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

dmathews3

I will bet that the part # is now for the newest speakers as there would be no reason for Honda to carry the old ones that don't work that well. Being there are so many parts in the Honda parts bin for all their vehicles and only so many #'s to use I doubt if they put a new # on a part that replaces and old one.

fibber2

Yes! Took the first long trip this weekend with the new van and heard it at 80mph. It was ok at steady state, but really got loud with occasional wind gusts. Though it might be coming from the mirror, but it was too cold to investigate.

Steve

bb8

1. Sounds like the control signal wiring to the relay that turn on the circiutry of the Parking lights, tail lights, instrument panel lights, side marker lights, rear license plate lights is shorted to power 12V.
2. Relay stuck into "on" position.
Have the dealer check the relay.

thenance

Contact American Honda customer service about your transmission repair. There are known problems with transmissions on '99 and 2000 Odysseys and Honda should replace it for you under warranty.

jl926

Many thanks for tip!!

Wow, these town hall discussions are really helpful.

Wish you many more miles of trouble free cruising in your Odyssey.

rictom

I have a 2000 Ody, no major problems. I think my warranty will run out before I have major miles on it. I'm afraid when I get to 40k or so I'll start having some of the problems listed here; tranny, brake pads etc. It's hard to know the percentage of problems because mostly those who post have them and those that don't may not even be aware of this forum.
What do you all think of the extended warranty, and can it still be bought between $750-$900 as I remember it posted quite a ways back?

Thanks

tju

Honda will probably pay for a significant part of your transmission replacement. They did for me and for many other '99 Ody owners (even though we were well out of the 36K warranty). How much they will pay, unfortunately, seems to depend on which Honda district you live in and how strongly your dealer will argue your case. I had to pay $1400 toward a $4500 estimate for transmission replacement, but my dealer (Apple Tree in Asheville, NC) wouldn't go to bat for me. I talked with a Tennessee dealer and was told they were requiring $700 "owner participation" in tranny replacements. I read in an earlier post that somebody (even though out of warranty) paid nothing. Good luck in negotiating with your dealer and with Honda.

jl926

From my previous post:

LX model - manual controls
Rear Air blower on high, ac compressor off, front blower off -
Problem: Rear air speed fluctuates...

Dealer says: it is due to the voltage change as you speed up and down around town. This will also affect your dash lighting - they may sometimes dim as your speed fluctuates.

does that make sense???

cccompson

I just want to echo tju's advice. The transmission on my '99 went bad at about 40K. Apparently I was extremely fortunate that Hugh White Honda in Columbus, OH, replaced it in 11/01 at no charge with no hassle although it was out of warranty. While I give Honda credit for owning up to the problem, it is difficult to understand why people are encountering widely varying prices, ranging from zero to thousands of dollars, for a replacement transmission.

rictom

As someone posted here saying their Honda dealer would replace their front speakers under warranty even though there's nothing really wrong with them, with whatever speakers Honda is using now.
I'm not an audiophile but I thought I'd ask my Honda service guy. I'm in Eugene, Oregon. He said he hadn't heard of this, but since Honda wants to take care of their customers (really he said that) he would replace them, no problem. So I have an appointment for Monday. He said the new speakers are better than what I have in my 2000 ODY. If I can tell the difference there may be hope for us non-audiophiles and a rash of speaker swaps at Honda dealers all over the country!

dmathews3

Geez, I don't like my engine and trans in my 01, do you think they will exchange it for the bigger engine and 5 speed? :-))))

dc0027

99LX
Lately I just noticed the hot air still coming out of vent even the fan is turned off.

Is this normal? The warranty expires soon ...

