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

auburn63

If the light is due to the EGR you may be able to get it covered under warranty. 1999-some 2001 have a new SB extending coverage on this code for 8 and 80,000 if I remember correctly. To be sure I can check and or you can have your VIN ran at a dealer and they can tell you if it shows up on the computer.I will check on monday if I remember the bulletin is fairly new and not totaly sure on its content..

gary2001ex

I have a 2001 EX with about 16K miles that, for the last 3,000 miles or so, has had a very muted creak from the passengers side front suspension. I have taken the vehicle in for four warranty issues (all at once). The dealer attributed the noise to the brakes. The pads were replaced and rotors turned under warranty (15.6K miles and what's up with that!) but the creaking noise, though subtle, is still there. I read a post a while back pertaining to a strut mount and a front end noise. Can someone elaborate on this. I'm a mechanical engineer and a mechanic and I typically do all of my maintenance. There seems to be no play in the strut near it's upper mount. I'm not sure this is the problem; I just seem to remember a post a while back that seemed to relate the two.

Also, the vehicle has failed to start two times when warm on the initial try. After two or three tries it would start. Also, it seems to idle and run a bit rough when cold. It didn't act this way when new. I brought this to the attention of the dealer and mentioned the EGR issue. The service guy, Mark at Weir Canyon Honda, acted as if he'd not heard of any EGR problems. There were no fault codes and they could not duplicate the problem. Any comments/incite would be appreciated.

fixer

Funny...I got a emissions warranty extension in the mail yesterday. Its for my 99 Accord, but perhaps it applies to my '00 Ody as well.

bigjim01

Fixer;
I'd really appreciate any information you can provide on that new service bulletin you refer to. I've had a lot of problems (5) with the EGR on my '99 Ody LX. So far, I've got more than $200 in repairs to the EGR. The problem started at about 25K miles. Currently, I'm running on a new EGR that I paid for out of warranty. I have heard nothing from Honda about extending the warranty coverage. I currently have 41K on my car.

Can you provide a SB number?

cccompson

The transmission in our '99 EX began to act up around 40K. Took it in on October 9 and dealer said it needed another transmission. Although vehicle out of warranty, they immediately (and voluntarily) advised that Honda would pay the full amount. Unfortunately, had to wait 4 weeks. Transmission was replaced on November 6 at zero cost to me. So, TJU, I'd lean on 'em to cover the entire cost.

That was the good news. The bad news is that this early build vehicle (11/98) has had a litany of problems. This is my fourth new Honda since 1984 and it's been very surprising that Honda has apparently adopted GM's (and others') attitude of doing R&D with their production vehicles. Fortunately, the problems (with one exception discussed below) have been fixed through warranty or recall (or in the case of the transmission, by Honda's goodwill) and I don't know of any other inherent lurking problems.

Through reading these posts it is obvious there are serious problems with Odyssey transmissions.
(The funny thing is that this vehicle replaced a '96 Town & Country because I feared Chrysler transmission failure!) For me, at least, their picking up the tab means I will likely remain a customer.

Perhaps more galling than the transmission failure was that the right rear lower control arm had to be replaced (at my expense) at 40K. It is beyond comprehension how a suspension component can fail on a vehicle not yet three years old.

Lastly, my two cents' worth on the vehicle overall. It drives, handles and rides great. Gas mileage is fine (23-26 mpg highway). The stereo wouldn't seem so weak if the vehicle weren't so noisy (though it is much quieter since the factory Firestones wore out at 30K). Would prefer manual doors (or a manual override). Foldaway third seat makes the vehicle. Wish front passenger seat was power as it has insufficient leg room (everyone in family is tall). My wife wishes we still had the Town & Country. I'd buy an '02 without a second thought if it had a power passenger seat. Since they don't, I'll just keep this one.

johnnyrf

Thanks for the xmission stories guys. I have a 99 EX and I have 1500 miles to get the warranty extended. I'll make it my number one priority next week.

bren3

I've posted this question here not too long ago, but I'll try again. We have '01 EX w/22,000 mi., and I have been noticing a rattling noise from the rear. I don't have any items in the back to cause the noise. Has anyone else experienced this? I've noticed some have had 'control arms' replaced. What kind of problems did you experience with the suspension? Also, does anyone know if there has been a SB for sliding door rattles? Dealer has worked on these before by tightening the latches, but rattles come back. Rattles are really a pet peeve of mine. Granted, I've ridden in other vans (which were older) that rattled terribly, but I expected better with the Ody (especially for around 30 G's).
Thanks!

