2002 Honda Passport problems & reliability
23 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2002 Honda Passport, alongside 2 safety recall campaigns. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
1 complaint report injuries (1 injured).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 2002 Honda Passport vehicles were involved in 1 fatal crash with 1 occupant death. Involvement counts are not adjusted for how many are on the road and do not imply fault or a vehicle defect.
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Suspension | 7 | 30% |
| Structure | 6 | 26% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 3 | 13% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 3 | 13% |
| Air Bags | 2 | 9% |
| Power Train | 2 | 9% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 2 | 9% |
| Electrical System | 1 | 4% |
| Engine | 1 | 4% |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 1 | 4% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Common symptoms owners describe
Keyword analysis of complaint narratives; one complaint can describe several symptoms.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“While driving on freeway,in 3rd be Lane,65mph,power and motor instantly went out.Leaving me struck in the middle of freeway.On coming traffic traveling 65 to 75mph.Nearly causing major accident.I had purchased vehicle from original buyer.Incident happened right after purchase.Since incident this has happened…”
Electrical System · filed Jun 11, 2021
“Tl* the contact owns a 2002 honda passport. While driving approximately 65 mph, the vehicle experienced unintended acceleration and the speed increased to approximately 80 mph. The driver lost control of the vehicle and crashed into a guardrail. The front end sustained significant damage, but the air bags did not…”
Air Bags · filed Jul 21, 2016
“Tl* the contact owns a 2002 honda passport. The contact stated the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for an unrelated repair when they noticed that the entire frame was completely rusted. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the problem. The approximate failure mileage was…”
Structure · filed Apr 4, 2014
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- Fuel Tank Retention Failure
Defect Petition DP18001 · opened May 23, 2018 · closed Mar 5, 2020
- Rear Suspension Lower Link Detachment
Engineering Analysis EA09018 · opened Dec 7, 2009 · closed Oct 15, 2010 · led to recall 10V436000
- REAR SUSPENSION LOWER LINK FAILURE
Preliminary Evaluation PE09030 · opened Jun 16, 2009 · closed Dec 8, 2009 · led to recall 10V436000
Technical service bulletins
33 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2002 Honda Passport. The 10 most recent:
"Service Bulletin - There are several A/C leak detection tools available. -Refrigerant Gas Leak Detector -Ultrasonic Leak Detector -Leak Dye"
A07-030 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 23, 2021
Dealer message - On Monday, June 23, 2014, American Honda announced three recalls for various 2001-11 Honda models. As of August 4, 2014, affected VINs have been identified, and VIN status inquiry has been updated.
DLR MSG - Honda · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 6, 2014
Dealer message - On Monday, June 23, 2014, American Honda announced three recalls for various 2001-11 Honda models. As of July 23, 2014, affected VINs have been identified, and service bulletins 14-040, Safety Recall…
DLR MSG - Stop S · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 23, 2014
Load carrying capacity reduced label for all honda vehicles. *pe
08-040 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 31, 2008
Honda: warranty extension-vehicle warranty mileage. Class action lawsuit alleging that the odometers on certain 2002-2006 honda models were overstating mileage. Federal court provided final approval of settlement on…
SB-06-085 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 9, 2008
C0282, 285, 274 4wd module in 2wd vehicle. *tt
1205 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Dec 16, 2005
C0285, c1999, 2wd module in 4wd vehicle. *tt
1205 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Dec 16, 2005
Anti-lock brake system diagnostic trouble code c0265. Honda. Servicenews. *tt
01012004 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 1, 2004
Heater blower motor gets hot or blows a fuse. Honda. Servicenews. *tt
11012003 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 1, 2003
Identifying automatic transmission shift solenoids. Honda. Servicenews. *tt
11012003 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 1, 2003
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
The 2002 Honda Passport has 2 NHTSA recall campaigns — recall repairs are free at franchised dealers regardless of the vehicle’s age.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 2002 Honda Passport?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.