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Honda Odyssey Transmission Problems

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Comments

  • finny007finny007 Member Posts: 1
    Good afternoon all,

    I recently spoke with the National Highway Traffic & Safety Administration (Part of Dept of Transportation that investigates recall issues) after Honda USA in Torrance CA refused to help out replacing the transmission/torque converter on a 2005 Odyssey Touring with 90K miles. I have owned 6 Honda's in the past 20 years and they still did not offer me any assistance.

    Honda refused to extend any goodwill and replace the torque. Repair estimate is $2150 from dealership ... and they said they have done hundreds of torque converter replacements.

    Class Action Suit or gov't issue recall is only thing Honda will respond too.
    Please call the NHTSA hotline 1-888-327-4236 and lodge a formal complaint. You can search # of complaints here:
    http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/complaints/index.cfm

    Honda knows there is a problem but will not do anything unless critical mass is reached and enough people complain to proper channel. There are 20 complaints on file under Powertrain: Automatic Transmission.

    Everyone has the same problem of whole van shuddering between
    20-45 mph. Please get the word out too, more people who reach out to the NHTSA better chance action will be taken. Pass along the phone and or URL above.
    - A former long time Honda owner.
  • stimmonsstimmons Member Posts: 2
    I'm the original owner of a 2002 Honda Odyssey LX and I've been plagued with numerous problems on this vehicle. First of all, I've had two transmissions fail. The first one failed following the recall service in May of 2005 (69,228 miles). The Honda service dealer indicated that I had not serviced the vehicle properly, since I had gone elsewhere to have my servicing completed. After retrieving all my records across town, I was able to prove to Honda that I had properly maintained my transmission/vehicle. Honda replaced the transmission 100%. It is now 4/2010 (just under 162,000miles) and the engine check light came on with P0740 code (Torque converter solenoid clutch open). Needless to say, the dealer replied that the transmission failed and had to be replaced. The initial negociation between the dealer service manager and the regional service manager resulted in a total price of $3641.00 for full replacement and labor. According to the dealer service manager, the discount was about 10% from Honda and 13% coming from the dealer. I'm trying to negociate with the service manager to only pay a total of $2800. He indicated that he would try to get it down to $3000. He is still crunching the numbers.....Well he came down to $3300! I'm having it rebuilt elsewhere. :lemon:

    Meanwhile, I've also been plagued with other issues:

    -the haudraulic door motors and rollers failed after 5yrs

    -the vent window motors failed after 2 years

    -the front console electrical system is quirky. ie. the fuel indicator and the coolant temperature indicator displayed high coolant temp. when the fuel level fell below half.
  • samspade1samspade1 Member Posts: 5
    Upon reading many of your postings regarding this issue, I can't help but feel discouraged by the kind of response most of you are getting from Honda America. Based on these inconsistencies, avoidances, and the fact that these transmissions were made in Japan, my first inclination is to write a scathing letter to the CEO of Honda in Japan. I recommend that everyone do the same thing, and while you're at it, CC your C-man. While many of our corporate leaders are desensitized to their own lack of integrity, many of the Japanese corporate leaders still possess an honorable sense of shame. This may serve us better since their inclination will be to restore our confidence in them, thereby saving face in our eyes...
  • a_rhymera_rhymer Member Posts: 1
    We had the issue where the TCS light would light up for the past several years, but were told 'not to worry about it'. We could never get the light to be on when it was at the shop, since it was sporadic, and would reset when the vehicle was turned off and back on. Since we were the second owner, we didn't get notified of the recall or extended warranty by mail, and the dealer certainly didn't tell us anything of the sort.

    Now, at 111,000 miles, the transmission clunks when shifting in the higher gears and the 'check engine' light is on. Took it by a local shop and they gave me the computer codes to why the 'check engine' light was on and the 'torque converter' is going bad, just like on the recall. My Honda shop, where I bought the van, tells me we have to wait and see what the Honda rep says. If they refuse to pay any of the cost then it is NOT considered warranty work, and we won't even be able to get a replacement transmission, period. We will have to, quote, "try and track down a used one or rebuilt one." So on top of all of this, I'm now finding out that the transmissions are going for a premium, because of high demand?? This is bull.

