Consider yourselves lucky that even though you are paying $700 labor you are not stuck paying the other $4500. $700 for a new transmission is a deal. And consider that some Sienna owners had their engines fail at 25,000 miles and Toyota would still not pick up any of their $5000 cost for an engine replacement.
Members bring up this theory now and then and I think they may be more than a bit of truth to it.
Minivans are heavy vehicles and can create a lot of wear and tear on the drivetrain, but they are more car based than truck based. So the theory is that minivans get beefier car trannies instead of "regular" truck trannies.
Maybe we'll have a Sienna transmission problems discussion one of these days too?
Our 1999 failed at 76,000. Honda Corporate immediately agreed to fix, we only had to cough up $400. I have heard from others that they have had ALL costs covered. They also paid for my rental in full, but not until I inquired twice. Please, DO NOT COUNT ON THE DEALER TO VOLUNTEER THIS INFO, THEY WILL NOT!
My overall experience with Honda was awesome, as they certainly did not have to give me the time of day at 76,000 miles. This was our 7th Honda, and we think it has otherwise been one of the best vehicles we have ever owned. Looking at Pilots, but with the MSRP + sticker, we may go for another Ody. FYI, since Honda did the tranny work, they gave us a 3 year warranty on the tranny. I can't complain about that, I think it's more than fair.
Best of luck to all of you with the tranny issues.
Well I just had a third transmission installed in my 2000 Odyssey. The first replace occurred at about 37,000 miles and the second replacement just occurred at 60,000 miles. While Honda covered all costs it still has been upsetting to be without the van for about a week each time. Of course they offer a replacement CAR while the van was in the shop but I need a VAN not a CAR!! Now I'm not sure if I want to keep the van any longer. Only 3 years old and I'm thinking for dumping the thing which is not usual for me. Usually I keep a vehicle for about 6 to 8 years to get my monies worth. I haven't given up on Honda but now I don't consider them to be outstanding - just little above average. Sad because I was always a Honda-Acura person.
I'm on my third transmission - original, 1 st replacement and now a second replacement which makes three transmissions.
As far as giving Honda another look - well I must admit I'd rather not but then again there aren't that many other vans out there that are as nice as the Odyssey. The Siena is nice but the first year run thing concerns me. Plus I had an Acura Integra for 9 years and 150k miles without any major problems. Don't get me wrong, I'm very unhappy about the transmission issue and that's why we plan on selling the van.
What van is better than the Ody? Gonna get a Sienna? Watch out for engine sludge/engine seizures. Gonna get a Caravan? Good luck with the transmission AND all of the electrical goodies. Gonna get a Sedona? It's a Kia. Enough said. Gonna get a Windstar? lol. You can get a MPV but it's rather small and Ford-related engine/transmission. I'd rather keep putting transmissions in my Odyssey.
Are you a Honda executive anonymousposts? Or maybe a Honda sales manager? Is that why you're posting anonymous? You sound a lot like the ones I talk with on the phone. How can you be so sure of the superiority of the Honda Ody despite so many complaints about faulty and inferior transmissions on a $25-30k van?
Let me quote you on something: "Gonna get a Windstar? lol. You can get a MPV but it's rather small and Ford-related engine/transmission. I'd rather keep putting transmissions in my Odyssey."
Really? You'd rather keep spending quality time with those weazling Honda dealership people than buy from an American manufactuer? I've never heard of a van that blows it's tranny within 30-50k miles (of normal, sane driving), nevermind a Honda. And what did Honda do when the problem surfaced? Deny it, blame the customer of course.
I'm not saying all Hondas are bad. Far from it. Most Hondas are very good. But many Odys have serious problems. Given Honda's history for reliability, this should be considered a Honda lemon and only the great automotive god knows exactly how many people have had to go through countless hours of unnessesary conversation with Honda dealers on a van sold on the basis of quality, reliability, and workmanship.
And what did Honda do when the problem surfaced? Deny it, blame the customer of course.
