Not according to the Consumer Reports reliability survey.  Here are
the transmission failure rates (in percent) for the two vehicles by
year:

             99         00         01         02         03

Odyssey        9.3-14.8    2.0-5.0    5.0-9.3    5.0-9.3    <2.0

Caravan        >14.8    >14.8    2.0-5.0    5.0-9.3    2.0-5.0

CR indicates that five year old Odys (1999 models at the last survey)
were more reliable than two year old (2002) Caravans.  Overall, the
Ody is far more reliable in most model years.

Of course this doesn't mean that the particular Odyssey in question
will be more reliable than a particular new Caravan, but it isn't the
long shot you might suspect.  It also isn't clear that the new Caravan
would be cheaper to buy.  I think the earlier poster was quoting US
price vs. Canadian for the used Ody.

If the dealer would throw in a warranty on the power train, the Ody
could be an attractive purchase.

Honda transmission failure rate in the 99-03 year is far higher than
Caravan's.  Odyssey also has problems with EGR, iac, and other areas. A new
Caravan would be a far better investment than a four year old Odyssey with
an unknown past and especially paying just about the cost of it when it was
new.

Why in the hell would he want a Crapsler minivan?  Odyssey gets slightly
better gas mileage, has more power, and a 5-speed automatic vs the Caravan's
4-speed.  Although past Odyssey's had tranny issues, tranny failures are
much more common on Caravans.  Honda at least has been working to fix their
tranny problems, unlike Crapsler.  Beyond the tranny issue, the Odyssey is
still much more reliable.  Caravans are proven junk.

Any car, foreign or domestic, is bound to develop rust if the proper
precautions are not taken.

For this price or less , you could get a brand new dodge caravan with a full
warranty. They advertise is for around $19,000. If you go through apa.com or
similar organizations, the invoice price could be even less, as they tend to
go through the fleet manager.

The 2002 Odyssey is 4 years old and you don't know its history. There is
probably rust starting out inside the bumpers and the top of the doors
already - thanks to salt on the winter roads. However it would be worth it
to call up Honda or even just do a carfax report to see how much warranty is
left.

Hi,
I'm in Ottawa, ON Canada and i'm looking into purchasing a used 2002 Odyssey
LX. I'm wondering what a fair price is? The dealer has it listed as 20995
with 63, 000 Km on it. I took it for a drive and it seems OK and the
interior exterior all look in good condition.
Also, doing some research I found that there have been a few people with
transmission problems and I'm wondering if I should be concerned.
Dan