    AND, this was our 'good vehicle', the one we paid more for, took extra good care of, relied on to transport our kids around. It has been sitting in the shop now for almost a week, and the Honda rep hasn't even returned my dealer's calls about my case. My wife is currently pregnant and having to get the kids around in a broken down POS vehicle we borrowed from my parents.

    Sure, Honda is beyond the warranty period for my van, but the reason I paid a premium for this van, around 4 or 5 grand more than I would have paid for any other of the same year and specifications, is because I thought I was making an investment in quality and longevity; stupid me. I'm thinking my next vehicle will be a cheaper American built rig. I can use the money I save in price to fix whatever goes wrong down the road. This was my first Honda... looks to be my last.
  • jchan2jchan2 Member Posts: 4,956
    Just a word of advice:
    I would definitely not put in a used transmission. Go either new or rebuilt. If I remember correctly some other posters have had luck going to independent shops to buy rebuilt transmissions.

    With the failure rates on these transmissions being as high as they are, you could put in a used one and have that fail shortly after installation.

    See what the Honda dealer says, but also look into an independent shop to rebuild/replace the transmission.
  • vanwaanabevanwaanabe Member Posts: 15
    I am the original owner of a 2002 Honda Odyssey. It has 135K miles on it. I've been taking to Honda of Bowie (MD) for 7 years (its never been serviced anywhere else). Around 4 years ago at least my wife starting complaining about a "juddering/shuddering/slipping" at 45 mph. We'd take it to the dealer and they "could never find the problem." Finally the transmission has really gotten bad and now they just "found the problem" and can fix it for $4500. I am deeply disappointed in Honda and this dealership. They both have known this is a chronic problem and never told us. Needless to say this is not why I bought a Honda. My advice, is stay away from the brand. They are following Toyota by compromising quality for volume. :mad:
  • autowriteautowrite Member Posts: 226
    I am also a 2002 Honda Odyssey owner who had to have the transmision (180,000 kilometers) replaced for a huge sum of money back in 2007. I went ahead with the replacement, BUT I also wrote to the President of Honda Canada and outlined all the problems leading up to the troubles. I was polite in my snail-mail letter (not email) and was reimbursed one-half the invoice amount. Go to the top boss. Find out who is the President of Honda America and write to hime directly (not email). You might save some money in this approach. OH.....if you do get a reimbursement send out a Thank You letter to him or her.
  • odyssey_haterodyssey_hater Member Posts: 2
    Hello everyone, I wanted to share my facts with all of you fellow Honda Odyssey owners. My wife and I own a 2001 Honda Odyssey that had its 3rd transmission just go out so, we are asking Honda for #4 in 200K miles. We are averaging 50K miles per transmission.

    Facts: Everyone knows Honda had serious design flaws within the transmission in these vehicles. Honda did what they should do, replaced it 3 times. Now, the vehicle has literally no residual value.

    Transmission 2: Honda made no significant design modification to the transmission whatsoever and only replaced it with the exact same transmission after the first one failed. I know this for a fact because I asked Honda and investigated it.

    Transmission 3: Honda made some very minor internal changes like increasing the size of the orifice within the tranny somewhere but there is no way to know oif your vehicle actually has an old design or new design????

    LEGAL: If you have the old tranny, even beyond your warranty, you have legal recourse. Do NOT listen to Honda. Sue them collectively or alone in small claims court. Tell the judge that Honda breached the warranty by knowingly replacing your transmission with one that would also fail because they did not modify it to rectify the design flaws.

    Furthermore; You can sue for Breech of Warranty and violation of the Deceptive Trade & Practices Act. The DTPA says that misrepresentation of fact or warranty is an unconscionable action. It takes advantage of the general public's knowledge or ability or experience with transmission design to a gross degree.

    Put another way, Honda took advantage of us all. They did not thoroughly re-design a long term fix for the replacement transmissions and most people have no concept of engineering to know that Honda 's lack of diligence to modify and THOROUGHLY test the transmission modifications left thousands or millions of Odyssey Owners with defective merchandise that Honda no longer wishes to replace under warranty.

