Honda Odyssey 1999 - 2004

rockycow · April 2001

I've been a reader of the edmunds site since 9/98 but I am not one who likes to be censured. IMHO links to other ody site are a benefit to edmunds members. I'm open for a list of sites that others have found please email me at rockycow@aol.com.

caviller · April 2001

Though I'm biased against large SUVs (except where used for serious towing or off-roading), safety IS another consideration. Many people buy these monsters under the assumption they are the safest things on the road. Even based on weight, once you get to 4000 lbs (which includes most extended wheelbase minivans), increased weight is no longer a major factor at reducing injuries according to the IIHS. With the possible exceptions of some new SUVs like the BMW X5 and Mercedes M-class, minivans may even offer better safety overall than most large, truck-based SUVs.

I swore I'd never own a minivan, mostly due to image. Until I had kids and safety became a high priority. Of course, like most people around here who buy monster SUVs for a suburban commute, we don't tow or off-road.

I have some links and info at my site: http://www.caviller.com

patel68 · April 2001

So far no one seems willing to sell me the Odyssey at MSRP who has it in stock. I contacted several dealers who would sell at this price out of my area but they didn't have our color choice available. When I tried to nail down an agreement to sell the next available car they explained the cars came on a first-come first-served basis.

My wife is going to try direct negotiations tomorrow closer to home. I have to work. It certainly seems to be a lot of trouble so far.

stever · April 2001

Did we mention that Edmunds has a video clip of the '01 Odyssey?

You can find it at this link under "Road Tests".

Steve
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h20guy · April 2001

in all of town hall seem to be dwindling. What is your cure?? You are suppost to keep the interest up. Maybe we lost too many folks due to lack of interest? You think?

stever · April 2001

Not too many folks were at the Chat Brake tonight--one theory is that people are starting to enjoy the longer daylight out-of-doors. There were some 17 posts in Ody XXX today, and several of them were even on topic .

Steve
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rollie6647 · April 2001

I traded a 1999 Suburban 4x4 in on my 2001 odyssey. I was leasing the Sub and for the same payment I am buying my ody. The van gets far better gas mileage, is easier to drive, park, and get my 2 year old daughter in and out. The power doors are wonderful and the ody fully loaded with passengers has far more cargo room than the sub. The only reason to buy the sub is for heavy duty towing. I also owned a Tahoe before my sub. I was caught up in the image thing. I regularly car pool in an expedition and find the ody to be much more comfortable and to have greater leg room.

timhonda · April 2001

I had a minivan for four years before buying a '98 4x4 Expedition for driving in snow and pulling a big pop-up trailer. After 3 years, we got tired of the SUV and returned to a minivan which is 2001 Ody. We had a good experience with the Expedition, but don't miss it at all. The Ody does very well in snow in Upstate NY, and we plan to keep it for 10 years. BTW, I'm in 40-something and am not embarrased. Smile. I've seen older people driving Ody around here.

fast93ser · April 2001

Excellent video. Thanks for the link.

jbanks4 · April 2001

Hi,

I'm a new '01 Oddyessey EX owner and new to this board. I've had it for about three weeks now, and have been happy with one exception. I've noticed a hessitation/drag when the transmission shifts gears, particularly between first and second. I'm wondering if this is a defect or just a characteristic of this vehicle? I didn't notice it during a brief test drive of another vehicle prior to purchase. I appreciate any responses.

Thanks,
John

acsmith · April 2001

You're running up against supply vs. demand. The dealer with an ODY on the lot will mark it up above MSRP to sell the the buyer who has to (or wants to) buy NOW.

In order to get it for MSRP, and with the options YOU want (not the ones the dealer wants), you will most likely have to "order" it. The dealer knows about 60 days in advance what the factory will make for him. Model (LX or EX), color, factory options (like NAV) etc. You then get the dealer to commit the unit to you and wait until it arrives.

