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

dc0027

Can anyone tell me how CR determines a car's reliability? In the 2002 CR, 99 Ody still ranks at or below average. Is the stats accumulated over the years or start fresh each year? I have a '99 and had to go to dealer for three minor problems in the first year, and reported to CR. But problem free for the past three years. I know that quite a few people had problems wih 99 Ody and majority of them in first year and the reliabilty of 99 Ody for first year looked bad. But if CR's stats start fresh every year, from my experience, 99 Ody should have above average rating for reliability.

bobny

I just took delivery of a new 02'GG-EX last week. The next day ( 50 miles )as I was pulling out of a parking lot with the car in drive, I noticed some dash board lights on (parking, all four doors and foot brake lights). After a few seconds they went off again. The car continued to function fine over the weekend. But today ( 160 miles ) the same thing happened while driving on the highway. On and off but everything works fine. I remember reading some complains about this problem in the past. Is anybody familiar with this problem?.

mike734

My 2000 EX just had a door problem. While the left door was closing, it made a strange noise and quit. It is dead now. I can operate it manually but the motor seems to be dead. I will take it in Friday but this is just further evidence that I need to buy an extended warr.

mehembree

I just bought a 2001 EX and I love it! However, the temperature settings on the climate control system are in celsius, not farenheit. Can this be changed? Can I do it? Does this mean I bought a Canadian model? I'm guessing that it is a Canadian model, based on the climate control and that it has daytime running lights, but should I care?

bobny

If you boughted from a dealer take it back. Hopefully they honored or gave you some kind of 3/36 warranty. Other wise; you are on your own. Canadian Oddys are not covered under Honda usa. I asked my salesman last week when I bought mine "made in Alabama". He says that Canadian cars have to be modified for emission and other details which are consider after market. That makes them technically used cars.

jcampa1

You are right on the money, "dchopp". The Honda's do hold their value, much better than GM cars but about on par with GM's trucks. They seem to really hold their value as well. And that's coming from a non-chevy fan.

I did not understand "tpalm's" post # 1903. Did it cost $500.00 to fix the doors correctly? Can the power doors be converted to regular manual doors, in the future if an owner wants to do so to save on the repair bill??

primerib07

Two questions concerning Odysseys. Reading all these problems of course doesn't give me a nice warm feeling but I'm realistic and know every car has problems. Even with that I figured the Odyssey was the best one out there. I currently have a 2002 EX on Order. Made at the Canada factory not the Alabama.

Now I've read some posts here saying Honda USA does not honor warranties on Odysseys built in Canada. My dealer doesn't believe this to be true (he's presently double checking it) and I plan to get it in writing if this is indeed the car I get. He has said that there are some Odysseys which were made "for" the Canada then sold in the US. These are not covered by Honda USA. Those made for US delivery are covered. Could someone please comment on this.

Second when I asked about an extended warranty the dealer showed me an aftermarket warranty by a company called API, $1500 for 6 years or 100K miles. To be honest I don't trust aftermarket warranties but would still like the added coverage, I almost always own a car longer than 3 yrs or 36K. I've seen posts here regarding getting a Honda Care warranty for $895 (which I consider a much better and acceptable option) but there are close to 2000 messages here on this board alone and haven't seen one regarding how I can get this particular warranty. I guess I could push the dealer for it but want to have some recourse with regard to telling the dealer where I could actually get this warranty if he isn't willing to give it to me. Again could someone please comment.

If anyone has any other things to watch for those would also be appreciated.

