2000 Honda Odyssey

THERE APPEARS TO BE A FLAW IN THE DESIGN OF THE HONDA ODYSSEY BRAKE HARDWARE. SINCE I PURCHASED THE CAR, I OCCASIONALLY FELT A VIBRATION IN THE BRAKE PEDAL, WHICH SEEMED LIKE THE ANTI-LOCK FEATURE KICKING IN WHEN IT SHOULDN'T. I LATER REALIZED THE PROBLEM WAS EXCESSIVE HORIZONTAL PLAY IN THE BRAKE PEDAL. THE VIBRATION IS MOST EVIDENT ON A BUMPY ROAD. ON A COUPLE OF OCCASIONS WHEN MY SHOE WAS WET, MY FOOT CAME CLOSE TO SLIDING OFF THE BRAKE PEDAL FROM THE VIBRATION, SO THIS PROBLEM IS A SAFETY ISSUE. I HAVE SAT IN A FEW ODYSSEYS AT HONDA DEALERS. IN ONE CASE THE BRAKE PEDAL SEEMED TO HAVE SIGNIFICANTLY LESS PLAY THAN MINE; IN THE OTHERS THE PLAY SEEMED TO BE SIMILAR TO MINE. I DID NOT DRIVE THESE OTHER CARS, BUT I ASSUME THEY WOULD ALSO HAVE THE VIBRATION THAT MINE DOES. THE BRAKE PROBLEM WAS CHECKED AT A HONDA DEALER, AND I WAS TOLD IT WAS "NORMAL". I THEN CALLED HONDA MOTORS, AND THEY ARRANGED TO HAVE MY CAR CHECKED AT ANOTHER DEALER. THEY ACKNOWLEGED THE PLAY AND COMPARED IT TO ANOTHER ODYSSEY AND ALSO CLASSIFIED IT AS "NORMAL".*AK

THE REAR SLIDING PASSENGER DOORS STICK AND ARE IMPOSSIBLE TO OPEN WITHOUT A GREAT DEAL OF EFFORT FROM BOTH THE INSIDE AND OUTSIDE OF THE VEHICLE. WE BOUGHT THIS VAN BECAUSE OF IT'S HIGH SAFETY RATING AND IT'S USED TO TRANSPORT OUR SEVEN YEAR OLD DAUGHTER. IN THE EVENT OF AN ACCIDENT, IF IT WAS NECESSARY TO EXIT FROM EITHER OF THE REAR DOORS IT WOULD BE IMPOSSIBLE TO DO SO. I HAVE TALLKED TO SEVERAL OTHER ODYSSEY OWNERS AND THEY ALL SEEM TO HAVE TH SAME COMPLAINT ABOUT THE DOORS. WE HAVE COMPLAINED TO BLUFF CITY HONDA ABOUT THIS PROBLEM AND THEY SEEM TO HAVE MADE AN EFFORT BUT THE PROBLEM PERSISTS. THIS MAY SOUND LIKE A MINOR INCONVENIENCE BUT I BELIEVE IT TO BE A SERIOUS SAFETY CONCERN. TO

TRANSMISSION SLIPS INTO NEUTRAL WHEN IN THE DRIVE POSITION WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE. DEALERSHIP IS EVALUATING THE PROBLEM BUT WON'T CONFIRM YET (4 DAYS NOW). I HAVE BECOME AWARE THRU OTHER ODYSSEY OWNERS THAT THIS IS NOT AN ISOLATED PROBLEM WITH MANY TRANSMISSIONS GOING QUICKLY OR EVENTUALLY (1999-2001 ENGINE MODELS). THIS SHOULD BE RECALLED AND REPLACED AT NO CHARGE FOR THE LIFE OF THE VEHICLE BY THE AUTO MAKER. APPARENTLY, THE REPLACEMENTS ARE "USED/REPAIRED" TRANSMISSIONS THAT ALSO FAIL. *AK

TRANSMISSION FAILED WHILE DRIVING. DEALER "FIXED" TRANSMISSION PER MANUFACTURER'S RECOMMENDATION AND SPECIFICATIONS AND IT FAILED A SECOND TIME ONE WEEK AFTER FIRST REPAIR. I DID NOT HAVE AN ACCIDENT, BUT I COULD HAVE HAD I BEEN ACCELERATING TO MERGE ONTO A HIGHWAY OR ANOTHER SITUATION WHEN NOT GETTING INTO GEAR WOULD BE A DANGER.*AK

RIGHT FRONT PASSENGER TURNED IN RIGHT FRONT SEAT TO ADJUST REAR AIR CONDITIONING CONTROLS. IN DOING THIS, PRESSURE WAS PUT ON THE SEAT BACK AND THE SEAT BACK SNAPPED AND BROKE LOOSE FROM THE SEAT BOTTOM ON THE LEFT HAND SIDE. THE SEAT WAS NO LONGER SAFE TO SIT IN BECAUSE THE SEAT BACK WAS NOT SECURED TO THE SEAT BOTTOM ON THE LEFT HAND SIDE. WHEN TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP, THEY SAID THAT THE INNER ADJUSTER STUD WAS BROKEN. AMERICAN HONDA AGREED TO PAY FOR THE PART OUT OF WARRANTY ($100) BUT THE DEALERSHIP DID NOT WANT TO HELP WITH ANY OF THE LABOR AT FIRST. IN TALKING TO AMERICAN HONDA, THEY SAID LABOR HAD TO BE HANDLED WITH THE DEALERSHIP AND THE DEALERSHIP FINALLY AGREED TO COVER $60 OF THE $160 LABOR CHARGE. THE COST IS ONE THING, BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, I AM CONCERNED ABOUT THE SAFETY OF THIS PART FOR OTHER PEOPLE. I FEEL THERE COULD BE A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE HERE AND THAT THIS PART SHOULD NOT HAVE FAILED. WITH THE SMALL AMOUNT OF PRESSURE APPLIED TO THE SEAT BACK TO CAUSE IT TO BREAK, THE SEAT WOULD HAVE SURELY FAILED IN AN ACCIDENT (MUCH GREATER FORCE), POSSIBLY CAUSING SERIOUS INJURY TO ANYONE SITTING IN THE SEAT. I AM CONCERNED THAT THE PART THAT FAILED WAS DEFECTIVE AND DO NOT WANT SOMEONE ELSE TO FIND OUT AS A RESULT OF AN ACCIDENT THAT POSSIBLY INJURES SOMEONE. WE HAVE NOT HAD THE PART REPAIRED, BUT NEED TO DO SO THIS WEEK. I WILL HAVE THE DEALERSHIP SAVE THE PART FOR ME IN CASE YOU NEED IT FOR FUTURE REFERENCE. BACK TO THE COST OF REPAIR, I FEEL THAT DUE TO THE NATURE OF THE FAILURE AND POSSIBLE SAFETY ISSUES THAT HONDA SHOULD PAY FOR THE ENTIRE REPAIR. AMERICAN HONDA DID AGREE TO PAY FOR THE PART, OBVIOUSLY BECAUSE THEY FELT THAT THE PART SHOULD OT HAVE FAILED, BUT THE DEALERSHIP IS NOT WILLING TO INSTALL IT AT NO CHARGE. I WILL TAKE THE ISSUE UP WITH THEM AGAIN. RESPECTFULLY SUBMITTED, RUSSELL CHASON *AK