Honda Odyssey 1999 - 2004

rudy1000 · July 2001

Not sure DMathews,the salesman told me today that Honda was trying to rid itself and the bad image of Firestone.I saw some Firestones on their Civics in the showroom however.

Still,was very happy to see some Michelins as well as rear splash guards on my LX.So far,so good!!

drew_ · July 2001

All Civics have Firestones. Honda actually increased their order for Firestone tires during and after the whole Ford/Firestone mess, so I doubt that they're nervous. Besides, Ford was the one who specified that the tires be deflated to 26 psi to cover up for chassis flaws of the Explorer, despite Firestone's higher specs.

Drew
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schweman · July 2001

Just wondering about the ground clearence on the Odyssey? I can't find much info about it on the spec sheets.We are set to order a new 01 Odyssey and I would like to compare it to other mini-vans.We drive on gravel roads and already have a Jeep Grand for deep snow, but would like some advice about how well the traction control works.

stever · July 2001

We used to say 6.4 inches (this was for an '00 Odyssey EX). Now we say "N/A". I don't think it changed, and don't know why we don't list it in the specs as 6.4" anymore.

Steve
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alisonm · July 2001

I'm torn between getting the 2001 Od Lx now and waiting another two months for the upgrades of a 2002... For people who are getting on waiting lists or ordering, where's the negotiating room when we don't yet have the bottom line price? Are you trying to talk down from whatever the sticker turns out to be?

I appreciate advice on this one! Thanks.

wildcat384 · July 2001

I found this website - it is a Honda dealer of some sort already posting specs for the 2002 Odyssey. It says they have NOT been confirmed w/ Honda, but it will post on there when they HAVE been confirmed

Here it is:

http://www.collegehillshonda.com/new/odyssey/odycopyspec.htm

It mentions the two new colors, along with the EXL and EXL-RES models.

Also, it looks as though the Navigation MUST be added to the EXL model; therefore no plain EX w/ Navigation....

Wildcat

draytm01 · July 2001

Alison - you are looking at a 01 LX (per your post) and unless you really want one of the new colors, the new features (leather, IVes) are only available on the EX which is about $2000 more to start with. An LX to an EX with those extra features may be more like and apples to oranges comparison.

Actually from what I have heard leather and navi are going to be bundled together. Which would push your price up to somewhere in 30k range. If you want the Ives maybe the high 31k range. Go for the '01 LX if you can find one.

For me - 4k on my '01 EX Navi and loving every second with it. I can't believe I am this excited about a minivan!

pat84 · July 2001

My 99 EX came with Firestone tires. I have a little over 41 K miles on them and they look like they will last 60 K miles. They are Firestone Affinity tires and were not part of the recall. If Firestone is still in business and they are selling their tires at give away prices to increase customers, I'd sure buy another set.

alisonm · July 2001

I thought I had read here that the 2002 LX would have side air bags, rear disc brakes, larger speakers and increased HP...no?

If not, I'm ready to buy a 2001, if so...then I'm back to my original question of how to negotiate when they're taking orders w/o a price...

nedlyj · July 2001

We just hit 30K miles in our '99 EX and I wanted to pass along a little information regarding some of the more recent topics here.

Mileage: on average we get 17-19 city and 25 on the highway (just took a 1000 mile trip and averaged 24+). The van is getting it's 30K tuneup today, so I expect tat to go back up one MPG or so. I've been very pleased with the mileage so far. FWIW, we always use BP Premium (93 octane)

Tires: Our Ody came with teh Firestone Affinity tires. All I can say is in mmy opinion these were the worst tires I have ever owned on any vehicle. The tires were dead at 28K miles - no tread on the fronts and almost none on the back. Road noie and car pull were high. I just replaced them with Michelin X-Ones (got the X-Plus branded ones at SamsClub for $102 each, but they are really the X-One). What a difference! Road noise has been cut by at least 50% and the car drives very true - no pull. After this experience, I'll probably never own Firestones again. The Michelins really make this a very different van to drive.