My experience at Pohanka Honda of Fredericksburg, VA: Committed to an EX in dark green on November 1, 2000, at MSRP. All options I wanted would be dealer installed at MSRP. Production schedule confirmed by factory about December 15. Produced in the first 10 days of January 2001. VIN assigned and dealer notified 1/10. Van arrived 1/27. Dealer called and begged me to take delivery by 1/31--quotas, etc. When I showed up, it had mud guards and wheel locks that I planned to get from either handaaccessories.com or hondapartsforyou.com. They gave them to me for free. The options I ordered (tranny cooler $275 installed) and cassette deck ($275 installed) were put in, they did the make-ready work and I took delivery 1/31.

From what I read on this thread, my experience was fairly typical--negotiate the extended warranty if you want it (I paid $925 for the 7/100/0) and hold out for MSRP on the options YOU want. Good luck.

johnw15 · April 2001

Our 2001 EX does the same thing. It somewhat worries me because it can not be good on the tranny. I have not discussed it with the dealer service dept. yet.

acsmith · April 2001

I think you've got a tranny problem. Run, do not walk, to your friendly Honda dealer and get it documented. KEEP A FILE OF THE SERVICE WRITER'S WRITEUP. You MUST retain the documentation in case you get into a dispute with Honda.

You need to be able to prove that you've made every reasonable effort to get the problem solved. (And, in fact, Honda doesn't want you coming back and back--messages on these threads indicate that dealers are pretty cooperative about tranny problems that show up early in the vehicle's life.)

Tranny hesitation is NOT a "normal" matter, nor is it characteristic of the Ody. Regardless whether or not you bought a Hondacare extended warranty, the tranny is covered for 3/36.

richcolo · April 2001

I'll agree with acsmith, though not quite as forcefully. I would describe the upshifts in my 1999 EX as crisp, but not butal...certainly nothing along the lines of hesitation or drag. When the engine and transmission are cold, the shifts are delayed until higher RPM, particularly the 1-2 upshift, which does seem strange at first. This delay is (of course) a "feature", documented in the "fabulous" manual as contributing to the "Low Emissions Vehicle" status by speeding engine and catalist warm up.

If I were you, I'd find another Odyssey and take it for a drive, to see if it acts like yours, if it does, then they probably all do it, and something is lost in translation when I compare what I think you mean with what I have experienced. If the other Odyssey shifts noticibly differently than yours, it's time to see the service manager.

phil47 · April 2001

I agree with richcolo. When I first got my 2001 EX, I noticed that it tended to late shift from 1-2 when cold. It felt like it was "hesitating", but it was just late shifting. I've been informed this is normal (when the engine is cold) and I don't notice it anymore. If this is what you are describing then I wouldn't be too concerned.

cshaull · April 2001

Hi-I am supposed to get my Ody this week and still am not sure what color I want -either the GG or the Emerald green (the dealer has both). I really like the beige interior of the Emerald but read one comment that it was hard to keep clean. Any comments on the interiors or exteriors? Thanks.

DTKWOK · April 2001

Hello,

I had posted this topic about a month ago concerning rough engagement of the reverse
gear from either D4 or N. The dealer had replaced the tranny (so they said) but kept the
original casing. For the first week or two after the replacement, everything seemed OK (not perfect), now it seems to go back to its old-self. So the questions are:

"Is there suppose to be a thud when going from D4 or N to R?" Did anyone else experience this? The thud is sort of like parking a car on a hill, putting it in park (without engaging the parking brake), letting it row forward/backward, and trying to shift out of park afterwards. BTW, do NOTt do what I just described! Thank you.

Druce

lumanski · April 2001

My wife had heard from a workmate that her tan interior did show "dirt" more. We are getting the Granite Green and hopefully that interior will hide dirt, spills, etc. better. No matter which interior we all get, I am wondering what is the best cloth protectant to put on it now. I haven't looked in a while but I thought I heard Skotch Guard was not sold anymore. Any advice?

jpc01 · April 2001

just wanted to say I got a lot of value out of reading this board prior to buying my gold EX. 3-4 weeks ago, called College Park Honda in College Park, MD about a Saturday paper ad - $800 below MSRP...$400 when factor the fine print for dest.

