Used 2003 Honda Odyssey Consumer Reviews
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Love Car, Hate Transmission
We purchased this car second hand from a local Honda dealer, and until recently I considered it the best car I have ever owned. This was my first Honda and I was so impressed with it that when the time came to replace my commuter car I purchased a new Civic. This was until the tranny started to act strange. Soon after the dash warning lights come on. A trip to the local mechanic confirmed that the transmission is throwing three separate failure codes and will need to be rebuilt or replaced. Internet search has shown me that these failures are commonplace and that I got more life than most out my transmission. I expected more from Honda.
2003 Honda Odyssey
The van handles nicely with plenty of power. The exterior is nice. The interior design is the selling feature. It is spacious throughout the vehicle. The rear seat will fold down into the floor making a level surface in the back for cargo, or you can take the back seat and flip it backwards for a tailgate party! The captains chairs in the second row are comfortable and can slide together to make a bench seat. The safety features include dual front and side airbags and reinforced door panels for the second row.
- EX-L Passenger MinivanMSRP: $2,499166 mi away
- EX-L Passenger Minivan w/EntertainmentMSRP: $6,499262 mi away
- EX-L Passenger MinivanMSRP: $5,995596 mi away
car owner
Excellent what can I say?
OUTSTANDING MINI VAN
I HAVE RESEACHED THIS VEHICAL FOR TWO YEARS AND FOUND THERE WAS NO OTHER MINI VAN THAT WOULD EVER COME CLOSE TO IT.THIS VEHICLE PUTS ALL OTHER MINI VANS TO SHAME.THE HANDLING IS UNREAL FOR A FULL SIZE VAN,GAS MILEAGE IS VERY GOOD,AND FOR THE COMFORT,VERY GOOD.
Great Car!!!!
I love this car
Honda LX
Purchased vehicle with $19K, 2nd owner. Replaced transmission right away. Overall vehicle has been pretty good. Can't believe though it did not have CD player. Strangest thing happened all my locks gummed up on me. Had to replace the locks on the van and not cheap to do that over $500 dollars. Rear wiper motor went at $100K mi. Body has help up great. Can be a little uncomfortable in the drivers seat if you have the manual seats and not the power seats.
Solid Performing Van
We have owned the van for just three weeks, and love it. Very quiet ride, smooth, powerful, and the kids dig the entertainment system (keeps 'em occupied!).
oddessy
The problem is that it lacks amenities like outside temperature and miles to empty as well as a compass and gas mileage. I may consider a Chrysler just to get these.The placement of the spare is horrendous!
elaines review
ilove this car its the best ever resll big and spacey 2
What a GREAT VAN!!
This is the best van in the WORLD!! I can't even begin to tell you how much I enjoy driving it each and every day. I commute 45 miles each way to work and I must say I enjoy it -- because of my Honda Odyessy!
no that good
pull to the left transmission noise wind noise
The Straight Scoop
Know what you are buying! This model has many positive features such as roomy, comfy, functional interior, good gas mileage compared to SUV's, and sufficient power to keep most everyone satisfied. However, it also has high incident rates for transmission failure, rear brakes noises, interior noise and various electrical issues with clocks and lights. Every vehicle has its weaknesses and this one is no exception. Some may get lucky and avoid any major problems. We have not been so lucky and have spent more than $7,000 on maintenance and repairs in the 18 months we have owned it. Don't assume the Honda nameplate means anything. You may get a quality vehicle, or you may end up with a lemon.
Odyssey Excels
This vehicle is a joy to drive. It hugs the road when driving around corners, off exit ramps, etc., turns practically on a dime, handles very well. The power is apparent as it easily speeds up in the pass zone. Ride is very smooth. I love the ease in configuring the interior. The center captain's chairs are simply removed and the rear seat folds right into the floor. The twin side doors are powered to slide open with your remote key fob and are a real help, the entertainment system is phenomenal. This is a very nice vehicle, very functional, very fun to drive.
Brakes Failed
We've loved our Odyssey for the past year except the brakes failed at 15000 miles.Suddenly the pedal went to the floor while driving. Apparently a defect in the braking system and the master cylinder.
I love it!
I just bought an Odyssey and I already love it. The features and space are great. The DVD system is a must if you have kids who don't like long rides. I also like the ease of moving the Magic seat and the middle seats. Also the automatic doors are great when your hands are always full. I researched many Makes and models and you definitely get the most for your money with the Odyssey.
Honda Odyssey - The Best!
I owned a Plymouth Voyager and have driven a Ford Windstar. Neither compares to the quality and ride of the Odyssey. It's solid and tight. The ride is great! The features are top notch! I never thought I would buy a "foreign" car, but in comparison to the American models, it's Honda the clear winner! you won't be disappointed!
powerfull fun to dr van
rides very well, and handles good.
