1998 Honda Odyssey: what breaks, and at what mileage
What breaks on the 1998 Honda Odyssey
On the 1998 Honda Odyssey, the failure owners report most often is ignition switch, key fob or immobilizer failure, and the reports cluster around 180,000 miles. Across every failure mode on this year, half the dated reports were filed before 155,000 miles. Overall it scores 61 out of 100, high risk for a 1998.
High risk for a 1998 — 207th riskiest of the 271 1998 vehicles we can rate. 89 owner reports; fleet size estimated from this year's own recall paperwork.
What breaks on the 1998 Honda Odyssey
Owners have reported 22 named failure modes on the 1998 Honda Odyssey, and the three most-reported carry 43% of everything filed.
Ignition switch, key fob or immobilizer failure leads with 21 reports, about 0.4 per 1,000 vehicles and with the middle half of reports between 170k to 190,000 miles.
Other electrical problem follows with 10 reports, median 135,000 miles. 2 of those reports mention a fire.
Torque converter failure follows with 7 reports, median 150,000 miles.
By system, the reports fall mostly into electrical (34), transmission (17) and brakes (10).
The mileage the reports cluster at
34 of the reports on the 1998 Honda Odyssey came with an odometer reading, and half of those were filed before 155,000 miles.
Cumulatively, 3% by 50,000 miles, 26% by 100,000 miles and 50% by 150,000 miles of the dated reports had been filed, with 4 filed above the top of the chart.
The busiest stretch is between 160,000 and 170,000 miles, which alone holds 24% of the dated reports.
3% of the dated reports were filed below 36,000 miles, so this is mostly a story about older, higher-mileage cars.
Tick median reported mileage Solid middle half of reports Faint 10th to 90th percentile Colour how bad the failure is when it happens
Showing the 12 most-reported failure modes of 22. The full list is in the table below.
How reports accumulate
Every report with an odometer reading, cumulative, from 0 to 200,000 miles. A further 4 reports came in above that, which is why the line stops short of the top. A curve that climbs early is a car with early problems, whatever its total.
- Line share of reports filed by that mileage
- Dashed the median reported mileage
How bad it is when it goes
Across the named modes, 3 mention a crash, 4 a fire and 4 an injury. Those are the words owners used in their own complaints, and NHTSA does not verify them, but they are the closest thing in this data to a measure of what a failure actually did.
The average severity weight across every report on this year is 4.64, where a stalled engine or a failed airbag weighs many times more than a rattling trim panel, and a figure this high means the reports are dominated by failures with safety consequences rather than annoyances. The weighting is set out in full on the methodology page.
What the top failures cost to put right, as editorial estimates for an independent US shop rather than figures from NHTSA: ignition switch, key fob or immobilizer failure at $250–$1,500, other electrical problem at $250–$2,000, torque converter failure at $1,100–$3,200 and other powertrain problem at $400–$4,500. Dealer labour, a seized bolt or a part that is no longer made can push any of these past the top of its range.
25% of the reports on this year sit in the engine, transmission, drivetrain or cooling systems — the four where a repair bill is usually four figures.
Every reported failure mode
| Failure mode | System | Reports | With reading | 25th | Median | 75th | Per 1,000 | Typical repair | Severity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ignition switch, key fob or immobilizer failure | electrical | 21 | 9 | 170k | 180k | 190k | 0.4 | $250–$1,500 | High |
| Other electrical problem | electrical | 10 | 5 | — | 137k | — | 0.2 | $250–$2,000 | Moderate |
| Torque converter failure | transmission | 7 | 1 | — | 149k | — | 0.1 | $1,100–$3,200 | High |
| Other powertrain problem | transmission | 5 | 2 | — | 95k | — | 0.1 | $400–$4,500 | High |
| Other brake problem | brakes | 5 | 1 | — | 169k | — | 0.1 | $300–$1,800 | High |
| Other body or interior problem | body | 5 | 2 | — | 148k | — | 0.1 | $200–$2,000 | Moderate |
| Complete transmission failure | transmission | 4 | 2 | — | 249k | — | 0.1 | $2,800–$8,000 | Critical |
| Other engine problem | engine | 4 | 3 | — | 164k | — | 0.1 | $300–$4,000 | High |
| Control module (ECM/PCM/BCM) failure | electrical | 3 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.1 | $700–$3,000 | High |
| Other visibility problem | glass | 3 | 1 | — | 59k | — | 0.1 | $150–$1,400 | Moderate |
| Parking brake failure | brakes | 2 | 2 | — | 94k | — | 0.0 | $250–$1,300 | Moderate |
| Control arm, ball joint or bushing failure | suspension | 2 | 2 | — | 169k | — | 0.0 | $400–$2,200 | High |
| Other wheel or tire problem | wheels | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.0 | $200–$1,500 | High |
| Other speed control problem | adas | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.0 | $250–$2,000 | Critical |
| Stalling while driving | engine | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.0 | $300–$2,500 | Critical |
| Shifter, linkage or stuck-in-park failure | transmission | 1 | 1 | — | 16k | — | 0.0 | $250–$1,400 | High |
| ABS module or sensor failure | brakes | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.0 | $500–$2,400 | High |
| Premature brake pad or rotor wear | brakes | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.0 | $300–$1,400 | Moderate |
| Brake line, hose or caliper failure | brakes | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.0 | $250–$1,600 | Critical |
| Airbag inflator rupture | airbag | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.0 | $0–$0 | Critical |
| Catalytic converter failure | emissions | 1 | 1 | — | 50k | — | 0.0 | $900–$3,500 | Moderate |
| Other lighting problem | lighting | 1 | 1 | — | 89k | — | 0.0 | $120–$1,200 | Moderate |
| Unclassified problem | other | 6 | 1 | — | 109k | — | 0.1 | — | Moderate |
Rate per 1,000 uses a fleet-size estimate derived from recall paperwork for this exact model year. It is a lower bound. Repair costs are typical independent-shop ranges for the failure, not figures from these reports.