    Additionally: What does this mean: If Your new tranny has less than the Honda warranted 109,000 miles that Honda offered you due to a class action lawsuit settlement, you can sue. The warranty Honda extended was extended on the whole vehicle and Honda hid the fact that replacement transmissions are NOT warranted to another 109K miles. So, you could own an Odyssey, put 3 tranny's in it all under 100K miles and get the 4th one at 109,100 miles.

    WHAT DOES THIS MEAN: Sue Honda. Demand in court that the show record that the transmissions they replaced in your vehicle were modified in any way and no simply replaced. Make them acknowledge that their was a design flaw (They will say no) and then cite the thousands of others who have had the exact same problem.

    Finally: The best thing you can do is blast it all over the net. Start a posting war. Make Honda know that you are telling people NOT to buy Honda! The Odyssey transmission is CRAP. Even in the new Odyssey the tranny is junk. It has fewer issues but is still problematic.
  • odyssey_haterodyssey_hater Member Posts: 2
    Don't ever buy a Honda again! They don;t honor their stuff! NO HONOR! Honda Odyssey's are trash!
  • vanwaanabevanwaanabe Member Posts: 15
    I posted earlier. So I contacted the dealer and Honda. Honda is now offering me $1600 towards a $4500 fix. Upon hearing that Honda of Bowie jacked up the cost $1000 to now $5500 to fix the transmission.

    I told the corporate drones that Honda will be Toyota soon in terms of destroyed reputation. If you see the internal Toyota documents you see that they didn't want to do a recall and if they did, they wanted to do it on the cheap. This is what Honda is doing.

    My wife and kids ride in the Odyssey. I know don't trust it or the dealer who never disclosed to me there was a recall on the transmission despite repeated complaints. AVOID HONDA OF BOWIE AT ALL COSTS. THEY NEVER DISCLOSED THIS PROBLEM DESPITE REPEATED COMNPLAINTS OF JUDDERING AT 40 MPH. In fact they have charged me $100 to let me know the transmission is broker.

    I WILL NEVER BUY A HONDA AGAIN. THEY ARE THE NEW TOYOTA.

    AVOID HONDA OF BOWIE, MD TOO. I WOULD NEVER TRUST THEM TO WORK ON MY CAR AGAIN.
  • vanwaanabevanwaanabe Member Posts: 15
    "They just want to wait till you are out of warranty, so you will have to pay for it... What year is it?"

    Totally agree. I brought in my 2002 Honda Odyssey for the last 2 years complaining about my transmission, They could never replicate the problem. It goes out of warranty and bang, they find the problem.

    AVOID HONDA OF BOWIE and DON'T BUY A HONDA.
  • jkinscjkinsc Member Posts: 1
    I have had transmission/torque converter problems, but with my 2003 VW Passat wagon. The torque converter "went out", so we replaced it for $1600+. A few weeks later the slipping started again, and the transmission repair shop told us something in the transmission was causing the torque converter to wear out. We chose to buy a used transmission ($1800+installation) and then trade the vehicle after fixing it.

    Based on my experience, you might choose to replace the whole transmission. I just took my 2009 Odyssey in for a "product update" for a "judder" issue with the torque converter.

    Good luck.
  • car_tunecar_tune Member Posts: 1
    My 2002 Odyssey that I purchased new required a its second transmission at 78,000 miles. I was driving at a low speed near home when the car shuddered after downshifting unexpectedly. In this case, I had purchased the extended warranty after a grueling day at the dealership. It turned out to be a good thing, and the new transmission cost me $50 out of pocket. At 140,000 miles the engine light and TCS light were on. Diagnostics pointed to the torque converter. I chose not to spend more money on the vehicle and drove it (only locally) for approximately another year until it stranded me on the interstate. I could either spend several thousand dollars in repairs that I probably wouldn't recoup on an immediate sale, or I could dump it and lick my wounds. Sold for $750 in January 2010.

    I still have a 2007 Odyssey that I also purchased new. I had the steering worked on under warranty, and it now feels as though the power steering is failing again. I've also been notified of two recalls - one for transmission and one for breaks.

