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Honda Odyssey: Problems & Solutions:(1995-2004 Models)
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Comments
While the van is in we're having them check for the 67Mph shimmy, the intermittent clock light (which I can get to come back on by tapping it), and an odd 'bang' that has happened twice while making a right turn off a street up onto a driveway. The bang is quite loud and comes from the left rear of the car. I'm pretty sure it's a suspension piece - any ideas???
All in all though the van has been great. My wife calls it her "dream car"! Hey, whatever makes her happy, though mine would be more like an old Porsche 550 Spyder...
I'll post back when the dealer is done.
Keith
I, too, recently pulled the handle off of a sliding door on my '00 LX. The dealer fixed it and put all new seals around both sliders, per some bulletin from Honda. However, they both STILL STICK!
Since I got the van, the dealer has lubricated the door seals with Shin Etsu grease, applied slip tape to the doors, and replaced the seals. And they still stick.
I've given up now and have accepted the fact that the sliding door seals are a maintenance item, and need to re-lubricated (I use Sil-Glyde) whenever I change the engine oil. They're fine as long as I keep them lubricated.
I've had no other significant problems and really like the van.
However the wind noise at 60mph+ persists. I swear it almost sounds like a freight train and it gets louder the faster I drive past 60mph.
The dealer gets to listen to it on Monday.
2002 GG EXL RES
To sum up:
1. They replaced the inner and outer door handles after I broke the outer (and the inner started getting a really long throw) - that was fine.
2. They replaced the big door seals that go completely around the door. They did not replace the harder rubber drip rails that go over the doors. This is where the door seems to stick IMHO. Whether the door seals were the actual culprit remains to be seen. - fine but questionable
3. They replaced the bulb in the clock. I had thought the problem was with a connector but was told the bulb was the problem. I still think it was a connector but either way if it is fixed, so be it.
4. They were unable to find any loose parts under the vehicle. We reported that on several occasions a loud pop/bang could be heard at the left rear of the car when making a turn up into a driveway from the street. I'm pretty sure this is like a binding suspension piece but when you talk tech to a service writer they get all irritated so I just let him tell me there were no problems...I'll keep an eye on this one.
5. They also refused to do anything about the 67Mph shimmy. Their excuse was that on a van with 30K miles the alignment would likely be out and that was not a warranty item. I would have at least appreciated a check of the tire balance but I've been going back and forth with them previously on tire issues. We had a cut tire about 3 months after buying the van and replaced a pair of tires out of our pocket after the dealer refused to do anything about the cut. The service rep stated that tires are a "sticky issue between dealers and tire manufacturers" - yeah, no one wants to take any kind of responsibility! I wasn't asking for new tires but I would have hoped for a better response on this item.
Overall they certainly didn't win me over to be a regular service customer. The service writer was regularly rude to my wife when she'd ask technical questions I had prompted her to ask and when I called on the phone I caught him trying to convince me of things I knew to be outright false. I almost can't wait for the warranty period to be over since I'm a pretty competent shade-tree mechanic and have supported every car I've ever owned post-warranty...
Why wait? My 99 Odyssey has been to the dealer for service on two safety recalls and to replace the timing belt at 105,000 miles, which they screwed up in the reassembly of the engine shrouds. Everything else was done by me.
It's running very well, thank you at 115,000 miles. For your sticking doors, why don't you try a little silicone gasket cleaner and conditioner? I had sticking doors smewhere arounf 15,000-20,000 miles and applied the stuff. Haven't had a stick since.
On the second trip to the delaer for this issue, they replaced the front brake pads under warranty. This was at ~11000 miles. I never got an explanation as to why the sound would only occur in reverse. If you figure it out, please post what you learn.
Harriet
FWIW, my 4WD Mercedes-Benz Gelaendewagen vents the manual transmission, the 4WD transfer case and both axles; i.e. 4 vents all together.
Harriet
I only have 46K miles on my 99. I still have all OEM equipment, including the Firestone tires. The tires look like they'll go another 5-10K miles. My previous best was 40K miles (on the DC).
I haven't had 1 problem with my ODY. In all fairness to the DC, it did have a much better stereo than my Honda.
While sweeping up my driveway today, I heard a breaking noise and looked over in time to see the rear window on my 1 year old 2000 odyssey shatter. There is a football size hole in the lower left corner of the rear window and the rest of the window is completely shattered. There were no kids in the area, and we found no balls, rocks, or bullets in the area. It is like the window just exploded. The lower left corner is where the defogger connects but the car was off and nobody was near it. Is it possible the window didn't fit well and the window finally gave it to the stress?
For 2002 the Ody has a new 5-speed transmission which hopefully will not suffer from the same problems as the previous 4-speed.
My wife has 8,500 miles on her 2001 EX and loves the car. We have not experienced any of the problems some owners have faced and we are keeping our fingers crossed!