Thanks for any help just trying to get all my ducks in order before signing on the dotted line

mike734

The shop had to replace my left door closing motor today. If it had not been under warr, the cost would have been about $900! Now I am going to get the HCW for sure. BTW they said they had not seen this problem before.

jdvscience

I have a continued problem with the door buzzer going off while driving. It may continue for several days, but when I take it to the dealer it disappears. When I get the vehicle back the buzzer problem returns. It is sporadic, but when it does return it continues on just like before. It appears to come from the automatic door.

auburn63

This condition really shouldnt be such a mystery to your dealer. However I guess it is possible that some dealers may not be as educated about the doors as others but for those dealers tech line would be able to help them. The best thing you can do as a owner is the next time you hear the buzzing, using the dash door switch, push and hold on the close switch on one of the doors. If the noise stops then the problem is in that door if the noise continues push and hold the other door. Push both if necessary although I have never seen it be both. This will tell the dealer which door is the problem. Also, if you do not have the updated junction switches then you should request those as they do help. There is a service bulletin to be followed that include the juntion switches and more for your complaint. Good luck..

antlese

I have a 2002 Odyssey that I'm veeery pleased with. My problem is I want to carry a canoe on the roof. The van has the factory side rails on it now.
I've purchased 4 foam pads that the canoe sits on as well as 2 v-straps. One strap for the front of the canoe and one for the rear. The straps are meant to attach to the canoe and then they split off to the front left and front right and similarily to the rear left and rear right of the van.

The problem is there is no where to attach the straps to the underside of the van. The is a tow ring in the center of the van about 2 feet back from the bumper. There appears to be no attachment points on the front or rear on the left and right sides.
Does anyone have any suggestions or anyone have any experience carrying a canoe on their Ody.

Thanks in advance and sorry for the long post.
Sean

stever

I have over 50,000 miles cartopping canoes. The foam blocks are ok for light duty use, but you really should look at some Yakima or Thule racks if you starting hauling your canoe around a lot. The foam blocks have a way of disappearing, falling off, etc., and I like to have a secure attachment across the center of the canoes too.

Few of the newer vans make it easy to tie off the canoe painters front or rear. I wound up putting a loop of perlon rope around a hefty bracket in the front of my engine compartment that tucks away when not in use. I do have a tie down hook in the rear of my van.

I think I'd lose the V straps and just tie off to the center tow hook in front and find something in the rear to do likewise - maybe there's a "spring shackle" in the rear suspension you can reach.

Steve
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wolfhead

The problem you are referring to happens when an American crosses the border and buys a Canadian spec Odyssey and brings it back to the states. Because of the favourable exchange rate on the currency, it was worthwhile to cross the border. This had the potential to cut into the sales of US dealers near the Canadian border. Therefore the decision by Honda USA not to honour the Canadian warranty as a way of stopping cross-border shopping.

jrdowney

To all,
I'm sure this has been addressed but I can't find anything specific. I'm going to change out the speakers on my 2001 Odyssey EX. Can someone give me the color code key for the polarity of the wires (i.e. + and -) for the front door and rear speakers. Also, does anyone have a better method other than just cutting the wires to splice in the new speakers? Thanks!

Jim d.

95blue

Replaced 2001 LX speakers with Polk EX 402A's (4inch-rear) and EX 602A's (6.5inch-front). Do not cut wires: purchase
speaker wire adapters from Circuit City or
Best Buy. I purchased these from Best Buy
for $5.00 a pair the name escapes me but the name was Metro........something or other. They simply plug into the factory speaker wire plug and allow you to plug the other end into any aftermarket speaker. A real time saver.

420park

I dropped off my 2000 Odyssey EX with 20,000 miles at the dealer last night. Symptoms: Leaking transmission fluid and a rumble/vibration through the steering column when accelerating at nearly any speed. This follows continued drivers side sliding door problems. The van has never been used to tow or carry heavy loads. Strictly suburban duty. I had planned to keep this car for 10 years like my previous 3 Hondas but this one is out of here in 6 months. I don't want to be paying out of pocket for this car once the warranty is gone. I never thought an extended warranty would be needed on a Honda. What a disappointment. I'm not sure what I will replace it with. I don't know if anyone is any better in this category, despite the bad experience.