    Both vehicles handle(d) really well and proved versatile when loading for weekend adventures. The service records, however, have been lackluster. I apparently have been sucker enough to buy the one crappy car in the Honda lineup twice. Naming this vehicle seems to be Honda's most on-target part of its production: Odyssey - a long series of wanderings or adventures, esp. when filled with notable experiences, hardships, etc.
  • victorkovictorko Member Posts: 1
    hondahawaii,
    did honda ever compensate you for the EGR valve? I have 95000 miles on my 2001 and it's beyond the 8 years and 80k miles. i tried calling Honda Customer Relations and the woman wasn't that helpful. she did take down my number and said someone would call me back. i'm not holding my breath.

    victorkomd@yahoo.com
  • nomashonda4menomashonda4me Member Posts: 1
    Had our 3th transmission replaced on April 27, 2010.First broke at 25488,did not make the recomended fluid service at 30000.Second broke at 70657mi(45157mi on the second).Third at 108849(38192mi on third).Honda America paid for half off the price of transmission but would not budge on the labor.Our other car is a Toyota Camry with 104675 and have had no major problem with that car. We are now looking to replace the Odyssey and WILL stay far away from Hondas.
  • jeniloohoojeniloohoo Member Posts: 1
    Yep, we're another "only dealer serviced, babied" 2003 Odyssey owner with a tranny failure at 108k miles. The dealer is quoting us $5400 for a new one. They and Honda America are agreeing to pay $50% as they agree there are problems with Odyssey transmission from that model year. Um, if they acknowledge manufacturer error, why are WE required to pay anything?

    We will be trading in our 2008 Honda Civic, and getting rid of the Odyssey as well. We will never buy another Honda.

    Our dilemma at this point is do we have to pay the almost $3k to fix this thing, just to trade it in? Seeing as how many people on are on their 2nd and 3rd trannies, we have no faith that even getting a new one will guarantee us safety and reliability and a return on our investment.

    Wonder why the class action suit of the earlier models has not extended to the '03 and '04?
  • inspectormaninspectorman Member Posts: 1
    I purchased this oddy in feb and had no problems with it until yesterday when I was leaving to go to the grocery store. I put the van in reverse and backed up with no problems, then I put it into drive and noticed it took about 1 sec longer for the van to engage into drive. It feels like it slips into gear and the van jolts forward just a little. I took it to the dealer where I purchased it and he told me it sounds like the tranny needs to be flushed and filled. Anyone out there have any suggestions that could help me get this fixed?
  • udiar14udiar14 Member Posts: 1
    :) I have Honda Odyssey 2000 with 66000 miles.
    So far i have no issues and very happy with it.
    I have a few questions?
    1. Am I just lucky?
    2. Should I sell it before I have problems?
    3. If i will have transmission problem will Honda will pay? Up do how many miles?
    4. Do most owners get the transmission problems?

    Thanks
  • g3guyg3guy Member Posts: 31
    Udiar14: 1. you are lucky beyond your dreams. 2. yes, dump it while you can, and stay away from the Pilot and Odessey in your next purchase. The transmissions were built for sedans, not vans and SUVs.. 3. Honda will likely not pay at all, or will charge you an exorbitant amount for labor and part of the cost of the transmission. 4. Yes, most owners, particularly of older Ody's have had or will have problems with the torque converter or transmission proper. Even the new vans have trouble like this. When will Honda learn? You probably don't drive the van very much, so haven't had trouble yet. But, if the "check engine" light comes on, that's the cue that trouble is on the way. I'm on the fourth transmission on my 2000, but my van's trouble started under warranty, so all of my trannys have been under warranty. I'll dump it before my current coverage ends next spring. Best wishes....G3guy
  • svandre21224svandre21224 Member Posts: 3
    Yes
    Yes
    No
    Yes
  • dfwhondadfwhonda Member Posts: 45
    Are you confident that "most owners" of Honda Odyssey's have transmission problems?

    I ask because I will probably be in the market within the week (catastrophic damage to '08 Pilot) for a used Odyssey and had my eye on a number of CPO 08s in my area. I had assumed that they were bulletproof, but after reading this thread in this forum, I am starting to question whether it is worth the hassle. I guess I will need all of the service records to confirm whether a transmission has already been replaced on any used Odyssey (most in my area have between 30k and 45k miles).