I haven't visited here for a while, but the previous posts kinda alert me. Is this tranny problem frequent on 99? I begin to wonder maybe I need the extended warranty, which is really really sad ;->

skubes

Thanks to those encouraging me to try to get Honda to replace my transmission despite being out of warranty at 55K. Went to the local dealer who requested copies of all my maintenance records and they will call Honda and see if they will cover any or all of replacement. Dealer will not cover anything on their own. I'm not too hopeful:( May just trade in for another automaker if Honda won't come thru. I am a first time Honda buyer - expected to keep van 10 years - not too impressed.
Yes, dc0027, do buy the extended warranty - wish we had. Didn't think we'd need it with Honda's rep. Disappointing. I'll let you know what response we get from Honda.

nlwalden

Again, this is a KNOWN problem. There is NO reason why Honda should not replace it free of charge. They should also give you a rental car to drive while the car is being repaired. There are LOTS of people out there with this problem, some considering a class action lawsuit. We have had 2 bad transmissions on our 2000 Odyssey, although they were under warranty.

tcasboy

A few weeks ago the check engine light came on in our 2000 LX while on a road trip. Had not refueled van lately. After a couple of start cycles the light cleared but the van was running rough. Couple of days later light came back on. Dealer replaced all 6 fuel injectors. I was very skeptical but thats what the dealer did. Van very rough starting and running poorly after service. Check engine light came back on and engine very hesitant to start, kind of surging in gear at a stop as well. Took it back to dealer, they replaced the EGR valve and last night when I picked it up it started right up and appeared to run normally. I'm thankful that the light came on prior to the warranty running out but I am now very concerned that it will come back after we hit 36K. I'm hoping the problem is solved but if not I guess I'll be back to the dealer. Anyone else had this problem lately?

calg

I hope they did not charge you to replace the EGR valve. There was a letter sent out by Honda (which we received in November) regarding the EGR system. The letter stated that if the check engine light comes on, take the vehicle to your dealer to have them check the EGR system. They have extended the warranty on the EGR system to 8 years or 80,000 miles. This affects 99-01 Odys. There is a number for Honda Customer Service at the bottom of the letter (800) 999-1009 if you feel you have paid for a repair that is covered by the warranty extension. Hope this helps.

grandtotal

Isn't this covered by the 8 yr/80000 mile emission systems warranty anyway?

wp62

Recent gas mileage has been 18 Highway and 13 City driving. Van running good and no engine lights showing. Any ideas?

tcasboy

No, I didn't have to pay for the repair, it was covered by the original warranty, but I don think most emission related components are required by law to be warrantied for 80 or 100K miles. I think the dealer was just throwing parts at the thing the first attempt and should have discovered the faulty EGR valve the first time, especially considering the recent info they apparently sent out (I hadn't received that letter from American Honda). Even the owners manual says that it is most likely and emissions issue when the check engine light comes on. Thanks for the thoughts on the EGR replacement.

About the poor gas mileage from wp62: If you live in an area where they make the special winter blend of fuel that has enthanol or whatever for reduced emissions (I know Denver and some other big cities do this during winter months) it often results in lower MPG for many vehicles. Just a thought, not knowing where you live, but perhaps this is a factor.

skubes

My local dealer required copies of all service records on my 99LX and then contacted Honda about my transmission - we have 55K miles so it's way out of warranty. Honda has agreed to pay 80% of the replacement. They can't explain why some people get free replacements and price varies for others. The estimate for the job is a rather inflated $4700, so our share plus tax will still be slightly over $1000. We aren't ecstatically happy, but it could be worse I guess.
Still concerned new tranny will only last another few years and we'll be back to this problem again.
We keep our cars until they are scrap and expected this van to last over 10 years.
I must reiterate that those of you still under warranty should seriously consider purchasing the extended warranty before your time is up. We never purchase extended warranties on anything, but we wish we had on this vehicle.
Thanks for all of your responses on this matter.

dmathews3

I too don't buy extended warranties on most things but when I buy something for 30K and knowing that most vehicles will have something go wrong in 7yrs. or 100K and with the outragious prices per hour that dealers charge it wouldn't take much to get my 895 back. Plus the benifits of free rental cars and I believe trip insurance etc. makes it a good deal. Thats 895 divided by 7 is 125, to me that is cheap piece of mind.

jovmarshall

Our 2002 Ody with 6,066 mi on it just stalled as we were crossing an intersection and just after applying the breaks. It restarted immediately but battery light, break light and all door open indicator lights are still on. The engine is also surging in neutral or without applying the gas. At our initial stop at a nearby garage they suggested that it is an alternator problem but of course we need to wait until Monday to take our van into the dealer for any warranty repairs. In the meantime I am wondering if anybody else has experienced this kind of thing. We had no previous problems with the battery or warning lights prior to the sudden stall so I wonder if it could be something other than just the alternator?
Any suggestions would be helpful.
Thank you.

