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

fibber2 · January 2006

This is probably as good a place as any to post it. What year? Our '02 drivers window sometimes shrieks when going up when wet as well. I just assumed it was one of the rubber gasket seals at the base of window catching and rolling, but I have never spent the time to really study it. If you find the cause, please let us know!

Steve

kimmlee · January 2006

I have the same problem but, now I took A U-turn and something happened. My left tire is straight and my right tire is turned. I barley made it home.

pisciotta · February 2006

If you want the best tires, buy the goodyear triple tread. If you want check them out at the tire rack. Rated #1. I have these tires and they are the best tires I ever owned period! hydroedge aren't that good in the snow! if you live in florida they are a very good tire (three season tire).

pisciotta · February 2006

Hi I have a 2000 honda odyssey and I just came back from the dealer! they kept the car to put a brand new transmission in it. I had only 41,000 miles on it! just wondering if this will be the end of my transmission problems!!! The dealer said they solved the problem! with the second gear. with the 2002 and up they use a jet kit. she said with my transmission everything is new except for maybe the case! dealer gave me absolutely no problem!!

hwebb01 · February 2006

Any luck with Honda Corporate?
My '03 Odyssey with 93k miles just shed its transmision - any advice, info or tips would be much appreciated.

Thanks!
Harry Webb

jchan2 · February 2006

Ummm... What model years does the Honda Transmission Extended Warranty apply to?

vix4 · February 2006

link to the video on the right towards the top eVideo: On Your Side: Honda Warranties

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.

fibber2 · February 2006

You are getting a mix of true but non-applicable information from your dealer.

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

camerauser · February 2006

"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."
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.

pisciotta · February 2006

What about the replacement transmission on the 1999 to 2001 odysseys. Did they fix that transmission problem? or will this transmission fail too!!

jchan2 · February 2006

That was an interesting video.

Lesson Learned: Don't buy a Canadian Honda if you live in the US.

pisciotta · February 2006

Never mine dont buy a Canadian Honda. Just dont buy a Honda !!!!!! instead of issuing a recall they chose to extend the warranty. Putting all family's in DANGER !!!! And of all cars mini vans! which carry our children !!!! I was in the middle of an intersection when my transmission decided not to work with on coming traffic!!! This puts all our family and children in DANGER !!!! SHAME ON HONDA !!!!!

wes15 · February 2006

"SRS" LIGHT PROBLEM--90,000 MI. DEALER CHECKED AND INDICATED SEAT BELT PROBLEM. REPAIRED BUT NOT SOLVED. NEXT TOLD THAT IT NEEDS A CONTROL UNIT AT $400.00+. LEFT WITHOUT AND LATER READ INVOICE WITH HIGHLIGHTED SENTENCE THAT "AIR BAGS WILL NOT DEPLOY WITH "SRS" LIGHT ON". IS THIS A FACT???

rorr · February 2006

First things first: turn your "Caps Lock" button off. Reading posts in ALL CAPS is difficult. Typing posts in ALL CAPS is also (usually) considered 'shouting'.

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.

wes15 · February 2006

After a month wait I called to see if the repair part for the seat belt was in and they found that it was (don't know for how long it had been in). Waited 1 hour and found that after changing the seat belt buckle (under warranty), there was still an unknown problem. After I was there 3 hours they told me it needed a $406.00 SRS control unit.

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.

rorr · February 2006

"If the SRS light will not effect the air bags, I will let it go also."

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?

terminologist · February 2006

Hello,
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

themerc · February 2006

I purchased a Honda Odyssey 6 weeks ago. I have personally spoken to the district rep, dealer service manager, and the dealer general manager. They have told three different stories: doesn't exist, just part of normal ABS "check", and part of VSA check. Bottom line: they don't really know. I am trying to have the vehicle bought back. I have never ever owned a vehicle that made noises like this - including two other Hondas. Something is wrong here.

