2006 Honda Odyssey

MY 2006 ODYSSEY HAS BEEN IN THE SHOP 3 TIMES FOR THIS COMPLAINT. THE POWER STEERING PUMP MAKES A VERY BAD WHINING NOISE WHEN THE TEMPS ARE COLD. I WOULD SAY BELOW 50 DEGREES. WHEN WARM WEATHER APPROACHES, YOU DO NOT HEAR IT. IT IS VERY EMBARRASSING TO ME. THE VAN WAS PURCHASED BRAND NEW IN NOVEMBER 2006 WITH ONLY 4 MILES ON IT. I STARTED HAVING TROUBLE ABOUT A MONTH AFTER IT WAS PURCHASED AND IT WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE DEALER WHERE I PURCHASED IT WHICH IS AN HOUR AND A HALF DRIVE FROM WHERE I LIVE AND THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT CLAIMED THEY COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. I FINALLY GOT TIRED OF TAKING IT BACK AND FORTH PUTTING ADDITIONAL MILEAGE ON MY VAN THAT SHOULDN'T BE AND JUST SAID I WOULD DEAL WITH IT. WARM WEATHER CAME AND I DIDN'T HEAR IT ANYMORE. WELL THEN COMES COLD WEATHER AND I STARTING HEARING IT AGAIN SO THIS TIME I CONTACTED AMERICAN HONDA AND THE DIRECTOR FOR SERVICE AND HE MET ME HALF WAY AND HE HEARD THE WHINING NOISE AND STATED THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM FOR HONDA AND THEY ARE NOT SURE HOW TO FIX THE PROBLEM. HE STATED THEY HAD PUT 6 NEW POWER STEERING PUMPS ON ANOTHER ODYSSEY AND COULD NOT FIX THE PROBLEM. WELL THEY REPLACED MY POWER STEERING PUMP AND ABOUT A MONTH LATER IT STARTED MAKING THE NOISE YET AGAIN. I CONTACTED THE SERVICE DIRECTOR AGAIN AND HE SAID HE WOULD NOTE IT AND I COULD GET IT FIXED WHEN I WANTED TO SO I HAVE NOW TAKEN MY VAN BACK TO THE SHOP TO GET IT FIXED AGAIN. I WILL BE WRITING A CERTIFIED LETTER TO HONDA AND WILL FILE THE LEMON LAW IF NEED BE. I HAVE 3 KIDS AND I REALLY NEED MY VAN AND THIS HAS BEEN THE MOST UNPLEASANT EXPERIENCE FOR ME AND MY FAMILY. I BOUGHT A HONDA DUE TO THE REVIEWS AND RATINGS BUT I WILL THINK LONG AND HARD ABOUT IT THE NEXT TIME.*JB

TL* - THE CONTACT HAS A 2006 HONDAY ODYSSEY. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS TRAVELING BETWEEN 5 AND 10 MPH SHE HEARD A HUMMING SOUND. ALSO, WHILE DRIVING AT FASTER SPEEDS SHE COULD NOT HEAR THE SOUND. THE SOUND WAS SOMETIMES LIKE A POWER TOOL. THE CONTACT STATED THAT ITWAS AS IF THE ENGINE WAS REVVING HIGHER THAN THE SPEED SHEWAS DRIVING. IT ONLY HAPPENED WHEN THE WEATHER WAS COLD, 40 DEGREES AND BELOW ,AND USUALLY AFTER DRIVING ABOUT 5 - 10 MINUTES. THE CONTACT MADE A RECORDING AND LET THE DEALER SEE IT, AND T THE DEALER MAINTAINED THAT HE COULD NOT HEAR THE NOISE.

A 1500 RPM, A VIBRATION IS FELT ON THE STEERING WHEEL WHEN MOVING UNDER LOAD (NOT COASTING). THIS OCCURS EVERY TIME AT THE ENGINE SPEED (NOT AT 1200 RPM OR 1700 RPM). THE DEALER SERVICE DEPARTMENT SAID THAT NO PROBLEM WAS SHOWN IN THE COMPUTER. I ALSO COMPLAINED THAT I WAS GETTING VERY POOR MILEAGE IN TOWN (LESS THAN 15 MPH WHICH I CONSIDER NOT ACCEPTABLE). THE VIBRATION IS MY MAIN CONCERN SINCE SOMETHING MAY BE OUT OF BALANCE AND CAUSE A FAILURE. *JB

THE POWER STEERING PUMP MAKES AN INTERMITTENT LOUD WHINING NOISE WHEN AT IDLE, UNDER POWER, AND WHILE TURNING. THE PROBLEM COMES AND GOES AND ONLY OCCURS WHEN TEMPERATURES DROP BELOW 55 -60 DEGREES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR REPAIRS IN APRIL 2006 BUT THE PROBLEM COULD NOT BE REPRODUCED. AFTER PICKING UP THE VEHICLE THE PROBLEM BEGAN AND I RETURNED THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER TO POSITIVELY IDENTIFY THE NOISE. PUMP PRESSURE WAS CHECK AND DETERMINED TO BE NORMAL. I WAS TOLD THAT THE PUMP WAS NORMAL AND NO REPAIRS WERE NEEDED. THROUGH THE WARMER MONTHS OF SPRING AND SUMMER THE PUMP HAS MADE NO NOISE. NOW THAT THE WEATHER IS GETTING COOLER THE PUMP IS AGAIN WHINNING. *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE SHORTNESS OF THE STEERING COLUMN CREATES FATIGUE WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH FOR PROLONGED HOURS ON NORMAL ROAD CONDITIONS. THE VEHICLE'S DOORS CANNOT OPEN WITHOUT PRESSING THE UNLOCK BUTTON FIRST WHICH CREATES A DELAY IN CASE OF EMERGENCY CONDITIONS. THE VEHICLE'S DOORS WILL NOT LOCK IF ONE OF THE DOORS ARE NOT CLOSED. THE CONTACT EXPRESSED THAT THE REAR WINDSHIELD WIPER ONLY WORKS INTERMITTENTLY WHICH CREATES A REAR VISION PROBLEM.

PURCHASED VEHICLE 5/23/06. VEHICLE HAS VIBRATION IN STEERING WHEEL SINCE PURCHASE. HONDA HAS BALANCED WHEELS TWICE WITHOUT SOLVING PROBLEM. I TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER 7/13/06 AND ASKED FOR REPAIR OF DEFECT UNDER NEW CAR WARRANTY. DEALER REFUSED AND GAVE ME A WORK ORDER STATING: HONDA REPRESENTATIVE HAD FOUND, LAST TIME IN, " VIBRATION TO BE NORMAL AT THIS TIME AS PER DPSM 999"...IN CONVERSATION WITH HONDA REP. HE TOLD ME VIBRATIONS ARE NOT A DEFECT BUT A CHARACTERISTIC OF THIS VEHICLE. SAFETY, EXCESSIVE WEAR ON MECHANICAL COMPONENTS AND DEGRADED RE-SALE VALUES ARE NOT AN ISSUE. IT WAS ALSO MY RESPONSIBILITY PRIOR TO PURCHASING VEHICLE TO TEST DRIVE AND DETERMINE "CHARACTERISTICS" AND EITHER TO PURCHASE OR DECLINE PURCHASING ON THAT BASIS... IT APPEARS HONDA IS ATTEMPTING TO SHIFT THE BURDEN AND EXPENSE OF THEIR DEFECTS ON THE CONSUMER. *JB