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Comments
I hope this is normal being a new vehicle...
Anyone else with this experience?
thanks
However, the tests marks a possible safety issue with the front seat on side impacts: "During the side impact test, the driver door became unlatched and opened. A door opening during a side impact crash increases the likelihood of occupant ejection."
Steve, Host
But people got to remember easing off the accelerator also slows the car down too."
If you drive up to a stop like my father in law, I can understand replacing brakes often. He would drive up to a stop light doing about 25-30 mph and then brake a few feet before coming up on the car ahead that was stopped for the light.
If I see a light red and cars stopped. I'll take my foot off the gas a half a block before and coast up. Having to brake lightly only a few feet. We got rid of a 1993 Eagle Vision last year with 87,000 miles on it and never needed a brake job.
But those of us behind you are forced to ride our brakes for a half block, as we mumble various unflattering things under our breath! ;-)
Seriously though, driving like you describe, unless most people around and behind you do the same, is not only irritating for those behind you, but can be dangerous. Like it or not, going with the flow provides the safest and smoothest traffic movement.
Steve, Host
Panic braking is endemic in DFW, I must admit.
In fact, drivers around here are so used to cutting it close on the freeways that they have developed a common habit while panic braking of steering over to the shoulder when in the far left or far right lanes.
That habit has made it all too common that someone broken down on the side of the road is hit and killed (traffic slows abruptly nearing the car on the shoulder, someone does the panic-stop-with-veer-right/left maneuver and hits the poor person trying to change a tire or whatever). Several good samaritans have been killed that way, 2 of them by a former Cowboy player. Sad, but true....
It is funny how many people don't do this. I have done it for years and just recently pointed it out to my wife, who had not noticed.
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2015 Kia Soul, 2021 Subaru Forester (kirstie_h), 2024 GMC Sierra 1500 (mr. kirstie_h)
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If your driving 35-40 miles an hour and see the light red and take your foot off the gas and coast a half block. I doubt you'll slow much more than 5-7 mph in that half block. If the guy behind gets irritated over that, especially knowing there is a red light ahead, to bad for him. Try it a couple of time when no one is behind you and see how far you can coast before dropping that much.
I do see people pushing the yellow to the point that it is a fading memory though! That was the observation made in the movie Starman where the alien-in-a-human-body learned driving by observation (he learned extremely fast and from a single exposure to the knowledge or example). When he accelerated through a yellow light too close to a semi coming onto the by-then-green light on the crossroad, the terrified human lady with him screamed something like, "I thought you said you'd learned what a stoplight means!?!" His calm reply was, "Yes, Red means stop. Green means go. And Yellow means go very fast."
Too true. Too true.
The folks I object to are the slow-down-to-15-or-20-mph-and-sloooowwwwllllyyy-sneak-up-on-the-l- ight-in-hopes-of-not-having-to-come-to-a-complete-stop duffers.
Per your comment on 1/28 about uncomfortable seats: "There are several manufacturers specializing in after-market custom seats because some have a need for them". I have also tried this route with no luck. Could you provide more details on this? The only replacement seats I have found on the internet is Recaro and they don't make seats that fit the odyssey. I have also called body/custom/upost shops and so far they refuse to remove the seats. Honda 'customer care' has also warned me that removing the seats could affect the seat belts/air bags and doing this would void the warrantee and possibly prevent the airbags from working (the owners manual states this too). So I feel stuck right now. I bought an 'obus forme' seat which makes short trips tolerable but any trip over an hour and my back hurts for days. btw, I'm a healthy 125 lb female in decents shape from biking/weight lifting and have never had a back problem in my life until now. Thanks in advance for providing more details on the replacement seat option!
So, now I'm thinking that you might want to find the very best custom auto upholsterer you can find and ask them if they could modify the seat in such a way that it will properly support you. I have no idea of cost nor of their willingness. But I betting that the really good craftsmen would take pride in tackling such an improvement.
Personally, I'm guessing that the lumbar support area is simply too high, too low, or improperly-curved for the natural curve of your back. It is probably forcing your back into a position that pinches your nerves and/or strains the muscles. Even a slight distortion like that can cause a lot of pain over a period of time as your back muscles tend to compensate.
Now, if someone will only invent clear bailing wire, we old-style fixit folks would be in hog heaven!
However, the instructions look pretty daunting (except the steering wheel cover). Has anyone installed fog lights, or subwoofer into their 05? Anyone considering it?
One other thing to try is how you have the seat adjusted, especially the front tilt, along with how you sit (some people slouch for instances). Might not solve the problem, but can help.
I do remember one person indicating it cost less than $100 to have an upholstery shop redo the foam. Certainly much cheaper than buying a new car!
