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Problems with 2003 Honda Odyssey ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

On average, the 2003 Honda Odyssey starts to “feel” problems with the ELECTRICAL SYSTEM and its various aspects after 122 830 miles.

Components Affected by ELECTRICAL SYSTEM Issues

We have classified the 69 complaints from 2003 Honda Odyssey about ELECTRICAL SYSTEM into the following categories.

IGNITION 5 12V/24V/48V BATTERY 2

Recently reported ELECTRICAL SYSTEM problems on 2003 Honda Odyssey

I took my car last year for the recalls that had for the air bags and the interlock lever of he ignition switch.after one day of work they said they fix all of them. but after some month i notice that the key it was no working properly on the switch and i see also they didn't replace the old switch,and because i don't have sufficient knowledge of this issue i believe just what they said.but my car is having problem with the key ignition, the switch it's not reading the key most of the times and it's not starting and sometimes it start by itself without the key just pressing the horn.the recall for the interlock lever of the ignition switch is nhtsa 12v-573 manufacturer recall number s73.( dec 2012)

This car does not start without several trial. the starter is brand new and battery as well. boils down to a ignition problem which seems to be electrical

The interior roof of the vehicle caught fire and burned after the car was turned off. the smoke started while driving and the smoke was coming from the drivers side seat belt area where it connects to the frame top.

The vehicle was stationary when the ignition switch doesn't want to turn. it takes between 5 to 10 minutes for it to finally turn so i have to leave a key in the van and not take it out of the ignition switch in order for it to work. once i take it out i spend another 5 to 10 minutes turning until it finally turns over.

Engine, suspension or unknown ?: three of the 4 motor mounts are broken and not supporting the engine. the one remaining motor mount is under extreme stress and can fail anytime. i have had two dealer service managers confirm this problem and both have said that they are not covered under any warranty or recall. both have warned me that it is not safe to drive because if the last mount fails it could cause an accident. the condition of the roads and freeways make it very hard to avoid pot holes and i hold my breath every time i hit one to see if the motor is ok. electrical: 1. after i had the air bags that were recalled replaced there is an electrical ?? problem that turns the radio on and off (i can usually change it by beating on the steering wheel but that doesn't always work.) 2. occasionally when i remove the key it continues to beep until i beat on the steering wheel. 3. often when i hit a bump in the road there is a loud electrical (cracking like a short) sound in the speakers that sometimes i can stop by beating on the steering wheel. if it doesn't stop i pull over and turn the car off and restart it. 4, the door and slider locks do not work on the passenger side with the remote or the locks on the driver's door. i have to roll the window down so a passenger can unlock the door or slider manually. these problems have been going on for the last 2+ years. i am a very low income 75 year old senior who can't afford $1000+ to replace the failed motor mounts. i've put out $750 in the last year trying to solve the electrical issues and transmission flush.

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 honda odyssey. the contact stated that he was unable to open the front driver's door with the key. as a result, the contact had to enter the vehicle through the front passenger door. the vehicle was taken to coggin honda jacksonville (located at 11003 atlantic blvd, jacksonville, fl 32225, (904) 302-8217) where it was diagnosed that the front driver side electronic system needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the failure mileage was 114,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 honda odyssey. the contact stated that the steering wheel locked up and the key became stuck in the ignition. the contact stated that the local dealer did not want to repair the ignition and stated that the repair would not be done for free. the manufacturer stated that the vin was not included in nhtsa campaign number: 12v273000 (electrical system, ignition switch). the failure mileage was unknown.

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 honda odyssey. while the vehicle was parked with the key removed from the ignition and the emergency brake engaged, the vehicle rolled away in reverse and crashed into a tree. the air bags failed to deploy. a police report was not filed. the vehicle was not towed, diagnosed, or repaired. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the vehicle was previously repaired per nhtsa campaign number: 12v573000 (electrical system). the failure mileage was 253,000.

Honda refusing to address the following recalls on my vehicle jan 16, 2003 - nhtsa# 03v014000 - fuel system april 15, 2004 - nhtsa#04v176000 - power train december 11, 2012 - nhtsa# 12v573000 - electrical system vehicle was towed to braman honda of manhattan located at 627 11th ave new york ny on june 6, 2016. they have had my vehicle for 93 days. on september 8, 2016 they call me to tell me to pick up my vehicle and they are not completing any repairs because there are no current outstanding recalls for my vehicle. the above mentioned recalls for my vehicle were never addressed by any honda service location.

