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How Many Miles Can A Honda Odyssey Last? (+Reliability Scores)

How Many Miles Can A Honda Odyssey Last? (+Reliability Scores)

How many miles can a Honda Odyssey last? When you’re in the market for a new or second-hand Odyssey, that’s a very reasonable question to ask. After all, you’re probably looking to get the most bang for your buck. In this blog, we’ll look at this question in great detail but first, let’s start with a quick answer:

On average, a Honda Odyssey lasts between 200.000 – 250.000 miles. An Odyssey needs to go to the garage for unscheduled repairs about 0.5 times per year, with a 12% chance of severe problems. Furthermore, Odyssey owners spend an average of $547 per year on repair costs.

Having said that, we’re certainly not done. Below, we’ll explain in more detail how many miles an Odyssey can last. After that, we’ll also show you how much an Odyssey costs annually and which production years are the most and least expensive. Furthermore, we also discuss the common problems that the car can have. Read on!

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How Many Miles Can A Honda Odyssey Last?

Today, we will analyze how many miles a Honda Odyssey can last. We conducted in-depth research on several different platforms to answer these questions. First, we have to look at the Honda Odyssey as a group. For this, we went to Autotrader.com to gather our sample size.

We took a pool of 10.005 Honda Odysseys and divided them into groups based on the miles they had already driven. The results of this research are displayed in the table below.

Number Of MilesPercentage Of Cars
Cars With 150.000+9.39%
Cars With 100.000 – 149.00014.49%
Cars With 45.000 – 99.99925.74%
Cars With 0 – 44.99950.38%

What we can see in the table above is the fact that 9.39% of Odysseys that are for sale in the United States have crossed the 150.000 miles mark. By itself, this number doesn´t say a lot. However, from writing hundreds of articles like this, we know that we expect a car of this type to achieve a number between 3-5%.

Therefore it seems that the Odyssey performs very well at first glance. This won´t come as a surprise to many because the Odyssey does have a good reputation.

However, we have to note that this number is higher than average because Honda used to sell much more Odysseys 5-10 years ago. This means that many Odysseys sold in the second-hand market have had time to achieve higher mileage, inflating the number. Nevertheless, this is a good beginning for the Odyssey, but more research is needed. Let´s move on.

2002 honda odyssey advertisement on autotrader.com with 351420 miles and an asking price of $2400
At the time of updating, this is the highest mileage Odyssey on autotrader.com.

How Reliable Is A Honda Odyssey Compared To Its Competitors?

Even when you see a vehicle with hundreds of thousands of miles on the gauge cluster, more proof is necessary to know for sure what you are buying is, in fact, the most reliable and long-lasting vehicle.

In the table below, we´ve displayed the expected and highest recorded mileage of different Odyssey competitors. Please keep in mind we´ve written separate articles for these vehicles as well, and therefore we´re confident in the displayed results.

ModelSample SizeExpected MileageHighest Mileage
Honda Odyssey10.005225.000351.420
Toyota Sienna7.456255.000316.995
Chrysler Pacifica9.284200.000431.933
Kia Sedona1.361200.000272.761

What becomes clear from the table above is the fact that the Honda Odyssey is certainly a worthy competitor in this category. The Sienna is the pack’s leader, which doesn´t come as a surprise given its reputation. However, the Odyssey is a close second and still puts up respectable mileage for a minivan.

On the other hand, the Pacifica and the Sedona have an expected mileage of 200.000, which is decent but nothing to write home about. Overall, this analysis does seem to be in favor of the Odyssey overall.

How Reliable Is A Honda Odyssey Compared To Other Hondas?

We took several Honda models and examined their reliability based on the same data. We took the mileage numbers of these models and compared them with the mileage numbers of the Honda Odyssey. 

What becomes clear from this table immediately is the fact that Honda builds vehicles with an incredible lifespan with affordable fuel requirements. Car brands typically have vehicles that last between 200.000 – 250.000 miles; anything above that is rare. However, Honda has many cars with an expected mileage of 250.000 or slightly higher.

What becomes apparent in the table below is the fact that the Odyssey doesn´t hold up quite as well as other Hondas. It´s actually the vehicle with the lowest expected mileage of them all. However, we have to say that the Odyssey has to compete with sedans like the Civic and Accord and SUVs like the CR-V and HR-V. All of them are known for their extreme reliability.

Whether or not this means there´s an issue with the Odyssey is something we´ll find out later.

