Honda Odyssey - What years to avoid?

My FIL has an 18 Touring, it has a button on the dash to override stop start. Pretty awesome van.

Closing the loop here, the S-VCM arrived and installation was a snap.  After a CEL clear everything seems to be working properly with no ECO light.

Below is quick simmary of Honda Odsseys and 1 Honda Pilot owned by myself and/or close relatives:

06 EX-L #1 - driven mostly in flat midwest to 262k when trans blew. (Sister scrapped and replaced with 2019 Accord)

06 EX-L #2 - driven mostly in hilly NC to 224k when trans blew. (Trans being replaced currently)

10 EX - 175k - still going good. Needs shocks and maybe some other suspension parts/motor mounts also need power locks worked on. Sliding doors were worked on before by PO but unsure of details.

06 EX parents purchased new and mom totalled it at 130k. No trans issue but sliding door motor replaced once.

08 Touring - around 170k. No issues that I'm aware of. 

04 Pilot AWD - 274k - still using original drivetrain. Doesn't want to die even though it is due for a timing belt job and VTM4 had been lit up for the last 30k. 

Dave M said:

In reply to DrBoost :

For some folks the Dodge is not on the menu for safety. I like driving the Dodge and it saves $ but at this point the design is antiquated from a crash safety standpoint. Family car and all that

I just looked at the ratings. Essentially the same. Maybe different comapnies doing the ratings?? 

We have a 2003 (not sure which trim level, but I think it's an EX), which we bought in 2006 w/ ~35k, drove for almost 13 years with zero 'real' problems and minimal maintenance. I mean, air filters and oil changes. 

The power doors crapped out, but we live in the country on bumpy dirt roads. We finally parked it last spring when the EGR valve (all of $40...) failed, and I bought momma a new Ford Flex (which is awesome). 

Anyway - yes, the trans downshifts hard @ a decelerating 42 mph. But dang I've been happy with it. After adding 230,000 miles (to ~265k), it deserves a rest. 

I just cant believe we got to 3 pages on a thread about a mini van... 

parents have an 08 and the failure points have been pretty marginal. Basic LOF and brakes - they did have an oil filter housing leak that was pretty bad and a power steering pump failure but the vehicle is at about 130K now. 

I freshened up the suspension later last year and I can say that the rear is kind of wonky to replace, everything links to bind up, its as if you need to completely remove it to replace parts. 

could be a nightmare if rustbelted back there...

What was strange on the rear? I did shocks and it was pretty simple. 

each of the lateral and vertical links when the swing arm is attached. shocks was quick n dirty, the other parts were a bit of a fight without total dissasembly. 

DrBoost said:

Dave M said:

In reply to DrBoost :

For some folks the Dodge is not on the menu for safety. I like driving the Dodge and it saves $ but at this point the design is antiquated from a crash safety standpoint. Family car and all that

I just looked at the ratings. Essentially the same. Maybe different comapnies doing the ratings?? 

IIHS small front overlap test is what I'm referring to.