Actually, unlike when my Windsatr blew its tranny and Ford treated me like scum, Honda has been paying for replacements.
Interesting thing to me. There are only 222 total posts on this topic. This is hardly an epidemic. Were it anyone other than Honda (ok -or Toyota) this wouldn't even be a blip on the radar.
That said I found a good deal on an extended warranty..... This thread is making me paranoid.
2015 Mazda 6 Grand Touring, 2014 Mazda 3 Sport Hatchback, 1999 Mazda Miata 2004 Toyota Camry LE, 1999.
Fezo: When DID your Windstar blow it's tranny? As for "What they DID do was extend the warranty on the transmission to 7 years or 100K miles, for free"---you're avoiding the issue here. The warranty only came about after a LOT of people started complaining about their trannys breaking on almost new Odys. Read the previous posts please. Don't tell me that just because Honda gets you a re-manufactured tranny for free, it's OK that a woman gets stuck in the middle of nowhere during Christmas. And if Honda was so customer friendly on this issue, they wouldn't try to screw over that woman who didn't change the transmission fluid at 30k miles. Oh, and don't forget about those people who had their re-manufactured trannys fail within a week. And what about those people who had to pay ~$500 for installation, and even more for rentals? Do you know how many people had to pay out of pocket (money and time) for Honda's little mistake?
And who came up with this 2% information? How credible or accurate is the source? And let's say it's actually 2% and not 5%...believe it or not, 2% of '99,'00,'01 Odys means a LOT of people. I remember hearing that ~60,000 Odys sold in the first quarter of '99 alone. So do the math here, about 1200 people got bad trannys with their Odys in just the first quarter of '99 alone. And not everyone with a failed tranny on an Ody comes to Edmunds.com.
My point is, Honda made a mistake here. And they, not you the consumer, should have to bear the burden of that mistake. The free warranty is a start, but I believe this warrants a recall.
The 2% number for Honda transmission failures has been widely reported (one example) although I remember reading other reports of a 1.6 or 1.8 to 2% rate.
Some aftermarket transmission replacement companies brag about a 2.5% failure rate, so 2% doesn't look out of the norm.
I feel sorry for people who were stranded by their Ody transmission. Just as I feel sorry for the people who were stranded when their engines failed in the Windstars or Siennas, and just as I feel sorry for those who had transmissions go out in their Grand Caravans.
But fact is, Honda acknowledged the problem and is replacing the transmission even on Ody's that are outside their factory warranty and not included in their official recall.
Some companies would KILL for a 2.0% or lower defect rate.
Yes, this is about the Odyssey, just a little history.
We have had 3 Accords, 2 '89's and one '95. The lowest maintenance cars we have ever owned. One of the '89's saved my husband's life - he was rear ended at high speed while he was stopped at a light, forcing his car underneath the one in front of him, which ended up on top of his car. The front and especially the rear crumpled very nicely and he walked away without a scratch. The car on top of his was an American car with airbags (the '89 has none - sometimes they do more harm than good) and the people sustained more injuries than my husband. The reason we have another '89 is that he loved the one we lost and felt good about it's ability to keep him safe, he wanted another just like it.
We are very lazy car owners and NEVER have routine maintenance or tune-ups of any kind. We change the oil every 6 months and that's it. His original '89 had only one thing (other than brakes and muffler) go - the timing chain. It had 180K miles on it. Awesome car! His replacement '89 is getting to the point of nickel and diming us now, and when we bought it, the owner had a stack of maintenance records - mostly routine to give us. She did routine maint. and this car has had more problems than ours where we did nothing. My '95 had the starter go, and nothing else. All have had manual transmissions which I think go forever!
BUT, we need a new car to replace the replacement '89 money pit and we want a van - have seen, driven and read about them all. It sounds as if the Odyssey has a "lemon" issue going on, which surprised me since we have had such good luck with our Accords. Have heard about the tranny and electrical problems on the Dodge (I cannot ever imagine us buying an "American" car, but I have tried to keep an open mind) and the Odyssey with their tranny problems. Which leaves the new 2004 Sienna which we drove and liked (only things I didn't like is that it's not as "peppy" as the Odyssey and I hated the placement of the gear shift and the cheap plastic surrounding it - and that notched shifter is too weird.) Turning radius is awesome and the seats fit me like a glove.
