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Honda Odyssey Transmission Problems

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Comments

  • captainrmw1captainrmw1 Member Posts: 3
    I have a 2000 Honda Odyssey, transmission started clunking at 124,000 miles. Although out of the 80,000 miles limit,Honda paid $2000 out of a $3,000 bill as goodwill that was in 2005
    On the highway it had a catastrophic failure, the transmission failed completely, with smoke pouring out of the engine compartment. Mileage 170,000, four years after, I am awaiting to see what Honda will do for me.
    Obviously with the number of posts, the recalls etc.., there is a design flaw. Although I am not a fan of government intervention, when it comes to consumer affairs such as this one, I believe the government should push a "lemon type law" to cover such issues. Car companies still need adult supervision when it comes to public exposure to a bad product which causes the general public (based on these posts) to become prey to unscrupulous repair shops and misinformation resulting in the public being seemingly "ripped off'.
  • petertpetert Member Posts: 23
    Thanks captain.

    on odyclub.com, there are some posts for tranny failures in the 100k miles range just in a couple of days. So it's a very common problem and it might be a safety issue.

    It will be good for the government (NHTSA) to step out for the safety issue rather than individual customer to deal with Honda case by case.

    When it suddenly fails, the car cannot move. It's definitely a safety issue.
  • pteampteam Member Posts: 1
    Hello to all readers,

    I have the similar problem with 2003 Honda Odyssey EX (transmission failure). Honda motors refused to fix transmission. My family always bought Honda cars and vans. According to Honda mechanics, Odyssey transmissions have problems. Honda does not admit their mistake, nor they offer free transmission if your van exceeds the 100,000 miles.

    Honda needs to do better for their customers. My family and I came to conclusions that brand loyalty does not help us. We need to consider other car manufacturers.

    NO MORE :sick: :sick: HONDA ODYSSEY VAN
  • coneyman1coneyman1 Member Posts: 8
    All,
    I have been told that changing the trans fluid every 30,000 miles with Amsoil trans fluid will keep trans much cooler and may prevent repeat failures. Anyone heard or tried this ?
  • hasinasihasinasi Member Posts: 1
    I saw a good offer for a 2002 Odyssey LXE in great condition with only 32k miles. Obviously, I would only consider buying it if there is a chance of getting transmission problems fixed by Honda for free or for a small amount of money.

    Therefore, what are the exact conditions for the warranty/free replacement agreements? I saw several numbers 109k miles, 100k miles, etc. Does it also depend on the age of the car? Does it only apply for the original owner?

    We only drive about 10k/year. So if we won't have to pay for transmission fixes up to 100k miles, I might consider buying one.

    Any help is appreciated, links to web pages, etc.
    Thanks very much!
  • autowriteautowrite Member Posts: 226
    I have a 2002, with 233,000 kilometers (metric) on it. I replaced the transmission once at 180,000 kms. If I wanted to stick with the 1999-2004 design I would only replace it with a 2004 (consumer reports best reliability year). I paid 1/2 the invoice cost for replacement through Honda Canada. I do not see Honda making any guarantees for 2002 as warranties do not usually last 7-8 years. If I could afford it I would check consumer report customer 'dots' for the best year between 2007 to 2009.
    It seems strange that that 2002 has only 32,000 miltes on it. I would check this out further. It's quite possible it's mileage is 132,000 miles.
    See also OdyClub.com for excellant forums.
    also http://www.carcomplaints.com/
  • ddbarrettddbarrett Member Posts: 9
    Honday WILL NOT help you but for about $400 for a new transmission if you do not buy it at a Honda dealership. This being our experience. Our van was 2002, and also had 33,000 miles on it. It was orginally purchased at a dealership in Dublin, CA and then exchanged at the Dublin dealership for a new van. A chevy dealership in Sebastopol, CA bought the car and gave it their "Certified Authorized Mechanic" ok.

    Our van was running great until we hit 45k. Then we had all the symptoms that people talk about, the light, the stutter between 2 and 3, and sometimes, 1st gear.

    I went round and round with Honda of America. We had previously owned 6 Hondas...and that meant nothing to them. All the previous Honda's were purchased at a Honda dealer---but, because THIS Honda wasn't, Honda of America said, "I could take their offer, or they would recend it."

    I will NEVER, NEVER buy another Honda.

