Problems · by component

2003 Honda Odyssey vehicle speed control problems

30 owner complaints to NHTSA about the 2003 Honda Odyssey cite vehicle speed control, 3% of all 940 complaints for this model year.

Complaints
30
3% of all complaints
Crashes
7
Reported by owners
Fires
0
Reported by owners
Injuries
0
Reported by owners
01 —Owner reports

What owners say about the vehicle speed control

Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 HONDA ODYSSEY. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH, THE VEHICLE DECELERATED INTO SECOND GEAR AND THE SPEED DECREASED TO 35 MPH. THE VEHICLE JERKED VIOLENTLY AND ABRUPTLY. THE RPMS INCREASED TO EIGHT THOUSAND RPMS AND THE VEHICLE FAILED TO SHIFT OUT OF SECOND GEAR. THE CONTACT WAS FORCED TO SHIFT INTO NEUTRAL GEAR AT 25 MPH IN ORDER TO COAST. THE CONTACT MANAGED TO SHIFT INTO DRIVE FROM NEUTRAL GEAR. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE TRANSMISSION FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 04V176000 (POWER TRAIN). THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 249,000.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled May 10, 2017Power train, Vehicle speed controlODI 10984645
“1.STARTING IN EARLY JULY 2016, MY HONDA ODYSSEY BEGAN RANDOMLY ACCELERATING ON THIS OWN, WITHOUT A HUMAN DEPRESSING THE GAS PEDAL. WHILE IN DRIVE, THE CAR ACCELERATES ON ITS OWN. 2.WHEN THIS HAPPENS, I HAVE TO PRESS EXTREMELY HARD ON THE BRAKE TO GET THE VEHICLE TO STOP. THEN, WHEN I PLACE THE CAR IN PARK, THE RPM INCREASES TO BETWEEN 5,OOO AND 7,000. AGAIN, THIS IS WITHOUT A HUMAN DEPRESSING THE GAS PEDAL. 3.THIS ISSUE SEEMS TO OCCUR WHEN THE AIR CONDITIONING IS TURNED ON, AND IT FEELS LIKE THE CRUISE CONTROL SYSTEM IS TAKING OVER EVEN THOUGH IT'S TURNED ON. 4.THIS ISSUE DOESN'T ALWAYS HAPPEN IMMEDIATELY ONCE THE CAR IS TURNED ON. IT SOMETIMES TAKES A RANDOM AMOUNT OF TIME TO MANIFEST ITSELF WHILE THE CAR IS BEING DRIVEN. 5.I'VE FACED THIS ISSUE AT LEAST 15 TO 20 TIMES OVER THE PAST 2 MONTHS. 6.OBVIOUSLY, THIS ISSUE IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS AND MAY RESULT IN SEVERE INJURY OR DEATH FOR THE DRIVER AND OTHER MOTORISTS. AND THEREFORE, IT MUST BE DEALT WITH IMMEDIATELY. THE HONDA DEALER SAID THAT THERE IS NOTHING WRONG, BUT ONLY CHECKED THE VEHICLES CPU. THIS IS INSUFFICIENT BECAUSE, AS INDICATED ABOVE, THE CPU WILL NOT REGISTER AN ISSUE IN IDLE MODE OR WHEN THE…”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Sep 5, 2016Vehicle speed control, Engine, Fuel/propulsion systemODI 10903671
“I WAS DRIVING MY VAN WITH MY TWO KIDS IN IT WHEN I NOTICED THAT THE VAN WAS JERKING FREQUENTLY AND THERE WAS NO PICK UP. THE RPM WENT TO 4 AND 5 THOUSAND BUT THE SPEED WAS NOT ABLE TO GO BEYOND 50 AND 60 MPH. THIS INCIDENT OCCURRED WHILE I WAS ON A FREEWAY. WHEN I TOOK THE VAN TO OUR USUAL MECHANIC SHOP, THEY FOUND THAT IT WAS A TRANSMISSION PROBLEM. GETTING A NEW TRANSMISSION WAS VERY EXPENSIVE AND I HAD TO SETTLE FOR A REBUILT TRANSMISSION. AFTER RESEARCHING ONLINE, I FOUND THAT THIS IS A COMMON ISSUE WITH HONDA ODYSSEYS BUILT DURING THE YEAR MY VAN WAS BUILT. I WOULD LIKE FOR NHTSA TO ENSURE HONDA PAYS FOR OUR REPAIRS AND ENSURES THE COMPANY FIXES ALL REMAINING VANS ON THE ROAD WITH THIS ISSUE. *TR”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled May 2, 2015Power train, Vehicle speed controlODI 10714207
