Honda Odyssey 1999 - 2004

katmicale

I read this board religiously in Sept/Oct last year when we decided to buy a mini van. I always leaned toward the Ody, but wanted to check out all my options. We finally made the decision and had a hold on a 2001 GG LX that was due at the dealer end of Nov. ($1500 above MSRP). Then we got a call beginning of Nov. that they JUST got a 2000 canyon stone silver EX. Don't know where this brand new 2000 had been hiding! No premium. So, we snatched it up.
We live in NY and took it for it's first big test... trip to Myrtle Beach for Thanksgiving. LOVED IT! We drove through the night with our 1 and 3 year old strapped in the middle seats and me and hubby took turns sleeping in the back seat. Plenty of room in the back (without dropping back seat). And we even picked up a cheap Audiovox "Video in a Bag" to help the kids fall asleep. Great trip. Great van!
Six months later I still love my Ody! It took alot to get in the mind set of becoming a "soccor mom" with a minivan...but I'm there!
A few glitches with the power doors (the dealer is going to replace the latches). The driver side has buzzed a few times for no reason. And a few times the passenger door, when open, seems to have gone "dead" all of a sudden... but then was fine after a few button pushes.
I also, on occasion, hear a clunk sort of under my feet just after starting the car. Gotta have them check that out... but I've heard other people mention it here too.
I think this van is very comfortable and roomy. I also don't feel like I'm driving a bus (something I was pretty concerned about). I'd recommend this as "the mini van to buy" to anyone who asks.
Well, just thought I'd give that update. This is the first time I've checked back here in quite a few months.
To all you Ody owners... hope you enjoy yours as much as I do! HAPPY AND SAFE DRIVING!

dekay

Does anyone know if you can still order an LX- we have been told some different things. from you get what comes in to they are not producing LX's until September. Anyone out there know the real story?

elmob

When will the new 2002 model come to the market. Any site where I can check the new features of 2002 model (Enhancements). Is it worth waiting 2-3 months for the new model...Does Honda increase the price with new models...Thanks in advance...

rogerberkowitz

Does anyone have more miles than mschafer's 96,500? He might be the first in the 100K club.

mschafer

probably in less than a month.

Now I need to start calling around to see what it's going to cost me to have the timing belt replaced at 105k. Anyone in the Atlanta area who's happy with their dealer's service department? Gwinnett Place Honda NOT!

maxbuster

I have had limited but good experience with Curry's service dept.

cri30

We ordered a 2002 last week. The first to do so at the dealer. 2001's first arrived late August-early September of 2000. There are three new colors for 2002. Redrock Pearl, Evergreen Pearl and a new shade of blue. See the following:

http://www.vtec.net/news/items/675.html

Our dealer says they should have a color chart and other new specs on the '02 Ody any day now.

Hopefully the rumors are true and the '02 EXL model will have factory leather and an entertainment system. Anyone out there that knows what these three colors look like, please respond.

phsmits

I read all the posts and never did see anyone mention anything on rubber roof slats. My old van had them to protect the finish. I just got my 01 EX and already ordered the cross bars from hondapartsforyou.com, but found nothing on the rubber roof slats. Seems Honda never completely finished their roof rack system?? They have the indentations for the slats just no slats!!(No crossbars either)

Anyway, I went on a mission and found exactly what I was looking for (Search engine google.com)after several attempts of figuring out the name (the slats). You can get a set of 4 self-adhesive strips in varying lengths for $29.95 plus $7 s/h UPS. I am definitely ordering!! Here is the web site:

http://www.prolineracks.com/centerslat.html

Great price for a much needed item!

billg7

I noticed that also when I first saw the Odyssey. I told the dealer the roof really could use something to protect it. My station wagon had rubber strips on the top. The dealer said he could take it to another shop which had already done that for other customers.

carleton1

And she and her husband got it after asking me about different minivans. We told her we love our 1999 GC SE with many comfort features but we would recommend Odyssey as first choice. Why? DC are a great buy if the rebates, incentives, etc. are in effect but the Odyssey is a much better buy at MSRP. Plus, you do not feel like you may get ripped off with an Odyssey as you know that no one else got a better deal.

billg7

Just did that today and put some air in them. Now that is a hassle. You have to take the spare out to check it and then put it back in. I put in 35 and 60 on the spare. I would go up to a higher air pressure, so I don't have to put in air so often, but I think 35 is the maximum for the tires. I waited 2 months because of the hassle and the air pressure had gone down from 35 to 33 and 60 to 55, which is not bad. Normally I would check it every month. Air is lost in all tires, right through the rubber, so it is best to check them every month. I look at them every day to see if there is a problem.

