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Honda Odyssey: Problems & Solutions:(1995-2004 Models)
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Comments
Steve
My '03 Odyssey with 93k miles just shed its transmision - any advice, info or tips would be much appreciated.
Thanks!
Harry Webb
Honda Transmission Warranty Problem
7 ON YOUR SIDE EXPOSES A MAJOR PROBLEM IN THE AUTO INDUSTRY. ROSS MCLAUGHLIN DISCOVERED HOW A LEADING CAR MAKER IS PLAYING FAVORITES WHEN IT COMES TO SAFETY, FIXING SOME CARS BUT NOT OTHERS.
1999 - 2001 used a 4 speed tranny that seems to have a variety of 'issues'. There is an extended warranty that should cover you for 7 or 8 years, 100k miles.
2002 - 2004 used a 5 speed tranny that had, most notably, a problem with second gear lubrication. Depending on the condition of the innards when it is inspected, they either added an external lubrication patch, or replaced the unit with an internal fix. But this situation does not apply to you!
Steve
Just to make it clear, the oil jet helps lubricate second gear. But this oil jet did not solve the more common problems which include slipping and poor shifting which are similar to the very common problems with the Acura TL and CL transmissions. So it is possible to get the oil jet recall and still have a 5 speed automatic transmission fail later.
Lesson Learned: Don't buy a Canadian Honda if you live in the US.
Second - there's no way to know if the air bags will deploy or not UNLESS it is known what is causing the SRS light to come on. A number of factors could be causing the SRS light to come on, however not all of these factors would necessarily prevent airbag deployment.
Third - it also sounds like the dealership doesn't really know what is causing the SRS light to come on. If I understand correctly, they initially thought you had a seat belt problem. Apparently, they 'fixed' that problem (?) but the light is still on? Was there actually a seat belt problem and was it fixed? Also, I'd demand that if they replaced the control unit and that turned out to NOT be the problem, that I'd not be charged for the work. They can't expect to solve a problem by the process of elimination and have you pay for their incorrect guesses.
2 years a go they told me I needed an over $350.00 sliding door motor for the driver side door. Since all I had to do was bump the door to latch, I have done that ever since. I am retired and that wasn't critical.( by the way, that now shows as $280.00, so much for inflation)
If the SRS light will not effect the air bags, I will let it go also. I found it courious that he never mentioned this in person and if I hadn't read the invoice carefully I still wouldn't know.
Mighty big "if". Problem with that SRS light is you don't really know if the problem is minor and won't affect air bag operation or not. The fact that they wrote on the invoice that the air bags may not be operable would give me pause (and I'm a bit surprised the service manager didn't also point this out to you verbally). But the fact that they messed with the seat belt buckle first says they don't REALLY know what the problem is.
I can understand not springing $350 to replace the sliding door motor (although it sounds to me like a slight alignment problem since it ALMOST latches by itself); but the air bags is a safety issue vs. a convenience issue.
Is there a different Honda dealer in your area or perhaps a reputable local garage that could diagnose the SRS light?
I'm new to the forum. We purchased the Honda Odyssey 2006 EXL with the DVD package. It had 46 miles right off the dealer and after a week of driving, I'm starting to notice a distinct grinding like noise that happens only after each startup and running. After the "grinding" noise pops, all appears normal. I informed the service dept who check the vehicle and indicated that this grinding sound is due to the ABS self checking. I own 3 other vehicles with ABS in them and have never heard such "grinding like" noise. Is this true? Have any of you experience something like this? should I get a second opinion from a different dealership?
appreciate the help-
alan
Regards
ask your dealership if they can lookup the TSB and demonstrate it for you so you can put your mind at ease and have faith in the proper operation of your vehicle.
if the light is on, no one can predict exactly what will happen w.r.t. these protection mechanisms if and when you are involved in an accident where a properly functioning system would call for the bags to deploy or the auto- seat-belt tensioners to engage.
perhaps no bags will deploy, perhaps only the passenger side, perhaps only the driver's side, maybe the tensioners won't work. probably the service writer is obligated to inform you in written form the operation of your protection system is degraded (to what degree it is unknown without diagnosis) with the SRS light on.
what does your manual state?
