NHTSA Complaint #10413761 — 2006 HONDA ODYSSEY

2006 HONDA ODYSSEY EXL (69,659 MILES) - BROKEN REAR MOTOR MOUNT, SPECIAL DESIGN MOTOR MOUNT ($556.43 FOR PART AND $685.21 INSTALLED). UNUSUAL AND VERY EXPENSIVE REPAIR FOR A CAR WITH RELATIVELY LOW MILEAGE. HAVE NOT HAD TO REPLACE MOTOR MOUNT ON ANY CAR SINCE THE 1970S. CAR HAS ALWAYS BEEN SERVICED BY HONDA DEALER AND NO PRIOR INDICATION OF ANY PROBLEMS WHEN UNDER WARRANTY. DEEP RUMBLING NOISE, SIMILAR TO A HOLE IN AN EXHAUST PIPE, FROM FRONT ENGINE AREA WAS ONLY SYMPTOM. BASED ON REPORTS ON INTERNET, BROKEN MOTOR MOUNTS ARE A VERY COMMON AND EXPENSIVE PROBLEM WITH HONDA ODYSSEYS (AND ACCORDS). THIS IS THE FIFTH HONDA AND THE THIRD HONDA ODYSSEY THAT WE HAVE OWNED AND HAVE NEVER HAD ANY MAJOR PROBLEMS UNTIL NOW. HAD I BEEN AWARE OF THIS MOTOR MOUNT PROBLEM I PROBABLY WOULD HAVE BOUGHT A TOYOTA VAN. DESPITE THE UNWARRANTED BAD RAP THAT TOYOTA SUFFERED RECENTLY FOR ACCELERATION PROBLEMS THAT ARE JUST AS COMMON IN GENERAL MOTORS CARS, I HAVE NOT HAD ANY PROBLEMS WITH THE FOUR TOYOTAS WE HAVE OWNED, AND TOYOTA DID FAR MORE THAN THEY PROBABLY HAD TO, TO ADDRESS THE ALLEGED PROBLEM. MY NEXT CAR WILL NOT BE A HONDA. *KB