2011 Honda Odyssey Discussion
coupedncal
Member Posts: 252
in Honda
I'd like to open discussion for 2011 Honda Odyssey. We all have seen the pictures from Chicago Auto Show. I am sure more details will be trickling in coming days and weeks. Any ideas when we will see this in showrooms in the US?
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Can we expect a 6-speed tranny to avoid problems. Will there be a standard 4 cylinder & optional 6; the sane as in the 2011 Toyota Sienna?
However, that said, wind noise has been a consistent problem of Hondas for a while. With the new Crosstour, Honda has implemented a lot of the sound-deadening materials from Acura, and the result is a more refined feel. We could speculate on whether that will happen for the 2011 Ody, but we could certainly plead for it here on these fora.
As to AWD, I personally doubt it quite a bit. I'm in Minnesota, and would welcome it. I also have an AWD Pilot right now. But, I think we're more minority than we realize. But, I'm just speculating.
I'd put the arrival in mid-to-late September / early October. Dealers should get ordering info probably around July. Then we'll know the model lineup more. As to wind noise, we'll have to wait for reviews.
I was cruising down the highway last night at 80mph with the two kiddies watching a movie - ride was nice and smooth and relatively quiet (to me). I thought - how lucky are these kids getting shuttled in luxury while they watch Shrek. When I was little, we piled into the back (the way-back, not the back seat) of a Volvo station wagon for a long trip.......
24 Sienna Plat AWD / 23 Civic Type-R / 21 Tesla Y LR / 03 Montero Ltd
While the Odyssey had a bit more road noise than the Siennia, the fit and finish and engine/driveline smoothness of the Honda easily won us over. Consumer Reports has complained about "road noise" in Honda's for years and Honda has chosen not to do anything about it. Again, for us, the noise on the road wasn't objectionable.
A final interesting note: a couple of weeks ago I did a gas mileage check just after the first oil change (where I changed to Amsoil Synthetic oil) and added a K&N airfilter. I set the cruise at 65 MPH, no A/C, drove approximately 95 miles on a very flat I-5 from Sacramento, CA to Stockton, CA and got 29.1 MPG. I guess Honda's multi-displacement electronics work....most of the time the "ECO" light was on!
We'll know more definitively when the final buildout for the 10s occurs. I haven't seen any indication that has happened yet.
28 MPG HWY estimated, that would be great, anyone think it's possible?
http://automobiles.honda.com/odyssey-concept/
My 07 has been bullet proof however and current plans are to drive another 17 years.
Well I figure my wife may want something different by then and the last kid will be out of the house in another 15 years.
1. Road/wind noise.
2. Plastic panel on the B pillar (just behind the driver and passenger) vibrates at freeway speeds adding to the annoying noise. The dealer could not fix this.
3. Door switches are in the wrong place. The switches to open the sliding doors should be centrally located so that they are available to both the driver and the front passenger.
4. Ditto on the sunroof switches.
5. Speech recognition for A/C and Bluetooth is a joke. It simply doesn't work. Other manufacturers have done a much better job. At first I thought the speech recognition is so poor because the noise level is so high. But I've tried it both at idle, and with the engine turned off, and the results are not very good.
6. The nav system is a very expensive joke. There are so many deficiencies it's hard to know where to start. Actually, Honda should just start over. I presume they buy the system from some vendor. Find a different vendor.
7. After you get past the poor speech recognition, the Bluetooth system is poorly implemented. Bluetooth should be the presumed manner in which you want to place and receive calls. When you place a call from your phone it should immediately be put through the Bluetooth system. You shouldn't have to wait for the call to be connected and then issue a vocal "transfer" command -- which due to the poor speech recognition rarely works. Besides, the person you called can hear the "transfer" command. Our Nissan has a much better Bluetooth system. When I place a call from my phone it immediately routes through the Bluetooth system. Initiating a call requires only one button push and then it depends on speech recognition. The Nissan's speech recognition is so good it consistently enters not just names but phone numbers correctly.