gye

bren3, my oddy also had rattles coming from rear end, initially thought maybe suspension problem as mentioned by several earlier posts.
About 2 weeks ago, I lifted tailgate and accidently saw at the top of gate frame, the rubber ring that is to hold rear window washer tube slipped out its seat, it makes tube contantly contact with the frame. After pushing back in the rubber ring, haven't heard any rattles for almost 2 weeks now.

I'm always irritated by rattles, more than any kind of defect. I'm a big Honda fan, and only thing Honda puts me off is all kinds of rattles, based on all my 3 new Honda experiences.

tju

Thanks for your post, ccccompson. Did you have all recommended maintenance service done on time and by a Honda dealership? I had all the service done on schedule, but I used a third party shop. The service manager at Honda let me know that Honda might have been more generous in picking up transmission replacement costs if I had gotten the services performed at a Honda dealership instead of a third party repair shop. I used a Honda/Accura specialized (but not Honda franchised) shop where most of the mechanics have had specialized courses from Honda and worked at Honda dealerships before, so it seems that Honda's concerns are more about money (both making it on servicing and saving it on "good will" payments) than about the professional competence of mechanics.
Someone else asked if I would still consider buying Hondas in the future, after my current transmission disaster. Yes, I probably would, but without any naive illusions that they are bullet proof vehicles when it comes to reliability. I still like my Odyssey for its utility and I still think that Hondas, in general, will likely have fewer breakdowns than Fords or Chevys or Dodges. I have had VERY good experiences with Toyotas, Mitsubishis, Mazdas and Nissans (especially Toyotas) in the past, so I may favor them over Hondas in the future. I wonder if the transmission problems which Odyssesy (and Sienna) have aren't a result of the "common platform" strategy which all the auto manufactures are currently following. That is, haven't Honda and Toyota put transmissions from compact or mid-sized sedans into much heavier mini vans??? That may be the root of the problem.

ed_ph413

Has anyone received a E-01 error on their Honda CD changer? I got this and I can't get it to play or eject. Is there a reset? Any advice on fixing this would be appreciated.

johnnyrf

I know there is a huge savings when you buy the Honda CAre extended warranties from out of state, but I am just wondering how a dealer half way across the country verifies that you are below the mileage limit???

DTKWOK

The dealer doesn't verify your mileage. The only thing he/she can go on is good faith (not to mention your name on the dotted line). Got mine from KY (Alton-Bakley) and I'm in southern California.

$875 for 7yr/100,000 mile warranty (about a month ago)

cccompson

Glad the post was helpful. Actually I had relatively little maintenance done at the dealer (example: I passed on the 30K recommended service due to its cost) and this was the only Honda I had purchased from that store. In light of your experience the only things I can think of is either Honda checked their records and saw I was a repeat customer (seems unlikely) or they saw just how much trouble this vehicle has experienced.

Don't know about the cause for the transmission difficulties - you may be right. Mine did not fail or even start to slip as is typical when a trans goes back. Instead it would shift extremely hard (almost like it had a manual valve body) when warm and be very late downshifting when coming to a stop.

BTW, when they replaced the transmission I took the van in at 7 AM and picked it up at 5 PM so, at most, they had 10 hours of labor in it. Don't know if they put in a new unit or a rebuilt trans. It works fine now, probably better than when the vehicle was new.

auburn63

The SB for the Accord is a differant number but has the same background and symptoms. The SB for the Odyssey is SB 00-009 and it is a warranty extension for the EGR PORT clogging problem. There was an earlier product update for this but this has been canceled and the extension put in place. To get the extension it says the check engine light must be on and a code P0401 or P1491 stored on the computer.The extension is good for 8 years or 80,000 miles which ever comes first and applies to all 99-00 and some 2001 by VIN break.

edwinfong

I did some research on the Dodge/Chrysler minivan transmission woes. I found that if you
put in the wrong type of tranny fuild in, you had problems.

