IllustrationWHILE DRIVING ALL ELECTRICAL FUNCTIONS STOPPED. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE IGNITION SWITCH NEEDED TO BE REPLACED.*JB
1997 Honda Odyssey
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Fewer warning signs than most model years
Owner complaints for the 1997 Honda Odyssey are lower than the model-year median of 249.5.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Odyssey years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
Limited mileage data: 4 of 20 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Electrical System. Review the 9 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Vehicle Speed Control. Review the 3 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Service Brakes, Hydraulic. Review the 2 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
2 crash reports2 fire reports2 injury reports
What owners actually said
20 reportsCONSUMER NOTICED A STRONG FUEL SMELL. VEHICLE WAS EXAMINED BY A MECHANIC. MECHANIC NOTICED A HOLE IN FUEL TANK THAT WAS CAUSED BY CONSTANT CONTACT WITH METAL UNDERNEATH VEHICLE. FUEL TANK NEEDED TO BE REPLACED.*AK *TT
WHILE TRAVELING ON THE HIGHWAY ANOTHER VEHICLE VEER INTO HER LANE, THE CONSUMER APPLIED THE BRAKES AND THEY WENT DOWN TO THE FLOOR. NLM
CONSUMER STATED THE TRANSMISSION FAILED, IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT A COUNTER SHAFT IN THE TRANSMISSION CONTAINED A FLAW, WHICH RESULTED IN ROUGH SHIFTING FROM THE VERY MOMENT THE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED.*JB
VEHICLE HAD A TOTAL ELECTRICAL SHUTDOWN. CONSUMER LOST BRAKES/POWER STEERING, AND SMOKE CAME FROM IGNITION HOUSING. TOOK TO DEALER, AND THEY REPLACED DEFECTIVE PART WITH 35130-SXO-AO1 STEERING SWITCH. *AK
7/29 LARGE QUANTITY OF SMOKE EMITTING FROM DRIVERS SIDE DOOR WHILE DRIVING AND ONE WINDOW STOPS OPERATING. 7/30 HAPPENS AGAIN WHILE VAN IS STATIONARY AND ANOTHER WINDOW STOPS WORKING. I DISASSEMBLED THE DOOR AND WIRING HARNESS TO PREVENT FURTHER SMOKE/FIRE DAMAGE. PLASTIC AND ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS OF THE POWER WINDOW CONTROL AR…
Read full complaint
7/29 LARGE QUANTITY OF SMOKE EMITTING FROM DRIVERS SIDE DOOR WHILE DRIVING AND ONE WINDOW STOPS OPERATING. 7/30 HAPPENS AGAIN WHILE VAN IS STATIONARY AND ANOTHER WINDOW STOPS WORKING. I DISASSEMBLED THE DOOR AND WIRING HARNESS TO PREVENT FURTHER SMOKE/FIRE DAMAGE. PLASTIC AND ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS OF THE POWER WINDOW CONTROL ARE MELTED. AMERICAN HONDA IS VERY UNCOOPERATIVE AFTER A MONTH OF DISCUSSIONS AND INVESTIGATION BY HONDA TECHNICIANS. THEIR STORY KEEPS CHANGING. TODAY THEY REQUESTED THAT I MAIL ALL PARTS IN QUESTION TO THEM IN CA.*AK
RIGHT WINDSHIELD WIPER PIN THAT HOLDS POSITIONING ARM ON WINDSHIELD WIPER BROKE WHILE DRIVING. THEN TANGLED WITH LEFT WINDSHIELD WIPER CAUSING CONTROL LOST DURING RAIN STORM.
THE CRUISE CONTROL ON THIS CAR CAUSES THE SPEED TO INCREASE WHILE TRAVELING UP LONGER GRADES. THERE HAVE BEEN MANY TIMES DURING OUR OWNERSHIP WHEN THIS HAD CAUSED VERY AWKWARD AND DANGEROUS SITUATIONS. OTHER DRIVERS WHO BEGIN TO PASS ON A HILL HAVE GOTTEN ANNOYED WHEN OUR CAR PICKS UP SPEED WHILE THEY ARE TRYING TO PASS. ON O…
Read full complaint
THE CRUISE CONTROL ON THIS CAR CAUSES THE SPEED TO INCREASE WHILE TRAVELING UP LONGER GRADES. THERE HAVE BEEN MANY TIMES DURING OUR OWNERSHIP WHEN THIS HAD CAUSED VERY AWKWARD AND DANGEROUS SITUATIONS. OTHER DRIVERS WHO BEGIN TO PASS ON A HILL HAVE GOTTEN ANNOYED WHEN OUR CAR PICKS UP SPEED WHILE THEY ARE TRYING TO PASS. ON OCCASION THE INCREASE IN SPEED HAS BEEN SUBSTANTIAL, AS MUCH AS 8 MILES PER HOUR. SOMETIMES, WHEN CRESTING A HILL, THE CAR CONTINUES AT THE FASTER SPEED, WANTING TO GAIN EVEN MORE SPEED AT THE NEXT HILL. THE ONLY WAY TO PREVENT THIS IS TO DISENGAGE THE CRUISE WHEN APPROACHING HILLS. THIS PROBLEM WAS REPORTED TO THE DEALER EARLY ON, BUT HE WAS UNABLE TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT. *AK
HORN DESIGN ONLY CONTAINS TWO SMALL SPOTS TO ACTIVATE HORN, IMPOSSIBLE TO ACCOMPLISH WHEN TRYING TO AVOID VEHICLE. MJS
APPLYING THE BRAKES WHILE IN THE PROCESS OF PARKING THE VEHICLE LUNCHED FORWARD, CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO HIT A BRICK WALL. ANOTHER TIME, APPLIED THE BRAKES WHILE IN THE PROCESS OF PARKING THE VEHICLE LUNGED FORWARD INTO TRAFFIC. *AK
Official recalls
202V120000 · Electrical System:ignition:switch
May 16, 2002
ON CERTAIN SEDANS, COUPES, HATCHBACKS, AND SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES, ELECTRICAL CONTACTS IN THE IGNITION SWITCH CAN DEGRADE DUE TO THE HIGH ELECTRICAL CURRENT PASSING THROUGH THE SWITCH WHEN THE VEHICLE IS STARTED.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: WORN CONTACTS COULD CAUSE THE ENGINE TO STALL WITHOUT WARNING, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE IGNITION SWITCH. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN JUNE 14, 2002. OWNERS WHO TAKE THEIR VEHICLES TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER ON AN AGREED UPON SERVICE DATE AND DO NOT RECEIVE THE FREE REMEDY WITHIN A REASONABLE TIME SHOULD CONTACT HONDA AT 1-800-999-1009 OR ACURA AT 1-800-382-2238.
99V069000 · Suspension:front:control Arm:lower Ball Joint
May 10, 1999
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. CERTAIN VEHICLES WERE MANUFACTURED WITH BALL JOINTS THAT CAN PREMATURELY WEAR OUT AND, IN THE WORSE CASE, THE BALL JOINT WOULD SEPARATE CAUSING THE FRONT SUSPENSION TO COLLAPSE.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: THIS CONDITION WOULD RESULT IN VEHICLE DECELERATION AND A SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER. ALSO STEERING CONTROLLABILITY WOULD BE REDUCED.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE FRONT SUSPENSION LOWER BALL JOINTS.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.