2000 Honda Odyssey

IN APRIL, OUR FAMILY TOOK A RIDE (SPEEDS TO 50 MPH). OUR VAN'S ENGINE BEGAN TO REV UP AT STOP LIGHTS TO APPROX. 5000 RPM'S. WE HAD TO PUMP THE BRAKES VIOLENTLY IN ORDER TO STOP, THEN PARK. (DEPRESSING THEM ONCE DIDN'T SLOW IT DOWN ENOUGH.). *AK AFTER A FRIGHTENING DRIVE, AND SIMILAR EPISODES ON THE WAY TO THE DEALER (APPROX. 5 MILES AWAY), THE ENGINE HAD QUIT RACING. THEY COULDN'T DIAGNOSE ANYTHING, BUT MENTIONED THAT PERHAPS MY HUSBAND HAD PRESSED BOTH THE BRAKE AND THE GAS TO CAUSE THIS. NO WAY! NOT AFTER DRIVING THE VAN FOR FOUR YEARS. IN MAY, WE DROVE TO COLORADO (FROM INDIANA). AFTER THE FIRST 3 HOURS, WE PULLED OFF THE HWY., THE ENGINE ROARED WHEN WE SLOWED TO ABOUT 30 M.P.H.. AGAIN, WE PUMPED THE BRAKES, TERRIFIED THAT WE WEREN'T GOING TO STOP. THE BRAKES ARE BARELY EFFECTIVE, ALTHOUGH THEY WERE JUST CHECKED. A COLORADO DEALER TRIED TO PUT THE VAN ON THE COMPUTER TO FIND A PROBLEM CODE, NONE EXISTED. THEY COULDN'T HELP. ONCE HOME,I BROUGHT THE VAN TO OUR DEALER AGAIN. THEY COULDN'T DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. NO SERVICE WAS LISTED ON THE RECEIPT (ALTHOUGH HONDA USA CLAIMS THEY DID SOMETHING WITH THE THROTTLE BODY DURING THAT VISIT). THIS WEEK, I WAS SLOWING DOWN AT A STOP SIGN, AND IT HAPPENED AGAINL. THE NEXT DAY, I PULLED INTO A PARKING LOT (COLD ENGINE). ONCE STOPPED OR ALMOST, IT BEGAN REVVING (50000 RPM'S). I PUT IT INTO "PARK" AND IT SLOWED DOWN IMMEDIATELY. HONDA USA INFORMED ME THAT THEY CAN'T HELP ME. IF THE PROBLEM ISN'T DUPLICABLE IN THEIR SHOP(S), IT CAN'T BE DIAGNOSED. I AM TERRIFIED FOR THE LIVES OF MY 2 CHILDREN THAT FREQUENTLY DRIVE WITH ME. PLEASE UNDERSTAND: ONCE YOU ARE ABLE TO STOP THE VAN, AND PUT IT INTO PARK, IT NO LONGER REVS OR FEELS LIKE IT WANTS TO TAKE OFF. THE PROBLEM VANISHES ONCE I STOP AT A DEALERSHIP. IT OCCURS ONLY SPORADICALLY. I NOTICED AT LEAST TWO SIMILAR COMPLAINTS ON YOUR SITE; ONE DATED JULY 18, 2001, ANOTHER JUNE 12, 2000.

