2005 Honda Odyssey

WE'VE HAD THE LEFT SIDE SLIDING DOOR ON OUR 2005 HONDA ODYSSEY FAIL TO CLOSE NUMEROUS TIMES OVER THE PAST 3 YEARS. THE DEALER HAS 'FIXED' IT AT LEAST FOUR TIMES IN THE PAST THREE YEARS. MOST RECENTLY, WHILE RETURNING FROM A TRIP TO FLORIDA, THE DOOR FAILED TO CLOSE AT A REST STOP. IN ATTEMPTING TO CLOSE THE DOOR MANUALLY, THE 'SLIDING SPRING' BROKE AND THE DOOR SLIPPED OFF THE TRACK. WE HAD TO LIFT THE DOOR AND SLIDE IT SHUT. WHEN THE SPRING BROKE, THE WEIGHT OF THE DOOR CAUSED THE SLIDING TRACK TO BE DENTED OUTWARD. OUR FEAR IS THAT THE DOOR CAN SLIDE OFF THE TRACK AND FALL AT ANY TIME SINCE THERE'S NOTHING TO HOLD IT IN. WE FEEL THAT THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE THAT SHOULD NOT BE HAPPENING TO ANY CAR MUCH LESS A 3 YEAR OLD VEHICLE. WE CONTACTED BOTH HONDA AND THE DEALER. WE'RE BEING CHARGED $95.00 FOR THE DEALER TO DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM AND MAY BE CHARGED THE FULL COST OF REPAIRING THE DOOR. THE DEALER HAS INDICATED THAT IN ORDER TO PROPERLY DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM, THE DOOR MUST BE REMOVED COMPLETELY. THIS IS A MAJOR REPAIR THAT CAN RUN INTO SEVERAL HUNDRED DOLLARS. NEITHER HONDA OR THE DEALER IS OFFERING TO COVER THE COST OF THE REPAIRS AT THIS POINT DESPITE THEIR RECORD OF REPEATED REPAIRS TO THIS VEHICLE FOR THE SAME PROBLEM. *TR

MY 2005 HONDA ODYSSEY TOURING VAN NEEDED NEW HATCH STRUTS. I HAVE 42,000 MILES ON VAN. LABOR $44.78 - PARTS $130.80 - CHARGE FOR PREPARING REPAIR ORDER $4.48 - TAX $10.81. TOTAL COST $190.87. I TOLD MY FRIEND WHO HAS A TOYOTA SIENNA AND HE JUST RECEIVED A LETTER FROM TOYOTA TELLING HIM THEY HAVE HAD PROBLEMS WITH THE HATCH STRUTS AND HAVE EXTENDED THE WARRANTY FOR FIVE YEARS, I THINK. IF YOU HAVE HAD THE PROBLEM REPAIRED ALREADY THEY WILL PAY YOU BACK. I WONDER IF THEY USE THE SAME STRUTS? GOOD CUSTOMER SERVICE FROM TOYOTA. ARE YOU LISTENING HONDA? *TR

THERE WERE NO EVENTS LEADING TO FAILURE. FAILURE OF THE REAR DOOR SUPPORT STRUT WAS SUDDEN. ONE OF THE STRUT FAILED IMMEDIATELY. UPON RESEARCH ON INTERNET, FOUND THAT STRUT MAKING SOUND MOST LIKELY HAD A FAILED SEAL AND INERT GAS HAD ESCAPED. APPEARED SIMILAR TO RECALL ISSUE WITH TOYOTA SIENNA'S. HONDA MFG HAD NO RECALL ISSUE WITH THE FAILURE OF THE STRUT. UPON CONTACT WITH LOCAL HONDA DISTRIBUTOR FIRST HONDA IN SIMI VALLEY, BECAUSE CAR HAD 37K MILES IT HAD GONE BEYOND THE 36K WARRANTY FOR THE VEHICLE. COST FOR MATERIAL AND LABOR TO REPAIR THE STRUT WAS $170K MATERIAL $110 AND LABOR $60 APPROX. THE ACTUAL REPAIR WORK TOOK 10 - 15 MINUTES. VAN IS USED TO TRANSPORT SMALL CHILDREN AND THE FAILURE OF THE ONE, MADE OWNER- MOM VERY DIFFICULT TO PUT IN AND REMOVE- STROLLERS USED AND STORED IN BACK OF VEHICLE. IF FAILURE HAD BEEN WHILE PUTTING ITEMS IN AND OUT OF THE REAR, THE HEAVY WEIGHT OF THE DOOR WOULD HAVE RESULTED IN SERIOUS INJURY. *TR