    If I were you, I wouldn't buy a 2002 Honda. You WILL have transmission problems---and Honda will not help you.
  • mommywithavanmommywithavan Member Posts: 1
    So... At 32,000 miles I took the van in to have the drivers side sliding door latch replaced. I told them then that the transmission was acting funny and that it would shake and shudder at approx. 25 mph. They told me I was crazy. Nothing wrong with trans. OK. I will just drive it until it quits. I have been through a Lemon Saturn Relay that was purchased back by GM because of electrical issues. I bought from Honda because they had such a good reputation. 57,000 miles. Take the door back in because it is doing the same thing. Latch is not shutting and alarm staying on. While picking van up Honda tells me that they did a software update for a "judder" at 25 mph to 45 mph and that this should take care of the shake. I started laughing because I knew all along that there was a problem. Well... They are going to replace the torque convertor attached to the transmission next week. I will say this... This dealership, unlike the one where I bought it, has not given me any problems and are arranging for a rental van for me for the week I will be without. However, I did purchase the extended warranty because of the problems I had with the Saturn. Needless to say, I have had to have the door latch replaced twice already, my battery has gone dead numerous times, and now the transmission is being replaced (or part of it). I am not happy!!!!! I paid a lot of money for this vehicle and have already had to spend hours without it or sitting at a dealership. I have three kids and a life. Do I really need to spend it taking care of a brand new car?
  • igoazoomigoazoom Member Posts: 3
    Feeling of being betrayed by someone we trusted summs up the general feeling we all have here.... We paid more money trusting that Honda will be reliable and will live up to its name. When we paid more money for the car, we believed that we were getting our money's worth... well, Honda failed. Not only it failed, but Honda turned our trust upside down. What really bothers me is that Honda is looking only the numbers and the profit and not looking at the loss they'll be suffering at the end when most of us in this forum spread the word of mouth about the poor quality of Honda workmanship. Bad reputation for Honda!!! Not only I will not buy any Honda, but I will make sure to spread the word and do everything possible to make sure that my network of people will not buy any Honda's.... Eat that, Honda.
  • pyk64pyk64 Member Posts: 7
    I just went through this with my '02 Odyssey with 76K miles on it. According to the dealer, Honda extended the tranny warranty on SOME Odysseys to 109K. My VIN wasn't included in the extended warranty, but the dealership contacted Honda and they offerred up a 50/50 split on a $4,600 repair charge (which includes a 3/36 transmission warranty).

    After the repairs were done, I sent out a letter to Honda of America asking them to better stand behind their faulty product and requested a 90/10 split. Stay tuned!
  • pyk64pyk64 Member Posts: 7
    I agree. I would seriously hesitate purchasing another Honda in the future. This is after owning a Civic and an Accord. I would definitely look at customer service aspect in a purchasing decision and Honda's reputation has taken a significant blow so far.

    I can understand that sometimes XEW!!@# happens. They need to provide better customer serivce when it does. They are failing.
  • suemomsuemom Member Posts: 4
    The second transmission on my 2001 Odyssey failed this weekend! It gave us just a few minutes of funny noises and then locked up. We were on a hilly part of a country road where speeds go up to 55-60 mph! There were no berms, no where to pull off--the steep hills were on either side of the road. It was a very curvy road, hilly road -- a dangerous and scary place to have a car just stop. We were lucky were weren't rear-ended at high speeds.

    The first tranny failed at 77,700 and Honda paid for it. Now, 42,000 miles later, the second one is gone. Is it unreasonable to ask for a transmission to go more than 42,000 miles?? They obviously gave me someone else's problem transmission!

    We've had Toyotas go 170,000 and had no problems! My neighbor has a Toyota now with 200,000!

    The Honda rep, through the dealership, has asked us to make him an offer that would "be fair"! How about a Honda Odyssey that lives up to its reputation and price!! What has anyone else paid for the second transmission?? The car now has 120,000 miles on it and I was hoping to get at least 180,000-200,000. I can't buy another car right now! Help me negotiate with Honda! Help! :lemon:
  • pyk64pyk64 Member Posts: 7
    Sounds like you were very lucky to have Honda pay for the first tranny at 77K. I just went through the same experience at 76K and they would only cover 50%. I talked to their Regional Mgr.(Charles Villenueva) and he feels that trannys typically only last 120K and that I was lucky to get the 50%. He seemed very proud of Honda's customer service record. I had to disagree based on their handling of all these faulty transmissions. I sent in a 2nd letter to Jason Stradford just to let them know how disappointed I was and that I would seriously look at the total cost of ownership on my future car purchases. I will certainly look at other mfg. before Honda from now on.

