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

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Comments

  • dulnevdulnev Member Posts: 652
    You know, the Honda sales people should really tell all the new buyers about this! I know how this can make a new owner worry, but don't be concerned: this is a normal ABS priming/self-check sound.
  • jeffreywilensjeffreywilens Member Posts: 10
    We have two new wireless headsets and one 2004 version of the headsets (the dealership did not have a new one in stock and the older model was half price).

    The older one works fine in both back rows. The new model works fine in the second row but if you are in the third row and lean your head back on the headrest, they will cut off. (our solution, use the older model in the back row).

    Seriously, I wonder if the range on the new ones is not as good as the older model or is more sensitive to the invisible curtain that shuts off the headsets you exit the rear passenger compartment.
  • nwngnwng Member Posts: 663
    nah, it only happens when I am going over a really bad pothole, the type that rattles your teeth. I will mentioned it to the dealer on my first oil change. I also look at possible fixes at other ody forums, of course none is as informative as edmunds.com. Another area I will have the dealer look at is the black plastic strip at the edge of the second row entrance. I think my daughter stepped on it everytime she climbs into the van and about an inch of it is not conforming to the plastic stepping plate.

    One more thing on mileage: turn off the a/c. i did not know i had the a/c on all this time (no little green lights, no a/c on signal unless you press the button. Honda should have put a little green indicator light on the button)

    And the mia coin holder....
  • nwngnwng Member Posts: 663
    oh geez, mine is missing too. Can someone confirm there should be a piece of carpet there? Is honda coming out with a cover for the exposed track like they did for the past gen ody?
  • taylor7taylor7 Member Posts: 4
    Has anyone heard of the sliding doors malfunctioning? I purchased a 2004 Odyssey from John Eagle Honda in Houston, Texas and have had door malfunctions since I bought it. They are intermitent and hard to recreate. I have just had to video record the incidents and am turning it back in again today to the service department with the video tape. This is the ninth time I will have taken my Odyssey back to the dealer to fix this same problem.
  • rorrrorr Member Posts: 3,630
    The "missing" floormat for our EX-L was found under the passenger side 2nd row seat. I think this is the 'proper' place to stow this little carpet mat when the +1 seat is installed (It has snaps on it to keep it in place). But I've found from experimentation that it doesn't really adequately cover the +1 seat space when that seat is removed.

    There IS a plastic cover for the exposed track under the 2nd row seat. This cover must be removed before the passenger side 2nd row seat can be slid over to the middle position. However, I've found it IMPOSSIBLE to remove the cover from the track without physically removing the seat first. Also, this cover doesn't fit over the +1 portion of the track when the moveable seat is in the right-hand position.
  • isellhondasisellhondas Member Posts: 20,342
    Well, I try to remember to inform my customers of this. Most people just hear it and don't worry.

    I'll bet this has come up 100 times in these forums.
  • rorrrorr Member Posts: 3,630
    I think you've touched on this before, but I've had it happen to me: I had never, EVER actually noticed this noise before......until I started noting it being discussed more often here in the TH. So one day, I decided to see if I could hear it in my wife's van. Yep, it's there. But I've got to actually be listening for it to hear it; otherwise it is essentially background noise.

    I think in some ways, Odyssey owner's are some of the most.......persnickidy owner's out there. I think Honda attracts the type of owner who EXPECTS their vehicle to be as PERFECT has humanly possible; afterall, perceived reliability is one to the Honda's strong suits. After hearing this noise in my wife's van, and realizing just how minute this noise was, makes me question just how serious some of these other "issues" are that I see reported.
  • just4fun2just4fun2 Member Posts: 461
    The sound level that the human ear can hear is different from person to person. The frequency/noise level that one person can hear might not be noticed by another person. My wife and I have experiences this many times. I guess that is why they have volume controls on radios/tv's.
  • rorrrorr Member Posts: 3,630
    What also varies, a great deal, between individuals is TOLERANCE to certain noise. For some individuals, if they can hear it AT ALL, it is a problem. Others are better able to 'tune out' as insignificant certain noises. Of course, what qualifies as 'insignificant' is also highly subjective. It's just that, IMHO, Honda owners are to a certain extent less tolerant of odd noises coming from their vehicle.
  • rfrfrfrf Member Posts: 31
    See my posts for the Accord re rubbing, grinding.
  • dulnevdulnev Member Posts: 652
    " After hearing this noise in my wife's van, and realizing just how minute this noise was, makes me question just how serious some of these other "issues" are that I see reported."

