Honda Odyssey: Problems & Solutions:(1995-2004 Models)

dahlemd

I had a vigorous shudder in my 2005 Ody EXL, especially about 80 mph. I brought it in for service, with only 600 miles on the odometer, and the service foreman stated that my van did not have its initial PDI (car's computer programming/learning session) before delivery. In essence, my van was not programmed before delivery that would regulate correct timing (as it was vaguely explained to me.) The van was essentially in "limp" mode, and was functional, but was not in the ideal running mode. I definitely felt smoother acceleration and quieter/smoother idle. The car is now supposed to be more efficient now.

I had the van serviced at a different dealer than the place where I purchased the van, as it was closer.

Anyone with thoughts whether my engine was negatively affected while running with the engine not programmed, especially with VCM?

Anyone with low mpg should consider this oversight by their dealer. :mad:

camerauser

A new van is in order. As others have said, lots of things can go wrong when replacing the most important part of the car. Under controlled conditions at the factory, there is a great chance of everything going right. At a dealer, there is a lot more chance for big problems. I have definitely had many bad experiences with the service department at the local Honda dealer. The list is too long. And includes oil change not done, wheel bolts put on too tight to remove and so on. On almost every service visit, something was done wrong.

As to a dealer wanting you to believe what they say about this subject, let common sense be your guide. If someone always wrote about every issue by defending the manufacturer and dealer and minimizing any issue, would you believe them?

skysaab

As I remember... Audi and VW replace all thier 1.8 turbo line engines from 1997-2004 something like that. I guess the technical part might be ok. However, to replace with the whole new one is lots better than just get the new engine.

isellhondas

As usual, you have a strong opinion.

It's really not that complicated of a process. Your referral to heart surgery is way off base. You don't give an experienced technician the credit they deserve.

kswire

I have the same problem with my Odyssey. Did you get any help?

Thank you,

Kevin

mrflyingv

The lift gate on my 2000 Odyssey is stuck locked. The button engages and disengages, but will not become unlocked. Any ideas how to manually get this unlocked so I can open the lift gate on my Odyssey?

dennisctc

As usual, you have a strong opinion.

It's really not that complicated of a process. Your referral to heart surgery is way off base. You don't give an experienced technician the credit they deserve.

I've been in automotive engineering for 11 years now, dealing directly with plants on wiring/electrical issues. I know what it takes to build an automobile and how they're assembled. The engine is the heart of the automobile.

For someone to purchase a brand new automobile, and need a new engine at 600 mile....TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE to probably 99% of the public.

Besides, since you state this never happens to Hondas, that's even more reason NOT to accept an engine transplant!!!

statmech

I agree. Once you swap a few engines and/or transmissions, you see that the process is actually quite straightforward. If your dealership wanted to rebuild the engine, that would be a cause for concern. But to take a new engine and install it? It's like connect the dots for an experienced mechanic.

jipster

"for an experienced mechanic"

That's the problem. One doesn't know the skill level of the mechanic or how many engines he has "swapped out". Like most other professions..there are good mechanics, and there are poor ones.

dennisctc

Would any of you actually accept an engine transplant in brand new vehicle, after only 600 miles. They probably haven't even made their first payment yet!!!!!!

That's the key problem I have.

autowrite

This question includes the Odyssey 1999 to 2004 but includes all other vechicles in this time range.
I would like to know how many transmission failures that have been recorded for all makes of vechicles (1999 - 2004) where the number was substantial?
The postees in Edmunds jump all over the Odyssey but what about the Tord Windstar, Chrevrolet 'NOX, Sienna, BMW, Dodge Caravan, etc.
Thanks for your help.
ps: Some people in the industries could have this info.

isellhondas

I agree, it's unacceptable for an engine to fail at 600 miles but I don't think I said this NEVER happens to Hondas.

I've never seen or heard (until now) of this happening, but anything can and will happen. You are trying to make it sound like a simple engine swap will butcher up the car...it won't.

The sky won't fall...it's really a straightforward job and with your vast knowledge, I'm surprised you feel the way you do.

keith24

My wife & I just bought an 04 Oddysey, "Honda Certified", 24,000 miles. Here's the deal. I've read about the tranny problems, but have a question.

I've noticed that, when shifting from reverse to drive, there's a slight hesitation before drive engages. There's not been any other tranny problems (hard shifting, etc), only this hesitation.

Any thoughts??

Thanks in advance!

Keith

just4fun2

Great! Let Honda replace the van with a "New" one and sell the Ody with the replacement engine to another buyer telling them that the engine has been replaced and not to worry. Any takers? Come on, step right up!

How many people here have had the dealer screw up the small stuff?

