Topic: Used minivan advice...?

[Trainman]

We looked the Quest before we got the Sienna and can offer these quick thoughts from memory:

Center stack was plain weird.  I understand this was changed in 2006 or so?

Rear seat was very thin, not comfortable and was not a split seat.  Also did not fold flat (or the salesman could not get it to fold flat);

Real nice driver, for a mini-van;

I like the looks, best of the bunch in my mind.

But it was $5,000 more for the base than the Sienna and the center stack/rear seat issues just made it that much less attractive.

Are you serious?  A kid (from a daycare no less) in the front seat of an airbag equipped vehicle?  That is one of the most inane and dangerous suggestions I have seen posted on CTC.  The evidence is highly conclusive that such a practice, in the event the airbag deploys, will result in serious injury or death to the child.  Don't do it!

That's why I added the "if".  Rereading the original post it looks like they will be in carriers or booster seats - so defintiely too young.  He mentioned that "one of our" kids would be counted and I wasn't sure of his/her age.   

What if the airbag can be deactivated?  Is the concern still there? A lot of vehicles have a key operated switch to deactivate the airbag.

Also, at what age can kids ride in the front seat?

...

What I got from the OP was that all kids would be under the age of 6 or so, as only 2 would be doing half days at school (I guessed kindergarten) while the rest where not school age, so a front seat for any of them would be a no-no. 

All the child safety literature I have seen says that kids under 12 (or in some of the writings 14) should be in the back seat, regardless of air bag or not (or off switches or sensors).  We did not allow our kids to sit in the front until they got to 12.

[curls]

Hey mmret, long time no chat!

I think you're right about the EX-L w/ no warranty. Not worth it.

The transmission problems, according to CR, stopped in 2003/4.  The 2007's have more red dots in CR than the 2005's at this point, of course, but I have found that often the variability between model years is NIL but the CR ratings differ (ie: 2004 vs 2005 TSX brakes - exact same parts and system 100%, but the 2004 gets worse ratings. How?).

I've been emailing the guy with the extended warranty 2005 all evening and his last email made me a bit leery (but not enough to completely turn me off of the deal).  I inquired about whether the Blizzak's were the only tires with the van, to which he said "yes", but, he was considering buying some new all-seasons and will include them with the van. He said "they'll be good tires (bonus for you)".  Makes me think he's either buttering me up to hide something else, or, he's a dealer posing as a private seller, as he also mentioned he has a 2006 EX-L for $23K but "isn't a dealer, he just loves Honda's".  Really. Who owns two Odyssey's? Not a likely scenario for 99.9999% of the population.

Its too bad the higher mileage 2007 seller didn't live 90 minutes from me, it'd make it easier to verify its condition without potentially wasting a lot of time and gas.

[curls]

What I got from the OP was that all kids would be under the age of 6 or so, as only 2 would be doing half days at school (I guessed kindergarten) while the rest where not school age, so a front seat for any of them would be a no-no. 

All the child safety literature I have seen says that kids under 12 (or in some of the writings 14) should be in the back seat, regardless of air bag or not (or off switches or sensors).  We did not allow our kids to sit in the front until they got to 12.

5 kids at the max will be in this vehicle, which means that depending on the configuration of the seats in the 3rd row, might be 100% possible.  2 kids easily in the middle row, and 3 maybe-not-as-easily in the 3rd row. Nobody in the front passenger seat.

[articsteve]

I'd be buying this 2007 Quest with 50k km, ask is $19995. private, over any of those previously mentioned Hondas.  Do those Hondas have a timing belt, roller bearings and water pump to change out?

Leather, BOSE stereo with 6 CD Changer, built in DVD with wireless headphones, heated seats, heated mirrors, power sliding rear doors, power liftgate, rear air and heat, quad captain chairs for second row seating, third row seating, dual climate control, luggage rack, power windows, locks, tilt, cruise, rear parking sensor. US Model with all documented clearances. This vehicle is also very safe with skirt airbags all around and traction control. I have kept this immaculate.

Should still have Nissan powertrain warranty if all in order.

http://www.autotrader.ca/used_cars_Minivan/Passenger+Van_details/OTTAWA_Ontario_2007_NISSAN_QUEST_1723901.html?srcID=19&frnID=2296728&ms=trucks_vans&prv=Ontario&r=40

EDIT:  The way the ad is presented is a little suspect, however you never know.  He did not block his plate number which is a good sign.

