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

rajup23

Hi,

I am new to this forum and have a problem with my Honda Odyssey 2003 model. Since today I am having problem of shifting gear to REVERSE or DRIVE. After few attempts then I could able to swift the gear. Before I take it to the repair, wants to know what could be causing this problem.

macakava

Fibber2,

Thanks for your reply.

I will follow your exact steps to see if I can replicate them on my '04 EX.

Maca

jchan2

transmission maybe?
Just a wild guess.

macakava

"As far as gas milage they can't help us with why we barely get 19MPG if That. I want Honda to pay for the diffence in Gas that we are paying!!!!What Liers to say this van gets 28.DREAM ON!!!! "

Realistically, you should get 28mpg if you drive constantly at 55mph on the highway with no sudden acceleration and no high speed driving. These EPA(of 28mpg) ratings are ideal lab conditions ratings that are not daily driving conditions we experience; but can be used for relative comparo purposes between vehicles. Getting 19mpg for city and highway driving(that I believe you meant) and speeds much over 55mph for a 4500lb vehicle is not unreasonable.

There are so many variables involved. Your city and highway driving conditions would be different from other drivers. We all have to live with the physics of the situation.

stillniowa

We have put on a ton of highway milage and still we only get 19 MPG. Most of our driving has been to the dealer to ask them questions about recent repairs, which is 180 miles round trip. Our previous van was a Toyota, Sienna and we got better milage with that van than this one. We got pretty much what the sticker said for MPG and not less. That's why I'm floored when we do the math and our MPG is way under for the Honda. My hubby is an mechanical engineer and works with engines on a regular baisis so he knows the ins and outs of them. He is a perfectionist and keeps a gas journal in each or our vehicals to document and to keep track of our gas expenditure. He also like to use it as a base line to see when something is wrong with the vehicale. Any how I think it's misleading to say this van gets 28 when realisticly it gets 19. Consumer reports made a huge deal out of the one more gallon that this van got compared to the sienna. With gas prices being so high you think they would do a better feild test to give consumers a better idea of what reality is.

macakava

I understand.

But one must recognize that lab conditions are not road conditions where there is more road and wind resistance and even load.

If you really want 28mpg, I suggest that you do not drive above 55mph in the highway. If you can by miracle keep your speeds at 55mph forever, exceeding 28mpg should be easy.

But is driving that way realistic and logical?
NO - Not for lead feet like mine. I like to enjoy the energetic and spirited performance of my vehicles like in my Ody.

artgpo

I have a 2006 EX-L. In mixed driving here in the Dallas area I average 22 mpg. On the highway at speeds of 70+ I get close to the 28. No two drivers will get the same mileage.

Have you tried to manually set the climate control to blow all its air to your feet? It has been very cold here a couple of times and I have never been cold in my Odyssey. I keep the climate control at 72 and it can get down right warm!

aaykay

I have the windnoise issue. Took it to the dealer and they replaced some kind of seal in the front but it has not completely eliminated the noise from the wind. Since it does not impact the functionality of the vehicle in any way, I will hold onto it till the next service appmt.

To my understanding, the "transmission issues" pertained to the previous generation Odyssey (pre 2004 models). Not the current generation (2005+ models). My car is almost at 17K miles - pretty hard-driven but well taken care-of miles - and is as close to perfect as I could wish for, other than the minor niggling issues mentioned.

chriso825

Just curious...

Took delivery of '06 Ody EX last night. On the road and in many online pictures, seems every other Ody has its "Odyssey" badge on the right side of the rear hatch. Mine is on the left, and the dealer name badge is on the right. Just wondering if anyone else has come across this one.

I doubt the dealer moved the "Odyssey" badge over and put theirs on the other side. It most likely came from the factory that way and they took the open side for their name.

While the perfectionist in me is a little aggravated, it may be one small way to tell mine apart from the others in parking lots.

