Re: Honda Odyssey, Tranny Problems??

[threeputtpar]

Originally Posted By: gofast182
I came to this thread to see how the trans discussion was going. So why, like the Acadia Denali thread, are there people in here complaining that user X chooses to spend THEIR money on Y car? It's got nothing to do with the topic and frankly it's none of anyone's business what someone else wants to spend their money on. So until the thread topic is "Is it wise to spend $xx,xxx on Y car?" [censored] with the posts casting judgment on people and ridiculing them for their choices with their money because if this keeps up people will stop posting because they'd rather not be attacked and the board will lose good content.


I understand how you feel. I normally ignore any type of comments on my financial decisions, as it's nobody's business by mine and my wife's, but it gets under my skin when it's a moderator perpetuating these actions by being the instigator.

I thought it was the job of the mods to quell this type of behavior on the various forums. And FTR, I hang out on off-topic and political sections on other forums that are essentially ignored by the mods, so I've had much worse said about me.

Oh, and in case anyone is overly concerned about my financial well-being, I paid cash for the Odyssey. Work my back side off at another controller position for a year to earn the money so we wouldn't be a slave to payments. But for the 0.9% they were offering, I'd might have been better off leaving most of the cash in a CD and making payments. A horse a piece, I guess.

 

[hypervish]

Originally Posted By: threeputtpar
Originally Posted By: gofast182
I came to this thread to see how the trans discussion was going. So why, like the Acadia Denali thread, are there people in here complaining that user X chooses to spend THEIR money on Y car? It's got nothing to do with the topic and frankly it's none of anyone's business what someone else wants to spend their money on. So until the thread topic is "Is it wise to spend $xx,xxx on Y car?" [censored] with the posts casting judgment on people and ridiculing them for their choices with their money because if this keeps up people will stop posting because they'd rather not be attacked and the board will lose good content.


I understand how you feel. I normally ignore any type of comments on my financial decisions, as it's nobody's business by mine and my wife's, but it gets under my skin when it's a moderator perpetuating these actions by being the instigator.

I thought it was the job of the mods to quell this type of behavior on the various forums. And FTR, I hang out on off-topic and political sections on other forums that are essentially ignored by the mods, so I've had much worse said about me.

Oh, and in case anyone is overly concerned about my financial well-being, I paid cash for the Odyssey. Work my back side off at another controller position for a year to earn the money so we wouldn't be a slave to payments. But for the 0.9% they were offering, I'd might have been better off leaving most of the cash in a CD and making payments. A horse a piece, I guess.


This particular moderator does this continuously as well, it is not just a one time occurrence. It's unfortunate, it really is.

 

[JHZR2]

Originally Posted By: gofast182
I came to this thread to see how the trans discussion was going. So why, like the Acadia Denali thread, are there people in here complaining that user X chooses to spend THEIR money on Y car? It's got nothing to do with the topic and frankly it's none of anyone's business what someone else wants to spend their money on. So until the thread topic is "Is it wise to spend $xx,xxx on Y car?" [censored] posts casting judgment on people and ridiculing them for their choices with their money because if this keeps up people will stop posting because they'd rather not be attacked and the board will lose good content.



I recommend you review what was written as opposed to screaming over stuff.

1)our friends just bought a used odyssey in the year range mentioned, and have had exactly the issues Trav mentioned.
2)we are semi-actively shopping minivans, and thus is why I stayed my opinion about outfitting trims in minivans. I suggest you review:

Quote:

Originally Posted By: JHZR2

One of the things I liked about the current odessey was that we could outfit it how we liked but in a more basic model, and avoid getting the power doors, which I do NOT want because of the repair liability.


I hear that.

Now that I've owned 3 different (basic model) minivans and participated on forums associated with each make, it's never ceased to amaze me the GOBS of cash people will spend to get a 'loaded-up' minivan. If they made a Touring Super Colossal Elite, people would buy them. Why this is, I could never understand. Upwards of $10-20K more for some electronic and power goodies? At the end of the day it's still the same ~7 seater box on wheels.