I had the 30k trans service done by the Honda dealer and I noticed that they had used
Castrol Transmission fuild. I complained to the service manager about this and I told him
that the reason I had the 30K service done there was I wanted to have Honda's
Transmission fuild used not a generic. The owner's manual is very specific about
using Honda's ATF. We opened a bottle of the Honda ATF and it looked and smelled
different from the Castrol ATF. He agreed to drain the transmission and refilled with the
Honda ATF. So make sure that whoever does your 30K trans service uses only Honda
ATF.

skyhook75

Bren3 and Speckam: I took my 2001 EX Odyssey in to the dealer to get this problem fixed. They replaced my front disc brakes and applied a grease to the rear brake shoes and the squeal is gone. I talked to the service guy about this problem and why it would only squeal when the vehicle was backing up and he really had no idea. He did say that brake pads can be replaced under warranty if the vehicle has < 12K miles on it.

jpelder

Do yourself a favor, get a Caravan ES...you'll never even think of Honda again.

fixer

My dealer's service manager stated my TCS and CEL lights are on due to a bad O2 sensor. With 37K on my Ody, I'm out of warranty. Apparently, the sensor is not an emissions item. Price for the part and installation: $285.00. However, the service manager called the Honda district office and got an OK that Honda will cover the fix. He did this without my prodding. Thought that was pretty cool. Xmas came early.

richcolo

My wife was driving our 1999 Odyssey EX and the "Brake" light came on. She stopped and called me, checked to see that the parking prake was released. I advised her to proceed carefully to the dealer and have it checked out. She dropped it off, arranged for a ride for her and the kids, and they squeezed the van into their busy pre-holiday schedule. Diagnosis, Brake master cylinder leaks. Will be replaced under Hondacare extended warranty. (at 2.5 years, 48,000 miles). This was last Friday, they said parts would be overnighted and car would be ready Monday afternoon. While this was a little inconvinient, all-in-all I felt pretty good about it.

About 2 PM Monday I called to check on the status of the car, they would have to call me back. About 2:30 the service advisor calls and says the regular parts guy is on vacation, and apparentl they failed to order the part on Friday...he is very appologetic, but the car cannot be ready until Tuesday afternoon. I responded that I was not very happy about it, but I understood that there was nothing else that could be done about it at the time, so we would wait. At this point the experiance was not up to par, but not inexcusible either.

About 4:30 the same afternoon the service advisor called again, it seems the parts department ha dnot failed to order the part on Friday, but rather the part was on "National Backorder, expected date: indefinate". I am no longer a happy camper. I have talked to Hondacare, and to Honda "Customer Service" Hondacare has explained to me that, under the terms of the contract I signed, the owe me no more than 4 days of a rental car, and I've checked, the car will be a Ford Focus sedan. Honda's initial reaction was simply that the van is out of it's manufacturer warranty, and that they are not obliged to do anything for me, but the regional representative will be contacting me on Tuesday (He or she didn't). I'm now awaiting a return call from the person I originally spoke with, but she isn't due back at the office until an hour or so from now.

All three agree that, if I want to use an aftermaket (say NAPA) part, I will have to pay my dealer for the diagnosis, pay to have the van towed to another facility, pay for the part and intallation by the other mechanic, and that the Hondacare "service agreement" (Hondacare is VERY careful not to call it a warranty) will no longer cover work on "any system of which the master cylinder is a part." So I guess that eliminates all future coverage of the Brake and Electrical systems.

So now, the most expensive thing I ever bought that I can't live in, I can't drive. And the "Extended Warranty" that I bought after a less than perfect first 25,000 miles is no help, and actually a detriment to me doing what I would have done if I hadn't paid for the "warranty". (That is, have it fixed by a "real" mechanic, or fix it myself). The worst part by far is the "Indefinate" part. Nobody has any realistic idea how long we will be waiting. If I knew it would be months I would fix the thing myself and try to get a refund from Hondacare, either of the repair expence or of the service agreement price. If I knew it would be a week I'd just grit my teeth a little and wait it out. As it stands all I know is that I wish I had sold it and bought a new one, but right now I'm too mad at Honda to consider doing that, besides, I can't. (It's mighty hard to sell a car that can't be driven.)