8. The master cruise control switch is dangerous. Other manufacturers make it a soft switch. In other words, once you turn off power to the car the main switch is disengaged. Honda makes it a mechanical switch. Once it's on it stays on until it is turned off -- even if the car is turned off and then on again. This is a particular problem in a vehicle that is intended as a family car and subject to multiple drivers. If the previous driver left the switch on, then when the next driver starts the car the cruise control is one accidental button press from being engaged (and the button is on the steering wheel!). Yes, there is a green warning light on the dash that the cruise control switch is on, but with two other green warning lights on the dash (headlights on and ECO on) it is easy to miss that the cruise control main is on If Honda is doing recalls, this is one that should definitely be recalled. I can easily see a case where the cruise control accidentally gets engaged. the driver is coming to a stop light, lifts off the accelerator, the car does not slow down, and panic ensues because he/she does not know why the car is not slowing. The point of having the main switch is to have an interlock: Two things need to be done before the cruise control will engage. With the mechanical switch that Honda has used there is no interlock and only one action can engage the cruise control.
9. The sonar warning system is dangerous. The sonar system was originally intended as a backup warning. For that purpose it works fine. However, with the front sonar system tied to the back system there is a problem. When you get near anything such as another car, or a drive-thru window that causes the front system to start beeping incessantly, the normal tendency is to turn it off. Unfortunately, that also turns off the rear system. So, you go through the drive-thru, get a continuous beeping, turn off the sonar with the expectation of turning it on after you leave the drive-thru, go home and turn off the vehicle. A little while later your spouse and kid go to get in the car. Your spouse always has the sonar system on, and expects that it is still on. Your kid drops a toy, bends down behind the vehicle to pick it up as your spouse starts backing up. Your spouse expects the backup warning system to be active so he/she doesn't pay too much attention to what is immediately behind the vehicle, and there is a tragedy as the kid gets run over. The front and rear sonar systems should be separated. If you turn off one you shouldn't necessarily turn off the other, and the rear system should have a beep or some other confirmation indicting it is either on or off when the car is started. If the nav system can have the nag screen come on EVERY time the car is started, certainly a piece of safety equipment can tell you whether it is engaged or not every time the car is started.
10. The entertainment system requires a Ph.D. to operate. It should be simplified.
11. The entertainment system, the nav system and the dash information system should all be integrated. The Odyssey gives the impression of systems just lumped together without any hint that they were intended for the same vehicle.
12. The dash information system should retain its last setting every time you start the car. I'm tired of having to push the info button every time I start the car to see the MPG indicator.
13. The fold down center console should be a permanent center console. It could have much more usefulness and store a lot more. The idea that somehow you are not going to put anything on the center console and then fold it down so that you can walk between the front seats while the car is in motion is ridiculous. If you put anything on the center console, then to fold it down you need to remove those items. Is there anyone who doesn't keep a bunch of stuff on the console? Even if you do remove that stuff, are you going to walk between the seats while the vehicle is in motion? Totally unsafe. If you need to get to the back seat, pull over to the side of the road, open the doors and deal with the problem.
14. The power steering system needs to be redesigned. Have you read the owner's manual warning: "Turning the steering wheel to full left or right lock and holding it there can damage the power steering pump" (page 428 of the 2008 manual). So, you're stuck in traffic trying to make a right turn and have the steering wheel turned all the way to the right. How long can you hold it in that position until you damage the power steering pump?
15. Honda should make a trailer hitch available without the need for the oil cooler, transmission cooler, and whatever else they may require. All we want the trailer hitch for is to hold our bicycle rack. Because of the rear spoiler there really isn't any other way to get an accessible bicycle rack attached. I don't consider putting bicycles on the roof of the vehicle particularly accessible. You sho
16. Honda should actually include features it advertises and are included in the manual. For instance, the Headlight Auto Off Timer indicated on page 120 of the 2008 owner's manual does not exist. The means to setup the feature through the information center exists, but the feature itself simply does not work. None of the personnel at two different dealerships could get the feature to work. They concluded that it simply did not exist.
16. The conversation mirror in the sunglass holder of the overhead console is almost useless. Other manufacturers allow this mirror to be tilted so you can actually see all the kids in the back seat. Honda's mirror is fixed. It lets you see the kid behind the passenger seat and that's it. Many parents put a child who needs to be in a safety seat behind the driver so that when they get in or out they can easily access the child. The conversation mirror does not let you see a child seated behind the driver.
17. The variable cylinder mode needs improvement. When it engages the driver gets the feeling that the engine is missing. This causes the driver to lift off the accelerator, which slows the car which causes the driver to press the accelerator to speed up and this takes it out of ECO mode. Thus it is difficult to maintain the vehicle in ECO mode unless the cruise control is on.