One thing I want to know is WHY don't more people consider full-sized passenger or conversion vans? Yes, they are a little more to haul around and gas mileage is quite a bit less, but they are much more luxurious than minivans, are real "trucks" built to last and are tried and true - and they're so roomy! I know some conversion companies has been problematic in the past with electrical issues, but they are getting better - new companies are doing "lighter" conversions which seem to be more compatible with the van's elect. systems.
So, my question is, do you think the best minivan (possibly the Toyota Sienna??) would really be more reliable than say, a Ford E-150 conversion van? I think it is down to one of the 2 for us. I personally love the room in the full-sized van. I can get a 2003 for 30K loaded with lots of goodies, so it's not a LOT more expensive for what you get. What has your experience been with the reliability of full sized vans you have owned??
My previous posts, #158, 160 I think, describe our Ody odyssey. Anyone ever ponder the similarity between the command module on Apollo 13 (named Odyssey!) and your van? It blew its tranny also!
The new owner of our Ody is . . . American Honda Motor Company. They bought it back as a result of arbitration. They were nasty 'til the very end.
I want to thank every one who offered advice through the board and directly. I really appreciate all the time taken to help me.
We are very happy with out new vehicle. I would tell you what it is but 'anonymous posts' would list 5 or 6 things wrong with it.
I have a 2001 EX w/ navigation. Tomorrow I will bring my ody in for its third transmission. (Also the check engine light is on and the TCS as well as the sliding doors not working) The first transmission went about 42,000 and the second 64,000. Other than these problems the car is still nice and smooth and reliable. After the car is serviced I plan on selling it and moving onto bigger and better things like an Escalade or Navigator. Honda makes a good product.
TORRANCE, Calif., Sept. 20, 2002 - American Honda Motor Co., Inc. announced today it will provide extended warranties on approximately 1.2 million Honda and Acura models equipped with automatic transmissions due to problems that may result in premature wear or failure. The extended warranty will cover affected transmissions for seven years or 100,000 miles.
The standard bumper-to-bumper warranty for Honda vehicles is three years or 36,000 miles, while Acura vehicles are covered for four years or 50,000 miles.
Vehicles covered by the extended warranty include: 2000 - 2001 Honda Accord, Odyssey and Prelude 2000 - 2002 and some 2003 Acura 3.2 TL 2001 - 2002 and some 2003 Acura 3.2 CL
While only two percent of these vehicles have experienced these transmission problems, American Honda will provide extended transmission warranties on all potentially affected vehicles. "Our priorities are making sure our customers are taken care of and reassured they can continue to depend on their Honda or Acura automobile for a long time to come," said Tom Elliott, executive vice president for American Honda.
There is usually plenty of warning to the driver that the transmission is not operating properly, such as slow or erratic shifting, giving them ample time to take the vehicle in for service.
American Honda will notify all owners of eligible vehicles via mail in the coming weeks.
It would be really interesting to see if the 2% failure number that is thrown around is still valid. The article above was written in 2002 when most of the affected vans were 2 years old or less. My guess is that as the miles on these vans rack up that that 2% number will go up significantly. Let's face it, all transmissions will fail with enough miles. It is the fact that the transmissions started to fail with relatively low mileage that got Honda to extend the warranty.
warranty! I think that Honda is getting off too easy. If they have identified the problem with the transmissions, then why can't they identify the vehicles with the problem transmissions? I thought that is why the auto maker used production codes. Which parts from which supplier when into which vehicles? A modern factory should be using bar codes to keep track of things like this.
When a company tells you that you could have a transmission failure, but don't worry we will fix it,it isn't going to make me feel safer going down the road with my fingers crossed.