They guaranteed me no surprises

and 2 gold vans in stock...drove up from VA and took ad...beware to the uneducated buyer...they were ready to take me to the cleaners, but I was armed and ready...tried to pressure me hard on options like $400 mud guards, $500 cassette, etc. I laughed and I held the line and said I expected a deal - below MSRP...it helped that I was ready to walk (and almost did) and I was armed with cost knowledge on the van and accessories (handaparts.com). Final deal was gold EX with pinstriping, mudguards, cassette (I install myself), wheel locks, and free oil changes for MSRP. 4 hours total from time I walked in to time I drove out with van (I had my loan ready). So, MSRP + some extras is available in DC area.

My primary salesperson was Candy, who seemed to be honest, but very inexperienced. I'd recommend her based on honesty, and she did follow-thru with getting my cassette deck to me. Of course, I had to deal with the "round robin" of people and process wasn't fun.

thanks to everyone who posted, good luck and good driving!

neech7 · April 2001

My Ody does that from time to time when shifting into Reverse. My 98 Accord (auto shift) does it as well sometimes. I've driven many stick shift cars and they all seem to do it from time to time. It seems to happen more often if you shift into Reverse a little too soon than it would like, especially when the RPM is a little higher than what it should be at idle. Try making sure the car is completely stationary for a second or two and the RPM is back down to idle speed, then shift. That may help.

stever · April 2001

This is a bit of a scavenger hunt, but if you follow the breadcrumbs, there's some (perhaps pre '01 only?) tranny info discussed here:

steve_ "Honda Odyssey Problems VII" Apr 11, 2001 11:23am

Steve
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DTKWOK · April 2001

Thanks Neech7 and Steve,

I'll try out Neech7's suggestion and if that doesn't work, back to the dealer (2 more strikes and I get a new van!)

Druce

odyfan · April 2001

The reverse engagement noise you described is caused by "reverse selector" smashing against counter-shaft reverse gear. It is the wonderful design of Honda, Acura automatic transmission:). Make sure you come to complete stop before shifting from D4 to R or R to D4. otherwise, you will lose your reverse or 4th gear. I GAURANTEE it!

.
As far as noise is concerned, it will always be there due to design. replacing with a re-manufacturing unit will not fix it. I can't believe your dealer replaced your original trany. I think your dealer probably absorbed the cost of your tranny replacement because Honda is not going to re-imburse them. Honda has a TSB, #A00-065, that describes the engagement noise is normal. It only become a problem when after reverse gear is engaged, vehicle is accelerated and moved and a big loud bang is produced. a new tranny is then needed in that case.
The internal design of Honda, Acura automatic tranny, except Passport, are quite similar to manual transmission's. The noise you heard is normal and all automatic trany made by Honda, Acura have it.
BTW, the same type of noise is bad news on other make of automatic transmission (i.e, Toyota, GM, Ford, Maza, Isuzu, Honda Passport etc,...)

Happy driving

bwmin · April 2001

To lumanski, I bought scotch guard at Wallmart two days ago. I haven't tried yet.I hope it works very well.

auburn63 · April 2001

I see you have been reading again. Good answers on the trans questions. Most of the things people complain about are normal characteristics of these transmissions. They take time to get used to how they shift but for the most part last a long time. Anyhow just wanted to say good job on the homework....

DTKWOK · April 2001

Yes,

Honda-matics are wonderful things (I've read your theory about the synchros, or lack of). I suppose my tranny's ok, considering (1): it's been replaced (2) I've always came to a complete stop before shifting into a gear to go in the opposite direction and (3) after engaging R and moving, there is no problem whatsoever. So, I'll keep my fingers crossed! Thanks again for your support!

Regards,

Druce
2001 GG EX < 1500 miles

patel68 · April 2001

Today my wife took over the task of negotiations. One of the dealers who quoted us MSRP had a car come in but by the time she got there they told her another customer was interested in it and they were willing to pay more money. The salesman hinted that she could try to outbid the other customer but she got mad and walked out.

