Honda Odyssey 1999 - 2004

robr2

How many kids do you need to cart around? We only have 2 so a split folding seat has never been an issue.

As for issues with the actual use of the seat, my 5'-2" (on a good day!!) DW has no problem flipping it up or down or into the tailgating mode.

As for me, the only issue I have with the full seat is that we carry a milk crate in the well full of the junk you need in a vehicle. Hence I need to remove that before flipping the seat. With a split seat, I could just move it to one side. If that were the biggest issue in my life, I'd be happy.

I wouldn't be suprised to see the next gen Ody have the split seat.

momstruck1

3 kids and we love to travel to WDW in Florida and so on we live in NY and i don't fly so we drive. with three kids storage is a concern for all the junk that goes with them on these trips. I really hate the Trailblazer for this reason also even with the 50/50 split 3rd row seat the leg room is lost that is why I am looking back into a mini -van. We need the room also I think my truck is a death trap made by GM!! LOL Ok back to the problem I really don't like the Toyota . It seem a little too expensive too .

nofeer

honda will split this seat in future vehicle i predict. it gives flexibility and offers easier acces from the rear. also honda needs to have a better way of dealing with those headreasts, ease of use is paramount. i want 3rd seat to be good for adults for travel.
I can't wait for quest ody and sienna to be compared by a mag, or in person. this can't happen till fall when the 04 comes in. since the ody is at it's 5 year that seems to be the cycle for other honda's. sienna now is the mark, till the quest comes out and honda has a reponse but we won't find out about it till near fall

lapvn

Salesman pointed out where we could input a playstation of some sort, and also pointed out some outlet in the cargo bay. Keep in mind I did not take off the cover to the outlet yet, but is this an AC or DC outlet? Do I need a converter or inverter? Can I now justify this to my wife to get an XBOX, don't worry, I will tell her it is for our 2 year old son.

dave594

All outlets are DC. You'll need to get a current inverter to convert it to AC. Otehrwise just get a DC converter for your toys.

momstruck1

Well I read your post and have to say that this is the funniest thing I have heard all day . I have to say I hope your wife doesn't fall for it. I have 3 kids and I wouldn't fall for it

lapvn

taking a line from agent 86,"would you believe it is for an educational purpose".

Since I do know "Agent 86" sort of gives you a hint of how old I am. And if you don't know who agent 86 is, don't worry you probably wont find him funny. My nephews and nieces think I am crazy when I talk about the good old days, Hogans Heroes, Mr. Ed, and so forth.....oh my youth, where has it gone.

pat84

Buy your nieces and nephews ant farms for their next birthdays.
 Tell your nephew that a really fun game is to get all the keys and lock youself in the van. Blow the horn until your mom and dad come out and tell youi to stop. Keep beeping the horn.Your brothers and sisters will keep in touch with you about this sort of thing.

ragtop

Hi Everone,
 
   Has anyone talked about their gas mileage in this forum. My new 2003 EX-L RES is on its second tank, the first was from the dealer and I'm just getting around 17.2 miles per gallon driving mostly in the suburbs. The light to refuel went on this morning and I filled it up with 14 gallons of gas. I thought the Odyssey had a 20 gallon tank. Strange that it would go on so early. The meter still had an eight to go.

Anyway, with only a about 500 miles on the Odometer, is this normal or will it improve with age.

Thanks, Jim

momstruck1

When will we know if honda is goiong to change this van in 2004?? I was wondering it there are any idea's out there if there is going to be a change or not I really like the current design.the only drawback right now for me is no 50/50 or 50/60 third row.it is reall helpful with three kids.

billg7

17 mpg is about right for the Odyssey if you do a combination of city and highway driving. It is a heavy car and city driving causes the gas mileage to go down quite a bit.

Consumer Reports gives all the minivans about the same gas mileage, with the Odyssey about in the middle.

The gas gauge has always gone down to empty with maybe 5 gallons or more left. Once you know that you can adjust for it. A number of persons, on this board have complained about it. It has the advantage that it gives you plenty of time to get gas before you might run out.

ragtop

Thanks Bill,
 
   I guess when its rated as 18 city and 25 highway, you would expect something in between that range for mileage.

clpurnell

my oddysey has 3400 miles and is in the mid 16's with gas mileage. I am actually thinking about trading it in on an suv since there is no mileage difference really.

