[Mark10_Odyssey]

We are excited to have just bought a 2010 Odyssey in great condition with 131,000 miles on it! we’ve had a 2007 CRV for 8 years and are hoping the Odyssey will be as great a vehicle as that one has been (200,000 miles currently).
The previous owner took it to the dealer for every imaginable maintenance item - there were something like 70 records on the Carfax! It drives great and im hoping that it won’t be too high maintenance going forward. It’s had new timing belt, water pump, alternator, compressor, struts, control arms, piston rings, and all routine stuff like brakes, battery, tires, etc. we have a very good local mechanic, so I don’t plan on having Honda dealer work on it much at all due to $$$. I can turn a wrench, too, so will do some repairs myself.

The people we bought it from seemed very responsible and conscientious, which helped us make decision to buy. However, when we met to exchange check for title and vehicle, we were informed that they only have ONE key. WTF! Right away, I said, “Oh, that’s going to be expensive! “ Since we negotiated a pretty fair price, $9800, I didn’t hit them up for cash to cover this. Now I’m seeing this is going to cost several hundred dollars?! Never had a car with only one key, so we’ll have to figure something out. Appreciate any input. Other strings on this topic are fairly old. seller also didn’t bring any of the maintenance paperwork to final sale, so I’m still trying to get that. Wondering how much recall work has been necessary on these?? All I have is vague overview on Carfax and what he told me.

 

[marvinstockman]

Call a locksmith and ask. Call the dealer and ask. Call HomeDepot and ask.

 

[tritan]

Congrats on the new ride! The 2010 key is not a dealer only key, unlike later models. It won’t cost you a fortune. Ask around as already said.

Also, if you have an EX-L and above model, it is best to muzzle the VCM and you can drive the car into eternity.

The VCM mega thread - what is VCM, does my vehicle have...

This thread will explain all the key details regarding VCM. Rather than re-explaining VCM to every new forum member, they can simply be directed here. While there will be plenty of discussion in this thread, this first post contains the key information, so reading the rest of the thread (many...

www.odyclub.com

 

[hpark21]

What model 2010 model did you get?

 

[greenmind]

Also, if you have an EX-L and above model, it is best to muzzle the VCM and you can drive the car into eternity.

Interesting comment as I've recently been pondering the longevity of my '08 EX-L. I bought it two years ago at 120k miles and promptly muzzled it. 133k miles now and I'm a very happy driver - love how it just calmly eats miles on the highway, my only complaint is road noise. I'm in a rust zone and it's what usually dooms cars here. So far the frame is not significantly rusting - exterior is starting to show some rust but pretty limited so far. I have a good mechanic who I bought it from and he has maintained it for the last 10 years - he's confident it will go as long as I want to keep up with maintenance. New minivans don't particularly offer more that interests me.... there are some improvements (Toyota fuel economy, for example), and some regressions (Toyota nonremovable 2nd row seats, for example). And then there's the current auto market conditions which might be with us for a while. Add that all up and I'm inclined to keep my '08 for a long time....

 

[jiantao]

Interesting comment as I've recently been pondering the longevity of my '08 EX-L. I bought it two years ago at 120k miles and promptly muzzled it. 133k miles now and I'm a very happy driver - love how it just calmly eats miles on the highway, my only complaint is road noise. I'm in a rust zone and it's what usually dooms cars here. So far the frame is not significantly rusting - exterior is starting to show some rust but pretty limited so far. I have a good mechanic who I bought it from and he has maintained it for the last 10 years - he's confident it will go as long as I want to keep up with maintenance. New minivans don't particularly offer more that interests me.... there are some improvements (Toyota fuel economy, for example), and some regressions (Toyota nonremovable 2nd row seats, for example). And then there's the current auto market conditions which might be with us for a while. Add that all up and I'm inclined to keep my '08 for a long time....

Same here. My '07 is sitting at 92K, and I don't see why I would get rid of it for at least another 10 years. I have confidence that it will last as long as it's well maintained.

 

[greenmind]

Same here. My '07 is sitting at 92K, and I don't see why I would get rid of it for at least another 10 years. I have confidence that it will last as long as it's well maintained.

10 years is probably aggressive for me but who knows. Hope you make it there!

