2002 Honda Odyssey EX from North America - Comments

Severe torque steer. Not correctable. "They are all like that." I guess they are all deficient then.

Severe pull to the right. Took four visits and three "cannot duplicate" visits to fix it. Had to bring a print out of the TSB 00 067 to get the subframe shifted to fix the problem.

Blotches on silver paint, very ugly. "They are all like that," says dealer.

Sticking sliding doors. Dealer used spray on gaskets. Did not solve problem. Rattle in right sliding door. Dealer did something which did not help.

Check engine light comes on when driving. This is not predictable and not just at start up. Dealer says cannot duplicate.

Transmission seems to hesitate, stutter and the engine flares. Dark looking transmission fluid. Dealer says cannot duplicate, they are all like that.

Instrument panel light flash on and off at unpredictable times.

Dealer uses 5W-30 oil, but owners manual says only 5W-20. They cannot give a good reason why.

Dash rattle. Dealer tries, but fails to improve on it.

Poor rearward visibility.

Noisy compared to friend's Camry.

Gas mileage 14-24. Most often 15. Not very good.

Handling good for a van, but worse than any late model car.

Front tires wear fast even with rotation every 6000 miles.

Saggy rear suspension causes lots of inside edge tire wear.

Good engine power for a van.

Sounds like this guy had some bad experiences with the dealer and is taking it out on all Honda vans. If he wants to see what real dealer problems, and minivan problems and noises could be like he should try a crappy american built van. There isn't a good one in the bunch. He will be happy to go back to his Honda.

One message said it all: "...a crappy American built van". I purchased a '96 Chevy Astro brand new and it was trouble from day one - real junk. I later had a 2001 Chrysler Town and Country (also purchased new) and it was so crappy that it made the Astro look good. (And if you Chrysler owners want to see something that will make you sick, check the resale value of your Town and Country. By the time it's two or three years old it has no resale value at all!)

I now have a 2003 Honda Odyssey and the only thing that I regret is that I didn't buy one sooner. The fit, finish, attention to detail, performance, engineering, ride and over-all quality is second to none. And about the friend's Camry being quieter than the Odyssey: well of course it is!!! The Odyssey is a MINI-VAN, not a CAR! But guess what? My Odyssey is quieter than a cargo van, or a pickup truck, or... see what I mean? Yes, it is noisier than a Camry, but try packing four adults and two kids AND their luggage in the Camry. It's a trade-off, plain and simple (one I'll take). As far as styling goes I like the looks of the Chrysler a bit better than the Honda. But the Town and Country is a classic example of beauty being only skin deep. It's really too bad that the German engineering expertise of Daimler-Benz hasn't trickled down to Chrysler. I drive over 30,000 miles per year and, for my money, the Honda is the ONLY way to go.

I have a 2000 Odyssey, no problems except for the side door sliding assemblies needed to be replaced due to the kids slamming them open when they get in and out of the car. I owned a Chevy Astro van, and had lots of problems with that. Both vehicles were purchased new. So, I can't blame a previous owner, only the manufacturer. I would definitely stick with the Honda. I've had the Honda for 3 years now, (only 35,000 miles- and they only other thing I have done is changed the oil regularly)

I do have to admit the factory supplied tires wear out very quickly.

I also find Odyssey a poor vehicle. I have had 2 transmissions go bad on my 2002 EX. At 35,000 miles and 71,000 miles. Like clockwork. Engine mounts broke too. Sliding doors fail to close on and off. Noisy. Gas mileage 15 city. Not good. Never improved with break in.

Had to pay for the 2nd replacement. Did all trans service on time, at severe service mileage. No towing. Bad vehicle. Looks good for a few years, then look out. Bad.