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

keithrichmond

Well, after a year and a half and nearly 30K miles we finally are taking the '00 LX in for warranty repairs. Recently my he-man strength finally ripped the left passenger door handle off (thanks to 1.5 years of sticking rear doors). The dealer tells me there is now a replacement compound rubber weather striping - finally...

While the van is in we're having them check for the 67Mph shimmy, the intermittent clock light (which I can get to come back on by tapping it), and an odd 'bang' that has happened twice while making a right turn off a street up onto a driveway. The bang is quite loud and comes from the left rear of the car. I'm pretty sure it's a suspension piece - any ideas???

All in all though the van has been great. My wife calls it her "dream car"! Hey, whatever makes her happy, though mine would be more like an old Porsche 550 Spyder...

I'll post back when the dealer is done.

Keith

chet7

Keith,

I, too, recently pulled the handle off of a sliding door on my '00 LX. The dealer fixed it and put all new seals around both sliders, per some bulletin from Honda. However, they both STILL STICK!

Since I got the van, the dealer has lubricated the door seals with Shin Etsu grease, applied slip tape to the doors, and replaced the seals. And they still stick.

I've given up now and have accepted the fact that the sliding door seals are a maintenance item, and need to re-lubricated (I use Sil-Glyde) whenever I change the engine oil. They're fine as long as I keep them lubricated.

I've had no other significant problems and really like the van.

larry110

Thanks for the info. The dealer installed the cross bars completely wrong. They did get the front and rear correct, but the rear was backwards. They weren't anywhere close to the dimples on the side rails. I reinstalled them correct and the whistle is gone!!!!!!!!!
However the wind noise at 60mph+ persists. I swear it almost sounds like a freight train and it gets louder the faster I drive past 60mph.
The dealer gets to listen to it on Monday.

2002 GG EXL RES

kwren

I know I'm not the first person with transmission problems on their Odyssey, wait until you hear this one though. I have a '99 EX with 33,000 miles, six months ago it began leaking fluid from the differential. Dealer replaced seal, but a month ago it began leaking again. Took it back in the last week of September, they called me back the next day, van would need a new tranny! Supposedly, the dealers are not allowed to crack them open, they just have to pull it and replace with a refurbished one from Honda. At that point the predicted wait was going to be 3 weeks. Now, at the 4 week wait period, they say they don't know WHEN the tranny will show up from Honda, but they don't expect it until the end of November at the earliest? We aren't suffering as they have us in a nice '02 Explorer (with the third extra seat in the back), but my question is, is this typical time frames for a transmission replacement?

fezo

If that's your concern go with the Mesa Beige. The Satin Silver is also an excellent choice for hiding dirt and has the added attraction of a gray interior which is also a dirt hider. Of course the red has the gray interior but red is tough to keep looking good.

bren3

Re: squealing brakes.....We have a '01 and I have also noticed squealing brakes from time to time on backing out of garage. Don't remember when it started, but it doesn't happen everyday. The worst time was after I had been on vacation for 2 weeks this past Aug. It had been parked in mother-in-law's garage the whole time. I figured it was from dust, humidity or lack of use. I have not noticed squealing any other time....only backing out of garage. Go figure

jimblock

I had the transmission in my 2000 EX NAV replaced after about 1 year (11000 miles). I had a transmission problem since the Ody was new, but it was intermittant and wouldn't act up in front of the dealer. Once it did, the dealer insisted on keeping the van and had a transmission shipped to them by air-freight. It was there in two days and I had the car back in 3 or 4. 4 weeks seems very long unless Honda has a real backlog. I would call the Honda Zone rep.

keithrichmond

Well, as I expected my visit for warranty work was less than encouraging...

To sum up:
1. They replaced the inner and outer door handles after I broke the outer (and the inner started getting a really long throw) - that was fine.
2. They replaced the big door seals that go completely around the door. They did not replace the harder rubber drip rails that go over the doors. This is where the door seems to stick IMHO. Whether the door seals were the actual culprit remains to be seen. - fine but questionable
3. They replaced the bulb in the clock. I had thought the problem was with a connector but was told the bulb was the problem. I still think it was a connector but either way if it is fixed, so be it.
4. They were unable to find any loose parts under the vehicle. We reported that on several occasions a loud pop/bang could be heard at the left rear of the car when making a turn up into a driveway from the street. I'm pretty sure this is like a binding suspension piece but when you talk tech to a service writer they get all irritated so I just let him tell me there were no problems...I'll keep an eye on this one.
5. They also refused to do anything about the 67Mph shimmy. Their excuse was that on a van with 30K miles the alignment would likely be out and that was not a warranty item. I would have at least appreciated a check of the tire balance but I've been going back and forth with them previously on tire issues. We had a cut tire about 3 months after buying the van and replaced a pair of tires out of our pocket after the dealer refused to do anything about the cut. The service rep stated that tires are a "sticky issue between dealers and tire manufacturers" - yeah, no one wants to take any kind of responsibility! I wasn't asking for new tires but I would have hoped for a better response on this item.