Sylvia

No idea on the seat covers...on the floor mats, do you mean the cargo mat for the back?

crkeehn

before last night I would have thought your post was funny. After last night.....

We were visiting friends and during the course of the evening their son and my son went out to the van (2003 Sienna) to retrieve something my son left in it. After a few minutes we realized that we hadn't heard from either child for a while. They had locked themselves in the van and because it was new, their son didn't know how to unlock it. The remote he was using was for the Truck parked next to it.

By the time we talked him out of the van, he was hysterical and it took a while for him to calm down again.

jkeefe1

I mean floor mats at the passenger seats. I have found a cargo mat for it already thanks.

We were also contemplating on buying a piece of carpet and trimming around the seat mounts and other obstacles instead of buying floor mats.

brymil

I too, do mostly suburban driving in my 2001 Odyssey (40k miles). I average around 19mpg. On the highway it is around 24-25 depending on the terrain. Your mileage will improve slighlty as the vehicle breaks in but don't expect a significant difference. As for the 14 gallon fill up, it is the design (shape) of the gas tank that makes the guage read empty way too soon. The most I have ever put in at a fill up was 15.5 gal. Despite knowing that there is more fuel in the tank you are compelled to fill up when the guage reads empty for fear of running out. Good luck!

brymil

I have read quite a few posts on tires for the Odyssey. My 2001 came with The Firestone Affinitys. They are the worst tires I have ever owned. Poor in dry, wet, and snowy conditions. The decision to change them came after I could not make it up a snow packed hill in my neighborhood. After taking a different route to get home I researched tires and chose Kelly Navigator Golds. Had them installed for $270 (all 4), mounting and balancing included (not a typo--$270). Went back to the hill and drove straight up and the traction control never came on. The Navigators are also much quieter. The warranty on the tires is also very good. One note, a couple of dealers said the Golds did not come in the exact size required for the Odyssey. The fact is, they do. Despite have a decent amount of tread on the Affinitys, changing them was money well spent!

mapatel_usa

On my new 03 Odyssey, I know how to check the transmission fluid. But, I can't figure out where to add more transmission fluid when it's low. In the Owner's Manual, it says something about a "Fill Plug", but I could not find it anywhere.

Also, would anyone recommend using an additive, such as "Slick 50 for Automatic Transmission". Since so many people have transmission
problems, I thought this might help.

Any help greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Mayank

self_mechanic

I put one end of the transparent plastic tube ( I got it from Home Depot) that fit right into the dip stick hole, attach a funnel to the other end and fill it that way. It works great. If you overfill the oil, push the plastic tube all the way in until it make contact with the AT oil. Attach a big syringe to the tube ( got it from Pep Boy) and suck it out. I usually don't need to add between AT oil changes, unless there is a transmission leak somewhere. Make sure, you park the car on the level ground and check the oil at appropriate temperature. Cold and hot level marks are different. Hope this helps.

dsm6

Once again, the '02 and newer Odysseys have a different tranny than older models. The significant problems owners are having appear to be just with the older units.

This could be due to the fact that the units in '02 and newer models are still too new, but we shall see. Until then, the best assumption with respect to the reliability of the new trannies IMO would be no assumption, unless it can be demonstrated that Honda trannies are consistently unreliable.

phil47

A number of members on another Odyssey board I monitor have reported tranny failures on 2002s. Evidentally it's a non-metallic clutch that is failing in the 5-speed tranny's as opposed to a bearing in the 4-speed. Honda unofficially acknowledged the problem in a USA Today article last fall. It may be awhile before Honda has enough data to decide whether or not to extend the warranty on the 5-speed like they did on the 4-speed.

I asked my local Honda service mgr recently about his experiences with the 4-speed vs the 5-speed tranny reliability. He mentioned that they saw a sharp drop in problems with MY2001, and it has stayed low with MY2002, however they were seeing problems sooner on the MY2002 (lower miles). These guys service alot of Odysseys locally, so although they aren't a complete sampling, they're probably a pretty good sampling.

auburn63

I use the dipstick tube to fill also but if you look straight down behind the intake air tube you will see a 17mm bolt head this is the fill plug.
   As for the additives Honda strongly advises not to use any as they all can distroy the o rings inside the transmission causing failure..

fibber2

The '03 uses the same 5 spd auto as the '02 did (different from the '99-'01 4 speed unit), so I would expect whatever problems develop to be closer to the '02's. I have heard that this is the same basic unit as used in the recent Acura RL models, as well as a close relative (with the addition of another output shaft) to that used in the MDX and Pilot SUV models. You don't hear much negative press on these other body styles (or maybe I am not listening well??).