Am I not allowed to voice opinion, or desire to buy vehicles outfit as I desire them?

Sure, I made a joke about it being so tough to have kids and making light of needing to buy $20k worth of garbage in a van, but it was concurrence to the quoted comments. Nothing wrong with that. And no place in there was any comment about the OP's purchase or their decision to buy whatever however they wanted.

Hmm, let's see. Friends buy odessey with replaced AT - relevant. Friends' power doors fail within weeks of ownership - relevant. We're shopping odesseys - relevant. So apparently my disdain for how cars are outfit and sold is so bad?

Apparently so - it's full of spite and envy. No, not really. With two professional salaries we can buy what we like when we want it. But I have my ideas of how I like my cars outfit, and they aren't available because of the presumption of luxury or whatever that sells. So I wanting something set up some way is spiteful or envious of the person buying the done up one? Whatever.

No place did I say anything about the OP or their buying decision. But I want a van, like the odessey due to MPGs, and don't want AT, power door, power trunk, nav, or any other issues. Most/all mentioned in this thread as things that DO go wrong.

I'm sorry if not wanting $50k caught up in a depreciating box on wheels is so offensive, or if my dislike of many breakable options that most swoon over is so bad. But I do recommend reading what I write before going off.

 

[Hokiefyd]

Originally Posted By: JHZR2
The "I deserve" mentality that drives these stupid decisions and their attached lack of long term planning is no different from, and in fact an embodiment of the "entitled" generations/people that you readily talk about and abhor.


You presume to know why people buy what they do then judge the decisions as "stupid", and that's unfortunate. It's as if someone should feel ashamed by the decision they have made. I'm sure the motive for giving financial advice is good, but I can say with a high degree of confidence that the way the advice is being dispensed is not productive.

This is the kind of stuff that drives good people away from membership. I've been a member here for nine years, and feel less and less engaged by the day. I've communicated via PM to a few folks here who have made car purchases but haven't started a thread about it, and the reason why they haven't started a thread about it is usually because they don't care to bear the wrath of those who will criticize the purchase. That's really too bad.

Opinions can be stated in a positive and productive way. Else, we can always do what mama said: "if you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all."

 

[Sayjac]

Yep, this thread and the recent corresponding Acadia Denali thread are perfect examples of why I will NEVER post a thread here asking for an opinion on a personal vehicle purchase.

And right on point on this page are the thoughts of posters pointing out the holier than thou judgemental folks that 'always think' they know better how one should spend their money. Based on the consistency and pattern of those posters it's apparently a compulsion they cannot or will not control.

I agree with the thoughts that it is indeed unfortunate in the forum, but at this point sadly, completely unsurprising. My .02

 

[threeputtpar]

Originally Posted By: JHZR2

Am I not allowed to voice opinion, or desire to buy vehicles outfit as I desire them?

Sure, I made a joke about it being so tough to have kids and making light of needing to buy $20k worth of garbage in a van, but it was concurrence to the quoted comments. Nothing wrong with that. And no place in there was any comment about the OP's purchase or their decision to buy whatever however they wanted.


The fact that you would make a condescending joke about people's lives and choices that you have zero knowledge of is a bit disconcerting, coming from a moderator. While a more basic version of a vehicle may suit you well, there are other people that would like to have certain features and have no problem paying for them. Neither choice is incorrect.

I would love to be able to post up a review of our new van so that anyone in the market could benefit from what I've observed, but I won't. I don't want to put up with the hassles of those who will immediately comment that I don't need the Touring Elite edition when the EX or less would accomplish the job.

 

[Vikas]

Everybody knows that I do have lots of disagreement with JHZR2 on multiple issues but there is some validity to what he has been saying.

If a person voluntarily puts the financial aspect of the purchasing for everybody to read, (s)he really should be prepared to hear the comments on it from others. There are many car purchase topics here where the financial aspect of the transaction is never disclosed and usually discussion doesn't degenerate.