Overall they certainly didn't win me over to be a regular service customer. The service writer was regularly rude to my wife when she'd ask technical questions I had prompted her to ask and when I called on the phone I caught him trying to convince me of things I knew to be outright false. I almost can't wait for the warranty period to be over since I'm a pretty competent shade-tree mechanic and have supported every car I've ever owned post-warranty...

mschafer

You stated: "I almost can't wait for the warranty period to be over since I'm a pretty competent shade-tree mechanic and have supported every car I've ever owned post-warranty."

Why wait? My 99 Odyssey has been to the dealer for service on two safety recalls and to replace the timing belt at 105,000 miles, which they screwed up in the reassembly of the engine shrouds. Everything else was done by me.

It's running very well, thank you at 115,000 miles. For your sticking doors, why don't you try a little silicone gasket cleaner and conditioner? I had sticking doors smewhere arounf 15,000-20,000 miles and applied the stuff. Haven't had a stick since.

speckham

I had a similar problem with my '00 Odyssey. If yours is anything like mine, it will get to the point that it happens every time you apply the brakes when going in reverse. It was loud enough to draw looks when backing out of a parking space.

On the second trip to the delaer for this issue, they replaced the front brake pads under warranty. This was at ~11000 miles. I never got an explanation as to why the sound would only occur in reverse. If you figure it out, please post what you learn.

tester2

When checking the transmission fluid on our 2000 Ody I noticed a vacuum hose that comes up from the transmission housing. It passes right on top of the transmission dipstick tube. It then is clamped to the top of the lower radiator hose. After this it is broken off on our van. Could someone tell me where this goes to? I'd like to replace the hose. (Van runs fine. Don't want to go to the $$$ dealer.) This should be very easy to see with a minimum of effort. Thanks to any and all for the assist.

auburn63

I believe the hose you are talking about is the transmissions vent hose. If so, that is the way it is supposed to be..

joekrish1

I'm located in Atlanta and have had a chance to talk to the Dealer GM, the zone customer service rep and finally the executive offices in Cal...If you are not aggressive with your situation it will be months....before you have a rebuilt tranny. The problem ( I believe) is with American Honda....Even with my pursuit of a fix I waited 4 weeks. Make some noise and start with the zone people...Forget about the 800# customer service...they are WORTHLESS.

pmarvin

Hi, My '00 has 94K on it and the light in the clock has died. Can the bulb(?) be replaced, or am I needing an entire new clock unit? Homer has been to the dealer only once in his lifetime and I do not want to darken their door if I can avoid it(long story). HELP!!
Harriet

auburn63

you can do just the bulb replacement however the clock doesn't just pop out from the front like an Accord you have to remove the dash peice that holds it.

tester2

Thanks for the help, I appreciate it. Now you have got my curiosity aroused. What in a transmission would need to be vented?

mschafer

The interior of the transmission would build up pressure when it gets warm, if there wasn't a place for the expanded gases to go. This would force the tranny fluid out past a seal somewhere.

FWIW, my 4WD Mercedes-Benz Gelaendewagen vents the manual transmission, the 4WD transfer case and both axles; i.e. 4 vents all together.

pmarvin

Thanks. How do I gain access to that region under the dash? Is it a special numbered bulb? Are they after-market?
Harriet

auburn63

There is a small knock out plate to the left of the radio, pry that out then grab inside that area and pull outward to get the clips to let go. put the shifter all the way to the bottom and remove that piece that goes around the radio. Then remove the screws for the instrument panel all around it and then remove it. The clock will now be accesable.