    Any other suggestions would be appreciated. Not sure where else to turn if the Odyssey is not in the running. We are a Honda family, never owned a Toyota, and when I read about other competitors on CarSpace they seem to have just as many problems as an Odyssey (although may be not transmission problems).
  • imidazol97imidazol97 Member Posts: 27,132
    > I guess I will need all of the service records to confirm whether a transmission has already been replaced on any used Odyssey (most in my area have between 30k and 45k miles).

    The sad thing is it appears even if the transmission had been replaced at some point (early) in time, the replacement is as prone to failure as the original. So replacement means nothing.

    2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,

  • minimommyminimommy Member Posts: 13
    Just sold a 2002 Ody with 167k miles on it... NEVER had any issues with that van... no transmission problems, no torque converter problem, nothing, absolutely nothing... we drove it around town and on long trips. It was a dream and we thought Honda was rock solid. Only sold it because wanted the side curtain air bags on newer models.... thought we'd get a 2010 Ody or 2011... but after reading all these forums and problems with tranny on Ody...(and Pilot), we're leaning toward the Toyota Sienna as our replacement instead. Perhaps we were just lucky with ours... or perhaps the tranny problem is only on a relatively small percentage of the Ody....hard to tell... but all the posts here and the reliability report on 2010 Ody on USN&World Report site being a 5 out of 10 (Sienna is 10 out of 10), we're probably going with Sienna. Perhaps there is no such thing as a great reliable van out there anymore... hopefully Toyota and Honda 2011s will prove that wrong.
  • autowriteautowrite Member Posts: 226
    2011 Odyssey is suppost to have a 6-speed automatic, the same as in the 2010 Acura MDX
    Base model on the 2011 Sienna is a 4-cylinder.
    My 2002 is current in for small body job (tree pushed over on it by another vehicle). The rental is a 2010 Sienna. You sure can feed the hard road and the air-conditioner is noisey and there are a few rattles.
    I'm told that the Elysion (our Odyssey) built in Japan has no transmission problems.
    http://www.batfa.com/newcar-hondaelysion.htm
  • dfwhondadfwhonda Member Posts: 45
    I noticed on Consumer Reports that the 08 Siennas had excellent reliability history. I know that CR accumulates data from people who have subscriptions and complete surveys, but 08 Odyssey reliability history is not nearly as clean as Toyota. And I don't see any transmission problems for used Siennas here on CarSpace forums - I can live with other minor problems, but do not want to worry about family getting stranded by a bad transmission. It's a shame because I prefer the Odyssey to the Sienna from an exterior looks and interior configuration perspective, but those differences are not enough to outweigh reliability in performance.
  • imidazol97imidazol97 Member Posts: 27,132

    2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,

  • dfwhondadfwhonda Member Posts: 45
    Interesting. I did not see the Toyota Sienna listed on Toyota's recall website as a vehicle subject to recall for this problem. I guess trusting Toyota to provide all of the information may not be the smartest choice, but I had thought all models with the unintended acceleration had been identified to this point...

    If the Toyota Sienna isn't a minivan option, where does a minivan shopper turn?
  • jmaccjmacc Member Posts: 1
    edited May 2010
    I had spend 2 days reading about Honda Odyssey bad transmission and Honda seems not to care. I have a 2001 odyssey with 102,000 miles so I am out of luck because it passed the 93 months extended warranty. I am afraid to replace the transmission and after a while have the same problem. You can clearly see that Honda had not made enough improvements. This tranny should have been recalled long time ago and or really help with the price to fix it. 3k that the dealer offered me, it is not a real deal.

    It is time to get some government agencies get involved in this: We need to write to the attorney general, BBB, Nhtsa, and other organizations like JD powers, consumer reports, nada and let them know what we think about Honda cars.

