Honda Odyssey 1999 - 2004

cascade

My 2000 Honda Odyssey was declared totaled after hitting a stopped delivery truck with a lift (going no more than 15-20 mph).

Is that reasonable due to the object hit? The body remained intact (bumper to bumper) but the hood collapsed and the engine block was damaged beyond repair.

dcrisler

on the tires, we have about 22k on 2 tires and much less on the other 2, so I will proably just go get another semetry. I did look at the Micheline X plus today and Sams... it wat $146!! While I have to pay a fortune for the S2000 tires... I am not paying that much for the Odyssey tires. Discount tire will match Tireracks $88 price on the semetry, so I will probably just go there. Thanks for all the comments.

letmetalk

Those are only $109 at our local Costco. I'm looking at picking up three this weekend. They have gone up significantly since a bought one for $90 in November. My symmetry's have only gone 30k and are near the end. I'm looking for something with better life.

Dan in San Diego

dvshelley

Anyone else have any new, confirmed info on the 2002? Especially I'm curious what the new MSRP will be. I'm worried that the rumored bump to the engine will bump the price a fair amount.

- Daniel

richcolo

Cascade, If nobody got hurt then I think things worked out pretty well. When the back end of the truck comes in over the top of the front bumper, the situation is not what the structure was designed for (FHWA and IIHS barrier tests), but it performed well anyway. Personally I would be happy that it was declared totaled, because you don't have to worry about the quality of rather extensive repairs. No matter how good a repair looks from the outside, you never have things quite the same as the factory made them underneath. If I were in your boots, I'd be getting another Odyssey.

hayneldan

A TV VCR If properly secured is LESS Dangerous than all the other luggage and stuff you carry unsecured in the van.

swartzm

www.hondanews.com has detailed postings about the new 2002 upgrades including the EX-L and the EX-L RES. I haven't found pricing information anywhere yet. Has anyone else? For those who have ordered, how much are they charging you?

shellymeister1

Just posted at Temple of VTEC! Great shots of new exterior and some interior shots.
Photos confirm:
Exterior EX Model: New design alloy wheels
New Grill w/ larger H
Rear Amber Turn Signals
Interior EX-L Model:New CD/Radio/Cassette Unit
DVD Player near floor
Cup Holders on 2nd row seat
New Steering Wheel

sbelfield

Here's the link.

Check it out! Awesome!

http://hondanews.com/Forms/honda/odyssey/index.html

Sam

stever

Sounds like some nice improvements. This isn't going to help availability any :-)

Steve
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drew_

For those of you who haven't seen it yet:

Click here for the specs.


Drew
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emptyset

Has anyone else had their spoiler or right rear tail light crack? Bought the van in Jan 01 and the service manager in Virginia is now saying that the windshield wiper fluid put in by the dealer in Syracuse may be responsible for the cracks that occurred. In any event he will not replace them under the warranty. Any advice?

emptyset

Am looking to install a rear hitch that I can use to tow (less than 2000 lbs) as well as a hitch-mounted bike rack. Any recommendations for either purchase? I am assuming that I can tow up to 2000 lbs without having the transmission cooler installed - is that correct? Thanks!

rudy1000

emptyset,I just had the hidden hitch(round tube version) installed.I had them take off the hidden hitch stickers,it looks very sharp.It only sticks out about a 1/4 inch behind the bumper.It is a class 3 so it is heavy duty for sure but even for a bike rack I think it is a very good choice.

As far as the transmission cooler goes I would install one even if it is for less than 2000 lbs.It certainly doesn't hurt,sure it costs a few bucks but a good investment imo.

twinmomma

Will the '02 hp change mean that it can now tow heavier trailers?

mschafer

This has been a common problem, and dealers have been replacing them under warranty. If your dealer is giving you a rough time, get the Honda Zone office for your area involved. The phone number is listed in your owner's manual.

ckgregoire

In case anyone is curious, I just made a 4500 mile trip in our Odyssey. Fully loaded with wife, 2 kids, 2 dogs, a cat with supplies for a 3-week trip. Averaged 23mpg, with a high of 27 from Cheyenne, WY to Pueblo, CO; and a low of 21 through the Smoky Mtns. Seems to get better gas mileage at higher altitudes? Very comfortable ride. Blew by other vehicles going up mountains with cruise control on. No regrets on choosing the Odyssey.

jmurman42

Honda says that if you tow anything without the trans cooler and damage is done to the trans, it will not be covered under warranty.

On all Odys that we sell to epople that have a hitch without a cooler, they must sign a statement saying that they understand that.