I would recommend to Honda that they turn the spare over,in their next design, so you do not have to take it out to check and add air, if it can be done.

rockycow

I believe that the max air pressure for Ody tires is 44psi, 35 is the recommended pressure for best ride. Crank up the pressure for better mileage. Worked for me.
rockycow

sbelfield

This is most recent news from this site:

http://www.vtec.net/news/items/694.html

"2002 ODYSSEY

New Colours: Redrock Pearl and Evergreen Pearl

LX MODEL: significant increase in HP, 5AT, refreshed styling, side SRS, smart SRS, rear disc brakes, body colour side mouldings, larger rear speakers (same changes for EX

model plus driver's lumbar support)

-anticipating a $1000 to $2000 increase in MSRP

NEW EX-L(Leather) MODEL:same changes as above with leather and heated seats, does not mention leather wheel but assuming they will add that

-anticipating $2000 increase in MSRP over '02 EX model"

Sam - looking forward to the 2002 Odyssey

mojo66

All good stuff for next year.....now if they just improve the audio system (maybe an in-dash CD changer as well) and give us the 240 hp the MDX has, it will be worth the $2K increase.

billg7

I see that "John of Toronto" is listing those changes, at that site.

Does anyone know how reliable a source he is?

cri30

I visited dealer yesterday here in Charlotte.
They had a color chart and yes there are three new colors. The blue is a light metallic blue similar to the old style Ody/Oasis color. The green is similar to true green in that it is not a light green or dark green like the current dark emerald. Reminds me of the green '01 Civic color. The Redrock pearl is like the current Accord's reddish/burgundy color. A shame Honda could not have used the MDX dark burgundy color. There will be factory leather (EXL). An EXL-RES will have the rear entertainment system (VCR only). I did not confirm freshening of exterior or power upgrade. See your local dealer and ask them for info. Maybe they know about other extras. 3 more months is my guess for arrival.

vand1

I do not if you have experienced such thing in you Odyssey. I feel it is significantly harder to make right turn than make left turn. At first, I think it might be caused by aliment. So, I find an open road and on their, I release the steering wheel. They van stay in straight line very well. Now, I am quite puzzled, how could it is harder to make right turn than left turn. They should be same. Please comment.

mojo66

........for an extended warranty. I've been on the fence about buying one for our '01 EX for almost 8 months now, but yesterday sealed it for me. Nothing wrong with our Odyssey, mind you, but the sick feeling I keep getting when people unknowingly try to pull the power sliders shut before I can warn them to let 'em close on their own is making me too nervous. And no telling how many other times it's happened when I'm not driving it. Yesterday, an adult REALLY yanked on it hard ("dang these doors are hard to close") and I couldn't believe the thing didn't break on the spot. The peace of mind I'll get will be worth the nine hundred bucks.

bighow10

Im leasing the '01 GG ex-Navi for 36 months... but with 15k per year... the warranty is only good for 3 years or 36k whichever comes first... seems to me that the warranty should cover 45k... I leased a Mazda MPV a few years back that covered 3 years or 45k whichever came first... Im enjoying the vehicle, but would prefer the assurance of full coverage for the first 3 years of driving.

xfactor

Thanks for the input on tires. I looked at the Michelin x-ones but backorder is something like 6 weeks.

In the end I reviewed the survey data offered by tirerack and averaged the results for the 18 tires in size 215/65/16.

I looked at the top 4 averages, which were as follows:

Aquatread 3's 8.371429
Michelin Symmetry 7.928570
Michelin X-ones 7.9
Goodyear Regatta 7.9

For purposes of example the next highest rated tire was the Pirelli Scorpion @ 7.514.

In addition to the above I did some sub-averaging and basically came up with the Symmetry was better in Snow the Aquatread better on wet roads.

I also took into consideration the UTQG ratings.

I ultimately went for the Aquatread's

In all the above tires ranked higher then the Firestone Affinity's on my Van which came in @ 5.55.

From one weekend of 200 miles of driving I can say that the Aquatreads out performed the Affinity's.

randyminer

Hi all,

Great board! Gotta love the internet. I'm ready to make a decision on an ody. The best offer I have so far is MSRP + tax and tag, no dealer/destination/etc. This seems like an OK deal. Dealer is Deland Honda in Florida. Another closer dealer salesman says they can match any other dealers price, we'll see. I'm wondering if I should press for free / reduced price on mud flaps cross bars and cargo mat... Any comments on above welcome. Almost forgot - that quote also said it includes Lojack with no installation or monthly fees. Anyone know about that? I didn't know Lojack had monthly fees. Never had Lojack before.