18. The seating position does not allow me to see the top of the speedometer. I am not particularly tall (6'0"), but even with the seat in its lowest position, and the steering wheel tilted to its highest position the steering wheel blocks the top of the speedometer. On the freeway I'm constantly ducking down to see if I'm exceeding 75 or 80 MPH.
19. The oil change notice is really annoying. Do we really need to know that there is 20% of oil life remaining every time we start the car? If you follow the maintenance recommendations that means that for 20% of the miles you drive the warning will be illuminated and require action to clear every time you start the vehicle. The reminder is so annoying that when it appears we reset it thus nullifying any good it is supposed to do. How about letting us know that an oil change is needed soon only when we fill up with gas?
20. The lockout for the driver's side sliding door is a good thing so that it doesn't allow you to accidentally open the door when the gas filler door is open. However, if you open the sliding door first and then open the filler door the sliding door will no longer operate electrically. This really messed up my wife as she didn't know she could just manually close the sliding door. She had to call me to ask how to close the door. I can also see the possibility of the sliding door getting hung up on the filler door. If the filler door would open just right it looks like it could get caught inside the sliding door and then you wouldn't be able to close the sliding door either electronically or manually.
21. The heated mirror control is a manual pushbutton (just like the main cruise control button). Once you engage it, it will stay set until you turn it off. I don't know if this keeps the mirrors heated the entire time, or if there is a timeout, but even if there is a timeout, every time you start the car the mirror heaters are going to operate.
22. The Driving Position Memory System doesn't move the mirrors or driver's seat until the driver's door is opened. One of the main points of the system is to save time so that you don't have to adjust the seat and mirrors when you get into the vehicle after another driver has used the vehicle. However, since the system doesn't start working until you open the door you wind up standing there while the seat moves. Other manufacturers move the seat and mirrors when you unlock the car. Since you usually do this at some distance, by the time you get to the car and open the door the seat is already in position. Honda should adopt this system.
23. The on/off switch and indicator for the heated seats is near the floor and not highly visible. Since it is so close to the floor anything on the floor can hit the switch (things are on the floor because the center console doesn't have much storage -- see item #13 above) and turn on the heater. And, because the indicator is so low down and not particularly visible, it is difficult to tell the seats are being heated. This is particularly disturbing in the middle of summer.
24. The loss of a power port for the auxiliary audio input is pretty cheesy. Honda should have found a better way to offer the auxiliary audio input without taking out a power port.
25. The radio lacks RDS or speed volume change. Even the most basic cars offer these features, but for 2008 Honda didn't include them in a $41,000 vehicle.
As you can tell from this list, come November we are going to give the 2011 Odyssey a very thorough look before we lease another. If Honda improves on these items, great! If not, we'll be looking elsewhere.
I'll be using this list to check out the new Honda minivan. Thanks for taking the time to type it all out.
Seriusly you should buy an LX so you wouldn't have that many things to gripe about.
Seriously, the ONLY gripes I would agree with you are on road noise and the over complicated RES controls. The other things I haven't hesrd any other gripes about!
Just when I think I've heard it all, a list like this!!
2. Never had this issue, must be just your van
3. No Way! I am the driver, "i" want to control when the doors open or close, since I am controlling when the vehicle is moving or not(countless senarios back this up
4. I am driving, my needs come 1st. If I don't want to be distracted, then I won't be. "Do you want to make it home without getting in an acccident, dear?!" Otherwise, I don't mind pressing a button to slide the sunroof. It is another way I get to serve my wife/family. No biggie here.
5. Speech for the "automatic" A/C? Seriously? Granted, if it is supposed to function and it is not, then it should but you are B&^ching about something that takes 1 second to set with your finger.
6. The NAV is suffiicient. As a matter of fact, there are much worse NAV's on the market. Ever have a Range Rover nav, or an Merc? HA! You think the NAV's bad!! HA, I say. Just gotta know how to use it and know its limitations.
7. Actually, I do not like when the blutooth automatically pairs, because I have an earpiece and so do others that may ride in the Van. Ours worked fine. No issues
8. Ok, this is where you get a little freaky, sir. You actually give a scenario that is so utterly ridiculous that I question whether you are a troll or not. The cruise control is well-placed and works accordingly on "my" Odyssey. N'uff said.