ModelSample SizeExpected MileageHighest Mileage
Honda Civic23.731275.000430.000
Honda Accord25.976250.000359.000
Honda CR-V27.747250.000320.000
Honda HR-V8.622250.000215.000
Honda Odyssey10.005225.000340.000
Honda Pilot15.385 240.000346.000

How Much Does Maintenance Cost Per Year?

The maintenance cost must be as low as possible for a vehicle to be truly reliable. Any unreliable vehicle can achieve high mileage if money is put into repairs. But a reliable car does not require those expensive repairs. In the table below, we´ve gathered the Odyssey’s maintenance costs for many model years. This data was acquired from Repairpal and Caredge.com.

On average, we expect to pay $547 in annual maintenance costs for a Honda Odyssey. Let it be clear that this is a low number. Typically, it costs a car owner $647 annually to keep a minivan like the Odyssey on the road. Therefore, the Odyssey is $100 cheaper yearly than its competition.

What also becomes clear in the table below is that model years that were manufactured after 2015 have significantly lower costs than pre-2015 model years. This is logical because younger models have fewer problems. However, the fact that even the 2015 model year is lower in cost is hopeful, given that this model is already becoming quite old. In that sense, the 2011 – 2013 model years are negative outliers.

Model YearAnnual Maintenance Cost
2022$265
2021$307
2020$374
2019$390
2018$438
2017$296
2016$384
2015$465
2014$535
2013$580
2012$633
2011$633
2010$557
2009$539
2008$492
2007$447

Owners’ Reviews Of The Honda Odysseys Reliability

Besides knowing all the data, it’s, of course, also essential to see how owners experience the Odyssey. For this, we went to Kelley Blue Book, Truecar, and Cars.com. All three platforms have gathered hundreds of reviews from actual car owners. We summarized our findings in the image below.

Honda Odyssey owners ratings on kelley blue book, edmunds and truecar.com
Owners’ ratings of the fifth-generation Honda Odyssey (2018 – Present)

What becomes clear immediately is that the fight generation of the Odyssey doesn´t seem to be an all-around crowd-pleaser. As a matter of fact, the scores on Kelley Blue Book and Edmunds are pretty poor. So, what´s causing this? Well, the quote below sums up the sentiment quite well:

After owning for about 4 years, I can confidently say you should look at something else. The 9 speed automatic transmission does not have smooth shifts, and sometimes does not even shift at all, causing the rpms to climb, but the vehicle not to accelerate, which is really scary when trying to merge with highway traffic. The build quality and comfort leave something to be desired, also. The interior feels cheap, with low quality plastic, that both looks, and feels bad. (…)

2018 owner, Source

By far, the most complained about aspect of the Odyssey is the ride quality. Poor shifting, poor handling, and non-responsiveness are the main themes in this regard. This is on top of numerous other problems owners are experiencing. This seems to undermine the positive sentiment about the Odyssey so far.

Honda Odyssey Common Problems

Like all cars, the Honda Odyssey has its share of problems. These problems or issues hurt the car maker’s reputation. Sometimes the problems are so profound and extensive that car manufacturers must recall entire models to install a fix. This section lists some of the common significant problems of the Odyssey.

NOTE: Before buying a used car, I always like to make sure the vehicle isn´t having any problems that you should be aware of. The easiest way to do this is by buying an OBD2 scanner. These scanners can easily be plugged into any car you’re interested in, and they’ll give you a rundown of potential problems.

Fifth Generation (2018 – Present)

The Odyssey’s fifth-generation has had its fair share of problems. Especially the 2018 – 2020 model years are much complained about, and they received 6 – 13 recalls each as well.

Electrical Issues

First off, the 2018 – 2020 model years have significant electrical issues. One of the biggest problems of this is that the car will hesitate to start from a standstill. This causes dangerous situations. These electrical problems were most likely caused by water intrusion in the back liftgate, which reached the electrical circuit.

Besides the water intrusion, Honda issued three recalls for these model years regarding the electrical circuit. These recalls address loose battery terminal connections, short-circuiting of the accessory power outlet, and faulty instrument panel control module software.

Transmission Problems

Transmission problems were also prevalent in the 2018 – 2020 model years, which are summed up quite well by the following quote:

The transmission has intermittent harsh or jerky upshifts with steady acceleration, or the MIL comes on with DTC P0716. Abnormal TCM adaptation values or a miscalculation in the TCM software causes the MIL to come on with DTC P0716. The harsh upshifts cause a momentary driver distraction which may cause an accident.