Lovin' my new Odyssey
I just purchased an Odyssey a little over a week ago. I was home visiting my parents in Wisconsin and traded in the Voyager for the Odyssey and drove it home to Florida (1100 miles) I loved everything about driving long distance with the Honda. The kids (4 and 2) were separated from each other in the second row buckets, that was great. The DVD player was a lifesaver and I love the lower lumbar adjustment on the driver seat for my lower back. And I got better gas mileage than with the 2.4 ltr. Plymouth.
Not a van person
I am not a van person, in the past if it had more than two doors it was just too big. Now, with 4 children the mini van is a must. I must say I was very surprised at the drive of the Odyssey. Much to my suprise the feel was very similar to that of my Acura CL. I am not sure how Honda got so much of the truck out and the car feel in but, thanks from a non van person.
Honda Odyssey
We bought our Odyssey new in June and in regular summer driving it has reasonable acceleration and handling. Great cargo capacity. We havent had any problems with the vehicle and can find no fault with the design except for the dashboard heater control placement and the poor seats.
GOTTA LOVE HONDA MINIVANS
I love my Honda minivan and my kids love it even more. It has a luxurious and smooth ride, power everything, even heated seats. It is the ultimate kid vehicle for comfort. They can sit in the back and recline their seats on long rides to sleep. They watch movies or listen to music on the headphones. I never hear a peep.
Jacobsen Review
We've loved every minute of having this automobile. I researched for over a year before choosing this minivan. I haven't regreted my choice for a second. This will be the only model of Minivan that this family ever has.
So much space! Noisy ride.
Spreading our family of 5 throughout this van was great, everyone had their own space! However we quickly noticed that this was a noisy ride - not the kids - from the paper thin doors and seals. I went on to complain about the maintenance involved w/the sliding doors & poor placement of the track. It sits just right for children to use as a step & continually fills with debris as they track the black lubricant all over your lovely new gray interior carpet. If you don't wipe down the track a few times a month not only is there a grit-crunch each time you close the door, but it leads to issues with the automatic safety features on the door. We really wished the side windows would open.
2003 Odyssey - Excellent
Reliable and a the most attractive minivan on the street. Easy to drive and extremely confortable. Exception excelleration for this class of vehicle. A good cruiser for long trips as well.
Looking for a transmission?
I would never recommend this vehicle to anyone. I've already gone through one transmission (less than 1000 miles!!). Seems like this is a standard problem with the Honda. It got all these great reviews and suckered me into buying. Stick with Toyota or Kia if you want a minivan.
Better than a Chrysler product by miles!
The 3.5 V6 is really peppy and xmission shifts smoothly, but drops into overdrive (5th gear) a little too soon. very comfortable - a real pleasure to travel in. A lot of city driving will kill the mileage, as will a lead foot! We get 22-23 with mixed city/hwy and have gotten as much as 27 on pure highway driving. The flat cornering and very short turning radius make driving and handling a pleasure.
Dream come true!
Only has 300 miles on it, but very happy Planned on buying a Sienna for several years, so delighted that I got the Honda Odyssey-- test drive did it-- Plenty of power, tight turn radius, smooth ride, excellent visibility, added leather and security system, price below msrp, sound system fine (not JBL) but good, huge storage and seating capabilities, look forward to traveling, ac more than sufficient
great van in the market
BEST van in the market. We are completely satisfied.
Good but not perfect
I like my Oddysey ,but after 30000 miles I have started to have problems with transmission. At dealership I have been told that maintenance should fix a problem, which really helped for another 9000 miles.I believe that transmission is the only problem (2001 model). Otherwise this minivan is perfect.
Great car, but not perfect
Great van. Awesome engine! However, slightly disappointed with fit and finish- loose plastic panel in the passenger door. Also, it rattles at highway speed- Come on Honda! I expect better QC for a 28K van!!
Overrated
Tinny, cheap interior materials, automatic doors with a personality of their own, brakes that needed major work @ 15000 mi, altogether... What is the big excitement about? Probably because the competition is so pityful.
asasas
Awesome. Best minivan on the market, great dealership as well
Odyssey Drives like Accord with SUV Powr
Searching for a strong SUV, I found myself returning to the Odyssey for its incredible interior comfort, ease to drive, size above the road, stability, Power and towing capcity, which out ranks many SUV's. Every seat is plush, comfortable and at 6'3", I can sit comfortably in the back with plenty of headroom, air and sound quality. Truly it drives like an Accord with the Power of an SUV and rides higher than most SUV's as well, but handles the corners and turning radius is amazing.
Our Odyssey is great!
We've only had it a month and a half, but compared to our 1994 Plymouth Voyager, this van is a dream. One setback is that it gets 17-19 miles per gallon on the highway. Two advantages that the Voyager has however, are rolling door locks and a light under the hood which is convenient if you have to check your oil level or some other thing at night.
