1996 Honda Odyssey problems

“CRUISING AT 35 MILES AN HOUR DOWN PARK BOULEVARD WITHOUT HITTING ANY BUMPS THE PASSENGER AIRBAG EXPLODED. THE EXPLOSION WAS SO HARD THAT IT KNOCKED DOWN THE REARVIEW MIRROR, THE GLOVE COMPARTMENT DOOR, AND CAUSED DAMAGE TO THE WINDSHIELD. I WAS SO LUCKY NOT TO HAVE BEEN HURT BY FLYING DEBRIS OR HAVING MY EAR DRUMS BLOWING OUT. EVERYONE I SPOKEN TO IN THE CAR SERVICE BUSINESS HAS NEVER HEARD OF ANYTHING LIKE THIS. AN AIRBAG EXPLODING WITHOUT IMPACT OR HITTING A MAJOR BUMP. I HAD LOCAL EMS COME TO CHECK ME OUT.”

“THIS IS THE SECOND TIME THAT WE HAVE HAD AN IGNITION SWITCH FAILURE ON THIS 1996 HONDA ODYSSEY. IT WILL SOMETIMES START, WITH SOME JIGGLING OF THE KEY, OR WILL NOT START AT ALL. IT HAS CUT OUT WHILE DRIVING, A DANGEROUS SITUATION, ESPECIALLY WHEN CARRYING CHILDREN. AT THIS POINT, IT WILL NOT START AT ALL. HOW OFTEN DO WE NEED TO REPLACE THIS? HONDA ODYSSEYS OF THIS YEAR WERE SUBJECT TO RECALL FOR THIS VERY PROBLEM IN AUSTRALIA, JAPAN, AND CHINA. WHY NOT HERE? CHINA, IN THIS INSTANCE, HAS MORE CONCERN FOR SAFETY THAN THE OBSESSIVELY SAFETY-ORIENTED USA.”

“MY 1996 HONDA ODYSSEY DIED SEVERAL TIMES WHILE STATIONARY AND/OR DRIVING, INCLUDING ONE INCIDENT ON THE HIGHWAY AT HIGH SPEED. I TOOK IT TO AAA CARE PLUS, GOT SPARK PLUG, SPARK PLUG WIRE SET, DISTRIBUTOR REPLACED. IT STILL STALL FREQUENTLY. AFTER DOING A GOOGLE SEARCH LEARNED THAT 1996 ODYSSEY HAS PROBLEM. OTHER HAVE ALSO REPORTED. WANT TO KNOW WHAT HONDA IS DOING ABOUT IT AS THIS MODEL WAS RECALLED FOR SAME PROBLEM IN CHINA AND EUROPE. *TR”

“AT 117,000 MILES THE ABS WARNING LIGHT ON OUR 1996 HONDA ODYSSEY CAME ON AND STAYED ON. ALSO, AT THE SAME TIME ABS SYSTEM WOULD IMPROPERLY ENGAGE AT LOW SPEEDS ON DRY PAVEMENT WHEN APPROACHING A STOP. TOOK TO HONDA DEALER, WAS GIVEN DIAGNOSIS THAT ABS CONTROL UNIT HAS FAILED. THE COST OF REPLACEMENT IS $1227 PLUS TAX, WHICH IS PROHIBITIVELY EXPENSIVE. IN MY OPINION THIS UNIT SHOULD LAST THE LIFE OF THE VEHICLE, IT HAS FAILED BECAUSE HONDA PROVIDED A CONTROL UNIT OF POOR QUALITY. EVIDENCED BY THE FACT THAT THIS IS THE SECOND SAFETY-RELATED ELECTRONIC CONTROL UNIT TO COMPLETELY FAIL ON THIS VEHICLE - THE AIR BAG SRS CONTROL UNIT FAILED AT 73,000 MILES. WHERE IS THE MUCH-TOUTED HONDA QUALITY AND RELIABILITY? IT SEEMS TO BE ABSENT ON THIS 1996 OCYSSEY. WAS TOLD BY DEALER THAT VEHICLE IS OUT OF WARRANTY, AND HONDA WILL NOT REPLACE THE CONTROL UNITS.*AK”

“I SET THE CRUISE CONTROL ON MY VAN AT 120 KM AN HOUR. A CAR PASSED AND THEN PULLED CLOSELY IN FRONT OF ME SO I TOUCHED MY BRAKES TO SLOW DOWN. WHEN I PRESSED RESUME TO RE-ESTABLISH MY SET SPEED, THE CRUISE CONTROL MALFUNCTIONED AND THE CAR STARTED TO ACCELERATE TO ABOUT 130. I TOUCHED THE BRAKES, SLOWED THE CAR, AND AS SOON AS I RELEASED THE BRAKES THE CAR ACCELERATED AGAIN. I PUSHED OFF THE CRUISE CONTROL BUTTON. IT HAD NO EFFECT. I REALIZED SOMETHING WAS JAMMED AND THE CRUISE CONTROL WAS NOT GOING TO SHUT OFF. I PULLED OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, PUT ON MY BRAKES AS HARD AS I COULD, PUT THE CAR IN PARK AND TURNED OFF THE ENGINE. I RE-STARTED TO SEE WHAT WOULD HAPPEN AND THE ENGINE ROARED AT FULL THROTTLE. I CALLED A TOW TRUCK AND WAS TOWED TO THE CLOSEST DEALERSHIP WHERE A TECHNICIAN CUT THE CRUISE CONTROL CABLE AND I WAS ABLE TO CONTINUE ON MY WAY. *JB”

“DRIVER'S POWER LOCK WAS CYCLING. DRIVER'S POWER WINDOW MADE A METALLIC SPRING-LIKE SOUND WHEN CLOSING. MECHANIC DIAGNOSED "POWER DOOR LOCK ACTUATOR WAS BAD, REPLACED IT." "WINDOW REGULATOR & MOTOR WERE BAD, REPLACED THEM." POWER WINDOW WORKED NORMALLY WHEN DELIVERED TO DEALERS SERVICE, JUST MADE A NOISE. WHEN HE CALLED ME, MECHANIC SAID WINDOW WAS NOT WORKING AT ALL. AFTER MUCH ARGUMENT, DEALER AGREED TO A "50% GOODWILL" SPLIT OF CHARGES DUE TO AGE/MILEAGE. MY SHARE OF REPAIR COST WAS $320.49. *NM”