2000 Honda Odyssey Brakes Problems

DT: THE CALLER SAID THE PASSENGER SIDE SLIDING DOOR OPENS WITHOUT WARNING. IT HAPPENS WHEN DRIVING. THE INDICATOR LIGHT COMES ON , AND THE ALARM GOES OFF. THE CALLER SAYS THE DOOR DOES NOT OPEN ALL THE WAY. HAD IT TO THE DEALER 10 TIMES FOR THIS PROBLEM. DEALER SAID IT WAS DIRTY CONNECTIONS AND DID NOT DO ANYTHING TO FIX IT. MANUFACTURER WILL OFFER NO HELP FOR FREE. ALSO, THE CALLER RECEIVED A RECALL LETTER CONCERNING GAS RECIRCULATION VALVE ( EGR VALVE). THE MANUFACTURER WILL NOT APPROVE THE RECALL WORK. ALSO WANTED TO TAKE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER. *AK THE ROTORS WERE RESURFACED, THE SEAT RECLINED WHEN THE CONSUMER EXITED THE VEHICLE. *JB

WHILE APPLYING THE BRAKES PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR VEHICLE SHOOK UNCONTROLLABLY. CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER FOR INSPECTION, AND MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT THE BRAKE PADS AND ROTORS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. *AK

TRANSMISSION DEFECT/EXTENDED WARRANTY PROBLEM/PULSATION OF BRAKES WHEN BRAKING, SLIDER DOORS STICKING/LOUD BUZZING SOUND (INTERMITTENT) *JB

WHILE APPLYING THE BRAKE PEDAL, THE VEHICLE FAILED TO STOP COMPLETELY. THE DRIVER WAS ABLE TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND DROVE IT TO A BODY SHOP FOR INSPECTION. THE MECHANIC WAS UNABLE TO RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER DETAILS. *JB

REAR BUCKET SEAT BUCKLE UNBOLTED FROM ITS STRUCTURE WITHOUT ANY IMPACT OR FORCE BEING APPLIED. *AK THERE WERE PROBLEMS WITH THE TEMPERATURE CONTROL KNOB. (THE ENTIRE HEAT A/C CONTROL PANEL WAS REPLACED), THE FRONT BRAKE PADS HAD TO BE REPLACED AND THE ROTORS HAD TO BE CUT, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT HAD COME ON, AND GASOLINE WAS SMELLED EACH TIME THE ENGINE WAS SHUT OFF. *SC *JB

I AM ON MY SECOND SET OF BRAKE PADS IN THE JUST UNDER 45000 MILES. I TOOK MY VAN TO TWO LOCAL BRAKE STORES AND THE DEALER. I TOLD THEM ALL THE SAME INFORMATION I WAS HEARING GRINDING WHEN I STOP. JUST BRAKES TOLD ME THE CALIPERS ON MY VAN WERE NOT RETRACTING. THIS CAUSED MY BRAKE PADS TO GLAZE BECAUSE IT WAS LIKE I WAS ALWAYS APPLYING MY BRAKES. THEY ALSO DISCOVERED MY BRAKE PADS WERE CRACKED. THEY ALSO HAD A LIST OF OTHER THINGS THAT HAD TO BE RESURFACED BECAUSE OF WEAR. THEIR ESTIMATE FOR THIS WORK WAS JUST OVER $400. IT WAS TIME FOR MY 45,000 MILE MAINTENANCE, SO I TOOK MY VAN TO GOODSON HONDA WHERE I PURCHASED IT. I TOLD THE DEALER MY CALIPERS WEREN'T WORKING. IT HAD CAUSED MY BRAKE PADS TO CRYSTALLIZE AND I WANTED MY EXTENDED WARRANTY TO COVER THE DEFECT IN THE CALIPERS AND TO FIX MY BREAK SYSTEM UNDER WARRANTY DUE TO THIS DEFECT. THEY TOLD ME THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE CALIPERS AND THE BRAKES SHOULD LAST ANOTHER 5000-7000 MILES. WHEN I ASKED WHY THE PADS WERE GLAZED, THEY SAID BRAKES USUALLY DO NOT LAST 45,000 MILES. WHEN I TOLD THEM IT WAS MY SECOND SET OF BRAKE PADS, THEY SAID IT COMES FROM RIDING THE BRAKE. I LIVE PRETTY FAR OUT FOR THE HOUSTON AREA AND MY JOB REQUIRES ME TO DRIVE ALONG A WELL SURFACED COUNTY ROAD WITH LITTLE TRAFFIC. THERE IS NO STOP AND GO DRIVING. THE DEALER DIDN'T CATCH THE CRACKED BRAKE PADS AND ADMITTED THAT THEY HADN'T EVEN CHECKED THE PADS. I HAD MY BRAKES REPAIRED YESTERDAY AT A LOCAL BRAKE CHECK. THEY OILED THE CALIPERS, (THEY THOUGHT THEY WERE STICKING) REPLACED MY CRACKED BRAKE PADS, AND RESURFACED MOST EVERYTHING ELSE IN THE SYSTEM AT A COST OF $234.