Main question is about the 7/100k hondacare... FL regulates the price of these extended warranties. The price is something like 1600.00 w/zero deduct. Anyone aware of a problem with me buying a warranty out of state and still getting service in FL? Can I get a decent price on the warranty when I'm not buying the van from the dealer? Or are the good 900$ prices only when ppl buy the van there too?

Thanks a million!

lisahhh

By all means, see if you can get any of those items for free. The 2002 will be out in a few months, (perhaps you can slip that into the conversation somehow?) and I think that dealers might be in a more generous mood these days. Can't hurt. I asked for the cargo mat and a couple of other things, waaaay back in Jan. 2000 and got them. Of course the salesperson acted like he had just given me the moon, but I ignored him...

valueguy

Randy,

I am shopping for a 2002 EX-L with Entertainment system. Have you tried Jimmy Bryan Honda?
Julia is very nice.

I have contacted Deland and Jon Hall Honda as well. You can purchase the extended warranty from any dealer in the U.S.

drew_

TOPIC: Tues., May 29th "Cell phones: are hand-held bans enough?"

drew_

Nice to see you here too! Shopping for a '02 Odyssey to complement your E-class?


Drew
Host
Vans, SUVs, and Aftermarket & Accessories message boards

valueguy

My wife wants a new car to replace our 1999 Ford Expedition. The vehicle must be able to seat at least 4 children plus 2 adults. I have only 2 kids but my wife car pools.

The Honda Odyssey is the logical choice.
The vehicle has average to above average quality scores and keeps getting better. The Sienna is a bit small for long trips. With all the improvements for 2002 I decided to go ahead and buy one.

billg7

I see some posters here put more then the recommend 35 psi in their Odyssey tires. I think that may not be a good idea. I took the time to read the print on the sidewalls of my Michelin Symmetry tires, today, which came as original equipment on my Odyssey 2000 EX. It says the max psi is 35,(cold tire psi). It also says do not put more then 40 psi in them to seat the beads. That means to me, that after you seat the beads, you reduce the pressure back to 35 psi.

I believe Honda came up with the recommended 35 psi in order to get the best gasoline mileage on the Odyssey, and not for the best ride, as a number of other manufacturers did that for that reason.

For those of you who are carrying more then 35 psi (cold tire psi), maybe that is what is meant when they say blowing the doors off a car, as that could be what may happen.

dmathews3

Only thing I can add on tire pressure is remember what has happened to Ford and the Explorer with them lowering the pressure way down for improved ride when GM used the same tires and about 6 more lbs. of air per tire.

billg7

I could have made one of the biggest mistakes in my life and bought a 2000 Ford Explorer instead of a 2000 Odyssey. I was seriously considering it. I rented the Explorer for a day and drove it about 250 miles. I then test drove a Odyssey and of course I ended up with the Odyssey.

Yes, GM and Ford made the mistake of having too low a tire pressure for their SUV's, so they could get a better ride, but Honda did not make that mistake and the 35 psi allows the Max load for the tire, as it says on the tire side wall.

mgrady

Long ago I got a Hidden Hitch for my '99 Odyssey EX, and I'm finally going to get it installed at the shop where I've taken our other vehicles. For
folks that have done this themselves, are there any special hints/problems etc.?

Second, I got the hitch so that we could use either a hitch-mounted bike carrier (which we already have, although I need to get a 2" foot instead of the 1 1/4" I had for our old van), or a hitch cargo carrier. My main question is: does anyone have experience with using a hitch cargo carrier on the Odyssey van? These cargo carriers range from being a basic steel mesh tray to being a large enclosed box.

Also, at what point does one need to worry about the tranny cooler package for the van? I assume that just using a bike carrier or a cargo carrier with a couple hundred pounds on it max does not require the tranny cooler. Is that a correct assumption?

m-grady@uiuc.edu

imhip2

You say you ordered 4 slats. Since the roof has 4 wide indentations were the strips could go there seems to be two options as to which side you can put the slats (towards the middle edge or the outer edge) I looked at my roof and figured I might need 8 (one for each side of the indentations) but then thought it would look stupid. I am going to try it with four on the outer edge and I am going to use the black vinal door guards for my slates (5/8 inch wide). This was only $16 Cdn and gives me 16 feet. I figure each slate needs to be 43 inches long to match the distance between the crossbars but I may go an inch or two longer on the front.

rogerberkowitz

I installed mine by myself...a fairly simple procedure. If you are having it installed by a pro, they should have no problem with it. The only thing I remember that raised a flag with me was the tail pipe hangar. I used the hidden hitch's hangar as per the instructions, but I think there were some who posted to this board who ended up cutting the hangar off the hidden hitch and continued using the hangar that's already on the vehicle. If you don't know what I'm talking about, you will once you look under the vehicle.