Save yourself the potential hassle and get the cooler.

emptyset

The hidden hitch comes with two possible adapters: 4 & 6 pin out dual adapter OR the 4 & 7 pin out ready access adapter. What is the difference between the two? Which is the appropriate choice for the Odyssey? Thanks.

drew_

I don't see anything in the specs that would indicate increased towing capacity. Keep in mind that engine power is only a partial factor when it comes to towing. Brakes, the strength of the vehicle's structure, and the capacity of the hitch are also other equally important factors.

You may be interested in the Towing with a minivan discussion topic.


Drew
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jrdowney

I also purchased the Hidden Hitch (round tube) for our 01 Odyssey. Placed the order with

Bage CO. http://www.bageco.com/Default.htm

Great price (about $109) and pretty easy to install. Did it myself in about 35 minutes. I personally think it looks much better than the Honda unit and is a lot cheaper!

larry110

Hi everyone. Thanks for the great information on the Odyssey.

I have a peculiar problem. I recently negotiated, what I thought, was a good price on a 2001 Odyssey. I was suppose to be driving it last week. I had to call the dealer to find where it was and they told me it had been diverted to another area of the country where a hail storm had previously damaged other Odysseys. They said it was being built as we spoke and should arrive in 3 - 4 weeks. What a let down!!!!!!!!

Here's the problem. Now that I know so much about the 2002 Odyssey I'm sure I want one. Part of my deal on the 2001 Odyssey was the IVES installed. All the information that I can find, thanks to you guys, is that the 2002 EXL RES only comes with the DVD player. I need the VCP since my kids only own VCR cassette.

1) Does anyone know if it is possible to have a VCP instead of the DVD in the 2002?

2) If so, could maybe both the VCP and DVD be installed.

I'm dealing with two different dealers for the two different vehicles and neither of them have a clue. They both claim I have way more information than they do.

From the information I've seen on the net I think I could plug a VCR into the DVD player, but that would defeat the whole purpose of the IVES. With this option I might as well purchase a TV VCR combo, for a lot less money, and put it between the front seats.

biggame

Hi there...I just got my 01 Granite Green Odyssey EX on Friday, August 3rd!!! It was nearly 16 months since I placed the order through the United Buying Service (UBS) here in the Northern Virginia Area. I got on the list for a Canyon Stone Silver EX back on April 24, 2000...yes that is 2000 and not a typo. When I got on the list through Brown's Arlington Honda I was told that I was looking at at least a year wait. I called them twice over the 12 month period to check in and make sure that my name was still on the list, and to tell them that I wanted to change to a Granite Green EX when Honda stopped making the Canyon Stone Silver. Can't say that the reps at the Honda dealer I spoke to where all that helpful, and one was outright rude, so I ceased communications with them and went straight to my UBS rep Carla. Carla has her stuff together and always had the list handy, and was willing to give me the latest on where I stood in line for my Odyssey. Around June of this year (14 months after I got on the list) I thought that I would check back in with Carla, and find out if i had moved up any. She said that I still had about 20 people in front of me, and that it would be like September before I would be close. I told her to note in my file that I would rather just wait for a 2002 since they would be out around that time. She did so, and I figured I would just continue to wait. Then on Friday morning, I got a call from the Head UBS rep at Brown's Arlington Honda, and he asked me to call him back. I did so, and he told me that 3 EX Odyssey's had just arrived the night before, and was I interested in a White one. I told him that White was the only color I did not want, and he said, well I have a Granite Green Odyssey that I was going to sell for Retail, but if you want it, you can have it. I said great...let me swing by there after work to take a look at it. Dropped by around 3:00, looked the van over, and told them that I would take it. He said great lets go get the paperwork out of the way. That took all of 20 minutes...UBS is great...it is all prenegotiated prices. I was in an out in an hour and they were very friendly and not at all pushy about the fact that I wanted no dealer add on options.
The prices were as follows:

UBS
2001 Odyssey EX: $24354.00
Destination Fee: $0
New Vehicle Processing: $0
Virginia 3% Tax: $710.62
Tags (2 years) : $116.21
Options (none!): $0

Total: $25200.83
_____________________
Retail (non-UBS)
2001 Odyssey EX: $26400.00
Destination Fee: $440.00
Virginia 3% Tax: $805.20
New Vehicle Processing: $240.00
Tags (2 year): $116.21

Total: $27999.41

Overall UBS Savings of :$2798.58

In the final analysis if you are not in a rush to get the van and you want to save nearly 2800 dollars UBS is the best way to go.

I want to thanks all the Odyssey owerners on this board for taking the time to explain their stories. It really helped reading about your problems and praises of this vehicle. If you have any questions feel free to email me at bcbkelly@aol.com.

