If you own a '99-04 Odyssey

pepsicola

New member
We plan to buy a minivan next year and we are strongly leaning toward a '99-04 Odyssey.

If you own one, what are some pros/cons?
Is it carseat friendly?
Do you love this car?


TIA!
 
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o_mom

New member
I have a 2002. I really like it for kids - there are top tether anchors available in all seating positions. You can push the second row chairs together or remove one if needed. You can fit some combinations of three across in the back row.

Downsides - the center 3rd row seatbelt is a glorified lapbelt and really not good for much more than installing a harnessed seat. They are prone to tranny issues, so especially if you get an older one, make sure the transmission recall has been done and you might consider an extended warranty that covers that. There is quite a bit of road noise. It varies by individual vehicle, obviously, but they tend to be louder than other similar vehicles. Better tires can help, but it is still an issue.

Overall, I really like it. It works well for our family of 5 (three kids). Ours has been pretty reliable. We bought certified used with about 35k miles on it, 5.5 years ago. We have had a few minor repairs outside of routine maint. stuff - a pressure switch and something else. Over that time I would say we put maybe $500-1000 in non-routine repairs. We have not had tranny issues, but it is coming up on 110k, which is when they start to show. It did have the recall fix just before we purchased it, so we might be OK.
 

mimieliza

New member
Don't get a '99! The 1999 model (and maybe 2000, not sure) does not have tether anchors installed. If I were to get them installed, they would only be for the third row, and the tethers would go right through the cargo area. There is no way to have tether anchors for the middle row.

Right now I have both of my kids rear-facing. When DD outgrows the Complete Air and needs to be forward facing again, I will go back to tethering to a third row seat belt, and then probably move her into a booster fairly soon after that.

But, other than that I do love my minivan! I love the auto sliding doors. The van runs like a top even though it has 125K miles on it. The transmission was replaced by Honda at 50K miles - a lot of Odys from those model years had bad transmissions, so I would definitely check and make sure whatever you buy either had a new transmission installed or is still under warranty for transmission (Honda extended the transmission warranty for some Odys - call Honda to ask if the car you're considering would still be covered).

One thing I do not like (other than the tether issue) is the gas mileage - 20-21 mpg is typical for me. But it is a large, heavy, powerful vehicle so I guess that's to be expected.
 

o_mom

New member
Don't get a '99! The 1999 model (and maybe 2000, not sure) does not have tether anchors installed. If I were to get them installed, they would only be for the third row, and the tethers would go right through the cargo area. There is no way to have tether anchors for the middle row.

Good point! I forgot that the '99 didn't have second row anchors (they say to use the third row anchors, but most tethers wouldn't be long enough). There is a Canadian part to add a 'snap hook' to the bars the vehicle seats attach to, so if I had a '99 and needed to use the second row, I would probably beg a Canadian to get that for me or tether to the seatbelt, but either way it's a pain and best avoided if possible.

In all the other years, there are TAs on the back of the second row chairs, and 2001+ has LATCH in those positions. All come with one tether anchor for the third row in the center and you can add them to ther outboard positions very easily. Yes, they all cross the cargo area, but I have not found it to be that restricting when we need to put luggage and stuff back there. Not as nice as the 2006+ where they are on the back of the bench, but not horrible to use on a daily basis.

If you are looking newer, avoid the 2005, though, as it only has one anchor in the third row (center) and cannot add more.
 
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pepsicola

New member
Thanks for the heads up on! I am steering clear of the '99s. Also the tranny problems have us wondering if we should avoid this van altogether.


My 2006 may be for sale next year if I can find something I like;-)

Trade for '99 Accord? I'll even deliver it for free (from Florida no less) :p
 

o_mom

New member
Thanks for the heads up on! I am steering clear of the '99s. Also the tranny problems have us wondering if we should avoid this van altogether.


They do have tranny issues - if you can get to the '03-'04 range, they seem to be better. However, for comparably priced vehicles, I think you will find them to be more reliable overall. I would keep it in mind and look into a good extended warranty if you can do so for not too much money.
 

pepsicola

New member
They do have tranny issues - if you can get to the '03-'04 range, they seem to be better. However, for comparably priced vehicles, I think you will find them to be more reliable overall. I would keep it in mind and look into a good extended warranty if you can do so for not too much money.

I would love an 03-04 (or newer) but I doubt that would be within our price range. We are planning to buy from a private owner & paying in cash. We will probably be buying a van next year so hopefully we'll have enough money saved up for a newer one.:)
 

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