Way off topic : purchase advice please on a honda odyssey, Anyone here have one . things to look for when buying Options

[thelogo]

The ford ranger regular cab is getting
A bit cramped. Looking to upgrade to something
That i can run my dog walking business out of

Now looking for a honda element with
Manuel trans .

Any advice or things to look for when
Buying .




Also considering a ford transit connect but
Those are auto only. Now considering a honda element
Since it look like i will have to settle for auto trans

[flyer86d]

A couple of customers had them when I had the garage. They all loved them until the transmission failed. The trans has a stacked case like a motorcycle engine. There is no pan or a filter to service. When it goes, throw it in the trash and install a new one for big bucks. And they didn’t fail at high mileage. Also, the timing belt is not the worst one that I have changed but not the best. While Volvo and Audi have figured out how to attach the timing belt cover with a couple of clips, Honda insists on using a maddening number of 6mm bolts..... I prefer the 2012 or newer Grand Caravan. Just saying.

Charlie

[fiacra]

A couple of customers had them when I had the garage. They all loved them until the transmission failed. The trans has a stacked case like a motorcycle engine. There is no pan or a filter to service. When it goes, throw it in the trash and install a new one for big bucks. And they didn’t fail at high mileage. Also, the timing belt is not the worst one that I have changed but not the best. While Volvo and Audi have figured out how to attach the timing belt cover with a couple of clips, Honda insists on using a maddening number of 6mm bolts..... I prefer the 2012 or newer Grand Caravan. Just saying.

Charlie

Bought a 2001 Honda Odyssey in 2003 with 19K miles on it. The transmission failed at 63K, within the mileage warranty but 4 months out of the time warranty. No relief from Honda, despite multiple attempts. There is a known issue with fluid flow around second gear that causes these transmissions to fail. We had a Honda specialty shop pull that transmission, send it out for rebuild, and confirmed it was a failure of second gear secondary to fluid flow. Still, Honda wouldn't budge. The transmission failed again at 126K miles, despite changing the fluid every 7.5K miles (recommended by the transmission rebuilder). Turns out, with a lot of research, that there are filters at the relays that clog and restrict fluid flow. You can take out and clean them and that will prevent failure. Honda didn't figure this out, but some dedicated Odyssey owner did. You can find all of this on the Odyssey boards. We had to junk the Odyssey, despite the fact that everything else worked great! Too much $$$ to rebuild the transmission again. Then within a few weeks my 2001 Civic also had it's second transmission failure at 136K miles. It went to the junkyard as well. Very frustrating...especially since we got no help from Honda for either car. So, no more Hondas for us, despite the fact that I have owned Hondas for over 30 years. My wife is a dog trainer, and we own German Shepherds, so we did look at the Pilot just to be fair. Turns out it will not hold two XL size dog crates. So, if you want to transport large dogs, and have them safely in crates that are tied down, the Pilot will not work. The only vehicle that we could fit the crates in was a Toyota RAV4. Has to be gas, can't be hybrid, as the battery takes up space. Even the Highlander couldn't fit two XL crates. If you are seriously considering an Odyssey do a search on Odyssey transmission issues and you'll see why the nickname for these vehicles is "trannybomb."