Honda Odyssey: Problems & Solutions:(1995-2004 Models)

c2rosa · December 2002

To all,
We have had our 2000 Odyssey since August of 2000. We've enjoyed it for the most part, but have had to repeatedly bring it back to the dealership to have squeaking rear brakes looked at. I believe that we've probably taken it back 3-4 times in the last 2 years.
Also, has anyone had any trouble with the rear sliding doors. In moist weather, it is very difficult to get them to open. We have to open the front doors, reach around and push them open from the inside. This usually requires quite a bit of effort because the doors are heavy.
The problem is exacerbated in icy weather. In these conditions, the doors are practically impossible to get open and I've had to resort to putting my kids into the car through the rear door.
I'd appreciate any thoughts on these problems.

Thanks, c2rosa

Bengelsm · December 2002

Anyone have problems with the tailgate not staying up? I went to put something in the back and the tailgate wouldn't stay up. If so, what was the remedy?

mschafer · December 2002

You don't say how old your Ody is, but it sounds like one or both of the pressurized shock absorber/lifters is bad.

mwcarlso · December 2002

My parents have a 2000 Odyssey EX and have also had problems with the back brakes squealing intermittently. Honda supposedly knows about the problem but has not found a fix for it. I think cleaning the brake dust off the drums every other oil change should help minimize the noise. Also, if you have an LX model, Honda is aware that the rear sliding doors are difficult to open sometimes. They have updated the sliding door rubber gaskets, which should minimize the sticking. The dealer should replace them for free even if you are out of warranty. Also, keeping the seals greased will prevent water from freezing between the doors and the body. Honda has a special type of grease that they recommend for this but I don't recall the name. Good luck.

abrama · December 2002

I bought a 2003 EXL 4 weeks ago. I noticed that in wet weather the wheels spin when the van moves from a complete stop. I called the honda dealership and he said that it was normal. Some spinning will still occur even with traction control. In my Audi this does not occur. I thought TCS was supposed to stop this. Does the Service person know what he is talking about?
Thanks

wpalkowski · December 2002

Give your van a few more weeks - tires may need a little while to break in and develop optimal traction. Had phenomina on pick up with brand new tires where side walls were still stiff so a hard start would cause "tread squish" and resultant slipping. Tire place had 30 day customer satisfaction return policy, but they told me to wait 'till tire had more than 500 miles on 'em. I thought they were trying to give the brush, but surprisingly within a few weeks tires developed better manners. These were Load Class E, light truck tires, so this may not apply to lower profile passenger car tires.
Even if the tires are not at fault, from what I understand, the TCS will kick in after about 1/4 second of slipping, this may be what you're feeling. Keep in mind if you're doing hard jackrabbit starts on wet surfaces, it's gonna slip no matter what. It's a minivan, not a dragster, you may just have to drive more prudently.

;-)

jgdubliner · December 2002

I have a 2003 EX-L and thought it was sucking gas like crazy when I had to fill up the first time. My low fuel light went on and it appeared as though I had about an eighth of a tank left or a little under that. I filled up with gas and it came to only 14 gallons. I don't have to be too good at math to figure out that I should have had about 6 gallons left or just under one third of a tank. Is that a normal time for the low fuel light to go on? I guess the better question to anyone with a 2003 is how much fuel does the tank take when your low fuel light goes on? It's kind of baffling me. Thanks.

wpalkowski · December 2002

Tank is very shallow to allow for the Magic Seat well. As a result, fuel sensor is innacurate as gas levels fall. We have had anywhere from 6 to 8 gallons of fuel remaining in tank when low fuel indicator came on.
Still probably not a bad idea to fill up anyway and not let tank get really low. Honda actually uses the gasoline to cool the fuel pump. If pump overheats, it can fail prematurely.

jscottkeller · December 2002

Has anyone else had this problem? I have an '01 LX which up until now has had not problems (that's a knocking on wood noise you hear in the background). My rear wiper just stopped working. The motor seems fine but the wiper arm just hangs there now. I took it off and it looked like something was stipped or missing. Anyone have any insight before I take it to the dealer? Thanks in advance for the help.

