[PhilZJ]

I just drove the Van today and I realized the driver site mirror is distorted too... nice.

Incase someone is keeping track, we have an Elite with the acoustic windshield.

the 5 vans I looked at dealerships in my area varied from base models to Elites, all showed some windshield distortion.

with ours, it seems if you keep the driver seat at it's lowest position, you can avoid most distortion. Most seems to be in the top half of the windshield, and going towards the A pillards.

 

[Bezanja]

I also purchased a 2011 Odyssey EX about a month ago and noticed some distrortions in the windshield and side mirror. I brought it into the dealer last night and they agreed to replace it -- after saying they just replaced another 2011 Odyssey windshield last week. I didn't notice this in all the 2011 Odysseys, only the one we got. I'm guessing, though, if one dealership in Minnesota already has had to replace 2 of these, it's going to be a fairly widespread problem.

I didn't mention the side mirror. I want the windshiled replaced first before going back to get that fixed as well.

One more thing -- I'm having trouble removing the key from the ignition once in a while when I turn the car off. Anyone else experienced this?

 

[tom34diy]

Bezanja, That's awesome news. I was just going to see if I could adjust, but it has been irritating to drive it. My wife does not see it, but she sits lower. Maybe they will replace ours when I take it in. I am just waiting until other issues develop before I return to the dealer. Thanks for the info. Tom

 

[OdysseyOwner22]

I also noticed distortion on my new 2011 honda odyssey after I got it. The shop manager claimed not to see it, but they decided to give me a new windshield anyway as a "gesture of goodwill". Well, the new windshield has a distortion as well (although not as bad as the first windshield, i don't think). The whole thing is pissing me off though and I think it's ridiculous that they can't get it right!

 

[Odandee]

Oh wow, I noticed this in the XLE I test drove! I thought it was strange, but I tend to be sensitive to things like that (unfortunately). Dang. How disappointing to know they let those through. The windshield is one of the reasons I'm now driving a Sienna. I couldn't deal with the distortion, and I thought it was just me being overly sensitive to a change in the windshield on the redesign.

 

[jksu]

ex-l fine

no distortion on our 2011 ex-l in any windows or mirrors.

jksu

 

[disco277]

New user here...

We just bought an EX but it hasn't shipped yet. Hopefully this was a 1st batch problem.

I find it infuriating that Honda would consider this acceptable as it made both my wife and I nauseous...

 

[N8G]

EX-L with no noticed windshield distortion. Noticed the drivers mirror distortion immediately when driving the van home. I tend to believe this a "feature" though, to give a greater angle of view.

 

[tom34diy]

I took our Odyssey in to the dealer today and one of two guys who drove it saw the distortion and is going to get in touch with the Honda rep next week to see about a windshield replacement. This distortion became real obvious to me before I went to the dealer when I was walking toward our van in a parking lot. I was at about a 45 degree angle walking toward the driver's front side, and as I looked through the windshield from the outside, everything on the other side was very wavy looking. I am just glad someone at the dealer agreed that it has issues. We'll see what happens.

 

[Boaz]

Yesterday I was at the dealership, ready to buy the 2011 model (replacing my 2007 model which I bought after my 2004 one)
The windshield distortion was so bad I simply could not drive it.

Unless Honda realizes this defect and recalls it very soon, I am going to have to look for a different make altogether.

 

[PhilZJ]

Well, I have some partial good news for me, during our road trip for the holidays, I took a rock to the windshield and it cracked it, so it looks like I have to get a new windshield anyways. I'm concerned that the new one will be as distorted, if not worse.

-Phil

 

[Boaz]

Bezanja, Did you replace the windshield ?

Was it replaced?
Is it any better ?

I also purchased a 2011 Odyssey EX about a month ago and noticed some distrortions in the windshield and side mirror. I brought it into the dealer last night and they agreed to replace it -- after saying they just replaced another 2011 Odyssey windshield last week.