wolfhead

The windshield on my 01 Ody has developed a horizontal crack extending almost completely across the width of the windshield, 6 inches from the bottom of the windshield. It may have started from a stone chip (the windshield has been hit at least twice resulting in impact marks but no horizontal cracks. There are no obvious impact marks on the crack. The crack started at the driver's side windshield frame.

I noticed that a Honda dealers Ody courtesy van also has horizontal crack across the bottom of the windshield.

Anyone else have this problem?

rcagatep

Have not posted in a while. I think last time was somewhere 2001. Anyway, I hope someone in this board will be able to help me out. My 2000 Ex Ody has 19,000 miles. I noticed recently that there is a loud noise in the front. It becomes very noticeable when i reached 60 mph. Can't really explain the noise but I know it is not normal. Whenever I take a my foot off the gas pedal the noise goes away. I don't think it is the engine because when the car is park and I pressed the gas pedal and it is not there. It is more like a humping sound. I hope it is not the tranny but i think it is. I hope someone can tell me if anyone out there is having the same problem. My Ody still under warranty but I would like to find out before i go my dealership.

tju

I bought the LX rather than the EX because I knew that people were having trouble with the power doors on the EX. Unfortunately, the unpowered sliding doors on my LX have been nothing but trouble. The right side door handle assembly has been replaced once and the left side assembly twice. Both doors have been worked on several times for jamming and sticking shut. Before 36K the warranty covered these problems, now I have to.
Basically, the sliding doors often don't shut properly (the trailing edge sticks out slightly when this happens) and then the door sticks when you try to open it next time. Now my right side door has developed a "hitch" as it moves forward to close. The dealership is always able to fix the problems when I take my van in, but within a month or so the problems recur. I seems that Honda has a fundamental design flaw in these sliding doors. It also seems that I will be stuck with shelling out $125 to $275 every few months to have the doors repaired again and again for as long as I own this van. That's very disappointing.

ateixeira

Ron: I don't have an Odyssey, but given your description I would suspect a wheel bearing or hub. Also check the axle boots to see if they're torn. We replaced both on our 626 recently.

tju: strong argument for an extended warranty. You can still get one, though not as cheap as it would have been.

-juice

mschafer

Auburn, We discussed this a while back regarding my 99EX with 128,000 miles.

I have a clunking that comes from the front suspension or front end when it goes over sharp bumps. Gentle bumps don't do it.

It almost sounded like noisy valves in the front struts, but they were replaced this week along with all new mounting plates, bearings and rubber bushings. It's still there - maybe even more pronounced with the stiffer new struts.

You may remember in our earlier discussion that the noise seemed to be more prevalent after replacement of the timing belt at 105,000 miles; and you wondered if it might be a loose subframe. Everything seems to be tight when checked by my independent mechanic who is now really frustrated and curious about what the problem is.

It is definitely in the front somewhere and clatters/clunks when going over speed bumps and the like. It's much more substantial than what I would call a "rattle"; and sounds like something heavy hitting against something else up there.

Any WAG's on this one? TIA for any thoughts you may have.

john339

I'm looking for a used minivan. Are there any model year Odysseys that are better or worse than the other in term of problems?

dave594

Have you checked the engine mounts? Just a WAG.

nlwalden

We had lots of trouble with our sliding doors until about 2 months ago. Apparently, Honda made several attempts to fix this problem, and recently, new seals became available. Now, ours seem to be working fine.

mschafer

Yes. Thanks for the good suggestion.

keithrichmond

As we approach the end of our warranty period on our 2000 LX I wanted to ask a question about a trait we've experienced since new with our transmission. Basically what I've noticed is that under certain situations the torque converter is very hard and snappy to lock up. The most common occurrence of this is in a situation like approaching a stop sign from ~40mph, but only doing a rolling stop (~10mph) and accelerating back up to speed. Coming out of the rolling stop and accelerating it's like the transmission is slow to take up gear and when it does it locks up kind of rough. It kind of feels like we are dropping the transmission into gear from neutral or something.