Anyone else with a badge on the left side????

sebring95

I believe they swapped sides for '06. The pictures and such are probably of '05 models. No reason to reshoot ad copy when the only change is badge location.

ljlunt

We have struggled to keep tires on our LX Odyssey. We drive it pretty hard and have knocked it out of alignment a few times, and we have used it to carry pretty heavy loads, but now we're getting vibration at highway speeds after having the tires balanced 3 times in the last 30-45 days. I went to Discount Tires last night and they're telling me I have 3 bent rims (I have steel wheels), but I talked to my local dealership and they've never heard of that being enough of a problem that a balancing wouldn't correct. I was told by my mechanic that Discount owns a high-tech, expensive balancing machine at one of their stores here (don't know about other locations) that is super sensitive and should be able to detect more tricky problems. Granted, I have 2 types of tires on our van because of discontinued brands, but I verified that there is no separation, no cupping and no uneven wear. I'm tempted to upgrade to an aluminum wheel, but I'd probably need to replace the tires again. Any advice?

macakava

If balancing does not work, it is very likely bent/damaged rims and/or out of round tires. Judging by how you drive description, i.e. knocked it out of alignment, you must have hit curbs and driven over lots of deep pot holes. These will certainly cause alignment problems, bent rims and out of round tires. Your different types of tires could also affect the driving/balancing dynamics as well.

Given that the alignment is now fine and that all the suspension components are also fine, I believe a new set of rims and identical 4 tires would be the cure.

camerauser

Quote
"To my understanding, the "transmission issues" pertained to the previous generation Odyssey (pre 2004 models). Not the current generation"

Those are very serious transmission issues. Consumer Reports online edition rates Odyssey transmissions the worst possible reliability rating on their chart from about 1999 to 2002. It's a solid round black dot on the Consumer's chart. Worse than Dodge, Ford, Chevy and others. Can't be sure about the newer ones. Maybe they just take a few years to break down. Can't trust what a dealer may say about transmissions of the newer models either. New ones are too new to know what will happen in a few years. And when I looked at a used older model, the salesman claimed there were no transmission problems in Odysseys! Incredible.

jchan2

Its not as bad as CR says though, at least not in my case.

1 New tranny, and I'm good to go. Most of the cost was picked up by Honda...

Now I'm just wondering if I wanted my $600 back, how would I go about filing the paperwork to get a check in my hands?

wearedriven

on our 2002 Odyssey. Yesterday at 48500 miles the tranny went out and needs to be replaced. Because of the 12 visits to our dealer in the past 14 months for a recurring problem with the front end (vibration and popping sound) Honda gave us an extended warranty. Thank God for it because the tranny job would run upwards of $5K but man...this van has been in the shop more than our Town adn Country ever was! We have never gotten rid of the front end problem and now they say it is due to the brake caliper which is "too heavy" and there is no permanent repair...we are thinking of trading and don;t really want another headache from Honda.

securemonk

my gps system is now starting to have problems. Periodically it boots up and the screen is all jumbled. It is unreadable however the screen is still active. It sometimes fixes itself but not all the time. The dealer did not have a clue and wanted to charge me $500 to send it out for repairs. any ideas are welcome. :sick:

jchan2

Wow. Yours sounds worse than mine.

wearedriven

It really is dissapointing when you lay out $26K and then have dealers (2) say that; "Yes we can see and hear the problem but as yet, there is no fix'! What the heck is that about?! I call Honda and yes, they will do some things like extend the warranty...but I'd rather have a van my family can feel safe in and enjoy. Our Chrysler was in the shop some and our Nissan Quest was NEVER in except for LOF and tires. This Odyssey has been a nightmare!

mikemi

Indeed my 06 EX-L has the Odyssey badge on the left side as well. You guys made me run out to the garage just to take a peek!

Mike

jchan2

I bet it is.
Fortunately it hasn't happened to me- yet.

