Honda Odyssey 1999 - 2004

slocko · January 2001

Saw a potential dangerous situation the other day with my car seat and my 2 and a half son. My wife had the newborn in her hands and on her way out with her free hand she undid the bottom latches of the carseat. While I was waiting for her to exit I saw my son attempt to slide out without the tops clasps of the seat being undone. He slid down and the top clasps began choking him because his feet didn't reach the ground. I quickly undid them before he even had a chance to experience any discomfort.

It just goes to show you that you never should really leave a child unattended for even a minute. If he had been by himself and would have undid the bottom snaps, which he is very capable of, who knows what might have happened. Maybe his weight wouldn't have been enough to actually choke him, but maybe in a panic situation wild movements could have wedged it tighter.

Scary isn't it?

gfc4us · January 2001

Ody remains #1 choice for at least one more year. Most Ody owners love Ody's power, size, safety rating, and 3rd seat. Of course Ody is not perfect, e.g., noisy and poor reliability. In fact, Ody will be getting worse. In the coming CR April Auto issue, Ody 1999 will be on the list of Used Car to Avoid, which will hurt Ody's resale value and image. Hopefully, Ody 2000 will not be on the list of Used Car to Avoid in CR April 2002 Auto issue. Otherwise, you will have a hard time to make a choice between Ody and Windstar. By the way, NHTSA now rates Quest/Villager 2001 as 5/5 stars for front crash and 5/4 stars for side crash. IIHS has not retested offset crash on Quest/Villager 2001 yet.

caviller · January 2001

The IIHS does not usually re-test vehicles that are substantially unchanged from the previous year. Vans like Odyssey and Quest are listed as being current for the 2001 MY, while others like the revised Chrysler vans have not been tested.

I have other minivan and child safety links at http://www.caviller.com

frank2001 · January 2001

We are flipping coin between Quest/Odyssey. I owned 98 Quest with 68K mile and had no problem. However we were looking for bigger Van. So far the odds are with another Quest. Here are the family members comments on both Van:

Wife: "Odyssey drives like a bus/Quest drives like a car, Odyssey too noisy".
Kids: Like the Lemo style seating as oppose to row seating and Leather seats do handle spills better.
Myself: I can get the Quest for $4500 Less compare to LX with no waiting or flying!!

Saftey is my big concern: However wife says "I am too paranoid, and maybe I should buy Humvee or Ford Excursion". The 2001 Quest does have 5 stars now.
Checked the consumer report and not too happy with '99 Odyssey's reliability rating. I hate to pay high price now and be sorry later...Decisions..decisions!!!

dmathews3 · January 2001

You may pay $4500 less for the Quest but in about 3 years you will be out more than that since they aren't going to make anymore of them. Every vehicle that they quit making loses a lot of it's resale value. So I wouldn't be surprised if in 3 years the Honda will be worth $10,000 more than the Quest.

phil47 · January 2001

Doesn't sound like you need to make a decision at all. Sounds like you've already made up your mind.

When I was shopping for minivans 5 months ago, it eventually came down to the DC and Honda products (size/capacity being a big factor). I looked very seriously at the Quest as I'm a real Nissan fan (I absolutely love my 2001 Pathfinder LE). What eventually sold me on the Ody was the safety (NHTSA & IIHS), capacity, flexibility, finish quality, power, handling, power sliding doors and magic seat. Cost was not a primary concern when it came to a vehicle I would likely be hanging on to for 5-7 years. The biggest drawbacks to the Ody for me were the sound system (weak), the lack of a stock entertainment system, and no AWD. I am subsequently pleased with how well the traction control system works on the ODY, and how abundant, cheap and versatile aftermarket entertainment systems are becoming. I hope to have one installed for the summer travelling season.

sam7068 · January 2001

DMathews and others. It is true that Nissan will have a very short run for the Quest 2002. However they will be back for 2004 model. Actually it will be introduced on May of 2003. The new Quest probably a new name will be all Japanese however the Interior of the Cabin will be all Renault. This is for the CABIN ONLY. The link below gives you more details about its look. It will be the first Van with standard side airbags and side curtains and lot more goodies inside.

