Honda Odyssey 2005+

Claires

These posts have been moved to the Honda Odyssey vs. Toyota Sienna topic.

Folks, there are quite a few topics here for comparing vehicles. This isn't one of them. Please stick to discussion of the Odyssey's attributes, features, owner experiences, etc., and keep it civil.

macakava

Hans,

If you did indeed ordered an Ody....

Welcome to the ODY ownership club and and the ultimate in driving experience!

Once you get used to that level of driving enjoyment, you would not want to look back unless you get cheap rentals like I do.

It seems like you have been convinced by the discussions on this forum.

macakava

No problem at 100MPH, Mon!

Did it many times for fast overtaking.

macakava

Congratulation!

Midnight Blue Pearl is indeed a rich color - good selection!
Our CTS has a similar color as well.

I believe that you were referring to the engine oil, Not the Tranny ATF oil.

I usually do oil/filter changes myself at 3K miles or 4 months which comes up first.

Enjoy your Ody!

sebring95

It's been stated the factory oil fill has a special oil for break-in which is recommended to be left in until the computer tells you to change it. That's what I'm doing anyway. I've had oil monitoring on other vehicles and just go with whatever it says. I've had tests performed on the oil that shows the oil was still good when the computer says to change it, so there's plenty of life left even at 10%.

bubbaboobear

Nope, it was the tranny ATF that I read should be changed at 1,000miles (~1,500km). I wish I could remember where I read that, but apparently it was something that Toyota recommends for their vehicles. Someone did it themselves and did indeed find little bits of metal in the fluid.

bubbaboobear

Thanks. That is exactly what I've read elsewhere and also what the dealer told me. Kinda a neat feature!!

vrm

Are there any known package or feature changes to the 2006 model year?

Thanks!

macakava

Tranny ATF oil changes at 1K miles???

Does not sound right even for engine oil changes!

I believe that it was a misprint or you should have read 100K miles??

sebring95

There are magnets in the tranny pans to catch the metal bits. I guess it couldn't hurt to change it, but I'm not a big fan of tranny changes/flushes. Sometimes the flushes do more harm than good, and changing only gets a fraction of the fluid out at a time. I suppose if you plan to keep the vehicle for ever it might be worth it.

macakava

The tranny oil changes in the Ody are much easier to do as there is a drain plug to remove the used oil.

On other cars like the the domestics, you have to remove the entire tranny oil pan to remove the used oil - what a pain!

rcpg

I want to know what changes the 2006 ody will have, also. That info has to be coming out soon, production of the 2006 ody starts in 2-3 weeks.

cccompson

Given Honda's past history, changes (if any) will be minor indeed. It is known that the RES will be available (at least in the Touring) without being coupled with a navigation system.

'06 production is slated to start in early August so they should be on the ground later in the month or in September at the latest.

regganae

Ok, I have made up my mind! I will be getting an '05 Ody EX w NAV and RES. But get this, according to the military Honda sales department in Germany, they sell EXL with Nav, no need to get the RES! I honestly think this is a typo, but they do sell 8 passenger Sienna XLE's there. Anyway, the PAX tires for the Touring model are simply not availabe over there, and since they do not sell that van on the German market, I can't get them, so I will have to settle for the EX. Darn tires! Honda should of put more thought into that and made it an option for the Touring. Hope this is useful info, especially for military people going to or living in Europe.

hansienna

PAX tires for the Odyssey Touring was a stupid decision but there is probably not enough demand for an Odyssey Touring by military people living in Europe to offset all of the accolades by the Press that caused them to rate the Odyssey # 1 because of the PAX tires.
Most reviews that highly rate the Odyssey list the PAX tires as one big reason.

regganae

I was told I would have to change out the tires and rims and the system that they are hooked up to or something. As you can imagine, that would be quite costly and not woth it to me. I went ahead and ordered an '06 Ody EX-L NAV/RES instead!

hansienna

Will your Odyssey be delivered to you in Deutschland?
Be sure to keep us informed how it handles on the Autobahn and in the narrow streets where wide vehicles have a little more difficulty than the smaller vehicles most people are driving.

regganae

We won't be leaving until July, so we will be getting our Ody here. But since I am in Washington state, the tax on it, as told by my dealer, is around $2,900. I may just wait until I get to Germany, where we bought our Civic tax free, and get the Ody tax free. I don't know, I am a very impatient person and want it now, not a year from now.

hansienna

IF you buy it now, what if it gets damaged in shipping to Germany? If you wait and get it there, you avoid that risk...and the waiting period it takes to have it shipped to Germany.

geokaras

I have this wind whistle noise on my 2005 Honda EXL, coming from the front passenger area (?near windshield). It is still there with opening sunroof/ windows, air conditioner, etc.