Now when somebody starts talking about taking 401K loan to purchase his Tesla S, that is guaranteed to invite comments. Similarly, purchasing iPhone using payday loan is not looked kindly in this forum.

 

[supton]

I'm going to have to agree. Not with the method used but at least the sentiment. I find it challenging, as it ought to be; this is a forum, supposed to be similar to what we might find in person; and one is going to find a number of opinions. It is also IMO something to be expected here, where a significant minority would do UOA's to find the best-est OCI possible.

It just goes on for too long, and seems to turn up too often. Financial stuff ought to be like third or fourth on the list here, after oiling, discussions of problems, etc.

 

[gofast182]

Unless you're directly answering the OP's question ask yourself if what you're posting can relate back to the topic at hand in some way. If you have to think about it then maybe it's not the right time to post. There are already people who don't want to post because there are sharks in the water that shouldn't be. We want this to be a place we can come to discuss all different cars without having to worry about being impugned.

 

[Hokiefyd]

Originally Posted By: gofast182
Unless you're directly answering the OP's question ask yourself if what you're posting can relate back to the topic at hand in some way. If you have to think about it then maybe it's not the right time to post.


I *usually* ask myself this question: "Is what I am about to post going to positively impact the discussion or negatively impact the discussion?" If it will negatively impact the discussion, then I won't post it. This isn't to say that I've never posted negative things, but I *try* to remember to check myself at the door, so to speak. And I will say that I have indeed deleted many a post before. Even after I post it, I might go back and delete it. I'm human; I have negative thoughts just like everyone else. Sometimes they do get typed. But I do try to intercept them before they're permanently out there in ones and zeros.

We do have rules on this board that broadly define the left-and-right boundaries of acceptable behavior and rule #5 is broken quite often in my opinion; it reads as such:

Quote:
Each member agrees that he or she shall not post any material which is false, defamatory, inaccurate, abusive, vulgar, hateful, harassing, obscene, profane, sexually oriented, threatening, invasive of any person’s privacy, or otherwise in violation of ANY law.
From: BITOG Rules

Some of the aforementioned language in this thread could be classified as abusive and/or hateful. At the very, VERY least, it's been disruptive to the thread, and has caused more than one person to question whether it was appropriate or relevant. Specifically against a rule or not, I would think that we'd all endeavor to keep disruptive behavior off the board.

Here's another option. Those who post such financial advice KNOW it will derail the discussion. We all know it will. If that person just can't help but dispense the advice, do it via PM. That keeps off the board material that is at the very least disruptive, but that is also probably against some of our rules.

 

[SteveSRT8]

All good points. But I must say it seems naive in the extreme to post on a public forum and expect everyone to be in agreement with you!

Dissent spices things up and stimulates conversation, at the least.

 

[webfors]

Originally Posted By: JTK
I thought I was making up the 'Touring Elite' model comment I made.

I am sorry for having offended anyone on that! That was never my intent. Everyone is correct in that people blow their hard earned dollars on FAR worse things.

Having owned 3 various makes/models of them now, my personal take is that a minivan is a kid and all around versatile cargo hauler. To me, neither mixes well with super luxury.

Again, I'm sorry fellas.


^^ I didn't take offence to anything you said JTK

I think all the later models of each brand have relatively reliable transmissions.

For me, I simply couldn't get myself to spend 12k more (Canadian pricing) for a base Honda or Toyota when I could purchase a Dodge for $18,888. Has everything we need out of a van. Could we have afforded 10 - 20k more in options, sure. But I try to minimise my car expenses because they are money pits. Everyone's preferences are different.

Now let's turn down our sensitivity dials

 

[Toolaa]

Originally Posted By: DanielinTheLions

I usually think of Honda as being a good quality.
Trying to decide if they are a worthy buy or a definite avoid.


I'm sure the OP has already made his decision by now. This post is to benefit others considering a used Odyssey purchase. Like the OP I too believed that Honda had some of the best reliability ratings of all cars. Several friends had Accords and Civics which seemed to last forever even when abused or neglected.