http://www.renault.com/gb/produits/espace.htm. Its rumored that Nissan may even put the new V8 engine as an option on the GLE models. As with other Nissan products, it will be the best deal dollar for dollar ($$$ is the key word here).

drew_ · January 2001

Since you mentioned you're concerned about safety, perhaps you should review the following links with your wife:

http://www.crashtest.com/explanations/nhtsa/usncap.htm
http://www.hwysafety.org/vehicle_ratings/ce/html/summary_passvans.htm
http://www.hwysafety.org/vehicle_ratings/ce/html/98024.htm
http://www.hwysafety.org/vehicle_ratings/ce/html/97026.htm
http://www.hwysafety.org/vehicle_ratings/ce/html/98023.htm
http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/ncap/ncap.cfm?lookup=yes&vehclass=van&vehdesc=Van

Good luck!

Drew
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Vans and Aftermarket & Accessories message boards

grplavloff · January 2001

"Until someone shows us measured decibels posting #755 is merely an assertion.
..."

I was responding to your previous sales copy.

Having test-driven the "major" minivans in the
last 4 weeks, it is clear to me that the Odyssey
is noiser than the T&C, the Caravan, and the Sienna, and generally on par with the Quest.

grplavloff · January 2001

"You may pay $4500 less for the Quest but in about 3 years you will be out more than that since they aren't going to make anymore of them. ....."

Three years is just about the time that Honda will
come out with a new version of the Odyssey, knocking down the value of the current one.

cwneed · January 2001

I am in the process of searching for a used Odyssey. I have found a 99EX with low miles (25,000). I have done my research about the vans and I believe it's a solid van with many features. Can anyone provide pros/cons that would assist me in my final decision? Things to watch out for etc. I am aware of the weak audio system, but that is not a problem. Thanks for the input.

odd1 · January 2001

Can we keep this to an exchange of info and experiences? We all have our personal preferences that go into making the decision of buying a vehicle. This isn't a competition for who got the best deal for themselves. I really appreciate all the info I get here on all models and have looked into ones that I had not considered before. But, I can do without all the acrimony. I hope everyone gets the info they want and purchase the right vehicle for themselves and report on their experiences for the rest of us to learn from. Please stop the attacks on each others' decisions and decision making criteria.

stever · January 2001

Nice post, but wishful thinking I'm afraid:-). Must be human nature for my fellow Questers (and others) to come to an Odyssey discussion and try to rag on the competition instead of simply pointing out the advantages and weak spots of the various minivans out there. Would be better perhaps to take the comparison arguments to the Great Minivan Debate or one of the other "vs" discussions.

Steve_
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dmathews3 · January 2001

The Quest is going away in 2002. Good! Coming back under another name in 2004. If the Quest was such a great vehicle they would never rename it something else. When a manufacturer has name reconition they don't change the name to something else.
The new Quest or whatever the call it will have a Cabin built by Renault. The only cabin I would except from Renault would be on a Huffy Bike. Renault makes some of the world worst cars. So now the Quest can go from bottom feeder to junkyard dog.

stever · January 2001

Something tells me you didn't read my post just above (#771):-). You guys wanna try to get back on topic or perhaps I should delete the last bunch of "my van is better than yours" posts? Or maybe I should just rename this discussion "WWF Meets the Minivan."

Steve_
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isellhondas · January 2001

A Quest with a RENAULT interior???

Well...I guess it could be worse...:)

It could be a Renault engine or (gasp) Renault electrical system!

Say it isn't so!!

odd1 · January 2001

Maybe you should start a Quest vs. Odyssey board. It seems the demand is there for it.

Evandermel · January 2001

Perhaps this will get things back on topic.

My 01 EX van has proven to be flawless since I got it in early December. Not one issue or problem. 100% Honda. My wife is completely pleased, and it goes wonderfully in snow. The product is worth the aggrevation of the purchase process. For those waiting, hang in there.

