IllustrationCAMSHAFT BOLT SPLIT IN HALF CAUSING MY ENGINE TO SEIZE UP WHEN THE BOLT FEEL DOWN INTO THE PULLEY. *JB
1997 Honda Passport
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 1997 Honda Passport do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 60.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Passport 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: 17 of 56 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.
- Structure. Review the 13 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 12 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Power Train. Review the 8 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
3 crash reports1 fire reports4 injury reports
What owners actually said
56 reportsEXCESSIVE GASOLINE USAGE (10-13 MPG) AND CHRONIC "CHECK ENGINE LIGHT" DESPITE REPEATED TRIPS TO GARAGE. PROBLEM STILL OCCURRING; CAN'T WAIT TO TRADE THIS BEAST IN. VERY DISAPPOINTED BY HONDA FOR CLOAKING THEIR LABEL ON AN ISUZU/MITSUBISHI BUILT VEHICLE. OTHERS ON THE NET ARE JUST AS FED UP WITH THIS SCRAP OF IRON. MAY NEVER BU…
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EXCESSIVE GASOLINE USAGE (10-13 MPG) AND CHRONIC "CHECK ENGINE LIGHT" DESPITE REPEATED TRIPS TO GARAGE. PROBLEM STILL OCCURRING; CAN'T WAIT TO TRADE THIS BEAST IN. VERY DISAPPOINTED BY HONDA FOR CLOAKING THEIR LABEL ON AN ISUZU/MITSUBISHI BUILT VEHICLE. OTHERS ON THE NET ARE JUST AS FED UP WITH THIS SCRAP OF IRON. MAY NEVER BUY FROM HONDA AND CERTAINLY NOT LOCAL DEALER AGAIN. ENGINE TICKS DUE TO VALVE/LIFTER DAMAGE. *LA
VEHICLE CONSUMES EXCESSIVE OIL THAT CAN CAUSE A POTENTIAL ENGINE FAILURE, PER MANUFACTURER/DEALERSHIP. THERE IS A TSB FOR THIS ISSUE. *AK
BRIDGESTONE TIRE TREAD SEPARATION. *NLM
THE VALVES RATTLE IN THE ENGINE. WHEN THEY RATTLE I CHECK THE OIL LEVEL AND IT'S FINE. I FOUND OUT... BY NO OTHER CHOICE....THAT IF I GET ON THE INTERSTATE (CAUSING THE RPM'S TO GO UP) FOR A FEW MILES, AND THEN EXIT THE INTERSTATE THE VALVES STOP RATTLING. EVERYONE I TALK TO SAYS THAT THEY DON'T KNOW WHAT THE PROBLEM IS. I HAVE…
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THE VALVES RATTLE IN THE ENGINE. WHEN THEY RATTLE I CHECK THE OIL LEVEL AND IT'S FINE. I FOUND OUT... BY NO OTHER CHOICE....THAT IF I GET ON THE INTERSTATE (CAUSING THE RPM'S TO GO UP) FOR A FEW MILES, AND THEN EXIT THE INTERSTATE THE VALVES STOP RATTLING. EVERYONE I TALK TO SAYS THAT THEY DON'T KNOW WHAT THE PROBLEM IS. I HAVE LOOKED FOR HONDA SUPPORT EVERYWHERE! DEALERS CAN'T EVEN HELP! NOW I THINK I AM JUST GOING TO JOIN A GROUP THAT'S PLANNING A CLASS-ACTION LAWSUIT! MAYBE MR. HONDA CAN FIX THE PROBLEM THEN! IF NOT I WILL USE THE MONEY FROM THE LAWSUIT TO BUY A CHEVY...OR DODGE!ANYTHING BUT ANOTHER HONDA!. *JB ***DIMSII IVOQ ENTRY POSTED AFTER 12/12/02 CUT-OVER TO ARTEMIS***768317
POWER WINDOW WILL NOT ROLL UP WHEN TURNING ON SWITCH. CAN HEAR MOTOR RUNNING, BUT GLASS WILL NOT OPERATE. DEALER WAS NOT NOTIFIED AT THIS TIME. FEEL FREE TO PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK
NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK
COMPLETE AND SUDDEN POWER LOSS OCCURED WHILE THE CONSUMER WAS DRIVING VEHICLE AT 65 MPH DUE TO TRANSMISSION FAILURE. THE CONSUMER STATES THAT THIS VEHICLE HAD AN ISUZU ENGINE WHICH IS KNOWN FOR ITS TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS. THUS, THE CONSUMER WANTS REIMBURSEMENT FOR REPLACING THE TRANSMISSION AND RELATED EXPENSES. *YH
WHEN DRIVING, CONSUMER HEARD A LOUD NOISE COMING FROM FRONT END OF VEHICLE. CONTACTED DEALER, DEALER NOTICED THAT SEALS IN TRANSMISSION HAVE NO FLUID ENTERING IN OR OUT OF TRANSMISSION. *AK *SLC
CONSUMER PURCHASED THE VEHICLE WITH 28,043 MILES ON IT BUT WHEN THE CARFAX REPORT CAME IT SHOWED THAT IN APRIL 99 THE VEHICLE HAD 43,211 MILES ON IT, CONSUMER BELIEVES THE ODOMETER HAS BEEN ROLLED BACK. NLM
Official recalls
0No recalls in this snapshot.
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.