2006 Honda Odyssey

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

2006 HONDA ODYSSEY EXL (69,659 MILES) - BROKEN REAR MOTOR MOUNT, SPECIAL DESIGN MOTOR MOUNT ($556.43 FOR PART AND $685.21 INSTALLED). UNUSUAL AND VERY EXPENSIVE REPAIR FOR A CAR WITH RELATIVELY LOW MILEAGE. HAVE NOT HAD TO REPLACE MOTOR MOUNT ON ANY CAR SINCE THE 1970S. CAR HAS ALWAYS BEEN SERVICED BY HONDA DEALER AND NO PRIOR INDICATION OF ANY PROBLEMS WHEN UNDER WARRANTY. DEEP RUMBLING NOISE, SIMILAR TO A HOLE IN AN EXHAUST PIPE, FROM FRONT ENGINE AREA WAS ONLY SYMPTOM. BASED ON REPORTS ON INTERNET, BROKEN MOTOR MOUNTS ARE A VERY COMMON AND EXPENSIVE PROBLEM WITH HONDA ODYSSEYS (AND ACCORDS). THIS IS THE FIFTH HONDA AND THE THIRD HONDA ODYSSEY THAT WE HAVE OWNED AND HAVE NEVER HAD ANY MAJOR PROBLEMS UNTIL NOW. HAD I BEEN AWARE OF THIS MOTOR MOUNT PROBLEM I PROBABLY WOULD HAVE BOUGHT A TOYOTA VAN. DESPITE THE UNWARRANTED BAD RAP THAT TOYOTA SUFFERED RECENTLY FOR ACCELERATION PROBLEMS THAT ARE JUST AS COMMON IN GENERAL MOTORS CARS, I HAVE NOT HAD ANY PROBLEMS WITH THE FOUR TOYOTAS WE HAVE OWNED, AND TOYOTA DID FAR MORE THAN THEY PROBABLY HAD TO, TO ADDRESS THE ALLEGED PROBLEM. MY NEXT CAR WILL NOT BE A HONDA. *KB

AC CONDENSER CRACKED AND CAUSED THE AIR CONDITIONER TO NOT FUNCTION PROPERLY. DEALER STATED DAMAGE DUE TO ROAD DEBRIS HITTING AC CONDENSER. HONDA ORIGINAL DESIGN HAS CONDENSER EXPOSED AT FRONT BUMPER. DEALER REPAIR INCLUDED NEW CONDENSER AND HEAVY GAUGE WIRE SCREEN TO PROTECT CONDENSER FROM FUTURE DAMAGE. CLEARLY HONDA KNOWS THEY HAVE A POOR VEHICLE DESIGN AND IS COVERTLY ADDRESSING THE ISSUE AT CUSTOMER AND INSURANCE COMPANY EXPENSE. DEALERS ARE ENCOURAGING CUSTOMERS TO FILE INSURANCE CLAIMS FOR ROAD DAMAGE. REPAIR COST WAS $722, WITH $415 FOR THE CONDENSER. THANKFULLY OR SAFETY WAS NOT IN JEOPARDY. SINCE OUR HONDA ODYSSEY MODEL YEAR, HONDA HAS CHANGED DESIGN TO INCLUDE A THINK PLASTIC INSERT INTO THE FRONT BUMPER TO PROTECT THE CONDENSER. VAN IS 2006 WITH LESS THAN 60,000 MILES. IT IS DRIVEN MOSTLY IN THE CITY. THE DAMAGE APPEARED IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING AN OIL CHANGE AT HONDA ON GRAND IN ELMHURST. PRIOR TO THE OIL CHANGE, THE VAN WAS NOT LEAKING ANY FLUIDS. POST OIL CHANGE, THE CONDENSER STARTED LEAKING. AT FIRST, THE DEALER THOUGHT IT WAS OIL LEAKING. THEY DIAGNOSED THE PROBLEM A WEEK LATER AFTER FLUID CONTINUED TO DRIP AND LEAVE LARGE SPOTS ON THE DRIVEWAY. *TR

2006 HONDA ODYSSEY. CONSUMER STATES PROBLEM WITH BRAKES *TGW THE CONSUMER STATED WHEN HE ATTEMPTED TO APPLY THE BRAKE, THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT STOP AND THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT STOP. IT WOULD CONTINUE TO TRAVEL. THERE WAS ALSO A NOISE PRESENT WHEN THE BRAKE WAS APPLIED. ALSO, THE CD PLAYER STOPPED WORKING WITHIN SIX MONTHS OF OWNING THE VEHICLE, THERE WAS A HUMMING NOISE COMING FROM THE ENGINE. *JB