pat84

Actually, the 96 Dodge Caravan I traded in on my ODY did not have a transmission vent. The transmission fluid came out the tranny dipstick. It then dripped onto the exhaust manifold, making lots of smoke. I got tired of hearing , "Hey, mister, your van is on fire." I figured it was only a matter of time before the whole tranny self destructed.
I only have 46K miles on my 99. I still have all OEM equipment, including the Firestone tires. The tires look like they'll go another 5-10K miles. My previous best was 40K miles (on the DC).
I haven't had 1 problem with my ODY. In all fairness to the DC, it did have a much better stereo than my Honda.

mschafer

Pat, I'm with you. The OE Firestones on my 99EX went 65,000 miles before it was necessary to replace them. Also, I've had no service problems with the exception of the low EGR flow, which I fixed myself. It's been to the dealer for a total of 3 times - 2 times for safety recalls and 1 time to replace the timing belt. It has 117,000 miles on it now, and it still drives and rides well. I don't see any need to replace it for at least a few more thousand miles. *:o))

reca

Image you have to tolerate the annoying and greedy salesman, spend a MSRP on a vehicle, wait for three months to get it and finnaly find out it has some major problems. It is just too difficult for those unlucky owners. I can not think myself being in that position. That is why I am still pondering whether to order an Ody or not. The preparation and expectation of it is just too huge to fail, not to mention the 30K expense.

mike734

Has anyone heard of this one:

While sweeping up my driveway today, I heard a breaking noise and looked over in time to see the rear window on my 1 year old 2000 odyssey shatter. There is a football size hole in the lower left corner of the rear window and the rest of the window is completely shattered. There were no kids in the area, and we found no balls, rocks, or bullets in the area. It is like the window just exploded. The lower left corner is where the defogger connects but the car was off and nobody was near it. Is it possible the window didn't fit well and the window finally gave it to the stress?

popper

I've got a '00 LX with 38,000 miles on it. Yesterday the transmission started shuddering badly when shifted from Park. Trans. fluid level is fine. Any ideas out there?

mschafer

Don't order one. It will leave one more available for those of us who really want and like them.

jim_loves_cars

You're right in some regards - the Ody has had some real engineering issues, especially with the transmission.

For 2002 the Ody has a new 5-speed transmission which hopefully will not suffer from the same problems as the previous 4-speed.

My wife has 8,500 miles on her 2001 EX and loves the car. We have not experienced any of the problems some owners have faced and we are keeping our fingers crossed!

We were aware of the possibile problems with the vehicle when we ordered ours (thanks to this board), but we forged ahead. We waited two months and paid MSRP like many others. So far we are not disappointed. It is my opinion that the vehicle is worth the wait, the expense and the risk of failure, especially when considering the competition. You're not going to get a better overall ownership experience, even if you have problems with the van.

Sienna might boast "toyota-reliability" but does not compare in terms of functionality and value.

MPV is too small and Chrysler is too dicey on the reliability scale for me. Overall, I'd take the Odyssey warts-and-all any day. It's a real pleasure.

Just my opinion - you should choose a vehicle that will make you happy. The Ody does it for my family.

phil47

Firstly, I'm not having ANY problems with my 2001 EX transmission with 13,000 km/8,000 miles (actually, no significant problems at all...knock on wood). Just curious about 2001 owner experiences regarding the transmission, particularly problems requiring replacement. I'm hoping that Honda had worked out most of the bugs in the 4-speed by the time the 2001's came out. I've heard very little complaint from 2001 owners regarding this issue.

auburn63: How are you? Have you also seen a significant decline in problems with the 2001's at your dealership?

tag9

Reca wrote:

>>>>That is why I am still pondering whether to order an Ody or not. The preparation and expectation of it is just too huge to fail, not to mention the 30K expense.<<<<

So you have misgivings about ordering an Ody. Alright, I can understand that.....BUT you are considering WHICH other vehicle????????????

reca

I am waiting to see what the newer Sienna and MPV look like.

elim

I have a 2000 Ody that has served us quite well. No problems other than a recall for the wiring harness and given the choice of vans out there now, I wouldn't hesitate in getting another Ody, especially the 2002's. I'm very envious of friend of ours whose in the market for a minivan for the first time and they've targeted a 2002 Ody.

FWIW, I seriously looked at the MPV and Sienna's when we bought our car. I would be hesitant in buying any vehicle in it's first new model year. For me, the 2nd is better and 3rd+ should have had the bugs and kinks worked out of most models. I'm not a dyed in the wool Honda fan and would be very interested in what Toyota comes up with.

