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1997 Honda Odyssey Recalls & Complaints

3

open safety recalls on record

Serious

24 owner complaints filed · Severity Index 1.00 · updated 2026-08-07

The recalls

Serious09E012000

Exterior Lighting

DECREASED LIGHTING VISIBILITY MAY RESULT IN A VEHICLE CRASH.

Remedy & full details

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.

SABERSPORT IS RECALLING 16,270 COMBINATION CORNER AND BUMPER LAMP ASSEMBLIES OF VARIOUS PART NUMBERS SOLD FOR USE AS AFTERMARKET EQUIPMENT FOR VARIOUS PASSENGER VEHICLES. THESE HEADLAMPS FAIL TO CONFORM TO THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 108, "LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES, AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT." THESE LAMPS DO NOT CONTAIN THE REQUIRED AMBER SIDE REFLECTORS.

Serious02V120000

Electrical System:Ignition:Switch

WORN CONTACTS COULD CAUSE THE ENGINE TO STALL WITHOUT WARNING, raises the risk of A CRASH.

Remedy & full details

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.

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.

Moderate99V069000

Suspension:Front:Control Arm:Lower Ball Joint

THIS CONDITION WOULD RESULT IN VEHICLE DECELERATION AND A SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER.

Remedy & full details

DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE FRONT SUSPENSION LOWER BALL JOINTS.

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.

Complaint volume

24 this model-year 8 median, same year

Volume alone is not a fault rate — popular vehicles attract more reports. Read it next to the severity mix below.

What owners reported happened

3Crashes
2Fires
3Injuries
0Deaths

Across 24 complaints. Severity Index 1.00.

Severity Index weights each complaint's reported outcome (death ×10, injury ×4, fire ×3, crash ×2) and divides by total complaints. It measures how severe reports are, not how often faults occur.

What owners report most

Electrical System · Ignit…5 · 21%Vehicle Speed Control3 · 13%Electrical System2 · 8%Electrical System · Ignit…2 · 8%Service Brakes, Hydraulic…1 · 4%Electrical System · Horn1 · 4%Visibility · Windshield W…1 · 4%Visibility · Power Window…1 · 4%
  1. Electrical System:Ignition:Switch — 5 reports
  2. Vehicle Speed Control — 3 reports
  3. Electrical System — 2 reports
  4. Electrical System:Ignition — 2 reports
  5. Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip — 1 reports
  6. Electrical System:Horn — 1 reports
  7. Visibility:Windshield Wiper/Washer — 1 reports
  8. Visibility:Power Window Devices And Controls — 1 reports
  9. Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Foundation Components — 1 reports
  10. Fuel System, Gasoline:Storage:Tank Assembly — 1 reports

What to do

  1. Find your 17-character VIN on the driver's door jamb or the base of the windscreen.
  2. Check it against NHTSA's official lookup at nhtsa.gov/recalls — the authoritative record for your exact car.
  3. Book the repair with any franchised dealer. Safety recall work is free, with no time limit and regardless of who owns the car now.

Other model years

1995 (1) · 1996 (1) · 1997 · 1998 (4) · 1999 (9) · 2000 (6) · 2001 (1) · 2002 (10) · 2003 (15) · 2004 (13) · 2005 (9) · 2006 (4) · 2007 (5) · 2008 (5) · 2009 (4) · 2010 (2) · 2011 (5) · 2012 (5) · 2013 (6) · 2014 (5) · 2015 (6) · 2016 (6) · 2017 (2) · 2018 (16) · 2019 (20) · 2020 (14) · 2021 (8) · 2022 (9) · 2023 (5) · 2024 (3) · 2025 (2) · 2026 (2)

Numbers in brackets are open recall campaigns for that year.

Questions

Does an open recall mean the car is unsafe to drive?

Not usually. NHTSA issues a "do not drive" or "park outside" advisory when a defect is dangerous enough to keep you out of the car — those are flagged Critical above. Everything else should be repaired promptly but is not an immediate stop-driving order.

Do I pay for recall repairs?

No. Federal law requires the manufacturer to fix a safety recall free of charge, including parts and labour, whether or not you are the original owner.

Why are there complaints but no recalls?

Complaints are unverified reports filed by owners. They can prompt an investigation, but many never become recalls — either the fault isn't safety-related or it isn't widespread.

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