Cordially,
Eric V.

thomasi · January 2001

Our '01 LX has been everything we wanted - roomy, dependable, good performance - overall very solid. Wife is also very happy since we got rid of '98 Expedition which was very N-dependable and a severe gas hog.

kprn94 · January 2001

I have lost nights of sleep wondering and praying I made the right decision to buy an Odyssey instead of a Windstar. After reading CR,I choose the Honda. I know Honda's are supossed to run forever, but is the Odyssey losing it's reliability? I read so many different reports on them. I could have gotten a fully loaded Windstar SEL, that ford doesn't make 13,000 over 5 years, like Honda does. But, then I don't have a Honda... Please give me some encouraging news that I bought the right car. I drove both the Windstar and Ody, the Ody. was so much better.... Help my mind be at ease. I haven't picked up the Odyssey yet...I used to drive an Expedition, I was so sick of visiting the gas station every other day. I didn't want to bounce around in that huge SUV any more.......

grplavloff · January 2001

"This is a topic for people to discuss their experiences with the Ody. Why a Quest owner should want to come here and harangue us is beyond me. Perhaps grplavloff should look at the Edmunds comparison that includes the Ody and the Quest. Inteesting reading."

1. I do not own a Quest.
2. I have no interest in buying a Quest.
3. I have read the Edmunds comparison. I do admit
that I did not know that it was the authoritative
document on the subject. But in any case, nothing
that I said disputes what The Edmunds Comparison
proclaims.

4. Automobiles, vans,SUVs, etc are simply consumer
products made by very large companies with their
own agendas.
5. Focusing specifically on vans, each one has its
advantages and disadvantages AND the determination
of what is an advantage or disadvantage will vary
from person to person according to his/her circum-
stances and needs. And all of the vans have strengths
and weaknesses. Simple concepts, eh ? But one that
some people here can't seem to accept.

6. I am having a difficult time deciding what to buy:
none of the vans are perfect and, as an atheist, I
find it very difficult to become religious about any
one of them.

7. Vans are simply consumer products made by very large
companies with their own agendas.
8. It appears that there are many people in our society
who have a need to establish their sense of self-worth
by connecting it to a specific consumer product. They
act as tho a criticism of the PRODUCT (a CONSUMER GOODS
ITEM, a MACHINE) is a personal attack on them. It's sad.

billg7 · January 2001

Well I have had the same problem in my life. I tend to have buyers regret and second guess myself. Well as I said before I spent months deciding on a car. I borrowed a Windstar from a used car dealer and drove it about 250 miles. I then test drove an Odyssey. Lets review some of the comparisons. I liked the Odyssey better. I liked the ride better as it is a more controlled ride whereas the Windstar moves around a lot. The Odyssey has faster smaller motions and the Winstar has larger slower motions. As for the noise well for some reason Consumer reports rates the noise as more bothersome on the Windstar then the Odyssey. I have never been bothered by the noise on the Odyssey and don't understand why others see that as a problem. And I am very bothered by noise. But as a previous poster has posted you can undercoat the car and that cuts down the noise level a lot. I think the noise problem may be in the imagination as if you think it is a problem you will think it has a noise problem when it doesn't. Popular Mechanics tested the car and found no noise problem.

In summary I have test drove both of the vehicles and I have a lot of experance driving cars and I liked the Odyssey the best. Also I like the fold away seat and the safety. As far as the reliability is concerned get a 7/100/0 Honda Care warranty and then you can forget about the reliability. The Windstar according to CR has a poor reliability. It's realiabiliy is worse then the Odyssey. I don't think you will have a problem with a 2001. The relaibility problems were with the first model 1999, but a 7 year 100k mile warranty for about $900 takes care of a lot of relaability problems

I had my choice of cars and after a lot of testing a research I choice the Odyssey and I have no regrets. I suggest you read Consumer Reports. They rate the Odyssey on top as does a number of others. But don't ever expect to get the perfect car. Their is no such thing and you will spend a lot of wasted worrying wondering if you bought the perfect car, which you can never do.

I believe I have given you my unbiased evaluation as I could have bought any van and after careful thought I bought the Odyssey. I have no regrets and I would have if the Odyssey did not live up to my expectations.

javahound · January 2001

"Holy"
"as an atheist"

Are we going to make this a "spiritual" discussion now? What does "being against God" have to do with vans?