[curls]

That Quest does look LOADED for that price, wow.  Do you know if US-model Nissan's are warranty-applicable here in Canada?

[mmret]

Mmmm that Quest changes things.

[curls]

I just checked CR, and the 2007 Quest (and all other model years) receive "Below Average" overall reliability ratings.  Major black marks on the climate and electrical systems, brakes, squeaks and rattles, audio system, and body hardware.

Hrmmm...

[articsteve]

That Quest does look LOADED for that price, wow.  Do you know if US-model Nissan's are warranty-applicable here in Canada?

Normally US Nissans receive full warranty in Canada.  You would need to get the VIN and visit your local Nissan dealer and verify in person that the vehicle was not excluded for some reason; salvage/recovery vehicle, etc.

I just checked CR, and the 2007 Quest (and all other model years) receive "Below Average" overall reliability ratings.  Major black marks on the climate and electrical systems, brakes, squeaks and rattles, audio system, and body hardware.

The early 2000s say up to 2004 were bad times at Nissan.  Quality was definitely in the tank.  I have recently acquainted myself with Nissan and although IMO they are not generally at the level of Toyota, but work well enough.  Brakes, rattles, and all those items are small potatoes.  The number one issue on used vehicles is the drive train.  If you feel it's reliable your golden, if it's not then you've wasted your money.

At best this vehicle will only have the "power train" part of the warranty left.  If the AC/climate control system in this unit is working at the time of sale it will be fine.  Even Chrysler AC systems run for 10 years. 

[Trainman]

That Quest does look LOADED for that price, wow.  Do you know if US-model Nissan's are warranty-applicable here in Canada?

...  Brakes, rattles, and all those items are small potatoes.  The number one issue on used vehicles is the drive train.  If you feel it's reliable your golden, if it's not then you've wasted your money.

...

Those "small potatoes" can cost a lot of money and down time to diagnose and repair, as I found out with my Pathfinder: rear windows not coming back up, $500+ to replace window module and switches; right side dash lights/low beam head light not working, replaced light module for $500 after taking several months/trips to the dealer; Bose 6 CD stereo kaput at 70,000 kms, factory replacement was going to be over $600.  Did not do that one; a few others as well in the time I owned it.

Also, there has been some issues with the 3.5 VQ as used in the 01-04 Pathy, specifically power valve screws falling out with potential damage to internals of the engine (valves and scoring of cylinder walls) as well as the dreaded sludge issue.  Had mine checked and several where loose although I had not lost any.  Not sure if this is an issue for all 3.5 VQ's.

If the reviews say the Quest has lower reliability, then I would tend to believe that based on my Nissan experience.

[curls]

Very good thoughts arctic and trainman. I appreciate both of your comments.

My wife has changed her mind on the Quest - she likes the 2007+ as the interior is much more mainstream and not as "out there" quirky/funky as the 2004-2006 models.  However, some of the reliability differences between Honda/Toyota, and Nissan, for the 2007 model years, are very hard to ignore.  The Nissan just doesn't come close (in reports) to the Honda/Toyota, so I'd be paying $1000 more for the powertrain warranty (assuming the van was orig. registered in the US for 6 full months before being brought to Canada, which I haven't verified yet), but also taking on, willingly, a plethora of potential problems that the Hondas and Toyotas aren't likely and aren't known to have.  For that tradeoff, I get leather, DVD, parking sensors, and one less seat.  In my mind, the package is there, but the reliability is not and I can't justify spending $20K + tax on a vehicle that won't have a lick of warranty on anything that's reported to fail on it.

Our eyes are on the 2007 Odyssey. The 2005's only have one tether for child seats in the 3rd row - we'd like the flexibility of the 3 tethers offered on the 2006+ Ody's.  The 2007 w/ 116K km looks the clear winner at this stage, but first we have to test drive a bunch to ensure it remains that way.

[curls]

We test-drove a 2006 EX tonight at a local Honda dealer.  It rode like a dream, extremely quiet and composed, nothing rattled or squeaked and it was as clean as new inside.  The asking price was $20,900 + GST and PST, including about 26K of remaining Honda certified warranty (powertrain). 