So when our 97 Grand Caravan finally experienced total transmission failure at 82k due to a warped valve body on top many other unreasonable and expensive repairs we decided to look at the 2003 Odyssey. We chose the EXL model. It was our first car purchased that was not GM, Chrysler or Ford. We also decided to take it to the Honda to the dealer for every single service. This is my wife's daily driver so it was just easier for her to stop in when the service light came on. Other than tires all service was done at Honda.

Two weeks ago the CEL came on. Codes revealed torque converter lock problem. Dealer said the car would require a new tranny. They quoted $3800. I had the mechanic we use for our work fleet quote me $3500. So at 189k and after 10 years if use we decided to opt for a new car.

So after 10 years and 189k miles I still felt that the Odyssey was a great car. In fact we can honestly say it has been the best car we have ever owned. With the exception of the trans failure we did not have a single other problem. Not One! So if you were going to consider purchasing a used 2004 Odyssey I would look to see if they transmission has already been replaced. If not factor that into your decision. I heard someone say a long time ago that there are only two reasons a house doesn't sell. It's over priced or it's under water. I think you can apply the same logic to buying a used auto. The more facts you have about a specific model or the actual car the better able you will be to determine what price you will be willing to pay.

What I learned in this experience is that you cannot base your purchase decision on a general feeling that a car maker has good quality. Quality of a specific model will come down to many factors which may or may not be related to other models or different years. In the end we chose to replace the Odyssey with a new CRV. We looked at many other similar size cars and decided that the local Honda dealership has treated us very fairly and professional. All other things being equal we went back to them.

They will sell this car at auction for a few hundred bucks and I would guess that someone is going to put a rebuilt transmission in it and resell it at a small profit. I hope it last for another 100k for the next owner. It really was a great car and we took care of it very well.

Btw Im not a Honda fanboy. For my company our vehicles are GM and Ford. We abuse the [censored] out of them but try as we may we cant seem to kill them. My own daily driver is a GMC Terrain which I have experienced many problems with, but the dealer and GM have treated me fairly and honored their warranties.

 

[demarpaint]

I sold Honda's until 2003, and as long as I was selling them I remember their transmissions sucked. I had many customers come back [censored] when their V6 Accord or Odyssey transmission let go shortly after the warranty was up. Those were the same people who thought the extended warranty was too much money. At the time we were getting over $5,000 for an Odyssey transmission. Honda might make some nice engines, but their transmissions for the most part were ...t. Maybe they're better now??

 

[fdcg27]

I'll make a couple of points.
Most of what's good in any given model can be found in the lowest trim level example, and lowest trim levels are pretty dressed up as things are now.
Second, there is a lot of flexibility in retail pricing in the high end trim levels, more so in percentage terms than the low end ones, since the markups for both manufacturer and dealer are much higher in percentage terms.
That EXL may not be all that much more costly than the LX as the sticker might lead you to believe.
There are cetain functional advantages as well.
Leather is much easier to keep clean than cloth is when you have children, for example.
Power sliding doors I can do without and built in nav is silly when you can buy a better GPS navigator for much less money and move it from one car to another as needed.
If somebody wants a really dressed up van, then why not?
Many members are as well able to afford to buy what they want when they want it as is any mod on this site.
We certainly are, although we never sink that kind of money in a car.
The two minivans we've had were simple and basic machines, a Vanagon and an Aerostar.
Both served us well for many years and miles and both were very satisfactory for us.
Neither could be described as luxurious and neither even had power windows or power locks or mirrors, much less power sliding doors. The VW also lacked power steering, although it had far better suspension travel, handling and braking than did any Aerostar.
The VW didn't even have A/C, although the Aerostar did, and it worked very well for the thirteen years and 176K that we drove it.
It's all a matter of what you want and what you're willing to pay for it.
No fiscal irresponsibility or entitlement mentality involved.

 

[Hokiefyd]

Originally Posted By: demarpaint
I sold Honda's until 2003...Maybe they're [transmissions] better now??


They have been since about the time you stopped selling them.