2001 Honda Odyssey V6 from North America

Summary:

Great buy

Faults:

Transmission - it is just starting to go out... we are actually debating replacing it!

Side doors have gotten a little testy - probably could be cleaned out. However they froze completely last winter (and it was still over 0F!), which made it a royal pain to get 6 kids out of the back, including a toddler and an infant.

One rear wing-window hasn't worked for over a year. Not a big deal for my family.

Things like brakes have needed a bit of work, but nothing unexpected on a 200k+ car!

General Comments:

We LOVE this car.

We've owned it since our Saturn sedan couldn't fit 3 car seats (car-shopping with a 3-day old, toddler and preK ;-P ) and it has been a great vehicle for us. It drives smoothly, accelerates great (I feel like the mini-van that speeds past Mack in Disney's Cars), and feels comfortable and safe.

Things I don't like as much:

- It only seats 7 and the 2001 model can't fit the extra seat in the middle like later models... this has become a Big Deal for us, because with 6 kids it means Dad has to travel in a different car (however since that is usually the case, we haven't switched to a newer/bigger vehicle yet).

- The wing-windows instead of scrolling windows. I've disliked these ever since my parents bought their first mini-van... I'm not sure if newer Odysseys scroll the back windows or not - I know Kia, Toyota and some others do! The wing-windows are next-to useless for letting hot air out or cool air in... i.e., useless overall.

- The cupholders are ridiculously shallow, and pretty much any cup tips right out of all but the ones in the front dash. However since there *are* cupholders and I have kids, they keep getting used. Luckily they are mostly used to store toys, pretty rocks, etc. but each kid needed to learn the hard way on this.

I would totally buy another one of these. Right now we are debating a newer 8-seater, actually replacing the transmission on the current Odyssey... or moving up to a 12 passenger van.

Note: we are considering an expensive repair on a 14 year old car with 205k on it! That says it all!

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 15th January, 2015

2001 Honda Odyssey LX from North America

Summary:

A great buy!

Faults:

Few things considering 13 years and 300,000 km.

The side doors sometimes are hard to open.

General Comments:

I am very impressed by my Honda Odyssey. It has been extremely reliable and a joy to own. The Odyssey has impressive power and decent fuel mileage. I have found highway passing a breeze with it.

The vanishing rear seat and the cargo space when the seat is up have been real lifesavers.

The only gripe I have with it is that the interior noise while driving at highway speeds is a bit noisy.

After 13 years of incredible reliability, I am now a true Honda believer!

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 21st August, 2014

2001 Honda Odyssey EX 3.5L V6 from North America

Summary:

A good van, despite the transmission

Faults:

Transmission rebuilt at 154,000 miles.

Transmission rebuilt at 193,000 miles.

Valve cover gaskets at 213,000 miles.

Oil pump seal at 213,000 miles.

Power steering pump seal at 213,000 miles.

Oxygen sensor at 213,000 miles.

Lower ball joints at 213,000 miles.

Rust beginning to show inside the fuel fill door and on the underside of the rear hatch.

General Comments:

Aside from the problems noted above, it has been otherwise reliable.

Even after 230,000 miles, it is still comfortable.

Every time we consider buying another vehicle, it hasn't made sense to give this one up.

After 8 years and 160,000 miles of ownership, it meets our needs as well as it ever has.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 18th March, 2013

2001 Honda Odyssey EX V6 from North America

Summary:

The body is beautiful, but mechanically the car is unreliable!

Faults:

Honda Odyssey 2001 (EX)... boooooooooo!!! The transmission failed at 99500 miles. The dealer replaced with a re-manufactured transmission and charged me $1,200.

After replacement of transmission, the car's torque wasn't the same - the car doesn't peak as well as it did under the old transmission (before the change).

30,000 miles later, the "check engine" light has been coming on and off. The dealer has stated that there are no codes. The light came on again on 6/22/11. I took the car to a mechanic and the EGR codes were diagnosed. I don't know how much the repairs will cost. I am upset with the car.

General Comments:

I had a Toyota Tercel and Nissan Sentra before, and drove each car for 240,000 miles. I'll never buy a Honda Odyssey - the car sucks!

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No

Review Date: 22nd June, 2011