2003 honda odyssey. consumer writes in regards to issue with srs electronic control unit. *ld the consumer stated neither the dealer nor the manufacturer would accept responsibility for the failure. updated 09/28/2017*js

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 honda odyssey. the contact stated that immediately after the vehicle was repaired under nhtsa campaign number: 12v573000 (electrical system), the vehicle failed to start as the key remained in the off position. the failure recurred on numerous occasions. the vehicle was taken back to the dealer, who diagnosed that the ignition casing needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the failure mileage was 256,000.

Every time i go to close the doors by pulling the handle whether inside or outside, they don't close. i was parked in a flat paved driveway with unleashed dogs in the yard. i didn't realize they were unleashed by they started running toward the car and the doors would not close!!! my 3 year old daughter was in the back seat. this is a huge problem as her safety and my 8 year old sons safety is being compromised. this is a problem for many odyssey owners and it should be recalled and fixed by the manufacturer. at this point when the doors finally close they are not closing smoothly on the rail. the paint and side bar have literally come off and are now being held up by duct tape. i'm so disgusted!! i don't have the money to pay for a repair especially when this is a manufacturing defect. the only way i have successfully closed the doors is by hitting the inside button but even that needs to be pressed nearly 5-6 times before it closes fully. i have tried to manually close the doors but they are so heavy i just dont have the strength.

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 honda odyssey. the contact stated that the ignition switch failed. the two original keys and one additional key failed to turn and would become stuck. the vehicle was taken to the dealer and it was determined that the shift inter lock lever needed to be replaced. the contact asked about nhtsa campaign number: 12v573000 (electrical system); however, the vehicle was not included in the recall. the vehicle had not been repaired. the failure mileage was 51,256.

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 honda odyssey. the contact stated that the srs warning lamp remained illuminated. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer where it was diagnosed that the driver side air bag needed to be replaced. the air bag was replaced, but the failure recurred. the vehicle was taken back to the dealer and they indicated that the side air bags needed to be replaced. the vehicle was included in nhtsa campaign numbers: 15v045000 (air bags), 14v700000 (air bags), 13v412000 (air bags), and 12v573000 (electrical system), but the contact never received any recall notices. the dealer did not indicate that the vin was included in the recalls. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the failure mileage was not available.

I parked my car and took the key out of the ignition. only problem was that the car was still in drive. i know this was an known issue (recall) with the car. i had it fixed at a dealer to address the recall on this specific issue. obviously it didn't fix the problem. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 honda odyssey. the contact stated that the ignition key failed to turn in order to start the vehicle. the failure recurred numerous times. the vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the cylinder switch needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was 200,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 honda odyssey. the contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 15v045000 (electrical system); however, the part needed to do the repair was not available. the manufacturer stated that the electronic control unit would not be available until later in the summer. the contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the repair. the contact had not experienced a failure.

I recently had airbag recall work on my car. all of a sudden, 2 days ago my doors unlocked while i was driving. i relocked them and a few minutes later they unlocked again. this keeps happening. i am thinking that this is related to the recall work that was done about a month ago. this is a very dangerous situation. i don't know if any other owners have reported these occurrences. i spoke to honda and they told me i have to take my car to the honda dealer that did the recall work to check out the problem, but i would have to pay the dealer to check it out. i don't think this is fair. please note that i did not have an accident. your system forced me to put in an accident date to be able to send you the complaint. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 honda odyssey. the contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 15v320000 (air bags), however, the part to do the repair was unavailable. the contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. the manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. the contact had not experienced a failure.

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 honda odyssey. the contact stated that the key would be stuck in the ignition and was unable to be removed. the contact stated that the vehicle was previously repaired under nhtsa campaign number: 12v573000. (electrical system). the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 122,000. the vin was not available.

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 honda odyssey. the contact stated that the interior dome lights and radio failed. the contact changed the fuse approximately 10 times but the fuse continued to exhibit the same issue. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure but declined to provide additional information to the contact. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 134,703. updated 06/10/14 ma

2003 honda odyssey. the vehicle will shut off while driving. *mw the vehicle shut off on four separate occasions. the consumer believed when the vehicle was taken to the dealer for the interlock recall, the problem would be resolved. however, they were unable to diagnose the problem. also, the battery was replaced. *jb

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 honda odyssey. the contact stated that the key would not turn in the ignition switch after several attempts. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer had not been notified of the problem. the approximate failure mileage was 158,722.