TO: I just bought an Odyssey!!! by kprn94
I am sure the WS is a nice van. I like some of Ford's products, but I have one friend that just had to replace his WS's engine- out of his pocket... you know how warranty's are!

The Ody was the best for us and I have never heard someone say... "This Honda is a piece of junk!" I have had mine for 3 weeks and it's great!

Peace!

billg7 · January 2001

I see you did read Consumers Reports. Look at the January 2001 issue available at your library. the Odyssey reliability based on the 1999 model is rated "average" and the noise is rated "very good"

For the Windstar the reliability is rated "very poor" and the noise is rated "average".

Also the Windstar is ranked number six whereas the Odyssey is ranked number one.

But I really have no axe to grind. I wish less people wanted Odysseys so I would not have had to wait the 4 months, that I did.

mojo66 · January 2001

.....and look what happens. Dubya is sitting in the Oval Office ("daddy, what's this button do...") and Quest lovers are picking a fight with us Ody owners again. I am proud to say I've never visited a Quest topic, maybe 'cause I'm confident I made the right choice in the first place. Okay, Steve, I'll put down the gasoline can ;-)

Reading here about road noise and I'm wondering, does anybody use their minivan to haul kids?? I don't know about yours, but my kids make enough noise of their own to drown out anything coming from outside the van. If I want a quiet ride, I leave the kids at home and take the sedan. I guess everyone has their own list of what's important. Our top priorities centered around what was important for carrying kids: five-star safety, LOTS of interior room, good power for freeway on-ramps, ease of converting seating to cargo space (the magic 3rd seat is great), and a comfortable ride, all at a decent price.

So far, our 2001 Odyssey EX has delivered with flying (GG) colors. Four months old today and it has been 100% trouble-free. Very happy with it overall, and would recommend the Odyssey to anyone whose priorities in what they are looking for in a minivan are similar to those mentioned above. If, in addition, you want factory leather, a megawatt stereo, Lexus-quality noise levels (hope your kids let you enjoy the quiet ride), the ability to haggle with a dealer over '$300 above invoice', or electric tailgates, then save yourself some time and look elsewhere.

grplavloff · January 2001

"You're sounding kinda bitter there buddy...relax, it's just a BOARD, a POSTING, someone's OPINION.
"

Sorry, just because I don't lockstep with the bandwagon doesn't have anything to do with "bitter." If you truly believed in the second half of your sentence, you would realize that.

morry1 · January 2001

We own a Honda ex 1999 have had to bring in the car for door repair due to a constant alarm that would go off every 2-3 minutes Honda fixed it at no charge and gave us a rental for the day it took. (very nice) but now 1 month later the same door wont even open by power and the alarm is constant. Has any one experienced this and is there a recall out there?

DTKWOK · January 2001

Hi,

I've been lurking among these discussion boards for a couple of months and am trying to decide between a LX and an EX model. I had some questions on some accessories:

1. How much does the dealer charge for the roof rack crossbars on an EX? If I went for the LX, I could install the rack with crossbars for less than $300 (hondaparts.com).

2. How well do you think the leather seats in the third row will hold up if it is stowed and lifted out often?

Thanks in advance.

auburn63 · January 2001

In 1919 there was a recall out on the door latches and remote assemblies but you probably have had them done by now. Then there was an updated release of the recall that had some of the vans originally repaired plus some 2000's.You may want to check and see if you have had that one or were a part of that one.Other than that there are service bulletins out for your complaint also so ask if they have performed them.

Most recent imformation that hasn't been released in print yet is that there have updated junction switch plates made available for Vans with all the update latches and bulletins done but still experiancing problems. You will probably have to ask them to call tech line for that info and if it pertains to you.

Your complaint is usally associated with bad(dirty or mis-aligned)junction switches but not limited to that.Now with the door no longer working by power you have set a code on the computer(most likely a code 25) which also has a bulletin out for its repair. keep us posted and if you cant get to the dealer soon I can tell you how to reset the door but it would be best to leave it alone so dealer can access the code.Good luck.

doepel · January 2001

I have owned my 01EX for 1.5 months and 1200 miles. It has spend 1/3 this time in the repair shop for sliding door rattles, broken sliding door latch motor, door misalignment, rear vent window broken motor, gas door latch broken, and drivers side front window rattle. I've never owned a new vehicle with so many body component hardware failures. I've owned mazda, vw and chevy.