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
Having said that, I am surprised that this van doesn't have automatic daytime running lights- a common safety feature on many new vehicles--definite quirk.
I believe that this vehicle is primarily designed for a mother with kids ( uh duh), which puts a father who sees it as a pseudo utility vehicle at a disadvantage. I don't make a practice of driving with the sliding doors open but I'd like to know I could without a bell sounding regularly. Hey, its my car, if I want to drive through a campground with my side doors open, I should be able to do it. I'd also like to open those doors without the van being in park. I'm sure I can keep my foot on the brake long enough for my son to throw his gym bag in the back and still make a quick getaway.
Some things I like about the vehicle so far are its relatively responsive engine performance, and its wonderfully tight turning radius for a vehicle that really is BIG for a minivan.
I also love the split rear seat dropping into the floor. This is exactly where they belong, and the fact that they do it independently is perfect. I installed the Odyssey rubber mats over the carpet and this helps the vehicle feel more like a "guy car/ truck" and is infinitely more practical for everyone. Is anyone having trouble turning that lazy susan storage tray? Mine turns like it has a cranky ratcheting system underneath and requires me to lean back and use both hands. When it finally moves, it is a knuckle buster. Am I not doing something right? I know I know, I should read that bible of an owners manual again.
My teens are occasionally fighting over sitting in the rear "power seat" with the temperature controls. This is funny since they don't seem to care about them much after we get going and they used to fight NOT to sit behind long-legged Dad. Honda could have thrown the other seat occupant a bone and put a false headphone jack or one more cup holder nearby. ( no..not one more cupholder.)
Finally, I am the guy who posted a few weeks back about buying the Odyssey and then having the dealer take it back for three weeks after the front door lock froze and failed to latch on occasion. It took three weeks for Honda of America to develop a fix which was supposedly a new cable. I am pressuring Honda to increase the warranty on the door hardware, which, given all of the door automatedness, if that is a word, plus the initial problems with the latch, to show me some love with coverage for a longer period of time. I really feel the motorized side doors are going to give me some trouble if I keep this van as long as I kept my Previa-- 213k plus. I'd have taken one without the motors if an EX was available without. So . That's my diatribe so far. Is anyone using regular gas? I'm using the middle grade , 89 octane because the lowest rating seemed to diminish mileage too significantly. Oh, and by the way, if you are deciding on color, don't let your wife , or husband select slate green. It is not green, not black but as impossible as black to keep clean. I wanted another silver one and wish I had selected it. Ah well, compramise rules. Even she now admits it doesn't look as good as it did in the catalog and appears too dark.
Feel free to coment on or your this. Yes, I have a life but this is kinda fun.- Mike
P.S. I really don't understand all the hub bub about seat comfort. I love these seats; absolutely love the adjustability, lumbar support, etc. Mm, don't take this the wrong way , please. but perhaps losing some weight is a solution. I'm now 180,.. down from 216 , and these are bliss.
Agree that the vehicle is positioned primarily as a mother with kids vehicle but I need utility without AWD. I get tired of hearing remarks about minivans being a woman's vehicle.
I too am surprised it doesn't have auto DTR lights. Love them on my Impala (one of the few things I like).
One of the things that attracts me to the quality and the handling of the vehicle.
I wonder if the people with seat problems could swap the seats for a Pilot seat of the new Ridgeline which is suppose to have good seats. I assume there is a difference as the complaints seem to focus on the Ody.
Glad to hear they fixed your problem. Wonder if it will be applied to the rest.
BTW what was your secret on loosing weight, I need to.
Another thing I REALLY don't understand...
No POWER PASSENGER SEAT!!!
I fully understood the reason my 2001 Solara convertible did not have a power psg seat, but for crying out loud, in a van there is no need to move the front seat to allow rear seat access like a convertible.
Other than these two minor complaints, I find that my 2005 Ody Touring is comfortable and responsive, with the added benefit of seeing traffic ahead more easily than in a convertible.
It's been almost 5 years and I don't think we've ever moved the passenger seat.
It is funny how many people don't do this. I have done it for years and just recently pointed it out to my wife, who had not noticed"
I do the same. But when playing the light, you also have to watch both directions of the intersection for that clown trying to beat that light. Or the one trying to make the turn at the light and never pulls out untill the light turns red. I hate it when they won't pull up into the intersection when trying to make a left turn.
Plus, like the Dodge, if you have a power passenger seat, you lose the locked storage compartment under that seat. I'd rather have the storage.
No POWER PASSENGER SEAT!!!"
