2001 Honda Odyssey

THE "CHECK ENGINE" LIGHT CAME ON (A $1,500 REPAIR) FOR THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER REPLACEMENT AND THE TRANSMISSION HAD TO BE REPLACED (AT 93K). APPARENTLY THESE ARE BOTH INCREASINGLY COMMON PROBLEMS IN THIS MODEL. IT'S HARD TO BELIEVE THAT MY VAN CARRIES THE HONDA NAME. THEN I STARTED GOOGLING AND FOUND MANY SITES REPORTING THE SAME HORROR STORIES HERE I REALIZED THAT MANY OF THESE VEHICLES WERE MANUFACTURED WITH FAULTY PARTS AND MAY BE A LEMONS AS WELL? THE PROSPECT TO PAYING $100 EVERY TIME THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT TURNS ON IS NOT A PLEASANT ONE. VEHICLES BUILT TODAY SHOULD NOT REQUIRE TRANSMISSIONS & EMISSION CONVERTER AT A MERE 93,000 MILES. I HAVE BEEN VERY DISAPPOINTED WITH THE RELIABILITY OF MY HONDA ODYSSEY. THE BRAND IS CONSIDERED HIGHLY REPUTABLE AND HAS A PRICE PREMIUM (AND SUPPOSEDLY A RESALE VALUE) TO MATCH - BUT MY EXPERIENCE WITH THE ODYSSEY HAS BEEN ONE OF REPEATED MECHANICAL BREAK DOWNS AND POOR PERFORMANCE AS MANY OWNER HAVE WRITTEN AND BLOGGED. I FEEL HELPLESS AND KNOW HONDA IS POWERFUL CORPORATION WHO WILL DO NOTHING ... WE NEED YOUR HELP TO PROTECT CONSUMERS OF THESE PRACTICES. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. *TR

THE TRANSMISSION WILL NOT SHIFT OUT OF PARK AND THE BRAKE LIGHTS DON'T WORK FROM WHAT I BELIEVE TO BE A FAULTY SWITCH. I HAVE TO PUMP THE BRAKES AT LEAST 5-10 TIMES BEFORE I CAN SHIFT OUT OF PARK, AND THE BRAKE LIGHTS DON'T ALWAYS COME ON WHEN DRIVING A BRAKING. I DID A LITTLE RESEARCH ONLINE AND HAVE FOUND MANY PEOPLE WITH SIMILAR PROBLEMS WITH THEIR HONDA ODYSSEY VANS AND HONDA ACCORDS OF APPROXIMATELY THE SAME YEAR. *TR

IT HAS BEEN A YEAR, BUT I STILL SEE TRANSMISSION ISSUES THAT DON'T RISE TO RECALL STATUS. WE BOUGHT OUR 2001 HONDA USED ALBEIT NOT FROM THE DEALER. WE BOUGHT OUR VEHICLE IN THE US ALTHOUGH THE VEHICLE WAS MADE IN CANADA. HOWEVER, THE VEHICLE WAS ORIGINALLY SOLD IN CANADA. OUR VEHICLE WAS WITHIN THE EXTENDED WARRANTY REQUIREMENTS BUT WAS DEEMED VOID SINCE THE VEHICLE WAS IMPORTED. HONDA WOULD NOT COVER THE COST OF THE REPLACEMENT, WHICH WAS CLOSE TO $3,000. WE BOUGHT A NEW CAR RECENTLY, WHICH WAS NOT A HONDA. *TR

