1998 Honda Passport: problems, recalls and reliability
6 recalls and 229 owner complaints on record; the weakest area is service brakes, hydraulic (22% of complaints); the 1996 and 1997 and 2000 model years look more trouble-free.
Data updated weekly · latest recall Sep 2010
All counts are reports filed with NHTSA in the United States - US market only, not worldwide totals.
Common problems
Computed from 229 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for this exact model year.
“Tl* the contact owns a 1998 honda passport. While driving 55 mph, the engine and transmission warning indicators illuminated. In addition, while accelerating from a stop, the vehicle jerked. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the general motor code 1870 (transmission) needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and did not assist. The approximate failure mileage was 173,000.”Owner report · Engine · Dec 2018
“Tl* the contact owns a 1998 honda passport. The contact stated that the vehicle exhibited severe rust on the rear passenger side frame. The contact received a recall notice in NHTSA campaign number: 10v436000 (suspension) was received back in 2011 and the vehicle was repaired at williams honda in traverse city, michigan. The vehicle was treated with an anti-corrosive compound. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 179,000.”Owner report · Structure · Jul 2017
“Tl* the contact owns a 1998 honda passport. The contact was driving 55 mph when the vehicle began to bounce and veer without the contact turning the steering wheel. The contact immediately took the vehicle for inspection. The contact was awaiting the diagnosis of the failure. The manufacturer was made aware of the incident. The approximate failure mileage was 171,000.”Owner report · Structure · Feb 2014
Show 7 more owner reports
“I took my honda passport to fox honda, to get the recalls looked at and they said that the frame was rusted out and that it was unsafe to drive, so they said the recall for the frame had ended already so they couldn't do anything about it. They let me drive the honda off there lot knowing that I could get in a wreck. There's got to be a mandatory recall on these passports and get them off the road. Its just not going to kill you but other people too. *tr”Owner report · Suspension · Aug 2013
“Tl* the contact owns a 1998 honda passport. The contact stated that while traveling 30 mph, the vehicle veered into another lane abnormally. The contact was able to merge to the side of the road where the vehicle was towed to a private mechanic. After inspection, the contact was advised that the rear suspension had failed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted about the issue and informed the contact that he missed the expiration date to have the vehicle repaired under NHTSA campaign id number 10v436000 (suspension:rear). The failure and current mileages were 175,000.”Owner report · Suspension · Oct 2012
“Tl* the contact owns a 1998 honda passport. The contact stated while driving 20 mph and making a right turn the vehicle became uncontrollable. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who inspected the frame and noticed that there was rust and corrosion all over the frame. The vehicle was then taken to the dealer who notified him of recall NHTSA campaign id number: 10v436000 (suspension: rear) however, the recall was expired for his vehicle and he should contact the manufacturer. The manufacturer was notified who verified that the recall was expired and referred him back to the dealer. The vehicle was not repaired. The VIN was unknown. The failure mileage was 165,000.”Owner report · Suspension · Sep 2012
“I brought my 1998 honda passport in to have it inspected. I was told the entire frame including brackets were entirely rusted. It would not pass inspection and I was told it was unsafe to drive. I never received a recall notice about rust. I depend on my truck and my grandchildren have to ride in it. Please make this a mandatory recall, some one is bound to be killed by honda mistakes. (who knows how many accidents there have been.) I am the original owner and have had all upkeep done . Once again please make this issue a mandatory recall, for safety sake. *tr”Owner report · Structure · Jun 2012
“The left rear suspension arm holder rusted through and broke away from frame which let the rear axle to move causing the vehicle to sway. Fortuniately it happened in a 30 mph zone. The frame is completely rusted and not fixable. Honda canceled their recall and doesn't want to know anything about it. *js”Owner report · Suspension · Jun 2012
“Tl* the contact owns a 1998 honda passport. The contact stated that the vehicle would not start. The vehicle was towed to the dealer for a diagnosis. The dealer stated that they were unsure what the cause of the failure was. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted stated that the VIN was not included in any recalls. The failure and current mileages were 131,000.”Owner report · Engine · Jun 2012
“Tl* the contact owns a 1998 honda passport. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for routine maintenance and the contact was informed that the frame was severely corroded. As a result, the contact was also informed that no work could be performed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was later notified and they offered no assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 193,000. The VIN was unavailable.”Owner report · Structure · Mar 2012
When filing, owners marked a crash in 24 of these complaints and injuries in 18 - self-reported to NHTSA, not verified accident statistics.
