Problems with 2005 Honda Odyssey ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

a/c unit failed from a pebble striking the condenser while driving down the interstate. $1000 to repair, dealer was aware of the problem before even looking at the unit. apparently it's a frequent occurrence for these models. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2005 honda odyssey. the contact stated that the auto tensioner was faulty on his vehicle. whenever it rains, the undercarriage of the vehicle and the driver belt become wet, which causes the auto tensioner not to pull the slack out of the belt. as a result, the power steering fails and the battery stops charging. the dealer stated that there were no recalls for this failure and advised the contact to call the honda manufacturer. he took the vehicle to the dealer and was informed that they could not check the auto tensioner because they could not locate it under the vehicle. the contact had previously taken his vehicle to another mechanic, who was able to locate the auto tensioner. the failure mileage was 52,000.

Hole in air conditioning condenser. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 honda odyssey. the contact stated that the rear engine mounts would fail intermittently at steady cruising speeds, hard accelerations and when the cruise control was activated. when depressing the accelerator pedal the failure would correct itself. the contact was driving 30 mph when the failure occurred. the dealer and manufacturer were notified of the failure and stated that the repairs to the vehicle would be at the owners expense. there were no recalls and the factory warranty was not valid. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was approximately 87,000 and the current mileage was 91,000.

The dealer found a hole in the a/c compressor for my 2005 honda odyssey. i had notice no cold air blowing and the dealer did a diagnostic. i am now faced with a $900 repair bill. after researching the issue i have found that hundreds of honda owners have had the same problem with the a/c compressor. the dealer even acknowledged that honda is aware of the problem and will not do anything about it. the compressor is placed in an area with no protection, making it vulnerable to damage. i feel honda should offer a recall of the vehicle to protect the air compressor to reduce the risk of this happening. many of the complaints on saw on line, the same problem happened to their car on more than one occasion. *tr

2005 new odyssey has always needed a little oil. van broke-down out-of-state christmas eve 2008 . in 3 weeks, head gasket and catalytic converter replaced. van now burns 1 quart of oil per week. dealer refused to tear-down engine on first two visits since break-down. now a month later, upon 3rd visit, dealer is finally now requesting an inspector to find engine problem and ok extended warranty coverage, if we will cover the cost of $1600 tear down. *tr

Owner noticed that the air conditioning was not cooling. verified that compressor was running, but it did not load the engine - suspected loss of refrigerant. dealer confirmed no refrigerant was in system, and found that it had leaked out of condenser via a small hole, probably caused by something striking the condenser. owner had discovered numerous complaints by owners of same model of vehicle regarding the a/c condenser being exposed and not appropriately protected by grille, and over a year ago had contacted the manufacturer regarding this apparent oversight. mfr responded by saying they were not aware of any problems. owner contacted manufacturer with this incident and to date has not received any response. repairs estimated to be around $800. owner wants to know why the manufacturer has denied knowledge of this problem, and wants manufacturer to provide a solution to prevent it from happening again. owner's spouse has medical condition requiring air conditioning. *tr

I own a 2005 honda odyssey and it has 39k miles. my a/c just went out and i took it to a local shop and the mechanic was shocked to see i needed to replace the compressor on such a new vehicle. i paid approx $600 to get it fixed. i checked the internet and there are mass quantities of complaints about the odyssey a/c problem with rock damage to the compressor and honda is well aware of this problem. *tr

My a/c quit working while on my way home from the airport. i took it to the local honda dealership who informed me that a rock or other debris from the road punctured a hole in the a/c compressor. i assumed this would be paid by honda under warranty but i was informed that it would not. in researching this problem online, i have uncovered a large number of other individuals who have had a similar scenario. this is a design flaw in that the a/c is exposed to potential damage from the road and should be subject to a recall to fix it. honda is undoubtedly aware of this problem but refuses address this issue in a responsible manner, which is a disappointment. *tr