I don't think you need the tranny cooler until you start pulling more than 2000 pounds.

hondaguy700

I'm new and really appreciate the info I've found on this board.

I've got an 01 GG EX, and am attempting to locate the child safety seats that will latch to the metal loops found in the middle seats.

So far I've found plenty of seats that use the teather strap, but none compatible with these seats. I understand that the Fed mandate will not be in force until 02. I don't want to wait that long, as Honda has obviously made the transition early. Any ideas?

Thanks in advance.

tradegear

I have seen some notices talking about buying 2002 Odysseys. Has a date been published for availability of the new model year? I would like to know this before I buy a 2001 (soon).
Thanks.

caviller

Try here for a review and info:

http://pub59.ezboard.com/fcarsafetyfrm1.showMessage?topicID=7.topic

http://www.car-safety.org/latch.html

carleton1

Brother in law asked me to take him and my sister to the airport today and then pick them up on Sunday night using the NEW Odyssey EX after their trip to Indiana.
Although it would have been a terrific chance to drive a NEW Odyssey, one Honda dealership here has an Odyssey demonstrator they let people drive with NO salesman along for the ride. I do not want to be the driver when some idiot breaks the law and runs into some one else's new Odyssey.
Took them to the airport in our 99 GC SE and will pick them up in our vehicle for that reason.

cri30

The 2001's came out in late August-early Sept. Our dealer says to expect the same for the '02's.
That leaves 3 months. Worth the wait as factory leather, rear entertainment center and three new colors are confirmed. I've looked for confirms on hp increase and refreshed styling. That would be even more incentive to wait 3 months. Hold out for the '02. BTW the Havasu Blue looks promising as it takes the granite green approach by mixing silver with blue (same fern interior as GG).
Hope this helps.

vunderdue4

I have a 2001 Ex Honda Odyssey, we love it, we have approximately 15k miles on it. Although it is a roomy vehicle, the front seats do not go back far enough to comfortably accommodate my husband who is 6'6" weighs 235 ls. Most of the trips we have taken were less than 5 hours. We are scheduled to go on vacation which will take approximately 13 hours. I was informed that there are devices that can be added to the seats which will allow them to be extended back. Can anyone help me, because if I don't find these devices soon and have them installed, that means I am going to have to do most of the driving, while he sit in back of me.

my_2001ody

I live in Ohio and bought the extended warranty through AB Honda in Kentucky. We are thinking about moving to Florida within a year, so I called Honda and asked if the warranty was valid there. They said it was valid anywhere in the U.S. You can call Honda's Customer Service @ (800) 999-5901 and ask them the question. BTW, I contacted AB Honda via e-mail, and did everything else through reg mail. Some Ody buyers have driven from out of state to deal there. I might the next time.

randyminer

Thanks for the info everyone. We will definitely buy the warranty out of state. Florida sets the price for all dealers the same at ~$1600 for 7/100k zero deduct !!! Ouch! I plan on getting it for $950 or less!

We are paying MSRP+tax&tag for a GG EX with Lojack at no charge (not that big a deal if you ask me since it has a decent security system already). No other dealer fees of any kind. Several dealers in the Orlando area could not match this price. Best price I got locally was 500 over MSRP w/no extras thrown in, and they wouldn't budge even when I faxed them a copy of the other offer! Guess these vans are still just too hot here. So we are driving 3 hours to Hollywood Fla (Maroone Honda) to pick it up. Worth the trip for $500 in my pocket and Lojack. We pick it up tomorrow (Saturday 6/2).

I posted previously that the price was from Deland Honda - that was incorrect. It's Maroone Honda in Hollywood FL. Sorry if that mislead anyone.

I will be ordering some rack crossbars, splash gaurds/mud flaps, cargo mat etc. from hondaparts.com or some similar site. I think hondaparts.com has free shipping. Anyone have good/bad experience on these sellers or want to recommend a good site for ordering such parts?

valueguy

My dealer states that the new light blue color will not be available until next year, possibly February 2002. My wife really wants that color.
Can anyone confirm this?