    I would like to sue Honda, if somebody wants to join me for their lemon warranties and/or products, ad because their faulty transmission can cause accidents (when I had my transmission problem I was in a 3 lanes hwy with cars coming full speed at my rear and I was having problems to get to the side lane (lucky me I didn't cause any accident). Do we need to wait until somebody has an accident and die? :mad: :cry::(
  • rfreitasrfreitas Member Posts: 63
    There is a new firm taking info for a new class action lawsuit. For more info, read the comments section of this posting:
    http://www.odysseytransmission.com//ProblemCases?msgId=377
  • gvillebrkawaygvillebrkaway Member Posts: 1
    edited May 2010
    My story is the same as so many other on here. Purchased a 2001 Ody (Certified Used at dealer) with 35k miles. First transmission failed at 74k and was replaced by dealer. Now sitting at 145k and the trans has failed again. Being offered 2K by same dealer as trade-in.

    How's that for customer loyalty?
  • jipsterjipster Member Posts: 6,244
    How's that for customer loyalty?

    uhh, what do you mean? You wanting a new transmission... or more for your trade-in?
    2020 Honda Accord EX-L, 2011 Hyundai Veracruz, 2010 Mercury Milan Premiere, 2007 Kia Optima
  • chicharone00chicharone00 Member Posts: 1
    I notice alot of the tranny problems are from older Odysseys. Does the tranny problems still exist with later models Odysseys?
  • rfreitasrfreitas Member Posts: 63
    This site tracks reported problems by year (started tracking last year):

    http://www.odysseytransmission.com/

    It shows they started tapering off in 2003, but they still have problems reported up to 2009. 2007's seem to have a new issue and a recent spike....
  • 61birdman61birdman Member Posts: 1
    edited June 2010
    Please extend a warm welcome to me, I have just joined the Odyssey Blown Transmission Club ("OBTC"). 2001 EX, paid sticker, dealer serviced. Trans failed at 95,000 miles. After back & forth w/ Dealer, Honda America agreed to pay 25%, but I still have a $2900 bill, plus $500 for broken motor mounts. Bought the van thinking 15 yrs, 150K miles no problem. I could have saved $8K and bought a Dodge and had the same result. If not a lemon, then the "Oddity" is a lime... :mad:
  • nash1234nash1234 Member Posts: 22
    edited June 2010
    Hi,

    I own a 07 EX, first owner, currently at 20k miles. Knock on wood I have not had any transmission issues so far, things have been smooth. However I have noticed that I am having a sound similar to engine knocking (or crunching) as I am stepping on the gas and the vehicle is travelling. It is not loud, and the only way I can hear it is when I lower all the windows down and traveling through an alley (I can hear the engine better since all the noise bounces back from the building walls). I want to say I do not hear it if I am not stepping on the gas but I am not sure. It does not happen if I am parked just revving the engine.

    It is not likely that this is a trans issue (I hope) since I'd think I'd hear it all the time that the van is moving but I do not know. Anyone has the same issue?

    Thanks.

    (edit: I do not hear the sound when I am doing the same thing in Reverse. Ugh. Maybe something wrong with the first gear?)
  • sham1sham1 Member Posts: 3
    Seems like it started about 99 and definitely runs through 04 - but I know people with 05's - 09's starting to have problems. I am just waiting for this to blow way up like Toyota's issue did!!! We need to get this out to the press and noticed and on tv! I have put my complaint into our General Manager where we purchased our Honda new and to the NHTSA - EVERYONE needs to do the same!!! Not wait - DO IT NOW!!! Good Luck!
  • cgrammercgrammer Member Posts: 1
    I bought my 2002 honda odyssey end of January 2010 with 98,00 miles on the car and the day I bought the car I took it home and noticed several problems when I would put the car in park the car would reev up like I was pressing my foot on the gas but I wasn't when I put my foot on the break the car would reev up like I was pressing on the gas but I wasn't. When the car would sit for a hour or so then I would drive it, it would make a clicking sound. so I immeadialty brought it to the dealer the next day and told them my story and they said there was nothing they could do until the check engine light came on. So I went home and the problems still accured so a few weeks later I brought the car in again and they test drove the car and of course the car did not do the problems it was doing with me and again they said we can't do anything until the check engine light comes on. So a few more weeks later the check engine light came on and I bought the car in and told them again of the problems and the did a full service check and it was free because it was my cars first service and they said nothing was wrong with the car it only had a gas cap situation but besides that it was perfect.