Air conditioner not working. according to the honda service dealer(ph 805-584-6632). a rock hit the condenser and made a hole. i have seen many people complain about the same problem on the net and feel honda should pay to fix it as it is a design flaw. *tr

Replaced the air conditioner condenser on honda 2005 odyssey van twice (mar 06, may 08) caused by rocks hitting/damaging the condenser because of a faulty grille design that does not protect the condenser from flying rocks/debris when driving. *tr

Bought a 2005 honda odyssey on 7/1/05. on 4/4/06, the air conditioning condenser had to be replaced due to incidental damage from a road debris (probably a rock) puncturing it and leaking the freon out. on 4/28/08, the same thing has occurred. looking on the internet, i have found many people having this same problem. the condenser coils are on the front of the vehicle with no protection from road debris (e.g., a mesh or wire screen). *tr

Condenser damage from road hazard. cost to replace $929.68, plus time off and frustration. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2005 honda odyssey. while driving 5 mph in the rain, another vehicle splashed a large amount of water underneath the contact's vehicle. he heard a loud thumping sound and 30 seconds later the battery indicator illuminated on the instrument panel. all of the warning lights then simultaneously illuminated and the vehicle completely shut off. the vehicle was towed and the mechanic stated that the harmonic balancer fell from the engine. the current and failure mileages were 37,000. updated 01-14-08. *kb the consumer stated the harmonic balancer came apart dislodging the bottom pulley shaft which threw off the serpentine belt. updated 12/12/07. *jb

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 honda odyssey. while traveling 65 mph, the check engine light illuminated and within seconds, the vehicle stalled. the contact stated that the failure would occur intermittently and the vehicle was taken to the dealer eleven times in regards to the failure. the wiring harness, engine computer and solenoids a-b were replaced twice. the vehicle continued to exhibit the failure and was not further repaired. the vin was not available. the failure mileage was 25,000 and the current mileage was 65,000.

There was no single event leading to the failure of the ac condenser. i have a 2005 honda odyssey on which the ac system has failed due to a leaking condenser. this has happened under normal operation of the vehicle without any accidents. it happened on the hottest period of the summer and has caused undue discomfort and cost. honda, when contacted, said that this is not covered under warranty even if the failure occurred without any catastrophic cause. the vehicle will be repaired in due course. *tr

I was driving my 2005 honda odyssey and noticed that the car was leaking antifreeze. i took it to the dealer and they said that a rock hit the radiator and that they would need to put a new one in. it was not covered under warranty because it was caused by a rock. the dealer said that they see a lot of these cases and it should be recalled. *tr

I purchased a "certified pre-owned" 2005 honda odyssey and the honda care extended warranty in march of 2007. i was planning a trip from texas to west virginia with a friend and our three kids, all under the age of five. in alabama, we realized the air conditioning was releasing hot air. i called the honda dealerships in all the major cities we passed through. since it was a saturday on a holiday weekend, no one would help us. i called honda care and was told they could do nothing because the van was still under factory warranty. when i arrived in west virginia, i made an appointment with the honda dealership. the technicians there informed me that there was a hole in the van's condenser that "must have been caused by a rock." i was also informed that this would not be covered under either my factory warranty or my extended warranty. i had no choice but to pay $633.52 to get it fixed. i spoke to representatives at gunn honda, who advised me to call honda. i called the honda customer service number. the regional manager called me and gave a seemingly rehearsed speech of how this would not be covered under my warranty. after a search online, i discovered that there are many many people who have had this same issue with this model. i am very distraught to think that no one has stepped forward to protect the hard-working citizens of this country from such a scandalous conspiracy. i am an army veteran who served time in iraq. my husband is active duty, stationed in hawaii, set to go to afghanistan. we cannot afford a plane ticket for him to come home because i had to use all of our savings for this. why are people being deceived about how great honda is and how the odyssey is the number one minivan, and not being warned about such an expensive defect in the design? what can be done about this? am i to just let this organization take advantage of me?