Perhaps if you aren't upside down on it you can go and trade it on a Sienna or other minivan.

aaykay

Those are very serious transmission issues. Consumer Reports online edition rates Odyssey transmissions the worst possible reliability rating on their chart from about 1999 to 2002. It's a solid round black dot on the Consumer's chart. Worse than Dodge, Ford, Chevy and others. Can't be sure about the newer ones. Maybe they just take a few years to break down. Can't trust what a dealer may say about transmissions of the newer models either. New ones are too new to know what will happen in a few years. And when I looked at a used older model, the salesman claimed there were no transmission problems in Odysseys! Incredible.

The previous generation Odyssey definitely had transmission issues. There is absolutely no indication or data to suggest that the current generation has the same. Also, the company is Honda - not Ford/Chevy. They certainly did a thorough engineering analysis on the issue and designed the new transmission in a way that eliminates the possibility of it ever happening again. There was probably a weak link in the old transmission design, which caused it to fail under certain circumstances....I am not too convinced about the fixes they have in place to take care of the old problem, without doing a complete re-design.

Knowing Honda and their enormous engineering strengths, I sincerly doubt they would allow such a faux pas to slip by, the second time around, when they had multiple years to study the problem and make internal design changes. For the record, I don't need a salesman's glib talk to convince me of anything !

missruby

Both of my sliding door "sliders" seem to be broken. They both catch as they are closed. Could it be rough handling from my boys, or a slanted driveway (letting doors drop when opening)? Do I have to replace the whole mechanism, or is there another answer? Thanks for any help.

ench1005

got my 2006 odyssey just last month and i also noticed the odyssey badge on the passenger side i guess thats the only way to tell that it is a 2006 model

suepan

I've the same whistling noise problem with my 2006 model. Have been to the dealer 3 times, still not fixed. May I know what product update number did you get from Honda or what number did you call to get this number. Thank you.

khalter

I threw away the update number, however I got it originally by calling (800) 999-1009 and telling them the exact problem. They will give you the number. Let them know also about your dissatisfaction with your dealer.

mango3

We just found out brand new 2006 HOnda Odyssey has a crack in its transmission casing that occurred in the manufacturing plant. It was spewing transmission fluid. Honda wants to replace it with a 2005 "refurbished" transmission, and only admitted it was an old one after we asked. Honda is the pits. A $32,000 van with a old transmission. Don't buy Honda, especially here in Huntsville Alabama. The idea that a auto company makes a bad transmission, doesn't catch it in inspections, sells the car, then tries to replace it with old parts is criminal!! In the south, alot of these old parts are coming from the hurricane areas, and we have no way on knowing. It sounds like Honda is going the way of FORD>

mango3

In case your curious, we have owned the car for 7 weeks.

wearedriven

Wow, we just got our's back today for the crappy tranny and the bill was $4368...thank God we had the Honda Care due to all the earlier problems...but I am with you. It seems like they know all the problems and just wait for people to have them...then fix it. I was told that there are "...no new transmissions and all are rebuilt" what a bunch of bull! It's trading time and we are heading to Toyota or Nissan. We are done with Honda!

aaykay

I think putting in a "remanufactured" tranny as a tranny replacement for a 7-week old car is adding insult to injury. Why did you accept it ?

rockytee

I have a 2000 Odyssey LX and problems with sticking sliding doors since I had the car new. When I experience this problem, I would spray all the rubber door seals with silicone, the ones on the door and the ones on the car frame. This seems to cure it for a few months.
During the first year of ownership, I went 4 to 5 times to the dealer for this problem, with no good results. I even broke the drivers side door handle. To prevent the handle from breaking, I have to open the front door and grab the sliding door frame to yank it open.

gmcfrazier

2006, On the left side

sebring95

A remanufactured transmission is not old, worn, or used. It's basically a used case with new internals. These transmissions are built in a sterile environment and are every bit as good as a brand new transmission. In most cases, supply chain does not support brand-new transmissions being shipped to dealers which is why they have remanufacturing facilities. These facilities take-in failed transmissions, gut them, clean the cases, install all new internals, and ship them out as needed. It is far far far better than having your current "new" transmission rebuilt in a shop. Unless there is something special about having a new case (which are just as likely to have a major mechanical flaw), there is zero advantage to insisting upon a "NEW" transmission.