FRONT DISC'S WARP EVERY 3 TO 6 MONTH CAUSING VIBRATION WHEN BRAKING. I'VE HAD TO HAVE THE BRAKES CHANGED 2 TIMES, AND HAVE TURNED THE DISCS 4 TIMES.

CLEAR DRIVING CONDITIONS NO WATER, OIL OR MUD ON PAVEMENT. DRIVER WAS ATTENTIVE. I HAD STOPPED IN TURN BAY, CROSSED OVER THREE TRAFFIC LANES TO SIDE STREET. THEN IMMEDIATELY MADE A LEFT TURN INTO PARKING LOT AND A RIGHT TURN INTO PARKING SPACE. AS I ENTERED PARKING SPACE THE BRAKE PEDAL WENT ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR WITHOUT ANY DECELERATION, JUMPED A SMALL CURB AND HIT A TREE. I NOTICED AN ODOR OF BURNING OIL OR RUBBER AT IMPACT. THE HONDA DEALER CHECKED THE BRAKES AND COULD NOT FIND ANY DEFECT AND THEN DENIED ANY LIABILITY FOR ACCIDENT. SINCE THEY COULD NOT FIND A PROBLEM, AND I KNOW THE PEDAL WENT DOWN TO THE FLOOR, I AM AFRAID TO CONTINUE TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE AS IT COULD HAPPEN AGAIN AND BE A MORE SERIOUS ACCIDENT. OTHERS HAVE REPORTED THE SAME PROBLEM TO NHTSA. THE DEALER REFUSED TO BUY THE VAN BACK AT ANY PRICE EVEN AFTER THE DAMAGE WAS RESTORED TO ITS ORIGINAL CONDITION. DT

CLEAR DRIVING CONDITIONS. NO WATER, OIL OR MUD ON PAVEMENT. DRIVER WAS ATTENTIVE. I HAD STOPPED IN TURN BAY, CROSSED OVER THREE TRAFFIC LANES TO SIDE STREET. THEN IMMEDIATELY MADE A LEFT TURN INTO PARKING LOT AND A RIGHT TURN INTO PARKING SPACE. AS I ENTERED PARKING SPACE THE BRAKE PEDDLE WENT ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR WITHOUT ANY DECELERATION, JUMPED A SMALL CURB AND HIT A TREE. I NOTICED AN ODOR OF BURNING OIL OR RUBBER AT IMPACT. THE HONDA DEALER CHECKED THE BRAKES AND COULD NOT FIND ANY DEFECT AND THEN DENIED ANY LIABILITY FOR ACCIDENT. SINCE THEY COULD NOT FIND A PROBLEM, AND I KNOW THE BRAKE PEDDLE WENT DOWN TO THE FLOOR. I AM AFRAID TO CONTINUE TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE AS IT COULD HAPPEN AGAIN AND BE A MORE SERIOUS ACCIDENT. OTHERS HAVE REPORTED THE SAME PROBLEM TO NHTSA. THE DEALER REFUSED TO BUY THE VAN BACK AT ANY PRICE EVEN AFTER THE DAMAGE WAS RESTORED TO ITS ORIGINAL CONDITION. DT