Brakes: We also had to replace the front pads at 28K miles - down to 2mm left. Apparently this lifespan is pretty normal with heavy City driving in a heavy van. It would be nice if they could come up with a heavier pad which would wear longer.

Most everything else works great - with the occassional rear vent motor squeak and power door sticking ;-) If only I could keep my wife from backing into the fire hydrant next to the driveway (3 times in a year!)....

elmob · July 2001

My dealer in Bethesda, Maryland is asking for $599 to install cassette player in Odyssey. When I confronted them by saying that it only costs $150 to get it over internet and why do they charge $450 to install it. They told me that all the honda parts sold over internet are not genuine honda parts. So they would not install it.

Is it fair for them to charge such amount to install a cassette player. Can anybody suggest any other dealer inn the area who would be cheaper and I would have the warranty intact.

bjk2001 · July 2001

elmob:
I just ordered some accessories (Cargo Tray, Splash Guard, Wheel Locks) from H and A Accessories, they shipped right away (I ordered Sunday night and they shipped Monday). If you go to their website you can see they are a Honda dealer in No. Calif. Your dealer is lying about non Honda parts. I guess charge you $450.- installation is how they make their money I will stay away from this dealer.
Good luck.

nedlyj · July 2001

First of all - does anyone have this system, or has anyone seen it operating? The specs on the handa-accessories site say it is a 480x234 csreen, which is terrible if true (most 6.8 screens are 960x234) - but I can't find real specs on it anywhere.

So, what's the impression of this system -vs- any other put together yourself system? I was surprised to find the audio is a standard FM modulator that requires you to tune to FM 88.3 to use it.

tom3k · July 2001

Accessories have been the main area of price gouging on Ody's from the beginning. Add to that the fact that the parts dept. at most dealerships actually charge sales & service depts a 'markup' on parts and the total gets insane fast.

There are several Honda dealers on the net that offer genuine Honda parts at a discount (roughly what the parts dept charges the sales dept).

Many also have detailed factory installation instructions available for download, so you can see if it's a job you want to tackle yourself.

There was much discussion on discount parts and installation tips in some of the earlier Odyssey topics.

jmurman42 · July 2001

in regards to your question about negotiations on the 02 ODY.

I would look for a dealer that will not go over MSRP. Also one that adds no additional equipment unless you ask for it.

That is the supply/demand situation with Odysseys now.

Jerry

mommyof4 · July 2001

I had the unit installed last week and the resolution is very nice. I think Trevor had a typo on his spec. You have the option of tuning in FM 88.3 for everyone's listening pleasure (Barney anyone??) or using wireless headphones. Since my kids are still young, we are using the FM mode. I really like the result of the installation. The monitor does not interfere with my back view at all, and the unit is practically out of the way (you lose the storage bin). The most important of all, my Honda Care warranty will cover this unit for the same length of the contract (7/100/$0). This way, I don't have to worry about it breaking down on me and have to pay for a fortune for it. Hopefully in seven years, the Odyssey will become a full-blown muscle minivan with mobile theatre with THX.

grandtotal · July 2001

I've ordered a 2002 Odyssey. The dealer and I reached agreement on price based on an estimated figure. If the price is greater than that I pay the excess, if less than the estimated figure then I pay less. The dealer will retain the same amount regardless of the final price. It's worth noting that I could negotiate a larger discount on a 2001, but the residual value of the 2002 in 4-5 years will be higher. I intend to walk away from the van at lease end so that is what matters most to me and overall my monthly payments for a 2002 will likely be slightly less than for a 2001 this late in the model year. I believe it will come with 240HP, 5 speed auto, rear disc brakes, side air bags etc. but that is not yet certain. If those features do not materialize I have the option to walk away without penalty, but probably will not.