9. The back-up warning system is not a cure-all. It is a supplement, it is designed to assist, not take over. BTW, your scenario is flawed anyway. If your kid and wife 'go to get in the car', then WHY WOULD SHE START TO BACK UP IF YOUR KID ISNT IN THE CAR!!! Troll!
10. Read the manual, troll
11. Sounds like sour grapes here too, troll
12. Hmmm, tired of pushing a button, are you? You sound like that Paris Hilton from the reality show where she has to go and be a real person and actually "do" things that the rest of us "normal" people have to do. Maybe that can be a new episode. Paris(you) goes to buy a car she(you) has to drive herself! Its got "Emmy" written all over it.
13. All of a sudden, you have a reasonable argument. But it completely contradicts all of your previous gripes. A typical "troll" trick. You say its "totally unsafe" to walk in the van while its moving yet your wife starts driving before your child even get in the van!!!
14. This is a joke, right?? Oh, I forgot. You are trolling. Next!
15. Hey, Honda?! I want to sue you for NOT making sure your product can handle towing anything I want it to tow. Why in God's name would you assume all I wanted to tow would be a bicycle. Oh, siggie1 told you not to put things on the van to preserve the engine! Fair enough then.
Do I really need to go on? someone else jump in here, pleeeeease!
Anotehr complaint that I haven't heard before but maybe they could re engineer the folding pins somehow?
Some pople just love to find things to complain about.
1. Is it supposed to be a pun that you've "heard" that the road noise has gotten better?
2. Yes, it may be my particular vehicle. I make no claim that it is a common occurrence.
3. Sorry to hear you don't trust your wife or passenger not to open the doors.
4. Again, sorry to hear that what your wife may do would disturb you so much that it would cause an accident. Do you trust your own driving capabilities?
5. Honda touts the voice activated control as a prominent feature. As such, it should work a lot better than it does. Would I ever use it to control the A/C? Probably not, but it is required for some functions (see the Bluetooth discussion in #7 below), so there is no way to avoid its poor performance.
6. It's a poor argument to say the NAV is good enough because there are others that are much worse. Have you compared the Odyssey's NAV system with your average $300 after-market NAV? The Odyssey's performance and features are lacking.
7. I did not discuss Bluetooth pairing. I discussed how outbound calls don't automatically get routed to the Bluetooth system and require a vocal command of "transfer" to switch the call to the Bluetooth system. As far as I know, there is no other way of transferring a call to the Bluetooth system, and because the speech recognition system is so poor, it rarely transfers correctly. The other problem with the Bluetooth system is that is supposed to be hands-free. Requiring a steering wheel mounted button to be pushed for every command is hardly hands-free. If you are happy with the Bluetooth system, great! I'm not. I've had the opportunity to compare it to the system in another vehicle I own and found the Odyssey's system to be lacking.
8. I'm wondering what you do for a living? I sense it is not a technical position. Have you ever heard of a hazard analysis? Do you understand the concept of an interlock? Do you understand why there are two switches that are both required to be set before the cruise control will engage? If one of those switches is allowed to always be on then there is no interlock and even a simple hazard analysis (which is what my user story was meant to portray) will reveal that it is a faulty design.
9. How many kids do you have, or does your wife ever invite with her? Does your wife ever lose track of how many have actually gotten into the car? How come you don't trust your wife to open the sliding doors (see #3), but yet you trust her to know where your kids are in relation to the vehicle with a sonar system that may, or may not, be activated? What's with calling me a "troll?" Is it your m.o. that if you can't respond to issues with the facts you resort to name calling?
10. As I demonstrated multiple times in my post, I have read the manual. I have no problem controlling the entertainment system. My wife, a veterinarian, however, does not have an engineering degree and she does have a problem. If a highly educated, non-technical person has a problem with the system, then Honda has a problem.
11. By indicating this is "sour grapes" does that mean you think the NAV system, entertainment system and driver information system should not be integrated? You'd prefer that they work independently, inconsistently, and relatively poorly?
12. Yes, I am tired of pushing a button for a function setting that should be retained. Why the insults? Do you have a vested interest in defending the Odyssey against legitimate criticism?