VEHICLE REAR-ENDED PART WAY INTO RIGHT TURN PUSHING VEHICLE INTO ANOTHER VEHICLE PARKED AT STOP SIGN. RIGHT FRONT OF OUR VEHICLE COLLIDES WITH PARKED VEHICLE AND IMMEDIATELY ENGINE BEGINS RACING AND OUR VEHICLE, THROUGH QUICK MANUEVERING BY MY WIFE WHO WAS DRIVING, THE VEHICLE RACES DOWN THE HIGHWAY. APPLYING BRAKES DID NOT STOP THE VEHICLE. I WAS THE PASSENGER AND I QUICKLY TURNED OFF THE IGNITION. MY WIFE WAS ABLE TO STOP THE VEHICLE ABOUT 500 FEET DOWN THE ROAD. IN ADDITION TO THE RACING ENGINE, THE VEHICLE COULD NOT BE TAKEN OUT OF DRIVE WHEN WE FINALLY STOPPED. AIR BAGS NEVER DEPLOYED ALTHOUGH THE IS EXTENSIVE RIGHT FRONT END DAMAGE. IT WAS FORTUNATE THAT THE ACCIDENT TOOK PLACE ON A RURAL HIGHWAY, AND THE ROAD WAS CLEAR. THE ACCIDENT TOOK PLACE IN FRIENDSHIP/ADAMS WI. VEHICLE TOWED ON 18 OCT TO HYTECH CARSTAR IN ELGIN, 847.742.6969. OUR INSURANCE IS STATE FARM. DT

WHILE DRIVING THROUGH LINCOLN TUNNEL OUT OF NYC, BRAKE PEDAL DEPRESSED ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR! I WAS UNABLE TO GET ANY STOPPING POWER WITH THE FLOOR BRAKE (FRONT DISK W/ABS). FORTUNATELY, I WAS AT THE BOTTOM OF THE TUNNEL AT THE TIME AND WAS ABLE TO USE A COMBINATION OF GRAVITY, DOWNSHIFTING, AND THE EMERGENCY BRAKE TO SLOW SPEED AND GET TO THE NEAREST REST AREA AFTER A FRIGHTENING THREE MILE JOURNEY. AAA TOWED THE VEHICLE. AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WAS UNABLE TO REPRODUCE THE PROBLEM THE FOLLOWING DAY, AND HONDA OF NORTH AMERICA WAS EXTREMELY UNPLEASANT WHEN WE REPORTED THIS PROBLEM. WE ARE AWAITING THE REPORT FROM THE HONDA MECHANICS AT THIS TIME, BUT ARE NOW SCARED TO DRIVE THIS VEHICLE. IF THE BRAKES HAD FAILED UNDER DIFFERENT CIRCUMSTANCES, WE'D HAVE HAD A MAJOR COLLISION. PLEASE INVESTIGATE THIS PROBLEM!*AK