I told my buddy with the Sienna, who wanted an Odyssey, but didn't have the patients to wait, that he made the right choice. He has had exactly no problems. Mine may be bigger than his, but the average Astro has given less trouble than my Odyssey.

tsjewan

I know this is the "problems" board, but for prospective buyers getting scared about some of the posts, it's good to hear about NO problems sometimes too. Our '01 Odyssey LX now has 13,000 miles in just over 12 months (we're not heavy drivers obviously) of mostly city driving. We've had absolutely NO problems and have not had the car into the dealer or other service center since buying it (I change oil and rotate tires myself). The van has performed flawlessly.

When new last winter in MN-- and it was a cold winter-- the van got as low as 12 mpg on tankloads of city-only driving. As predicted by others on these boards, the mileage did gradually improve as the engine got 3K, 5K, 8K miles on it-- I'd say it seemed to level out somewhere before 10K. We're not back into cold weather here yet (40 degrees-- not cold by MN standards), but now our city-only tankloads average about 16 to 17 mpg instead of 12. I expect in real cold weather it may go down to 14 or so, we'll see. On our interstate family vacation to Mt. Rushmore in August, we averaged 26 mpg on the highway-- 1 mpg HIGHER than rated!-- with two tankloads hitting 28 mpg. I didn't expect great gas efficiency out of a 4,200 lb vehicle, and I'd still trade some of the horsepower for higher mpg if I could; but overall I can't complain much about the mileage especially compared to the DC vans and all the SUV's on the road of about the same weight as the Odyssey (such as the Explorer) that get lower mpg.

I was apprehensive about seat comfort, since I'd read a number of posts about it, and in fact my initial impression was I didn't like the driver's seat very much (maybe colored by the posts?). However, after a couple months, I realized that in fact I was finding it quite comfortable, more so than our previous car for sure (Subaru Legacy). On the vacation, we drove home from Rushmore (about 675 miles) in one day, about 12 hours total with stops, with 2 kids (9 and 3) with nary a comfort complaint from ANY of us. My initial impression was clearly wrong-- and the Legacy seats would have been fairly uncomfortable under those conditions. I will say my wife and are both "short" (5'8"/5'7") and people with fairly long legs may find the seat bottom too short. I think lumbar support with the adjustment wheel is pretty adequate though.

We've done faily extensive hauling with the van and it's been great for that. Moved my mother-in-law with it; made a number of fully-loaded trips to Goodwill; carried 10 4x8 sheets of paneling at once. When equipping a new bathroom we got all the following home from Menards in ONE trip (with 2nd row seats out): new 40 gallon water heater; new toilet (bowl and tank); small bathroom vanity and sink; and-- biggest item of all-- new 36" shower enclosure. We did have to take the components of the shower out of the box, but that giant box wouldn't have slid into an empty Suburban without doing that. We had to push the front seats up a little, but it all fit!

We're very happy with the van overall. But-- I'm still glad I bought the extended warranty (my dealer matched the cheap Internet price) based on the reports of transmission problems. I'm convinced ALL these big, heavy "mini"-vans are prone to tranny problems, regardless of make-- some more than others and I'm sure the Honda is less prone than DC or Ford at least. I'm also glad we waited a couple years and got an '01-- sounds like the earlier ones are a little buggier.

drc67

Let me be clear up front, I am not trying to dump any fuel on the fire. But richcolo(or anyone can answer this), I am very confused about the HondaCare extended warranty( or service). Isn't that basicly the extension of Honda's bumper to bumper warranty?

richcolo

I called Honda "Customer Service" again. Despite the promise from Monday that I could expect to be called Tuesday, my case "has not yet been assigned". No I am to expect to hear within "5 or 6 business days." Let's see, that means I should expect to hear Friday 11/30 or Monday 12/3. AAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRGGGGGHHHHH!!!!!!!! to borrow from Charlie Brown.

drc67: When you are purchasing a HondaCare plan, it seems as if you are you are purchasing an extension of the factory warranty. It is valid at any Honda dealer, covers all but a few specifically mentioned things and so forth. If you are paying attention though, you realize when you read the contract, that HondaCare is a separate entity from Honda of America. The dealers must consult with HondaCare about proposed repairs in advance of doing them. there are specific limits on Car Rentals, Towing, and whatever other obligations that HondaCare incurs because of the contract. In short, the HondaCare service agreement is basically an insurance policy, and, like an insurance company, the people you talk with when you call seem to be much more interested in saving money for HondaCare, to the point of trying to shift the customers perception of responsibility from HondaCare to Honda than in having happy customers.

