY IN SEPTEMBER, 2003 FROM BAYRIDGE HONDA IN BROOKLYN, NY. I PICKED UP THE CAR ON SEPTEMBER 6, 2003. ON SEPTEMBER 9, I BROUGHT THE CAR BACK TO THE DEALER BECAUSE IT WAS SURGING, ON THE VERGE OF STALLING. THEY KEPT THE VEHICLE AND AT THAT TIME RESET THE COMPUTER, I BELIEVE. I PICKED UP THE VEHICLE THE SAME DAY AFTER BEING TOLD THAT IT WAS FIXED. ABOUT A MONTH LATER, THE CAR STALLED OUT WHILE I WAS WAITING ON A RED LIGHT, AND THEN STARTED STALLING ON STOP SIGNS AND WHILE MAKING TURNS. I BROUGHT IT BACK TO THE DEALER ON OCTOBER 23, 2003. ONCE AGAIN, I PICKED UP THE CAR THE SAME DAY AFTER THEY TOLD ME THAT IT WAS FIXED. THE VERY NEXT DAY, THE SAME THING HAPPENED AGAIN WHERE THE CAR CONTINUED TO STALL IN THE SAME SITUATIONS. I CALLED THE DEALER AND WAS TOLD TO BRING IT BACK, WHICH I DID ON OCTOBER 25, 2003. YET AGAIN THEY HAD ME PICK UP THE CAR TELLING ME IT WAS FIXED. ABOUT A MONTH LATER, THE STALLING STARTED AGAIN, AND THIS TIME A LOT MORE OFTEN. I BROUGHT THE CAR BACK TO THE DEALER ON DECEMBER 15, 2003 AND IT HAS BEEN THERE SINCE THEN - FOR 3 1/2 WEEKS. I HAD CALLED HONDA OF AMERICA TRYING TO RESOLVE THIS ISSUE. THEIR ANSWER IS THAT THE DEALER CANNOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM, WHICH DOES NOT CHANGE THE FACT THAT THE CAR STALLED MANY TIMES WHEN I DROVE IT. I FEEL VERY UNCOMFORTABLE PICKING UP MY CAR AS IT IS RIGHT NOW, AS NOTHING WAS DONE ON IT BY THE DEALER. I DO NOT FEEL SAFE DRIVING THE CAR THAT STALLS IN TRAFFIC, WHILE WAITING ON TRAFFIC LIGHTS, ETC. I HAD TRIED RESOLVING THIS WITH THE DELEARSHIP, AS WELL AS WITH HONDA OF AMERICA BUT ALMOST 4 WEEKS THE ONLY THING THEY ARE TELLING ME IS THAT THEY CANNOT DIPLICATE THE PROBLEM AND WILL CONTINUE DRIVING MY CAR MEANWHILE. I WOULD APPRECIATE ANY HELP OR ADVICE YOU COULD GIVE ME AND I THANK YOU IN ADVANCE. SINCERELY, LANA KRICHMAR-LIVERANT, PH.D. *AK