2006 Honda Odyssey

EVERY TIME IT IS RAINING AND CAR GOES THROUGH A PUDDLE THE BATTERY LIGHT COMES ON AND THE CAR LOOSES POWER STEERING. HAS HAPPENED NUMEROUS TIMES AND WHEN GOING TO THE DEALERSHIP I WAS TOLD THAT THEY COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM BECAUSE IT WAS NOT RAINING AT THE TIME. THEY STATED THEY COULD REPLACE THE POWER STEERING PUMP & RESERVOIR AND IT MIGHT FIX THE PROBLEM. THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS AND SEEMS TO BE HAPPENING ON QUITE A FEW OF THE HONDA VEHICLES. I KNOW ANOTHER PERSON WHO OWNS THEY EXACT SAME MODEL AND YEAR AND THEY ARE EXPERIENCING THE SAME PROBLEM. LAST FEW TIMES IT RAINED POWER STEERING WENT OUT 5-7 TIMES DURING A 20 MIN DRIVE SO THE NUMBER OF TIMES IS INCREASING. *TT

DRIVING ON 2 LANE HIGHWAY WITH MY 3 KIDS IN THE VAN. THE BATTERY LIGHT COMES ON AND I HEAR A FEW BRIEF CLUNKS FROM ENGINE AREA. THEN I REALIZE I HAVE NO POWER STEERING SO I STOP QUICKLY AT A SAFE SPOT. I LOOK AT THE ENGINE AND SEE THE ACCESSORY BELT THAT DRIVES POWER STEERING PUMP, ALTERNATOR, AND A/C IS LOOSE. I SEE THAT THE OUTER RING ON THE CRANKSHAFT PULLEY IS MISSING AND ONLY SEE RUBBER ON ITS OUTSIDE. IT'S OVER 100 DEG.F OUTSIDE AND WE'RE 10 MILES FROM ANYTHING. I CALL A FEW TOWING COMPANIES AND FIND ONE THAT CAN SHOW UP WITHIN AN HOUR. WE WAIT AND ALSO GET A HOLD OF A FRIEND TO PICK US UP AFTER THE TOW TRUCK SHOWS UP. THEY TOW IT TO OUR LOCAL HONDA DEALER. THE DEALER REPLACES THE CRANKSHAFT PULLEY AND DRIVE BELT. TOWING WAS $153.40 AND REPAIR AT DEALER WAS $349.56. LOSING POWER STEERING ON NARROW TWO LANE HIGHWAY GOING 55 MPH IS UNSAFE AND THE CRANKSHAFT PULLEY SHOULD NOT FAIL EVEN AT 111K MILES. I HAVE OWNED THE VAN SINCE NEW AND HAVE ALL PROPER MAINTENANCE DONE (PREVENTIVELY REPLACED ACCESSORY BELT BEFORE AND TIMING BELT AND WATER PUMP). *KB

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 HONDA ODYSSEY. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE STEERING WHEEL WOULD BECOME VERY DIFFICULT TO TURN APPROXIMATELY THIRTY MINUTES AFTER THE VEHICLE WAS STARTED. THE STEERING WHEEL REQUIRED EXCESSIVE FORCE TO MAKE TURNS DURING THE FAILURES. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT THE POWER STEERING FLUID RESERVOIR WAS NOT LARGE ENOUGH TO MAINTAIN AN ADEQUATE AMOUNT OF FLUID. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHERE THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE RESERVOIR WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED WITH A LARGER VERSION. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE, BUT OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 39,700. HONDA HAS RELEASED A SERVICE BULLETIN AND HONDA HAD ACKNOWLEDGED THAT THERE INDEED IS A PROBLEM AND WILL FIX IT ONLY IF THE VEHICLE IS STILL UNDER WARRANTY. UPDATED 09/14/2011 *LN UPATED 12/19/11 *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 HONDA ODYSSEY TOURING. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE POWER STEERING PUMP WOULD EXHIBIT A LOUD, ABNORMAL NOISE WHEN THE ENGINE WAS WARMED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE POWER STEERING SYSTEM WAS DEFECTIVE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED WHO OFFERED TO PAY FIFTY PERCENT OF THE REPAIR COSTS. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 24,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 42,000.

TL * THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 HONDA ODYSSEY. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE POWER STEERING WAS HARD TO TURN AND WOULD SPORADICALLY EXHIBIT AN ABNORMAL NOISE WHEN DRIVING AT LOW SPEEDS. NEITHER THE DEALER NOR THE MANUFACTURER HAD BEEN CONTACTED TO REPORT THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 48,356.

SINCE EARLY 2010, THE STEERING PUMP IN MY 2006 ODYSSEY HAS BEEN MAKING AN INTERMITTENT WHINING NOISE. WHEN IT MAKES THIS NOISE, THE STEERING WHEEL BECOMES DIFFICULT TO TURN. A FEW DAYS AGO IT BECAME BAD ENOUGH TO TAKE IN TO THE DEALER FOR SERVICE. PRIOR TO TAKING IT IN, I NOTED THAT HONDA HAS 2 TECH SERVICE BULLETINS FOR THIS ISSUE, ONE TO THE REPLACE THE PUMP (DEC 2010) AND ONE TO REPLACE THE STEERING FLUID RESERVOIR (2009). THE BULLETIN FOR THE PUMP SPECIFICALLY STATED THAT THE PUMP DESIGN WAS INSUFFICIENT TO PROVIDE ENOUGH POWER FOR THE STEERING SYSTEM, AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED BY A HIGHER POWER PUMP WITH A NEW PART NUMBER. I CALLED AMERICAN HONDA TO TRY TO GET THIS COVERED BY HONDA AS A SAFETY ISSUE AND A KNOWN DESIGN DEFECT (BAD STEERING), THEY OFFERED TO PAY FOR $250 OUT OF A $750 TOTAL REPAIR BILL. MY CAR IS APPROXIMATELY 1 1/2 YEARS OUT OF WARRANTY TIME LIMIT, BUT UNDER WARRANTY MILEAGE (35000). I FEEL THIS IS DEFINITELY A SAFETY ISSUE (STEERING) AND SHOULD BE SUBJECT TO A RECALL BEFORE A STEERING FAILURE AND SOMEONE GETS INJURED OR WORSE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 HONDA ODYSSEY. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED AND AS THE STEERING WHEEL WAS TURNED, IT EXHIBITED AN ABNORMAL WHINING AND BECAME DIFFICULT TO TURN. THE FAILURE PROGRESSED AND WOULD OCCUR WHETHER THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED OR IN MOTION. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHERE THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THERE WAS A RACK AND PINION LEAK. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 37,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 42,000.