2005 HONDA ODYSSEY Complaints

TL* - THE CONTACT HAS A 2005 HONDA ODYSSEY ES. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN HE PULLS THE SEAT BELT DOWN ON THE DRIVERS SEAT TO PUT IN ON IT GETS CAUGHT BETWEEN THE DOOR PILLAR AND SEAT. IT IS WEARING THE MATERIAL OF THE SEAT, AND THE CONTACT IS CONCERNED THAT THIS WILL EITHER RUIN OR BLOW OUT THE AIR BAG IN THE DRIVERS SEAT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THIS IS AN ONGOING PROBLEM. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGE WERE BOTH 10740. THE CONSUMER HAS FOUND HELP. UPDATED 03/15/07. *JB

TRANSMISSION MAKES VIBRATING NOISE ABOUT 45 MPH WHEN ACCELERATING ON SLIGHT UPHILL GRADE. VAN TAKEN TO DEALER SHOP FOR INVESTIGATION. I WAS TOLD THAT ALL CHECKS WERE WITHIN HONDA SPEC. I WAS INFORMED THAT IT PROBABLY ALWAYS DID THIS AND THAT I JUST DIDN'T NOTICE IT. *JB

NOTICED AN OSCILLATION (SHIMMY) AT 40+ MPH AROUND 7K MILES THAT PROGRESSIVELY WORSENED OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF MONTHS. AFTER 4 VISITS TO THE DEALER WITHIN THE FIRST YEAR, WHICH INCLUDED 2 ALIGNMENTS, 2 ROAD FORCE BALANCING AND TIRE ROTATIONS, THE SHIMMY STILL PERSISTS AT 24K MILES. DEALER CANNOT FIX. WILL CONTACT HONDA DIRECTLY. *NM

FRONT BRAKES MAKE A LOUD GRINDING NOISE AND PULSATION UNDER MODERATE BRAKING. MOST NOTICEABLE ON DOWN-HILL STOPS IN WARM WEATHER. *JB

MULTIPLE ISSUES AND INCIDENTS. OVERALL SIGNIFICANT COOLING SYSTEM DESIGN FLAWS COMBINED WITH TOW PACKAGE INSTALL MISTAKES LEAVE THE COOLING LINES UN-SECURE AND UNPROTECTED. 2 AC LINE PUNCTURES, 5 POWER STEERING GRINDING REPAIR ATTEMPTS TO NO AVAIL. *NM

PREMATURE TIRE WEAR. HONDA ODYSSEY TOURING HAS MICHELIN PAX TIRE SYSTEM DESIGNATED AS A HIGH-END PREMIUM FEATURE SAFETY SYSTEM. THESE TIRES WEAR OUT IN 23000 MILES, WHICH IS WELL BELOW STANDARD TIRES OFFERED ON OTHER HONDA ODYSSEY PACKAGES. IN ADDITION, THE PAX SYSTEM IS A PROPRIETARY DESIGN OFFERED ONLY BY ONE TIRE MANUFACTURER, IS NOT COMPATIBLE WITH STANDARD WHEELS, AND REQUIRES DEALER/TIRE SERVICE GARAGES TO HAVE UNIQUE EXPENSIVE MOUNTING EQUIPMENT. FEW TIRE DEALERS SUPPORT PAX. EXAMPLE: ONLY ONE DEALER IN SAN DIEGO SUPPORTS PAX. FOR TRAVELERS ON THE ROAD WHO EXPERIENCE A FAILURE, IT WILL BE DIFFICULT OR IMPOSSIBLE TO LOCATE A NEAR BY REPLACEMENT. THE ODYSSEY TOURING DOES NOT COME WITH A SPARE TIRE, SO THE MAX RUN-FLAT DISTANCE OF 100 MI MAY NOT BE ENOUGH TO REACH TIRE STORE. THE HONDA SALES REPRESENTATIVES DO NOT OFFER ANY OF THIS INFORMATION TO PROSPECTIVE CUSTOMERS AT THE TIME OF SALE. THE HONDA ODYSSEY TOUR MODEL CAN NOT BE RETROFITTED WITH STANDARD TIRES DUE TO VEHICLE'S COMPUTER SYSTEM SETTINGS. *NM

POWER STEERING PUMP CREATED WHINING NOISE WHICH THE DEALER DETERMINED WAS A DEFECTIVE PUMP. MILEAGE WAS ABOUT 13K WHEN BOUGHT TO DEALER. NOISE WAS PRESENT AFTER LONG DRIVES (30 MINS OR MORE). POWER STEERING PUMP REPLACED. NEW POWER STEERING PUMP HAS STARTED DEVELOPED LOW LEVEL NOISE AGAIN. *NM

STEERING WHEEL SHAKE AT 50+ MPH SINCE NEW. DEALER NOT RECEPTIVE TO COMPLAINTS DURING FIRST FEW VISITS AND RECALL SERVICE VISITS. WEEK OF 11-12-06 DEALER WILL TEST DRIVE DUE TO 'SERVICE BULLETIN' FROM HONDA. WE HAVE BEEN PUTTING UP WITH THIS WHEEL SHAKE FOR TWO YEARS. *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE SUNROOF GLASS SHATTERED, NEARLY CAUSING INJURIES TO THE PASSENGERS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE SERVICE DEALER WHO DETERMINED THAT THERE SEEMED TO BE NO OBJECTS THAT HIT THE VEHICLE TO CAUSE THE SHATTERED GLASS AND THEY COULD NOT DETERMINE WHAT CAUSED THE INCIDENT. THE CONTACT EXPRESSED CONCERN THAT THE GLASS WAS DEFECTIVE.

WHEN PURCHASED NEW OFF THE LOT, EXPERIENCED SUBSTANTIAL PULL TO THE RIGHT. DROVE 500 MILES AND RETURNED TO DEALER FOR SERVICE. WAS TOLD THEY NEEDED TO INSTALL CAMBER BOLTS THEN ALIGN SUSPENSION (THEY REDUCED TIRE PRESSURE IN ALL FOUR TIRES BY TEN POUNDS). PROBLEM WAS NOT ABATED. AFTER 5000 ROAD TRIP, RETURNED TO DEALER TO ALIGN AGAIN(AGAIN REDUCING TIRE PRESSURE). SIX MONTHS LATER WAS STILL EXPERIENCING PULL, BUT NOW ACCOMPANIED BY PROGRESSIVELY WORSENING VIBRATION. DEALER ROTATED AND CROSS SWITCHED TIRES (ONCE AGAIN REDUCING TIRE PRESSURE). PROBLEM SEEMED SOLVED. MIDWAY THOUGH NEXT 5000 MILE ROAD TRIP VIBRATION AND PULL STARTED TO RECUR, GROWING PROGRESSIVELY WORSE AS TRIP WAS CONCLUDED. NOW AT 26000 MILES BOTH FRONT TIRES HAVE SUBSTANTIAL WEAR AND NEED TO BE REPLACED AND THE CAR ONCE MORE NEEDS TO BE ALIGNED. *JB