I submitted a request to one of the internet services today. They have two days to get the offers to me.

Given my wife's experience, I'm not willing to order the car since the dealer can just sell it to someone else if they want to.

odyfan · April 2001

Thanks for your kind words! I have to hide my service manual because my wife threaten to throw it into our fireplace

Thanks again for your previous help!

Happy driving

frank2001 · April 2001

Its great news that most of you are happy with your decisions regarding Odyssey....somehow as I went through my one year of research, I didn't get that impression when I reviewed the "Honda problems VII" section of the Edmunds...many problems still exist such as 66-75mph shimmy and tyranny, power doors..and the list has really grown...But I suppose if this was American car it would have been bashed...but most of you somehow seem to brush off all the problems that this van seems to have...anyway...I am happy with my purchase..and I have seen much less problems on Expedition board. Best of all, I paid below invoice for my purchase.

lumanski · April 2001

Good luck on your Expedition message board. I feel better with the "H" on the hood then the "blue oval" on the grill.

jasonh7 · April 2001

After reading the 2001 manual, I see no mention of optional use of premium fuel. The only information on fuel requirement is 86 octane or higher. Also, there is no mention of a 5hp increase with the optional use of premium fuel. The window sticker says 205hp engine, instead of 210. The dealership says Honda has changed the specs for 2001 to no longer require premium for 210hp - it will develop full power on 86 octane or higher. According to the manual, this is true, but only the window sticker says 205hp. The manual does not reference horsepower figures. I planned on using regular unleaded anyway, so it's fine with me, but is the 2001 now a 205 or 210hp engine?

dz6t · April 2001

The reason that you see more posts on the Ody problem fourm because Honda drivers tend to have higher expectation regarding Honda products.

rxseven7 · April 2001

I purchased my Odyssey EX at MSRP from Rosenthal Honda in Tysons Corner, VA. I knew that I was willing to pay only MSRP with no additional options (I had no trade-in). Most dealers did not have any Odyssey's; so I went to Rosenthal (not known to have the best reputation).

I simply walked in and told them I would pay MSRP. They laughed, so I walked out and went to drive away (I figured the chances were 50/50 that they would come and get me). They actually let me start driving before the sales manager came out of the dealership and stood in front of my car and said $500 over MSRP. I said no. He said that I was crazy and good luck... I would never get that price.

So I rolled my window up, and started driving; then they sent a salesman out in the shuttle van to come and get me as I drove off. I drove back to the dealership and they agreed on MSRP with no options. They gave me the VIN # and I waited two weeks for the van. BTW, my wife loves the van.

The whole process of purchasing the van took less than 15 minutes. Why hassle with a long time negotiating... just offer list (or your price), and if they don't like it just walk out. That's the quickest way to know whether they will do MSRP. Which most will.

Good luck everyone!

frank2001 · April 2001

Dz..I agree with you on having expectations...well everyone wants that however to me expectations means, better stereo, leather seats, 4x4 or AWD..etc,. Having to take your brand new or a year old for tranny replacement or sliding door jamms and malfunctions or shimmy at 65mph is a complaint not expectation...maybe I am too old and these are expected..but as long as you folks have the patience for repairs...more power to you. I would not hestitate to use the lemon low.

Lumanski, If the sales records of F-150 and Mustangs don't impress you...I don't know what will..perhaps your Odyssey...but my point was given the fact that prices were same, I picked Expedition over Odyssey for its 4x4 and towing and room. Honda Odyssey is a great van...however I think it needs couple of years to wash off the remnants of Issuzu Oasis. They need to put the same quality they put in their Accords and Acuras into this product. Once they do it...I will buy their van.