Jeff

julyradik · December 2002

I believe that my 03 Odyssey heat works improperly. My heat does not stop blowing hot air when the desired temperature (usually 72-75 degrees) is reached, even if I turn it down to a level of 65 degrees. My dealer said they replaced the one part that could cause this problem, which did not work. Has anyone else encountered this problem?

bjk2001 · December 2002

Fuel light went on our 01 EX typical ~15 Gals.

bjk

queentoast · December 2002

I have brought my 2002 lx (10k miles) into the dealer twice with a strong fuel smell. The first time they said they pressure tested the system and all was fine. They also said no smell was noticeable. One week later I was back at the dealer with the same problem. This time I dragged one the supervisors out to my car so that they could smell it for themselves. They noticed the smell and after 6 days they said they changed a nut and bolt that would not tighten and was allowing vapors to escape. This struck me as odd because they supposedly 'pressure checked' the system the first time and if this part was causing a vapor leak wouldn't the test have failed or showed some leak? Anyway I got the car back and needless to say a month later I am bringing it back in for the same problem.

I have seen prior posts on gas odors but I have not seen what caused them or how they were fixed. If anyone has had this problem please let me know what was done.

If this repair does not work I am going to file a lemon law claim to either replace the car or get a refund. I think 3 times is enough and that there must be some major flaw in the fuel system. This is not only dangerous for fire but it cannot be too healthy to have my kids riding in gas vapor regularly.

AS a side note I also have a noise in my front brakes when I hit the break for the first and sometimes second time during a trip. It seems to disappear after that.

phil47 · December 2002

I think I have seen a TSB regarding this problem (it was a TSB regarding the rear wiper anyways). It requires replacement of a washer or lock-nut with a newly designed part (or something to that effect). Hopefully you can still catch it under warranty.

hayneldan · December 2002

Are you noticing the smell just after a fillup of gas or all the time? If after a fill it could be from the vapor cannister under the hood. This is supposed to take all the gas fumes from the filler neck and pull them into the engine to be burned thru the air intake. (Emission requirement) On some cars and vans the hose to this cannister can pull gas as well as vapors into the cannister if you top off the tank after the hose stops pumping. This will cause a gas smell in the car/van.

guntur · December 2002

I just realized that the CD player is not working........it is not pulling in the CD as it is supposed to. In the past 3 years I probably used the CD player about 3 or 4 times and the last time was several months ago. Today I discovered the problem.....does Hondacare cover this problem ? I bought the 7 yr/75,000 coverage through Eric Strodered and thanks to folks on this forum who recommended him. I got an excellent price. Thanks in advance for your answer!

pacman828 · December 2002

I bought a brand new 03 Odyssey EX 3 weeks ago. Within the first week, the passenger side power door started acting strange. It would close by itself, open by itself, stuck in the middle while closing, lost power after leaving it open for 5 minutes. When I concern the most was it started to close when my wife was loading our infant son in the van and she almost dropped the kid. I took it back to the dealer and as expected, they could find nothing wrong. They would blame on my neighbor's remote that shares the same frequency (but it happened not only in my house), for keeping the remote in my pocket and accidentally hitting it( but I told them I have to hold the switch for at least 2 seconds to activate), and everything else under the sun but their system. Anyone has the same problem? My wife is freaking out now. I thought I have bought a reliable van but it turns out nothing but nightmare. The Honda dealer is of no help. Anyone can offer me some ideas what the problem may be?

leedy · December 2002

I am experiencing a strange problem with my 2000 LX. When I set the parking brake my foot sometimes will knock the ignition coil fuse out of the fuse block and at times will break the fuse. So I now keep an extra box of fuses in van. Has anyone ever heard of this problem before? Maybe I should have a cover for the fuse block the only thing is the factory manual doesn't show a cover.

bjk2001 · December 2002

guntur:

I didn't purchase Honda Care Warranty.
If you had an EX, CD is factory equipped it should cover it. If you had a LX and purchased CD player when you got your Ody delivered it should cover it, if you had a LX and have CD installed after your Ody delivered then you only have 1 year warranty.
Read your Honda Care Warranty booklet carefully.

Regards,

bjk

kcf41 · December 2002

We have a 2001 LX and we have also experienced the Howling Noise. Our most recent experience was this past week from a road trip. It was quite disturbing since we're not sure if something will "break" off in the process. We will take it to the Dealer in hope of finding a worthy solution. If Anyone knows what's going on, please let us know. Thanks!

wpalkowski · December 2002

Howling usually is caused by roof rack cross bars, or windshield gaskets. Do you have a rack on your LX? If so, did you move the front cross bar to load up for your trip? You may have to put it back to its previous position, and take it on highway to see if noise diminishes.