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 HONDA ODYSSEY. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE FAILED TO ACCELERATE PAST 20 MPH WHEN THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS INITIATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC, BUT WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 220,000. UPDATED 05/11/15*CN THE CONSUMER STATED THE VEHICLE MUST BE STOPPED COMPLETED THEN ACCELERATED AGAIN OR POWERED OFF THEN ON AGAIN. THE CONSUMER HAS A RECORDING OF THE FAILURE. UPDATED 9/16/2015*JS”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Apr 2, 2015Vehicle speed control, EngineODI 10703351
“CAR WAS RUNNING ON CITY ROAD AND SUDDENLY STOPPED RUNNING AND CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME UP IMMEDIATELY. IT WAS GOOD THAT I WAS NOT BUSY AND NOT RUNNING FAST OR NOT IN THE FREEWAY, AND THERE IS NO CAR BEHIND MY CAR. I STOP ENGINE; AFTER SOMETIME I STARTED AND IT WAS RUNNING AGAIN AND AFTER 20 MINUTES IT STOPPED ON THE ROAD AGAIN. I DROVE TO A NEARBY HONDA SERVICE CENTER FOR CHECKING AND THEY GAVE ME DOCUMENTS THAT SAID A TRANSMISSION REPLACEMENT NEEDED THAT COST MORE THAN 6,000. I DROVE BACK IN MY PARKING LOT AND PARK THERE AND DID NOT DRIVE ON THE ROAD AGAIN. I TRIED IN THE PARKING LOT AND FOUND IT RUNS WHEN THE CAR IS COLD, BUT WHEN IT HEATED IT STOP, BUT AFTER SOMETIMES IT RUN AGAIN. I DO NOT FEEL SAFE AND DO NOT DRIVE THIS CAR ON THE ROAD. SOME OF MY FRIENDS ALSO BROUGHT THE SAME CAR AND THEY FACED THE SAME PROBLEM AFTER 100,000-180,000. IF A CAR TRANSMISSION FAILED LIKE THIS AND IF IT HAPPEN ON THE FREEWAY WITH 70 SPEED IT CAN MAKE SERIOUS ACCIDENT. HONDA CO. MUST RECALL THIS MODEL AND FIX THIS PROBLEM. *TR”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Mar 30, 2015Power train, Vehicle speed controlODI 10702763
“I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD AT 20 MPH AND I HAD TO USE THE BRAKES, MY CAR JERKED SUDDENLY TWICE WHILE I WAS GENTLY PUSHING THE BRAKES (AS IF I SLAMMED ON THEM TWICE). I ACCELERATED SLOWLY AND ONCE I GOT BACK INTO SECOND GEAR MY CAR WOULDN'T CATCH AND STARTED TO MAKE A WHIRRING NOISE. ONCE IT GOT PAST SECOND GEAR IT DRIVES SLOWER THAN USUAL FOR THE AMOUNT OF RPMS BEING USED. THIS IS A SERIOUS AND DANGEROUS PROBLEM. IT'S ONLY ON THE SECOND GEAR THAT IT GLITCHES UP. I KNOW THIS CAR HAS A LOT OF MILES BUT IT HAS A NEWER MOTOR AND WE HAVE KEPT UP ON THE FLUIDS FOR THE VEHICLE. IT SHOULD NOT BE ACTING THIS WAY AND I EXPECT A RECALL ON THIS PROMPTLY. EVERY TIME I DRIVE MY VAN IT IS NOT LIKE IT USE TO BE. IT'S SLOWER AND AS STATED BEFORE THE RPMS IT USES SHOULD MAKES ITS SPEED FASTER BUT THE SPEED SLOWLY INCREASES WHILE THE RPMS INCREASE DRASTICALLY AND QUICKLY. I WANT THIS FIXED AND I WANT THIS FIXED NOW!! I WILL NOT ALLOW MY CHILDREN IN THIS VEHICLE BECAUSE OF THE WAY IT'S ACTING AND IT IS COMPLETELY UNSAFE FOR ANYONE AT THIS POINT. I WILL BE CONTACTING CORPORATE IF NEEDED. I EXPECT A RESPONSE FROM HONDA PROMPTLY. *TR”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Mar 18, 2015Power train, Vehicle speed controlODI 10695081

Showing 6 of 30 reports. Read every report on NHTSA.gov.

Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Oct 30, 2026NHTSA vehicle page

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.