Then if they listed specific vehicles affected someone would insist that their Ody had a problem regardless and they would end up replacing those too. So they might as well say all Odysseys and fix the ones that actually fail.
the ones that have the bad parts in them. If they know what year , model and why they are failing, then they should know where the bad parts are. They know that 2% of the vehicles are affected, why don't they know where the bad parts are? Why wait until they break down and leave a customer stranded?
I think that they are playing a wait and see game to keep costs down for them. They know that Honda buyers will accept their excuses, after all, Consumer Reports will back them up and it seems that's what Honda folks keep referring too when they need help in making a decision.
Honda issued a service bulletin today extending the warranty on the transmissions on the 1999 Odysseys to 7 years 100,000 miles. Good news for those of us sweating it out.
why they did a case by case on the 99 while extending warranties on the 00 and 01.
To the earlier post about my Windstar, my particular one din't blow its transmission until over 80,000 miles but they were a hugely defective transmission and they knew exactly the problem. Ask crkheen - he got the next year's model and the had fixed the main culprit - an aluminum piston that they replaced with stainless steel.
Yeah, I know what it's like when an auto company doesn't give squat that the vehicle you bought from them leaves a wife and kid miles from home. I don't need further education on the subject.
2015 Mazda 6 Grand Touring, 2014 Mazda 3 Sport Hatchback, 1999 Mazda Miata 2004 Toyota Camry LE, 1999.
just4fun: While it woudl be nice for the manufacturer to issue a recall for all transmissions that they think are defective, the reality is it is too expensive. Plus not all the trannies are failing. The failure rate for Honda's trannies is about 2%, which has been stated many time, is well within the norm of the industry. Plsu, the manufacturer doesn't have transmissions laying around in storage like brake pads or oil filters. They make them based on the new car production not a replacement schedule. they don't expect these parts to go within the first few years of a model which is why you get a re-manufactured transmission instead of a new one.
i commend Honda for raising the warranty to 7yr/100k miles. They should have included the 1999 right away but hopefully they will fully reimburse those affected. To me, 100k mile is all you can expect a manufacturer to warranty a part. To many other factors come into play after that.
The Odyssey is in it's 5th year and there are probably at least 400,000 of them on the road and in the Honda Odyssey Transmission Problems forum we only have 244 posts. If 1% of the trannys are failing and 1% of those people post in here you would have 400 posts. Not infallible logic, but does show that the problem isn't nearly as widespread as some would have you believe.
Any car can leave you stranded. Ask owners of 1.8T Passats and Jettas, Ford Foci (they catch on fire and wheels fall off .. and you think Ody owners have a problem), Ford Escape (ignition problems), Ford Windstars (engine,tranny), even the new Lexus ES300 experienced transmission issues. The list could go on and on. That's why you invest in a roadside service. And according to most sources the transmission in the Odyssey will give warning that there is a problem.
The Honda Odyssey transmission failure in my 99 gave me about 5 minutes warning. I backed out of my parking place at work and got 5 minutes on my 20 minute drive home when the check engine light and ABS lights came on simultaneously. I called my dealer on my cell phone and went directly there. The ODY drove as if it's weight had doubled. The dealer said the transmission was gone and I had no reverse. My ODY had 68K miles on it. It took 3 replacement transmissions to get a good one Honda covered it, but I was skeptical about them covering a second transmission, at $6000 plus labor for the dealer quoted cost. I traded the ODY a week after the 21 days it was in the shop for the transmission repair. (A week for each of 3 transmission shipments). I had the Honda installed transmission oil cooler and the ODY was dealer maintained. 5 minute warning. Lots of time. That's 5 miles at 60 MPH. .
I can not tell how many people who have had problems with their Honda transmission come to this board to post, can you? This board is not scientific and who knows what the cross section of people here represent.
Yes, you might have some warning, but some areas we drive in are less than desirable. Calling for roadside service and getting it quickly is not always the case.