As far as the windshield, did you go through a high pressure car wash, or possibly damaged it when trying to scrape ice off of car? Look at gasket at top of windshield, if it's gouged, bent, or has section lifted up that could be your culprit. Sounds like trip to dealer may be in your future.

rkbme2002 · December 2002

I've had this low frequency rumble on 4th gear between 45-60mph on my 02 odyssey. Took it to a few dealers they said it was normal. Finally found some info on this site where some dealers had installed a dynamic dampner. Got my dealer to do the same, however the noise came back after a week. I also remembered someone got their dealer to change the ECU. My dealer is refusing to do this for me. Anyway, does anyone know about this issue. Can anyone give me information to contact the local customer service representative in the Chicago area?? or who do I need to contact.

thank you

mwcarlso · January 2003

We just had the rear brake drums and shoes replaced under warranty on my parents 2000 Odyssey EX on Monday with parts designed to fix the brake squealing problem. So far so good. They are quieter than I ever remember them being. Our dealer was very helpful in resolving the issue. For anyone with this problem, Honda has new parts available to fix this so bug your dealer if you haven't had them fixed. Good luck.

robr2 · January 2003

...my 00 just had the same modification done under warranty this past week.

For a while I had what I called the whoop whoop whoop noise when braking but only from slow speeds. The tech sanded something in the old drum and it would go away for a couple of days. Then it became whoop whoop whoop squeeeeaaaaall, grind. Service Manager heard that and said that Honda had just come out with a fix. It took a couple of weeks to get the parts.

icantdoit · January 2003

I have a 95 Odyssey that recently had its timing belt changed. Today I just noticed that a small fan kept on running after the engine was turned off. This had never happened before so I took it to a mechanic and he said it was normal and it should shut off in about 5 min. However it has been running continously for about 45 minutes now and I don't know if this is a problem or not?

kilimanjaro · January 2003

This is definitely a problem. It should not be on for longer than a few minutes.

If the fan does not stop at this point when you take your key out of ignition then you need to take it back in.

best of luck

jrock80 · January 2003

Does the Odyssey use the same 3.0 V6 as the Pilot and new Accord V6? I have a 2003 Accord EX V6 and I have been experiencing intermittant starting problems with it also. My dealer replaced the fuel pump and pressure regulator, but that didnt help. I dont have any other keys on my key ring. Sometimes it just cranks sounds like it wants to start and never does. Takes a couple tries to get it started. Kinda embarassing for a new car, and who knows about future reliability. My dealer informed me that Honda knows nothing about this problem, ironic seeing how many posts there are in these forums let alone how many other people have the problem and either havent reported it or just live it.

jsambat · January 2003

I've had this problem since I got the van in May 2000. For no reason at all, the alarm will go on and the only way to shut if off is switch the sliding main switch to off. During the winter, the sliding does not work. You have to get the van really warm/hot to get the sliding door to operate. At times, you can not open the sliding door from the inside. Dealer has replaced some parts/sensors and etc on my van regarding the sliding door. Worse part of the design is that it does not have an override. If the switch is off, you cannot open the sliding door. Very dangerous. I hope Honda will redesign/reconfigure their sliding door to have power and manual operation of the sliding door. Eats lots of gas..
could not see clock unless you have the key on. No light in glove compartment for the 00 model.

srb123 · January 2003

Hi Pacman,
I have also noticed the accidental opening of my EX 03 power doors, but couldn't reproduce the problem yet.

srb123 · January 2003

Hi,
I have been noticing extremely slow pickup on my '03 EX. It is kind of hard to merge into traffic, when I have to make a right turn on to the road at a STOP sign. Has any one noticed this problem?

bjk2001 · January 2003

Our 01 EX has plenty of pickup. Maybe its the way I drive!

bjk

disport · January 2003

I have a new '03 Ody, EX-L RES, and I store the 3rd row seat headrests in the net on the left hand side wall of the storage area (at the back of the van). I think this is the proper place to store them. Well, my wife is the main driver of the Ody, and she's only 5'-0" tall. Removing the 3rd row headrests gives her a better view to the rear of the vehicle.