THE CAR LURCHES WHEN ACCELARATING FROM A STANDING STOP. IT FEELS LIKE THE TRANSMISSION IS CATCHING, AND IS A JERKY MOVEMENT. HAS GOTTEN WORSE IN 2004 WHEN THE ENGINE WARNING LIGHT HAS BEEN ON AT LEAST THREE TIMES. *AK WE BOUGHT THE CAR "NEW" FROM WHAT WAS APPARENTLY CANADIAN INV ENTORY. WE WERE TOLD THAT BECAUSE THE CAR WAS CANADIAN THE ORIGINAL WARRANTY DID NOT APPLY AND THE DEALER PROVIDED 3RD PARTY COVERAGE. WHILE WE DID REPORT THE ISSUE DURING THE COVERAGE PERIOD, IT WAS NOT CLEAR WHAT EXACTLY IT WAS (AT LEAST TO US) AND WAS NOT IDENTIFIED AS A TRANSMISSION PROBLEM. ONLY IN 2004 HAVE WE AND THE DEALER CONCLUDED IT WAS DEFINATELY A TRANSMISSION ISSUE. HONDA USA WILL NOT ACKNOWLEDGE THE PROBLEM BECAUSE IT IS A "GRAY MARKET VECHICLE" AND SAID WE MUST DEAL WITH HONDA CANADA, AND HONDA CANADA SAYS IT IS A US PROBLEM AND WON'T DEAL WITH IT. WHILE THE DEALER IS SUPPORTIVE AND THEIR SERVICE DEPARTMENT HAS WORKED WITH US, THEY DIRECT US TO THE MANUFACTURER AS THEY SAY THE THIRD PARTY COVERAGE HAS EXPIRED AND THE GRAY MARKET VECHICLE HAS NO WARRANTY. I FEEL I HAVE A SAFETY ISSUE AND THAT NEITHER HONDA OR THE DEALER WILL STAND BEHIND THEIR VECHICLE. WHEN I DISCUSSED THE ISSUE WITH HONDA CANADA, THEY TOLD ME THE VIN INDICATED THAT A PREVIOUS OWNER WAS BUDGET RENTAL CARS, SO HOW THEY ARE INVOLVED IN THE SHIFTING OF DEALER INVENTORY IS QUESTIONABLE AT BEST. I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY THEY ARE ALLOWED TO OPERATE IN THIS WAY, AND WHY THE MANUFACTURER AND/OR THE DEALER WILL NOT STAND BEHIND THE VEHICLE AND ADDRESS A SERIOUS PROBLEM. THIS PROBLEM IS NOT NORMAL AND SHOULD NOT BE HAPPENING ON A CAR WITH 65,000 MILES, ESPECIALLY ONE THAT HAS BEEN WELL MAINTAINED WITH ALL SCHEDULED SERVICE.

ANOTHER CAR TURNED LEFT IN FRONT OF ME, WITH NO SIGNAL OR NO NOTICE. I HIT HER AND MY AIR BAGS DEPLOYED AND MY SEAT BELT HELD ME FINE. MY KIDS WERE IN THE SECOND ROW SEAT WITH SEAT BELTS ON. THEY BOTH HIT THE SEAT IN FRONT OF THEM. I THINK THE HANDLES THAT ARE ON THE SEATS (BAD DESIGN). MY SON LOST 4 PERMANENT TEETH AND HAD LACERATIONS TO HIS FACE. MY DAUGHTER HAD A CONCUSSION AND NOW HAS A HUGE SCAR ON HER LIP AND CHIN. I GUESS THE SHOULDER STRAPS FAILED TO LOCK?*AK

