2001 Honda Odyssey LX review from North America

-at 1,000 miles I had front left strut replaced. It was broken and leaking when vehicle was brand new, and found out 1,000 miles later it was broken and making a rattling sound on the front end.

-brakes replaced through dealership for free "goodwill" program since they wore out prematurely and rotors were trashed at approximately 12 - 15,000 miles.

-for the first 3 or 4 years the van had constant rattles and the dealership was unable to do anything about it. In extremely cold temperatures below 20 degrees Fahrenheit, the front bottom left corner of the windshield and dash rattled and rubbed until the interior of the van heated up, about 15 minutes into the ride. The van is 7 years old and rattles have minimized over time, but are still present.

-transmission started going out around 85,000 - fortunately dealership replaced it free of charge.

-lots of door rattles, ride sliding door lock rattles, driver seat belt occasionally clicks where it snaps it, when temperature is below freezing.

-initially for several years on humid days when accelerating the engine had a dieseling sound, like liquid. In 7 years this is rarely occurring. It does not affect driving or performance, but is not a sound you want to hear when accelerating.

-van is very cargo like. Doors have a hollow sound, so I added insulation in them, to try to minimize rattles and keep out road noise, which is moderately high in these vehicles.

-door seals had to be regularly greased with silicone, and if squeaking clean seemed to rattle more than when they had grime on the seals.

-OEM tires lasted 28,000 miles. When I replaced them with BF Goodrich M80's ($380) the tire company was unable to get them balanced on the first rotation at 33,000 miles. They replaced the 2 they said were out of round and still could not get them balanced. This was evident in the steering, in which a constant wobbly vibration could be felt. They traded this set of tires out for Michelin's $600 and have had no problems with balancing and rotations.

-Heater control fan 1st and 2nd speed stopped working around 50,000 miles, had it replaced.

-Light on the clock burnt out around 60,000, had it replaced.

-Front seats not the most supportive for long trips, no side support or lumbar. Legs and back and rear end start to ache, and you have to shift around in your seat.

-air conditioning motor/compressor makes a noisy squeaking sound when running. This noise is under the hood, not in the cabin.

-front end/struts have always and continue, to make a lot of noise over bumps and cracks in the road. My older 1993 Honda Accord has none of this rattle noise and loose wobbly sound going on.

-the cost at the dealership to maintain the van's routine checkups every 7,500 miles or 15,000 can add up to quite a bit of cash.

This van has never let me down. I am somewhat anal and any unusual sounds or unusual functions I get checked out. I have always had it dealership serviced, and thus they are aware of its faults and know its history. They have been great in handling the bigger issues; struts, brakes and transmission while under warranty. I trust this vehicle in general for its reliability with the engine, and other components, and with the new transmission. It is a real workhorse, whether its loaded to capacity with band equipment and gear, or loaded with mulch and plants and trees for landscaping, or on vacation loaded with 5 people and tons of luggage.