    Sorry for your situation. But according to Charles Villenueva, they would look at a 2nd failure on a case by case basis. Contact him (Honda of America has a 800 number and a fax number on their website), and you can certainly use my name (Peter Kim). ONLY some VIN's had extended warranties to 109K. See if yours was a part of the extended warranty.

    Basically, everyone knows (Honda just won't admit it) that it's a faulty transmission. They won't fully stand behind their product and will handle these claims on an individual basis in order to mitigate their crappy product.

    Good luck.
  • suemomsuemom Member Posts: 4
    Yes, it was part of the extended warranty group and that's why they paid for the first one. 42,000 miles on a transmission is just unacceptable! They want us to make them an offer. I've been given a price of $3400 (including tax) on the whole thing. Your 50% may be the best yet. P&S manager at the dealership said he just had TWO transmission failures last week in the 120,000 range and Honda paid 10% on one and 20% on the second (it was a good customer). Thanks for the info--I'll give them a call. What region are you in? Wonder if Villenueva covers my area?

    Sue
  • salalberrysalalberry Member Posts: 1
    I had my transmission replaced at 102K miles under full Honda warranty. I thought, whew, won't have to worry about that one again. Wrong! 40k miles later, my transmission fails again! What a cruddy transmission. My dealer won't cover it since it's just outside of their 35k warranty. I'm calling honda tomorrow, and if they don't back me up, although I've owned hondas all my life, I'll never buy another one again.

    Edward Newbegin
    Berkeley, CA
  • suemomsuemom Member Posts: 4
    Sorry to hear your almost identical problem to mine. Just resolved mine today.

    Second transmission was paid for by Honda at 77,700 miles. It failed this past Saturday at 120,000 miles or after only 42,000 miles. We've settled with Honda paying for 50%, of course that means that we are paying 50% too, or about $1550 out of our pocket.

    We also thought we were set when they put in the second transmission. HAH! We have maintained the van meticulously--always at the dealer, even oil changes and tires. I got 100,000 miles out of the original front brakes! But I couldn't get that many miles out of either transmission! They now tell me that they are going to "flush" the system several times to make sure there isn't anything there. Makes you wonder if they did that the first time? If so, maybe we wouldn't be out $1550.

    I also was also only given a 12 month/12,000 mile warranty on the 2nd transmission. The Service Manager told me that if I'd paid anything for it--even $1, I would have gotten a 36/36 warranty!! Beware!! Of course, I'd have paid a few dollars for the longer warranty!!! No one told me!

    We bought a Honda to get away from things like this. I had a Chrysler van that had transmission problems and now get stuck again!!! Honda's were more expensive but we thought we were paying for quality. Think I'll buy American next time and at least have a clear conscience. The ratings on American brands are at least as good, if not better, these days.

    Keep us posted on your negotiations.

    Susan
    in Ohio
  • petertpetert Member Posts: 23
    Paid 50% and got the 3rd one installed yesterday.

    In today's morning commute driving, it sounds like the same symptom as the 1st one, and the 2nd one.

    I asked America Honda if the remanufactured one was re-designed.
    They said yes.

    How come they repeat the same mistake?
  • petertpetert Member Posts: 23
    For this case you may file a complaint at

    http://www.nhtsa.gov/
  • pyk64pyk64 Member Posts: 7
    I'm near Seattle, WA. It's getting kind of laughable. The 2nd letter that I sent into Jason S was received by Honda. Charles V called me back to basically tell me that they've received the letter, will place it in my file, and to let me know that their position hasn't changed.

    Based on all these testimonials, I definitely will look for other mfg...for future purchases and maybe even think about going back to manual transmissions. I just hope that my new transmission will at least last the 3/36 warranty. I just would not rather deal with Honda again. They are cordial enough...just irritating and that won't change. My wife definitely likes MiniVans. Toyota Sienna will likely be our next purchase when this crappy tranny breaks again.

    Hey...it just takes one bad experience, and since we all have many options in autos, I for one will be putting Honda way down on my list.
  • odsytrannyodsytranny Member Posts: 6
    Error Code: A/T DTC P0740

    After reading some of this blog I am not encouraged and certainly shouldn't be surprised by the failure of my van's transmission, but I was! Yesterday my Honda dealer delivered the news that we needed to replace the transmission on our 2003 Odyssey and it would cost $4,360 + tax (about $4,600 total). The van has 88,000 miles. About 2,000 miles ago we were out of town and the "D" light started blinking. We drove to a Savannah, GA, dealer who did a $500+ transmission repair on some 3rd gear part. That will put our exposure at $5,100 total for this transmission!