How often, against how many were built
Scaled by an estimate of how many of these cars exist, the 1998 Honda Odyssey draws about 1.7 per 1,000 vehicles, which puts it in the 76th percentile of complaint rates among 1998 vehicles we can rate.
That denominator is the weakest number on the page and it is fair to say so plainly. Rate per 1,000 uses a fleet-size estimate derived from recall paperwork for this exact model year. It is a lower bound.
The working figure is 51,422 vehicles. If the true number is twice that, every rate on this page is half what it says; the ranking against other 1998 vehicles, which is what the risk score uses, is far more robust than the rate itself.
What owners wrote
Verbatim from NHTSA complaint narratives, trimmed for length. The odometer reading is the one the owner gave.
Ignition switch, key fob or immobilizer failure
1998 honda odyssey van ignition switch failed factory ignition switch replaced in 2003, as per NHTSA recall subsequently, the switch has failed again the dealer is unwilling to replace it again as a warranty item. *tr
Ref: NHTSA campaign 02v120000 for 1998 honda odyssey. The ignition switch in my car was replaced in the recall of 2002. I was not having problems then. However, last fall (2009) and this winter (2010) I was experiencing sudden stalls and in some cases dangerous situations when accelerating at intersections, pulling out into traffic etc. My honda dealer, in march 2010, could not id the problem. I took the car in the same month to an independent mechanic who first thought it was distributor related. They replaced that part. The problem continued. I returned it right away and they did the research to id the problem as the ignition switch. It is now may 12 and there have been no instances of sudden stalls. Problem fixed. *tr
Other electrical problem
Tl* - the contact stated that he could remove the key from the ignition of his 1998 honda odyssey while the transmission was not in park. The contact stated that during one incident the vehicle continued to move forward after inadvertently removing the key. The contact took the car to the dealer, but car was not covered under the recall # 03v43000. His current and failure mileage was 136,845. Updated 1/29/2007 - *nm
Tl*the contact owns a 1998 honda odyssey. Approximately an hour after parking the vehicle he noticed flames and smoke coming from under the hood. The fire department was notified but was unable to determine the cause of the fire. The dealer has not inspected the vehicle to determine the cause of the fire. The current and failure mileages were 164,000. Updated 02-01-08. *kb the consumer stated the representative made a comment that the fire may have had something to do with the battery cables. Updated
Torque converter failure
The check engine light on my 1998 honda odyssey came on while driving vehicle. I took it to a repair shop and they told me that the vehicle registered a problem code of p0740-torque converter clutch circuit malfunction. I researched the problem on the internet and found that this is a common problem for hondas which should be reported to the NHTSA. *tr
Recalls on the 1998 model year
NHTSA has issued 4 recall campaigns covering the 1998 Honda Odyssey, affecting an estimated 106,416 vehicles. A recall is a different kind of evidence from a complaint: it is the regulator and the manufacturer agreeing that something has to be fixed, and the fix is free for as long as the car exists.
The campaigns cover air bags:frontal:driver side:inflator module, exterior lighting, electrical system:ignition:switch and suspension:front:control arm:lower ball joint. Whether the work was actually done on the car in front of you is a question only the VIN can answer, and the manufacturer or NHTSA will answer it free.
One caution about reading these together: a recall usually raises the complaint count for the same part, because owners who read about it go and file. The mileages stay informative; the counts get noisy.
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:DRIVER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE
1,439,841 vehicles 2020-01-17- Defect
- 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…
- Consequence
- In the event of a crash necessitating air bag deployment, an inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants. An underinflated air bag cushion may not properly protect the occupant. These scenarios increase the risk of serious injury or death.
- Remedy
- Honda will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the driver frontal air bag inflator, and replace it if necessary, with an inflator of a different design, free of charge. The recall began October 1, 2020. Owners may contact American Honda's Customer Support & Campaign Center at 1-888-234-2138 or Isuzu customer service at 1-800-255-6727.