I can't find the message on "wind noise" and "cowl" you mentioned. Can you help me out? The dealer wants to strip "everything" and redo it.

Thanks,
George

Claires

Hi, geokaras,

Have you tried asking the folks in the Honda Odyssey Owners: Problems & Solutions discussion?

regganae

Thanks for looking out! The "shippers" are usually pretty good w/ that. We shipped our car to and from there w/o problems, and we get up to $40,000 total coverage that the Army would reimburse us for (at that time). The only big problem I heard about was some years ago a freight full of cars for military service members on it's way to Germany caught fire, but they of course were reimbursed. One of those things where you gotta keep your fingers crossed!

dave594

Remember to keep your insurance policy active when you ship so that it can cover anything that happens to the car en route. If you have USAA just call them and make sure you don't have a policy lapse. It's easier to get money from them rather than Uncle Sam.

mikeo1

If you have a roof rack with dealer installed crossbars,
try moving the front bar back several
notches...this solved my noise problem.

leo10

i get a creak/knock from the left sliding door whe i start and when i brake. am i the only one?

leo10

i get a creaking/knocking sound coming from the left sliding door when i brake or when i start.

stickguy

I have been hearing that noise lately. Not real loud, but it is there. A creak yes, no knocking.

majordad

I'm also about to go across the pond with my '05 EXL-NAV/RES I purchased last November. Have you received any information on service locations and on obtaining a Germany DVD for the NAV?

2005odyelrn

talking about wind whistle ...Same here. It really annoyed me. I can notice that air noise on the highway at >65mph... Please post what you find out! :mad:

championw

I have a 5 month old 05 odyssey ex-l. Recently I found everytime I start the van, the idle speed is 1000 rpm. After several stops in one minutes, it will change to about 700 rpm and is stable there. Is it normal or something wrong? I thought idle speed should be same all the time.

hansienna

Would like to read of your experience with the Ody in Germany with narrow, twisting roads in addition to the "no speed limit" Autobahn.

dave594

Germany's roads are not that twisty nor narrow. Take it to France or Italy for a test of that and try to find parking on the street. Sadly, the no speed limit portions of the autobahn are slowy decreasing due to traffic and urban growth, but I imaging it will hold its own at about 100 mph or so.

hansienna

I would love to be there to see the shock on the faces of the Mercedes and BMW drivers as your Ody flies past them on the Autobahn.

rorr

AFAIK, virtually every car idles at a higher speed when initially started until the engine warms up, then the idle speed drops. I know that EVERY car I've had does this and although I haven't checked our Ody, I assume it does it too.

sebring95

No sure why anyone would be surprised. Pretty much anything with a motor will go well over 100mph these days. And that's on US spec cars with governors and what-not. Heck, my Jetta diesel (that might have 110hp after my mods) will run 130....but that drops me all the way down to 30mpg :P

Of course not many domestic VANS would feel stable at 100mph....but the Ody might. I've not been over 90 with mine and that was just for a short time to get away from a dum-dum that couldn't comprehend driving one speed. I'm not sure why cruise control is offered on vehicles these days, I think I'm the only person that uses it.

dave594

I've taken it up to 95 mph by the speedo on the interstate. Feels very stable at that speed.

