Honda Odyssey Transmission Problems

stever

There are lots of tools out there - CR, JD Power, forums, fleet owner databases, the recall list at the NHTSA, etc. It would be nice if the manufacturers would share their warranty repair info, but that's not likely to happen anytime soon. Sometimes the surveys are all over the map, but often you can see a trend when you use these sources.

The clincher for me in this case was the huge recall; regardless of the actual number of failures (officially 10, with 3 accidents), there's a defect with a lot of Odyssey and Pilot and MDX trannies out there. Fortunately, Honda stepped up and did a voluntary recall to inspect and replace if necessary.

In case you missed the recall news:

Detroit News
Canadian Driver

Steve, Host

rbell2

CR is not the U.S. government. They are a professional group of scientists, engineers, statisticians, lab specialists, etc. They are 100% supported by CR subscribers and answer to no one but their subscribers. If they continually gave inaccurate or bad evaluations to subscribers who in turn make buying decisions based on that data, they will eventually have no subscribers. Your suggestion that CR uses "smoke screens" to make their data/analyses look more legitimate is senseless and idiotic.

Also, tell me this . . . . if 5,000 people who subscribe to CR all report on reliability incidents with their 2002 Honda Accord, why would that data not be valid?? They represent a sampling of Accord owners across the U.S. The fact that they all subscribe to CR does not make the Accords they bought any different from the people who bought Accords and do not subscribes to CR. Think about it.

isellhondas

It shouldn't be that much of a "clincher".

Remember, the recalls are to INSPECT the affected cars and to install a modification.

The majority of the cars that will be inspected won't have a problem and the modification is to make sure they don't in the future.

stever

Actually I lied - the tranny failure posts in Town Hall convinced me before the recall. btw, got a link that shows what the inspection failure rate is? :-)

I subscribed to CR back in ~1973 and they steered me wrong on a canoe. Never subscribed again.

Steve, Host

imidazol97

Since you think my statements are "senseless and idiotic" perhaps you can tell me exactly how many _responses_ CR had last year on a 2002 Accord and how representative that was of all Accord owners.
Apparently you have a lot of expertise in this area.

Random would mean they take a list of all Accord owners of 2002 models in the (US) and send them each a survey. The 2002 Accord owners who subscribe to CR are not representative of all 2002 Accord owners.

The respondents to the survey then need to be representative of all to whom surveys were sent to have meaning to the results. Otherwise it's anecdotal information, which may have value but is not completely randomly representative.

rbell2

Why would being a CR subscriber make your reliability experience with a 2002 Honda Accord different from a non-CR subscriber?? With honest responses to the survey, this variable (being a CR subscriber) would not change the outcome. That's like saying 5,000 Americans with blond hair might have a different reliability experience with 2002 Honda Accords versus 5,000 Americans with brown hair. Just not true. CR's sample (if large enough) is adequate. And I trust them to not make statistical based judgments if their sample size is not adequate.

cw1684

Uh, you're wrong.

The blonde's replied that they had more fun.

Our Ody was bought at same time 3 other relatives got theirs. 1 of 4 had trans (1999-2001 models) replaced. ALL have warped brake rotors and drums. TCS light flashings. Electric door malfunctions. Etc...

That's enough for me to be convinced! 4 data points. All dissatisfied.

HONDA...WAKE UP

hayneldan

I would tend to agree with CR IF they published the number of responses the got back for each model rated. They do not. They only state insufficient data on models the don't rate. What is insufficent data? (none) (1) (10)? Here is some information that might be interesting to you who post CR as "gospel". A high response rate is the key to validity. Employee survey findings can be questioned when fewer than half of the employees respond. So how many people respond to a Consumer Reports survey? "Of over 4 million questionnaires sent this year, the magazine received responses regarding about 480,000 vehicles," according to Detroit News. Now, if most people reported on two cars (because most families have two or more cars), that would put the response rate at a mere 6%. Even assuming one car per family - a highly dubious assumption - we have a taudry 12% response rate.

imidazol97

You wrote a good comment on the anecdotal reporting method used. Who responds out of the owners who do get a questionnaire? The ones that love their car? The ones that hate their car? The family with two small children and both parents working full time? The retired owners who need something more than television, yardwork, and gardening (and golf?) to fill their day? There is unevenness in who does respond.

Do the ones with an ax to grind misreport? "I have a Chrysler 300c 2005 and I hate it. This and that happens." Just because the owner had a 1998 Chrysler T&C that they hated?