Our last trip to the dealer for warranty service left us less than impressed with dealer service. They reported the 'clunk' and responded with the usual 'could not replicate' business. We're going to try a different dealer per the recommendation of someone on this board but I just wanted to get an idea of other people's experiences.

After reading all the problems with the '99 am I being totally paranoid???

Keith
Warrenton, VA

rictom

I just had my front speakers replaced on my 2000 LX Ody under warranty, as another member suggested. My parts guy had said he hadn't heard of doing such a thing, but didn't balk at saying OK. I'm not much of an audiophile and I tried to really listen to the speakers before I brought it in to see if I'd hear a difference after the new ones. I even played the same music on my cdplayer after I picked it up. They do seem better, lows and highs seem much richer and I don't seem to need to turn the volume knob up as high as before. I saw the new speakers before they were installed, but didn't see the existing ones. The parts guy said the new ones were larger.

auburn63

You may want to check out the sway bar links I have seen those sound like you are saying when they go bad.You will need to check them on the ground or on a platform lift as they need the weight of the vehicle on them to check them. Other than that the mounts would be the only other thing I can think of but I will get a visual on a van as soon as one is on the lift and see if I can think of anything else as well as hitting the Interactive network and check it for info...

john339

nlwalden

What model year did you have the sliding door problem with. Wasn't there also a recall on those doors?

mschafer

When you mention "mounts", are you talking about the motor mounts? All the bolts are tight, but someone over at OdyClub suggested that they might be hitting metal on metal.

I'll get the sway bar links checked to see. A bit of side to side motion when hitting those sharp bumps or hitting the speed bumps at an angle seems to exacerbate the noise. Thanks for the suggestion.

I just looked at the shop manual and don't see anything labeled as a "sway bar". I see a short vertical rod called a "stabilizer link". I also see a reference to the rear engine mount, which is located down under near the steering gear. Would that have been loosened (and not retightened) when the timing belt was replaced?

nlwalden

These are the 2 transmission problems we have had with our 2000 Odyssey. There are Technical Service Bulletins about them, so they are known problems.

1. Some bearing is prone to wearing out, and this causes a rumbling noise in the differential. This happened to us at 33K and the transmission was replaced under warranty.

2. There is at least one 'clunk' problem caused by transmissions that were not machined properly.

Re: The differential problem. BEWARE that some people on this forum say there are rumbles that are normal. I don't know how to tell the difference, but the Honda technician did recognize ours as a problem.

This is happening to people whose vans are out of warranty, then Honda negotiates to determine how much they'll cover. People are considering a class action lawsuit to recover any money they have paid.

Re: the clunk problem. This appears to be a VERY common problem with '99 and 2000 Odysseys. Here's how we reproduced it for the technician: Park the van on a pretty good incline with the nose pointing down. Start the van, put it in reverse, and back up the hill. Apparently, the clunk occurs because the gears aren't engaging properly.

DTKWOK

Regarding the transmission clunk (item 2) that is most likely caused by not putting the parking brake before shifting into park. What this does is essentially put the weight of vehicle on the tranny (read: bad). To avoid this, shift into neutral, apply the parking brake and let the van shift the weight onto the brakes. Then shift into park. You should hear no clunking now.

Another probable cause is that people tend to shift gears (going in opposite direction) while the car is in motion, such as shifting into drive right after backing put of a parking space with the vehicle still rolling backwards. Since there are no synchros in this tranny, you should ALWAYS stop the vehicle before switching to R from D or vice versa. My $0.02.

grandtotal

I realise that one should always stop before shifting gears to go in the opposite direction. I understand that there is no synchromesh but shouldn't the torque converter handle that sort of situation? After all what's the difference between rolling gently backwards while engaging drive, and slipping backwards on a hill while in drive or an enthusiastic launch from a standstill?

bencomo

my high mounted brake light is out after only 15,000 miles. i hate to take it to the dealer for such a minor problem. is it an easy repair? i have noticed several other ody with their lights out.