 

[stbdtack]

windsheild and mirror distortion

I noticed distortion in the bottom corners of the windshield the day after I took delivery. P-poor quality; guess Honda is going south too. Having a lot of personal experience in the glass manufacturing industry, I know that there is no excuse for this other than substandard quality assurance. Probably the squeeze was on the get cars off the production line, and the supplier could not keep up with the demand for quality windshields. Maybe they are all being delivered to Kia? Too bad the Odys aren't made in Japan.

The driver side view mirror is really crappy. A piece of junk. Full of circus fun house distortion. I reported it (but not the windshield - see below) when I filled in the on-line survey I received from Honda a couple of weeks after taking delivery.

About the windshield- I took 2 long trips over the Holidays (TN to Charlotte, NC and TN to Destin, FL) and the windshield distortion did not bother me, except when making a sharp corner, as in a parking lot. I can live with that OK. But the mirror is driving me nuts and this will be my last Honda (my third) if Honda does not come through with a quality replacement, for free. I bought it at Rusty Wallace Honda in Knoxville, and will write him a nice letter about the huge drop in Honda quality and ask for a replacement mirror.

Mine was delivered with the inside door trim on the rear driver's side door opening incompletely assembled. Again, very poor QA on the assembly line. Same thing with the windshield washer spray nozzle on the driver side - it is loose. I just noticed the loose nozzle the other day. I would fix it myself, if I were not going to the dealer to have the door trim installed (probably less than a 60 second job if there is a skilled trim man there) and to enter my formal complaint in person to the service manager about the mirror.

 

[RinconVTR]

I appreciate your reply. I plan to have them address it, but I will wait until I have more issues for them to fix under warranty. I did some research and found a link where Honda tries to explain windshield distortion as normal and acceptable. I don't think so.

Here is that link, and from there you can see other FAQs.

http://automobiles.honda.com/information/frequently-asked-questions.aspx?Question=13

I am still interested if others notice this on the 2011. Thanks.

Unfortunately, it is very normal. Unless you have precision ground and polished flat glass, you're going to find some distortion. Most everything today has very contoured forms and very complex curves over a very large surface area. Distortion natually will occur.

Sometimes distortion is worse than normal, but trying to define a spec to pass or fail automotive glass for this is not easy. And some people are more perceptive to it than others.

Bring it up so they check it out and its documented, but I bet you'll get used to it. Seemingly dirty glass can even be overlooked because we focus beyond the close distance of the glass, distortion falls into the same theory.

 

[MFLetou]

Re: windsheild and mirror distortion

I noticed distortion in the bottom corners of the windshield the day after I took delivery. P-poor quality; guess Honda is going south too. Having a lot of personal experience in the glass manufacturing industry, I know that there is no excuse for this other than substandard quality assurance. Probably the squeeze was on the get cars off the production line, and the supplier could not keep up with the demand for quality windshields. Maybe they are all being delivered to Kia? Too bad the Odys aren't made in Japan.

The driver side view mirror is really crappy. A piece of junk. Full of circus fun house distortion. I reported it (but not the windshield - see below) when I filled in the on-line survey I received from Honda a couple of weeks after taking delivery.

About the windshield- I took 2 long trips over the Holidays (TN to Charlotte, NC and TN to Destin, FL) and the windshield distortion did not bother me, except when making a sharp corner, as in a parking lot. I can live with that OK. But the mirror is driving me nuts and this will be my last Honda (my third) if Honda does not come through with a quality replacement, for free. I bought it at Rusty Wallace Honda in Knoxville, and will write him a nice letter about the huge drop in Honda quality and ask for a replacement mirror.

Mine was delivered with the inside door trim on the rear driver's side door opening incompletely assembled. Again, very poor QA on the assembly line. Same thing with the windshield washer spray nozzle on the driver side - it is loose. I just noticed the loose nozzle the other day. I would fix it myself, if I were not going to the dealer to have the door trim installed (probably less than a 60 second job if there is a skilled trim man there) and to enter my formal complaint in person to the service manager about the mirror.