I noticed that there are a few scratches on the plastic interior wall where the headrests are stored. The scratches are caused by the bare metal ends of the headrest posts. These metal posts appear to be machined on the ends which leaves a rather sharp edge.

I tried to reposition the headrests in the storage net so that the metal posts are pointing up and away from the wall, but this resulted in another disaster. My wife was showing the "majic seat" to someone the other day. She pulled the seat back to put it in the folded away position and ....ouch!... One of the sharp metal headrest posts, pointing up, caught the back of the seat and ripped a small hole in the back (about 3/8" in length).

I took the van back to the dealer to show him this, and he fixed the seat for free. He had his interiors man fix it, and I cannot believe it. I cannot find the place where he repaired it. The repair was so good that it looks like a new seat. I was amazed.

Anyway, back to my gripe. The sharp metal posts on the headrest have to be positioned in such a way as to avoid the previously discussed problem and also to avoid damage to the plastic interior wall panel (as well as damage to the adjacent headrests in the storage net).

Has anyone run across this before?

I need a plastic cap or something to place over the ends of the headrest posts and protect the interior of the van while the headrests are stored away.

Help?

dtownfb · January 2003

First, you are lucky that Honda fixed it for free. I would try a Home Depot or Lowe's. I would check in flooring or where they sell "chair repair" items. I know they sell the plastic covers that you put on the bottom of the chair legs to protect linoleum and to prevent them from sliding on tile.
Another option is to put a little piece of duct tape on the end to cover the sharp edge. Or how about the teflon tape (plumbing section). Wrap it around the ends a few times. Plus you can always use teflon tape in the house.

Just some thoughts.

gess · January 2003

I did exactly the same thing you did. I was showing off the magic seat and rrrrrippp! It was just a tad embarrassing. There is very little room between the seat and the cargo net but I have managed to arrange the headrests so that I have not had a problem since.

sxd · January 2003

Our 03 Ody has ~ 5000 miles. Always find the steering wheel vibrates at 70-80 mph during initial driving. The vibration goes away once drive for a while. Took the car to dealer and they found a bent rim (very minor). Dealer replaced the rim and balanced rest 3 tires. However, the vibration still exists. Seems the rim replacement and tire balancing did not fix the problem. Anybody else experience the same? Thanks.

fjb323 · January 2003

Can anyone help?? Drivers seat has a tendency to rock or shifts when making turns? Clicking noise
each time I apply the brakes when stopping. Sounds like it's coming from the middle to the rear of the van. Doesn't keep clicking just once each time I brake. Dealer says both are normal? Any suggestions??
fjb

kcf41 · January 2003

I eventually took the Van in for service re: the Howling Noise. The Service Advisor stated that the front windshield had to be re-sealed. So, I took it in today for repair. Hopefully, this will solve the problem with the howling noise. I will know for sure on our next road trip.

By the way, per the Service Advisor, this repair has been done on other Odyssey's as well. If your van is making that kind of noise you may want to take it it for service.

mschafer · January 2003

I read somewhere that there may be a TSB coming out on the moving driver's seat. I heard that they have the problem on another model (Pilot?), too.

The clicking rear brakes are a fact of life, and are of no concern other than the annoyance factor.

jnash2 · January 2003

My 02 is like that sometimes, especially when warming up. I think something is wrong or going wrong with the tranny, but the dealers I have been to act like there is nothing wrong and I'm imagining this. I guess if it self destructs, they will swear it has nothing to do with my previous complaints, but they will have to fix it under warranty. Let me know if you have better luck.

dtownfb · January 2003

does the slow pickup happen shortly after starting the vehicle when it has sat for a while? Does it happen n cold weather only? If the answer is yes to either one of these, this is very common. It may take the car a bit to warm up. I live in PA and it has been might cold here inthe morning and that happens withboth of my cars. Luckliy I live in a residential area so I have about a mile or so before ihave to worry about traveling over 40 mph. So my vehicles have a chance to warm up.