I've thought about upgrading to a 2002, but the next reincarnation of the Ody would just have my head spinning again. Let's see, the 2nd year of the redesigned Ody is 2005...

bear21

The rear window wiper shaft on my 99 has become loose after a trip through a car wash. Is there a simple fix as tightening a set screw or is this a motor replacement? Thanks

donbroer

The same thing happened on my 2000 EX shortly after I got it. I took it back to the dealer and they tightened a nut on the bolt on the shaft of the wiper. If I remember correctly the service tech said it was a 9 mm nut

bren3

Has anyone had the experience of hearing rattling coming from the rear when going over rough road? Our '01 EX has close to 22,000 miles on it and probably for the past month I have heard such noises coming from the rear. I have nothing in the back that would cause this. It almost sounds as if something is loose on the underside. Could it be something to do with the suspension? Otherwise, it drives like a dream on smooth road. Am almost afraid to mention to the service department for fear they will not be able to duplicate. If anyone has some insight on this problem I would greatly appreciate it! Also, the sliders (passenger side more than driver's) still keep rattling. Service dept. has tightened the latches, which works for awhile, but of course after a short while they are rattling again.

mike734

They are going to fix it under warranty. Wahoo ! I don't understand why except this dealership (Renton Honda, WA) is trying to provide good service. I'm sold. The part alone is over $1000. I am glad I did not have to use insurance on this one.

popper

Turns out it was nothing. It was actually a little embarassing when I took it to the dealer Mon. morning. They put it on the lift, reached up and dislodged a rock (we live down a gravel road) that had wedged in between the trans. housing and frame. Seems it was transferring any trans. shake to the rest of the vehicle. Whew!

rjc8

I have a 00 EX Nav with 6K and have had no problems at all. The transmission is no problem and I love it. Plan on maybe looking for an 02. Now my problem. For some reason when I enter my PIN to try to get into the personal system of the Nav, I get incorrect PIN. I didn't do anything but my PIN won't work. Any way of clearing the PIN which must be in there now and restablishing my PIN.

rjc8

Corrrection on the above. My van has 66,000 miles on it.

daisydavi

I have a 2000 Ody with 33k miles and I have given it a lot of abuse with my carpool kids, and I still love it.
I have not had one problem. I love the way it handles on the highway and on the hills of the North Georgia Mountains. I love my fold away seat, and my power doors.
The tray was useless to me, so I took it out and purchaced my own console, with better cupholders. My only negative is the seating is not as comfortable as the T and C. (no lumbar support)

dmathews3

Are you using your own made up pin or the one that came with the van? The one Honda provides is built in and overrides all others. If that one don't work than you had better make a trip to the dealer because if you lose battery power you will need that number to get it running again. Also the one for the radio is different than the one for the Nav. Could you be mixing them up?

rjc8

I know about the pin for the radio and nav when you lose power and have to reset them. That isn't the problem. My problem is with the Nav on when I want to go into my personal addresses. That requires a pin which I set up and it worked fine but for some reason will not except my pin now. Just keeps giving me incorrect pin. Honda was not much help on this.

dmathews3

If I'm not mistaken the Nav pin that came with van should override everything. Give it a try. I gave my address pin 0 to make it simple. You may try that if you get it fixed.

clarkgt1

We have a 2000 EX with 34,000 miles that has had absolutely no problems until recently our CD Player started skipping any CD that was played in it. We called the service dept. and without checking it out, they ordered a new stero and have just completed installing it. Since they were so willing to replace it without checking it, I'm wondering if this is a common problem or a recall that is not being publicized. We just made it under the 36,000 mi. warranty.

auburn63

There really is no checking to be done on it other than to verify that it does, and if they couldn't verify it, does that mean that it doesn't do it? So I think they just decided that they would order the unit to have in stock when you came in so that they could fix it on the first visit rather than making you return. There is an advantage to having customer satisfaction and sometimes Dealers do the right thing in ordert o get it rather than trying to buy it.

pmarvin

Thanks for your reply on the clock problem on my wife's '00 Odyssey. We've had it for almost 2 years and have 95k miles on it. It has been to the dealer once to "clean the EGR valve". I only hope it is as reliable as my (now our daughter's) '91 Accord with 385k miles and still going strong. Again, thanks.

auburn63

Gald to be of some assistance every now and then..

