I had to replace the right rear strut under warranty. I then replaced all 4 with Monroe brand and have solved them going out 1 at a time.
I also had brake issues with pad replacement at 30K miles. I replaced all 4 rotors and pads with slotted and crossdrilled rotors and high friction pads. My one complaint still is that you have to pump the pedal once to get a firm pedal feel. They otherwise feel like Chevy brakes used to feel. Pedal all the way to the floor to stop.
I believe that the transmission problems were solved with this series van. We have yet to experience any issues, knock on wood, seen in the 2000 model year units.
We went from a 1994 Dodge Caravan with multiple transmissions and torque converters to an Olds Silhouette van with a bad transmission, to the Odyssey. I have to say the Olds was more comfortable to drive and had better ergonomics. The Honda has more power and is put together better. We looked at all the other vans before choosing the Honda, and I still think we made the right choice.
"I believe that the transmission problems were solved with this series van."
That should be right. Consumer Reports showed model years 1998 to 2003 having much worse than average "Transmission Major" reliability. Then going to Much better than average in model year 2004. I think your review for 2003 is for the "year of manufacture" which would likely be the 2004 model year.
Usually it is not worth mentioning the difference, but for this car, a year makes a big difference. Readers on this site should be aware that cars are listed by year of manufacture (I think) rather than by model year.
Note: A Comments RSS Feed is available. New comments appear in the Members Area before the main site