Regards

user777 · February 2006

if you hear the noise only once when first starting out, there is a very good chance it is the ABS performing a self test. there is even a technical service bulletin that explains to a tech how to reproduce the noise for you with the vehicle stopped to allow you to witness the noise when the test is operational to compare to what you are experiencing.

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.

user777 · February 2006

i agree with rorr on this one. factually, you could have a wiring problem, an accelerometer problem (sensor which detects rapid vehicle deceleration), a clockspring problem (the device on the steering wheel which maintains electrical continuity between the vehicle's wiring and the devices mounted on the wheel as you turn the wheel from one extent to the other), an airbag problem (steering wheel or passenger), the passenger seat detection system, and yeah, a controller unit problem. on a vehicle with side airbags (look at the side of your seats), i believe if you have a problem with those systems or the seat-belt tensioners, you will get the SRS light.

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.

terminologist · February 2006

Hello,
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

klo2 · February 2006

I also purchased a 2004 ody on 1/16/06 and since then it has stalled without warning three times while I am driving with my children in the car. There was no difference if the tank was full or not, there is no noises nothing it just stalls, it is just a mess. I am awaiting a response back from the service department. Have you had any updates since you wrote this problem.

user777 · February 2006

For what it's worth:
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.

klo2 · February 2006

Thank you for the advice. When I purchased the car, I asked for the results of the "Certification process" that Honda completes for used cars and it was listed right there that it was replaced. I have been researching other recalls that my van may be affected by. Agan thank you for the response.

user777 · February 2006

do you remember what the conditions were when it stalled? anything in particular?

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.

klo2 · February 2006

It was morning time but there was not anything else in particular happening the car was running perfectly fine.

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.

user777 · February 2006

http://www.motorwatch.com/safety/~2005_recalls.htm

ignition relay, or perhaps some connection to one of the fuse blocks?

snowshoeer · February 2006

Any 2005 or 2006 Odyssey owners out there who have over 10,000 miles on their Odyssey? What is your highway gas mileage? Would you buy another Honda with VCM? Thanks.

james3678 · February 2006

I have a 2005 Odyssey EX with about 6K miles. For about the last week, I have received a message "Check Fuel Cap". No change when I did, so scheduled service visit.

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

sirius2 · February 2006

My wife is complaining that her Odyssey has loud squeaky noises coming from the brakes and/or transmission when she pulls out of the garage in the morning. I think the vehicle has always made these noises. Seems like this would not be normal. I'm thinking about going to the dealer one morning and comparing to a car on their lot. Three year lease is almost over and I'm thinking of buying, but not if there are problems. Thanks

pies_auto · February 2006

My dealer informed me that I need to replace 2 engine block mounts; one is cracked one is completely broken.

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.

cartalk · February 2006

It's a known issue and part of wear and tear. In the 90,000 miles I had my 99 Ody, I had to replace the engine mounts twice and a tranny mount once.

klo2 · February 2006

I picked up the Van on Thursday night and they replaced the Throttle body. they said they felt that it was a little sticky and decided to replace it. So far no problems. In your opinion would this cause for the van to stall? I asked the Tech advisor and he said no. I would think it woul because it has to do with the flow of fuel?

Thanks :confuse:

user777 · February 2006

actually the throttle body controls the amount of air, and perhaps indirectly the amount of fuel, but its hard to say these days with so much computerized complexity.

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.

klo2 · February 2006

Thank you for the claridfication. I have a better understanding. Hopefully it will not happen again but, Honda is going to put my car through diagnostics again and I am going to mention it to them to check the ignition or fuel delivery process.

user777 · February 2006

ok => if you have another flakey shutdown (let's hope not), ask them if they have something to connect to your OBD-II (on-board diagnostics) connector which can sample important parameters for playback later, thus capturing the event when it happens for diagnosis.