420park

Thanks Cardinal5. While I could do an extended warranty I think I'm done with this vehicle. Too many problems requiring me to leave it at the dealer every 4 months. The experiences with the doors and now the transmission are unacceptable whether or not it is under a warranty. Now I'm trying to decide on a 2003 Odyssey and chalk it up to bad luck, or try a totally different vehicle.

dchopp

If Chrysler would have had the dissappearing seat, I would be driving one right now instead of my 2002 EX. You get a 7 year/100000 mile powertrain warranty with it for free. I love my Oddy. The extra power, the smooth shifting of the 5 speed transmission. Its a great vehicle but I love the options and the colors available with the town and country.

jrdowney

To All,
I'm in the process of replacing the speakers in our 2001 Ody EX. Had the front speakers out yesterday. During the day it rained pretty hard a few times. I noticed after work that there was water in the driver's side door cavity. Looked as if it had been sprayed with a hose. Lots of droplets all around! The passenger side was bone dry! Has anyone seen or heard of this previously? Any thoughts? Thanks!

Jim d.

jchan2

Our 2002 Honda Odyssey EX in MB that was built in the Alliston Ontario plant has a Remote keyless entry system. A few weeks ago, it stopped working and we just put the key in the keyhole to unlock the doors. I was just wondering how to diognose this problem besides:
1. Dumping the Van. (its brand new!)
2. Getting a new keyless entry system
3. Just dumping the entry system and use the key for the rest of its life cycle
Should I visit my dealer that sold me the car? I'm still under warranty with only 7600 miles on the odometer. The gas gauge is fine and is working. The automatic Climate control is fine and we have used the fold away seat many times. If the Dodge Grand caravan had the fold flat 3rd row seat, We would have a Dodge Grand Caravan ES in tan.

stever

I'd make the dealer fix it - love the fob :-)

Steve
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gess

Your van is broken. Get it fixed.

amarmistry

My 2000 EX is due for 30000 miles service and replacement of air conditioner filter.
One dealer asks for $304 for service + $89 for air conditioner filter(part+labor)
Other asks for $351 for service + $51 for air conditioner filter(part+labor).
I will go to the first one and only get service done and thinking of changing the filter myself. Has anybody done it and how easy it is? Also, is there a place I can see the instruction diagram to change the filter before I buy it? Please help.

P.S. Don't you think $300+ is TOO much for service?

johnnyrf

Well, I figured it was just a matter of time.....
All of a sudden, I have noticed the transmission in our 99 Odyssey has started slipping when driving in reverse, especially on an incline. Have not noticed the famous clunking behavior, but I expect that the transmission will need to be replaced?

gordon

This weekend, my 99 Ody with 56K miles started intermittently having a failure of the speedometer and Tach. Other gauges, including odometer, functions, and lights work fine. It is an intermittent problem, so I doubt a blown fuse, but maybe a bad fuse contact? The owner's manual didn't mention which fuse controls these two gauges.
Any suggestions?

Thanks very much!

minivan561

I have a 2005 Odyssey EX with 300 miles with this cluck/scrape sound when going forward after backing up and/or parking on a non-level surface with the front pointing uphill. Honda dealer also said it's the brake calipers shifting and that it was normal.

ody02chic

Came off lot with Aligment Problems.

Car pulls left and dealer can't fix it.

Offer to realiged after 3k, at 2k now.

Other problems comes and goes.

All the doors light comes on dash battery, brake and goes off while driving.

johnnyrf

Just got off the phone with the Service Dept. They are ordering a new transmission for my '99 Ody based on Honda's recommendation! Thank God I have the extended warranty (I have 42K miles on the van) so I don't have to wrestle with Honda to pay for it. Dealer says retail on the tranny would be $5K without labor!
Looks like the tranny issue is a real one.

collins14

I saw your post. May I ask the build date and location for your 02 ody. I wonder if ours were produced together. My build date is 04/02 in Alabama. Do the VIN numbers come off the line in order? My new 02 ody is a piece of junk. I have been extremely disappointed in the initial quality. The dealer has fixed a few things but others he refuses too (they are "within tolerance"). My front passenger door does not close properly and three different kids have gotten stuck with the 2nd row drivers side door- it does not open. Between those, the things that were already fixed, and the fact that the engine shifts horribly. Can I bring this car to a different dealer to have them look at it? Does anyone know a dealer in Houston that has a service dept. that actually cares. They also make me nervous because they did not document the times my husband brings the car in. They just look at it and send him on his way without recording his complants in the computer. I am afraid one day there will be serious engine failure (something is wrong with transmission) and we will not have documentation. I hope these posts are archived- I may need to refer to them someday.