13. Again, why the insults?
14. Again, insults and yet I've documented where Honda indicates in the manual not to perform an operation that is an everyday occurrence. If Honda had stated that you should not keep the power steering at one lock extreme for a specified amount of time, fine. But they don't. They leave it up to the owner to interpret what "holding it there" means in terms of time. I presume that if your power steering pump failed you would dutifully report to Honda that, "Yep, I held the steering at lock for too long and I should have known better, so please don't cover this under warranty."
15. I'm not assuming that Honda would create a product that could handle anything I want to tow. But, to require an oil and transmission cooler when all I want to "tow" is a bicycle rack is counter-productive, especially in a family vehicle. Honda could have easily stated in their warranty that it's fine to have a trailer hitch, and to have one without the oil and transmission coolers, so long as you don't have the wiring for the brakes and lights. In that way they could allow the use of a trailer hitch for items such as a bicycle rack without the risk of towing something beyond the capabilities of the vehicle.
It would be beneficial to this discussion if you could avoid the insults and instead focus on the issues being discussed. Insulting someone doesn't help convey the information people are looking for in these forums.
I see by your screen name that you sell Hondas. Do you own an Odyssey? Have you had to live with the problems I've highlighted?
As far as not hearing other gripes, do you follow up with your customers? If so, after how long? In what detail? Perhaps if you were more aware of these problems, and did not dismiss them as griping, then you could better address your customer's needs and provide better service to them. That may lead to more sales and repeat business.
As far as repeat business,a fter 14 years, a large percentage of my sales are to repeat and referral customers but I do appreciate your advise.
I agree, a Touring Odyssey is very complex and were I to buy an Odyssey, it's model I would have no use for. The extra features would not be in the least of importance or value to me. I would probably buy an EXL. I have no use for Navagation. But, that's me.
You have bought a very compllcated car and it just seems that you are complaining about the items that make it complicated.
And, yes, I find your complaints to be, for the most part, very petty in nature. Others don't seem to be bothered by the things that bother you.
I am relly surprised to hear your complaints about the NAVI syytem and the voice commands. Most people feel that Honda has the absoulte best NAVI system of any car out there. I had a manager from a Car Toys store tell me that his customers come in looking for a system " just like Honda's"
He told me he tells his customers that even if they spent 10,000 he has nothing that compares. You probably would be happier with a dash mounted Garmin.
I am sorry you are so unhappy with your Odyssey and I'm glad that others don't seem to share your feelings.
We are, indeed, all different with different expectations.
I hope my response wasn't taken as an insult.
I'm not sure that I agree with all the criticisms, but I don't have a Touring model and I don't have navi or RES, so...stuff like the sunroof placement is a bit ridiculous and takes away from the legitimate complaints that seem to be sprinkled through that list.
I think the question becomes--would any manufacturer's execution of these items meet your needs? I'm guessing perhaps not. Just from digging through the new Sienna a little bit, I can already see some things that I would find irritating, just like in my Odyssey. I can't evaluate it because I haven't driven it or lived with it, but the point is that with all these rather complicated functions, the execution seems to be vary and leave some people cold (ie BMW's iDrive.)
Personally, I'd rather focus on the bigger picture stuff---for me, that's getting the transmission/torque converter issues under control (mine is starting to have that problem--"juddering"--and better acceleration. I'm disappointed that they have not upgraded the powertrain at all to keep pace with the Toyota's. I have driven the previous-gen Sienna and it is noticeably faster than the Odys. I think in this segment, its not so much a matter of great acceleration numbers, but rather a more effortless, quieter powertrain capable of hauling lots of people and stuff. If you think about it, 240 hp isn't that much considering we're talking about a 5,000 pound vehicle that frequenly has hundreds of extra pounds of people and gear in it.
My biggest fear is that Honda will "Accordize" the cockpit--I was a big fan of the previous gen Accord, I really dislike the new one. Same thing for the Pilot's cockpit. The Ody is borderline as it is, but the new Accord and Pilot have way too many buttons and a confusing dash layout. The new Sienna is on track in terms of dash/interior layout.
Anytime a model changes there are som (most) who applaud the changes while others ask why Honda took a good thing and messed it up.
Some people used to complain about the spare tire on the door of the older CRV's and now I hear people saying " It doesn't look like a CRV anymore".
Or 90% of my customers just hate a color and another customer will have me do a 300 mile dealer trade to get that color.
I hear it all and I tune it out.." Why would they mount the sunroof swith THERE?"
Then I'll never hear that from another person.
Seriously, I jut think some people just like to find things to complain about.