Will concede that's it's silly to post here with "Well, mine's fine," even though mine is. At this mileage (37K) I would have said the same thing about my Windstar.
Heck, I don't feel like this will be as reliable as your standrd Accord and pat84 certainly isn't helping matters but we will see.
I did break down and buy an extended warranty which I NEVER do but this was more to ease the Mrs mind as anything else.
2015 Mazda 6 Grand Touring, 2014 Mazda 3 Sport Hatchback, 1999 Mazda Miata 2004 Toyota Camry LE, 1999.
I have a 99 Odyssey whose transmission failed at 64K. I was encouraged to read that the 99 transmission warranties were recently extended but I cannot verify this information. In fact when I contacted the Honda Owners Link, it said that my vehicle was NOT included. I hope that you have a legitimate source since my car has been with the dealer for a week and Customer Relations is still reviewing my case. Please respond if you have a source for this service bulletin.
We've been through the whole rigamarole with our '99 -- transmission failure at about 85K. We raised a lot of heck with corporate, ended up paying $1,200 of the replacement.
It's been about a month since our replacement; and lo and behold, the guy we dealt with at the dealer called this week and reported they had extended the warranty, told us to call corporate. We did, and they were set up to take our info, told us to send our bills, etc. Might take 4-6 wks, but we got the ball rolling.
This is the first time I've posted here, but I have really appreciated reading others' experiences, especially when we were in the throes of wrangling over the repair.
Our 99 transmission failed at 96,000 miles (we did not have the extended warranty). Honda replaced it without question (we do most of our own "warranty" work, but it was well documented). The van has 103000 miles today (was 4 years old on July 31) and no other problems. We did the timing belt change at 99,000. It's not a perfect van, but it's definitely the best I've had (caravan with engine meltdown @ 95000) and windstar (I say windsuck) transmission failure @ 60,000, head gasket @ 61,000 and another transmission failure @ 80,000. And Ford wouldn't do a darned thing and treated us as if we were pieces of sh**. I think it partly depends on the dealer.
I am glad that Honda has now extended the warranty on the 99's.
They have no info from Honda. My van is in because I have been experiencing problems with shifting from 1st to 2nd. They want $75 to diagnose. I don't have a great feeling about Honda right now.
I read this board lists and nothing was said about 2003 odyssey. I am a first time honda owner. I recently bought a 2003 odyssey EX. Now, at 5K miles, I started noticing minor problem and I am not sure if this is normal for odyssey or not?
The problem is in the morning if I just started the van and go, I noticed that there is this jerk of the engine and I can feel it on the steering wheel.
However, if I waited for the engine to warm up (3-5 minutes) then the jerking is not there.
I also own a toyota corolla and I can just start the car and go any time without the jerking of the engine.
Any information on this jerking or is it normal because of cold engine?
I have a 2001 EX, the first transmission went around 42,000 the second 65,000. Thankfully I bought the extended warranty because I keep having problems with the left sliding door. Its kind of ironic because everyone says honda'a last forever. The dealer is picking up the cost of the 3rd transmission and my rental expenses which is going on week two now because there is limited supply of transmissions. The car is still beautiful and runs great but I had enough. Three is enough and I don't want to have to go back for a fourth so im trading my ody in for a 2003 Toyota Land Cruiser. I looked at the Escalade and the Navigator but was way too impressed with the Toyota quietness.
Sorry, I haven't been around to respond. I had my '99 in for service with the check engine light on, and the code came up for transmission problems. A flush of the system seemed to do the trick, but I discussed with the service advisor all of the problems raised here and elsewhere. The next day he called me to tell me that the Service Bulletin concerning extension of the warranty for the '99s had come out. I do not have a link to that bulletin as of yet.
Comments
Minivans are heavy vehicles and can create a lot of wear and tear on the drivetrain, but they are more car based than truck based. So the theory is that minivans get beefier car trannies instead of "regular" truck trannies.
Maybe we'll have a Sienna transmission problems discussion one of these days too?