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.

sirius2 · February 2006

How come whenever I ask a question the message boards suddenly vacates?

fibber2 · February 2006

Try showering before coming to the discussion??? Sorry, just kidding!

It might be brakes. My '02 sometimes squeaks when in reverse, yet the pads are extremely quiet when going forward.

Steve

sirius2 · February 2006

Thanks for the "just kidding" I just got a logitech minicam and I haven't read the manual yet on all it's features.

autowrite · February 2006

On my 2002 Honda Odyssey the passengers side windshield wiper does not clear a medium size spot in the center of the windshield when the outside temperature is below freezing. I have mentioned this to Honda dealers but their only explanation was that I apply WD-40 to the hinge area. I have not done this yet as its been way too cold outside. I think maybe the blade needs more weight. I do not want to bend the arms. Has anyone have suggestions or solutions? What should I buy or how can I fix this problem? I live in Guelph; 30 miles west of Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Thank you

Peter

dave594 · February 2006

You can try to manipulate the wiper by squeezing the supports on the blade where they connect to the wiper arm. Sometimes these supports become stiff and don't push the wiper all the way against the windshield, resulting in the gaps. You can always buy a new wiper, that will set you back about $10.

user777 · February 2006

i'd merely buy new blade assemblies also, rather than attempt to replace just the rubber.

i'd also make sure my windshield was extremely clean and free from wax.

sirius2 · February 2006

Seems like replacing the blade is a good start. My Van Pool has a brand new Dodge Caravan where the wipers don't clear spots on windshield and I've considered it annoying. But my Odyssey hasn't had that or any other problems (but see my previous post about the early morning brake noise scaring my wife). If the new blade doesn't fix the problem (and here's where paying the dealer to do it might be smart) I'd consider it a warranty issue, maybe the glass is warped????

mollysurfer · February 2006

I just purchased a 2000 Odyssey EX w/ 79k miles from a dealer. It was a one owner vehicle w/ a clean title. It was in one rear end accident that required the rear bumper to be replaced/painted (not sure which). Overall, it's in good shape. Needs some basic things, i.e., tires, rotors turned. I am very excited about this vehicle.

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!

sirius2 · February 2006

My 2003 has had no major issues. The power sliders are my long term concern. Warranty seems pricy, maybe you can make an offer for about $750? I have 31K miles and Michelins still look fine. Makes me worry about something there-mileage and/or previous owner driving habits? Let us know what happens.

user777 · February 2006

Michelins and Bridgestones might not be the longest lasting tires. Look in www.tirerack.com.

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.

mollysurfer · February 2006

Thanks for the feedback!

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?

user777 · February 2006

Tires: on my LX, I think I went (no actually my wife) through Brigestone Potenza RE92 something (?) in maybe 30K. Remember a van is a heavy vehicle, and my wife tended to take corners pretty fast.

Don't ever expect to get 40K on a 40K tire, or 60 on a 60, or 80 on an 80. It's hard to do.

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.

liftitup · February 2006

I have an 03 Odyssey that has run into multiple issues. It began with a TCS light on and engine revving while moving. We thought all was resolved after the EGR replacement. However about a week after that the SRS light came on, the cruise control no longer works, the radio begins buzzing after being on for about an hour and now the engine surges while it is in park. Did I mention it has always had intermittant problems starting (engine cranks but doesn't start). The dealer "thinks" that it is a cable reel connection issue for the SRS issue and an electronic power steering connection for the engine surge. Does this sound reasonable as a rememdy for the problem(s)? It has about 70,000 miles.

Terribly disappointing after a good experience with an 00 Odyssey.

user777 · February 2006

SRS and Radio, and possibly Cruise ? or Cruise confusion are probably all related to a bad "clockspring". It is a device mounted on the steering column that maintains electrical continuity between steering wheel mounted controls and devices (like horn switch, SRS bag, radio controls, and cruise) and the car wiring harnesses as the wheel is rotated from one extent to the other.

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)