shued · July 2001

At last year, I have heard that after July 01, 2001, the Honda new factory
will begin to build Odyssey Van at Alabama. Now it really
begin to build the van?

jcroberts · July 2001

Dear Fellow Odyssey Travelers,
With 23k on my 99LX, I am noticing my tires are definitely showing wear. I was wondering what successful replacement tire you have tried to be quitter or better handling. I have been considering going up in size to a 225 or even 235/60? I was also wondering about going with Michelin or Dunlops D2/60? Do you have any suggestions and experience to share? thank for your input. John

jmurman42 · July 2001

The Alabama plant, we have been told, will go on line in Jan-Feb 2002. They will produce the Odyssey, Acura MDX and the new Honda SUV (MDX for honda)

Don't look for the suppply/demand situation to be radically changed. I doubt that Honda will be in the same boat as Ford/GM/DC in regards to bloated inventories etc.

dpfc · July 2001

I have used a Sears cargo carrier on my Odyssey EX. I have crossbars that I use for a ski rack. The front crossbar needs to be removed, and the carrier sits on the roof, not the rack. I attach the carrier to the rack using the straps that came with the carrier.

My Sear cargo carrier is on older one -- I bought it back in 1992 for our Mazda MPV.

With the cargo carrier, you can carry *lots* of stuff in a Odyssey. Our family recently made a trip to visit relatives 800 miles away. We came back fully loaded -- 6 passengers and their luggage for a week, 1/4 of a beef, an organ (length and width so it just fit in the cargo well, height was a couple inches less than the top of the rear seat), the organ bench, two guitars, and an ice chest (fit in front and between the second row seats, a great place to set a laptop and play DVD movies). I couldn't have carried this much stuff with any other minivan!

dignan17 · July 2001

Where is the cheapest place to buy a class II hitch for a 2000 Odyssey?

sab2624 · July 2001

I would not suggest Dunlop D60/A2 for a mini van. Late model Accord in sunbelt...maybe. The pro's: decent wear, sticky tire on pavement, good price. Con's: terrible in snow, terrible road noise, and no ride comfort....feel every road ripple. I cannot comment on Michelins.

sab2624 · July 2001

See recent article on Honda sucess. There are a few comments from Honda spokesperson about Lincoln, Alabama plant being opened 6 months early and expected to open this fall. Even talks about a new pick-up truck in 2004.

http://www.auto.com/industry/iwirh11_20010711.htm

ocuihs · July 2001

Honda of Alabama

http://www.dir.state.al.us/ES/Honda/honda.html

sgf5 · July 2001

I posted this message a little while ago and the response I got didn't seem to help me out. The person from the dealership did not have sufficient knowledge to answer my questions. I need to find out:

1. Can you purchase the extended honda care warranty from any state or does it have to be within the state you reside?

2. Where is the cheapest dealership to purchase this warranty?

Any information would be greatly appreciated.

Also, when I want to review a certain numbered message I am putting that number in the box that says Msg# but it doesn't take me to that site. Am I doing something wrong? How do you retrieve a message so you don't have to go through all the others?

shued · July 2001

That is a little supprise. I heard that Honda original plan is that new factory will build
Van at January 2002. But because of high demand, they plan to build the van 6 months
earilier, that is July, 2001. It looks that Honda can not make eariler and still follow the old plan.

leo2633 · July 2001

We have a 2000 LX that my wife drives. We needed front brakes pads at 20,000 miles. The Firestone Affinity's are just about down to the tread-wear indicators at 23,000 miles. They were rotated every 5000 miles and pressures were always kept at 35 PSI, as per factory specs. They've worn evenly, but very quickly. I just purchased 4 Goodyear Aquatred 3 in size 215-65R16. I got them from TireRack.com, after doing quite a bit of on-line research. The Aquatreds got a lot of favorable reviews on their website. I'm having them mounted (along with an alignment) next week. Hopefully they'll last longer and run more quietly than the Firestones.