Steve, Host
My overall experience with Honda was awesome, as they certainly did not have to give me the time of day at 76,000 miles. This was our 7th Honda, and we think it has otherwise been one of the best vehicles we have ever owned. Looking at Pilots, but with the MSRP + sticker, we may go for another Ody. FYI, since Honda did the tranny work, they gave us a 3 year warranty on the tranny. I can't complain about that, I think it's more than fair.
Best of luck to all of you with the tranny issues.
Maybe odin17 meant that Honda has an above average frequency of transmission failures.
I would not give any manufacturer that much leeway.
As far as giving Honda another look - well I must admit I'd rather not but then again there aren't that many other vans out there that are as nice as the Odyssey. The Siena is nice but the first year run thing concerns me. Plus I had an Acura Integra for 9 years and 150k miles without any major problems. Don't get me wrong, I'm very unhappy about the transmission issue and that's why we plan on selling the van.
Let me quote you on something: "Gonna get a Windstar? lol. You can get a MPV but it's rather small and Ford-related engine/transmission. I'd rather keep putting transmissions in my Odyssey."
Really? You'd rather keep spending quality time with those weazling Honda dealership people than buy from an American manufactuer? I've never heard of a van that blows it's tranny within 30-50k miles (of normal, sane driving), nevermind a Honda. And what did Honda do when the problem surfaced? Deny it, blame the customer of course.
I'm not saying all Hondas are bad. Far from it. Most Hondas are very good. But many Odys have serious problems. Given Honda's history for reliability, this should be considered a Honda lemon and only the great automotive god knows exactly how many people have had to go through countless hours of unnessesary conversation with Honda dealers on a van sold on the basis of quality, reliability, and workmanship.
Actually, unlike when my Windsatr blew its tranny and Ford treated me like scum, Honda has been paying for replacements.
Interesting thing to me. There are only 222 total posts on this topic. This is hardly an epidemic. Were it anyone other than Honda (ok -or Toyota) this wouldn't even be a blip on the radar.
That said I found a good deal on an extended warranty..... This thread is making me paranoid.
What they DID do was extend the warranty on the transmission to 7 years or 100K miles, for free.
Fezo: When DID your Windstar blow it's tranny? As for "What they DID do was extend the warranty on the transmission to 7 years or 100K miles, for free"---you're avoiding the issue here. The warranty only came about after a LOT of people started complaining about their trannys breaking on almost new Odys. Read the previous posts please. Don't tell me that just because Honda gets you a re-manufactured tranny for free, it's OK that a woman gets stuck in the middle of nowhere during Christmas. And if Honda was so customer friendly on this issue, they wouldn't try to screw over that woman who didn't change the transmission fluid at 30k miles. Oh, and don't forget about those people who had their re-manufactured trannys fail within a week. And what about those people who had to pay ~$500 for installation, and even more for rentals? Do you know how many people had to pay out of pocket (money and time) for Honda's little mistake?
And who came up with this 2% information? How credible or accurate is the source? And let's say it's actually 2% and not 5%...believe it or not, 2% of '99,'00,'01 Odys means a LOT of people. I remember hearing that ~60,000 Odys sold in the first quarter of '99 alone. So do the math here, about 1200 people got bad trannys with their Odys in just the first quarter of '99 alone. And not everyone with a failed tranny on an Ody comes to Edmunds.com.
My point is, Honda made a mistake here. And they, not you the consumer, should have to bear the burden of that mistake. The free warranty is a start, but I believe this warrants a recall.
Some aftermarket transmission replacement companies brag about a 2.5% failure rate, so 2% doesn't look out of the norm.
Steve, Host
I feel sorry for people who were stranded by their Ody transmission. Just as I feel sorry for the people who were stranded when their engines failed in the Windstars or Siennas, and just as I feel sorry for those who had transmissions go out in their Grand Caravans.
But fact is, Honda acknowledged the problem and is replacing the transmission even on Ody's that are outside their factory warranty and not included in their official recall.
Some companies would KILL for a 2.0% or lower defect rate.