ON SUNDAY, APRIL 28 THIS YEAR, OUR VAN WENT INTO A WEIRD SHUDDERING DANCE AS I GOT ONTO THE SAW MILL ON-RAMP FROM I-287 EAST OF THE TAPPAN ZEE. THE CAR HAD APPARENTLY SLIPPED SLIGHTLY BUT INSTEAD OF THE TRACTION CONTROL AND ABS SYSTEMS KICKING IN, THERE WAS A FAILURE OF ALL THE CRITICAL SAFETY COMPONENTS REQUIRED TO BRING THE CAR TO A SAFE HALT. THE CAR STOPPED BECAUSE I HAD THE PRESENCE OF MIND TO KEEP MY FOOT ON THE BRAKES (THE REGULAR HYDRAULIC BRAKES). THE DEALER, CURRY HONDA IN YORKTOWN, SAID THAT THE RIGHT REAR SENSOR HAD FAILED AND REPLACED IT SINCE THE CAR WAS UNDER WARRANTY. I HAVE WRITTEN HONDA TWO TIMES. IN RESPONSE TO THE FIRST LETTER I RECEIVED A CALL FROM THEM AND THEY ASKED ME WHAT I WANTED. I ASKED THEM TO EXTEND MY WARRANTY BY ANOTHER THREE YEARS, REPLACE MY FRONT BUMPER, AND TO DO A COMPLETE SAFETY INSPECTION. THERE RESPONSES TO MY COMPLAINTS WERE COLD. I WOULD LIKE TO REGISTER MY COMPLAINT IN THE HOPE THAT ALONG WITH OTHER PEOPLE WHO HAVE HAD SIMILAR NEAR CATASTROPHIC FAILURES IN THEIR VANS WE CAN GET HONDA TO DO THE RIGHT THING. I WILL SEND YOU COPIES OF MY LETTERS TO HONDA WHEN I SEND IN THE SIGNATURE CARD.*AK

I AM A SHARP 62 YEAR OLD WITH A PERFECT DRIVING RECORD. I WAS PULLING ONTO AN OFF-STREET PARKING SPACE AT A SLOWED CRAWL PACE. MY FOOT WAS ALREADY ON THE BRAKE BECAUSE I HAD SLOWED TO ENTER THE PARKING SPACE AND I APPLIED MORE PRESSURE TO THE BRAKES TO COME TO A COMPLETE STOP. THE VEHICLE JUMPED INTO A HIGH ACCELERATION MOVING THE PARKED CAR IN FRONT OF ME 5 FEET WHICH SLOWED ME DOWN. I CAME TO A COMPLETE STOP ONLY WHEN I TURNED OFF THE KEY AND REMOVED MY FOOT FROM THE BRAKE. DO NOT DISCRIMINATE BECAUSE I AM 62 - THIS WAS NOT OPERATOR ERROR. *AK

BRAKES ARE MAKING GRINDING NOISE, DEALER REPLACED THE FRONT BRAKE PADS. *YD

THIS IS A BRAND NEW MINIVAN, PURCHASED WITH ONLY 9 MILES IN ODOMETER. AFTER A WEEK OF DRIVING IT, IT BEGAN TO FEEL LIKE IT NEED IT MORE REV IN ORDER TO PICK-UP SPEED, SPECIALLY WHEN DRIVING IN FREEWAY CONDITIONS (TRAFFIC). THE VAN DID NOT DOWNSHIFT AS EXPECTED FOR ABOUT 10 MINUTES, IN ORDER TO GAIN SPEED, I HAD TO PRESS THE ACCELERATOR UNTIL THE ENGINE REACHED 3K RPM, AND EVEN THEN THE TRANSMISSION NOISE CONTINUED. IT IS NOT A CONTINUOS OCCURANCE, IT IS DOING IT EVERY FOUR TO FIVE DAYS. I TOOK THE VAN TO THE DEALER WHERE I BOUGHT THE VAN AND SERVICE INSPECTED THE VEHICLE THROUGH A COMPUTER, WHICH DETECTED NOTHING WRONG WITH THE VAN, ALTHOUGH THE SERVICE MANAGER HAD NOTICED THE PROBLEM. IN THE FIRST INSTANCE I WAS GIVEN THE VAN BACK WITHOUT ANYTHING DONE TO IT, EXCEPT FOR A TRANSMISSION FLUID FLUSH. FIVE DAYS LATTER, ON APRIL 17, 2000 THE NOISE AND TRAIN PROBLEM SHOWED UP AGAIN, THIS TIME MORE SERIOUS. I TOOK THE VAN TO ANOTHER DEALER, AND THEY PERFORMED A COMPUTER TEST THAT AGAIN SHOWED NOTHING WRONG WITH THE VEHICLE, HOWEVER THE NEW SERVICE ADVISER DID NOTICE THE PROBLEM WHEN HE TOOK IT FOR A TEST DRIVE. HONDA WAS CONTACTED AND THE COMPANY ADVICED A COMPLETE REPLACEMENT OF THE TRANSMISSION. BEING SUCH A POPULAR MODEL THE NEEDED TRANSMISSION IS NOT AVAILABLE AND ACCORDING TO HONDA IT WILL TAKE UP TO 30 DAYS TO GET A REPLACEMENT , HOPEFULLY NEW. ANOTHER AREA OF CONCERN IS THE BRAKE PEDAL, ONE CAN HEAR THE BOOSTER WHEN PRESSING THE PEDAL AND AT TIMES THE BRAKES DO NOT ENGAGE INMEDIATELLY. SO FAR SERVICE HAS NOT BEEN ABLE TO LOOK INTO THE PROBLEM SINCE THE TRANSMISSION MATTER IS OF MORE IMPORTANCE. I REALLY APPRECIATE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO INFORM YOUR AGENCY OF THE PROBLEMS I HAVE ENCOUNTER. SINCERELY, RENE RODRIGUEZ