In my mind, maintenance costs don't matter very much - no matter what they are they are way lower than cost of a new car. What matters is stranded on the side of the road, waiting for AAA. I take a fair number of longer road trips each year in my Odyssey and unexpected breakdowns would ruin my opinion of the car. While that could happen with any car, new or old, it seems like that risk is not particularly higher in the 3rd gen Odyssey than any other quality vehicle.

Sorry, OP, for the thread creep.

 

[Mark10_Odyssey]

Thanks all for feedback. Thanks Tritan for VCM thread - will read that through for sure.

Ours is an EX-L. Built in Alabama, I believe.

Yes, I was quite happy to talk with someone in the hardware Dept at Home Depot yesterday, who told me they could very likely duplicate the key! Apparently, this is a chip key, but they can still make one? Thank you, marvinstockman! I wouldn’t have thought to call them.

Yesterday, I washed and started to wax the Ody. It has v little rust, but some areas that look like beginning of paint failure. Finish was a bit dull in some areas, due to previous owners parking it outside sometimes. Removed rocker panel plastic trim, as there is quite a lot of rust on driver side. I’ll have to sand that down, prime and paint.

i also used compressor to blow out crap (kids’ fruit loops, and gummy bears) from both door tracks and actuator mechanism. I then cleaned and lubricated with lithium grease. They work much better now! Were taking several attempts to open or close. May also switch to manual - this is possible, right?

 

[WiiMaster]

Thanks all for feedback. Thanks Tritan for VCM thread - will read that through for sure.

...

i also used compressor to blow out crap (kids’ fruit loops, and gummy bears) from both door tracks and actuator mechanism. I then cleaned and lubricated with lithium grease. They work much better now! Were taking several attempts to open or close. May also switch to manual - this is possible, right?

Yes, they're all built in Alabama. I'd get your VCM muzzled ASAP.

By actuator mechanism do you mean the black one that requires removal of the interior door panel?

 

[Mark10_Odyssey]

@greenmind, I sort of disagree. Case in point - the people we bought our Odyssey from paid $9200 in Maintainance costs to the local dealer over past five years! That’s a shitload of money. People tend to overlook TCO when it comes to both homes and transportation!
That said, Honda has a great, well deserved rep for quality. We now own 2 - 07 CRV is the other.
I always strive to understand and take care of as much maintenance on our home and cars as possible. Saves a lot of money, it’s rewarding to DIY and valuable when talking with a mechanic if they are doing it. I’ve also found that in most all things, nobody cares about my shit as much as I do. No one else has the vested interest and is going to live with the result the way I am, so if extra effort is needed - I do it.

I just talked w the service Mgr at Honda dealer that prev owner took our Ody to all the time. He kind of downplayed the whole VCM thing when I asked him about it directly. I think we’ll drive it as is for a few hundred miles to get a feel for the vehicle and then I’ll probably install a muzzler. Sounds like VCM was a terrible idea that causes a lot of problems. Some have already been repaired on this one, like piston rings, but who’s to say it won’t be an issue again down the road?

 

[greenmind]

$9200 in Maintainance costs to the local dealer over past five years!

= $1800/year, or $150 a month. Try buying a new car for that price! Not trying to argue just pointing out that it is tiny compared to a new car. Of course, $9200 is pretty high and $3200 over five years sounds a lot nicer. But even $9200 is dwarfed by $50k for a new Odyssey.

This is also kind of a personal decision for me, and has to do with the fact that I like the 3rd gen Odyssey more than the newer vans in a few key ways. I like that I can take the seats out and there isn't a bunch of tracks and junk in the floor. I like that it has a V6 and a reasonable 5-speed transmission. I like that it has a roof rack - sounds silly but many new minivans don't have them! And I like that it is old and "broken in" and I don't have to sweat every scratch. I enjoy all of these things and actually don't want a new minivan in multiple ways. But, I still need a reliable road trip machine, and so I have decided that maintenance costs are not worth fretting over - I have a mechanic I trust and I bring it to him regularly and fix what he says is necessary.

 

[thscott]

I just talked w the service Mgr at Honda dealer that prev owner took our Ody to all the time. He kind of downplayed the whole VCM thing when I asked him about it directly. I think we’ll drive it as is for a few hundred miles to get a feel for the vehicle and then I’ll probably install a muzzler. Sounds like VCM was a terrible idea that causes a lot of problems. Some have already been repaired on this one, like piston rings, but who’s to say it won’t be an issue again down the road?