Len

dmathews3 · July 2001

Answers to your questions.
1. You can purchase the Honda Care Warranty from any state you want. I live in Mich. and got mine from Upstate Honda in New York. Nice thing was I didn't have to pay any sales tax as it was out of state. Called them on a Monday morning and they took my CC # for $895 if I remember for the 7/100/0 deductible. Got the CC receipt the following Saturday and about 2 weeks later got the paper work from Honda with the warranty card etc.
2. I would do a search on that as I understand they change.
3. Not sure I read you right so will take a guess as to what you mean. If today this message you are reading is 2590 that doesn't mean it will stay that # for ever. If someone wrote a message before that and later decides to delete it or Edmunds deletes a message they think is offensive than all the numbers change. Hope that helps.

bjk2001 · July 2001

Our 01 EX came with Michelin Symmetry 215/65-16. Tirerack price is $88 a piece. Look like Goodyear Aquatred 3 is a better buy @ $74.- each.

drew_ · July 2001

What dmatthews has wrote above is correct. The jump feature takes you to approximately that message. You may have to play around with it a little (add a higher or lower value in the jump box, or scroll up/down a little) to get to the message that you want though.

Hope this helps!

Drew
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Vans, SUVs, and Aftermarket & Accessories message boards

tom3k · July 2001

Anyone out there with any experience purchasing the HondaCare warranty after owning the car for a while? When I bought the vehicle (10/99) the conventional wisdom on this topic was that you had up until the standard warranty ran out to purchase the additional 4 years/65k miles, so I didn't buy it then.

I'm having the transmission replaced after 20 months/14K (everything was perfect until a month ago) and would like to extend the warranty for that reason as well as the probaility that we will have relatively few miles on the car at the end of three years.

Thanks

Thanks

leo2633 · July 2001

bjk,

I called around and got prices of around $125 in tire stores in my area for the Aquatred 3. It cost me about $6 per tire for shipping and $15 for mounting and balancing, for a total of $95 per tire, so I saved about $120 (plus about $26 in tax) on the set. The Michelin Symmetry were around $140 per in my area. I had actually wanted to get the Michelin X-One's, but I was told they are on national backorder. Incidentally, I was quoted prices in the $160 (yes, that is PER TIRE!) range in my area for the X-Ones; TireRack.com sells them for about $104.

This was my first time using TireRack.com and I'm pretty happy with them. I called in my order on a Friday afternoon and they were delivered the following Monday morning.

Len

cardingtr · July 2001

Anybody here updated thier DVD-ROM? I want to know if its worth it since there is a lot of changes in our city(streetwise)in Austin.

If you got a new one, do me a favor by "going to"-11503 wiseman dr, pflugerville, TX if that will show something.

Thanks.

dmathews3 · July 2001

I got a 01 Ody. with the V2.0 I think and it don't show that street. They just came out with a V2.04 which I would guess is just more of a bug fix or something as they have never updated between model years before and only advertise an update per year. Maybe someone knows what was changed between 2 and 2.04, hopefully that womans voice as to me I can hardly tell the difference sometimes between turn left or right.

yewlock · July 2001

I just bought the Honda Care 7y/100k/$0 extended warranty from Tracy Dalton in KY for $875. I do not have to pay sales tax since I live in CA. Here phone is 1-800-264 3275.

richcolo · July 2001

I bought my HondaCare warranty right about the 2 year, 33K miles point. Paid $795 for 6yr/100K/$0 from Gregallen at Union Park Honda. (GJV1152@aol.com) According to an extended warranty article under the "Advice" section of the Edmunds home page, there is a $60 surcharge after 24 months or 24,000 miles, so you might want to make the jump soon. Unless you plan to increase the rate at which you put on miles, you'd probably be best off with a 7yr/75K. That is one advantage of waiting until you've had the van awhile, you can determine the most appropriate combination of time and miles for the extended warranty, and have a better idea whether or not you are going to keep the van a long time. I understand that more than a few people purchase extended warranties and then trade the vehicle away before the factory warranty period expires! That can't happen to me, as I'm at 41,000 and climbing.