    We owned two Chrysler vans before this Honda and "stepped up" to the Odyssey to avoid the bad transmission experiences in the Chryslers (almost calculated failure every 75,000 miles).

    Our Honda dealer said he has placed a call to American Honda to see what, if any, assistance they will provide. He was "not hopeful" since he said they are being less accommodating these days. The argument is that we have enjoyed 88,000 miles of use over 6 years and that the car came with a 3yr/36,000 mile warranty. He did state that he thought the transmission should last longer than 88,000 miles, but the decision to assist was not his. He also said such a request for assistance needed to be initiated by the dealer which has now been done. Maybe we'll hear today what they say.

    Since this car's transmission warranty was not extended like its 2001 cousin it should have been included under the government's Clunker program!!

    Don't buy a Honda if you are looking for long term trouble free ownership.
  • shultfamshultfam Member Posts: 3
    I have a 2003 Honda Odyssey that had a transmission failure this past July and mine had 120,000. I had to pay $4600 too, but I wrote a letter to Honda customer service and I was able to get them to pay 25%. It's not much but at least it is something. Such a disappointment...no more Hondas for me either. I am driving this one more year then I will get rid of it.
  • pyk64pyk64 Member Posts: 7
    Hopefully your VIN was part of the extended warranty to 109K. You can check it out at http://www.hondatransmissionsettlement.com/php/login.php

    Good luck. My Regional Customer Svc Mgr from Honda Charles Villenueva implied that transmissions should last about 120K so you might get the 50% offer.

    Peter Kim
  • odsytrannyodsytranny Member Posts: 6
    American Honda offered to discount the parts by 25% (about $900 off the $4630 + tax repair). I have filed a complaint today with www.nhtsa.gov so there is one more in their long list. Honda's continued advertising about their high quality and low likelihood of mechanical problems is laughable - but it hurts to laugh. The dealer refused to give me contact information for the American Honda representative who made the 25% offer, but said he would ask the rep to call me. Will that happen? Stay tuned. No more Honda purchases for me.
  • dajjedajje Member Posts: 1
    I also have a 2003 Honda Odyssey with 88k miles. The torque converter clutch came apart inside the transmission, causing more damage. I'm told I need a new transmission, but I've been burned by the local dealership before (overcharged for work and there always seems to be more problems $$ than what it went in for). Honda will not do anything unless you take it to the dealership to have it looked at. From everything I've read, I'm not encouraged to have the mechanic pack up the transmission and have it shipped to the dealership only to have 25% knocked of a price that is more than $1300 above what I'm being quoted for a rebuilt transmission. My wife and I thought we were Honda people (we had a Ford Windstar that was a clunker with alot of problems, including transmission). Now I think we have just bought our last Honda.
  • autowriteautowrite Member Posts: 226
    If you kow of someone who has a good Honda dealer take it to them, if it's not too far away. My dealer is great. He's 15 miles away. The local one (not my selling dealer) did my service while I was working in town; but once I retired I rushed back to my selling dealer. The local dealer wanted $29 labour + parts to replace a tail light. I just had one replaced last week at my selling dealer for just parts. Labour was free.
  • elfeelfe Member Posts: 3
    Thanks for sharing this info. How did you go about getting Honda to pay for 50%? I'm experiencing the same problem: 1st xmission replaced at just under 80K miles, now have just a tad over 140K and am told I need another xmission. Dealer isn't forthcoming with information. I would appreciate your sharing contact info for Honda. Thank you!
  • suemomsuemom Member Posts: 4
    Sorry to hear our story repeated again. Our 2001 van was one of those covered under the 109,000 mile extended warranty and we had done all our maintenance with the local Honda dealer. The most important part was that the dealer had all the service records, including oil changes, and it was very apparent that we had maintained the car according to Honda's specs.

    Basically, the dealership's service manager was the "go-between" and we kept everything polite. He had just replaced two transmissions (the first time) in vans at 120,000 miles and Honda had paid 25%, so he wasn't too hopeful that we'd get more. He did advocate for us and had known the Honda rep for over 20 years. We never did talk to the rep and the service manager was quite surprised we got as much as we did. Of course, I feel that we shouldn't have had to pay anything since the second transmission only lasted 43,000 miles! I wonder how long this one will last??? I'm afraid to take it on a long trip.