skyrm

I didn't find out for a while that the drivers side 2nd door locks whenevr you fill the gas tank - it automatically locks when you open the gas fill door. You need to manually unlock it, or use the door unlock button.

dchopp

Find another Dealer. Those problems are very fixable infact they should be a piece of cake. One thinge I have learned is that not all dealer service dept. are the same. Some should be run out of town.

wymoy

I have a new 2002 EX with the DVD system with about 180 miles on it. My kids just about closed the motorized side door when another kid decided to open the same door. The door stalled for several seconds then it opened. After I started the engine, I notice I cannot power up the radio. It did not work for the rest of the day. I check the fuse and it is ok. Next day the radio working again. Did the stalled door caused an interrupt in the radio and it reset itself?

pymm

I know I've read some other posts on squeeking brakes here, but backtracked a bit and couldn't find them.

I have a 2001 Ody with 21,000 miles. I have followed the suggested maintenance service. Just recently the van's brakes have begun to squeek on occasion. They appear to work fine and don't grab. Plus that the squeek seems only to happen after I've driven for quite a while, after an hour or so of driving.

Is this normal? Or do I have a problem I need to check out? Bulletins on this problem? Thanks.

skubes

My 99 LX (60,000 miles now) started with squeaking brakes at 10,000 miles and have never been quiet since. Got new front pads free from Honda once. Have had rotors turned once and new pads a total of 3 times (my cost) since. With them always noisy, impossible to tell when new ones are needed so I have them checked every other oil change. Usually I'm just told it's "brake dust" and they "clean" them and they are quieter for a couple of weeks. Once the rear brakes needed "cleaning". I've been to 3 dealers in 2 states and all say the same thing. Nothing else can be done. I've gotten used to people staring at me when I come to a stop.

ody02chic

The van was pickup on april 28, 02.

I'll post later on build date and location.

The dealer said the aligment is within spec.
BS, I said. I can't let go the steering wheel for more than 3 seconds on the highway.
Dealer fix first time with increase tire pressure and said it was aligned.
My arm hurts from holding the van straight.
Take van back for service next week and ask for refund on extended warranty. Not keeping this van
after Wty expires
Very unhappy with Van so far for all problems.
I had starting problems also. Started on the 7 th time crank it.
Lots of minor stuff makes me mad and wish I still had trouble free 1987 Toyota Celica.( which I give away last week):(

Good things about the Van.
I had 2 babies(in car seats)and 6 adult in van with room to spare, filled with pinic stuff, BBQ, chairs Etc.

BLV (Best Looking Van)
MTTHD (Many Trips To Home Depot) with Van full for friend and family.
LOP (Lots of Power)

dmathews3

There is a service bulletin for previous years as this was a problem on LX's. It involved loosening some bolts to the underbody and readjusting the whole undercarrage. The bulletin was posted here on one of the Odyssey sites. If I remember, the ones who had it done cured it. Maybe someone here can locate the post or I would have the dealer look it up.

DTKWOK

No, this is not normal, I have a 2001 w/ 22K on it and the only time it squeaks is when I brake in reverse, going real slow.

Skubes,

I assumed that the dealer turned your rotors because they claimed it was warped. Never let them turn the rotors unless it is really warped, it will just make the problem worse, since there's fewer rotor material (reduced stiffness) left. I figured out that over tightening of the lug nuts is the common cause of warped rotors. Do not let them use an impact wrench but insist on the use of a torque wrench (80 ft-lbs, fyi). None of our cars have had warped rotors since 1990. Good luck!

kalody2002

Any one else seen this problem with pulling to right?

I bought my van in feb '02 and right off the parking lot it was pulling to right. I thought this is not under warranty but after week talking to sales person she told me to bring it in to get it fix.

First they told me to drive for 3500 miles to let tire even out some time new tire causes. I did that and still pulls to right. So I took it back to get it fix and dealer took hole 2 days to fix it (That what they said it!). Dealer told me that they have done alignment, rotate tire and did major work to adjust suspension subfram to get it fix. After 2 days of work car still pull to right and made problem worst then before.

