Honda Odyssey Towing Capacities From 2000-2020

The Honda Odyssey minivan has been around for many decades now and I was really surprised to see that it actually had pretty decent towing capacities attached it, so long as you had the right equipment installed and you didn't mind doing a little bit of math.

When conducting my initial research though, I found that online sources didn't provide very accurate information and was incomplete, to say the least so I wanted to make a better resource for people out there who may be interested in what the actual capacity numbers are. Hope this article helps!

Overview of the Data For the Honda Odyssey:

Engine Choices: There were no specifics on what engine configurations were used for the Honda Odysseys when it came to pulling power. Out of all of the towing charts, the engine equipped did not affect the capacity numbers, so it was not an important metric.

Configurations: The only configurations that were listed for the Odysseys was how many passengers you had in the vehicle. The more people there were, the lower the weight ratings, due to the additional weight in the vehicle.

Towing Capacity: The capacity numbers for the Honda Odyssey's did change slightly from model years, but there was a couple of "basic figures" that I noticed.

For models equipped with a transmission/power steering cooler, the capacities ranged from 0-3,500 lbs. and models without these options, it ranged from 0-2,000 lbs. It is recommended that you look at the specific chart for your model year to get the most accurate figure possible.

It is important to note that Honda does specify that the maximum trailer weight depends on the number of passengers that are in the vehicle, which contribute to the GCWR, which takes away from the overall total weight capacity.

Most of the charts for the Honda Odyssey account for 150 lbs. for each person in the van and roughly 15-17 lbs. of cargo weight per person, so adjust that figure if your passengers (and their cargo) weigh more or less to get an accurate weight inside the vehicle.

2018-2020 Models:

The maximum towing capacity for the 2018-2020 Honda Odysseys ranged from 0-3,500 lbs. for the Elite and Touring models and 0-3,000 lbs. for all of the other models that were available at the time.

As you can see from the chart below, the number of passengers affected the overall capacity but was different for the different models. For the Odysseys' that were not an elite or touring model, the overall capacity for 2 to 5 passengers did not change but it did change for the elite and touring models.

These different metrics only seem to be for the 2018-2020 Honda Odyssey models but you do want to pay careful attention to which column you are looking at in the graph below for your vehicle.

2020-2018 Chart

2011-2017 Models:

For models made between 2011-2017, the towing capacity ranged from 0-3,500 lbs.

With eight people riding inside the van, towing was not recommended and is why the chart shows no weight rating at all.

As with every year of the Honda Odyssey's, the maximum trailer weight that you can pull will be dependent upon the number of occupants and will the reduced as you increase the number of passengers. It is important to note that for the 2011-2017 models there was no difference in overall pulling power in specific models like we saw for the 2018-2020 models.

2017-2011 Chart

On the 2002-2010 models, it is required that you have the factory installed transmission and power steering cooler in order to tow with your Odyssey.

This is only offered as a factory installed option, and it does not give any specifics on aftermarket options.

2008-2010 Models:

Odyssey's that were made from 2008-2010, had a towing capacity that ranged from 650 pounds, and went all the way up to 3,500 pounds, meaning that with eight passengers you could have up to a 650 pound total trailer weight capacity.

Pay extra close attention to the chart though, as only the EX, EX-L, Touring and Canadian LX models had that capability.

Other than that, the maximum trailer weight that you could pull depreciated with the number of passengers that you had in the vehicle, just like all of the other model years but the capacities were a little bit different and you do want to pay attention to the notes in the towing dialog box below the chart as some of these are "model specific" numbers.

Another important note to take in account is that models with both a power steering fluid cooler and a transmission fluid cooler are required in order to get these specific numbers.

2010-2008 Chart

2005-2007 Models:

The 2005-2007 Odyssey's did have the same exact towing specs as the 2008-2010 models (650-3,500 lbs.) but I wanted to make a separate section because some of the "model specific numbers" were different.

Now, you will want to keep in mind that the chart listed below does refer to maodels that are equipped with transmission coolers and power steering fluid coolers, in order to get these specs.

2007-2005 Chart

2002-2004 Models:

Honda Odysseys' that were built from 2002-2004, did have that same 650 pound to 3,500 pound maximum towing capacity like the 2005-2010 models, but as you can see from the chart what was different were the amount of passengers in the vehicle to the allotted weight.

The 2002-2004 models only had a number of occupants column in the chart that ranged from 2 to 7 passengers instead of the 2 to 8 passengers that we saw from 2005 models and newer. This is probably why the capacity numbers were a little bit different in relationship to the number of passengers in the vehicle.

Again, make a note that these numbers apply to vehicles equipped with both a transmission cooler and the power steering fluid cooler.

2004-2002 Chart

2000-2001 Models:

The 2000-2001 Honda Odyssey's had a towing capacity range of 850 lbs.-3,500 lbs., which was slightly higher, low-end then the 2002-2004 models for the same amount of passengers (7).

Not sure why this was the case seems out everything else was nearly identical.

Another thing that I wanted to point out in the chart for the 2000-2001 model years was the fact that there were two different capacity ranges.

One was for models that were equipped with a transmission fluid cooler and the other column was specs on models that were not equipped with a transmission fluid cooler.

This would mean that the actual towing capacity range for 2000-2001 models range from 850 lbs.-2,000 lbs. for models that did not have a transmission fluid cooler equipped and 850 lbs.-3,500 lbs. for models with the transmission fluid cooler equipped.

Do I Have The Required Towing Equipment Installed?

At the moment, there is no clear answer on how you determine whether you have the factory installed equipment that Honda recommends for towing with their Odyssey's (transmission cooler and/or are power steering cooler) so it is always a good idea to take your vehicle and the dealership to see you were whether or not you have such equipment.

If I do find a more clear answer or some tips along the way, I will be sure to post them as soon as possible.

When pulling a trailer, Honda recommends that any trailer weighing over 1,000 lbs. have trailer brakes installed.

Helpful Resources For The Honda Odysseys:

For this article I chose to use Honda's owner's manuals for the Odyssey's because I found that they were a reliable resource and very accurate when it came to the weight specs and other related information.

I have included the links to all of the owner's manuals I used in this article for people who want to do a little bit more research for themselves or for people who just like to make sure everything is on the up and up.

Last updated on May 9th, 2021 at 03:52 am