    The whole thing really stinks because we purposely got rid of a Chrysler van that had had the transmission problems and bought the Odyssey to avoid problems! We paid more for the Odyssey than an equivalent Chrysler and ended up with the same problem. Of course, I never paid a penny to repair the Chrysler!

    Good luck. I hope this helps.
  • cottdukecottduke Member Posts: 11
    Could you update me as to the resolution to this problem? Did it turn out to be the transmission or some other problem? I'm experiencing something similar on my '04 Odyssey----around 25 mph with slight pressure on the gas, the vehicle shudders before shifting into third gear.

    Thanks!
  • cottdukecottduke Member Posts: 11
    Could you update me as to the resolution to this problem? Did it turn out to be the transmission or some other problem? I'm experiencing something similar on my '04 Odyssey----around 25 mph with slight pressure on the gas, the vehicle shudders before shifting into third gear. FYI, our vehicle has around 92,000 miles. It's not exactly a brand new van, but none of our other Hondas have ever had any trouble like this.

    Thanks!
  • elfeelfe Member Posts: 3
    I'm afraid I wouldn't be of much help. The transmission on my 2000 Odyssey failed the day after I posted here; I didn't really have any warning, other than that the TCS light had lit up the day I posted here. My local mechanic read the code and told me that it was an internal transmission problem. I called Honda customer service and talked to Caroline, a supervisor, who was completely unhelpful. She said the dealer would have to talk to the Honda district mgr, and she would not even give me that person's name. This was my second transmission; the car has 141K miles. The first xmission was replaced at just under 80K miles; this was done under warranty. The dealer did call the district mgr, but Honda refused to pay any part of this second xmission replacement. I just picked up the car today to the tune of $3,400.
    If anyone has any other suggestions on how I might recover part or all of the repair costs, I would be totally delighted.
    thank you!
  • stickguystickguy Member Posts: 50,440
    just curious, but has anyone gotten their tranny rebuilt or replaced outside of a honda dealer?

    Of course it makes sense to stay with the dealer if Honda is paying a chunk, but if they are blowing you off, how much cheaper is it to have an independant transmission shop or mechanic do the job?

    I assume that the local tranny guy would end up getting the exact reman unit that Honda slaps in (assuming again that they don't bother to rebuild themselves), and usually dealers are quite a bit more expensive for "routine" work.

    I also wondered if a good mechanic can bench rebuild one? I remember about 10 years ago when I had a Woyager being in the shop watching a mechanic redo the guts of a minivan tranny (thankfully not mine!)

    2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.

  • ctdincctdinc Member Posts: 5
    We had our transmission rebuilt by Aamco at 72,000 miles for $2400 -- with a lifetime warranty. Honda would only give us a 1 year warranty. I'll be taking it in this week because it's acting up again -- but I won't have to pay a penny.
  • elfeelfe Member Posts: 3
    I got a quote from an Ampco place; price was the same for a rebuilt xmission, but the warranty was just one year vs. 3 yrs/36k miles from the dealer. Also, the dealer had sent me a "discount card" some time ago that would give me 15% off any parts/repairs/services up to $500. So with that discount, the dealer offered by far the better deal. Additionally, they paid for my rental car; the repair took a week.

    Ampco also offered to rebuild the xmission at their shop for about $2400, but they said they could not guarantee that they would be able to rebuild it and might have to put in a 'new' rebuilt one. I didn't want to take that chance.
  • rfreitasrfreitas Member Posts: 63
    I have been reading about Jasper Transmissions on other forums. Some people have had a 3rd party mechanic put in a Jasper Transmission. I might consider this if mine goes out again, or maybe consider a new Toyota.... ;-)