Not sure the Ody will blow by that many Mercedes and BMWs. Most of the big Mercs, BMWs, Audis, and the like (heck, even the Citroens) will be doing over 160 kph easy. It's the guys in the Porsches doing 200kph+ flashing their headlights at you to move out of the way that you have to watch out for.

nwng

I hope your credit card pays extra points for gas purchase, if not, get one!

dave594

Military people don't buy gas at market prices in Germany. The Status of Forces Agreement gives service members gas prices comparable to US prices. On base they buy at the BX/PX at those reduced prices, and off base they buy coupons which allows them to purchase on the economy using those coupons. Works out about the same as US prices either way.

hansienna

That would be 120 MPH + ? :confuse:
Can't speak of those extremely fast speeds as I always drove my 1964 VW Bug in the slow lane while Mercedes and BMW flew by on the Autobahn. My 64 VW was even more lethargic when I brought it back to the USA and moved to the high altitude of the Rocky Mountains in 1970. :sick:

robk4

I have a 2003 Odyssey. It has a radio with cd player. What is the best way
to get a mp3 player into the audio system? Is there a good phase locked FM
transmitter to use? I got a cheap FM transmitter that plugs in to lighter
but its really crappy and drifts of station every few minutes.

any thoughts?
r

rcpg

I have a 2005 EX silver Ody on order, but I'm having second thoughts after reading these forums. The problems that concern me are:

1) frequent transmission failures (2001-2004 odys)
2) glove box fit/finish problems
3) silver paint wearing off the trim of the dashboard
4) rock/stone damage to the AC lines/radiator in the front

I'm really worried now. Are these cars reliable? Someone please reassure me!

isellhondas

OK, I'll try...

First of all, theo transmission problems weren't all that frequent. The number I keep hearing is less than a 2% failure rate. Too high for a Honda, I agree but Honda stepped up to the plate and fixed the ones that had problems.

I'm sure they hated the bad press and have taken strong measures to prevent problems in the future.

Glove box fit/finish problems...I've never heard of this.

Silver paint wearing off the trim of the dashboard. ????

I've never seen or heard of this either and I see and sell a LOT of used Odysseys.

I suspect abuse in this case. some people are VERY hard on their cars.

Rock/stone damage to the A/C lines? I've only heard of this in these forums. I did ask the guys in our shop and they didn't know what I was talking about.

If you study these forums long enough you'll find adverse problems with any make and model. These forums attract this and people will always chime in.

Good Luck...hope this helps.

And...yes, I do sell Hondas but I say it as I see it here.

rsblaski

Contrary to what isellhondas says, the a/c line problem is real.
If you are still negotiating the purchase of an Ody, why not make it contingent on the dealer ordering and installing a Mr.Grille insert.
It would cost the dealer less than $100 and give you peace of mind against an $800 repair. Heck, you could even offer to split the cost of the insert, with them providing installation.
I don't believe this would be an unreasonable request. Also contrary to what isell said, the service writer at Desert Honda, Las Vegas, was very familiar with the problem and even suggested installing some protection. He told me that mine was not the first repair to be done there. The dealer very kindly picked up the repair cost and a rental in the spirit of customer relations.

cccompson

If you've never "heard" of the glovebox fit issue, you want simply take a look at a few of the Odysseys on your lot. The problem seems to be "characteristic of the vehicle." Mine fit poorly from the factory and was replaced last week due to damage incurred as a result of a smash and grab. The new one fits even worse.

The Odyssey grill work is poorly designed and exposes critical components to potentially serious damage all too easily.

lcd1

I hear the same sound. It seems to come from the front left, usually when turning the wheel or going over bump at low speed. However, I can hear it now while going about 30mph, as I'm used to all the noises from the car. The dealer cannot duplicate it, of course. My Odyseey only has about 3600 miles on it.

davant

rcpg,

Look at the alternative mini-van boards and see if you'd like to live with those problems or a few minor quirks (less than two percent for the supposed worst failure?) that are being worked out during this first model year. You could opt to order an '06 but might lose a grand or two now but get some of it back when you get rid of it. You could also take the advice of experts here (not me); my advice on that is don't!

The best solution might be the Honda extended warranty for peace of mind. I would steer clear of an aftermarket warranty and prices AREN'T negotiable for extended warranties in most states. Just don't waste your money on one that goes beyond the time you plan to keep the vehicle because they add little at trade-in or resale. That ought to do it along with installing Mr Grille AC protector, Mr Glovebox gap-filler and Mr Dashboard paint-chip-stopper (patent not pending), oh, and don't forget the most important--Mr Coinholder! I think you get my point that Mr Worry must have been installed at the time you ordered yours.

