My husband and I purchased a new 2015 Honda Odyssey Touring from Russell & Smith Honda in Houston, Texas to accommodate our growing family, but we are now seriously questioning this purchase as well as the Customer Service support from Honda. My husband and I have always been loyal to Honda/Acura and in fact have only ever owned Honda/Acura cars. It is for this reason that we decided to go with the Honda Odyssey versus the Toyota Sienna. Within a few weeks, we noticed problems with the electrical system in the car as well as creaking noises coming from the passenger sliding door. We took the van into Russell & Smith Honda to fix the previously mentioned issues as well as to fix damage that had been done by the Russell & Smith Honda technicians while installing window tinting. A week later we were returned the van UNFIXED. In fact, it now has even more problems.

The creaking in the sliding side doors has become increasingly annoying and I am concerned for the safety of my children. It sounds as if the doors are going to slide open when accelerating, slowing down or turning my vehicle. The fixes the technicians have listed are quite concerning. A technician reported that they “slid a pry bar down and…hammered the sheet metal surface apart.” I do not have the time nor should I have to continuously take it back into the shop for repairs. I have 3 small children and it is hard to work around their schedules and also transfer car seats back and forth while also keeping an eye on all three kids. Early on they were providing me with a Honda Accord which was especially difficult while 6 to 9 months pregnant and bending over to put a 1 yr old and 3 yr old into car seats. The past few times, I was placed in a van but have been waiting over 3 months to take my vehicle back in the shop because Honda said Enterprise Rent-A-Car was not able to locate the vehicle I need to safely fit my 3 kids in their car seats.

Since purchasing the van, I have had two cases opened with Honda Corporate - one which I requested be kept open due to my ongoing problems and the second that was opened after my previous case had been closed against my wishes. I have taken my van in to be repaired five times for the creaking doors as well as other problems, and cumulatively the van has spent two months in the shop for over a dozen problems and now needs go back in again to fix the creaking in the doors for the sixth time, work on the A/C for a second time, and fix a transmission fluid leak that was identified at the Honda Service Center when I took it in for my last oil change. I am extremely disappointed with this vehicle. A new and/or reoccurring problem surfaces every few weeks.

When I was able to connect with my previous case manager at Honda Corporate, her demeanor was often rude and condescending, she was quick to get off the phone and did not provide information or answer my questions (either at the time of the call or by following up later). After numerous requests, she arranged for me to meet with a regional technician at the Honda of Spring location. The regional technician was also very rude and could not help me with the electrical issues in my van. When the Service Manager at Honda of Spring (who has been very helpful throughout the process) and I duplicated the electrical issues numerous times, she had mentioned that a system update may be required to fix this problem. However, the Regional Technician was very rude and continued to deny the problems and stated these were ‘design characteristics’. It was very apparent that he was trying to limit Honda’s liability/responsibility to update an obvious system flaw in my vehicle by characterizing it as “just the way it was designed.” My husband and I paid a premium price to enjoy the features of the Touring model and are extremely disappointed that the fundamental mechanics of system do not work properly, and that Honda does not want to take responsibility for their issues or even admit that there is an issue in the first place.

The amount of stress, time and worry has become insurmountable, and for a brand new vehicle this has been an unacceptable inconvenience and burden.