"How reliable is the 1997 Honda Odyssey?"

"Based on 24 NHTSA complaints, the 1997 Honda Odyssey has a median complaint mileage of 120000 miles. The most common issue is Switch."

"What are common problems with the 1997 Honda Odyssey?"

"The most frequently reported component in NHTSA complaints for the 1997 Honda Odyssey is Switch, accounting for a significant portion of the 24 total complaints filed."

1997 Honda Odyssey: Reliability Data

Source: NHTSA — 24 complaints

Total Complaints

120,000mi

Median Mileage

Switch

Top Issue

Crash Reports

When Do Complaints Happen?

Distribution of NHTSA complaints by vehicle mileage at time of report.

88,000 25th Percentile

120,000 Median Mileage

150,000 75th Percentile

What Fails?

Most reported component issues from NHTSA complaints.

Switch

Vehicle Speed Control

Ignition

Electrical System

Windshield Wiper/Washer

Power Window Devices And Controls

Horn

Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip

Tank Assembly

Foundation Components

Severity Assessment

Crashes

Fires

Injuries

Deaths

Sample Complaint Reports

"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"

"HORN DESIGN ONLY CONTAINS TWO SMALL SPOTS TO ACTIVATE HORN, IMPOSSIBLE TO ACCOMPLISH WHEN TRYING TO AVOID VEHICLE. MJS"

Source: NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Names and identifying details omitted.

When Were Complaints Filed?

Number of complaints by the year the issue occurred.

Where Are Complaints Coming From?

Top states by complaint count.

FL: 3 GU: 3 OH: 2 KY: 2 CA: 2 NE: 2 IL: 1 VA: 1 OK: 1 SC: 1

Who Files Complaints?

16.7%

Original Owners

83.3%

Second+ Owners

Honda Odyssey — Other Years

See how this model compares across different model years.

Year	Complaints	Median Mileage	Top Issue	Crashes
1995	112	135,000	Air Bags	2
1996	88	113,468	Air Bags	4
1998	89	156,136	Switch	4
1999	664	100,762	Automatic Transmission	13
2000	785	97,767	Automatic Transmission	27
2001	721	99,000	Automatic Transmission	20
2002	1117	85,900	Automatic Transmission	60
2003	1092	103,400	Automatic Transmission	63
2004	714	106,800	Power Train	54
2005	1046	77,250	Steering	25
2006	875	69,720	Steering	35
2007	1035	56,450	Service Brakes, Hydraulic	62
2008	614	53,500	Service Brakes, Hydraulic	46
2009	243	60,000	Body	7
2010	337	63,000	Engine	16
2011	290	26,570	Electrical System	18
2012	321	40,000	Service Brakes	22
2013	274	35,000	Engine	28
2014	401	25,000	Power Train	21
2015	257	24,500	Engine	9
2016	332	30,000	Engine	15
2017	45	24,000	Engine	3
2018	1467	17,400	Electrical System	22
2019	1379	13,658	Electrical System	22
2020	722	9,715	Electrical System	6
2021	174	8,000	Electrical System	3
2022	159	9,500	Electrical System	5
2023	132	25,500	Electrical System	4
2024	82	8,500	Electrical System	2
2025	172	12,274	Engine	1

Active Recalls (3)

Federal safety recalls issued for this vehicle.

Exterior Lighting

Campaign 09E012000 | 07/04/2009

DECREASED LIGHTING VISIBILITY MAY RESULT IN A VEHICLE CRASH.

SABERSPORT WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND OFFER A FULL REFUND FOR THE NONCOMPLIANT COMBINATION LAMPS. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON MAY 11, 2009. OWNERS MAY CONTACT SABERSPORT AT 1-909-598-7589.

Switch

Campaign 02V120000 | 16/05/2002

WORN CONTACTS COULD CAUSE THE ENGINE TO STALL WITHOUT WARNING, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.

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.

Lower Ball Joint

Campaign 99V069000 | 10/05/1999

THIS CONDITION WOULD RESULT IN VEHICLE DECELERATION AND A SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER. ALSO STEERING CONTROLLABILITY WOULD BE REDUCED.

DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE FRONT SUSPENSION LOWER BALL JOINTS.

Maintain Your Electrical System

Based on the most common issues reported for this vehicle.

Clean battery terminals annually with baking soda and water
Replace the battery every 3-5 years before it leaves you stranded
Don't leave accessories running with the engine off
Check for corroded ground connections if you have intermittent electrical issues
Replace dim headlights promptly — they're a safety issue and a wiring symptom

Vehicle Rankings

Most complained Worst transmissions Worst engines Worst brakes Most crashes Compare vehicles

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Data source: View this vehicle on NHTSA.gov | NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Public domain.

Methodology: Complaint counts and mileage distributions are computed directly from consumer-reported NHTSA complaints. This data represents reported issues, not failure rates — vehicles without complaints are not represented. Full methodology.

Data through: 2026-03-28