DTKWOK · April 2001

Frank2001,

Thank you for sharing your opinions in a civilized non-threatening manner. To answer your question, IMO I think there are two reasons: (1) Many Ody owners previously had good/great experiences with a Hondas in the past and (2) we feel that the foreign car companies do a better job of taking care of its customers than the domestics. Case in point, my dealer called me up and asked how I liked my van and whether or not I had noticed anything "not right" with the tranny. I said "yes", took the van to the dealer, test drove with them for about 3 minutes, then they offered to replace the tranny with a new one, no hassle. Compare that to the owners of DC vans and the Windstar, and you get the idea. There are problems which crop up in a couple of cars that get fixed and there are those that affect the whole product line but never gets resolved. (Think back when the Expedition first came out, they weren't exactly trouble free either, even after the first couple of years.)
The question is, given your towing capacity needs, do you think any minivan would have met those needs? The Windstar? If you feel that you need an Expedition for this, the obvious answer would be "no". To us, the Odyssey is the best van available out there, for us. Notice I didn't say that it was a perfect van. Okay, name me one minivan that is perfect, free from any problems I doubt that any car company will ever make a van that's equal to or surpasses the quality in its cars. (The Sienna is close, but still has some issues.)
As for MSRP, that is just a number derived by bean counters. I'm sure that many Ody owners would assign an MSRP higher than what it currently is, so the argument is a pretty moot one IMHO. Some of us simply don't need 4WD or 6500 - 7200 lb towing capacity period. Nice to have, but not essential. In return, we get a better handling vehicle with better gas mileage and comfort (subjective of course). Enjoy your
Expedition and happy wheelin'! Good day.

DTKWOK

stever · April 2001

So you are getting (did get?) a new (2nd?) tranny? Did any of the stuff mentioned in those Accord links have any bearing on what was/is/could be wrong with your present tranny? Or did Odyfan's fix fix it? Thanks for straightening out my confusion :-) btw, I think you need to update your email in your profile.

Steve
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sam7068 · April 2001

Steve,

I hear rumours that Joe Isuzu is being rebaged next year to increase Honda sales. He will
advertise as Joe Honda..Any truth to that?..since Isuzu can't sell their cars ..they want to do another Odyssey/Passport run for the bank...what is your thought on it?

stever · April 2001

I'll think I'll ask paisan:-) Mike, you around?

Steve
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DTKWOK · April 2001

Steve,

I have already got my new tranny last month. The tranny never failed, it was just a thud when shifting to R from either D4 or N. But after shifting, everything worked perfectly, both in forward and reverse direction. Now, I still hear a thud but not as pronounced. Odyfan's suggestion works from time to time (I never change to a reversing gear until the car is at a dead stop). So, all in all very happy with my van!

Druce

paisan · April 2001

I don't think he'll do any honda commercials. And the Isuzus are the best bang for your $ SUVs hands down. Routinely go to 200K miles, w/o problems, and are the most capable out of the box suvs <$30K selling price (that includes loaded Troopers)

I don't think the odessey would fit into their target audience. The nex Axiom may be re-badged as a hond passport in 2003 or 2004 though. Which would be good for honda.

-mike

hayneldan · April 2001

According to the J D Power survey the 2000 Honda Oddyssy has the lowest initial quality rating of any Honda made, not counting the Passport, which is made by Isuzu.

carleton1 · April 2001

I am looking forward to the delivery of my sister's new 2001 Taffeta White Odyssey EX. They are now #2 on the dealer's waiting list for a 2001 Taffeta White Odyssey EX. Will be nice to be able to have a close side-by-side comparison of her Taffeta White Odyssey EX and my 2 year old Bright White GC SE. I hope her new Ody EX has zero problems in 25,040 miles and 24+ months like my GC SE.
Since she is now driving a 1979 Chevrolet Impala 4 door sedan (inherited from our mother) and her husband has a 1997 Nissan King Cab 4 cyl pickup, the new Odyssey EX will be a "great leap forward" in room and comfort.

javahound · April 2001

Just saw Joe doing a new Isuzu "Axiom" (is it?) ad. Not sure where they are going with that... and if it will do any good?

javahound · April 2001

Finally got around to putting my Clarion subwoofer in the Ody. Makes a HUGE difference! I would recommend to anyone who is thinking of getting a boost out of the Ody system.

msibille · April 2001

Something smells fishy about what you were told.