It sucks to have a new vehicle requiring a major repair, but manufacturing defects occur no matter who. It even happens to Lexus, gasp!

thegraduate

Out of ten posts, I counted three individual problems. Not a bad ratio, eh? Ten years of cars to end up with 1500 posts of problems?

hayneldan

6048 divided by 10 = 604 x 3 = 1812 problems

socalawd

6048 divided by 10 = 604 x 3 = 1812 problems

Wow look another post from a person who never owned a honda before and which helps nobody!! Oh at least it adds to the number of posts!! Oh this one is adding to it too, and it helps noone!! It dosen't matter LOL!! Count it up DCX boys I still am happy to be driving a Odyssey!!

thieknikor

My 2002 Honda Odyssey was a wake up call for me. We've had it in the shop 4 times for electrical, doors, tranny problems under warranty. Now we just paid over $1000 to fix a rear oil seal leak just past warranty. Don't believe the Honda Hype! True they were once known as Reliable but that was comparative to other auto makers in the 70's and 80's. Truth is Honda has rested on its laurels and let the others catch up with them. I've NEVER owned a car with so many problems and only 40,000 miles at that and it was touted as a "best pick" by Edmunds. In todays market you should expect a vehicle to give you at least 100,000 miles fairly trouble free other than routine maintenance. I think that hyundai has a great advantage over other makers with its 10 year 100,000 mile warranty I could have used it on my Honda but I expected not to need it, more hype. At least you know there won't be any big $$$ surprises for a long time. I wouldn't trust the new Odysseys or any Honda until they prove themselves for a few years. I have a 95 Dodge Avenger (rated fair to poor on reliablity) that has given me 160,000 miles so far with NO major repairs, go figure.

wearedriven

I agree. This non-sense about "the supply chain does not support new transmissions...", give me a break! Why not?!
They "support" new of everything else. I have a question;
How is it that I can go to a Honda dealer and buy a "certified" used Honda which carries with it a 100,000 mile warranty through Honda Care (which costs the dealer an inspection and about $350) but the NEW Honda only has a 3/36K mile warranty! IF they are so good...why not give them a 100K Warranty to begin with?!

sebring95

The reason the certified used comes with a 100k miles warranty is because it's added to the cost of the car. You pay more for certified used....wonder why?

New Odys come with 5yr/60k miles powertrain warranties. Pretty much as good as it gets these days without going to a luxury brand. Honestly, if an engine/tranny doesn't self-destruct within the first few miles, it'll go 60k miles with abuse and lack of service so it's really a marketing ploy IMHO. I'm sure Honda only came around because Toyota has offered this for many years. It never effected my decision to buy a Toyota, I also never used the warranty. The only powertrain warranty I've used in such low miles were the u-joints on my 1-ton Dodge and it pulls 15,000# 30k miles a year so it was nice to have that coverage. Of course DC doesn't offer the 7/70 anymore.

I'm not saying Honda couldn't supply their dealer chain with brand-new transmissions. However, it would be silly because for every bad transmission, there is typically a good case that can be reused. Every manufacturer does this with transmissions, except some of the luxury brand simply because there is not enough demand/failures to warrant rebuild facilities. A transmission is a very complex machine and has a higher failure rate compared to other vehicle parts. It's really one of the last vehicle parts that I would consider problematic and that goes for all brands/manufacturers. Even poorly designed engines can go 200k miles these days. The average life of an automatic transmission is in the 130k mile range.

odytour2005

Howdy, I just took my 2005 Ody Touring (w/3070 miles) into the dealership for a whistling noise coming from the front of the vehicle and into the cabin. The problem is noticeable at 60-70mph, but on very windy days, the problem is more noticeable at lower speeds. There is a service bulletin out for this issue, but the service technician stated that it did not apply to my vehicle (pertains to re-sealing the cowell cover on which the wipers sit on). Day 2 and I have not heard from the dealership yet, but I will keep you posted as to what the fix is. I purchased the car in February of this year and this is the only major issue that I have had for the car. Although, we don't drive it all that often (hence the low miles), the car has been very enjoyable to drive and own.