Service safety recall regarding srs malfunction was performed on my van by paul miller honda in caldwell, nj on 12/21/2013. after the work was done, the srs malfunction light comes on after 30 minutes of driving. notified dealer and american honda. american honda opened a case for this, n012014-01-0200225. was advised for a complete diagnostic report from the dealer. went back to dealer for test on 1/4/14 and a dtc code 53-31, internal failure of srs unit, was called out on test. wants srs unit replaced at my own expense. advised by dealer that this not related to recall. the recall was adding wires on the harness wires set to the srs unit. i was advised by american honda to seek diagnostic test to other dealer. went to garden state honda in passaic, nj on 1/22/14 for a more thorough test. the dealer insist on replacing 2 year battery as this might causes dtc 53-31. cca on battery was 450, recommended is 550. told advisor that cca is for cold cranking/starting of van and irrelevant to the problem as long as output is a sustained 12 vdc and i do not have problem when starting the van. forced to comply at my own expense. problem still exists with new battery. on 2/6/14 and after 3 trips, dealer recommends replacement of srs unit on my own expense and not related to recall like the first dealer. the dealer is uncertain if this will resolve the issues. this will be elimination process at my own expense. van has never had any srs fault for 10 years. only after the recall was done when srs fault light comes on. now, safety of the driver and passengers are compromised. air bag may deploy or may not deploy if and when needed. american honda will not cover the expenses based on the recommendation of dealer. honda should shoulder all expenses related to the resolution of the srs fault and the safety of the vehicle. driver and passenger... updated 02/27/14

The key was stuck in the ignition and would not turn or come out. *tr

2003 honda odyssey. consumer writes in regards to ignition switch recall notice and seeks reimbursement for repairs. *smd the consumer took the vehicle to the dealer, after receiving a recall notice, which required the installation of an updated shift interlock lever. later in the day, the consumer received a call from the dealer stating the vehicle needed a new ignition switch. the dealer stated they would install the new switch at a cost of $ 520. the consumer was satisfied with the work. however, he objected to being charged for the work, because according to the recall notice, it explicitly stated the work would be performed at no cost to the consumer. the recall notice stated an updated shift interlock lever and, if necessary, any necessary part of the ignition switch would be replaced. the service manager acknowledged that the ignition switch was a necessary part, he insisted, the consumer was obliged to pay for the installation. the consumer wrote honda's national service department, explaining the situation and they wrote back rejecting his request for reimbursement. to justify their refusal of reimbursement, they imposed a narrow interpretation of the phrase any necessary part of the ignition switch. they claimed that it referred only to the shift interlock level itself, and they wanted to exclude what the recall notice actually said about any necessary part of the ignition switch.

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 honda odyssey. the contact stated that the vehicle was repaired under nhtsa campaign id number 12v573000 (electrical system). after the remedy repair was performed, the key failed to turn in the ignition switch. the vehicle was towed to an authorized dealer, who informed that a part within the ignition switch would need to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the contact had not experienced any malfunction with the ignition switch prior to the recall repair. the manufacturer was notified of the problem. the approximate failure mileage was 160,000.

We were returning from a family vacation traveling on the interstate highway system at 70 mph when, without any warning, all the dials on the dashboard (speedometer, tachometer, etc) suddenly went to zero then immediately returned to normal. i also noticed a burning smell. about two minutes later, while still traveling on the highway at 70 mph, the vehicle lost all acceleration. so we pulled to the side of the road. about a minute after we pulled over, the vehicle ceased all operations. my initial efforts to restart the vehicle were unsuccessful, but after 5 minutes, i was able to restart the vehicle. again, the vehicle ceased operations after a few minutes. after investigating the vehicle, we decided to call a tow truck. while sitting on the side of the highway waiting for the tow truck, we turned on the vehicle again to operate the air conditioning. after about 10 minutes, we noticed the burning smell and puffs of smoke coming from the steering column. we turned off the vehicle and waited for the tow truck. the honda dealership to which the vehicle was towed replaced the ignition switch and fixed the problem. they informed me the ignition switch "burned up" inside. i still have the part, if you care to inspect it. we were able to complete the remainder of our 700 mile journey home. please note the dealership informed me the problem i experienced was completely different from the recent safety recall on this vehicle (recall 13-011) for the ignition shift interlock problem. while i normally do not file complaints of this nature, i am filing this complaint to bring this issue to your attention. based on my research on the internet, i am not the only one experiencing this problem. thankfully, no one was injured in my incident. however, it is very possible that serious injury can occur when a vehicle traveling at 70 mph loses power without any warning. *tr