    I took the car home and it still continued to have the same problems until a few weeks later when my sister and I were car pooling in my 2002 Honda Odyssey at now 104,000 miles, we were on the the free way when the car started jerking hard back and forth we slowy tried to manuever to the side right shoulder but it was difficult because we could feel everything in the car shutting down. Luckly we made it to a safe point and called the Honda Dealer where I bought the car just 5 months earlier and they told me I needed to get a tow or pay them $250 and then they could pick up the car. So I get the car towed to the dealer form my AAA and the dealer tells me the transmission blew out and it is going to cost me $3,300 to fix it? I told them they knew of this problem and didn't tell me prior to me coming in 3 times before this time I told them about the problems and the guy who sold me the car knew because before I went each time to complain to the dealer I told him before actully going in. So they told me they would pay for half but I had to pay for the other half? I don't have $1700 that is my only car and I need that car for work.

    Someone please tell me what I can do about this can I sue?????
  • jipsterjipster Member Posts: 6,244
    edited June 2010
    Someone please tell me what I can do about this can I sue?????

    If the car was sold "as is" you can't sue. If it came with some type of warranty, say 3 months, and you have documented proof you took it and they ignored the problem... then yeah, I'd say you have a good case. The revving problem, while in park and while stepping on brake, doesn't sound like a transmission problem to me though.

    I would probably take their offer if you car didn't come with a warranty.
    2020 Honda Accord EX-L, 2011 Hyundai Veracruz, 2010 Mercury Milan Premiere, 2007 Kia Optima
  • stickguystickguy Member Posts: 50,439
    I agree with jip. you can complain more, and start a case with american honda, but it is entirely up to them if they want to do anything.

    but, if you can get it done for $1,700 and it comes with a 3 year warranty, worth getting it done.

    then if you want to fight, sue, etc. at least you have your car.

    One thing to keep in mind is if you reject the offer, they will rescind it, and you may not get another one. And you will still have a 4,500# lawn ornament.

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

  • minimommyminimommy Member Posts: 13
    Are the Odyssey and Pilot transmissions the same? I see from the Pilot forums that Pilot transmissions also seem to fail. Thank you.
  • g3guyg3guy Member Posts: 31
    I've read that they are, as are the transmissions in the Ridgeline pickup. I can't recall where I saw it; it was probably earlier in this forum, but I'm fairly sure that it is true. Enough to keep checking on it, anyway. If I find otherwise, I'll post it.
  • mira1mira1 Member Posts: 2
    My Honda Odyssey '04 model has flashing 'D' problem and requires replacing 4th gear switch. The vehicle has run less than 70K miles. Should we expect this to be treated as part of warranty? We never received any recall notice on transmission problems and were shocked (and embarrassed for not knowing earlier) to see all these postings on transmission problems. Any suggestions on how I should approach this problem? Is it safe to drive the car until it is fixed? Thanks.
  • mira1mira1 Member Posts: 2
    On further research I found the following. I bought the van after recall date and hence no recall notice, I believe. They should have fixed any problem before selling it to me.

    RECALL: 2002 - 2004 Honda Odyssey
    NHTSA Campaign Number: 04V176000 www.nhtsa.dot.gov

    Manufacturer AMERICAN HONDA MOTOR CO.
    Recall Date: 04/15/2004
    Potential Number Of Units Affected: 1099796

    Description POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

    Summary ON SOME MINI VANS, SPORT UTILITY AND PASSENGER VEHICLES, CERTAIN OPERATING CONDITIONS CAN RESULT IN HEAT BUILD-UP BETWEEN THE COUNTERSHAFT AND SECONDARY SHAFT SECOND GEARS IN THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION, EVENTUALLY LEADING TO GEAR TOOTH CHIPPING OR GEAR BREAKAGE.

    Consequence GEAR FAILURE COULD RESULT IN TRANSMISSION LOCKUP, WHICH COULD RESULT IN A CRASH.