You keep referencing poor assembly quality, but it sounds like you want your dealer to rectify it. I doubt you are going to get anywhere---because it really isn't the dealer's fault (the glass.) The question is whether yours is worse than anyone elses (I don't know.) If not, then the dealer isn't going to eat the cost of a new mirror that Honda won't pay for. If the dealer can convince Honda is should be a warranty repair, than you are in business...

 

[tom34diy]

Well...Honda is going to replace my windshield. Said they have to make sure they do not break mine when they take it out because they have to send it back in since it is warranty work. Interesting, huh? Anyway, it's a shame that it was flawed, but I'll be okay with it if they can make it like new and not damage the van.

 

[Golden*Girl]

This is my first post. I searched for information about windshield distortion because I test drove a 2011 EX-L today and the vehicle had a windshield with noticeable distortion, like a wavy fun house mirror. After the test drive, I came back to discuss it with the saleswoman and she said I was the second customer to have noticed the problem, that "all" the 2011 Odysseys have the issue, and some customers notice it and some don't. She said if I noticed it, I would "get used to it". What else is she going to say, right? It's obviously been identified as a problem that Honda does not plan to resolve, for this model year at least. I sat in the floor model (Touring) and the distortion was far less pronounced, but you could look for it and see it there, too.

I'm not sure now whether I will buy the car. I'm sensitive to the distortion and I'm not sure I will get used to it. Compared to the Kia Sedona, I like the 8th seat of the Odyssey, but I will only use that occasionally, whereas windshield distortion will be bothering me full-time.

 

[Cwilson336]

So, I believe I commented earlier that our driver's side outside mirror definitely has a little distortion. Honestly, I've gotten used to it. Then after owning the car for almost 3 weeks, I was sitting at a drive-thru ATM, and for the first time noticed definite distortion on the far right side of the windshield.

I honestly don't know that I would have seen it had it not been for a grocery store sign being in the line of sight. The sign was nearly unreadable. It is so far to the right side, I don't know it will ever truly impact driving. However, I guess if a store's signage is unreadable, then the same could apply for a caution sign or (gasp) a pedestrian.

Definite quality gap for Honda, but becoming par for the course for manufacturing quality in the 21st century.

 

[Golden*Girl]

The distortion I was talking about was straight ahead on the driver's side. That's why I noticed it immediately. There was no avoiding it unless you close your eyes while driving, which I don't believe is recommended.

 

[stbdtack]

Windsheild distortion

Golden Girl you are probably correct that Honda will likely do nothing about the distorted windsheilds, except for possibly correcting it in later production. My dealer said they are all that way. The dealers are NOT happy about the situation either, beleive me. Actually, closer inspection reveals distortion in all the glass, which is to be expected because the issue is varations in the "refractive index" in the glass, and is not actually an uneven surface on the glass panels. This happens when the glass maker (melter) pushes too hard for production, and does not allow the molten glass sufficient time to become chemically homogeneous. Glass is a "super cooled liquid", which is more than you need to know - sorry.

I would suggest waiting 6 months and checking the show room for a Honda that has better glass. I really wish I had taken the time to check out the KIA. I would have a lot more money in the bank now, I would not be a permanently disgruntled Honda owner, and I would not be reminded daily that I had been "handled' by Honda. (My wife wanted a Honda because she liked the way it looks). My previous one was a '97 which I still own. Great car when it is not raining. With a KIA you would have a whole lot longer warranty too. What's not to like? Also, the new Nissan Quest is worth a serious look. But being a new model, don't "order" one like I did with the Honda. Buy one that is in stock, that you can inspect carefully, drive and think about for a couple of days.

Definitely DO NOT BUY one with the distortion right where you look through the windsheild. I had that problem years ago with a different make of vehicle, and never entered that brand show room again (Chevrolet). And never will. It would be a mistake you would regret as long as, and every day that, you own the vehicle. Life is too short.

My Ody is driveable because the distortion is in the lower part of the windsheild, and I only notice it when looking downward, as in parking and turning at intersections. I was able to have the driver side rear view mirror replaced by the dealer, and it is now useable, but still about 40% distorted. All together it is enough to make me not buy another Honda, because I very much resent being treated this way.