Sympathetic ears are hard to come by at either HondaCare or Honda "Customer Service".

richcolo

...my decision just got easier, I have discovered that there is no aftermarket source for the needed Master Cylinder, at least none that I can find. All I can do is wait and hope the 1988 Volvo continues its faithful service until whenever the part comes in. That and call Honda "Customer Service" everyday.

richcolo

...must be reading this board, because I got a call back, and Honda is going to pay $35/day for a rental car until the van is ready, no matter how long it takes. They still have no idea how long it will take, and I haven't had a chance to see what $35 will rent, but it's progress. Now I've got something (actually one more thing) to be thankful about tomorrow.

mike734

Check out the Lemon law in your state. I think that number of days in the shop is one of the criteria. If your van stays too long in the shop, you may be able to force them to replace it with a new 2002.

alixz

We just took delivery on 10/31 of our new Ody. Overall, we love it. There's just a couple of little glitches (hopefully little). They're freaking me out, and I was hoping I could find some answers here. I've gotten quite an education reading these forums before & after the purchase!

Since day 2 of owning it, at about 65 mph highway, with the auto a/c system running, we'll get a pretty notable shudder in the front end for about 1 or 2 seconds. It wakes you up, I'll tell ya. It happens infrequently, but IMO it shouldn't happen AT ALL. This is a brand new vehicle!!!

Also, a couple of times when I've started the van, a couple of seconds later it'll make a loud noise. The only way I can describe it: you know the sound a starter makes when you try to start your car twice?

We WILL be contacting the dealer, but I don't hold much hope. I just want to go in informed and with a plan. Thank you very much for any help or light you can shed on this irksome problem. :::::sigh::::: We bought a Honda because we trusted it. I had a trouble free Accord for 5 years... I pray it's not the tranny...

phkck

does this problem always happen? (Shudder at 65 with Auto AC) if so try turning off Auto feature and see if problem persists. On my 2002 Acura TL-S, there is notable lurch of the car when stopped. This is from the AC cycling on. Hope that is all it is. Good luck

dcrisler

try reseting the code by using the master nav code that came with the radio. worse case, make sure you have the radio and nav code and then unplug the battery.

jnash2

I'm writing this post on both the "Odyssey Problems" and "Prices Paid" boards. I'm taking delivery of a 2002ex tomorrow. It hasn't gone as smooth as I would have liked untill now, but I'm paying MSRP and only waited 4 days once I put down the small deposit. They will prep it in the morning. I went for an alarm system with glass protection and a passive ignition cutoff because I live in the New York area. It will cost 450 more.I was under the impression untill last night that these came with the EX. An option salesman threw so much crap at me, it took me nearly two hours to sort it out. I'm still unsure weather or not I really need this extra. I need to know exactly what the "security system" is that comes standard on the EX from people who already own this car. Also, does anyone know of where I can get the 1000,000 mile Honda Care in the NY area for the less than $900 I've been readig about on these boards.

alixz

No, it's very intermittent. Sometimes we'll go a week, sometimes it'll happen 3 days in a row. I've noted no pattern at all. My husband is actually driving today in cold weather to see if he experiences the same problem. I'll let you guys know. The thing that really alarms me is that horrid noise upon startup.

dcrisler

Since the EX now comes with the security system, it may be enough, it is fairly basic, it does have premitive glass protection as it will hear the breakage. However it needs to have the optional hood switch added and a battery backup if possible to meet the insurance co's highest discount (state farm in tx). With the builtin imobilizer... it is almost not needed. Of course the imobilizer will not keep it from being stripped. I bought (well was forced too...) the security system for my S2000, but not the Odyssey. Did not really think anyone would try and steal the ODY. Since the EX(02) has honda's system... I would not add on another one.

As far as HondaCare... start calling dealers, one will eventually sell one at a price you like.

bigjim01

I just got a notice from Honda that they are extending the warranty on this problem from 3yr/36K to 8yr/80K. Its about time they admitted the problem was widespread.

I plan to talk to the dealer to see if they will make it retroactive to cover the $400 I have spent on this problem so far since my warranty expired on my '99 Ody.