As far as the Sienna's power, have you compared quarter mile times? Do you like the mushy, floaty ride? Some people do. They want thier mini van to ride like a ten year old Buick.
I had a customer recently buy an Odyssey over a Sienna. Why? She didn't like the way the dash lights looked on the Sienna. Geeze
As far as ride, no, at least with the last-gen, that's why I bought an Odyssey. It handled a LOT better. I have not driven the 2011 Sienna, supposedly it is better than the previous-gen Sienna but still not as good as the Odyssey.
Obviously you are right on personal preference, but there are a lot of people, including most of the automotive press, that have criticized Honda for the current-gen dash/interiors. Just too busy, too complicated. I sat in an Acura TSX Tech the other day and it felt like the cockpit of a 777.
Hopefully. Honda will tone it down a bit with the 2011 Odyssey!
We have looked at the 2011 Sienna XLE. When you take the middle two seats out, the bases remain. Not good at all. Sienna still has road noise. Very disappointing.
Now I find out Honda has mechanical problems with torque converters, etc.
2. bad luck on your part for b-pillar plastic
3&4 Agree on door & sunroof switch placement, very handy in the middle (see BMWs)
5. I use speech only for phone, (works fine), I can't get used to telling my car what temp I want
5.NAV is fine. Lots of aftermarket NAVs are better than all built-in units
7. disagree - sometimes I want my call to be private on my phone. Initiate bluetooth calls using voice, practice it until you get it working well for you
8. Cruise control switch - would also prefer a soft switch but they're more $. not a biggie since there is a 2-switch system
9. agree on the sonar implementation, please separate them
10. The entertainment system is fine, just spend 10 minutes (not while driving) practicing and your wife will know how to use it forever
11. probably saves $ to have separate components, but I would love more synergy
12. true on the info system, annoying to change it every time
13. would love the option of a fixed storage unit between the front seats
14. it's probably CYA language - just don't drive with the wheel cranked for hours
15. there should be a nation-wide standard for bike-only hitches, like a different size ball or something. go aftermarket in the meantime.
16. haven't checked out the headlight off timer
16 (you had two 16s). only way to fix the conversation mirror is to make it bigger and that ain't gonna happen. I have no problem with it's limited functionality
17. I say lose the ECO system. 1 more MPG ain't worth it. By design it only kicks in when the engine is already running at it's most efficient. Nice try though, keep the innovations coming.
18. a little more telescoping/tilting range would solve this
19. agree - the 20% oil life should come on once then go away until oil change time
20. they can't protect against everything. sounds like another one-time learning thing about closing the door manually
21. heated seat and mirror buttons really should be soft buttons which switch off when the car is turned off
22. I would prefer that the seat moves when you unlock the car rather than upon door opening, but I've gotten used to getting right in and going along for the ride. By the time my butt hits the seat it's already moved far enough so that I don't bump knees getting in
23. yes, not the best placement for the seat heater switch and please make it a soft switch
24. yes, bring back the power port
25. auto-volume control varied by speed is a nice feature, but way down my list
Way to go "Isellhondas" Just keep your arrogant attitude flowing on this forum. 1 year ago my family had 3 Honda Odyssey's an 06,08 and 09 I would guess we spent around $85,000 for them and bought them new. Well I traded mine and so did my brother because they had so many problems and when we took them back to the dealer we had to deal with people like you. My other brother is looking to get rid of his also. So go ahead and insult the people who have paid you wages in the past.
It's just that I hadn't heard of most of those complaints before.
2012 Odyssey spy shots
24 Sienna Plat AWD / 23 Civic Type-R / 21 Tesla Y LR / 03 Montero Ltd
After seeing 2011 design pictures i stopped my plans for 2010 Odyssey buy.But in $30,000 we are getting 2010 EXL version OTD.With same 2010 EXL(Leather) features ,what we can expect the price for 2011 ?
We have friends who had a 2003 Town & Country, which had an alternator replaced, transmission replaced, front engine mount replaced, and numerous interior quality issues. They got themselves a 2006 Honda Odyssey, and haven't had a problem yet.
And Odysseys are made in CANADA, which probably is still tainted in your worldview (implied by your AMERICAN comment). Every car maker has good and bad luck. I'm glad you've had good luck with your Caravan, just as I'm glad we've had the same luck with our Odysseys.