BigGame

miniman

A few weeks ago you asked about where to buy in Newton MA - I live in the same town, bought Odyssey at Herb Chambers on Commonwealth Ave in Boston (Allston), but the key is: you need to speak w/ J. Bulger who is the star salesman and will treat you like a human, not scrap of meat w/ $26,000 in your pocket. After a respectable buying experience, we had a few problems with our van, and I was very pleased with how responsive they were and they remedied everything with a smile. (My sister has a Windstar, had one similar problem, dealership and Ford have been useless)
If you go, tell him Dave S sent you!
Good luck.

miniman

I looked back several months and saw several recent posts from people using trailer hitch mounted bike racks. Anyone out there using a roof-mounted one?

I have an EX. I am especially interested in experiences from folks using aftermarket rails (prefer not to have Honda ones on all the time plus non-Honda ones can go on my other vehicle).

Also, any recommendations on where people have gotten best prices.

Any comments, suggestions, ideas appreciated!

Thanks.

vangirl4

larry110, we have similar but opposite problems.

I am picking up an 01 EX on Tuesday and having the i-VES installed, which of course comes with a VCP. I really want both DVD and a VCP, but if I had to choose, I'd prefer DVD. My Honda dealer knows almost nothing about the specs of either the i-VES unit or the new 02 RES. The systems look totally different in the pictures so I'm not sure if any of the parts can be swapped out. One solution for both of us is to get a mobile DVD or VCP mounted under the passenger seat. Although it does defeat the purpose of having the iVES/RES systems, at least the extra unit would be out of the way. I'm going to keep trying to get additional information on these units - if I learn any more, I'll post it.

larry110

Vangilr4, that's interesting. When I ordered my 2001 Odyssey the salesman wanted me to verify that I wanted the VCP and not the DVD. I was under the impression that the DVD was available on the 2001 models.

madhaon

Hi There,

I have seen a post a while back about how to fix scratches on the van. If any body remembers the post number or knows the easiest way to fix the scratches (big ones) please let me know. Thanks

billg7

Here is what I found on my hard drive. You may have to recopy the link to get it to work right.:

2100 of 2100 RE: Here Is The Complete Fix Scratches Chips Post by steve_ HOST Apr 23, 2001 (10:30 am)

Yep, that's the one billg7--looked for it a couple of weeks ago and couldn't remember where it was. I'm gonna delete your answer because the repost formatting got even worse and also truncated the last few paragraphs.

Here's the "original" post in the archives (original in the sense that it appears to have been copied from Honda-acura.net):

dcrisler "Odyphiles VII" Jan 19, 2000 10:26pm

/direct/view/.ee93d86/267

rphron

I have seen a few posts about UBS...What is this exactly? Some special group that might have military backgounds? Part of a Credit Union? Some kind of Costco buying program? Is it available nation wide?

lisahhh

Heck, I'd say most men would have to be "fully loaded" to take a trip with wife, kids and pets...

dchopp

After looking at the changes for 2002, I am glad I waited.

ponce2

I want to get/order an EX 2002 with leather & DVD and I'm wondering what dealership in the Sacramento area will give the best deal? If there is such a place who is the contact person?

billg7

Actually if you are going to take a trip with wife, kids and pets. Taking the trip with an Odyssey is the way to do it because there is lots of room for everything, and the kids go nicely in the back. Also with three rows of seats you can separate problem kids in separate rows. I would board the pets though, if I could.

I much rather take such a trip with an Odyssey then a Cadillac, or most any other vehicle. It can really be a pleasant trip.

raybear

Try your local dealer first, then consider travelling south to get a better deal. I haven't seen the kind of deals quoted on this board from Sacramento County.

larry110

Two dealers told me today that the wiring clip for the VCP is still installed in the 2002, but the EXL RES is only available with the DVD from the factory. For $90.00 something is available from the dealer that you have to have to install a VCP. They guess it is the lower brackets and housing that is in the 2001. You still have to find and buy a VCP that will fit in that lower space.

Anyone know where I might find the demensions of the VCP for the 2001?

Anyone know where you might purchase a VCP of that size? One dealer said "I don't know. Probably Walmart."

hondaaccessory

"Vangilr4, that's interesting. When I ordered my 2001 Odyssey the salesman wanted me to verify that I wanted the VCP and not the DVD. I was under the impression that the DVD was available on the 2001 models"

The 2001 system was only available from Honda with the VCP player. Many dealers install aftermarket items which might have been the case with the availability of the DVD system from them.

-Trevor

sbrandon

burn your own cd's of the kid's videos and use them in the dvd.

inky

anyone have the skinning on MSRP with EX and no leather for 2002. I expect $500 with improvements.
INKY

inky

You know what I meant.

larry110

sbrandon,

I know how to burn audio CDs, but I didn't think it was possible to burn video CDs.