Relax and enjoy the best built minivan there is. Check other sources of review if you have doubts. No, I don't work for Honda but have owned a Del Sol, it was flawless. Except for Acura, and maybe Lexus, these are the best built vehicles available to mainstream consumers IMHO. We're considering an '06 Ody Touring this fall to replace our '03 Expie and have researched this FUV to no end. Sienna--yawn & package hell, MPV--ubiquitous, Quest--goat in sheeps clothing, Odyssey--#1 for good reason, Mr Grill or not!

isellhondas

I have looked at, literally, hundreds of Odyssey gloveboxes and I have no idea what you are talking about. I'll try to remember to look again at our used Odysseys when I get to work later today.

As far as the A/C lines being exposed? Yes, I can see how a flying rock could damage an A/C line. I see this same exposure in a lot of other cars as well and I still think it would be an oddball event to have one damaged.

Maybe a running change is in order to prevent this from happening?

sebring95

The glove-box was one of the first things I noticed about the Ody that made the fit/finish questionable in my mind. Plus when sitting in the passenger seat, you can see through the large gap in the upper glove-box. Latch and everything inside is quite visable.

The first Ody we test drove had very poor fit/finish. The upper a-pillar trim had a big gap, some of the trim around the rear-hatch had gaps, etc.

The Ody we took delivery was much better, just the glove-box issue and a slightly misaligned trim piece under the console, near your feet. And grease on the sunroof shade. The rest was pretty good. This is our first Honda after a dozen toyotas, a couple lexus, and some Euro fare. The Honda feels quite european, mainly in the quirk department.

wolfsong

We're trying desperately to buy a 2005 EX-L with DVD/NAV. We got a great price from one dealer, but got an even better price from a second one ($34,243 out the door), plus the first closer dealer had no service loaners, which was important to us. The first dealer wouldn't budge on the second dealer's price, but told us they could find us the color we wanted in 24 hours. The second dealer said they're lying, that it could take up to two weeks to find the color. We signed a contract and left a deposit, with them telling us it would be UP to two weeks, but most probably much sooner. Now they tell us they're having a very difficult time finding other dealers with any of the four color choices we've given them, and if they do find one, the dealer won't give it up. They wouldn't even look for a vehicle at another's lot without a deposit. They take a complete day to give us an answer on anything, and WE are the ones that have to call them back repeatedly. At this point, they are waiting to hear back from another dealer that has a the model we want in our first color choice that came off the line yesterday, and should be delivered in 2-3 weeks. We really didn't want to wait that long, plus this isn't a sure thing either. So ....

Now we're considering moving up to the Touring DVD/NAV, which the second dealer said would be additional $4K out the door. We would jump at this, but are so very concerned about the PAX tires. That's the ONLY reason we're not interested in the Touring. I've read that they've needed to be replaced at 13K or 14K miles and had a cost of $1200 for all four tires. Plus they can't be swapped out. How ridiculous!

Are the EX-Ls with DVD/NAV *that* hard to find? We live in New Jersey. Are the PAX tires as bad as I've read?

I'm at my wit's end. We have a substantial down payment. We have our own financing. All we want to do is purchase a vehicle. How hard is it?

rorr

Re: PAX tires on Touring

"I've read that they've needed to be replaced at 13K or 14K miles...."

I know that the run-flat tires on the Sienna (Dunlops I believe) have shown some really bad wear problems; but I haven't heard this about the PAX tires as fit to the Ody Touring. Not all RFT's have the same wear. Are you sure you read these mileage results on the PAX tires?

"...and had a cost of $1200 for all four tires."

I know they're steep, but I didn't think they were THIS steep. The biggest concern I would have would be availability, particularly since the Ody Touring is the only vehicle sold in the U.S. with this type and size tire. Which leads us to...

"Plus they can't be swapped out."

Correct. PAX rims will only accept PAX tires. (and Michelin doesn't make any PAX snow tires either). There is some debate about whether or not PAX rims can be swapped with 'normal' Ody rims.

Personally, unless you really really want the power adjustable pedals, memory seat, MID, and power tailgate, I'd stick with the EX-L. But that's just my preference.....

"We signed a contract and left a deposit....."

"They wouldn't even look for a vehicle at another's lot without a deposit."

:confuse: