2002 HONDA ODYSSEY Suspension Problems

THE STEERING WHEEL ON OUR VEHICLE PULLS TO THE RIGHT WHEN WE ACCELERATE OR THE TRANSMISSION UP-SHIFTS. THE VEHICLE CONTINUES TO GO STRAIGHT WHEN THIS HAPPENS BUT TURNING THE WHEEL LEFT HAS NO EFFECT UNTIL THE VEHICLE SPEED EVENS OUT. THERE IS ALSO SOMETHING IN THE FRONT END THAT IS LOOSE AND IS VERY NOTICEABLE ON ROUGH ROADS OR ENTERING/EXITING PARKING LOTS. YOU CAN HEAR SOMETHING JIGGLING OR MOVING AROUND THAT SHOULD'NT BE DOING SO. WE HAVE TAKEN IT TO 3 HONDA DEALERSHIPS AND HAVE SPENT OVER $3,000 REPLACING PARTS BUT THE PROBLEM PERSISTS. THE LOCAL DEALERSHIP SEEMS TO THINK THIS IS NORMAL BUT I DISAGREE, ESPECIALLY WHEN YOUR HEART SKIPS A BEAT WHENEVER IT HAPPENS. IT IS VERY UNNERVING AND SEEMINGLY DANGEROUS. *TR

PASSENGER SIDE FRONT SUSPENSION SPRING WAS FOUND BROKEN DURING A REGULAR CAR MAINTENANCE. SPRINGS ON BOTH SIDE WERE REPLACED. I WAS INFORMED BY THE SERVICE AGENT AT THE HONDA DEALER THAT THE REST OF THE SUSPENSION COMPONENTS WERE OK. HOWEVER, ABOUT 2 MONTHS (AND ABOUT 2000 MILES) LATER, THE PASSENGER SIDE STRUT BROKE. THE ENTIRE PASSENGER SIDE FRONT SUSPENSION ASSEMBLY WAS REPLACED. *TR

VEHICLE CREATES VIBRATION AS IF TRAVELING OVER WASHBOARD SURFACE ON OTHERWISE SMOOTH ROADWAY WHEN ACCELERATING AT LOW GRADUAL SPEEDS. VIBRATION DISAPPEARS AFTER ACCELERATING THROUGH HARMONICS OR DECELERATING. ENGINE MOUNTS (3) WORN OUT PREMATURELY. SUSPECT POOR DESIGN. EXCESSIVE ENGINE MOVEMENT CAUSED THE FRONT PASSENGER ENGINE MOUNT MOUNTING BOLT (2 X M10 X 40MM) TO SHEAR & SECOND BOLT WAS STRETCHED AND YIELDED SUCH THAT THE WASHER FACE OF THE BOLT WAS RAISED 1/4" FROM THE MOUNTING SURFACE RENDERING THE TOP MOUNT USELESS. THE REAR MOUNT SEEMS TO BE THE MAJOR CULPRIT. IT IS HARDEST TO SEE VISUALLY & APPEARS THE 1ST TO FAIL CAUSING EXCESSIVE STRAIN & FAILURE ON 2 REMAINING MOUNTS. POTENTIAL SAFETY CONCERN. REFERENCE COMPLAINT NO. 10425453. *TR

AS MY WIFE WAS BACKING OUT OF OUR DRIVEWAY, THE RIGHT FRONT SPRING BROKE INTO 2 PIECES. HAD SHE BEEN GOING DOWN THE ROAD I CAN THINK OF A NUMBER CATASTROPHIC EVENTS THAT COULD HAVE OCCURRED. IN 55 YEARS OF DRIVING I HAVE NEVER HAD THIS HAPPEN OR EVEN HEARD OF IT HAPPENING. AS I SEARCH THE INTERNET, HOWEVER, IT APPEARS THAT THIS HAPPENS WITH THIS VEHICLE MORE THAN SHOULD BE EXPECTED. *TR

FRONT PASS SIDE (RIGHT) COIL SPRING BROKE SUDDENLY ABOUT 3 INCHES FROM THE TOP WHILE TRAVELING DOWN ROAD OUR NEAR HOME. THE COIL POPPED OUT OF THE STRUT UPPER MOUNT AND RUBBED ON INNER FENDER. REPLACEMENT COILS WERE FITTED ON 3-5-2011 TO BOTH SIDES WHEN IT WAS DISCOVERED THE RIGHT SIDE COIL WAS PREVIOUSLY BROKEN AT THE BOTTOM FLAT WOUND COIL. THE LEFT SIDE FRONT COIL WAS ALSO PREVIOUSLY BROKEN AT THE TOP MOST COIL,FOR AN UNKNOWN AMOUNT OF TIME . THE SHARP ENDED PIECE WAS TRAPPED UNDER THE REMAINING SPRING PIECE.