Road debris or small rock came through the air dam in the lower valance on the front bumper, striking the air conditioner condenser and piercing a hole in it. this resulted in a leak of the air conditioner coolant and required replacement of the condenser unit at approximately $700. american honda will not cover under their vehicle warranty because they claim it is due to a road hazard and not from a manufacturing defect. i respectfully disagree and believe this is a latent design defect, that from a quick internet search, appears to be occurring regularly on several honda models. this damage is also causing the release of potentially harmful air conditioner freon into the atmosphere. most importantly, in 30+ years of driving, i have never heard of a pebble causing such damage on a vehicle. it is unconscionable for american honda to take the position that this is a road hazard and to direct their customers to file with their insurance carriers for relief. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2005 honda odyssey. while approaching a stop, the engine revved and the contact had to depress the brake pedal extremely hard to prevent a crash. the failure occurred intermittently. the dealer was unable to duplicate the failure. in early march of 2008, two days after the contact left the dealer, the failure recurred. the vehicle was taken back to the dealer, but they could not duplicate the failure. the failure mileage was 20,000 and current mileage was 34,000. updated 04/04/08. *lj the consumer had to apply extreme pressure on the brake to prevent the vehicle from moving forward. updated

Honda odyssey 2005. two separate incidences of coolant system being pierced by a stone. october 2005, a/c coolant leaked out. april 2007, radiator pierced by a stone and caused a leak. dozens of other similar issues reported on web chat boards see >> http://www.topix.net/forum/autos/honda-odyssey/tjbopfur3svarkhcj/p4#lastpost dealer says not covered by warranty -- but appears to be obvious design and product flaw. *jb

Dt*: the contact stated while idling, the vehicle jerked and the engine light illuminated. the dealership upgraded the software. then, while reversing out of the driveway, the vehicle stalled without warning. the vehicle was towed to the dealership, and the engine management system was replaced, but the problem persisted.

While making a hard right hand turn, van had a complete loss of power. engine, lights, power steering and power brakes all died instantly. managed to stop the van without hitting anything, but if someone had been coming the other way, no way an accident wouldn't have happened. put car in park, turned key and it restarted and drove fine. called dealer and took it in for them to look at it. there were approx. 10 error codes recorded. they kept van for four hours, ended up saying it was a dead battery and they replaced it and sent me on my way. they said paperwork has to be sent through warranty and will send me a copy when it comes back. explanation doesn't fit situation. *nm

This accident occurred when my wife picked up my daughter from her preschool. when she drove the car going downhill, she suddenly lost control over the van and the van went down into a lake. my wife tried to stop the car but could not. the brake and steering did not work at that time. police says that it appears that mechanical failure may have caused her to lose control of the van. we have called american honda regarding the car problem. their answer is because no one died, we won't inspect the van and they further stated, if you want to deal with us, find a lawyer. *tr

1) events leading up to the failure, there were no indications prior to the incident. (2) failure and its consequences, and as soon car was put in park and turned off, white smoke came out from under the hood, turning to black smoke and fire within one minute. whole engine, dash and front of car was destroyed in the fire. (3) what was done to correct the failure; i.e, parts repaired or replaced (and if old part is available) car was totaled. *nm

Bought a 2005 honda odyssey on 7/1/05. on 4/4/06, the air conditioning condenser had to be replaced due to incidental damage from a road debris (probably a rock) puncturing it and leaking the freon out. on 4/28/08, the same thing has occurred. looking on the internet, i have found many people having this same problem. the condenser coils are on the front of the vehicle with no protection from road debris (e.g., a mesh or wire screen). *tr

I am a member of the 05' honda odyssey growling club. i started having a vibration - growling noise in the driveline @ 60 to 70 mph and @ 2000 rpm. this started 7 months after ownership and 9900 miles later. i have also noticed on the forums that may other complaints on this same item - i have taken into shop three times and both dealerships state that all the noises are normal. sound appears to get louder - is that normal?? *nm

