Honda Odyssey: The Best Years To Buy (And The Ones You Should Steer Clear Of)
Minivans are practical and immensely helpful vehicles for people who frequently transport large families or other groups of people. The second best-selling minivan of 2023 is the Honda Odyssey, which has been in production since the 1995 model year, meaning it is celebrating 30 years of production this year.
If you are someone in the market for a minivan, the Honda Odyssey is a well-regarded option thanks to its impressive size andsurprising fuel efficiency. However, a new 2024 model may just not be in the cards for a family large enough to need one, as the latest model has a starting price of $38,240. The good news is Honda has made many good versions of its Odyssey over the years, and you’re able to typically find them for reasonable prices on the used market.
There are important things to keep in mind. While you can find slightly older minivans for about half the price that remain great vehicles to this day, not every model year is created equal. As with any product, there are unfortunately bad years you should avoid, and good years you should seek out. After going through the ratings and reviews of each of the Odyssey’s model years — particularly regarding their reliability ratings — we have made a handy list of which model years to watch out for if you’re looking to get yourself a used Honda minivan.
Odyssey model years worth buying
It took some trial and error to get the Honda Odyssey to a place where it could be considered a reliable vehicle, but Honda definitely has a bunch of strong model years under its belt now. There have been five different generations of the minivan over its 30 year lifespan, but we will be skipping over the first one due to it being significantly smaller than its successors.
What Odyssey model years should you avoid?
Now we move onto the years for the Honda Odyssey that you should quickly bypass when investigating used models for purchase. These are the models that have not held up over time, endureda vast number of recalls, or just weren’t even that great to begin with when they first came out. If you want the best minivan for your family, don’t look at these.
The current generation
Those who are looking to get a Honda Odyssey may want something akin to the brand new models that are coming out of the factory today but don’t necessarily cost the same as those brand new prices. Luckily, the Odyssey is able to accommodate this, particularly with its 2022 model year. The reliability scores for the 2022 Honda Odyssey fromConsumer Reportsare off the charts better than any other model year for the minivan, even besting the aforementioned 2017 model by 9 points. Plus, it was ranked byJ.D. Poweras the best minivan of its model year period. This is the same generation of vehicle as the new one on the market, so you are getting something pretty close to what is coming directly from the factory. You just get to enjoy a used discount price for a much-liked minivan.
This current generation did not begin on as high of a note though, and there are model years to avoid here as well. This is best evidenced by the 2018 model, the first model of the generation, as it doesn’t fall far behind the 2003 one in terms of number of recalls with 13, including for fuel pump failures to faulty door latches that would cause them to open while driving. Other reported issues include needing to quickly replace struts and sensors turning on when they shouldn’t. It’s a great way to start out the new generation of Honda Odyssey.
Why these model years were chosen
Being able to whittle down 30 years of the Honda Odyssey into just a few model years to recommend you consider purchasing — and a few you should definitely not purchase — is a fairly difficult task. More than anything, these particular model years were chosen due to their documented reliability ratings from institutions like Consumer Reports and J.D. Power. Because these are recommendations for used vehicles, reliability is the most important element, as these minivans need to be able to stand up to wear and tear without faltering. This is also why the number of recalls a model year has gone through was also an important factor in the decision-making process. These model years were also chosen to give a good sampling of how the Odyssey has performed over its five different generations, showcasing that each has its winners and losers.