    This website has a link to the Jasper Engines website on the left side of the page:

    http://www.odysseytransmission.com/
  • rbtstarbtsta Member Posts: 1
    Problem started at 45,000 miles with missed shifts and engine revving. Which would follow with various vibrations, skipping of the transmission, lost of power, and a sudden drop to a lower gear at high speeds. Currently I'm at 52,000 miles, which Honda is still obligated to fix under warranty. But can only offered to update the software, and replacing the torque converter. Honda's dealer is claiming Honda has storage of transmission to replace it with, and will not have any for a very long........ time. So they decided to just replace my torque converter. But they also have a shortage of torque converters, so they decided to put in a used rebuilt torque converter, which is only a 3 week wait to order and receive. The repair and trans will only be warranty until 60,000 miles, which is when my warranty runs out. After that, I'm 100% on my own. If the trans breaks at 60001, I'll need to spend thousands of dollars to fix it. Currently, I'm still waiting for the rebuilt torque converter to be put in, and I really have no hope this fix will last more than 20,000 mile before I'll need a new transmission. Anyhow, no more Hondas, it's not a reliable car or company.
  • agboileragboiler Member Posts: 1
    Nearly 104,000 miles on my 2003 Honda Odyssey. I am the second owner, buying it at 47,000 miles. Just spent $1000 on replacing the timing belt and water pump at 100,000. You know the drill. Now I'm stuck with the dilemma of putting in a remanufactured Honda transmission to the tune of $5800 - includes computer and alignment! The district mgr. is coming on his/her rounds tomorrow. What should I press to do? I still owe $6100 on the van, as well.
  • pachiefmanpachiefman Member Posts: 20
    I own an 05 Odyssey with 84k miles. I have also owned a 99 Accord in which I had the transmission rebuilt ($2300.00 two years ago with a one year warranty). After my own personal experiences, and what I have read here, I believe that Honda has some issues with their transmission designs. The Accord was purchased used, and I have a feeling that the maintenance was sketchy at best, but I have no sure way of knowing. I purchased my Odyssey new. I installed the towing package--with fin enhanced transmission cooler, power steering cooler, etc. I have had my mechanic change the trans. fluid which is recommended, especially if one uses the vehicle to tow, which I do on occasion. I now have the transmission fluid changed every year. Cost is about $100.00+ to have it flushed as well. Upon removal of the fluid, the mechanic commented that it was dark and needed changing.
    I am convinced this "ounce of prevention..." is well worth the cost. Although it shifts fine, my transmission starts to make what I can best describe as a a growling sound after long drives towards the end of the service year. The fluid change quieted this last time and I take that as more evidence that fluid maintenance is an issue. My mechanic assures me that it is, and changing it is cheaper than buying a transmission. I guess I'll see if I keep it as long as my last van; a 90 Toyota Previa that ran to 225K. I hope this helps.
  • pyk64pyk64 Member Posts: 7
    Are you having the transmission fluid completed flushed out each time? Sounds like a good idea. I recently had my transmission replaced on my 2002 Odyssey. I have a sneaking suspicion that it will crap out after the 3 yrs or 36K warranty expires.

    Hondas. Nice cars, crappy automatic transmissions, questionable customer commitment. I never had isses with Honda transmissions when I had the manual trannys.
  • coredumpcoredump Member Posts: 9
    I had issues with my 05 ody and had the tranny changed at about 60k (goodwill). This triggered me to research into the causes and prevention.

    After much research I concluded that:
    1. Honda trannies are under-designed.
    2. The Honda fluid doesn't do a good job of keeping the tranny alive and well.

    After much research, I switched to using Amsoil synthetic transmission fluid and had my dealer change it over 3 "drain-and-fill" methods. While initially they tried to scare me in to not using the fluid, they performed the service, each time reporting that the old fluid being drained out looked a lot cleaner.

    The shift quality has improved considerably and I think the tranny will last longer.

    I also had my Acura dealer use the same fluid in my Acura TL 2005 tranny with the same result (no issues with my acura before or after - still on original tranny). What was even more interesting was that the Acura dealer did not try scaring me in to not using it and also after looking at the results on my vehicle, use the same fluid on other acura's that are just starting with tranny issues and and reporting good results.

    Note that the Amsoil fully synthetic fluid is about the same or cheaper than the honda fluid and from research it is the only tranny fluid that claims compatibility with the honda fluid (meaning it has similar or same additive packages).

    I am not advertising for Amsoil here. I have no stake in Amsoil or their products other than their good use in my honda ody 05 and acura tl 05.

    I hope my story helps someone save money and headaches with honda tranny issues.