tju

I got the bad news last week that my 1999 Odyssey LX (purchased in Sept. 1999) needs a new transmission. It's had all of its required maintanence and has not been abused in any way, but between 45K and 49K miles the transmission began to slip while up shifting and pop while down shifting (esp. between 1st and 2nd gears). My local Honda dealership first tried a "flush" (not just draining the fluid, but flushing the transmission as you do a radiator). That improved performance, but did not restore fully smooth shifting, and it's getting worse again. Apparently the TSBs from Honda say that these symptoms require a complete replacement, not just some minor repair like replacing solinoids.
This seems WAY TOO EARLY for major transmission trouble, especially on a supposedly high quality Honda. I had originally intended to buy a Ford Windstar or a Dodge Caravan, but posts on the Edmunds van site convinced me that those were trouble prone vehicles and that I should buy a highly reliable Honda instead. In the 41 years that I've been a licensed driver, I've had transmissions go bad before, but never this early. The tranny in my '78 Chrysler Town-n-Country died at 65K and in my '87 Toyota Corolla at 130K. On the other hand, I have a '90 Geo Prizm (Corolla clone) with over 190K and its transmission has never required anything but routine servicing. Perhaps it's time to rethink Honda's inflated reputation for quality???
I was quoted a price of $4500.00 ($3,900.00 for a new transmission and $600.00 for labor). Unfortunately, I listened to all those true believers in the Honda Odyssey discussion group who said that Hondas are so great that they never break down and extended warranties are just a waste of money [this is the first Honda I've ever owned] and didn't buy the extra warranty. Ouch! The dealership service manager said he would try to get Honda to pay part of the cost and, to their credit, they have agreed to pick up all but $1400.00 of the tab. I'm grateful for that, but still fried that I have to put out even that much money for a problem that never should have happened in the first place. Has anyone else in this discussion group needed an out of warranty transmission replacement? What was Honda willing to do for you?

DTKWOK

Sorry to hear about your Ody woes. As far Honda's reputation for reliabilitymost of it is true. Our '83 Civic is still going strong 167,000 miles on original engine and tranny (auto). Even though the Ody may well be Honda's most unreliable vehicle so far, I'm still willing to place my bet on them rather than DC or Ford, simply because Honda has their reputation to protect and it is in their best interest to fix the problem as soon as possible. (Can anyone honestly say that DC and Ford have a reputation for reliability and quality?)

My 2001 EX at 965 miles, has had part of the tranny replaced (some sort of solenoid) as a precaution, simply because I had brought it in and reported some weird louder than normal thunk noise (when shifting from N to R or N to D4). Currently at 11,500 miles, so far so good (I also got the extended warranty).

But I guess part of the problem in your case is getting a first year model (a big no-no in my book). It's true that the problem with the tranny went from 99 to early '01 models, but hey,
it takes time for owners to start racking up those miles on the tranny.

I know this message probably offers no reconciliation for you, but hopefully it'll put things into perspective. Just curious, would you ever consider a Honda again?

ukrick

Honda advertises 19 City and 25 Hwy for 2002 models. We've put 4000 miles on ours so far. 80% of our driving is highway and we've been averaging around 20 mpg. The Honda service tech said mileage improves after 5000 miles. Is he on the level here??

robr2

Gas mileage indeed does improve with mileage. IIRC somewhere between 5K and 10K is when it reaches what will be typical from then on.

Keep in mind that the 19/25 is what the EPA says the van gets based on an optimum test that they perform. Honda is required to tell you the results the EPA achieved. IMHO the EPA test tends to be optimistic. Also, driving style, length of trip, use of modifed fuels, and cargo all affect actual fuel efficiency. Don't forget, this van weighs over 2 tons.

MY Y2K EX typically gets about 18 with a 50/50 mix of city and highway driving. Straight interstate trips will get me 22-23 mpg. YMWV.

fixer

In Post 1173, mschafer has provided some initial guidance on how to clean the EGR valve if your Ody's TCS & CEL light come on. In Post 1283, he expands goes another step further in taking off the manifold and cleaning and drilling out a port.

Well, my TCS & CEL light have come on. I bought some carb cleaner, and took off the EGR. I was surprised how noisy the engine sounded, almost as if the muffler was off. I guess that is normal. Anyway, I used a half a can as suggested, cleaned the underside of the EGR, put it back together, cleared the PCM, started her up, and the lights were off........for about 5 minutes.

Now what do I do? Should I try again? The vehicle has only 37K. I doubt I have the buildup mschaefer describes in 1283, so I don't think I should take the intake manifold off? I hate to take it to the dealer for something I can do in an hour. Anybody have any other suggestions/experiences. Without a DTC reader, its tough to diagnose this stuff.

TIA