MY 3 YEAR OLD SON SITS IN A BOOSTER SEAT, DRIVER'S SIDE, IN THE 2ND ROW SEATS OF OUR 05 ODYSSEY EX-L. THIS MODEL HAS ELECTRIC SLIDING DOORS ON BOTH SIDES. MY SON ROUTINELY OPENS AND CLOSES THE DOOR BY PULLING THE HANDLE AFTER ASKING PERMISSION. ON THIS OCCASION, HE WAS SEATED IN HIS SEAT AND BUCKLED IN WHEN HE STARTED THE DOOR CLOSING. ABOUT 10 SECONDS LATER, AS THE DOOR WAS COMPLETING IT'S LATCHING, HE STARTED SCREAMING AT THE TOP OF HIS LUNGS. HIS LEFT HAND WAS CAUGHT AT THE BACK EDGE OF THE DOOR BETWEEN THE WEATHERSTRIP AND THE DOOR ITSELF. I HAD TO OPEN THE DOOR WITH THE DASH MOUNTED BUTTON TO RELEASE HIS HAND. UPON EXAMINATION BY HIS MOTHER AND ME, ONE OF HIS FINGERS WAS SCRATCHED A BIT AND THEY HURT, BUT NO INDICATIONS OF MORE SERIOUS INJURY, THANKS TO GOD. I'VE ALWAYS BEEN A BIT CONCERNED ABOUT THE FRONT OF THE DOOR CATCHING OR PINCHING SOMEONE, BUT NEVER REALLY THOUGHT ABOUT THE BACK OF THE DOOR AS IT PULLS IN TO LATCH. UPON TESTING MYSELF AFTER THIS, IT ACTUALLY TAKES A FAIR AMOUNT OF FORCE BACK THERE TO MAKE THE DOOR REVERSE. A CHILD'S' FINGERS WILL BE NO MATCH FOR IT. I THINK HONDA (AND PROBABLY OTHERS) NEEDS TO EVALUATE THE EFFECTIVENESS AND SAFETY OF AUTOMATIC DOORS ON MINIVANS. *TR

I AM THE ORIGINAL OWNER OF THE 2005 HONDA ODYSSEY WITH ABOUT 15 K MILES. IN JUNE WE NOTICED LOSS OF THE AC SYSTEM. UPON A VISIT TO LOCAL HONDA DEALER I WAS TOLD THAT A ROCK/ROAD DEBRIS PUNCTURED THE AC CONDENSER AND THE REPAIR ESTIMATE RUNS ABOUT $ 700.00. IN A PROCESS OF CALLING 5 OTHER LOCAL HONDA DEALERS TRYING TO GET A BETTER PRICING, I LEARNED THAT MY CASE IS NOT THAT RARE AS IT MAY SOUND. I WAS TOLD THAT ON AVERAGE THEY REPLACE ABOUT 2-3 AC CONDENSERS A MONTH. THEN I CHECKED THE INTERNET AND FOUND MUCH MORE ODYSSEY'S OWNER WITH IDENTICAL STORIES. MY ISSUE IS THAT 2005-2007 ODYSSEY HAS A DESIGN FLAW - TOO BIG OPENING UNDER THE BUMPER THAT ALLOWS ANY ROAD DEBRIS TO PENETRATE AC CONDENSER AND/OR RADIATOR. I AM FIRM BELIEVER THAT HONDA ACKNOWLEDGES THAT PROBLEM BECAUSE 2008 ODYSSEY HAS A VERY NICE, FACTORY INSTALLED SCREEN MESH UNDER THE BUMPER WITHOUT ANY SIGNIFICANT BODY UPGRADES FOR THAT YEAR MODEL. I CALLED THE REGIONAL HONDA CUSTOMER SERVICE CENTER BUT THEY DENIED ANY RESPONSIBILITY. *TR

ON 07/16/07 MY WIFE DROVE ABOUT 65 MILES TO A DR. APPOINTMENT. WHEN SHE STOPPED SMOKE CAME FROM UNDER THE HOOD. SHE CALLED ME AND I DROVE THE 65 MILES TO CHECK THE VAN. THE AIR CONDITIONER WAS NOT WORKING SO I TOOK THE VAN TO THE DEALER THINKING A WARRANTY REPAIR. THEY TOLD ME A OBJECT HIT THE AIR CONDITIONER COIL IN FRONT OF THE RADIATOR AND THIS WAS NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. IT COST ME $720.35. THEY ADVISED ME TO ORDER A AFTERMARKET BILLITE GRILL FROM E BAY AND THIS WILL KEEP THIS FROM HAPPENING AGAIN. I DID AND THIS COST ME $104.00. I DID A SEARCH IN THE INTERNET AND FOUND THIS IS HAPPENING TO A LOT OF PEOPLE IN ALL AREAS OF THE COUNTRY. SEEMS THERE IS POOR DESIGNING FOR THIS AREA OF THE VAN ALLOWING OBJECTS TO DAMAGE THE VEHICLE'S PARTS. PLEASE INVESTIGATE THIS PROBLEM. *TR