[cw30000]

I cannot believe it. Pay 30k+ for a van and with these crappy part. The battery just die while the car is parked in the garage. Last time it was used was few days ago.

 

[dvpatel]

You're not gonna believe this either.

1. There are 2 very big threads on this battery failing prematurely problem where almost every one's batteries died within 3 years or less. Some in a year only.
2. The battery is warrantied for 3 years so take it in and get the dealer to replace it. That replacement will die soon too. Once that happens do NOT get a Honda battery.

#2 above is very important and unbelievable. Enjoy the van.

 

[psu ody fan]

You're not gonna believe this either.

1. There are 2 very big threads on this battery failing prematurely problem where almost every one's batteries died within 3 years or less. Some in a year only.
2. The battery is warrantied for 3 years so take it in and get the dealer to replace it. That replacement will die soon too. Once that happens do NOT get a Honda battery.

#2 above is very important and unbelievable. Enjoy the van.

DV, is there any warranty on the replacment battery?

 

[dvpatel]

DV, is there any warranty on the replacment battery?

Yes. Till your van turns 3 years old. Once you are out of 3 years, you're on your own. There might be a 12 month warranty on the new battery but I am not 100% sure as I only lost the battery once and now, I am beyond 12 months and beyond 3 years for my 2007. I don't intend to use the crappy Honda batteries any way (unless ofcourse they're FREE).

 

[mattd]

I just replaced the oe battery on my 05 and have 73k on the clock. I went with another Honda battery for $125 installed. I know this seems to be out of the norm to have a battery for this long. But then again, I have 47k miles on my current pax tires.

But I also have my share of problems, most recently replacing glass that wS not broken however not functional.

 

[psu ody fan]

I just replaced the oe battery on my 05 and have 73k on the clock. I went with another Honda battery for $125 installed. I know this seems to be out of the norm to have a battery for this long. But then again, I have 47k miles on my current pax tires.

But I also have my share of problems, most recently replacing glass that wS not broken however not functional.

I got in the neighborhood of 4 years out of the OEM battery in my 03. My in-laws made it over 6 years & 100K miles on the battery in their 04. I guess we got lucky with ours. Seems like people who don't drive their's every day have a higher frequency of failures.

 

[dvpatel]

Seems like people who don't drive their's every day have a higher frequency of failures.

Not really true. I have a 2007 EX-L R&N purchased in Sept 2007. My friend has a 2007 Touring purchased in March 2007. Both of us lost batteries at around the same time (3 or so months apart) in year 2. Difference, he has almost 50K miles on his now and I still have 25K. He drives his every day. I only drive ours on weekends and sometimes we don't even drive it for a couple of weeks. So, his should have lasted a bit more based on your statement. But it didn't. I suppose it could be a luck of the draw in Matt's favor but a vast majority has issues with the newer batteries. My Accord's battery lasted me over 7 years though.

 

[psu ody fan]

Not really true.

Can you prove that?

"Seems like" and "higher frequency" are very broad terms I used, so I'm going to assume you have some data (beyond your 2 examples) to document that my suppositions are "not really true"? :stupid:

I'm not disputing the fact the Honda's OEM batteries suck....that part I'll agree with.

 

[dvpatel]

Can you prove that?

"Seems like" and "higher frequency" are very broad terms I used, so I'm going to assume you have some data (beyond your 2 examples) to document that my suppositions are "not really true"? :stupid:

I'm not disputing the fact the Honda's OEM batteries suck....that part I'll agree with.

Have you seen most folks prove anything on here? :stupid:

I am going off the 2 battery threads and my and my friend's example. You can see the discussions yourself in the other battery threads on the same lines.

 

[nicomtl]

Just a thought: Do the people whose battery died early have vans with power doors and AUTO HVAC? I would think the power doors, very often used when the engine is off, and the AUTO HVAC, which is mostly left on all the time, would be a big draw on the battery.

As a data point, we bought our 07 EX-L in April (33 months @ 17K miles) and the battery was found to be dying. The dealer replaced it under warranty as part of the Honda Certification.