I'm glad they didn't include this useless, in my opinion, feature on the Touring. The price is already high, why pay extra couple hundred dollars so that the passenger can adjust his/her seat A BIT easier ONCE EVERY MONTH or so?
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
Steve, Host
Actually it came with a roof rack, but factory racks aren't suitable for carrying two canoes side by side, so I still had to buy one.
Steve, Host
If your goal is just to spend a as FEW dollars as possible, then the 'stripper' is your model. But it's generally not the best value.
Back in the 80's my wife's grandfather special-ordered a Chevy Malibu with NO options. (I mean, really, have you ever seen an early 80's Malibu with a MANUAL?). He waited three months for the car. For the same price paid, he could have picked a more feature-laden model off the lot.
I had actually looked at the Yak and Thule sites; neither site could give me a rack for a 2005 Ody with no factory rack. But maybe the racks that fit the earlier Odys will work. I'll ask our local kayak shop.
Thanks again.
On the LX versus EX question: carefully evaluate the extra cost of the EX for the equipment offered using their respective invoice prices (since, presumably, you will be able to buy near invoice) and decide whether or not the extra cost is worthwhile, both upfront and at resale time.
You certainly don't have to make any excuses if you opt for the LX - it's hardly a stripper and, unlike some others' base models (Toyota comes readily to mind), has all the safety equipment offered on the higher Odyssey trim levels.
When I got back to the showroom, games ensued and I walked, but I thought at the time that the LX offered more bang for the buck than the EX. Lots of standard features, etc., especially compared to the base Voyager we were trading (and compared to lots of vans we shopped). Our year off was coming up so I didn't want to get overextended on a car either.
I agree that most mid-level models probably offer more value. But back then the LX was pretty feature rich for a "base" model.
Steve, Host
I'd much rather have external rain gutters so I could go back to Quik-N-Easy racks - they were bombproof (and reasonably priced). I may just get brackets next time and rivet them to the sheet metal so I can go back to them.
Steve, Host
Are you trying to tell me that the Odyssey doesn't have a "You left your lights on!" dummy-alarm (bell or beep) to warn you about that?!? (I cannot remember a car I've had for the last 20 years that did not include a lights-on warning.) Surely you aren't saying that you ignore such things?!?
Having said that, I'll admit that I've been spoiled by the fully-automatic (DRLs included) lights on my 2003 Yukon XL SLT (that's the cheapest one), along with the tri-zone automatic climate control, auto-dimming mirror with outside temperature and compass, lighted vanity mirrors on both side's sun-shades, rear-control audio, auto-off and slow dimming interior lights, three different settings for how much the sound system adjusts for speed, and those huge outside mirrors (motorized, of course).
When I have to climb into my bargain-as-a-used-vehicle 2003 Taurus SES and have to adjust all those things by myself, I realize just how much of a spoiled American middle-aged duffer I've become.
But, even the Taurus has a suitably-obnoxious lights-on alarm to warn me! ;-)
I just placed foam in places until the rattle stopped, which for me happened to be at the top corner. I then taped a large rubber washer in that spot and it worked!
Would you please describe in detail as to the exact location and parts/tools used to fix the problem? For example which top corner? Were you outside looking in or inside looking out? Thanks.
I have had two different rattles. The first one was there when I picked up the van at the end of November. It was a higher pitched noise. The second one began after I had the vehicle about 3 weeks. I think the second one began after someone tried to open the sliding door while the van was in Drive. It sounded like the door was rattling in the frame. I took the van in for the first time about 4 weeks after I got it. They fixed (I thought) the second rattle by replacing the Handle Crank Assembly. I had to take it back to get them to fix the first rattle. It took several days, but they found a loose bolt in the kick panel door track. They tightened the bolt and I haven't heard that noise since. However, about a week later the second rattle has come back.
I have an appointment Wednesday morning to get it looked at again.
FYI - Someone on another Odyssey forun suggested having "one shim or both shims removed (these are used behind the bracket mount on the sliding doors)."
Does anyone have any other experience getting sliding door rattle fixed?
Thanks.
I've searched, but found nothing. One local customizer who said that he could fit a generic set to my '05, examined my '05 then said it couldn't be done. He was skeptical that anyone could make a set for the '05, because there isn't enough structural metal to attach to -- at least compared to '04 and prior models. Surely this aftermarket will come up with something? I can't believe that we really are never going to have that option.
YES, they can! I have the Sony unit in my Touring and other people have posted about Panasonic ones in their Touring and EX-L (with moonroof). There's nothing incompatible about 2005 Ody.
Also, from the beginning I hear a "click" noise right we I start off before 10-15 mph. It is only on the first acceleration. Any idea what that would be?
Steve, Host
Thanks.