If anyone gets further information before I do, I'd appreciate an exchange of information. Forewarned is forearmed.

dmathews3

Every extended warranty I have heard of would cover problems that happened before they admitted it. I would have dealer file claim with Honda.

jjahne

Every time I start, travel at a slow speed, and stop, my 2000 Odyssey makes a loud click that appears to come from the front break area. The clicking is consistent, but only happens when I start, go slow, and stop. For example, it happens when backing out of the driveway. I brought it up with the dealer last July and they stated that the clicking sound was normal.

Has anyone else experienced this and if so, is it normal?

auburn63

It is considered to be a normal sound as when you change direction and brake for the first time in that direction you hear a click. It is the brake pad shifting back and forth that is making that noise. You can spray a little brake disc quiet on the back side of the pads to minimize and or stop the noise but if left alone it will not hurt anything.

jnash2

Thanks dcrisler

pat84

Is this EGR port clogging letter from Honda to all owners of 99 ODY's. I never got one. Is it only for parts of the country ?

bigjim01

pat84:
As far as I know it covers all Odysseys from '99 on. They did the mailing including VIN numbers so its possible, I suppose, that they know which vehicles are possibly involved but I doubt that. If you don't get a notice in the mail soon, I'd check a Honda dealer. If you call American Honda, you'll be directed to an 800 number (800-999-1009) where you'll wait at least 20 minutes. Then, if you didn't receive a notice,. they'll just dump you. I'd inquire at the dealer.

richcolo

In my state the lemon law covers events in the first 12 months of ownership only, so I'm out of luck in that regard. Our $35/day rental (at Honda's expense, turned out to be a Chevy Malibu, which our 3.5 year old named "the Bu bu". The Malibu, as supplied, had expired license tags, when I pointed this out to the rental agency they said I could exchange the car, but the only vehicle they had in at the time was a Chevy Venture Van (they though I would be disappointed to have to drive a van instead of a sedan...I'm afraid I'm not that young anymore!) So now Honda is paying $35/day so that I can drive a Chevy Venture while they don't fix my Odyssey. (Still no "expect by" date for the required Brake Master Cylinder.) Don't tell all those Odyssey intenders, but the Venture is a pretty nice van. Definitely quieter and smoother than the Odyssey, slightly less powerful, noticeably more fuel efficient (by at least 2 MPG) and it has a 25 Gallon fuel tank with absolutely no sloshing noises. No squeaks, rattles, clunks, high-speed vibrations or stuck doors. It does feel taller, narrower and "tippier" than the Odyssey, and the majic seat and its well are definately misssed. I still preffer the Odyssey, but the Venture is a far nicer Van than our 1990 Grand Carravan was, much more comfortable and solidly built. I'd have never guessed how good an alternative a Venture could be, if Honda hadn't rented it for me! It will do nicely until the Odyssey returns.

larck

First let me say I own a 2000 Odyssey LX. Second, I agree with post #1370. If you want a car, buy a Honda; if you want a van, buy a Chrysler, period, case closed.

4aodge

Although the Odyssey obviously has it's problems, so the DC minivans. However, DC reliability has improved greatly over the last few years and seems to be very good now, especially in the 2002 model year. Alot of the early problems with DC minivans seem to be corrected and worked out.

As for buying a Grand Caravan ES and forgetting about the Odyssey, I would agree. The sporty exterior w/17 inch chrome wheels, excellent handling, driver's position, torquey engine, touring suspension, and Infinity sound system will make any Odyssey owner more enthusiastic about driving a van.

2000 T&C w/32k miles
NO PROBLEMS

pat84

I talked to American Honda. I am supposed to get a letter extending my warranty to 8 years / 80,000 on the EGR port clogging. I also found out the following. 1) the check engine light has to come on for the fix to be done. 2) There is some new EGR pipe that goes in (not the old re routing of hoses) 3) they will reimburse you for previous costs. You will have to get the number to fax or where to mail in your copies of bills and that they were paid.
My check engine light has never come on in almost 49,000 miles., but I'll take the extra warranty.