    Remedy ON VEHICLES WITH 15,000 MILES OR LESS, THE DEALER WILL UPDATE THE TRANSMISSION WITH A SIMPLE REVISION TO THE OIL COOLER RETURN LINE TO INCREASE LUBRICATION TO THE SECOND GEAR. ON VEHICLES WITH MORE THAN 15,000 MILES, THE DEALER WILL INSPECT THE TRANSMISSION TO IDENTIFY GEARS THAT HAVE ALREADY EXPERIENCED DISCOLORATION DUE TO OVERHEATING. IF DISCOLORATION EXISTS, THE TRANSMISSION WILL BE REPLACED IF DISCOLORATION IS NOT PRESENT, THE DEALER WILL PERFORM THE REVISION TO THE OIL COOLER RETURN LINE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON APRIL 21, 2004, FOR PILOT, ODYSSEY, AND MDX OWNERS. OWNERS OF THE ACCORD VEHICLES WILL START RECEIVING LETTERS ON JUNE 28, 2004, AND ON JUNE 29, 2004, FOR OWNERS OF THE TL AND CL VEHICLES. OWNERS SHOULD CONTACT HONDA AT 1-800-999-1009 OR ACURA AT 1-800-382-2238.
  • luvmyhondasluvmyhondas Member Posts: 2
    It'a a bummer that people have had transmission issues. I must say that I LOVE my 2000 Odyssey. I was annoyed when we had to replace the transmission too. However, I must so that we had 174,000 miles on it. The serviceman who typically works on our car from Honda assured us that there were no other problems with the car and that it would be worth it...and yes, it was.

    That was 3 yrs ago and we literally got 241,000 miles on the car today. I trust the car fully and would take it on a road trip with no hesitation. We have some friends who also have the Odyssey (couple of yrs younger) and they have been very pleased too.

    Service it regularly and I am sure it's cheaper than a new car note.
  • vanwaanabevanwaanabe Member Posts: 15
    Folks who have been screwed by Honda: realize few people read this site. We can commiseruate with each other how Honda has screwed us, but I suggest you let future Honda customers know how Honda screws their customers. There is a Honda Odyssey site on Facebook. Post your stories there.

    In my case, we spent $4000 to fix our transmission, it didn't last 300 miles. Took it back to Honda of Bowie, MD, who did the original fix and now they can't "replicated it."

    We'd been complaining about this for years and guess what, Honda of Bowie could never replicate the problem while it was under warranty. The moment it went out of warranty, they found it!

    This time, same thing. They can't find it. No attempt to disassemble the transmission and find the problem.

    Contacted Honda Corporate and they told me "not our problem."
  • vanwaanabevanwaanabe Member Posts: 15
    Post on your stories on FACEBOOK. Facebook has an Odyssey page and a Honda page. Facebook will give this more exposure. You want FUTURE customers to understand this is an issue to. Not just us poor saps that Honda is blowing off.
  • dragonlady3dragonlady3 Member Posts: 5
    edited June 2010
    My 2000 Odyssey went to 185,000 miles before needing a new transmission. It is now at 221,000 and doing well. I feel lucky.

    I would like to know what other models/years have a transmission problem or other serious defect before I buy another Honda. If not Honda, Toyota, then who do we buy from at this point?
  • stickguystickguy Member Posts: 50,439
    Odyssey was the most common it seems. But Accord and Acura TL both had issues too. Primarily though it was the V6 models. Not sure if it was a different unit, or just dealing with the higher HP.

    It really does seem that Honda took an undersized and poorly designed tranny and tried to use it with bigger engines and heavier vehicles, causing a spat of failures.

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

  • r93401r93401 Member Posts: 2
    We brought our 2008 Honda Odyssey in to have the transmission checked and they ended up replacing our Torque Converter. After that they ended up adding one more bios update. The van runs great! We are very happy that Honda did not give us a bit of trouble on this. They were proactive. I'd buy another one. Whew!!!
  • johnboy18johnboy18 Member Posts: 9
    I JUST HAD MY 03 ODYSSEY IN TODAY 06-12 10 IN FOR ITS 107000 MILE TUNE UP. BELTS PLUGS TIMING BELT WATERPUMP REPLACED. THIS IS THE FIRST MAJOR REPAIR IN 8 YEARS. LOVE THIS VAN
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