105k Review
Bought new with DVD system (nav and DVD not possible together on this version). Powerful van and rides smooth today like it did when we bought it. Lots of space. Had 2 recalls which were fixed. Minor annoyances with engine check light coming on at times. Left sliding door is now malfunctioning and needs to be fixed. When braking hard, there is sometimes a clunking noise at the back that sounds like ABS. Fuel economy is avg at 20 mpg combined. Overall - satisfied.
Solid Minivan, but not yet perfect.
I have had this van for a few months now, after trading in a 1999 Dodge Grand Caravan for it. With the exception of a few minor complaints this van is extraordinary. It drives like a car, handles very well, and has plenty of power. The transmition shifts very smooth, nearly un-noticeable, and does an Excelent job finding the right gear for city or highway driving. Pleanty of room for my family of 5. Highly recommended.
Never Thought I would buy a mini-van
With the arrival of our first child and the aging of my wife's car, we started to look for a dependable, safe car - and picked the Odyssey because of its safety features. I never knew how comfortable a mini-van could be.
owner
I have had two new vans and I will continue to buy the honda until I find something else that I like.
The Best
Great vehicle and people mover. I have a 2000 Odyssey EX w/about 47,000 miles on it. It's used constantly especially for carpooling and running around. The 2003 Odysseys are even better w/more horsepower, better brakes and even more refinement.
Got problems with the power door
I bought the 2003 EX in late November. Within the first couple of weeks, we noticed the passenger side power door has been acting strange. Sometimes the door would close by itself, sometimes it would stop in the middle during closing, sometimes it would not close at all. The scariest moment was that the door started to close by itself when my wife was in the process of loading our infant son on his car seat. She literally had to jump out of the way and almost dropped our son. She got freaked out and refused to put the baby in the van. She feels safer by driving her trustly 94 Camry. I think the vehicle has been grossly overrated.
Love it!!!
So far, So good. We love it!!!
The first 1000 miles
Have not driven enough miles to make an in-depth review of this vehicle. But have notice a few glaring errors that Honda passed over. There are no automatice locks for the doors, this van has no driving lights, and has no fog lamps. All of the items just listed are safety issues and is an embarrassment for the likes of Honda. My 1999 Pontiac Grand Prix has these standard features and all for over $12,000.00 less. Honda needs to re- think their standard features, certainly on a $30,000.00 vehicle.
Don't Do It!!
Buy new,in shop by 1200 In 18 days as we drove rental waiting forHonda Tech from CA.Trans slips/bucks & "Thrumming" noise from drive train while at a steady 45-55 while tach is jumping from 0to3.Gear shift won't go in D3.When accel. from stop engine revs,then it catches& shoots out.VERY dangerous when entering road/trying to pass.Wndshld, rearview & drivers side mirror replaced due to huge distortions.New-NO BETTER Dealer says,We drove it, no problem.You must come drive w/us to prove it.WE DID Now they say,we admit theres a problem,but we dont know whats causing it,we cant fix it Heres your car back! Inside seating design is awkward & uncomfy.
I bought ANOTHER Odyssey
I originally bought a new 2000 Odyssey after being extremely frustrated with the bad reliability of domestic minivans. Not only is the Honda van bigger more reliable, and more powerful than the others, but it is extremely competitively priced for the features it has.I traded in my 2000 Odyssey for a 2003, and in 75000 miles, I never had to do anything but change the oil and put on a new set of tires. If all of the Hondas are this way, I will never buy anything else.
da best
this automobile is by far my favorite one I have ever driven. ITs just so comfterable I can't even discribe it. It drives like a dteam and I just love driving it.
Stereo Controls
I recently went to CA and used my sisters Element. I hadn't realized how much I used the controls for the stereo on the steering of my Odyssey until I was driving her car and it wasn't there! I also wanted to be able to fit alot of family/friends when they visit. The Odyssey does the trick!
Can't Go Wrong
We have had our 2003 Odyssey for four months. It lives up to Honda Reliability, Quality and Performance. Great family vehicle, lots of space for strolller, diaper changing and picnics in the back when it's cold or raining. It's worth the extra money to go Honda...it'll still be worth 50% after 4 years compared to the competition.
2003 Honda Odyssey
Have had for approx 6,000 miles with no major probs. Front passenger speaker went bad and black plactic piece that fits across lower part of outside front window was coming off. Previous owner of 94 Dodge Grand Caravan LX. Will never go back after this Honda.
Honda has lost it's superior service
The transmission just went out on our vehicle with a price tag of $5100.00. There are documented transmission problems in the odyssey and the price tag is very excessive. We have done all scheduled maintenance and taken great care of the van. We have also had several electrical problems which have proven to be an enigma to Honda. My 2 year old was locked in the car in the heat of the summer due to locking problems with the car. Of course it took several months to prove to the dealer that there was indeed a problem. We have been loyal Honda/Acura drivers but are absolutely done with American Honda. Do not be taken advantage of by the high price tag's assurance of superior service.
2003 Odyssey
This vehicle has been a joy to own, it is completely reliable, fun to drive, and extremely convienent when traveling with children. It was the best vehicle I have purchased.