As for you advocates of buying Daimler - Chrysler vans, I traded in my 95 Caravan SE on my ODY. The transmission went at 72K miles on the DC. All work on that van was done by the dealer. The trade-in value of a DC van is abysmal. They still use the same transmission in the DC vans today. So go buy a DC, get the extended warranty and expect to limp home in only second gear. BTW I'll say it now, in case I never get the chance again, "I told you so"
If anyone thinks I got the only transmissions that sucked, do a web search on bad transmissions.

richcolo

At 5 pm on Monday there was still "no expect by date" for the brake master cylinder on my Odyssey. At 3:45 on Tuesday "Your van is ready, please return the rental before 5:30." I could have done that if I'd gotten the message before 7:00 PM, when I got home. Anyway, the Van is fixed, but it seems like Honda could do a much better job of comunicating parts availablity to the dealer, and the dealer could have done a better job comunicating with me. I just hope not to go back down this street (National Backorder) again.

4aodge

Judging by what is being said here in the Odyssey problems page, many Odyssey vans also seem to have a rather unusually high transmission-failure rate, especially for a so called "reliable" Honda. In addition, it is just as untrue and inacurrate to say that every DC minivan has had transmission problems as it is to say that every Odyssey HASNT had transmission problems. I feel really sorry for those die hard Honda fans who go out to buy their family a "reliable" van and then find their transmission failing at only 30k.

The transmission Chrysler currently uses in it's vans is in fact no the same one that your 95 Caravan SE had. Every year they have updated the Chrysler 41TE 4-speed automatic transmission to resolve many previous problems. That is a fact. As proof, I cant use the same type of transmission fulid in my 2000 T&C has someone with a 99 model would because of various changes that were maid.

Also, if the Chrysler 41TE transmission is so unreliable, than why is the Dodge Intrepid, which uses the 41TE as all Chrysler cars do, one of the most reliable sports sedans on the road. In fact, according to Business Week magazine the 2001 Intrepid had fewer complaints per 100 customers than did the Honda Acccord or Toyota Camry. That is rather impressive.

Chrysler continues to improve the quality and reliablity of their products, especially now that they have merged with Diamler Benz. Both Edmunds long term Grand Caravan ES and Motor Trend's long-term Grand Caravan Sport prove that, as they have suffered from no major mechanical flaws, including the drive train. If some of you Odyssey owners want to continue to claim Chryser is still an "unreliable" car company, you will be spreading false information about a company that is obviously taking steps to improving its quality and reliablity.

-Adam
2000 T&C w/NO PROBLEMS unlike some ODYSSEY owners

larck

I was hoping to stir up a hornets's nest. As I said, I do own a 2000 Odyssey LX. The thing about it is this. Most if not all buyers of the Odyssey, myself included, purchased it based on Honda realiablity. However, what we bought was a vehicle in which Honda used the customer as the research and development department. They had no experience with a vehicle of this type. No, the prior Ody model doesn't count.

The percentage of Honda Odyssey's with problems is a much larger percentage of total vehicles sold 1999 through 2001 than either Chrysler or Toyota mini-vans (45 per 100 vs 25-35 per 100). Yes, you only hear the problems on this forum, and the items below are not car killers (except transmission problems), just poor design and build quality.

Case in point:
1) The idiot design of the sloshing gas tank.
2) Vehicle drift due to uneven front caster or camber settings. (Service bulletin 00-067)
3) 1950's era sound system.
4) I love the transmission drone at 50+ mph!
5) Hey, that's a neat clunk when you turn on the air conditioner? I wish my van did that!
6) Say, what a nice squeal on the rear wing window motors!
7) Oh, I love the brass band banging sound when you go in reverse.
8) Mommy, will that swooshing sound when you put on the brakes suck your shoes off?
9) Honey, the brakes squealed when I backed up the Odyssey this morning, and Fido is missing. Any connection between the two?
10) Opps! Sorry buddy, I didn't mean to roll backwards into your 740i.
ETC.
ETC.
ETC.
Yes, I expect you guys to be irate with me, but face the facts. The Odyssey is not a stellar machine. The only strong points are the folding rear seat and resale value. By the way, I hope to take advantage of the resale value soon! If I buy another van I will consider the Town & Country and 2002 Odyssey (since Honda completed the research & development with mine and yours). If I opt for a sedan, the Honda Accord LX or EX with the 4 cylinder is the car of choice.

Your pal,
Larck

DTKWOK

Well, you're certainly right about stirring the hornet's nest around here. Let's look at your the issues you've had.