Source

Forward Collision-Avoidance Activation

We also found reports specifically related to the 2022 Odyssey in which consumers state the forward collision avoidance would activate randomly. This caused an emergency braking situation that wasn´t necessary and could therefore be life-threatening.

Poor Build Quality

Furthermore, the build quality of this Odyssey generation is sub-par (mainly 2018 – 2020). We found numerous complaints regarding the structural integrity of the Odyssey. Some owners stated their sunroof exploded without anything hitting it, whereas other owners talked about the door panel separating and falling apart. Other owners complained about the automatic tailgate hatch closing when fully opened, another electrical issue. Overall, it´s simply not great.

Fourth Generation (2011 – 2017)

The fourth generation of the Honda Odyssey also wasn´t without faults, although the 2011 – 2012 model years seem to be the most problematic. On the other hand, the 2017 model year received very few complaints and only one recall.

Electrical System

The electrical problems that haunt the fifth generation of the Odyssey were also a problem for the 2011 – 2016 model years, especially the 2011 – 2012 ones. Owners typically complained about a complete loss of power and several warning signs illuminating, such as the ´check charging system´ warning message.

This was mainly caused by faulty battery sensors that needed to be updated with newer software. Honda did issue a TSB for this.

Brakes

Honda has made a habit of using low-quality brake pads and rotors for many of its vehicles throughout the years. Therefore, the Odyssey also has issues with losing brake power because of warped brake rotors or brake pads that were out in an instance. Honda never issued a recall for this, but it´s widely complained about throughout this generation of the Odyssey, especially the 2011 – 2014 model years.

Engine

The 2011 – 2013 Odyssey engine was a pain point, and owners reported having problems with misfiring and stalling of the engine and noises coming from the engine bay. Honda eventually issued a recall for the following:

The piston rings on certain cylinders may rotate and align, which can lead to spark plug fouling. This can set DTCs P0301 No. 1 cylinder misfire detected, P0302 No. 2 cylinder misfire detected, P0303 No. 3 cylinder misfire detected, P0304 No. 4 cylinder misfire detected, and cause the MIL to come on.

Source

Powertrain

This generation of the Odyssey had some significant transmission problems. Especially the 2011 – 2012 and 2014 – 2016 model years were widely complained about. Most commonly, complete transmission failure was the issue, as well as hard shifting and transmission shuddering. Most commonly, the torque converter was causing this issue, and the software needed to be updated, or the torque converter received insufficient cooling and would overheat.

Is A Honda Odyssey A Smart Buy?

Finally, we have to answer the question of whether or not the Odyssey is a vehicle that´s worth buying.

To start, we saw that the Odyssey puts up respectable mileage numbers and that there are vehicles of other manufacturers that do much worse. Furthermore, the Odyssey has lower-than-average maintenance costs, which is also a positive sign.

However, when we move on to the owner’s ratings of the last generation, we see many owners are displeased with their vehicles. Furthermore, the previous two generations of the Odyssey have had their fair share of problems that seem to have continued for years on end.

Therefore, we recommend looking at other options (like the Toyota Sienna) before settling on an Odyssey. If you were to choose an Odyssey, the 2017 model year is by far the least complained about and also has only one recall.

Honda Odyssey Maintenance Schedule

Even with an excellent reputation for easy maintenance, every Honda vehicle requires regular care and the Odyssey is no different so let’s break down what you need to do to keep your ride running.

Before/On Every 10,000 Miles

Any vehicle at the 10,000-mile mark should be checked generally for any issues. It will give you an insight into your vehicle’s health near future. If something is likely to cause problems in the near future, it can be addressed at this 10,000-mile inspection.  For instance:

  • Lubricant
  • Brake system
  • Wheels and tires
  • Air filters replacement
  • Suspension check-up

Before/On Every 20,000 Miles

The 20,000 miles mark necessitates deeper investigation and check-up of the vehicle’s systems. Key inspection steps include checking the following:

  • Exhaust system
  • Brake system and rotors
  • All lubricants and fluids
  • Fuel pump
  • Power steering system
  • Climate control system

Before/On Every 40,000 Miles

  • Check the battery health
  • Replace the fluids if required
  • Check the steering system
  • Spark plugs and tuning need to be done
  • Do a thorough transmission inspection and see if there is anything that needs fixing

Before/On Every 60,000 Miles

  • Tune-up and spark plug replacement
  • Power steering systems should be thoroughly checked
  • Wheels and tires should be checked and replaced in case there is a need
  • Lubricants and fluids need to be checked and replaced if required

Sources

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