    That's a very flawed theory. Not only do individual levels of noise perception differ, but so does the intensity of the ABS noise from vehicle to vehicle. In my Ody it is not only a fairly loud noise, it is also an unpleasant brief vibration coming through the gas pedal. It feels and sounds like bottom of the car scraping on a curb.
  • rorrrorr Member Posts: 3,630
    Personally, I would be willing to bet that individuals PERCEPTIONS vary more widely than the cars. Just my opinion. I've read several posts in here where an owner noted this noise to their service managers and, when told "they all do that", drove other examples on the lot and noted that the noise was indeed also present in the other vans. I've yet to see any post where someone noted that other Odysseys driven by the same individual made any more intense noise.

    If your vehicle DOES make a noise/vibration appreciably different/more intense from other Odyssey's, then I wouldn't take the answer of "they all do that" from a service manager. Have you tested other Odysseys to see if their ABS check was as pronounced as yours?
  • rakhirakhi Member Posts: 2
    I am reading with interest many complaints in this forum about rattle in 05 Honda Ody. My EX-L is 4 weeks old. On some days it rattles, specially while going over potholes, on other days there is no rattle. The rattle seems to come from either the front or the left passenger door. Took it to the dealer. They say it is coming from loose objects in glove compartment and stuff on the console tray in between driver and passenger seats. I always carry stuff in them in other minivans, they don't rattle. When I removed everything from the car, there was no rattle. However, I had noticed the rattle when I first drove the brand new van from dealership to home. there were no loose objects in the car.

    Another source of rattle (according to the dealer) is the 8th seat which is intentionally loosely fixed so it can be taken out easily. Does not make sense to me.

    The passenger door did not rattle that day when we took a test drive (the patient is well when the doctor is in!). This rattle is so random, I can not reproduce it, but is is driving us crazy.
  • stickguystickguy Member Posts: 52,837
    the door rattle might come and go depending on how well it closes each time. If it is rattling becasue it isn't adjusted, it may not close exactly the same way all the time.

    2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.

  • rfrfrfrf Member Posts: 31
    How did you confirm it is ABS?
  • mevandemevande Member Posts: 190
    It is no fun to drive the Ody with its 240hp like a "Grandma"! Have some (safe) fun and live a little:)
  • denver5357denver5357 Member Posts: 319
    "It is no fun to drive the Ody with its 240hp like a "Grandma"! Have some (safe) fun and live a little:)"

    Uh-oh. Is this the return of the tricked out racing van thread?! ;-)
  • bombaywallabombaywalla Member Posts: 2
    Hi,
    I bought a 2001 Honda Odyssey EX with 65 K miles. When i accelerate over 35-40 mph i get a whistling noise from the front along with the regular transmission noise. When i take my foot off the gas pedal it goes away. When i put the foot back to accelerate it comes back on.

    It tends to go away when i accelerate above 65. But when i slow down to about 35 and then acclerate i hear it again.

    Is this normal? Can anyone please let me know what the problem might be?

    I read one of the post and it said that it is ABS doing some sort of self test and it is normal. But will ABS be doing a self test EVERY TIME i accelerate.

    Thanks,
    BombayWalla
  • stickguystickguy Member Posts: 52,837
    the ABS self test only happens the first time you start out (after being started), and happens at about 10-12 mph. What you are describing is something different entirely.

    2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.

  • onboost91onboost91 Member Posts: 86
    One thing to check is the third row seat belts. When retracted, the metal piece that goes into the buckle rattles against the hard plastic side of the van unless you "clip" it in place in the holder. Rough roads make it sound very bad. It may not solve your particular woes, but if it is loose then it will get quite loud when going over bumps.
  • stickguystickguy Member Posts: 52,837
    the 2nd row does the same thing. If they get twisted, the metal buckle will lean against the side panal and bang, and can sound like a door rattle.

    just need to staighten them out, and the buckle will hang toward the inside and not make contact.

    2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.

  • banana1banana1 Member Posts: 2
    I have a 1999 Odyssey, and a short time after I purchased it, one of the automatic doors opened by itself on the freeway with my three small children in the back seats. They started screaming and crying. I pulled off and finally got the door to close, but it made the buzzing sound all the way to the dealership. I went directly to the service manager, and said they could keep the van until the doors were fixed, and they could pay for a rental car for me while it was being repaired. They did. I have had intermittent trouble with the doors since then, and have returned it to be repaired. There are numerous other little gripes I have about this vehicle which I did not have about my Honda Accord that I owned in the 80s. I guess they 'just don't make them like they used to.' I had to replace the starter just last week also.
  • oly44011oly44011 Member Posts: 11
    the cover plate is under the second row pass seat.
  • innorristninnorristn Member Posts: 39
    All I can tell you about my door rattle fix is in my post #4302. This fixed the worst of the rattle - the one that sounded like the door was rattling in the frame.