Easy to give advise when it isn't my money!

dennisctc

My other concern is CARFAX. Would this be reported? VIN # vs. Engine Numbers? You go to sell it a few years from now, and it scares people??

autowrite

How do you add your country's flag? into you message header?

stickguy

that's normal. The tranny has a slight lag switching from reverse to drive. I believe it is to cushoin the shock or something.

best bet is to sample anothere few '04s to make sure they are the same, since it's kind of hard to acurately diagnose tranny problems over the internet!

isellhondas

I've looked at, literally, hundreds of Carfaxes and I have never seen a comment about an engine replacement.

Even so, some shoppers look for a reason NOT to buy a car, and I suppose if an engine replacement were noted, it ***could*** scare someone off.

Just sell it to the next person.

philg87

No I would not they would have to give me a new van. If not extended warranty of 100k on the complete power train. Cut me some money some how with this deal.

psg

Getting ready to buy a new set of tires for our 2004 Ody. We have about 33,000 miles on the OEMs and they probably have a few more months left on them. Any thoughts on BFGoodrich Traction T/A Ts vs. Bridgestone Turanza LS-Ts? Tire Rack has them ranked as one and two respectively among standard all-season touring tires. One of our goals is to reduce road noise well maintaining traction, though snow is a minor concern.

shperez

I just picked up my new Ody '05 EX-L RES/NAV last week after waiting a couple of weeks for it. I can only imagine how I would feel on your shoes breinders . I would not accept anything other than a NEW VAN, Honda Motors Corp cares alot about their name and image; I personally don't think they are going to let that go down the drain; If the regional manager doesn't get it done. Get the local news involved; make noise, remember the squeaky wheel gets the oil .

I do hope you get the treatment that all customer deserve.

soz05ody

Ok, I can't resist. I've had my 2005 Ody (EXL RES NAV) for 16 days. If the engine crapped out, I'd demand a new one. No hard feelings to the tech, but why should I be stuck with ANY add'l risk.

Ok, now to my issue: For some reason when I try to use the key fob or the dashboard control to close the passenger sliding door, it gets almost all the way closed, but the "sensor" seems to sense something in the way, and the door bounces back. I'm planning to have the dealer look at it, but was wondering if anyone here had seen that before. I tried to search the board, and got lots of hits on issues with sliding doors (mostly around 2002/2003), but nothing about this specific issue..

thanks!

dulnev

I've had this happen once to the driver-side door. Tried several times to close it; it would to within quarter of an inch and then would go back. I couldn't see anything blocking its way or anything in the track. But then I fiddled with the sunshade, the 2nd row seat next to the door, with its armrest, with its seat belt and anything else I could see around. Then the door closed. I don't know which item was causing the problem, but something I did fixed it. I suggest you do the same...

fibber2

Once in a blue moon this will happen on my '02 as well. It most often occurs when the van is sitting on uneven ground. I suspect that the extra resistance to motion and latching caused by the slight body torquing is sensed and interpreted as an object in the way. In your case (new van), it probably means a minor adjustment to the tracks and rollers is required to make the door move more smoothly and not go into safety mode.

Steve

breinders

Thanks to everyone who has posted their opinions/information. Here is an update.

The dealer has not received the new engine yet. Not sure if they have pulled the old engine yet. I may make a surprise visit today to see what the van looks like at this point (plus I need to retrieve a couple of items I forgot in it).

I had an initial conversation with the Honda customer service case manager. She still needed to speak with the dealer to get all of the details and will be calling me back at which time we will discuss what exactly will Honda is willing to do. She did already make reference to providing me with the 100K extended warranty and the 30K service to alleviate my concerns.

For those of you who feel that a new van is in order what is your feeling about sticking with the original van and getting the 100K warranty (assuming it is HondaCare bumper to bumper and not just the engine) and the 30K service?

I know in the end it comes down to my personal feelings about potential issues with engine replacement, etc. but I am still interested in your opinions. Thanks.

jipster

It's got 600 miles? I may say, "fine...I'll take the 100k bumper to bumper because I'm a nice guy and I'm willing to work with you on this." But, if anything in the slightest goes wrong with the engine in the next 1,000 miles or one month...then they give you a new Ody. Have the dealer put any concessions in writing.

I would still argue politely for a new one. But, as I posted before...I would probably be willing to settle for the 100k extended warranty(which is worth about $1,200)
Good luck brienders.

rsht

Its an unbelievable experience you are going through. I agree with most of the people responded to your post, ask for a new van. Its my personal feeling and opinion, having to replace an engine for a brand new car diminishes my trust in its reliability; although you get the 100K warranty, anything happens along the way you still have to spend YOUR time to get each problem fixed. Doesn't your time worth anything? I guess to be able to "Trust" is important to me; granted, accident will happen, problems can and will come about when we least expect them, but, to replace a new engine already is just too soon to me to build that trust... Good Luck to you!!

macakava

Agreed.