We were aware of the possibile problems with the vehicle when we ordered ours (thanks to this board), but we forged ahead. We waited two months and paid MSRP like many others. So far we are not disappointed. It is my opinion that the vehicle is worth the wait, the expense and the risk of failure, especially when considering the competition. You're not going to get a better overall ownership experience, even if you have problems with the van.
Sienna might boast "toyota-reliability" but does not compare in terms of functionality and value.
MPV is too small and Chrysler is too dicey on the reliability scale for me. Overall, I'd take the Odyssey warts-and-all any day. It's a real pleasure.
Just my opinion - you should choose a vehicle that will make you happy. The Ody does it for my family.
auburn63: How are you? Have you also seen a significant decline in problems with the 2001's at your dealership?
>>>>That is why I am still pondering whether to order an Ody or not. The preparation and expectation of it is just too huge to fail, not to mention the 30K expense.<<<<
So you have misgivings about ordering an Ody. Alright, I can understand that.....BUT you are considering WHICH other vehicle????????????
FWIW, I seriously looked at the MPV and Sienna's when we bought our car. I would be hesitant in buying any vehicle in it's first new model year. For me, the 2nd is better and 3rd+ should have had the bugs and kinks worked out of most models. I'm not a dyed in the wool Honda fan and would be very interested in what Toyota comes up with.
I've thought about upgrading to a 2002, but the next reincarnation of the Ody would just have my head spinning again. Let's see, the 2nd year of the redesigned Ody is 2005...
I have not had one problem. I love the way it handles on the highway and on the hills of the North Georgia Mountains. I love my fold away seat, and my power doors.
The tray was useless to me, so I took it out and purchaced my own console, with better cupholders. My only negative is the seating is not as comfortable as the T and C. (no lumbar support)
This seems WAY TOO EARLY for major transmission trouble, especially on a supposedly high quality Honda. I had originally intended to buy a Ford Windstar or a Dodge Caravan, but posts on the Edmunds van site convinced me that those were trouble prone vehicles and that I should buy a highly reliable Honda instead. In the 41 years that I've been a licensed driver, I've had transmissions go bad before, but never this early. The tranny in my '78 Chrysler Town-n-Country died at 65K and in my '87 Toyota Corolla at 130K. On the other hand, I have a '90 Geo Prizm (Corolla clone) with over 190K and its transmission has never required anything but routine servicing. Perhaps it's time to rethink Honda's inflated reputation for quality???
I was quoted a price of $4500.00 ($3,900.00 for a new transmission and $600.00 for labor). Unfortunately, I listened to all those true believers in the Honda Odyssey discussion group who said that Hondas are so great that they never break down and extended warranties are just a waste of money [this is the first Honda I've ever owned] and didn't buy the extra warranty. Ouch! The dealership service manager said he would try to get Honda to pay part of the cost and, to their credit, they have agreed to pick up all but $1400.00 of the tab. I'm grateful for that, but still fried that I have to put out even that much money for a problem that never should have happened in the first place. Has anyone else in this discussion group needed an out of warranty transmission replacement? What was Honda willing to do for you?
My 2001 EX at 965 miles, has had part of the tranny replaced (some sort of solenoid) as a precaution, simply because I had brought it in and reported some weird louder than normal thunk noise (when shifting from N to R or N to D4). Currently at 11,500 miles, so far so good (I also got the extended warranty).
But I guess part of the problem in your case is getting a first year model (a big no-no in my book). It's true that the problem with the tranny went from 99 to early '01 models, but hey,
it takes time for owners to start racking up those miles on the tranny.
I know this message probably offers no reconciliation for you, but hopefully it'll put things into perspective. Just curious, would you ever consider a Honda again?
Keep in mind that the 19/25 is what the EPA says the van gets based on an optimum test that they perform. Honda is required to tell you the results the EPA achieved. IMHO the EPA test tends to be optimistic. Also, driving style, length of trip, use of modifed fuels, and cargo all affect actual fuel efficiency. Don't forget, this van weighs over 2 tons.
MY Y2K EX typically gets about 18 with a 50/50 mix of city and highway driving. Straight interstate trips will get me 22-23 mpg. YMWV.
Well, my TCS & CEL light have come on. I bought some carb cleaner, and took off the EGR. I was surprised how noisy the engine sounded, almost as if the muffler was off. I guess that is normal. Anyway, I used a half a can as suggested, cleaned the underside of the EGR, put it back together, cleared the PCM, started her up, and the lights were off........for about 5 minutes.
Now what do I do? Should I try again? The vehicle has only 37K. I doubt I have the buildup mschaefer describes in 1283, so I don't think I should take the intake manifold off? I hate to take it to the dealer for something I can do in an hour. Anybody have any other suggestions/experiences. Without a DTC reader, its tough to diagnose this stuff.
TIA