I am schedule for 4th trip to dealer to get problem fix.

Any suggation or any one has this problem?

dmathews3

Sounds more like a poor dealer than the vans fault. They should give you a free loaner and have enough brains to know when it is fixed right. A lot of people have had it done with very good success. Hopefully there is another dealer near. I would even call Honda if they don't do it right this time.

ody02chic

Sounds like the same dealer I have.

Service Manager told me to come back after 3K, SM Said
"Spring needs to adjust by themselves".
They tried to fix the first time playing with tire pressure and said it was aligned to spec.

Told service manager about subframe fix, he said he never heard of it.
Dumb [non-permissible content removed] said no such thing.
Found the TSB # 00-067. If any one needs it.
I hope it is the right one. Found it from previous list.

Good Luck!

flxomac

just found out that I overpaid for the 7yr/75K warranty at $950, when I could get the 7yr/100k for less than $900. however, I can still return the warranty to the dealer for a refund less a handling fee, buy the better coverage, and still be ahead. lesson learned: no need to buy the warranty at time of vehicle purchase without researching for best price. anyone else in the same situation, do as I will do.

dude4me

Why not just use the key? Or maybe your car hates you?

bdaddy

I'd take the service manager for a ride, to a large empty parking lot and have him drive the van and take his hands off the wheel. If the van pulls on a non-crowned, flat surface, I would demand it be fixed in order to perform like a normal car should. If it doesn't get fixed, I'd call Honda, explain the situation and demand recourse.

I have an 02 EX with an April build date. No pull, no problem.

rictom

I have a 2000 Ody LX. I didnt' have the pull to the right, of which I've read many posts here ont he forum. This is known, don't let the service guy (who you should be talking to) bs you about "it's normal" or any other line. It's known and there are several fixes I've read from checking the tires beyond a basic re-balancing, to adjusting the undercarriage. Another fix which worked for some was changing just the tires to the Michelins they put on the EX to putting alloy rims on replacing the steel LX rims.
On my 2000 lx I had a shimmy at 70mph that was solved by alloy rims and michelins after the dealer put 4 new FIrestones on and it didn't make a difference.

jasburton1

Druce/DTKWOK -

My 2001 w/15k has the same problem of squeaky brakes when I am in reverse - very anoying. Have you heard - can the dealer fix this problem? I am ready to take it in, but won't unless they can fix the problem. The bakes don't squeak going forward.

jasburton1

My 2001 w/15k has a whining/vibrating noise when driving in windy conditions over 65mph. I thought the noise was coming from the antenna, but at this point don't believe it is. I think it may be coming from the rear view mirror. Noise is definitely on the passenger side and is most notisable during windy conditions, but at at times can be heard during normal driving conditions in excess of 65mph. Anyone else have this problem? Solutions???

popper

I have 00 LX that creates the same noise at high speed ( >90mph or strong headwind ) I would describe it as a howling sound. I believe it's a design flaw in passenger side mirror.

jasburton1

Have you had it checked out by the dealer? Any solution ideas - it drives me crazy when driving long distances (my route home is through Wyoming = very windy!)

Thanks.

gordon

Just a follow-up to my previous post. The Speedometer and Tachometer would stop working after a few miles each time I drove. All other instruments, including the odometer were fine. Turns out the instrument cluster circuit board needed to be replaced. My service advisor says he's seen this on 3 other Odys. So now after 54,880 miles, my odometer now says 64 miles. Thank goodness for the extended warranty I bought. I'm sure this was a very expensive repair.

DTKWOK

Unfortunately the dealer denies any solution to this problem. But like I said, this only happens to me when I'm going into reverse and lightly stepping on the brakes (if I pushed it down with normal pressure, this does not occur). But what's really annoying is to hear the calipers shift when applying the brakes in reverse directions!

BTW, do you have squeaky rear vent motors? Mine squeaks when you close them. Honda has not made a fix for it, which is really aggravating.