Tl-the contact owns a 2003 honda odyssey. the contact stated that he received notification of nhtsa campaign id number: 12v573000 (electrical system). the vehicle was repaired under the recall and approximately one week later, the failure recurred. the contact stated that he was able to remove his key from the ignition without the gear shift being secured in park. the vehicle was not inspected for the failure after the recall repairs. the manufacturer was not contacted. the failure mileage was approximately 144,300. the current mileage was approximately 144,539. the vin was unavailable. kmj *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 honda odyssey. the contact stated that the rear sliding doors failed to open when using the fob. the contact mentioned that if the doors open, they do so without any warning. the vehicle was taken to a dealer and it was determined that the electric ball used to open the doors had failed. the manufacturer stated that the doors were not under recall and the vehicle had not been repaired. the vin was not available. the failure mileage was 100,000.

Trying for over an hour to get the key to turn over so i cant start the van it keeps happening everytime i try to start the van switch keys with my husband and the same issue keeps happening. its a serious issue that i truly believe is a defect with honda. *tr

The mechanism that locks the key in the ignition until the vehicles is shifted into park fails and needs to be addressed by honda.the key can be removed without shifting into park. this could cause the vehicles to roll off unexpectedly and hurt an innocent bystander or roll off into an intersection. this issue needs to be addressed immediately and honda needs to address this key- ignition issue. although i haven't suffered any accident i always try to remember to keep my car in park before removing the key. i have heard from several people this is a common issue with this model year for both the odyssey and the pilot. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 honda odyssey. the contact stated that key could not be turned in the ignition until after several attempts. the vehicle was taken to the dealer for inspection and they stated that the lever kit needed to be replaced. the vehicle was repaired. the manufacturer was notified but provided no assistance. the failure mileage was 123,000.

Indeed i can remove the ignition key from my 2003 honda odyssey van in any gear. if on a slope, the vehicle will roll away. *tr

After turned off ignition and stepped out of car while in store car rolled away across parking lot damaging another vehicle. this is in response to the article read on your site about the 2003 honda odyssey rolling away after car has been turned off and keys are removed from ignition. *tr

Vehicle was parked in a parking lot, light downhill. vehicle was left and found 5 minutes later 12 meter further down, after a small crash with another parked vehicle. bumper got scratches. the key can be removed from the ignition when the vehicle is in the n position. *tr

I can take my key out of the ignition while in drive. because of the setup of the shifter, and the short space between gears, it's not apparent that the car's not in park, and fairly common for me to remove the key while in drive. i've not had this problem with other cars. several times i've taken the key out and the car started rolling a little before i stepped on the brake and put the key back in and shifted to park. about 4 or 5 weeks ago i parked at a strip mall in front of a store, and when i came back out my car was backed up against the car on the other side of the aisle, having rolled back about 15 feet. fortunately there was no damage. another time my wife went shopping and came out and the car had been in drive the whole time (about an hour) but fortunately the parking lot was flat. *tr

While i was driving my engine light came on and soon after my tcs light came on. i was on the highway and when i slowed down to get off on an exit and tried to go up in gear my van stalled and would not go past 25 to 30 mph. i took it to an auto place to check the engine light and these codes came up p0740 torque converter clutch circuit malfunction and p0730 incorrect gear ratio. *tr

Vehicle was parked. driver used front dash auto open button to open side door on driver's side. 6 year old child in the back seat had gotten out of her car seat and as the door was opening her leg slipped into the open space between the door and the retractor bar. the door did not register that there was an object and continued to press on her leg until driver was able to exit vehicle and pull sliding door handle to reverse direction to free up the child's leg. leg was painful but no serious injury on this occasion. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 honda odyssey. the contact stated that once the vehicle was started, the shift lever failed to go into park or drive. the contact mentioned that she received a notice for nhtsa campaign number: 12v573000 (electrical system). the vehicle was taken to the dealer. the technician refused to do the repairs free of cost since they were requesting her to bring in the ignition pin. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and current mileage was unknown. *tr the consumer stated the technician refused to perform the recall, unless she brought in the ignition pin. the technician noticed the ignition switch had been tampered with /taken apart, as the pieces were missing. the interlock switch pin was missing from the vehicle. more than likely the consumer had the ignition worked on at an independent repair facility. a few reasons for this could be the result of the door chime not working or the chime is always on. the dealer is currently investigating if the repair can still be performed with the pin missing.