We have had 3 Accords, 2 '89's and one '95. The lowest maintenance cars we have ever owned. One of the '89's saved my husband's life - he was rear ended at high speed while he was stopped at a light, forcing his car underneath the one in front of him, which ended up on top of his car. The front and especially the rear crumpled very nicely and he walked away without a scratch. The car on top of his was an American car with airbags (the '89 has none - sometimes they do more harm than good) and the people sustained more injuries than my husband. The reason we have another '89 is that he loved the one we lost and felt good about it's ability to keep him safe, he wanted another just like it.
We are very lazy car owners and NEVER have routine maintenance or tune-ups of any kind. We change the oil every 6 months and that's it. His original '89 had only one thing (other than brakes and muffler) go - the timing chain. It had 180K miles on it. Awesome car! His replacement '89 is getting to the point of nickel and diming us now, and when we bought it, the owner had a stack of maintenance records - mostly routine to give us. She did routine maint. and this car has had more problems than ours where we did nothing. My '95 had the starter go, and nothing else. All have had manual transmissions which I think go forever!
BUT, we need a new car to replace the replacement '89 money pit and we want a van - have seen, driven and read about them all. It sounds as if the Odyssey has a "lemon" issue going on, which surprised me since we have had such good luck with our Accords. Have heard about the tranny and electrical problems on the Dodge (I cannot ever imagine us buying an "American" car, but I have tried to keep an open mind) and the Odyssey with their tranny problems. Which leaves the new 2004 Sienna which we drove and liked (only things I didn't like is that it's not as "peppy" as the Odyssey and I hated the placement of the gear shift and the cheap plastic surrounding it - and that notched shifter is too weird.) Turning radius is awesome and the seats fit me like a glove.
One thing I want to know is WHY don't more people consider full-sized passenger or conversion vans? Yes, they are a little more to haul around and gas mileage is quite a bit less, but they are much more luxurious than minivans, are real "trucks" built to last and are tried and true - and they're so roomy! I know some conversion companies has been problematic in the past with electrical issues, but they are getting better - new companies are doing "lighter" conversions which seem to be more compatible with the van's elect. systems.
So, my question is, do you think the best minivan (possibly the Toyota Sienna??) would really be more reliable than say, a Ford E-150 conversion van? I think it is down to one of the 2 for us. I personally love the room in the full-sized van. I can get a 2003 for 30K loaded with lots of goodies, so it's not a LOT more expensive for what you get. What has your experience been with the reliability of full sized vans you have owned??
Wendy
I think minivans handle more like cars (I'd just as soon not drive a truck as my daily driver myself) and they get better mileage.
Take a look at Full Sized Vans for some real world opinions.
Steve, Host
Wendy
The new owner of our Ody is . . . American Honda Motor Company. They bought it back as a result of arbitration. They were nasty 'til the very end.
I want to thank every one who offered advice through the board and directly. I really appreciate all the time taken to help me.
We are very happy with out new vehicle. I would tell you what it is but 'anonymous posts' would list 5 or 6 things wrong with it.
Thanks again and good bye to Honda!
Blake
TORRANCE, Calif., Sept. 20, 2002 - American Honda Motor Co., Inc. announced today it will provide extended warranties on approximately 1.2 million Honda and Acura models equipped with automatic transmissions due to problems that may result in premature wear or failure. The extended warranty will cover affected transmissions for seven years or 100,000 miles.
The standard bumper-to-bumper warranty for Honda vehicles is three years or 36,000 miles, while Acura vehicles are covered for four years or 50,000 miles.
Vehicles covered by the extended warranty include:
2000 - 2001 Honda Accord, Odyssey and Prelude
2000 - 2002 and some 2003 Acura 3.2 TL
2001 - 2002 and some 2003 Acura 3.2 CL
While only two percent of these vehicles have experienced these transmission problems, American Honda will provide extended transmission warranties on all potentially affected vehicles. "Our priorities are making sure our customers are taken care of and reassured they can continue to depend on their Honda or Acura automobile for a long time to come," said Tom Elliott, executive vice president for American Honda.