Honda and Honda dealerships will not admit there are any issues with VCM. I would recommend you install a muzzler ASAP. There's no reason to wait. It will become an issue sooner or later; might as well nip it in the bud now, before more damage occurs.

 

[Odyssey.owner]

repaired on this one, like piston rings, but who’s to say it won’t be an issue

Yes, piston rings will be an issue again, unless you muzzle VCM asap

 

[2010 Oddity]

I have the same year and the locksmith in my area made a second programmed key for $90

 

[Mark10_Odyssey]

[

like that it has a roof rack - sounds silly but many new minivans don't have them! And I like that it is old and "broken in" and I don't have to sweat every scratch. I enjoy all of these things and actually don't want a new minivan in multiple ways

Totally agree with that statement! My wife likes having a “broken in” vehicle for the same reason.
I guess we’re just pretty frugal and trying to minimize transport costs as much as possible. At 56, I’ve bought exactly one new vehicle and that will likely be the last. The depreciation hit is just too much.
I will order the VCM muzzler as soon as we get an issue with the title resolved. The private party folks we bought from neglected to bring or keep in their records the bank letter stating that the loan was paid off way back in 2012! Very aggravating, but we should have that tomorrow. The lady was pissed at us for showing up at their house on Monday wanting to resolve it. I’m like, “Hey, you deposited our check on Friday and we have a minivan that can’t be titled or driven right now!” They can tell it to the judge if I don’t have letter by tomorrow.

 

[hpark21]

I guess we’re just pretty frugal and trying to minimize transport costs as much as possible. At 56, I’ve bought exactly one new vehicle and that will likely be the last. The depreciation hit is just too much.

I don't know... When I got my Tundra and Ody back in 2006, neither cars were depreciating quickly. (My understanding is that my Tundra still hasn't depreciated much from what I am hearing)

Tundra literally had 1 repair (not maintenance) when brake line rusted out and had to be replaced (In last 15 years). Otherwise, (knock on wood) has been fantastic.
Ody also has been relatively good - Not as good as Tundra though - Engine mount/Navi screen/PS pump/Rear latch replaced. Axle and couple of others, I just consider them to be "maintenance" at this age and mileage (170k+) and it has been relatively good. That said, for ODY, unless you get low mileage one, I don't know.... VCM/transmission is real issue though so it would be better if I know the history of the car.
My Rogue is ONE that I got used (3 yrs old - certified). It drove well, I liked it. But Transmission blew up. (At least extended warranty covered the replacement - 2 weeks before expiration so I guess I was lucky there) And it only had 75k on it. I thought my gen Ody had weak transmission. I do NOT expect that car to last beyond 150k+ unfortunately.

So, for me, so far brand new +2, used -1.

 

[Mark10_Odyssey]

I’ve been driving for 40 years now. Here are cars I’ve owned and purchase / sell prices of each:
1. 1971 VW Superbeetle convert. $500 (from dad) in 1983 / ”sold” back to him for $0 in 1988 (needed new engine and he had total rebuild done)
2. 1980 VW Scirocco $2000 in 1989 / $800 in 1990
3. 1985 VW Scirocco $4500 in 1990 / $3200 in 1993
4. 1991 Ford Escort $5500 in 1993 / $3000 in 1996
5. 1992 Ford Ranger $7200 in 1995 / $0 (donated to charity in 2009 - great little truck!)
6. 1993 Jeep Grand Cherokee $20,000 in 1996 / $5300 in 2003
7. 2000 Subaru Outback $16,000 in 2003 / $3800 in 2011
8. 2006 Toyota Prius $15,500 in 2009 / $13,000 in 2011(paid for itself in fuel economy after 60,000 miles)
9. 2008 Opel Meriva $0 gift from FIL
10. 2007 Honda CRV $15,500 in 2013 - current car
11. 2013 Ford Fusion $32,000 in 2013 - current car soon to be sold ( for about $8500)
12. 2010 Honda Odyssey $9800 in 2021

That‘s it - 12 cars for me and my small family (3) after getting married.

The Jeep and Ford Fusion had the biggest depreciation hits. Hondas and Toyotas seem to hold value a lot better!