Tires: Current models use 225/60-16 (IIRC "T" speed rated??). EX models get Michelin Symmetry. Don't know if LX uses the same brand/model.

Steve

jkeefe1

Thanks for the info on my post, 5991!

jcroberts

We have 51k on our 1999 Odyssey averaging 20 mpg. I have hit a high of 28 mpg cruising 75+mph coming up I-95 from GA. It usually avg. around 19-20 mpg with mixed urban-rural driving. Might anyone have a trip computer with their Navig. to show where the Odyssey gets its best highway milage. It does not break 2000 rpm until it reaches 72 mph. This is one of the lowest geared vehicles I have ever seen. Just think - to red line it you would have to go over 220 mph, if you did not have any headwind and your tires could manage the heat.
With major upgrades for 2002: 240 hp & 5 Sp. Auto. I think Honda is going to wait until 2005 for the major upgrade. The 2004 Sienna was upgraded to be more Odyssey like in size and engine, but costs thousands more.
I hope you enjoy your odyssey as much as we do.

pat84

The wind resistance would prohibit going any 220 MPH. I do belive there is a speed limiter at 115 because of tire limitations.
  Most people will not maintain a constant 85 mph even on an Interstate with a 70 mph speed limit. I have averaged over 75 mph average on a 520 mile trip. I stopped for gas once and one pit stop, and still averaged over 75.

nybud

Probably a dumb question, considering I dont see Honda offering it, but -

Has anyone been able to get Daytime Running Lights on a U.S. Honda ODY? (and since I want my cake and eat it too, I want it via a way that wont void my warranty)

I hear it's standard on the Canadian version, and
*MAY* be nothing more than a minor part, so, it would seem like it could be something done for a US ODY.

When I got my insurance papers for my new '03 ODY, they threw in a flyer with the bill, saying:
"Hey, if you have DRL's on any of your cars, you can get a discount on your insurance." (And everyone likes discounts on insurance!)

Thanks,
-Craig

barreg777

I just started looking for a 2003 Ody LX, and have noticed a few dealers with a "Graphite" color Ody in stock. However, I don't see that as an available color on the Honda web site. Is that an older color that's been discontinued?

acrafton

an 02 Oddysey at the supermarket yesterday and the tow hitch on our SUV put a little dent/gouge about 1.5 inces by 1/4 inch into the rear bumper. The paint was removed and the black plastic underneath is showing and rough. The lady was very nice about it and we will just pay to have it fixed. My question is can the bumper be repaired and the spot painted or does the whole bumper need to be replaced? Any thoughts on cost? BTW, it was an 02 and silver.

Thanks
Adam

vault2

If there is a hole in the bumper, then the bumper cover needs to be replaced. If it is just a ding in the plastic, then the bumper cover has to be taken out, and the body shop can remove the ding.

In regards to the cost of the rear bumper cover, it will cost you under $240 without shipping charges, and you will have to get it painted. This will be another $250.

http://www.carpartswholesale.com/cgi-bin/carpartswholesale/index?- mv_session_id=4gPpUmbd&mv_pc=4&cat=76

http://www.hondaautobodypartstore.com/cgi-bin/auto-body-parts/HOO- DYSSEY76.html

http://www.hondapartspro.com/cgi-bin/parts/process.html?id=iwRszq- GM

pacinpelo

Hello all,
I am new to this side of the Edmunds world having just taken possession of my new Sage EX-L.
I ran out at $28,600 (Out the door all inclusive price)...that included a 5yr 24 hr roadside asst plan and a 5yr/100,000mi powertrain plan. Although not thru Honda, but that doesnt matter. Good Deal ???? I feel good, but a bit apprehensive as the Odyseesy boards that seem popular are the PROBLEMS and TRANSMISSIONS board.

grandtotal

The fact that your extended warranty is not with Honda does matter. These boards are full of tales of third party warranty companies denying claims or just not being around when you need to make a claim. I suggest you try to void your third part warranty and take out the Honda product instead. There are a number of dealers who specialise in selling it at only a little over cost and a deal through one of them will likely cost you less than you have paid for a third party warranty. You should also check what your warranty covers because it sounds to me like you have just roadside assistance and powertrain, what are you going to do if the A/C fails or a power door fails? Despite the impression you may get reading about transmission failures all over the place, Honda thinks that a powertrain failure is much less likely than other failures and this fact is reflected in the price of the coverage that Honda offers.

stever

Aftermarket warranties are a pretty big profit center for dealers and the private companies (I read somewhere that only 1/3rd of the owners of them make claims). You have a 3/36 warranty from the factory, so you're really just buying a 2 year warranty in this case (or maybe you do drive 33,000 miles a year?).