For me, I would prefer a brand new car for peace of mind.

The factory assembly folks install engines everyday in the assembly lines and they should be more "trained" and experienced in doing so.. The dealers rarely do engine swaps(on a 2005 Ody) compared to the factory. There could be many things to be not done right at the dealers. Dealers do not always have adequately trained technicians as well.

For the low mileage new vehicle you have, I would go to extremes to get a new replacement. The news media is a great place to use - NO-ONE likes bad PR!

shperez

Breinders,

I wish you the best of luck on this one, 100K extended warranty is a very nice gesture on Honda's side, like someone else said is US$1,200.00, but still is not enough for me. I will continue to push for the new one instead, what Honda should do is: authorize the dealer to give you a brand new one and they (Honda) should take the hit with the one you have, let the dealer do what ever he wants with it, give it up for auction, what ever....

A vehicle of this calliber 30K plus depending on the trim you have, is simple UNACEPTABLE :mad: I would like to know what's excuse is Honda using to not give you what you paid for.

Let me put this out there for you all to pounder on:
If you buy a TV or any electronic equipment and it goes bad with in certain amount of time let say 15 days, you take it back to the store and they give you a brand new one right, what's the problem here, why can't mighty Honda Motor Corporation give you a new vehicle instead of messing around with you and your time. I strongly doubt you will buy Honda again based on this experience, will you ?

Thank you.

imidazol97

If replacing the engine is so good, Honda would be able to replace the van for you and take the van with the replacement motor and simple set it in the showroom and say this van has been remanufacturered. It's for sale at the original price.

Think the dealer or Honda will do that with the van with the replacement motor? Would you buy that van if it is the one in the color you want?

macakava

Fully agree.

You get what you ask/settle/bargain for!

I would go for a NEW CAR using what ever ammo I can get my hands on. News media, BBB, politicians, etc

breinders

Would I buy another Honda if they don't replace this van? It is too early to say. It would leave a bad taste in my mouth so it depends on if the bad taste is gone (absolutely no problems with the new engine, etc.) when it comes time to get a new car (our other car is an Accord that we plan to replace in two years). We do like the overall quality and sporty feel of Hondas.

Would I buy a van with a replacement motor? Absolutely not - not even for a decent discount - my peace of mind is worth a quite a bit of cash.

Question: Would they be able to sell my van with the replacement engine similar to the way they sell a demo vehicle? It has less miles than the demo we drove and it doesn't seem like they have to discount demos much to sell them. If there are people out there that are not that bothered by an engine replacement and who are cash sensitive, the discount they would have to offer to sell my van might not be much greater than what they may offer me in the way of the warranty and service (i.e. why don't they replace my van?). Or would this have to be sold completely differently since it has already been registered and had its engine replaced? (I am still building a case to present to Honda when they finally call me back - they haven't been very prompt at calling me back thus far.)

sebring95

If it's been titled, it can't be sold as new/demo.

breinders

I'll refrain from discussing what they can/should do with my van and just stick to the reasons that I feel they should replace it. That's not really my business/concern.

IMHO A titled vehicle (not mine - just in general) with extremely low miles would be a better buy if it had gone to a loving home for a short while - versus a demo vehicle that gets abused (during the break-in period no less) by testers wanting to see what the engine is capable of (not to mention the abuse to the window shades and every other feature that people yank and pull on). I think you would have to be a brave soul to buy a demo vehicle.

socalawd

For those of you who feel that a new van is in order what is your feeling about sticking with the original van and getting the 100K warranty (assuming it is HondaCare bumper to bumper and not just the engine) and the 30K service?

That sounds at least close to fair. I hope they have been providing you with another mode of transportation until the engine is replaced. A nice one like one of there Odyssey touring models. Have a nice day the engine replacement isn't that hard for a semi- experienced auto tech.

gellend

I have a 2001 Odyssey with 119,000 miles. (Simillar to yours)

I currently have no problems, except the check enginee light is on, but when hooked up to a computer though it gives an error code of P074A - something about a Torque Converter Clutch.... Sounds like I need a new transmission.

How did you get Honda to agree to replace the transsmission for you free?

who do you call.... Can anyone help...

just4fun2

I would not want anything less than a "new" van to replace the "new" van that I paid for. Explain to Honda that this is what you want and you won't settle for less.. If they feel that they can get away with offering you less they will, it's up to you to demand what you paid for.

You'll be kicking yourself everytime you have a problem with this Ody while waiting in the service center eating free donuts.

dvo

How did you resolve the problem? My 2000 Odyssey had P1456 3 times in the past year and everytime Honda charged me $90 to reset it. However I think the problem is with the ERG valve which is covered by Honda for 5 years or 80K... but the dealer insisted that it's not the code they can fix the ERG with.

