Problems owners report
Complaints filed with NHTSA about the 1998 Honda Odyssey, by the system named in each complaint. One complaint can name several.
- Electrical system34
- Power train14
- Service brakes, hydraulic6
- Air bags6
- Structure4
- Engine3
- Visibility3
- Engine and engine cooling3
- Vehicle speed control2
- Tires2
NHTSA ODI complaints (public domain) · updated 23 Oct 2026 · 4 injuries and 0 deaths reported
Compared with other years
NHTSA ODI complaints by model year
Fatal crashes in the US
From 2020 to 2023, 3 1998 Odyssey vehicles were involved in crashes on US public roads in which someone died; 1 person died inside them, and 1 of the vehicles rolled over. This is a count, not a crash rate: it grows with the number of cars on the road.
NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), crash years 2020–2023 (public domain)
New York safety inspections
At its first New York inspection the 1998 Honda Odyssey failed the safety check 1.47% of the time — 14% less often than the average 1998 passenger car (1.71%). Median odometer at inspection: 178,796 miles.
NY DMV Vehicle Inspections (vezn-fmmk), initial inspections since Aug 2021 · how we count
In the United Kingdom
2 cars built in 1998 were licensed for the road at the end of 2025, and 1 more were declared off the road (SORN).
Department for Transport and DVLA, vehicle licensing statistics (table VEH0124, year of manufacture) · Open Government Licence v3.0
In New Zealand
311 1998 cars are on the New Zealand register; 93% arrived as used imports, 5% were sold new in New Zealand.
NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi, Motor Vehicle Register (March 2026) · CC BY 4.0
Fuel consumption
Official Canadian test results for 1 variant: combined 11.2 L/100 km (about 21 mpg US), CO₂ 258 g/km.
| Variant | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| Odyssey · Minivan · Regular gasoline | 12.3 | 9.8 | 11.2 |
Litres per 100 km. Natural Resources Canada, Fuel consumption ratings (open.canada.ca) · Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls in Canada
3 Transport Canada recalls for the 1998 Honda Odyssey.
| 2020014 17 Jan 2020 | Airbag Issue: On certain vehicles, exposure to moisture over time could cause the driver-front airbag not to inflate properly in a crash. In some cases, this could c… |
| 2002096 24 May 2002 | Electrical On certain vehicles electrical contacts in the ignition switch can degrade due to the high electrical current passing through the switch when the vehicle is sta… |
| 1999101 26 May 1999 | Suspension On certain vehicles, the front suspension lower ball joints may prematurely wear out due to improper finishing of the surface of the spherical portion of the ba… |
Transport Canada Vehicle Recalls Database · Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 1998 Acura 2.2CL, 1998-1999 Acura 2.3CL, 1998-1999 Acura 3.0CL, 2001 Acura 3.2CL and Acura MDX, 1998-2000 Honda Accord Coupe, Accord Sedan, Civic Sedan, Odyssey and Acura 3.5RL, 1999-2000 Acura 3.2TL, 1996-2000 Civic Coupe, 1997-2000 CR-V, 1997-1998 EV Plus, and 1998-1999 Isuzu Oasis vehicles. These vehicles were equipped with Non-Azide Driver air bag Inflators (NADI) and do not contain phase stabilized ammonium nitrate (PSAN) propellant. Due to a manufacturing issue, the NADI inflators may absorb moisture, causing the inflators to rupture or the air bag cushion to underinflate.
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.
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.
Whether a recall was fixed on a particular car is known only to the manufacturer: check the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
NHTSA recalls · summaries in NHTSA's own words
Service bulletins
What Honda told its dealers about the 1998 Honda Odyssey: known faults, fixes and updates.
| Bulletin | Summary |
|---|---|
| 636987 | THIS ARTICLE APPLIES TO TORQUE SPECIFICATIONS MISSING FOR TIMING BELT TENSIONER BOLT. *TT |
| 636755 | SUBJECT REGARDING AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION SHIFT PROBLEMS - SLIPPAGE, FLARE, HARD UPSHIFT. *TT |
| 636753 | INFORMATION ON TESTING FOR INTERAL LEAKS WITH DIAGNOSTIC TROUBLE CODE P1456 OR P1457. *TT |
| 631000 | CONCERNS WITH FRONT SUSPENSION SQUEAKING IN COLD WEATHER. *TT |
| 629541 | CUSTOMERS MAY COMPLAIN OF A TWANG NOISE FROM THE FRONT SUSPENSION THAT SOUNDS LIKE A SPRING CONTACT. *SLC |
| 629289 | EXPERIENCING A SQUEAL NOISE AT FRONT SUSPENSION AT LOW TEMPERATURES. *TT |
| 626824 | INFORMATION REGARDING A/C CYCLES RAPIDLY AT IDLE. *YH |
| 626764 | SUBJECT REGARDING SPEED SENSOR PLUG MISSING. *SLC |
| 626752 | INFORMATION REGARDING A WARRANTY EXTENSTION THAT COVERS EGR SYSTEM CLOGGING. *TT |
| 626611 | INFORMATION REGARDING AIR CONDITIONER COMPRESSOR CYCLES RAPIDLY AT IDLE. *YH |
| 624054 | INFORMATION REGARDING: TRANSMISSION/DRIVELINE. *ET |
| 623657 | SOME VEHICLES A/C COMPRESSOR CYCLES RAPIDLY IDLE. *ET |
| 619937 | INFORMATION ON DIAGNOSING CLUTCH PRESSURE SWITCHES WHEN EXPERIENCING HARSH OR LATE UPSHIFTS AND DOWNSHIFTS. *TT |
| 618987 | INFORMATION ON PREVENTING DIAGNOSTIC TROUBLE CODE 1-3 AFTER ANTI-LOCK BRAKE SYSTEM (ABS) MODULATOR WORK. *TT |
| 618985 | SUBJECT REGARDING A LEAKING TORQUE CONVERTER. *TT |
| 618962 | INFORMATION ON PROGRAMMING IMMOBILIZER KEYS. *TT |
| 618954 | BRIEF INFORMATION REGARDING THE OIL PUMP O-RING. *TT |
| 610230 | CONCERNS WITH VEHICLES EXHIBITING A MALFUNCTION INDICATOR LAMP ON WITH AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION DIAGNOSTIC TROUBLE CODES P0740, FAULTY LOCK-UP CONTROL SYSTEM, AND P0700, TRANSMISSION CONTROL SYSTEM MALFUNCTION, STORED IN THE POWERTRAIN CONTROL MODULE (PCM). *TT |
| 608042 | CORRECTIVE PROCEDURE FOR RETRIEVAL OF AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION FREEZE DATA WITH PGM TESTER. *AK |
| 608011 | INFORMATION ON SECURITY SYSTEM TRIPPED SENSOR FEATURE. *TT |
| 604288 | CONCERNS WITH THE MIL (MALFUNCTION INDICATOR LAMP) COMING ON WITH DTCS P0740 (A/T) AND P0700 (PGM-FI) STORED. *TT |
| 602683 | FRONT BRAKES MAKE A LOW, GROWLING NOISE AND THE VEHICLE VIBRATES WHEN STOPPING AT LOW SPEED. *YC |
| 602678 | CONDITIONS WITH MIL COMES ON WITH DTCS P0740 (A/T) AND P0700 (PGM-FI) STORED. *YC |
| 602145 | INFORMATION ON ABS DIAGNOSIS WITH PGM TESTER. *YC |
| 600715 | SYMPTOMS WITH THE ALLOY WHEEL CENTER CAP MISSING. *YC |
NHTSA manufacturer communications (public domain)