Also, I heard a rumor that Acura is planning to release a luxury version of the Odyssey in the Fall of 2002. This van will have memory seats,
xenon lights, In-Dash 6 CD changer, wood trim, etc. Probable price difference is $4,000 more for the Acura version vs. Honda. Again, I am not sure of this but a Honda salesman said he read it in an internal memo.

ztzz

Posted by randyminer - "I will be ordering some rack crossbars, splash gaurds/mud flaps, cargo mat etc. from hondaparts.com or some similar site. I think hondaparts.com has free shipping. Anyone have good/bad experience on these sellers or want to recommend a good site for ordering such parts?"

You can also try the following links:

http://www.handaaccessories.com/

http://www.hondapartsforyou.com/

http://www.collegehillshonda.com/catalog.htm

You have to compare prices for each accessory between different sites to get a really good deal.

bnormand

Installed a trailer hitch, ATF cooler on my 2001 Ody. I'm thinking I'm good to tow up to 3500 lbs (including passengers, cargo, etc). Now I hear Honda recommends a trailer with brake assist if towing over 1000 lbs (my boat + trailer + motor is about 2000 lbs).

I guess the brake system is designed to support loads less than 1000 lbs-- even though the towing load rating is 3500 lbs (max) w/ ATF cooler?... a hidden gotcha? The brake assist option on boat trailers is expensive-- ouch!

sbelfield

I know this is a little off subject, but I was wondering if anyone had heard any news about Honda's version of the Acura MDX.....when it was due out, info., etc.

Last I heard was that it would be due out around Dec or Jan.
Does anyone know about this?
Thanks.

jane850

I used to read regularly before purchasing my 01. We've had it since Sept and have appx 6600 miles. It's all I hoped it would be. We love it. Now, we're thinking about getting a pop-up tent trailer so we're looking into adding the transmission cooler and a hitch. Question - an auto shop gave a ball park guess of appx $200 - $250 for the transmission cooler installed. As I recall, the dealership was appx $800. Am I missing something? Why the big difference? The auto shop guy said it was because their coolers are after market rather than a genuine honda part. Does it matter? Oh wise ones, please guide me...

Thanks,
Jane

pat84

I had the transmission cooler dealer installed. I thought that it would then be covered by warranty. I had it put in on a 99 and it was like $215 installed. $ 800 sounds ridiculous to me.
BTW although it was covered by warranty, it's kind of moot as I now have almost 38K miles.

davidthompson

Hello, everyone. Haven't participated in the discussion for a while, but now I have two questions for you all. I'll put them in separate messages:

Does anyone know whether the map-database DVD-Roms from the Accura (Honda)Legend are useable in the Odyssey's navigation system. I ask as we are considering trading in our '99 Odyssey EX on an EX-Nav this summer. We drive the vehicle ten months out of the year in Europe. Well, I don't imagine Honda has a an Odyssey navigation DVD for Europe, since the Odyssey isn't sold here, but they do have one available for the Legend (which is sold under the Honda name in Europe).

Thanks for any info you may have,

David

davidthompson

When we bought our '99 EX a couple of years ago, we did so through a brokerage that was working with a Canadian dealer. We did that since the Canadian dealers wouldn't work directly with us, being out of the country.

We really prefer the Canadian version, first because it is much cheaper and more readily available of course, but also because since we drive the vehicle mainly in Europe, the metric gauges are a plus.

However, the broker we used the last time, Platinum, is offering us at this point a price which is not so advantageous. Does anyone know of a Canadian Honda dealer, and/or another broker, who might work with us and offer a good deal?

Also, I can't find any information on the EX-Nav model on the Honda Canada web site. Is it really not available there?

Can the Honda NAV system be added in to a regular non-NAV EX as a dealer installed accessory?

Best wishes,

David

bnormand

Called Honda Customer Relations regarding towing more than 1000 lbs with 2001 Ody. Honda recommends getting a trailer with Brake Assist to satisfy safety issues (like reduced stopping distance). It also saves wear on the brakes.

Too late for me, because I bought a trailer without brake assist to tow my boat ( I didn't know about the above recommendation when I made purchase). Still waiting for my boat to arrive from the factory, so I haven't tried towing it yet. Hope it works out (boat + motor + trailer is about 2000 lbs). Will post my findings.

I got the ATF cooler installed at Honda for $239, which was pretty reasonable. I installed the hitch myself. Part cost was about $230 + $15 for the 2" ball. Message #2357 (Jane) remembers $800 quote for both hitch and ATF-- labor cost at Honda dealer is pretty high. Pays to shop around I guess.

skimmel

Sorry if this has been discussed before, but: how wide (edge of rearview mirror to edge of rearview mirror) is the Odyssey? I can't get this from the specs and can't find an Odyssey to measure.

Thanks.