I'm highly suspicous that quality control on the asaembly line is being sacrificed to keep the line moving at a high rate inorder to meet production demand.

Honda had better start focusing on build quality if it wants to maintain its image and customer base.

I am close to considering invocation of the lemon law. A sad reflection on my part regarding what is a well engineered van but suffering from lousy assembly. My '99 Mazda Millenia S, has such good build quality that the rubber doors stops are not adjustable. Honda's are adjustable to allow minor correction of alignment errors. Never had any failure with my Mazda.

slpmom · January 2001

if honda is compromising their quality on the line, they certainly aren't the first. my husband worked as an inspector at a ford plant during college. he was told not to flag as many vehicles for repair at the plant as he was. they told him that they would catch the repairs later at the dealership.....

stoltzie · January 2001

Well we have had our 2001 TW ODY EX for about two months and have accumulated 3400 miles. We traded are 99 CSS ODY LX for it and would like to add my anecdotal thoughts to this thread.

We loved the 99 but traded since we wanted the feature content of the EX. We lucked out as we were out of town visiting my 99 Windstar SEL owning parents and their local Honda dealer had it on the lot.

Honda has improved the speakers (Very noticible not as tinny) and the Michelin tires are measurably better than the Firestone Affinities. The van is quieter than the 99 and I think the build quality tolerances are tighter as well.

We have had no problems with the Power doors. I did leave a door open and discovered the 01 will shut the dome lights off automatically.

The climate control is virtually set it and forget. We've survived several weeks of below zero (Christmas was -17 below with a windchill of -40) and the van started each time after sitting outside overnight without being plugged in.

It seems each vehicle I have owned is never perfect and this Ody seems to have a quirk with its gas gauge. The 99 was calibrated almost perfectly. It took 10 gallons of gas to fill the tank if it the needle was at the 1/2 hash mark. Ten gallons fills the 01 when the needle is closer to 1/4 tank. My wife commented that the new Ody is a gas hog but when refilling it the actual mileage is close to the 99. The needle does drop fast and the low fuel light illuminates with 7 gallons in the tank.

One comment about Consumer Reports. It was noted in a post above that the 99 Ody will be on the cars to avoid list. This was never mentioned in the January Minivan comparison and the Ody had the highest score.

Family Feud update: Parents still love their Windstar. Mom was a little dismayed that our '99 ODY LX commanded a higher resale value than their SEL.

grplavloff · January 2001

"One comment about Consumer Reports. It was noted in a post above that the 99 Ody will be on the cars to avoid list. This was never mentioned in the January Minivan comparison and the Ody had the highest score.
"

The Odyssey got CR's best "score" among all minivans in CR's overall evaluation of minivans. That is separate from recommending a vehicle, however: CR will recommend a vehicle if it does well in its evaluation AND if it rates at least average in its problem incident surveys (CR rates quality statistically by analyzing repair history surveys answered by readers).

CR also has a recommended used car list and a used-car-to-avoid list. The second is based exclusively (almost exclusively ?) on which vehicles rated signficantly below average in problems.

The Odyssey rated average for problems according to CR's latest minivan article, which was in last month's issue. So unless there is a signficant and unexpected change in the next few months, the Odyssey will not appear on the used-car-to-avoid list. It is CR's highest-rated minivan, and is one of the minivans recommended by CR, since it received the highest evaluation score and it received an average rating for problems.

gmsmells · January 2001

Have a 87 Accord for past 14 years and still works fine some rust but kicking. Looking for a new Odyssey,I like the features of the ex model but the power doors worry me. I live in i. so the winter weather also is a concern on the doors.
Does Honda do any kind of dealing on this model?
Does anybody still get rustproofing?
thanks

caviller · January 2001

See my post back on 12/13 (around #316).
In an e-mail response, CR confirmed to me that the 1999 Odyssey had a rating far below average. This is why the overall projection dropped to average in the review, from well above average in the previous review of the 1999 EX and in the April, 2000 Car edition.