Dt: the contact stated there was vibration in the engine. the vehicle was taken to the dealership five times, and they were unable to correct the problem. the manufacturer was contacted. the dealership was waiting for the parts to arrive that may or may not correct the problem. *ak

While on a roadtrip, the check engine light went on. dealer replaced egr valve because there was a piece of metal stuck on it. on the return trip, the check engine light went on again. mechanics at the dealer have found large quantities of metal in the engine. mechanics have not seen this problem previously and is currently communicating with honda engineers regarding this matter.

Condenser problems.. in hot june - the first day that temperatures were almost 100 degrees we experience our first set of many problem with this van. we had owned vehicle for 2 months and only put 2700 miles on it. we had experience a condenser explosion. we were sitting @ stop light and i heard a pop and steam rolled all around vehicle. had vehicle towed to shop to find out that condenser had a bad spot in it and would be covered by warranty. before it was declared that it was covered under warranty - we keep being threaten by service writer if it's not warranty related that i would owe checkout fees, what it would take to fix it and the complete rental bill. appears that front bumper and condenser design was not thought out. i agree with the other complaints that a grille or a mesh area should cover the large opening. fyi, we were told, by dealership, that most of the vehicles have not been covered under warranty - but ours appeared to have a weak spot in the condenser. *nm

Driver side 2nd seating row power door fails to close. passenger side front door difficult to close and latch. vehicle and steering wheel vibrate at 1500-1600 rpm @50-55mph, and engine makes loud noise. stops when foot off accelerator or when out of indicated ranges.

Dt: the fan in the vehicle is blowing hot air. when vent is used (110 degrees) outside temperature is about 70 degrees. it is apparent that the air coming from vent has been heated. the engine or hot air from engine has leaked into the air intake. in order to be comfortable in vehicle, air conditioner must be used excessively in order to cool down constant flow of hot air coming from vent pipe. the problem is most apparent when vehicle is stopped or at low speeds. dealer reports they cannot do anything since this is a design problem. this leads to decreased fuel efficiency. *tt *nm

I bought my honda odyssey minivan spring 2005 and we have repaired the air conditioner every year and i have complained to the dealership, they always tell me a rock popped up and hit the system so they are not liable i don't drive my car on rocky roads but i suppose that could happen but every year ? i think it is honda's standard reply to a problem they know is their fault , i love the way my van handles, looks and really everything about it except it is getting old when spring comes around to bring it in to get the air conditioner fixed. *tr

Ac condenser leak caused by "rock hitting it". poor design which should have a grill protecting it. causes freon leak. dealers now suggesting to install an after market grill after spending $1000 to fix. clearly a design problem by honda. *tr

2005 honda odyssey experiencing problems with air bag warning light illuminating, engine racing and shutting off. there are also problems with door equipment not locking or unlocking, as well as problems with the accelerator.*mr the consumer experienced sudden acceleration. the vehicle's transmission locked in park. the vehicle had to be towed to the dealer. the consumer has experienced three electrical problems associated with the throttle in addition to electrical problems with the sliding door (driver's side), power locks and air bag sensor. *nm

At 9.974 miles my 2005 honda odyssey was found to have an air conditioner condensor leak. this is due to the wide open, low profile opening on the front of the van. this was an expensive repair! i believe there should be a mesh installed there by the manufacturer to protect the condensor.

Forwarded from cpsc - letter from congressman on behalf of constituent re a problem with his 2005 honda odyssey which was covered in a 2006 "technical service bulletin" (tsb) which was available to dealers but not to the general public. *kb the consumer stated the motor mount broke and it would cost $880 plus to fix it. the consumer stated he experienced a problem with the van, the night he purchased it, but thought nothing of it. now, he has since discovered, it was the broken motor mount all along. *jb