[cool-blue]

I have a 2006 EX-L with 280K miles. I think the repairs it needs are about equal to the values of van. It is due for timing belt/water pump. The front suspension needs replaced. Rear shocks too. There is a significant oil leak, maybe 2. I took it to my mechanic to have him look at the oil leak. His guess is the aft valve cover or the Vtec module gasket. The RH side of oil pan is wet like the front main might be leaking. It could be the oil pump. We had it resealed (by dealer) when we got the van at 165K. It needs 2 tires as well. At the moment the van runs well and the transmission is functioning well. I have done a couple of drain and fills in the last 18 months. My independent mechanic has told me that it might be time to look for a replacement as he doesn't see the Ody's run well past 300K. What are the end of life experiences of the membership here?
Now is not the best market timing to get a deal on a $10k used vehicle. If we make the investment, I am looking to get another 5 years out of it just because that should be the life of timing belt.

 

[bluecivic107]

Do the Timing Belt job and call it a day….J35 engines are solid…and will last you pass 300k miles no problem…

 

[thscott]

It makes no sense to compare the cost of repair to the value of the vehicle.
It is perhaps more appropriate to compare the cost of repairs with the cost of a replacement vehicle.
Given that the average cost of a used vehicle is around $30,000, I think it is a no brainer to repair your Odyssey. It should easily last another 5 years or longer. You will save a lot of money by keeping he Odyssey going.

 

[wwdwgs]

correct - cost of repairs vs. cost of "new" vehicle.
Remember, if you'll get a "new" vehicle, it may need repairs, too.

 

[pandrson]

I know someone who delivers mail out of an Odyssey that has 300K miles on it, up and down the crappy old roads in the Oklahoma outback, and it runs like a son of a gun. Has had a few repairs done to it, at that number of miles it's too be expected. I wouldn't be surprised if it still has the original timing belt. I think it's safe to say that mechanic is wrong about these vans only being good for 300K miles.

 

[WiiMaster]

Maybe an Odyssey with VCM active doesn't make it past 300k but there's no reason why it can't with VCM off.

We've seen 3rd gens go as high as 649k, and even that still had plenty of life in it, it was totaled.

 

[Daniel_H]

As @wwdwgs mentioned, "if you'll get a "new" vehicle, it may need repairs, too." Our '12 with 200k+ miles is surprisingly worth more than I could imagine. I've seen equivalent ones in my area selling for around $10k. Doubtful many would do most, if any repair work before selling it. We got ours for a screaming deal from a friend, with a full service history, and I still have over $5k into it getting it up to my standards. That includes suspension repair, tires, windshield, center roller, VCM Tuner, etc. And I would argue that the van was in much better shape than most that would be for sale.

 

[christos]

I have a 2006 EX-L with 280K miles. I think the repairs it needs are about equal to the values of van. It is due for timing belt/water pump. The front suspension needs replaced. Rear shocks too. There is a significant oil leak, maybe 2. I took it to my mechanic to have him look at the oil leak. His guess is the aft valve cover or the Vtec module gasket. The RH side of oil pan is wet like the front main might be leaking. It could be the oil pump. We had it resealed (by dealer) when we got the van at 165K. It needs 2 tires as well. At the moment the van runs well and the transmission is functioning well. I have done a couple of drain and fills in the last 18 months. My independent mechanic has told me that it might be time to look for a replacement as he doesn't see the Ody's run well past 300K. What are the end of life experiences of the membership here?
Now is not the best market timing to get a deal on a $10k used vehicle. If we make the investment, I am looking to get another 5 years out of it just because that should be the life of timing belt.

The timing belt and tires are part of regular maintenance, you can't avoid those. Timing belt replacement interval is 105K, so you are either way overdue or not due yet. I would guess it's the former. Honda actually specifies 7 years/105K miles, but assuming quality parts were used I would not hesitate to go with mileage.

Are the shocks/struts leaking? If not, then don't replace them. The rears are very easy to replace if you need to.
The front seal, if leaking, can be easily done when you do the timing belt.

You did not say anything about the rest of the van, but assuming it's in good shape and since it still runs well I would fix it and keep it. It will be much cheaper than getting another one. If you can do some of these yourself then definitely keep it.

If you buy used it will most likely come with its own problems. Go with the devil you know.

 

[imref]

IIRC, a leaky front seal exposes the timing belt to oil, so as Christos said, replace it when you replace the TB

also factor in higher potential tax and insurance costs with replacement.

 

[hpark21]

Is there a PARTICULAR car you are looking at?

The used car prices ARE slowly coming down so if you can hang on just couple of more months, it may get much better. That said, the cars are getting more and more expensive new OR used though.

Repair is ALMOST ALWAYS money better spent than buying another car, VALUE wise as it is pretty much GIVEN.
Now, your VCM has been muzzled, correct?
Like take up the COST:
Valve seals = $400
Vtec seals = (Let's say another $300 though these are EASY for DIYer to do)
Timing work = $1000
Let's say it will cost you another $300 on top of Tbelt work to get the oil pump seal done.
And 2 tires = $300
And 2 rear shocks = $300 (I am guessing here)

Total = $2600
And you should be good to go. Now, LET's say you are ABLE to sell your car for $5000 NOW, what can you get for $7600? In this CLIMATE? Maybe an ODY with 160K which needs all the above repairs anyways (people selling Ody would NOT have done Tbelt work anyways - most likely) + some unknown ( tranny?/VCM?)..

Now, if you do NOT need large car like ODY, then it is different story though, for around $10k or so, you should be able to get a small sedan with much less miles and SHOULD be pretty reliable for few years AND will save $$ in gas but if you need another minivan or similarly sized car, you would be hard pressed to find "better" car at the price you are looking at.

Now, if you plan to spend like $20k or so, then yes, you can get something worth buying though. I LIKE my Ody, but when one hits close to 300k... The odds of survival diminishes quickly. CAN the car go more? yes, but probability drops quite quickly. Percentage of cars surviving 300k+ miles are VERY VERY low no matter the manufacturers - Honda and Toyota is pretty high up on the list BUT % is still in LOW single digits which isn't very good probability especially with MY luck thus I totally understand the dilemma you are feeling.

 

[marvinstockman]

Why not do nothing, save your money, and keep driving the van. Start looking for a replacement, as the used car market should start to stabilize in the next few months.

 

[dandunham]

I agree with the last poster, Id be simply using the van and only doing the bare minimum until you find a reasonable deal on a newer model. Yes you can have issues with newer models but you can also spend money on the old one and then have a catastrphic failure as well.

 

[SC2525]

Gotta consider the weaker transmissions on the 05s and 06s vs. the 07s through 10s.

 

[WiiMaster]

Gotta consider the weaker transmissions on the 05s and 06s vs. the 07s through 10s.

People say this all the time.

The 05-06 transmissions being weaker does not mean they are bad, the 07-10 transmission is just that tough.

The 05-06 AT is a fine machine with regular ATF changes. With that proper maintenance, it really should be a non-factor in the decision.