THE LEFT AUTOMATIC SLIDING DOOR NO LONGER CLOSES ALL THE WAY ON ITS OWN (MISSES BY ABOUT 1/32") AND TO KEEP THE BUZZER FROM SOUNDING CONTINUOUSLY, YOU HAVE TO "BUMP" THE DOOR CLOSED WITH YOUR HIP. THERE IS ALSO A SMALL, SHARP POINT THAT IS TRYING TO WORK ITS WAY THROUGH THIS DOOR FROM THE INSIDE, AND IT'S GETTING WORSE. I TOOK IT TO HONDA AND THEY SAID THAT THEY'VE SEEN THIS PROBLEM BEFORE AND FIXING IT WOULD COST APPROX. $700. I ASKED "IF YOU'VE SEEN IT BEFORE, HOW COME THERE'S NOT A RECALL ON THIS PROBLEM?", AND THEY SAID TO TALK TO THE MANAGER (WHO WASN'T THERE AT THE TIME), AND HE NEVER RETURNED MY CALL. ANYWAY, I NEVER GOT THE REPAIR DONE BECAUSE IT WAS TOO EXPENSIVE. THEN THE NEXT WEEK MY OTHER DOOR STARTED BUZZING CONTINUOUSLY, EVEN THOUGH IT WAS CLOSED ALL THE WAY. THE ONLY WAY TO STOP THAT BUZZING WAS TO DISABLE THE DOOR ENTIRELY (USING THE DASHBOARD DOOR SWITCH). FOR SOME REASON, THAT PROBLEM STOPPED ALL BY ITSELF ABOUT A WEEK AFTER IT STARTED, AND HASN'T COME BACK....BUT I'M STILL STUCK WITH THE DOOR FROM HELL ON THE OTHER SIDE. SINCE THEN, I'VE GONE TO OTHER CAR COMPLAINT WEBSITES AND SEEN JUST HOW COMMON THIS PROBLEM IS WITH ODYSSEY SLIDING DOORS, AND THAT EVEN WHEN PEOPLE GET THE PROBLEM FIXED, IT SOMETIMES RETURNS WITH THE NEW INSTALLED EQUIPMENT TOO -- REQUIRING ANOTHER FIX FOR $700. CAN'T HONDA JUST RECALL THIS MODEL AND FIX THE PROBLEM ONCE AND FOR ALL AT HONDA'S EXPENSE, IF IT'S SO WIDESPREAD?? I LOVE MY ODYSSEY, BUT THIS MAKES ME THINK TWICE ABOUT GETTING ANOTHER ONE (MY VERY FIRST ODYSSEY, A 1999 FIRST-YEAR MODEL, HAD SO MANY PROBLEMS (INCLUDING THE SAME SHARP POINT COMING THROUGH THE DOORS) THAT I BROUGHT IT BACK TO THE DEALER AFTER A YEAR AND 1/2 AND SAID THEY'D BETTER SWAP ME OUT WITH SOMETHING BETTER BECAUSE I WAS FED UP. THAT'S HOW I GOT MY "NEW IMPROVED" ODYSSEY.*AK

CONSUMER NOTICED THAT BOTH PASSENGER SIDE AND DRIVER SIDE SLIDING DOORS DID NOT CLOSE AND LOCK PROPERLY. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION, AND MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT THE DOOR LATCH ASSEMBLY NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. *AK THE DOOR AJAR LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED INDICATING THAT THE DOORS WERE NOT SECURED. A RECALL (#00V-119000) WAS ISSUED FOR THE PROBLEM THE VEHICLE EXHIBITED, BUT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED DUE TO VIN. *NM

WE HAVE A 2000 HONDA ODYSSEY WITH 40,000 MILES ON IT. GREAT CAR, EXCEPT THE POWER SLIDING DOOR LATCHES KEEP GIVING OUT. THIS HAPPENED DURING WARRANTY PERIOD TOO AND WAS RETURNED TO DEALER FOR REPAIR. HOWEVER, NO PARTS WERE REPLACED; THEY JUST RESET THE COMPUTER (CLEARED ERROR CODES). BUT THE PROBLEM RECURS. NOW HONDA HAS RECOMMENDED WE PAY $700 TO INSTALL NEW RE-DESIGNED LOCK MECHANISMS ( WE ARE OUT OF WARRANTY PERIOD). HONDA HAS NO OFFICIAL RECALL COVERING THIS PROBLEM FOR OUR VAN AS THIS VEHICLE WAS NOT BUILT DURING THE DEC-JAN PERIOD COVERED BY THE DOOR LATCH RECALL. BUT THE PROBLEM IS CLEARLY AFFECTING MANY MANY OTHER VEHICLES: WITNESS THE MANY HONDA SERVICE BULLETINS PUBLISHED ON THIS ISSUE. THIS IS A SAFETY PROBLEM CAUSED BY A MANUFACTURER DEFECT IN EITHER DESIGN OR MANUFACTURING. IT IS A SAFETY PROBLEM BECAUSE THE DOOR LATCHES, IF NOT REPLACED/REPAIRED, LEAVE THE DOORS SUBJECT TO OPENING WHILE THE VEHICLE IS IN MOTION. IT SHOULD NOT BE THE OWNER'S PROBLEM TO FIX BY BRINGING THE VEHICLE IN REPEATEDLY TO CLEAR COMPUTER ERROR CODES OR PAY $700 TO REPLACE THE FAULTY LATCHES. I ASK THAT YOU REQUEST OR ORDER HONDA TO EXPAND THEIR DOOR LATCH RECALL TO CORRECT THIS IMPORTANT SAFETY PROBLEM. THANK YOU. JOHN SCHLOSSER JSS1@SGSI.COM. *AK