    I may still have a softer rattle near that door, but it's not anything that bothers me at the moment and I haven't had a chance to try to locate it.

    If you do a search on "door rattle" you may see some other fixes mentioned. I don't know how many of those were permanent fixes though.
  • 2005touring2005touring Member Posts: 1
    I have around 1500 miles on my 2005 Touring, and wanted to share a quick thought on a potential cause of back-pain with the driver&#146;s seat. I was concerned about this from the stories posted here. Shortly after I started driving the van (< ½ hour), I noticed my back was not happy with the apparent &#147;bar&#148; pushing just above where I would expect lumbar support to exist. My natural reaction was to adjust the lumbar support to push less &#150; this just made the problem worse. I then tried the counter-intuitive approach of adjusting the lumbar support to push harder, and this solved the problem! For me, the &#147;bar&#148; that was causing the trouble is not part of the lumbar support in the seat; it is the bottom of the non-lumbar support in the seat. When the lumbar support is adjusted to its minimal position, I find that my back is supported only by the non-lumbar portion of the seat, which is not comfortable. I suspect that this problem is exasperated by the sharp end of the non-lumbar support cushion in the seat. With the lumbar support properly adjusted, I find the seats of the Odyssey very comfortable. Please let the group know if you find that this helps with this problem
  • tnimtnim Member Posts: 3
    Tried this too -- the new headsets work all over the back of the car -- just not with the DVD. Not a range problem. There has to be something specific with how the DVD system is wired to the device that does the wireless headphones. I've narrowed it down and I don't think it can be anything else.
  • dulnevdulnev Member Posts: 652
    "How did you confirm it is ABS?"

    I don't need to because I know precisely that it's ABS. I've had four different Honda/Acura vehicles in the last three years and they all do it with various level of intensity. It was much more pronounced on my 2003 Acura TL than Ody. But it's less pronounced on my 2004 TL.
  • 03babymover03babymover Member Posts: 10
    We have only one "real" rattle on our 2003 EX (others do turn out to be either things on the center shelf or in the glove compartment). It is the same one I had on a Civic a few years back. The duct leading to one of the side dash air vents rattles against other things near it behind the dash. I accessed the duct by removing the glove compartment, or from removing the lower dash pad on the driver's side. Then stuffed a bunch of foam around the duct to pin it in tightly. Never heard the rattle again.
  • pchevalierpchevalier Member Posts: 1
    did they fix the rattle ? what part of the rear sliding door did the rattle come from ? DID YOU HAVEA DASH RATTLE ? thanks
  • yaskyyasky Member Posts: 9
    Considering the EX-L with NAV/RES. Has anyone installed 3 car seats in the 2nd row? Thoughts are that frees up the 3rd row to fold down. Consumer Reports indicated that it was unsafe to put an infant seat in the middle Magic seat position. Thanks
  • mevandemevande Member Posts: 190
    Wow, Banana1.. that (, one of the automatic doors opened by itself on the freeway with my three small children in the back seats. They started screaming and crying.) would scare anyone! Have they found a more permanent solution? People buy Honda's for their reliability as you well know. Most of the Honda's build in the US (most of their cars ect) get very high marks re: reliability. I hope they get this fixed (permanently). You paid for a "premium" minivan and should get better service.
  • rgriggsarrgriggsar Member Posts: 3
    I got my oil changed this morning (not at a dealer) and now my emission light in on. I do not think this is a major problem. Does anyone know a quick fix. The dealer says bring it by and we will reset. I only have 5400 miles.

    Anyone have a qick fix?
  • robr2robr2 Member Posts: 8,805
    Did you fill your gas tank as well? Make sure the cap is fully closed - at least 2 clicks.

    Good Luck.
  • macakavamacakava Member Posts: 775
    I believe that if you disconnect the battery cables for at least 15 minutes, the light should go off as the engine computer maintenance memory will lose its contents and hence not cause the light to come on.

    It worked for my Continental, but I have not had any reason yet to do so for my Ody.

    Good Luck!
  • tim12tim12 Member Posts: 3
    Just took delivery today of a stunning looking Odyssey 2005 EX Redrock. One problem (on the remote), the lock button is not locking the doors. The remote is unlocking the doors and the panic works. Does anyone know of a solution?? I've been reading the manual with no solutions!