We've had 3 Odys (long story) and 2 had trannies replaced while we had them. We were told that Honda would not allow the dealer to rebuild the tranny of these relatively new vehicles. Essentially, it was said that Honda wanted all problem trannies sent to them and that they wanted to take no chances on a dealer rebuild.

So, if that is true and if you still in fact have the same transmission case, your dealer is trying to pull one over on you. Perhaps the other posts that said the dealer "probably absorbed the cost" were close, though not precise. Your dealer may have just tried a few things to improve the situation and then told you that he replaced the tranny, hoping that the psych factor would kick in.

I'd check into this further if I were you.

FWIW, the wife still LOVES her Ody. But the overall experience has been a challenging one. I would consider another Honda (the Ody was our first), but I'm certainly not sold on them. My wife said that she doesn't intend to buy another Honda. But she loves this one, so you figure it out.

Have a Happy and Holy Easter.

acsmith · April 2001

Your report is that the dealer is selling his in-stock Odys for MSRP++. As I noted before, I think that's to be expected.

To get 'em for MSRP, and you control the cost of the options, you have to order it from the upcoming allocations. The dealer KNOWS what's coming--color, NAV, etc., and can assign one to you, in advance, well in advance of manufacturing. I suggest that you (or your wife) go to a reputable dealer, explain what you want, and what you expect to pay, and ask them what they have coming in, within the next couple of months. If they will sell for MSRP (and walk if they won't), you only now need to get it in writing.

They should be willing to show you the printout from the factory--there are no prices on the report, so nothing confidential. Pick what you want that the dealer has not commited to another customer, submit a purchase agreement, get it signed by the manager (does ANY dealer let the salesman/woman do ANYTHING on their own :-) ??) give them a deposit ($500 is typical in the Washington, DC area) and your wait for a couple of months begins.

I don't know where you are, but this thread covers dozens of dealers nationwide who will sell at MSRP. See my prior post about Pohanka H. of Fredericksburg, VA. Odys at MSRP, with options at MSRP ARE available, as long as you are willing to wait a bit for the shipment to arrive. Good luck!

acsmith · April 2001

The 2001 Ody is rated at 205 HP with regular gas and 210 HP with Premium gas. You also get a bit more torque with premium. Betcha none of us can tell the differrence!!!

billg7 · April 2001

I have never even tried premium gas in my 2000 Odyssey. When you consider that they get you by charging another 20 cents for it, or about 12% more. Thats equivalent to about a 12% drop in gas mileage, I think. It has always run just fine on regular.

Perhaps if I was carrying a heavy load or driving in the mountains, I would consider the premium.

OT: I see if you have AOL, as your internet service provider, you can expect that things are going to slow down, on Holidays. It took a long time for even the "Buddy List" to come up

DTKWOK · April 2001

I definitely wouldn't put it past the dealer to try to pull one over me. On my repair statement it reads:

"Cause: Internal Gearing Failure
218102 Transmission/Torque Converter -
Exchange. This OP# for Auto Tran
Rebuild Program Only. S/B 90-014.
(Trans)
5027WHSC3..."

Now as I stated before, I have no other Ody transmission to compare it to (they claim no test drives on incoming Ody's.), but I figured I'll probably go to another dealer to see if they can fix this problem (if it is one). Thanks for your follow up.

Druce

h20guy · April 2001

I think you mean MPV heated up but that was fun to watch, I'm glad your sister made her choice of
ody its a good van and I'm sure your recomendation to her to buy an ody helped alot. As far as comparing one van to the other side by side let me know what you think I haven't had that chance yet. BTW as you know we have a 1k,2k,3k, ody LX taffeta white and are very very happy with it if you know what I mean. %}} I think I got em.

Honda Odyssey 1999 - 2004

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