I parked my van on my sloped driveway, setting the emergency brake. as i was getting out, the van started rolling backward. as i was trying to stop it, i tripped and my left leg was run over by the front left tire. i had an open fracture of my fibula and crush injuries on my shin area (and multiple bruises and pulled muscles elsewhere). i realized later that the van was still in "drive". i had been able to get my keys out without putting it in "park". [i have tested it since then and i still can remove my keys while the van is in "drive" or "neutral"] on testing the emergency brake, i found that it would not hold unless it was pushed all the way to the maximum position. even though it sounded and "felt" engaged, it did not hold. *tr

Less than a week after we bought our van, the back passenger door wouldn't close properly. it was fixed prior to us buying the van. since then we have had to get out and physically push on the door to close it. also, had an incident where the door closed on a child's hand when it should have sensed it was there. child was fine. new problem is we can't get drivers side sliding door to close properly. it will close and then pop open a little bit. hubby has taken to "kicking" it in with his foot. we drive with the doors locked praying that they won't open like i have read about happening to so many folks. we bought the van because we have 3 kids but this is scary stuff. as we drive down the road there is a constant beeping sound like the door is open but it isn't lit up on the dash. i don't understand why no recall has been done to this year of honda. sounds like the same problems the earlier year honda's have had. we are making payments on this van and can't afford to purchase anything else. something really should be done before someone dies. *tr

There is a problem with ignition with the key. key does not turn and stuck some times. you have to wiggle it to start. when try to stop the key don't turn all the way down and stuck in it. unable to pull the key from chamber. very frustrated. called honda for this issue. honda said there is no recall related to this issue. unable to take key out few times and constant problem. i read few complain on the internet about this issue. *tr

Transmission failed while traveling 40mph at 130000 miles. it was replaced. there was a class action lawsuit regarding 2003 transmissions, but the window had closed, so i had to pay for it fully. november 20, 2011, while driving 45mph, dash lights flash, radio loses power. when i turn the ignition off, the car is dead. restarts almost immediately, after lots of clicking in the dash. at varying speeds the dash lights will flash, and the clock and radio go dead briefly. sometimes the door lock and the sliding door buttons don't work, but if i wait 2 minutes, i hear the clicking in the dash, and suddenly there is power. left it at the dealership to be checked out over 4 days, and they say nothing is wrong. to be traveling at 40+ and have the car go dead is a hazard to me and my family, as well as everyone else driving while i am driving. it is currently at another shop to be evaluated. *tr

This car has a problem with the transmission and there was a test done which gave the diagnostic code po743. the honda odyssey has known issues with the transmission and is not willing to help assist with the repair. i am the original owner and want to know if there is any recourse with honda. thank you for your help in this matter. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 honda odyssey. the contact stated that the vehicle could be shut off and the key could be removed from the ignition without the vehicle being in park. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer, but was not repaired. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure and offered no assistance. the failure mileage was 136,000.

The vehicle (2003 honda odyssey) has progressively been experiencing what i'll deem "electrical" issues that seem to be severely impacting the automatic sliding doors on the vehicle causing them to open while driving, not open when using the handle or button. specifically, the automatic sliding doors will not open, will not close or partially close without fully latching. this happens regardless of using the manual door handle or the button located on the dashboard. more importantly, the automatic doors have opened while driving the vehicle with children in the back of the vehicle creating an extremely dangerous and potentially deadly situation. this has occurred approximately 6-10 times over the past year and seems to be getting more frequent. it's happened while driving on the highway, on side streets and during normal operation of the vehicle. in addition, there seems to be an issue with the electrical system that is constantly drawing a small charge from the battery keeping it in a weakened state. *kb

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 honda odyssey. the contact stated that a warning light flashing the letter d illuminated on the instrument panel. the dealer and manufacturer were notified, but offered no assistance. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and current mileages were 81,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 honda odyssey. the contact stated that while parked, the vehicle rolled away and crashed into another vehicle. no police report was filed. there were no injuries. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer who replaced the ignition switch under nhtsa campaign id number: 12v573000 (electrical system). the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 89,850.

Was parking in a parking lot. turned off the ignition. got out of the vehicle. walked around to other side of vehicle to get child out. car started rolling back. ran around to driver side, pressed brake. car allowed me to remove key while still in drive. *tr

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