Someone said on one of the Toyota boards that aftermarket warranties are a form of insurance and thus covered by your state's insurance laws. This means that they can be cancelled at any time (subject to a pro-ration charge).

That said, some people like the extended warranties a lot and lots of people have had good luck with the ones from private companies as well as the factory kind (check the
Finance, Warranty & Insurance Board for lots more). Plus you may want the roadside coverage too.

Congrats on the van, and welcome to Town Hall.

Steve, Host

sreed2

I am about to purchase a 2003 Odyssey EX-L. I am down to 2 dealers in the Dallas area. Prices are similar( I will post these as soon as I buy). I have a question concerning the DVD player. One dealer is offering a dealer (not factory) installed unit that has a 10" inch screen and a TV tuner. The other is offering a factory (not dealer) installed unit that is smaller by 2 inches(7.9 inches, I believe). Any comment on which is better and why? Thanks in advance.

PS: I am new here, so please let me know if I should be posting some where else.

harryfat

for prices paid, try the Honda Odyssey prices paid forum.

Look for posting that forum going back perhaps 3 plus weeks as I believe others bought in Dallas area as well and you can compare if you got good offer or not.

As for the DVD, is there a price difference? Brand name installed DVD by the dealership? And is that dealer installed DVD covered under the 3 year /36K mile warranty? Post your info on the Honda prices paid and someone should be able to help you. See you over there.

stever

I don't follow the board, but there may be some stuff worth looking at in the Honda Odyssey Club-Audio & Video Ideas discussion.

Steve, Host

joneebgood

Our 2001 Odyssey is about ready for new tires(35,000) and I can't wait to replace the Affinitys. This 3.5 Acura engine has too much power and not enough weight in front so the tires spin on the least bit of gravel. Zero traction in snow, even with traction control. I wanted a larger size but no one makes 225/65 and I am not sure if 235/60 is safe on the 6 1/2" rim or will turn safely under the front end.
 Anyone had any experience with a larger size tire on their Odyssey?
I have four teenage boys so I want to increase the weight capacity above the Afinity 96T. For a more aggressive tread pattern the only thing my dealer can suggest is the Pirelli Scorpion S/T that comes standard on the Volvo four wheel drive wagon. This tire comes in 215/65 and is rated 98H. This sounds perfect to me but I was hoping someone else had tried them on their Odyssey to advise me of any problems. Will they be noisy and rough riding? Will they affect the handling of a 4000# mini van?
If I opt for a dedicated set of snow tires to get us through the winter months does that mean two tires or must I buy all four?
Any help will be apprciated.
Thanks,
JIM

robr2

I have no direct experience with the Scorpions. The 02 Ody went to a 225/60/16 which is pretty much the same as the 215/65/16 in size and is available in many more brands. Go to tirerack.com and see what they have to offer and read the reviews.

As for snows - the advice is always go for four. With FWD, the rear can and will lose traction while the fronts grab and the vehicle will swap ends. I run 4 snows on our 00 and have been very happy.

popper

Just passed 85K on the clock and van feels as tight as the day we bought it. CEL came on at 79.5K. After 3 trips to dealer and 4000 more miles they replaced catalytic converter under 80K mile warranty- seems to have finally solved the problem (CEL light staying off). I've stuck to normal maintenance schedule, especially on trans. fluid change after reading about problems. I now have 45K miles on the Toyo 800 Ultra replacement tires and they look like they'll go another 45K. These tires are awesome in every respect and they're affordable. We love this van and will most likely buy a redesigned '05 model- figure by then we'll be ready as many miles as we're putting on this thing.

andrewtran71

Oh, go for the factory installed DVD RES all the way! After-markets can be great and they may save you money, but nothing beats the factory installed DVD if a little extra money is not a factor.

sda

When I washed our new 03 EX for the first time, I was surprised to find a fair amount of dirt trapped under the paint. This really is a minor thing so I won't do anything with this as a repaint would worsen the situation. Our van was built in the ALABAMA plant. This is the only defect that I've discovered...it is nicely put together. Anyone else have a similar defect?

stever

I'd go to the Store Bought Waxes Part II (No Zaino Posts) discussion and read up on "clay bars." Might do the trick.