I do not know if that necessarily means the 1999 Odyssey will be on the Used car list to avoid.

jachens · January 2001

Has anyone out there installed the Keyless locks themselves on an ODY LX??? Any TIPS or recommendations you'd like to give me before I start to install mine? I bought the genuine HONDA products with very detailed instructions at HANDA-ACCESSORIES.COM for $158 !!

grplavloff · January 2001

"In an e-mail response, CR confirmed to me that the 1999 Odyssey had a rating far below average...."

I just checked the CR site. The `99 Odyssey has dropped to the
"worse than average" ranking in reliability. The `00 Odyssey is
ranked as "average". However, the only Honda listed in the used-
car-to-avoid list is the Passport for the 95 to `99 model years.

CR gives a fair amount of information about how their reliability rankings are derived. The "executive summary", using a specific year as a for-instance, is as follows:

"For each model, this details the problem rates in 14 trouble
spots, such as engine, transmission, brakes, and so forth. These
data are derived from annual surveys of Consumer Reports'
subscribers, covering experiences with hundreds of thousands of
vehicles. On the 1999 Annual Questionnaire, readers were asked
about "serious" problems that occurred between April 1998 and
March 1999. We received responses covering more than 500,000
vehicles. Only models with sufficient responses are included... "

kprn94 · January 2001

I am so glad I bought the Ody. I bought it in PA and I live in NY. I got it for $2000 less. The dealers in N are adding $2000 to the sticker. I will be getting it next week, I can't wait. My husband is still trying to tell me we should have bought another SUV. I hope this snow starts to melt. I"ll never make it up my driveway. How are they in the snow? I am still a little concerned about the talk of noise and reliability. I can't recall the noise factor when I test drove one. You're right about the fact, if you think there is a noise problem, there will be one! Thanks again. It was a war to get the Ody. They had people waiting on line. They must be doing something right at Honda. Thanks!! KPRN94

davidthompson · January 2001

First of all, FWIW, we now have 18 months and 30,000 miles on our 99 EX, and have had absolutely no problems whatsoever - just as one would expect from Honda.

I am posting to ask if anyone can tell me, or perhaps point me a to a site that describes, how to replace a side mirror. Thanks to some creative backing by my dear wife, our driver side mirror was crushed.

I got the part (replacing the entire unit, not just the glass) online, and it really looks like it should be a very simple installation, so much so that even though I don't consider myself especially handy at such things, I figure I should be able to do it myself. Looks like just a matter of screwing in a couple of bolts. The problem is, I can't figure out how to access those bolts...

Any help will be appreciated.

David

caviller · January 2001

Good to see their website confirms what they said in their e-mail.

The previous post I referenced also contains the areas which were affecting the lower reliability, according to the same e-mail.

blamecanada · January 2001

I had a similar problem with my 2000EX. The door wouldn't shut properly and the alarm would ring. It turned out to be the motor that pulls the door shut at the end of its run. It had to be replaced (dealer had one in stock) and it has worked since.

According to the mechanic, the old motor seemed to work fine on the bench but wouldn't work in once installed. Happy with the fix and the dealer. Irritated by the alarm.

stever · January 2001

I did a search for "99 Odyssey Side view Mirror" at www.deja.com and found one post that may help you. It said to lower the window, remove the mirror mount cover by prying off the bottom and pulling from the top, remove 4 bolts, and then remove the clip and pull the mirror off. Take a look at the deja post for a better description (maybe this link will work).

Steve_
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jskliutas · January 2001

Can you tell me where in PA you got your Odyssey for $2000 under MSRP. I too live in NY.

