I bought our '01 Ody new in Dec '00 and it has been to the dealer only twice. One of those was the door lock on the back door was sticking and the other was an EGR valve recall. Needless to say it has been very reliable. The '02's had the 5 speed auto vs our 4 speed. That is when Honda started having a few problems with them. They seem to be taking care of the customers but I don't have any first hand experience.
The front end shake is probably a tire. It would be easy enough for your bro inlaw to take it to the tire shop and let them take a look. The dealer should be willing to spend $40 for this. Also check out:
http://www.odyclub.com
For more info.