dave594

Is it just a burnt out bulb? In that case, just replace it. I've had to replace two now in three years. The last one, Honda dealer replaced for free.

dave594

I am always very gentle on my transmission. For example, I always use the parking brake when I park the van, not just leave it in Park and let all the weight settle on that transmission detent. I'm not so sure this does not cause some damage if it's only left on park without the parking brake, especially on an incline. Also, as said previoulsy, come to a full stop before changing directions. Your car is an investment, so might as well take care of it.

nlwalden

I should have been more clear in my previous post about the bad clunk. It occurs after you park the car on an incline, nose down, and turn the car off. Start the car, put it in reverse, and back up the incline. The clunk occurs while backing up, after about 20 feet or so. It's sort of a jerking clunk; sounds like you've run over at tin can.

I really am curious about this. Could some '99 and early '00 owners out there try this and let me know if you hear the clunk?

I agree with the symptoms and solutions to the parking brake and gear shifting clunks

DTKWOK

"I realise that one should always stop before shifting gears to go in the opposite direction. I
understand that there is no synchromesh but shouldn't the torque converter handle that sort of
situation? After all what's the difference between rolling gently backwards while engaging drive,
and slipping backwards on a hill while in drive or an enthusiastic launch from a standstill?"

First question: Yes, the torque converter should be able to handle this, to a degree. Some auto trannys are more lenient than others, for some reason this particular transmission is more sensitive?

Second question: The difference is that in the first case, you're actually changing gears, from R to N to D, whereas in the other cases, you're already in D. BTW, trying to "balance" an automatic while going up an incline via throttle, only generates wear and tear on the tranny, so the brakes should be applied instead.

nlwalden - This is common with the '99 and '00s, you should take it to the dealer, as they have a service bulletin (SB -0065 IIRC). on this one. My '01 doesn't do that all.

dc0027

Who has the best price for Honda extended warranty (price, phone no and contact) ? I assume you can buy the warranty from any dealer in the US and have the car serviced at another

Thanks in advance.

skubes

Got my new $1048 transmission today on 99 LX with 55K miles. (Honda paid 80% to our 20% since out of warranty.) Never realized how rough the shifting was on the old one - now the shifter slides from Park to Drive effortlessly. Guess I had transmission trouble long before the reverse clunk started. Also noticed a brochure in the service lounge stating that rebuilt Honda transmissions come with a 3 year/36K warranty. That was interesting because 2 different Honda dealers I've been to on this both said we'd only get a 12month/12,000K warranty. Showed the brochure to the service guy - said he's have to call Honda to approve it. He did. Amazing how ill-informed Honda service people are. Hoping this lasts 7 more years. Never on any car have I ever followed the advice above about shifting into neutral, applying parking brake, then shift to Park but I will now if it will help this transmission last longer than the first one. Thanks!

auburn63

the sway bar and the stabilizer bar are the same and so those vertical links you seen are the ones I am talking about. If they are good and the struts are new then we will have to try and come up with another area to look. As for the mount I was refering mostly to the one on the Passenger side that attaches to the front of the motor covering the timing belt area. If it is in good shape just make sure the tech didnt miss the center of the mount where the bolt goes through. Believe it or not I see several come in mis-installed and you wouldn't think that could happen. Let us know, so far I don't see anything else on the Interactive about it..Good luck

mschafer

Auburn, I'll recheck that right side (engine front) mount. It was tight when I checked it, but I'll give it a closer look this weekend.

My independent mechanic may not have checked the sway bar/stabilizer links on a platform hoist, so I'll recheck them too. I also want to look closely at the rear motor mount, because that's one I don't think he checked carefully; and this clunking happens on sharp bumps where the engine may be thrown up and down a little more sharply than on larger more gentle bumps.

Whatever it turns out to be, if we can find it, I'll let you know what it was. Thanks for your help.

nlwalden

We were told that if the transmission is replaced under warranty, it's covered for 12 months/12,000 miles, but that any parts replaced out of warranty (customer pays) are covered for 3/36. If I were you, I'd ask the dealer to document the coverage so there's no confusion later.

larck

where go?