2001 HONDA ODYSSEY Complaints

WHILE ATTEMPTING TO STOP OUR 2001 ODYSSEY IN MY SON'S SCHOOL PARKING LOT THE BRAKE PEDAL--WITHOUT ANY PRIOR WARNING--WENT TO THE FLOOR AND I COASTED PAST MY INTENDED STOPPING POINT BY ABOUT 20 FEET. LUCKILY NO PERSON OR VEHICLE WAS DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF ME AT THAT TIME. I WAS ABLE TO RESTORE BRAKE FUNCTION BY PUMPING THE BRAKE PEDAL. THE NEXT DAY MY MECHANIC EXAMINED THE BRAKE MASTER CYLINDER AND FOUND BRAKE FLUID LEAKING INTO THE BRAKE BOOSTER. HE EXPLAINED THAT WHEN THE SEALS ON THE MASTER CYLINDER LEAK THE FLUID COLLECTS IN THE BRAKE BOOSTER. TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM HE HAD TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE MASTER CYLINDER. HE THOUGHT THAT THIS PROBLEM WAS VERY VERY UNUSUAL. HE SPECIALIZES IN IMPORTED VEHICLES AND HAD NEVER BEFORE REPLACED A LEAKING MASTER CYLINDER ON A HONDA ODYSSEY OF ANY MODEL YEAR. OUR ODYSSEY IS A 2001 MODEL, IS VERY WELL MAINTAINED AND HAS BEEN DRIVEN LESS THAN 64,000 MILES. *TR

INTERMITTENT "CHECK ENGINE" WARNING ACCOMPANIED BY "TCS" WARNING LIGHT ON DASHBOARD; SLIPPING TRANSMISSION DURING ROUTINE ACCELERATION BETWEEN 2ND/3RD GEARS AND 3RD/4TH GEARS. WARNING LIGHT PROBLEM STARTED IN AUG '07; RECURRING NOW IN AUG '08 WITH CONSISTENT TRANSMISSION SLIPPAGE/FAILURES DURING NORMAL CITY/HIGHWAY DRIVING. *TR

2001 ODYSSEY, TRANSMISSION ACTED UP... SLIPPING AFTER STOP, AND HARD CHANGE FROM GEAR TO GEAR...LOUD NOISE IN REVERSED JUST NOTICED.*TR

TRANSMISSION STARTED LEAKING AT 67500 DEALER RECOMMENDS REPLACEING TRANSMISSION. *TR

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