Steve, Host

wpalkowski

The dirt under paint you're seeing in a brand new vehicle may be what's called "rail dust." Vehicles get shipped by train and near microscopic flecks of metal the come off the train wheels from their normal wear. These metal flecks seem to have an affinity for brand new automotive paint. Steve's pointing you in the right direction when he recommends a "clay bar." It's a lot of work, but it's the best way to get the crud out of your paint that isn't touched by normal wash 'n wax.

garyw

We are looking at purchasing an Odyssey and need help. This forum has documented the differences that started in the 02 model year well. A used 01-EX is about $20K-21K w/30K miles. A new 03 is about $27 w/leather.

The question: is the increased HP and new 5-speed tranny really worth the savings. Is there a noticeable difference when passing at highway speeds. Other issues we should consider??

Mucho thanks in advance.

wholigan

that the 2001 MAY have the tranny issue. If you do, Honda has been taking care of the 2000-2001 owners pretty well. OTOH, those owners are getting closer and closer to the 3YR/36K warranty region and Honda (I REALLY hope not) may start singing a different tune if you are out of your standard warranty.

Given that Ody prices "appear" to be falling, I wonder how much a DEALER will REALLY offer you for the '01. The EX in zip code 60004 has a dealer trade of $17,888. My personal experience in trading my car last month - I got about half of the Edmunds Dealer Trade number (but it was a crappy old Windstar). I would expect you'll do better.

BTW - that 27K number is still pretty rare. I got mine for $27361 (EXL-RES) - that was out of the chicago area. I live in Minneapolis and they are still getting $1000 off MSRP ($29360) - RARELY $under $29000. The "dealing" seems to be happening in the midwest...

Good Luck!

shifterkart

>A used 01-EX is about $20K-21K w/30K miles. A new 03 is about $27 w/leather.

  Well, that's not a fair comparison. An '03 EX can now be had for high $24K, low $25K depending on what part of the country your in. An 03 EX-L in the low $26K. But it all depends on your budget. Only you can say which one is better for YOU!

>The question: is the increased HP and new 5->speed tranny really worth the savings. Is there a noticeable difference when passing at highway speeds. Other issues we should consider??

  That's a 30hp difference with regular gas. Doesn't the 01 require premium? Haven't driven an 01 so I can't really say in terms of performance. But the 03 also has a "smart" airbag for the passenger seat which will turn-off if a small child is sitting in it. 03 also has rear disc brakes instead of drums.

  That's all I can think of. But I'm sure there are other things.

grandtotal

5 speed transmission and more powerful engine are definitely worth it. Not so much for storming past slower traffic (which a 2002+ does with ease) but more for good take-off from lights where the combination of better low end torque and lower gear ratios means it always pulls easily where the 2001 and earlier is sometimes left a bit flat. If you do a lot of highway driving that tall 5th gear is a real winner (the extra sound insulation doesn't hurt either).

billg7

Using a rough comparison if you put another 100,000 miles on the car it would probably be about time to trade it in and it would be worth about $1,000. So the 30,000 miles on the car is going to cost you {($20,000-$1,000)/130,0000}x30k
=$4,000. So now you are taking about a difference of $3k for the 01 versus the 03.

However the first 30,000 miles is actual part of your lowest cost miles, as there is very little maintence and the car is covered under warranty. My maintence costs on my car were at least 0.10 per mile higher from 100k miles to 130k miles or another $3k, as a lot more repairs are required. In fact I had to replace the transmission in addition to that cost, so figure another $3k for a total of $6k.

So my guess is that over the life of the car it will actually cost you more for the 01 car then for the 03 car. For a difference of only $7k I would go for the new car. I see the payment difference on a car on that extra $7,000 for 5 years at 5% would be $132/month.

bbusse

about your experience. I'm also in the Twin Cities. I'd definitely be willing to go to Chicago to save a couple grand.