(1) Sloshing gas tank, unless you listen for it, it's not that noticeable, nothing some good noise insulation can't fix.

(2)Drift, no problems so far (12K miles, crossing fingers)

(3)Yeah, the $10 speakers suck, nothing a pair of $60 Pioneer's can't fix!

(4)No transmission drone at any speed

(5) Air conditioner clunk not really noticeable, again good noise insulation can fix it.

(6) No squeal in the rear windows so far.

(7) What banging sound are you referring to? I just get a little thud, much softer than the one on my '83 Civic (183K miles on original engine and auto tranny)

(8) Swooshing noise on brakes?

(9) No sounds with brakes, just the brake pad shift discussed on this forum.

(10) Rolling backwards? I assume that you're talking about rolling back on an incline, I always use the brakes when I'm stopped on an incline, maybe you should too. (Not doing so puts additional thermal stress on the tranny.)

So from the above observations, it's probably nothin that $20 worth of noise insulating material can't fix.

You also forgot to mention the Odyssey's superb safety rating as opposed to DC's okay rating w/ side airbags (trust me, when you get in a collision you'll want that extra margin of safety, no matter how statistically small it is). Let's not forget about the great cargo room of this thing and the sweet engine.

As for 4aodge, I really hope that DC is improving their quality, gives me more choices for future vehicle purchases. (BTW, I abdolutely deplore the looks of the current DC vans, the previous generation looked much more sharper IMHO.) But with a relative short time period to prove this improved reliabilty, I think I'll hold back on a Dodge product for now. Also, the Odyssey is still Honda's first serious attempt at a minivan. You got to give credit where it is due. In my case, the dealer has been more than willing to help me with any warranty issues that I have/may have. I had a transmission solenoid replaced early on, just as a "precaution", went into the deale gave them a description, went for a literal 2 minute drive, came back and offered to replace the part, no questions asked. They also said that they ship the defective parts back to the factory for analysis.

As for DC vans, I personally know of (as opposed to heresay) several owners who have been left stranded on the road or had to limp home. One van was an old Voyager ('90) on its third transmission before he sold it. The second van was a neighbor's '99 Grand Caravan (3.3L engine) who had to limp home, mileage was around 45K IIRC. The third van, is my cousin's Grand Voyager (also '99), the darn thing wouldn't shift out of reverse one day, at the supermarket. (Didn't find out what the exact failure on that was, though.)
I have not heard nor seen of any Odyssey failures till I came to this forum (not to say that it couldn't happen). Believe me, in southern California there are A LOT of Odyssey's running around, keyword: running.

Since I don't work for any of the car companies, I could care less to whom my money goes, if I like the vehicle and the service, they get my business, plain and simple.

gsarchet

I just got my notice for my 2001 LX. Is this a potentially dangerous or serious issue? What would symptoms be prior to the maintenance required light going on?

Thanks
G

pat84

The old DC it's the transmission fluid, not the transmission" line. The dipstick on my 96 Caravan had "Dexron" on the dipstick. The wrong fluid according to Dodge. Since a Dodge dealer maintained my failed transmission 96 Dodge Caravan. So what if a much lighter vehicle than a minivan uses the same transmission. That IMHO is exactly what is wrong.
Check out these web sites:
www.aei.ca/~gregoire/claude.html
www.geocities.com/baja/mesa/7135
www.warn.umd/~gluckman/chrysler/
All of them document what is wrong with the transmission in DC minivans.
My transmission in my Dodge went at 72,000 miles. It took 3 years. So some of the 2000, 2001 and 2002 are still to early to establish any significant changes.
Lastly, why are you trolling in a Honda Odyssey forum ?

jnash2

larck - although I have only 200 miles on my 02EX I disagree with something you wrote. "The only strong points are the folding rear seat and resale value". That's rediculous. It has dozens of other strong points. But if you do consider buying an 02, I have to say, they didn't fix the gas tank sloshing thing. Isn't it convenient how when you test drive one it has a nearly emty tank. Sneaky salesmen.

mschafer

It's neither dangerous or serious. The maintenance light has nothing to do with it. There are no symptoms prior to the Check Engine Light and Traction Control System lights going on.

i.e. Don't worry about it until they go on, and then take it to the dealer. Look back a ways in this forum. You'll see that I have a wee bit of experience with this little problem.