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
16,270 vehicles 2009-04-07- Defect
- 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.
- Consequence
- Decreased lighting visibility may result in a vehicle crash.
- Remedy
- 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.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH
1,000,000 vehicles 2002-05-16- Defect
- 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.
- Consequence
- Worn contacts could cause the engine to stall without warning, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- 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.
SUSPENSION:FRONT:CONTROL ARM:LOWER BALL JOINT
124,875 vehicles 1999-05-10- Defect
- 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.
- Consequence
- This condition would result in vehicle deceleration and a sudden loss of power. Also steering controllability would be reduced.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace the front suspension lower ball joints.
Recall work is free at a franchised dealer regardless of the car's age. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls before assuming it was done.
How it ranks in the 1998 field
The score at the top of the page, placed among its peers. The zones are the same thresholds the scorer applies, read out of the scorer itself, so the picture and the band word cannot disagree.
Scores are ranked within the model year, never across years, because an older car has had longer to accumulate reports.
- Left fewer and less serious reports
- Right more, or worse
- Marker this vehicle
Better and worse years of the same car
High risk for a 1998 — 207th riskiest of the 271 1998 vehicles we can rate. Every score on this site is a rank inside its own model year, which is what makes a 2004 and a 2019 comparable at all.
Across the 31 model years of this car that carry enough reports to score, 1997 comes out best at 59 and 2018 worst at 79, with 1998 itself at 61.
No other year of this model scores meaningfully better than 1998, so if this generation is what you want, the year is not the lever.
Within the 1996–1998 generation specifically, 1997 is the strongest year at 59 and 1996 the weakest at 66.
Scores compare each year against other cars of the same model year, so a low number on an older car is a real result and not an artefact of age.
Shorter is better. Years with too few reports to score are shown without a bar rather than as a zero, because no data is not good news.
Within the 1996-1998 generation, 1997 Honda Odyssey scores best at 59 and 1996 Honda Odyssey worst at 66.
What the numbers say to check
The mileages below are where the first quarter of reports for each mode had already been filed, which makes them the point at which a fault is worth looking for rather than the point at which it happens: ignition switch, key fob or immobilizer failure from about 170k.
On a 1998 Honda Odyssey with more miles than that on it, the useful question to put to a seller or a mechanic is whether ignition switch, key fob or immobilizer failure has been dealt with, and if so with what parts and at whose expense. A car that has already had the repair is in a different position from one that has not.
Treat it as where to point the inspection, not as a prediction. A well-maintained example can sail past every mileage on this page, and a neglected one can fail well before the first of them.
What this page cannot tell you
89 owner reports; fleet size estimated from this year's own recall paperwork. Every count on this page is therefore a floor: it is the number of owners who went to the trouble of filing with a federal agency, which is a small and self-selected fraction of the owners who had the fault.
Of those 89 reports, 34 carried an odometer reading, so the mileages here describe 38% of the sample rather than all of it. Owners also round: readings pile up on multiples of ten thousand, which is why this site publishes "about 90,000 miles" and not "91,438".
The failure modes are assigned by software reading the owner's own words, which is accurate in bulk and wrong in individual cases. A mode with a handful of reports may contain a misfiled one.
And nothing here predicts what one car will do. These are other people's complaints, filed years apart, on cars maintained by strangers. Read the page as a map of where this model year has previously gone wrong, then have the specific car in front of you inspected.
Questions this page answers
What are the most common problems with the 1998 Honda Odyssey?
The most-reported failures are ignition switch, key fob or immobilizer failure (21 reports, median 180,000 miles), other electrical problem (10 reports, median 135,000 miles) and torque converter failure (7 reports, median 150,000 miles). Counts come from owner complaints filed with NHTSA, which are voluntary, so they show what owners bothered to report rather than every fault that occurred.
At what mileage do 1998 Honda Odyssey problems start?
Ignition switch, key fob or immobilizer failure is the earliest failure mode to show up, with a median reported mileage of 180,000 miles and a quarter of reports before 170,000 miles. Across all failure modes on this year, the median report sits at 155,000 miles.
Is the 1998 Honda Odyssey reliable?
It scores 61 out of 100 on our risk index, which is high — 207th riskiest of the 271 1998 vehicles we can rate. The score is a comparison against other 1998 vehicles, not a prediction about any individual car, and it is built from complaint rates, severity and how early failures appear.
Which year of the Honda Odyssey is best?
Within the 1996–1998 generation, 1997 scores best at 59 out of 100 and 1996 worst at 66. Same body, same engines, different luck.
Where this comes from. Every figure above is computed from NHTSA owner complaints and recall records for this exact make, model and year. Complaints are voluntary and self-selected, so treat counts as a floor. The methodology page writes out each formula, and the same numbers are available as JSON.
What breaks at my mileage Compare with another car
Source Owner complaints and recall records published by the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, model years 1996–2027 Figures rebuilt Published by AtWhatMileage How every figure is computed