Thanks

John

EM-ail me at JSkliutas@aol.com

billg7 · January 2001

"Can you tell me where in PA you got your Odyssey for $2000 under MSRP. I too live in NY"

"I am so glad I bought the Ody. I bought it in PA and I live in NY. I got it for $2000 less. The dealers in N are adding $2000 to the sticker. I will be getting it next week"

Could it be that it is saying he got it for $2000 less in PA then what the dealers in NY are charging which is $2000 over sticker, therefore he got it for MSRP. The paragraph appers to be a bit of riddle to solve. This board should have a riddle solver in addition to a Check Spelling perhaps

dj5 · January 2001

By going to PA kprn94 was able to buy for MSRP not $2000 below MSRP.

The $2000 NY dealer add-on to MSRP was the savings.

jamescanine · January 2001

Gladly picked up our GG LX on the 20th of January. Liked EX, but decided to go with LX and use the $2500 of saved money to get leather interior from a Classic Soft Trim Distributor for $1370 including tax and installation. Additionally still had money left over to get the Honda Care 7 year/100K mile/0 deductible. Had dealer install complete roof rack, keyless remote entry, and splash guards (thrown in for "free"). Got the keyless entry for $265, complete roof rack for $295, and ATF cooler for $249. Total (including doc fee, delivery) was $25954 including the above and also with the cargo net and spash guards. Thus, paid slightly more than an EX, but for our purposes we liked the LX better with the add-ons. Didn't care to get the power sliding doors, and the LX has plenty of power options for our purposes. I've had alloy wheels previously (not that big a deal). Furthermore, adjusting the climate control manually isn't too bothersome. I prefer Michelins, but my wife's Firestone affinities lasted for 82,000 miles with some tread remaining on her last car. Glad we went with the Honda Care Warranty especially with hearing the reports of the 99's being rated below average in reliability. Went with Odyssey for Honda's known reliability (hope the initial 99 year was an aberration). My 1990 acura integra has 140,000 miles and is still going strong. My extended warranty on my integra paid for itself after the cruise and A/C had problems after the original warranty had expired. Liked the Sienna a lot, but we now have 2 children and a 75 lb. dog (he fits perfectly in the rear area). The magic seat and larger rear cargo area were very compelling. Also felt that the cost for the van and options desired was better than on the Sienna. It will be nice when family comes to visit that we can all take one car most of the time. Many have argued that the Sienna has a better standard warranty, which it does but the 7 year honda care for about $900 isn't a bad deal IMHO with the complexity of cars and expensive repair costs. I have several friends with 99 and 00 odysseys with excellent satisfaction and a lack of any problems. Know some Sienna owners, who are also very satisfied, but one did have the torque converter problem and a faulty seal on the engine. CR rates the Sienna more reliable, but I hope the 01 Odysseys favor better. Finally, the van with only 160 miles on it drives straight (no significant drift!), drives and shifts smoothy, has no steering wheel click, gas gauge went to full at least on first fill up, no clunk on backing up but still have a half a tank of fuel, doesn't seem extraordinarily noisy inside (can barely hear engine as compared to my acura), sliding doors open and close smoothly, no apparent shaking at speeds up to 75 mph, and no significant wind noise from the roof rack or its cross bars. Glad we went with the Odyssey LX (TCS is also standard now for the 01s). Best regards and happy driving.

jskliutas · January 2001

Hello again:

I live in Upstate NY and the price I found for the EX is about $26,400 which I believe is the MSRP. Not sure if dealer has added $2000.Can some confirm that$26,400(without destination fee or accessories)is the MSRP?

Thanks

John

2001ody · January 2001

Please describe the 'steering wheel clicking' noise. Is this a problem which must be corrected? If so, what is the fix. Thanks.

mojo66 · January 2001

Yes, MSRP on a 2001 EX is $26,400.

dj5 · January 2001

Had my SS EX for a week now and just replaced the headlight bulbs with PIAA E-TREME white replacements. I was amazed at the difference. The headlights almost look like the xenon headlights on my Acura TL. The light is very white as opposed to the yellow given off by the halogen bulbs. Also replaced the back-up lights with a slightly brighter bulb. Also gives a very white light compared to the yellow. Headlight bulb replacements were approx. $120 and back-ups were approx. $30. Took about 15-20 minutes for me to install. Don't know if it really gives off more light as I haven't had the opportunity to drive on a dark street, but I like the white light they produce.

Honda Odyssey 1999 - 2004

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