Recalls - 6 campaigns
ISUZU IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 1998-2002 ISUZU RODEO AND MODEL YEAR 2002 ISUZU AXIOM VEHICLES, AND HONDA IS RECALLING CERTAIN 1998-2002 HONDA PASSPORT VEHICLES, THAT WERE ORIGINALLY SOLD, OR ARE CURRENTLY REGISTERED, IN THE STATES OF MAINE, NEW HAMPSHIRE, VERMONT, MASSACHUSETTS, RHODE ISLAND, CONNECTICUT, NEW YORK, NEW JERSEY, PENNSYLVANIA, DELAWARE, MARYLAND, THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, WEST VIRGINIA, OHIO, INDIANA, MICHIGAN, ILLINOIS, WISCONSIN, MINNESOTA, IOWA, MISSOURI, AND KENTUCKY. VEHICLES THAT HAVE EXPERIENCED SUSTAINED EXPOSURE TO HIGHLY CORROSIVE MATERIALS USED IN SOME JURISDICTIONS FOR ROAD DEICING PURPOSES MAY EXPERIENCE EXCESSIVE CORROSION IN THE VICINITY OF THE FORWARD MOUNTING POINT BRACKET FOR THE LEFT OR RIGHT REAR SUSPENSION LOWER LINK PRIOR TO THE TIME THAT SUCH CORROSION WOULD NORMALLY BE EXPECTED.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE REAR SUSPENSION LOWER LINK BRACKET AREA. FOR VEHICLES IN WHICH LITTLE OR NO CORROSION IS FOUND, THE AREA WILL BE TREATED WITH AN ANTI-CORROSIVE COMPOUND. FOR VEHICLES IN WHICH CORROSION HAS DAMAGED THE REAR SUSPENSION LOWER LINK BRACKET AND AFFECTED ITS CONNECTION TO THE VEHICLE FRAME, A REINFORCEMENT BRACKET WILL BE INSTALLED. IN THE RARE EVENT THE CORROSION IS SO SEVERE THAT THE REINFORCEMENT BRACKET REMEDY WOULD NOT BE APPROPRIATE, A REPURCHASE OFFER WILL BE EXTENDED TO THE VEHICLE'S OWNER. ALL INSPECTIONS AND REMEDIES WILL BE PROVIDED FREE OF CHARGE FOR VEHICLES THAT ARE 10 YEARS OLD OR LESS. FOR VEHICLES OLDER THAN 10 YEARS, ISUZU WILL OFFER A FREE REMEDY, BUT ONLY IF THE VEHICLE IS PRESENTED TO AN ISUZU SERVICE FACILITY, OR HONDA DEALER (AS APPLICABLE), DEALER WITHIN 12 MONTHS OF WHEN OWNER NOTIFICATIONS WERE ISSUED. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON DECEMBER 10, 2010. ISUZU OWNERS MAY CONTACT ISUZU AT 1-800-255-6727. HONDA OWNERS MAY CONTACT HONDA AT 1-800-999-1009.
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: MULTI-PURPOSE PASSENGER VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH A DRIVER'S SIDE OPTIONAL EQUIPMENT RUBBER FLOOR MAT. REPEATED MOVEMENT OF THE DRIVER'S FEET AND ACTUATION OF THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL CAN RESULT IN A SHIFTING OF THE MAT'S POSITION. THIS SHIFTING CAN CAUSE AN INTERFERENCE WITH THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL.
Remedy: HONDA IS ASKING FOR THE RETURN OF THE FLOOR MAT SET AND WILL REIMBURSE OWNERS FOR THE COST OF THE RUBBER FLOOR MAT SET ALONG WITH ANY RETURN SHIPPING COSTS.
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES. PAINT WAS APPLIED UNEVENLY ON THE REAR AXLES, RESULTING IN INSUFFICIENT PAINT HARDNESS. SHOULD THIS OCCUR ON THE SURFACE THAT CONTACTS THE REAR AXLE LOWER LINK BRACKET BOLT HEAD AND/OR NUT, THE NUT MAY LOOSEN.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE REAR AXLE LOWER LINK JOINT NUT AND BOLT.
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES THAT ARE EQUIPPED WITH AN ANTI-LOCK BRAKING SYSTEM (ABS). THE VEHICLES CAN EXPERIENCE EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCES IN CERTAIN TYPES OF BRAKING EVENTS.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL PROVIDE A REPLACEMENT COMPUTER ALGORITHM FOR THE ABS THAT IS BASED ON THE ALGORITHM USED IN HONDA'S MY 2000 AND 2001 VEHICLES, WHICH HAVE NOT HAD THE PROBLEM. THIS CAMPAIGN WILL BE CONDUCTED IN PHASES, WITH THE MY 1998 2WD VEHICLES COVERED FIRST, SINCE THEY HAVE EXPERIENCED THE MOST PROBLEMS. THE MANUFACTURER HAS NOT YET PROVIDED AN OWNER NOTIFICATION SCHEDULE FOR THIS CAMPAIGN. 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.
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES. A GROUND CONNECTION TERMINAL WAS NOT PROPERLY CRIMPED IN THE SUPPLIER'S ENGINE WIRING HARNESS MANUFACTURING LINE. THIS IMPROPER CRIMPING PROCESS CAN LEAVE AN IMPRESSION ON THE TERMINAL THAT WILL EVENTUALLY CAUSE A STRESS FRACTURE. S
Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE WIRING HARNESS ON THESE VEHICLES.
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES. A GROUND CONNECTION TERMINAL WAS NOT PROPERLY CRIMPED IN THE SUPPLIER'S ENGINE WIRING HARNESS MANUFACTURING LINE. THIS IMPROPER CRIMPING PROCESS CAN LEAVE AN IMPRESSION ON THE TERMINAL THAT WILL EVENTUALLY CAUSE A STRESS FRACTURE. S
Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE WIRING HARNESS ON THESE VEHICLES.
Specifications
Factory options offered for the 1998 model year, decoded from the NHTSA vPIC database. Individual vehicles have one of each.
How other years compare
Check your exact Passport by VIN
Recalls and equipment differ between individual vehicles. Decode your VIN to see what applies to yours.
Open VIN decoderFrequently asked questions
Is the 1998 Honda Passport reliable?
NHTSA has 229 owner complaints and 6 recall campaigns on record for the 1998 Honda Passport. The most complained-about area is service brakes, hydraulic (22% of complaints).
At what mileage do 1998 Honda Passport problems usually appear?
Half of the complaints that mention mileage were filed at 116,114 miles or less.
Does the 1998 Honda Passport have open recalls?
6 recall campaigns have been issued, the latest concerning suspension:rear. Check your specific vehicle by VIN - recall repairs are free at franchised dealers.
Source: NHTSA recall campaigns and owner complaints (public domain). Counts reflect reports on file and are not a defect rate.