it seems you don't trust your dealership's diagnosis. go to another dealership for reading the codes in the SRS system and determining (independantly) what is at fault. if it ends up they confirm a new control unit is necessary, then that is what you need to do. if it's something else, so be it.
i can tell you first hand that airbags saved me from serious injury in a crash, and i was able to walk away from it unharmed. having experienced them in action $400 is a no brainer for me.
you owe it to yourself and your passenger to maximize your chances of walking away from an accident.
get the system operational. hope you never need it.
thank you all for your feedback. On page 306 of the 2006 owner's manual paragraph 3. It indicates that a pulsation sensation and some noise is normal. It does not get into detail of when this pulsation or noice occurs. It is re--assuring that other owners are experiencing the same thing and there is a Technical Service Bulletin posted regarding this issue. I will next week take it to another Honda service dealership and re-validate the initial assessment and findings . This will hopefully confirm the true nature and origins of the grinding noise as I characterize it. I will keep you posted as it benefits everyone.
Thanks again.
sincerely,
Alan
According to this page, in September 2004, Honda was to recall a number of ODY vehicles for stalling related to the fuel pump:
http://www.consumeraffairs.com/recalls04/suzuki_grand_vitara.html
Why not go onto Honda's Web Site, register your vehicle under Owner's Link, then use the button to check to see if yours was involved in a recall that perhaps was never done.
if the vehicle had the battery disconnected, it's possible it needs to go through the "idle learn procedure"... i.e. perhaps it is idling a little low.
it's possible the vehicle has a poor connection between the battery and the ground (connection to the frame). more information may help narrow down the possibilities.
still, i recommend you register your vehicle on owner's link, then check there to see if it was registered as completed.
I just got it out yesterday form the shop and they said there is no problem wiht the car but they did replace the Throttle Body. I asked them if this has anything to do with the car stalling and they of course said no and I said well then you did not detect nor solve the problem. Then I asked them did they went hrough every little piece of the engine throughly and the service advisor said yes.
I asked anout the fuel pump connectors and they said the are still good. I am just going to go round and round until they either replace the van or solve the problem.
If you have any other information it is much appreciated. Also, I did take your advice and registered on ownerlink and checked that the registraion was completed. There was not any other recalls found.
Again, thank you for all your help.
ignition relay, or perhaps some connection to one of the fuse blocks?
Yesterday, without warning, the engine went from idle to about 6000 RPM. Twice. I am pretty freaked out about this.
Both times the car was in drive, with my foot on the brake. Once was in a parking lot, the second was at a red light. So maybe I was creeping, but no foot on the gas.
Shut then egine off as quickly as possible, shifted to neutral and restarted. Engine raced immediately. Shut engine off ( did this a few times), then decided to try tapping on gas pedal. Restarting after that everything was fine.
Dropping off for service tomorrow without appointment. No indication the fuel cap message and sticking throttle are related.
Has anyone else has this happen?
TIA,
James
This is a 2002 Odyssey with less than 40K mi.
Is this a manufacturing defect? a known issue? or what I should expect from Honda quality?
Thanks for any feedback.
Thanks :confuse:
to my understanding: in modern cars, the throttle body (a valve essentially)controls the amount of air which is mixed with the fuel (that with the addition of spark, causes ignition and the pistons to be pushed back down in their cylinders to perform work).
the fuel injectors are independantly commanded to open and close at differing rates and times (based on piston position) to provide a measured amount of fuel at the proper time with the air comming from the throttle body.
for optimum power / timing / emissions, etc, both throttle body position and injector timing are controlled by an ECU (Engine Control Unit - a computer), which is monitoring all sorts of things including the acceleration pedal you have your foot on, and the throttle position sensor (TPS)which converts a rotation angle of the valve into an electrical signal processed by the ECU.
if the Fuel / Air ratio (amount of Fuel to Air) becomes too lean (more air and less fuel) to support combustion, i suppose you could have the vehicle stumble pretty hard, and perhaps stop.
if the ECU is getting bad information from the TPS, or if the Throttle Body is sticking and not going to where it is commanded to go, then i suppose yes, you could have problems, but i'm not exactly sure how they will manifest themselves.