There is usually plenty of warning to the driver that the transmission is not operating properly, such as slow or erratic shifting, giving them ample time to take the vehicle in for service.
American Honda will notify all owners of eligible vehicles via mail in the coming weeks.
When a company tells you that you could have a transmission failure, but don't worry we will fix it,it isn't going to make me feel safer going down the road with my fingers crossed.
I think that they are playing a wait and see game to keep costs down for them. They know that Honda buyers will accept their excuses, after all, Consumer Reports will back them up and it seems that's what Honda folks keep referring too when they need help in making a decision.
To the earlier post about my Windstar, my particular one din't blow its transmission until over 80,000 miles but they were a hugely defective transmission and they knew exactly the problem. Ask crkheen - he got the next year's model and the had fixed the main culprit - an aluminum piston that they replaced with stainless steel.
Yeah, I know what it's like when an auto company doesn't give squat that the vehicle you bought from them leaves a wife and kid miles from home. I don't need further education on the subject.
i commend Honda for raising the warranty to 7yr/100k miles. They should have included the 1999 right away but hopefully they will fully reimburse those affected. To me, 100k mile is all you can expect a manufacturer to warranty a part. To many other factors come into play after that.
Any car can leave you stranded. Ask owners of 1.8T Passats and Jettas, Ford Foci (they catch on fire and wheels fall off .. and you think Ody owners have a problem), Ford Escape (ignition problems), Ford Windstars (engine,tranny), even the new Lexus ES300 experienced transmission issues. The list could go on and on. That's why you invest in a roadside service. And according to most sources the transmission in the Odyssey will give warning that there is a problem.
Steve, Host
Thanks!
I called my dealer on my cell phone and went directly there. The ODY drove as if it's weight had doubled. The dealer said the transmission was gone and I had no reverse.
My ODY had 68K miles on it.
It took 3 replacement transmissions to get a good one
Honda covered it, but I was skeptical about them covering a second transmission, at $6000 plus labor for the dealer quoted cost. I traded the ODY a week after the 21 days it was in the shop for the transmission repair. (A week for each of 3 transmission shipments).
I had the Honda installed transmission oil cooler and the ODY was dealer maintained.
5 minute warning. Lots of time. That's 5 miles at 60 MPH.
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Yes, you might have some warning, but some areas we drive in are less than desirable. Calling for roadside service and getting it quickly is not always the case.
Heck, I don't feel like this will be as reliable as your standrd Accord and pat84 certainly isn't helping matters but we will see.
I did break down and buy an extended warranty which I NEVER do but this was more to ease the Mrs mind as anything else.
Steve, Host
It's been about a month since our replacement; and lo and behold, the guy we dealt with at the dealer called this week and reported they had extended the warranty, told us to call corporate. We did, and they were set up to take our info, told us to send our bills, etc. Might take 4-6 wks, but we got the ball rolling.
This is the first time I've posted here, but I have really appreciated reading others' experiences, especially when we were in the throes of wrangling over the repair.
Steve, Host
I am glad that Honda has now extended the warranty on the 99's.
Mac
My van is in because I have been experiencing problems with shifting from 1st to 2nd.
They want $75 to diagnose.
I don't have a great feeling about Honda right now.
Good luck!
It has been confirmed!!
7 years 100k miles.
I read this board lists and nothing was said about 2003 odyssey. I am a first time honda owner. I recently bought a 2003 odyssey EX. Now, at 5K miles, I started noticing minor problem and I am not sure if this is normal for odyssey or not?
The problem is in the morning if I just started the van and go, I noticed that there is this jerk of the engine and I can feel it on the steering wheel.
However, if I waited for the engine to warm up (3-5 minutes) then the jerking is not there.
I also own a toyota corolla and I can just start the car and go any time without the jerking of the engine.
Any information on this jerking or is it normal because of cold engine?
Thanks,
MightyThor
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