tom3k · July 2001

Thanks for the info (thanks, indirectly, to yewlock as well). I plan to get this taken care of as soon as the Ody's back to 100% (Wed.,itglwatcdr).

sgf5 · July 2001

Thanks for your help and the information. I have only one more question for dmathews3. Do you have the email, name or phone number to the dealer you got your warranty at?

rockycow · July 2001

IMHO excessive tire wear is most likely due to wheel alignment. I've had alignment problems from the gitgo. I've had at least 5 alignments, the first was a subframe adjustment.
If I am correct, changing brands wont solve tire wear so make sure to have your alignment check.
I would demand 0 degree toe on the front tires for driving comfort. One alignment had tires toed in slightly (within specs) but that caused the ody to pull too hard to the outside of a turn at high speed.
I've driven my 90 accord 180K miles and could not tell if my wheels were out of alignment by driving, only by tire wear.
My conclusion after 40K miles on my Ody is that it is very sensitive to alignment, unlike my accord. The dealer replaced my Firestones at 27k with Mich MX4's. I like the Firestones they were good in the snow and gave a good ride. It may have been the alignment that got to them since some posters have reported great mileage with firestones.
Happy motoring-rockycow

sz1 · July 2001

I have a question regarding the video entertainment system that is suppose to come installed from the factory in the ex-l RES. Is it only DVD or is it VCP?

Thanks,
Steven

dogsrule · July 2001

as noted toward the end of the article. Honda still giving Detroit a run for their money.

http://www.usatoday.com/money/bcovthu.htm

dmathews3 · July 2001

We got our warranty from Saratoga Honda also known as Upstate Honda. www.saratogahonda.com phone #800 new honda and if I remember the man to talk to was Dave Winnie. It was $895 for the 7/100/0 deduct. Someone here said they paid 875

sgf5 · July 2001

Appreciate your help. I'm going to give them a call tomorrow and compare their prices to the ones I've already received.

mschafer · July 2001

I first replaced the front brake pads at a little over 60,000 miles. There was some life left in them when they were replaced.

I replaced my Firestone Affinity tires at a little ove 65,000 miles. They probably would have gone to 70k, but winter and slippery weather were coming.

Wear on both of these depends a lot on the type of driving that you do, and your own individual way of doing it. Alignment and proper tire inflation are also big factors.

mschafer · July 2001

Turned 100K on my 99EX this week. Time to see what the dealers will charge to replace the timing belt.

mommyof4 · July 2001

It comes with a VCP, along with connection for whatever you want. I may put in a DVD player later...as soon as I find more kids' shows on DVDs.

tj_610 · July 2001

First time to this discussion. I apologize if this has been covered, can't possibly read thru all the posts here. My wife and I are considering a new family car. Right now, leading candidates are Ody, Toyota Highlander, Chrysler T&C, or maybe a wagon (Passat). Two questions...
1) Anyone have test-drive/rental/ownership comparison of any of these?
2) Biggest drawback to Ody for us is lack of leather seats. I know you can get those aftermarket but was wondering about $$$. Also, has anyone heard if the '02 will offer leather? I know Siena does but driver seat was too small for me (I'm very tall).
Appreciate any help/opinions.

mschafer · July 2001

Aftermarket leather on the Ody is around $1600. Classic Soft Trim seems to have the better reputation in this area. (To expand upon this statement, I have the Katzkin leather, and would NOT buy it again.)

There's unofficial word floating around that factory leather will be available in 2002.

adam68 · July 2001

My wife's parents have been looking for a new Odyssey. Down here in the south Fl. area, none seem to be available. Most of the dealerships have a waiting list 1-2 months long. Not only that...they are charging more than sticker...is this normal?

Adam

Honda Odyssey 1999 - 2004

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