I’m looking at buying a 2016-2018 Honda Odyssey, all of which are hybrid in the later years Unfortunately all the later years are imported. Does anyone own one and if so have they had issues with sourcing parts etc? Pros and cons? Does anyone have a hybrid and if so how many years are expected from the battery-I know these can cost $8-10k mark to replace which is a hefty price tag if required down the track. Thanks in advance.
Honda Odyssey (Imports) Pros and Cons
Lneney21 on 08/05/2025 - 10:41
Comments
Why not look at the equivalent Toyota van. Plenty of the imported ones are getting around in Australia. Both the V6 and hybrid powertrain share a lot in common with locally delivered cars, this means they'll be well supported for parts and service. There's local businesses that can rebuild or replace batteries.
The only downsides are higher insurance costs. This is mostly due to the difficult and time consuming process of sourcing body parts and anything else that is unique to the imported models. Also not many insurers cover imports
In short - don't crash it and you'll be golden. Honda doesn't seem to have a lot of hybrids in Australia compared to Toyota. I'm not saying they're bad, but a lack of numbers would mean not many mechanics will be willing to work on them and parts could also be an issue
Could even go up in size to a Carnival. 2018 onwards models have proven to be pretty reliable, and certainly tons of room, great for long trips
I'm sure mechanics won't have a hard time working on them. Its a Honda after all and their base motors are shared across the Honda family.
Batteries ofc, wont really have any support here (although even for a Toyota product, imported or otherwise, once aged youre going to be replacing batteries/cells through a 3rd party specialist).I think the crashing part is the most influential thing for these imports. Accept that insurance premiums will be higher and that if you do have an accident, its likely going to be a write off or a long wait for parts.
This is where Honda would benefit imo. Outside of thte Estima van, which is think stopped in the mid-2010's, all the Toyota hybrid vans come in model/body styles that aren't locally available. So whilst service items are easily attainable, the body panels are a different story. The Odyssey is visually identical to AUDM products so panels can be replaced easily, so as long as the battery/electrical components aren't damaged any repairs should be easy/quick.
You can't import Toyota Estima anymore. The Toyota Vellfires and Alphards should be after 2019 and should be Hybrid, which make the prices above 50k. Toyota voxy might be cheaper.
Thanks for your detailed reply. Appreciate it!
Pros:
Cons:
Honda Odyssey
ImportingUnfortunately all the later years are imported
Aren't they all imported? Were Hondas ever manufactured in Australia?
Private import vs buying from the manufacturer.
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I have 2017 Odyssey (not Hybrid) and a few services ago i asked the dealership if they would have any issues servicing a Odyssey Hybrid if i imported one.
They said they have already been doing it for a couple of years and had no problemsI wouldn't trust a Honda dealership. They couldn't even find an obvious coolant leak. Then when I was there getting more coolant some bloke who had his car serviced the week before came back because they forgot to put the engine cover back on causing his windscreen washer hose to melt.
Dealerships, the place where failed mechanics go to
dieretire.
This post reminds me of Deadpool 3 …..