Nicolas

 

[psu ody fan]

Have you seen most folks prove anything on here? :stupid:

You are correct.....there is no way Willy is getting 9.67 MPG in his Ody. I'll bet he doesn't even crack 8.5 on a good day!

 

[traffic002]

Are newer models more prone to this short battery life?

I see folks mentioning '07 and the OP has an '08?

My '06 EX-L has 84k miles and no sign of battery life diminishing...

 

[County Honda]

My battery died 2 weeks before my 2007 EX-L was four years old. Everything inside the van worked it just would not turn over the starter. Not enough CCA (cold cranking amps)
The positive terminal was corroded beyond belief and broke when I tried to remove the battery.
I went to Costco and purchased a $69.99 replacement battery. It is rated for 640 CCA
The catalog at Costco showed that the 2001 to 2006 Odyssey OEM battery had 585 CCA for 2007 and 2008 the Odyssey had 550 CCA and in 2009, 2010 the OEM Battery has 585 CCA again.
That may explain why those two model years had more failures. As the temperature drops the battery ability to generate CCA is diminished. I did consider myself lucky to get 4 years out of the original battery and the new one comes with another 3 year warranty. PS The battery cable from Honda was $90.00 and a 7 day wait. The local car parts store had a universal fit end termiinal for $5.99. It worked well for me.

 

[Cntrtwnltd]

I can tell you both from experience and talking with others that it is very easy to turn the lights on from the dash and forget about it. With all the interior lights on, the battery drains out in just a few hours. Mine died and Honda replaced it at 36,000. Now I carry a jump box. For 60 dollars, the peace of mind is priceless....as long as I remember to keep it charged

 

[tC_demon]

Well guys I have outlasted everyone here!!! Got the van in 11-2006 26K miles and 4 years later my battery is still kicking and screaming...But I ended up replacing it today with a Kirkland Signature Battery from Costco...Got some gift cards from Costco over christmas so I got all my cars Costco batteries! The Costco batteries have more CCA than the OEM. So I expect only good things from it, plus they come with 3yrs exchange and 100 month prorated warranty.

 

[gregersonke]

Well guys I have outlasted everyone here!!! Got the van in 11-2006 26K miles and 4 years later my battery is still kicking and screaming...But I ended up replacing it today with a Kirkland Signature Battery from Costco...Got some gift cards from Costco over christmas so I got all my cars Costco batteries! The Costco batteries have more CCA than the OEM. So I expect only good things from it, plus they come with 3yrs exchange and 100 month prorated warranty.

I killed a costco battery in two years on this van once. The free replacement has been perfect for the 5 since though.

-Kevin

 

[nembree]

Having read all these short battery life horror stories, I was a little nervous when I returned to my two and a half year old 2008 Touring Odyssey, which had been parked outside at the Buffalo airport from January 2 to 12.

It started just fine.

The battery in my 2000 Odyssey lasted seven years.

Am I just lucky?

 

[Grimplin]

I replaced our original battery in January on our 06 EX-L. Care had 110,000kms on it. At the time I only thought that was so so, but now that I see all the problems I feel pretty good about the life we got out of it.

I must say though, I found the positive terminal connection a PITA to work on when taking out the old and putting in the new battery.

 

[marjenmiller]

Guys...I'm in the auto business...you have to realize a few things about batteries...

(1) Honda and other OEMs are not going to put a premium battery in a vehicle. They want it to last just beyond the warranty period so they aren't liable for replacement. This is true for all parts.

(2) what typically kills a battery is heat. In Arizona or southern Florida, for example, a battery typically last 2 to 2.5 years no matter how good it is. A battery in Detroit or Chicago will typically last 5 to 7 years due to cooler weather conditions. Cold weather starts drain a battery on start up, which is why you typically see them "die" in cold weather, but the pre-seasons of heat robs them of life.

Other conditions also apply depending on how you drive the vehicle, store the vehicle (e.g inside or outside a garage), accessories on the vehicle (power doors/windows), etc.

In other words, many factors drive to a battery's replacement factor.