We got a bunch of pics from the seller of the one quite a ways from us, the 2007 w/ 116K km.  It looks as clean or cleaner than the 2006 we drove tonight, at least by the pics, and has a year and a half less "rust-time" as it was bought in Dec 2007 (2.5 years ago, vs Mar 2006 = 4.25 years)..  We are going to check it out Thursday evening.  For the price it appears to be the best buy when comparing the relatively small mileage difference, although no warranty, I wouldn't expect to need it on a Honda w/ low mileage.

[curls]

Just to update for anyone following this thread:

We went to see the 2007 Odyssey on Thursday night and it was in very good shape. Drove extremely composed, handled rough roads well (no knocks or suspension issues), and comes with winter and summer tires.  The only 'problems' per-se that I could see were two small stone chips on the hood that were slightly rusting -- no problem I can fix those in no time, and the other was a dent (hockey stick?) just behind the sliding passenger door on the rear 1/4 panel.  Some missing paint on that dent but it shouldn't be hard to fix the paint, and possibly pay a few hundred bucks to have a paintless dent removal company do it.

The tires (both sets) are 3.5 years old, so they both need replacing probably within the next 2 years.

E-test was perfect, and its being sold safetied and has brand new brakes all around.

We made an offer and it was accepted!  He's able to deliver it on Wednesday, which saves us a ton of hassle, and he's also bringing it in to Honda on Monday morning for a safety recall and for them to diagnose and fix the TPMS light on the dash (I was going to ignore it anyhow). 

My question: Should I call Cornwall Honda and pay them (via credt card over the phone) to perform a pre-purchase inspection while it is in their shop on Monday?  I didn't get to look under the van much on Thursday as it was a gravel driveway and it was raining a bit as well.  I think the $100-$125 might be worth the peace-of-mind, and, the seller is open to this as well (He'd have to give permission to Honda to report their findings back to me).

Opinions?

[tortoise]

Though it's unlikely there is anything major wrong with the Odyssey I'm a big fan of pre-purchase inspections. 

Cheap money for significant peace of mind IMO.

[kardood69]

Do it...  I've got mechanics to inspect the used cars I've bought..

The are usually seem pretty good at spotting body repair and accident damage.

[curls]

Done. I called the service dept. and he knew what van I was speaking about.  They are charging me 30-60 minutes of labour, depending on what they find (or don't find if it doesn't have problems).  All very easily set up and frankly it's really valuable peace of mind for a very reasonable fee.

Cheers!
Eric

[curls]

All great -- we got the van (delivered!) on Wednesday evening. 

Well, all great until today.  The A/C is NOT working anymore.  We had checked it and it definitely was working the day we got it.  Unfortunately I guess my wifes' jaunts through the suburbs that evening had her condenser meet a rock.  The Odyssey apparently has a bad location for the condensor -- right low to the road with nothing protecting about 2/3 of it. 

I'll be bringing it to an A/C shop this coming week to have it diagnosed for certain but after 10 seconds of Google research, 99.999% of the "Odyssey Air Conditioning Problems" are caused by this exact scenario.

To add fuel to our already crappy (financially) week, while having my wife's Protege5 checked at a mechanic for a prospective buyer, we were told THE A/C DIDN'T WORK!!  It was working the day prior!  DAMNIT!! 

(A quick recharge with Red-Tek and its Leakstop and its held fine for almost a week now).  Thank goodness it was only a $85 repair.

[Julie]

Curls, congrats on the Odyessy purchase! (didn't read this thread 'till today).  Solid purchase!

Sorry about the air.  Hopes it's repaired for good soon!

[01_blue]

you do not need a minvan, you need a van

yeah i agree. you need a much more bigger than a mini van. 

[dash]

Curls,

We have an 05', my research on the van indicated there was a risk to the A/C because due to huge gaps in the front bumper and corresponding placement of condenser, so, right after buying our van, I bought an after markedt grill through ebay. 

[curls]

I put some plastic gutter-gard on the grill (tucked behind the cross-bracing stuff).  Its basically invisible and should protect from all but the smallest of pebbles.  I've seen it done many times and figured hey, why not!