1996 Honda Odyssey LX from North America - Comments

Not much. Mostly normal maintenance. ABS systems are not the best. Balancer shaft seal is under secret recall. The 2.2L engine has the benign "piston slap".

Over the space of 8 years we've had (2) 1st gen "small" Odyessys. It's a basically a Honda Accord turned mini-van. Years 95 to 98 are real made-in-japan quality. The radically redesigned & larger '99 & later models are made in Honda's CANADIAN plant. We bought new a year 2000 Canadian van so we say from experience -- don't fool with the 1999-200* years unless you *really* want a bigger Honda. They are floating americanized duff-mobiles and are made in Canada with fewer japanese parts. We DID buy one, then sold that 2000 year van at only 15k. It was starting to have problems and not as nice to drive. The 95-98 Honda Odyssey (also known as the "Shuttle" in europe) is classsifed as a "sport van". This is accurate - It's easy to drive & surefooted like a car yet yields real van like room. Actually an Accord turned into a minivan, the 4 car style doors work better than sliders for accessing cargo & passenger comfort. The 1st gen, 95-98 years also have a true independent suspension. The '99 & later models use a mushy, semi-independent rear axle that has so much give, the big van could scrape on the pavement if overloaded. We are antiques dealers and frequently travel as a family of 3 people. We have the need to carry lots of stuff (often heavy). These are some what odd requirements!! -- but these 1st Gen Honda vans are really capable and customizable. In our '96 van we removed the right rear passenger half of the 50/50 folding bench, and the rear most 3r'd row flip'n fold seat which in turn left a large 1 foot deep dish pan for even better cargo ability. That leaves 3 chairs and tons of room. These imported 1st gen vans were not cheap new! Some topped out at 25k-28k as we recall. Many of these came decked out. It seems many models had the REAR A/C option as out '96 did. It's a nice & out of the way unit that will keep rear riders cool. Problems, we've had with the 1st gen small Odyssey are ALMOST NONE in 8 years. The last year, '98 is probably the most perfected, having the VTECH engine and a few more ponies. It's a cheap van to own. We highly recommend these vehicles. Please note these tips before buying one (it could save you lots of trouble). Here they are: Years 95 to 97 (?) (includes Accords too) have an assembly defect known as the "balancer shaft seal". They sometimes suddenly pop out, gushing out all of the oil from the engine. Honda has what's known as a "secret warranty" on this, so you call them and they MAY pay for the repair after inspection. As far as we know you can have it fixed at a dealer for free at any time? The 2.2L is prone to get "Honda piston slap". On cold, mornings, the pistons slap during warm up, making a disconcerting clatter. It's not known to affect engine life and everybody lives with it. Because of Honda's engine design, many vehicles of this era have it. The ABS systems sometimes act up in some vans, but are usually reliable. Also, some vans may develop a benign exhaust rattle at low RPM ranges. It's 2007 and they're getting cheap now. They should be good for many more miles so why not find yourself a low mileage one!

PS - I've been reading reviews on CarSurvey a while now. I've noticed everyone referring to Toyota, Honda & Nissan cars as "imports" and comparing them to what they bought back in the 80s. Well that 2006 Tundra they just bought may not go as long as their last '87 Toy Pickup. Lets set the record straight! Is that Honda, Toyota, or Nissan you just bought really an "import"? It's no more likely to be than your GM or Ford (GM imports Daewoo etc, Ford builds in Mexico). BEFORE YOU BUY - LOOK AT THE VIN. Only if it starts with "J" was it built in Japan. Honda, Toyota & Nissan are now benefiting from their well-earned reputations. And with such unsurpassed durability and reliability from the last 2 decades, they have great resale-ability. Due to rising costs in Japan and high US imposed tariffs, especially on trucks - things had to change. Japanese manufacturers started looking for an lower cost, more politically correct way to sell their cars. As early as the 1980's, Toyota assembled trucks & cars in CA at the famous joint venture NUMMI plant. Toyota now has plants in Kentucky & Indiana to name a few. Back then, these CA, USA 1980's-90's assembled pickups & cars were excellent and have great track records. Back then, the parts content of these US-assembled vehicles was 80-100%. But, as years went by Toyota, Nissan & Honda slowly replaced the time tested Japanese-parts (think DENSO) with other sources US, Mexico (Harrison and??) Canada to name a few. Now it real Japanese parts content seems to be just 30-40%. Please remember though, this is a generalization! Many US built cars are OK. Search google and even the anecdotals here on Car Survey. You'll find many early warning comments & articles regarding faltering quality of newer Toyota's. Some new cars are still dyed-in-the-wool, Japan built, even directly imported JDM cars, like some of the Scions (xB at least), and the Honda Fit. They'll almost for sure be as tough as ticks and be an easy resale even after having been to the moon and back!

I have to agree with the general comments above. I've owned over 35 cars in my lifetime, and have yet to find one as good at everything as this vehicle. It handles and rides great, has been dead on reliable, and gets 23-24mpg consistently. I keep waiting for something to break to replace it, but at 245k and counting, and costing only $2700 with 195k on it. it has been the most economical vehicle overall than anything I've ever owned. Buy a 1996-1998 for a song and enjoy the best Odyssey made by Honda ever!

I have to agree with all the above comments on the Honda Odyssey... it has been a smooth Odyssey since I bought it in 2005 at 80K miles until today 2009 at 200K miles... NO MAJOR REPAIRS so far... just maintenance...great car and lots of room for my kids... For long distance travels... my kids sleeps on the floor (of course we put a blanket to cover the floor) and on the seats... Do not think I will upgrade anytime soon or for the next five years... Can Honda re manufacture this model for Asian Countries.

Nordin Hashim

Penang, Malaysia.