Is there anyone out there can get the dealer to fix the ERG on P1456 code?

dvo

Do you remember what EC code you had?
I have the same problem too, but my dealer refused to fix the EGR under warranty because the code is P1456, which they blamed it on gas cap problem. I brought the car in 3 times, and everytime they just reset the EC. I think P1456 and EGR are related, but can't prove it...

vince_lmt

I bought a new Outback in 2000. Subaru of America authorized the dealer to replace the engine (short block) to correct a problem. I was extremely hesitant to go along with the solution because of my concern about the long term viability of an engine replacement, and more specifically because it would be a short block replacement. SOA also agreed to give me a 7 / 100 / 0 factory warranty to stand behind the dealer provided work..

The odometer is now at 78,000 miles and I have encountered absolutely zero problems with the new engine. I would not hesitate to make the same decision again. The dealer mechanics did a superb job and the work was completed in a day. The extended warranty has also been helpful even though I have only encountered 3 minor issues and all have been unrelated to the short block swap.

Unfortunately exchanging vehicles under consumer protection laws does not work the same as with other consumer goods. Trying to force a buy back would be difficult since Honda is willing to install a brand new engine, as opposed to a repair or a remanufactured unit. In addition, most state's require 3 related failures in a given time interval before a lemon law remedy can be pursued.

My recommendation is to give Honda a chance to correct this unfortunate situation. If additional problems occur as a result then you would always have the option to pursue a legal remedy. It would be in your favor to cite your willingness to follow the manufacturer's solution but then document any resulting problems from following the manufacturer's recommended solution.

I all but forgot about my engine swap within a couple of weeks. Good luck and I'm sure you will enjoy your new minivan for many years to come.
Vince

dvo

Could you tell me which check engine code Honda dealer would replace the EGR valve for you? I know I have problem with the EGR, but cannot get it replaced under warranty on code P1456. The light already came on 3 times, every time with code P1456. The service advisor blamed it on the gas cap not tighten enough (although itself tested OK), so just reset it (and charged $90).
My van is at 76K now, so I need this resolved soon. Thanks.

dvo

Do you remember what the code was?

jkw209

Hi, this is my first posting. I just bought a 1999 Honda Odyssey EX & do not have the owners manual with me. It is parked with the engine off & I cannot for the life of me figure out how to turn the interior lights off -- all of the map lights are on. Can anyone tell me how to turn these off? Thanks.

eaglesnest

We also have a 2002 Honda Odyssey and began experiencing this problem in late May while traveling. We had a cooler in the rear for snacks and drinks for our children and suspected it must have leaked. Cleaned dried the cargo area and found water again when we arrived home. The same cooler was there so once again felt it must be the cooler. Now I am short one cooler, I just raised the rear seat to make room for a grandmother to ride with us, and low and behold the cargo area and the seat had water again. I left the seat up to help speed drying and after my wife drove it yesterday water appeared again, it also seems to be originating for the bolt hole of the seat belt on the passengers side in the cargo area. Temperatures have been high so I suspect she is running the rear a/c. I will post again after checking the rear a/c drain tube. Did you resolve your problem? Is this a common problem on the 2002?

If you have had this problem and can lend a hand in correcting please let us know!

robr2

There is a switch on the dashboard on the right side of the radio that has 3 positions. Lights on, lights on with door (center), and lights off.

If they stay on, manually switch each on by pushing on it.

Good Luck.

jkw209

Yes, thanks -- I feel really stupid now, although it's a weird place to put a light switch!

robr2

Glad you found it.

cerium

Dear Breinders,

I would talk to an attorney who is specialized in Lemon law. I had a similar situation with my accord 2002 two years ago and the dealers tried to install a new engine to sort out the noise problem from the engine. I talked to an attorney and he had a better strategy to deal with them to get the better agreement for me.
I finally got the new 2003 accord (new model) and am happy with that.

According to my attorney, Honda corp will pay the attorney fee even though you lose the case so you would not spend your own money for that.

If I were you, I would let an attorney talk to them and just wait for the result. Attorneys know exactly what to do to get the new vehicle.

breinders

Thanks cerium. However, I don't meet the Lemon Law requirements (which appear to be the same in my state MN and yours CA) of 4 or more repair attempts (2 for safety related items) or 30 business days in the shop. Without that I don't believe there is anything an attorney can do for me.

Did your Accord meet the Lemon Law requirements? Did they try to fix the engine noise a number of times? If not, do you know what tactic your attorney used?

cerium

Yes. I have taken my car to the service center for four times and they could not get it fixed. However, you have much serious problem than I had with my ex-accord and hence that may give you a better chance to deal with Honda corp. You can freely talk to any Lemon law attorney and they may give you better idea.

Good luck!