THE CONSUMER HEARD NOISES COMING FROM THE VEHICLE'S TRANSMISSION. *NM THE VEHICLE PULLED TO THE RIGHT, THE ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT LIGHT WOULD GO ON AND OFF FOR NO REASON, THE AIR BAG LIGHT HAD COME ON, TRANSMISSION FAILED, THE GEARS WOULD NOT SHIFT EASILY, THE RPM ARROW WOULD ERRATICALLY SWING FROM DIFFERENT LEVELS WHILE THE TRANSMISSION WAS STRUGGLING TO SHIFT GEARS, THE TCS LIGHT WAS INTERMITTENT ALONG WITH THE ENGINE LIGHT AND THE HEATER EXHILARATED A LOUD SOUND WHEN IN USE. *SC

PROBLEMS WITH RADIO VOLUME BUTTON, INDICATOR LIGHT, AND VEHICLE PULLS TO THE LEFT.*MR VEHICLE PULLED TO THE LEFT WHEN THE CONSUMER TEST DROVE IT ON 08/10/2002. DEALER ASSURED HER IT WOULD BE REPAIRED. AFTER ABOUT ONE WEEK OF DRIVING THE VEHICLE, IT CONTINUED TO PULL TO THE LEFT UNLESS SHE HELD THE STEERING WHEEL TO THE RIGHT AND FORCED IT TO GO STRAIGHT 08/20/2002. ON 09/24/2002 VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR PROBLEMS WITH THE DOOR AND SRS LIGHT COMING ON AND OFF WHILE DRIVING. ON 10/24/2002 CONSUMER DROVE THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP AGAIN. THEY STATED THE PROBLEM WAS FIXED. ON 12/18/2002 THE CONSUMER INSISTED THAT THE TECHNICIAN TEST DRIVE THE VEHICLE TO EXPERIENCE THE DEFECT. TECHNICIAN DID EXPERIENCE IT AND STATED IT NEEDED TO BE FIXED. THE NEXT DAY THEY INFORMED THE CONSUMER AN ALIGNMENT WAS DONE TO FIX THE "PULLING TO THE LEFT". AS FAR AS...

THE VAN BEGINS SHAKING, THEN STALLS WHEN CRUISING AT ANY SPEED BETWEEN 50-60MPH. THIS ALSO OCCURS AT APPROXIMATELY 40MPH. WHEN STARTING FROM A STOP, THE CAR IS INCREASINGLY FAILING TO START IN 1ST GEAR. THIS IS A MAJOR PROBLEM WHEN TRYING TO TURN LFT ACROSS TRAFFIC. ALSO, WHEN BRAKING TO SLOW THE CAR (NOT STOP IT) IT WILL SUDDENLY SHIFT TO A LOW GEAR, THROWING THE DRIVER INTO THE STEERING WHEEL (WHEN THIS OCCURS, THE SEATBELTS DO NOT AUTOMATICALLY TIGHTEN OR OTHERWISE RESTRAIN THE DRIVER OR PASSENGERS). IT IS LIKE A 20MPH HEAD-ON-COLLISION. ACCORDING TO THE HONDA CUSTOMER SERVICE REP, THIS IS A DESIGN FEATURE. THE DEALERSHIP INFORMED US THE TRANSMISSION IS OPERATING NORMALLY AND ALL THE PROBLEMS ARE "FEATURES" NOT PROBLEMS. NICE TO KNOW HONDA HAS ENGINEERED A "GIVE THE DRIVER WHIPLASH" FEATURE INTO THE CAR, AS WELL AS A FEATURE TO CAUSE THE CAR TO STALL AT THE...

VEHICLE PULLS WITH SLIGHT VEERING TO RIGHT AND LEFT. THERE IS ALSO VIBRATION IN THE STEERING WHEEL AT SPEEDS OF 40 - 70 MPH. DEALER BALANCED WHEELS, CHECKED HUB AND WHEEL RUN OUT, INNER CV JOINTS, SHIFTED FRONT SUBFRAME TO RIGHT, SHIFTED STEERING KNUCKLES TO THE LEFT TO GAIN MAXIMUM LEFT BIASED CAMBER, REPLACED ORIGINAL WHEELS/TIRES WITH EX MODEL TIRES. VEHICLE HAS BEEN AT DEALERSHIP 5 TIMES. HOWEVER PROBLEM STILL EXISTS. CONSUMER STATES PERFORMANCE OF VEHICLE AND THE WAY DEALERSHIP HAS CONDUCTED BUSINESS IS UNSATISFACTORY. *TT

VEHICLE WAS HARD TO PUT INTO REVERSE. ONCE IN REVERSE CONSUMER HEARD A CLANKING NOISE, AND COULD NOT STEER CAR. WHEEL WAS ABOUT TO FALL OFF. VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO DEALER, DEALER STATED THAT A BOLT WAS NOT PROPERLY SCREWED ON. CONSUMER FELT THIS WAS VERY DANGEROUS IF RIDING ON HIGHWAY. *AK THE BOLT HOLDING STRUT MOUNTING WAS NOT PROPERLY SCREWED AT FACTORY. *YH