I believe the transmission probelm you would see more while you are driving under normal conditions.

jmessmer · January 2003

Our 2000 Oddy w/40,000 miles had the "check engine" light come on. We took it to the dealer and they informed us that the catalytic converter was shot and it should not be driven at all this way. We noticed no problem while driving it. They say the part (around $520) is on back order and will take a minimum of two weeks to get. Since it's emission related it's still under warranty, but two plus weeks is pretty bad.
I've never had to replace one of these on any car I've owned, I'm wondering how long the second one might last.

katmicale · January 2003

I haven't been to this board in quite awhile...probably since I got my 00 EX in November 2000. Why? NO PROBLEMS!
Actually, not totally true. I had a "slight" problem with my power doors...told the dealer and they swapped out my door locks. Problems went away.
Well, this has been a very cold/snowy winter so far in NY. We've had problems opening the doors in the morning. The driver slider has stuck more often (and longer) than the passenger side. NOW...last week...wouldn't open for nothing! Now it doesn't work at all. When the power door switch is "on"...only the passenger door will work. Have to DRAG the driver side closed. I need to turn the switch off before driving, otherwise the "sliding door" light remains lit and it beeps.
Haven't had a chance to bring it into the dealer yet. Anyone had this problem? Of course it happened at about 37,400 miles...just over warranty!

auburn63 · January 2003

Sounds as if the door may have gotton stuck and when tried to open set a code on the computer and disabled the door. To reset you have to remove a fuse and then relearn the door/doors. If you want to know how just ask and I will write it out for you..

fibber2 · January 2003

Frank, does this happen one time only on the first application of brakes after shifting from forward to reverse (or opposite)? If so, it is considered normal by Honda.

I brought mine in reporting that it sounded like the calipers had too much free play in the carrier. The service writer pulled out a customer complaint advisory that described the sound, but had little in the way of explanation, just that it is considered normal.

Some day I will have to pull them and see if it is caliper to carrier, or pad to caliper movement. I suppose if you allow some movement, it might act as a 'self cleaning', preventing the slider from hanging up (as they are probably only single piston design) and giving uneven wear.

Steve

timatwood · January 2003

(Apologies if this has been discussed already, search didn't turn anything up) Our '03 reads about <= 1/8 tank when it still has 6 or 7 gallons left in the tank. Low fuel light comes on as early as 275 miles. This seems pretty far off to me, but our dealer didn't seem to think it was a problem. Gauge reads full when tank is full, but then drops like a rock. Anyone else seeing similar readings?

mpoisson · January 2003

We picked up our 2003 EXL-RES around Thanksgiving. Since then we have put ~1500 miles on it. I immediately noticed the non-linear fuel gauge (with low fuel light coming on around 250 miles). I have heard it is a symptom of the flat fuel tank. Even so, it is disconcerting.
I have been trying to run it down as far as I can by predicting the distance I can go on a tank (city driving has been averaging around 18 mpg) - however, it is my wife's car and she insists I fill it up. With a 20 gallon tank, we should be able to see between 350-400 miles per tank in the city and pushing 500 on the highway.
Anyone seen these types of numbers?

dyh555 · January 2003

I had this issue with my 01 v6 accord ex.. dealer replaced some sensor? to fix this issue.. its been fine since then...

bjk2001 · January 2003

Our 01 has 19k miles on it. Fuel light comes on @ 15 gals. I always fill up right after or 20-30 miles after the light goes on. You won't want to run the fuel level too low in the gas tank, some sediments may get picked up and clog the fuel injector, also if running empty fuel pump may get damaged too.

2lentin0 · January 2003

Please let me know how to re-learn the doors and what fuse to reset.

Thanks

khcc1 · January 2003

We recently leased a new 03 EXL RES. However, the headlights do not appear to be very good. On low, the lights do not extend very far, and on bright, the pattern is not even and leaves dark spots. I am going to ask the dealer when we take it in for the first oil change. But I was wondering if anyone has experienced the same problem? Is there aftermarket replacement bulbs that are brighter and better?

auburn63 · January 2003

Start with the doors fully closed. In the passenger side under dash fuse box remove the 4th fuse in on the top row, note the clock should go out when fuse is removed. Leave out for 3o seconds. Reinstall fuse, using the door buttons on the dash relearn one door at a time by pushing the door button and holding it until the door is fully open, then push and hold the close button until it is fully closed. Then repeat for the other door. Now try them and they should work normally. It is also a good idea to clean your door contacts with a pencil erraser every now and then..Good luck

Honda Odyssey: Problems & Solutions:(1995-2004 Models)

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Honda Odyssey: Problems &amp; Solutions:(1995-2004 Models)

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Honda Odyssey: Problems & Solutions:(1995-2004 Models)