VEHICLE VIBRATES FOR A FEW SECONDS WHEN BRAKING. DISTANCES HAS TO BE INCREASED TO STOP APPROPRIATELY. CONSUMER WILL BE CONTACTING THE DEALERSHIP BY 07-17-2000.*AK

THE BRAKE MALFUNCTIONED CAUSING EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCES, DUE TO POWER BOOSTER CABLE FAILURE. YH

HAVE TAKEN IT TO THE DEALER 3 TIMES. THEY CANNOT FIX IT. NO SAFETY DEFECT LISTED IN SUMMARY. *AK

THERE APPEARS TO BE A FLAW IN THE DESIGN OF THE HONDA ODYSSEY BRAKE HARDWARE. SINCE I PURCHASED THE CAR, I OCCASIONALLY FELT A VIBRATION IN THE BRAKE PEDAL, WHICH SEEMED LIKE THE ANTI-LOCK FEATURE KICKING IN WHEN IT SHOULDN'T. I LATER REALIZED THE PROBLEM WAS EXCESSIVE HORIZONTAL PLAY IN THE BRAKE PEDAL. THE VIBRATION IS MOST EVIDENT ON A BUMPY ROAD. ON A COUPLE OF OCCASIONS WHEN MY SHOE WAS WET, MY FOOT CAME CLOSE TO SLIDING OFF THE BRAKE PEDAL FROM THE VIBRATION, SO THIS PROBLEM IS A SAFETY ISSUE. I HAVE SAT IN A FEW ODYSSEYS AT HONDA DEALERS. IN ONE CASE THE BRAKE PEDAL SEEMED TO HAVE SIGNIFICANTLY LESS PLAY THAN MINE; IN THE OTHERS THE PLAY SEEMED TO BE SIMILAR TO MINE. I DID NOT DRIVE THESE OTHER CARS, BUT I ASSUME THEY WOULD ALSO HAVE THE VIBRATION THAT MINE DOES. THE BRAKE PROBLEM WAS CHECKED AT A HONDA DEALER, AND I WAS TOLD IT WAS "NORMAL". I THEN CALLED HONDA MOTORS, AND THEY ARRANGED TO HAVE MY CAR CHECKED AT ANOTHER DEALER. THEY ACKNOWLEGED THE PLAY AND COMPARED IT TO ANOTHER ODYSSEY AND ALSO CLASSIFIED IT AS "NORMAL".*AK

FRONT BRAKE CALIPERS ARE LOOSE. THE CALIPER ASSEMBLIES SHIFT AND CLUNK WHEN BRAKING IS APPLIED AND ALSO CAN BE MOVED BY HAND. THE TRANSMISSION IS NOISY WHEN TRAVELING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS PRODUCING A KNOCKING TYPE OF SOUND. DT