TRANSMISSION FAILURE ON 2001 HONDA ODYSSEY'S. HONDA WILL CONDUCT REPAIRS IF FAILURE OCCURS WITHIN 7 YRS OR 109K MILES. MY VAN JUST STARTED HAVING PROBLEMS AT 120K MILES. AFTER REVIEWING SEVERAL INTERNET SITES THIS TRANSMISSION FAILURE IS A VERY COMMON ISSUE, AND WHILE WE ARE JUST NOW AT THE 7 YR (2008) LIMIT, MOST PEOPLE ARE OUTSIDE THE 109K WINDOW. IS THERE ANY HOPE/HELP THAT THE NHTSA CAN OFFER TO INFLUENCE HONDA TO PERFORM A FULL OR AT LEAST SHARED REPAIR? *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 HONDA ODYSSEY. WHILE DRIVING UPHILL AND STOPPING THE VEHICLE, THE VEHICLE ROLLED BACKWARDS WHEN THE CONTACT RELEASED THE BRAKE PEDAL TO ACCELERATE. HE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER FOR OTHER SERVICES AND WAS INFORMED THAT HIS TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE DEALER MADE THE REPLACEMENT FOR FREE. WHEN THE FAILURE RECURRED, ALL OF THE INSTRUMENT PANEL LIGHTS ILLUMINATED. WITH LESS THAN 19,000 MILES ON THE NEW TRANSMISSION, THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE DEALER AND THE TRANSMISSION WAS REPLACED AGAIN FOR FREE. THE CONTACT FEELS THAT IT IS ONLY A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE THE FAILURE RECURS. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 77,234 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 98,910. UPDATED 08/20/08 *BF THE CONSUMER HAS HAD 3 TRANSMISSION WITHIN SIX YEARS. THE TIMING BELT WAS REPLACED AND THE VEHICLE WAS LEAKING COOLANT, THE DEALER REPLACED THE WATER PUMP. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE DEALER REPLACED THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER. UPDATED 08/21/08. *JB

2001 HONDA ODYSSEY VAN CONTINUES TO HAVE ELECTRICAL DOOR PROBLEMS. DRIVER SIDE ELECTRIC DOOR LOCK WILL NOT UNLOCK, VERY DANGEROUS SHOULD THERE BE A VEHICLE FIRE OR IF VEHICLE WERE TO TURN OVER. PASSENGER SIDE ELECTRIC DOOR ALREADY HAD SAME PROBLEM AND WAS FIXED. DOORS DON'T FULLY CLOSE PROPERLY EITHER. I HAVE HEARD OF MANY PEOPLE WHO HAVE THESE SAME ISSUES. HONDA SHOULD ISSUE A RECALL AND FIX FOR FREE DUE TO THE LARGE NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE EXPERIENCED ELECTRICAL DOOR PROBLEMS. CURRENT LOCK PROBLEM OCCURRED 6/5/08; HOWEVER, HAVE BEEN HAVING ISSUES WITH DOOR CLOSING PROPERLY FOR YEARS NOW. *TR

WE OWN A 2001 HONDA ODYSSEY MINI-VAN WHICH WE PURCHASED NEW IN APRIL 2001. WE HAVE BEEN HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THE GEARS SHIFTING AND TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER ON A NUMBER OF OCCASIONS ONLY TO BE TOLD THERE IS NO ISSUE. FINALLY, WHEN THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WENT ON, THE DEALER CONCEDED THAT THE TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE HAS 77,000 MILES AND WAS STILL UNDER THE EXTENDED TRANSMISSION WARRANTY. HOWEVER, THE DEALER THAN TOLD US THAT THE ENGINE MOUNTS NEED TO BE REPLACED AS WELL. IN READING THE STRINGS ON THE NHTSA ODI WEBSITE, IT LOOKS LIKE THIS IS A PROBLEM THAT EXISTS ACROSS THE 2001 MODELS. I WOULD RECOMMEND THAT HONDA AND NHTSA BEGAN A RECALL OF THESE VEHICLES AND/OR EXTEND THE WARRANTY ON THE ENGINE MOUNTS AND THE TRANSMISSION TO 100K OR 10 YEARS. *TR

VERY NOISY SQUEAL REAR BRAKES WHEN NOT WORN. STARTLING WHEN BRAKING. SO LOUD THAT THEY MASK THE WARNING NOISE THAT THE BRAKES WOULD MAKE WHEN THEY WERE ACTUALLY WORN, THUS MAKING WARNING NOISE INEFFECTIVE. LOCAL HONDA DEALER ACKNOWLEDGED THAT THIS IS AN OBNOXIOUS PROBLEM ON 01 ODYSSEYS. HONDA AMERICAN ACKNOWLEDGED THE PROBLEM AND ISSUED A TSB BUT REFUSED TO PAY FOR ANY REPAIRS ON GROUNDS THAT IT WAS A "CHARACTERISTIC OF THE VEHICLE". *TR