    Thanks
  • tim12tim12 Member Posts: 3
    Problem solved. Next time I will make sure the tailgate is fully shut!!
  • rsblaskirsblaski Member Posts: 68
    It may sound silly, but are you in the car when you try to use the remote lock? It will not work inside the car. I guess it offers some protection against locking the key inside. I just tried this on my '05 Ody Touring to verify.

    Good luck,
    Rick
  • macakavamacakava Member Posts: 775
    You have just discovered that the Ody is very air tight so that you have use more force to close/shut it properly!
  • rgriggsarrgriggsar Member Posts: 3
    It fix'ed itself. One hour of driving the computer rest the settings and the light went off.

    Thanks all
  • tboudrtboudr Member Posts: 2
    I came across this forum while trying to find out how to change the clock bulb for my 2003 Odyssey. The suggestion to tap on it worked for me, too. I gave the clock and the surrounding area a few taps, then the bulb magically came back to life. Many thanks!!!! Otherwise, it sounds like this is a pretty involved (e.g. costly) repair. Also, this must be a pretty common occurrence, as well. Interesting, since I had an Accord for over 10 years with no bulb failures of any kind. At any rate, thanks for sharing your tip. Hope I can add one of my own sometime.
  • marklsparklemarklsparkle Member Posts: 4
    My '03 Odyssey tran is slipping badly at 52k miles and the fluid is gritty indicating loss of material somewhere. I took the car in at 42k miles for the transmission recall and had the 45k service done at that time. Has anyone had a similar experience? Is Honda open to providing the repair -- a tranny should last more than 52k miles. Please share your experience.
  • sportymonksportymonk Member Posts: 258
    Hope everybody realizes that tapping on the clock to make the light works is only a temporary fix that can be frustrating. Apparently there is either a loose wire / connection or the filament is loose in the bulb. Tapping on it apparently moves the wire involved and restores the connection. Driving over any type of rough or bouncy road may (likely) result in the connection being broken again. If under warranty, I would get it fixed. If not under warranty, I would complain since if there are enough complaints about it, maybe Honda will do something about it.
  • banana1banana1 Member Posts: 2
    Yes, I haven't had any major problems with the doors like that in years. It's just a combination of little annoyances in a car that we ordered and waited six months to receive, and like you said paid a premium for! At this point in time, with an almost six year old car with 66,000 miles on it, I expect to be spending money on maintenance. However, these annoyances have persisted from the beginning. My van has more road noise than my husband's 4 door Ford Supercrew!

    Now my salesman is calling me trying to sell me a Pilot. I told him I hadn't been that happy with my Odyssey, and I would wait a few years anyway to let them get the kinks worked out of the Pilot! I knew not to buy the first redesign of a model, but I did it anyway.
  • dsrtrat2dsrtrat2 Member Posts: 223
    Honda is not perfect, but no one else is either. Read some of the problems on the Sienna posts. Toyota has their share of problems if not more some days.
  • chuckzchuckz Member Posts: 3
    Just purchased 2005 EXL yesterday. I locked the car using the remote control, and pressed the key for the second time to confirm. I also noticed the flashing light was on. Then I wanted set the alarm off by trying to open the door, but the alarm was not off. I also tried to open the door using a wrong key, still no alarm. Is there any problem here?
  • denver5357denver5357 Member Posts: 319
    As the weather has improved here I have started driving our '05 Ody with the windows partially down. It seems to be, though I haven't fully investigated it, that when the front passenger side window is down more than 25% I hear it rattle. Not a huge amount, but enough to notice. Might also be the door itself rattling since (with the window down) the seal isn't the same. Has anyone noticed this? I do not hear any rattle with the window fully up. Thanks!
  • robr2robr2 Member Posts: 8,805
    It sounds like you pulled the door handle and tried to insert the wrong key - correct? The standard alarm will not sound in those instances. You have to either open the door or open the lock improperly.

    Try this - leave a window open and lock the vehicle with the remote. Then reach inside and lift the button up manually. It should sound.
  • jeezaloojeezaloo Member Posts: 12
    I had a similar experience... by applying the trial and error method to the lumbar support bar, I found my comfort position on the driver's seat.
    Back doesn't hurt anymore...
  • jeezaloojeezaloo Member Posts: 12
    Ahh... now I know why I have an extra floor mat in the back of my Ody. :)
    Never tried removing the 8th seat in my EX-L ... I should try.
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