How does one do this?

caviller

For anyone interested, I've updated our review and purchase decision:

http://www.epinions.com/content_34498776708

odd1

I know you can burn your own dvd now with a computer. I don't know how easy it is to burn a video onto dvd.

ukrick

Got this from the Honda News web site.

http://www.hondanews.com

NEW FEATURES SUMMARY FOR 2002 MODEL

*Class leading 240 Horsepower 3.5-liter V-6 (regular unleaded fuel)

*First minivan with standard 5-speed automatic transmission

*First minivan with standard front and side air bags

*First minivan with available factory-installed DVD entertainment system

*Standard four wheel disc brakes (rear disc brakes added)

*Improved Noise Vibration Harshness (NVH) dampening

*Improved ride with same sedan-like handling

*Available leather trimmed interior (EX)

*Enhanced interior utility

*Freshened exterior styling

*New Colors (Redrock Pearl, Evergreen Pearl, Havasu Blue Pearl)

No information about pricing yet that I could see.

slocko

http://www.goterapin.com/store.html

This lets you burn video tapes to vcd format which plays in most dvd players I believe. I don't own the unit yet, but I do plan to get it to copy my home video to vcd. Quality is not as good as dvd, but it is as good as the tape itself.

mmicot

To those who have asked about the 2002 increased engine & towing capacity - The problem with the Oddy isn't enough HP - its the soft rear end - you will need to install Air Lift load levelers or their equivalent to keep the rear springs from bottoming out - most of the weight you put in a van for a trip ends up on the rear axle - even when you stay below the GVW limit. Other than that, I tow my 3000lb boat just fine, altho9ugh the mileage is cut in half. As to the mileage, after 10k miles, I consistently get 26/27 on the highway (not towing), and a poor 13 in the city, which is where I do most of my driving. Oh well, I'm hoping this thing ages like my Accords.

ckgregoire

Your right, "fully loaded" is probably right on the nose, but I had to move from Augusta, GA to San Diego, CA and the wife said no one gets left behind. But I put the two middle captains chairs together with a covered litter box on the side. The kids sat in the middle row with the TV/VCR between the two front seats. The cat sat in the back window on top of everything, with a view of everything behind us. The two labrador retrievers were relaxed as they could be in the back seat. You would not believe how many comments/questions we got when we unloaded at a 7-day pitstop along the way who couldn't believe how much stuff we pulled out of that van. I gave up my 1990 4-runner for this van and this van can fit a lot more behind the back seat than the 4-runner could easily.

Anyway, if your traveling with pets and need hotel/motel rooms, I booked at www.travelpets.com and had no problems finding places in seven different states.

I do have one complaint though! No easy to reach cupholders for kids in the middle row! Any Honda people see this coming soon?

mwertheim

I visited 2 southern california dealerships today(Family Honda and Fladeboe Honda in Orange county) and none of them knew yet about the changes for 2002. One of the sales managers at one of the dealerships was so adamant that NO changes except for new colors were coming for 2002. I asked at both about placing an order, and they said that they wouldn't do it and that when they do come in, "who ever bids the highest gets the van" Starting price of course was sticker plus $1500. I was outraged at this blatant form of price gouging as well as the lack of knowledge in their own product. I got 2 different answers on when they would get their allocations(late Sept and Nov). As I walked out of each showroom I told them to check out hondanews.com Pity that the dealers are so misinformed. Can anyone recommend a dealer that is intelligent, can talk about the 2002, and possibly place an order - or at least reserve a spot in their first few allocations without getting into a auction with other people?!!! Thanks to everyone on this board who has posted invaluable information.

jarcher2

I have visited and/or talked to four Honda dealers (Norm Reeves in Huntington Beach and Cerritos, Rock Honda, and Long Beach Honda) and none of them had a clue about 2002 changes. One dealer insisted that there were no changes at all.

As for ETA's, I have heard mid to late September at the earliest and that isn't set in stone.

All I can say about the November date is that a new plant in AL is supposed to be up and running cranking out 120,000 vans (or Hondas?) this year.

MSRP on 2002's, one dealer guess-timated a increase of $500-$1500 on MSRP for the 2002 depending in model and what's on it.

None of these folks are taking reservations or deposits for 2002's at this time. I refuse to get involved in a bidding war. I'll drive my 1982 Volvo with 300,000 miles on it for awhile longer before that happens.

jmurman42

You are right about September deliveries. Late Sept is when the first 2002's are due to arrive.

About the Alabama plant. August production is slated for 150 units. Honda has told us that they will increase monthly as the employees become more familiar with the manufacturing process. Once the main line is at capacity then Honda will add a second line, as you might imagine this is not an overnight or first of the year process. Now as this plant increases production the Ontario plant will decrease Odysseys in like fashion.

Hope this helps you plan for your Ody.

Jerry