so bottom line is, i don't know. if a car just shuts down, i have a tendency to believe it is something ignition or fuel-delivery related, not throttle related, so i tend to agree with the Tech Advisor.
i suppose if you continue to drive the van for thousands of miles without a hitch, then they corrected the problem. if not, then you have a new, non-sticking throttle body which is good, but a continuing problem which is bad. still - they would have eliminated one possible cause.
if they resist, and depending upon your convictions:
tell them you'd love for them to be able to replicate the problem in their shop, but practically they know and you know, they will have to "trap" it when it occurs, or drive with you each and every day while you commute until it happens again, but when it does, since it isn't throwing any codes, you know that they know it may very well not help them much to be in the vehicle when it occurs.
tell them you know they know you are at risk driving the vehicle in this condition and to keep sending you home without a fix is not reasonable nor safe - and if they consider it resonable and safe, ask them to get the service manager to put that in writing so you can consult corporate.
tell them they can either try to trap the event, or give you another car.
It might be brakes. My '02 sometimes squeaks when in reverse, yet the pads are extremely quiet when going forward.
Steve
Thank you
Peter
i'd also make sure my windshield was extremely clean and free from wax.
I was originally looking at the Chrysler family, but very glad I ultimately didn't purchase one.
My questions are:
1) What are common issues with this vehicle?
2) What are the best tires to put on it? Original owner had "3 sets" of Michelin Symmetry in 79k and it's ready for another set!
3) The check engine light went on 40-miles after my 1st fillup. I took it to AutoZone and the code was PO1457 (vapor leak?). I called Honda and they told me to reset the gas cap and continue to drive it for several more days and see what happens. I'm very concerned since I've owned it for less than 48hrs now and I don't want to own a lemon. :lemon:
4) Should I buy an extended warranty (2yrs=$1,500)?
Also, I have read that there are tranny probs with these and I do hear grinding sometimes after I first put in into gear and begin driving (ABS or rotors?).
Previous owner stated only problems were with the power sliders.
Any advise is greatly appreciated!
The grinding you hear upon first startup / movement is an ABS Self-Test.
Always remember to generate at least 3 clicks when putting the gas cap back on. if your problem is vapor leak related to the cap, it can be the cap itself, or the fact you failed to tighten it.
Several start / drive cycles I believe (not sure) should clear it if the Gas Cap is at root cause.
Update
Check Engine light -
I took it to my mechanic and he ran the same diagnostics that Auto Zone did, but the BIG difference he understood what the code meant. He did check the integrity of the gas cap and that was fine. I had already put on 60-miles since the light came on 2-days ago. He recommended replacing the "vent shut valve". He told me that it's normal that they go bad. So, (I guess?) I'm not concerned. The dealer has agreed to pay for the repair. I just hope that puts an end to this issue.
Tires -
Prev. owner said she had to check the tire pressure OFTEN. They're from NH. It just concerns me that they went through 3 sets of tires in 79k. I'm not sure of the driver's driving habits, but it was a female with children, so I'm guessing that she wasn't a wild one. I would tend to think that the road conditions were more of an influence on tire wear, OR some problem with the Honda.
I've called the Tire Rack and they advised me to purchase Bridgestone Turanza LST OR Goodyear Eagle LS. Yet, their website advised otherwise. What's frustrating is, I have NOT heard the same advise from any two places that I contacted. The ONLY thing that I am certain of is I do NOT want the Michelin Symmetry because the prev owner had 3sets.
Warranty -
I haven't heard back from the used car dealer, but I worry that if I don't do something that problems will arise (large or repeated nuisances) that will cost me more in the long run, i.e., power sliders. Prev owner said she had repeated problems with them.
I'm not sure how negotiable these policies are.
I still have to check with the Honda dealership regarding outstanding recalls. Where do i find the Service Bulletins?
Any issues I should look out for with this year and model?
I'd tend to trust the web-site. Did you look at the forum Ask Connor at the TireRack here on Edmunds. You'll see what he's recommended.
TSB's can be found here:
http://www.alldata.com/tsb/Honda/
To see if you have all the recalls performed on your vehicle, why not register the car on Honda's web-site under Owner's Link. By VIN, it can tell you. So can a Honda Dealership.
Terribly disappointing after a good experience with an 00 Odyssey.