    One thing is certain I will rethink my decision to buy a honda again. I have had many issues with my ody 2005 (motor mount, a-pipe, power-steering pump and more) most of which were fixed under goodwill after the std warranty was way past expiration by my dealer (a fantastic dealership with a great service manager who helps customers out).
  • bigdadi118bigdadi118 Member Posts: 1,207
    why not if warranty expired and I also suggest change the tranny fluid more frequent, say 15k mi or each yr... maybe 3 time drain and fill, no flush.
  • bigdadi118bigdadi118 Member Posts: 1,207
    I just spoke to a transmission shop owner. He said he never have a Subaru come in for transmission problem. I don't know why Honda didn't learn and fix this. I saw 03, 04 Pilots are having same problems like the ODY.
  • user_1999user_1999 Member Posts: 12
    I bought the VAN last year. have 22K miles on it. After my recent oil change my VAN started shaking at different speed. I came to find out that there was a recall on the car and they updated some software during my recent visit which caused my van to shake.

    I just called to complain about the issue and now they are saying they need to replace torque converter..... guys watch out with Hondas.... the van is not even two years old and it needs torque converter replacement.
  • imidazol97imidazol97 Member Posts: 27,132
    >After my recent oil change my VAN started shaking at different speed. I came to find out that there was a recall on the car and they updated some software during my recent visit which caused my van to shake.

    Are you saying you took the car in for an oil change and they did other work on it without your knowledge or permission and that was a software update? The software update didn't work right and your van was shaking. Now it needs a torque converter, which may have been related to the reason they tried the software update in the first place but it's going to require a replacement instead of them fixing it, temporarily perhaps, with the software update?

    2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,

  • user_1999user_1999 Member Posts: 12
    you may be right but my point is .... my VAN is less than 2 years old and it is already showing bad transmission signs
  • odsytrannyodsytranny Member Posts: 6
    After 3 weeks of calling and waiting I was granted a 50% reduction on a new transmission and "computer" for my 2003 Odyssey with 88,000 miles instead of the 25% off the price of the parts that was first offered. That brought my price for the repair down to $2300. The car works great now, but for how much longer? Can I get an extended warranty from a good company that will take care of this type of issue out to 200,000 miles?
  • bigdadi118bigdadi118 Member Posts: 1,207
    Don't forget you're still $2300 lighter pocket due to not your fault but Honda's. I would tarde it in or sell it and step out of Honda's shadow.
  • candyman87candyman87 Member Posts: 6
    Did your van start to shudder arounf 25 mph sporadically and then more frequently? Not sure what my problem is, but it sounds similar. I have an 04. Was the computer pronblem limited to 03? Any help appreciated. Thanks.
  • candyman87candyman87 Member Posts: 6
    Wrightsville: Did you ever figure out what was wrong with your 04. I am have the exact same problem on my 04. I spoke to Honda and they said that my 04 was built after the tranny recall for the bad gear and that they have no record of these sorts of issues, officially. The guy that sold me the car new told me it could be the EGR value; sometimes they get clogged and need to be replaced, but that sounded to simplistic to me based on the shuttering that happens. The tranny fluid is good and is not low. Any info on your experiences will probably save me a lot of time and trouble, since it sounds like the exact same issue. Thanks.
  • cottdukecottduke Member Posts: 11
    Candyman---I've done a decent bit of research on this in the past few weeks. I'm not a mechanic by any means but the technicians with whom I've spoken have indicated that a clogged/dirty EGR valve can generate a shudder that is VERY similar to the early signs of a torque converter failure. Read this blog, and the comments/responses as well: http://accuratecars.com/blog/2008/11/26/excessive-engine-vibration-with-eco-on-t- he-honda-odyssey-ex-l-and-honda-odyssey-touring/ . Two Honda technicians/service departments have diagnosed my '04 Odyssey shudder as being the "early signs of torque converter failure", not a clogged EGR valve. Both departments indicated that this is a fairly common problem with Odysseys...but that some go 3-4 years and 60k/70k miles with the shudder without causing additional problems. However...I've also read that if the converter fails, it can cause damage to the rest of your transmission, which can be a REAL headache. All of that to say...I think I'll end up repairing mine (just purchased it used from a dealer, so I'm going to negotiate to have most of it covered at no cost to me).

    If it turns out to be the EGR valve, you might also check this article to make sure that it's done the right way (different vehicles shown, but same principle likely applies).

    http://accuratecars.com/blog/2008/11/25/insufficient-egr-flow-on-honda-and-acura- -cars-accurate-automotive-says-save-money-and-do-it-right-the-first-time/
  • autowriteautowrite Member Posts: 226
    How many people have posted for the Odyssey transmission problems. This does not include in the count how many times one posted. For me that would be once, although I have posted more than once on this subject.
    Thank you
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