docsergey

Hi everyone, this is my first message regarding the first problem with my 2006 EX-L. Highly annoying humming,wooming sound under acceleration, especially 30-40 and 60-65mph. I've tried to read all posts about this issue and my undestending that we are having a problem without a solution. maybe, hopefully, somebody got it fixed so, please, post some information.

mango3

Many of the 2005 transmission cases are coming from flood damage/hurricane vehicles. Why should I take a 2005 for a 2006 transmission? Honda is saving thousands of dollars on their Mistake!!! Aren't I entitled to a good part in a brand new van? They won't even give me the paperwork on the new part. They weren't even going to tell us about it until we checked on the internet. A rebuilt is not the same as an old one. Any mechanic looking under my hood when it is time for selling my van will know, and my van has decreased in value by thousands.

rorr

"Many of the 2005 transmission cases are coming from flood damage/hurricane vehicles."

Where does this information come from? What evidence, OF ANY SORT, do you have that Honda is scavaging flood damaged Odysseys for the transmission cases? Or are you just making this up because it sounds good and you want Honda to give you a brand new transmission case?

odytour2005

Just an update on the whistling noise. The dealer just called and states that the molding on the windshield was causing the problem. So, they have replaced it and he states that the noise is gone. Lets hope it doesn't come back. If anyone else has this problem, you should check the molding on which the wipers sit to see if it is not deformed (not adhering to the windshield). Just lift the windshield wipers up to see the entire molding. I noticed it with my van. I hope this helps.

isellhondas

Exactly...what rubbish!

A transmission CASE does not wear out. No mechanic looking under a hood would be able to tell it had been replaced anyway and this certainly wouldn't devalue a car.

dennisctc

I for one crawl under every vehicle I purchase to make sure the tranny case wasn't replaced or RUSTS!! As we learned weeks ago, RUST is a killer of engines and can spread to trannies and bodies!!!

rorr

"I for one crawl under every vehicle I purchase to make sure the tranny case wasn't replaced or RUSTS!!"

???

Isn't the tranny case made from the same RUSTPROOF material as the engine block (aluminum)?

hayneldan

6048 divided by 10 = 604 x 3 = 1812 problems

Wow look another post from a person who never owned a honda before and which helps nobody!! Oh at least it adds to the number of posts!! Oh this one is adding to it too, and it helps noone!! It dosen't matter LOL!! Count it up DCX boys I still am happy to be driving a Odyssey!!

Just faulting the math! Glad you are Happy with your Odssey.

sebring95

A rebuilt is not the same as an old one. Any mechanic looking under my hood when it is time for selling my van will know, and my van has decreased in value by thousands.

So which is it? Are you getting a rebuilt or a remanufactured? A remanufactured is essentially a new transmission. A rebuilt is a different story. A salvage transmission is also completely different and I'd never believe Honda was using Salvage transmissions for warranty replacements. Regardless of where the case came from, no mechanic will have any clue the transmission has been replaced without checking some sort of records. And a factory remanufactured transmission installed by a Honda dealer will not devalue the vehicle one bit. You're having emotional issues with this machine.

And how would the transmission case from a flooded vehicle look any different than one drug around under a vehicle through rain/snow/ice/mud for xx,xxx miles??

dennisctc

Isn't the tranny case made from the same RUSTPROOF material as the engine block (aluminum)?

Probably but I'm sure there's something that can Rust, and once it does, it's the end of a good vehicle

lecheue

I have a 2005 EX and have noticed the same problem. The acceleration periods are the same, but I would also add that it feels like a high frequency vibration as well. I'm planning to bring this to my dealer. If anyone else has noticed this, please respond.