The good part is that the ones with problems with their Accord, or Audi, or Town Car, are slightly more likely to write the report to spread the news of the failures than are the ones with satisfactory vehicles out of the group. So the anecdotal reporting will tend to include more problems, which is what many readers want to find out about, on the older models at least.

This data is more useful for used car purchasers than for someone buying a 2005 Odyssey.

As to the size of the report, is CR going to say, "We had 525 Impalas from 1998 to 2003 reported on and 25 Chryslers from 2002 to 2003. Based on this information...., these are our conclusions."?

aspesisteve

I read a few recent posts where one '02 owner had his tranny recalled. Was this accross the board for all '02 oddy's?

The only recall notice I have recieved was for the timing belt, and NO, I did not get a rental provided for the day and a half they kept my car.

buddyzuniga

My 04' Ody was included in the recall. I was never notified by Honda. I got word of the recall through a buddy of mine that works for Honda. Today I had my van in the dealership where they installed the oil jet kit. For your info, I asked the service clerk how long it would take if I needed a transmission. He said 2-3 weeks. He also told me that with the Honda Care extended warranty I purchased, the longest that I could get a rental vehicle for was for four days at $30.00 per day. Without Honda Care I would not have had the option to get a rental. Hmmmm, is that fair? I don't think so. Search the posts for May, there is a web site that will direct you to Honda. Where you can put in your VIN # after registering to see all recall info concerning your vehicle. The whole process to just a few minutes. Good luck

buddyzuniga

My local dealership installed the oil jet kit on my 04' Ody on the same day that I turned it in. If I read the service invoice right, the update only took .8 hours. According to my local dealership, with Honda Care you are entitled to four days at $30.00 a day for a rental.

anonymousposts

You can go to www.hondacars.com and register for owner link. You can then enter your VIN and it will pull up any applicable recalls.

havermeyer

'00 LX Ody

87,000 Transmission exhibiting problems identified in warranty extension. Am taking the vehicle into the dealer to do the warranty work. This came about fairly suddenly, in a day we had fairly significant slippage with no indication of a problem prior to today. I haven't had a transmission go from good to bad so suddenly before.

Will Honda cover a rental car?

buddyzuniga

A dealiship told me in the event that I ever needed to leave my vehicle at the dealership for a transmission replacement, I was only entitled to a maximum of four days at $30.00 a day towards a rental. I have an O4' Odyssey, I don't think $30.00 a day is going to get me an 04' Odyssey. In fact I was also told that was only if I had "Honda Care" Which would mean that you purchased an extended warranty, this is according to the local dealership I go to. keep in mind, I was told getting my transmission replaced could take any where from two to three weeks. (OUCH!)

midthirtykev

Hello all. I have been reading several of these message boards for a while, trying to decide which minivan to buy. I had been thinking that the Odyssey would be a great buy now, with six years of ironing out the wrinkles plus great pricing. IMO the Odyssey transmission problems are real and significant. Ironically, six years ago I bought a Mercury Sable 3.8L from my Grandfather, even knowing that there were whispers about bad transmissions and head gaskets. I figured it was just a small percentage, nothing to worry about. Well, four years after buying it at 90,000 miles, the transmission failed and left me and my family stranded while returning from vacation. We paid for a rebuilt at Aamco, and it consistently had sporadic problems. (At 100,000 miles one head gasket blew -- time to buy a more reliable vehicle i.e. Toyota Camry). I might even still consider an Odyssey, if not for the premium Honda charges for "reliability". And especially not if Honda would leave my family stranded for a month while they get a new transmission. Thanks again for the valuable information.

havermeyer

The dealer has stated we could drop the Ody off Sat. morning and recover the vehicle on Tues/Wed of next week. The dealer is Hendrick in Charlotte NC (their Concord dealership).

I must say I chose the Ody because I'm a Honda lifer and the Sienna was too small when we bought in late '99. As Toyota has now designed the Sienna to look like the Ody and at least appears to be bigger, I would seriously consider the Toyota van now.

I think both vans look good given they are primarily a functional vehicle.

leonmacha1

First trans failed at 45,000 miles. Honda replaced it and dealer provided a loaner car at no cost. Now at 61000 the current tranny is going bad -- just as the notices about transmission recall are being mailed. Symptom-
trans hunts for a gear range when gradually accelerating or decelerating between 30mph and 55 mph. Range of speed for symptom gets wider as problem develops. What a pain. Will Honda ever get this right. This has to greatly affect resale value even if Honda finally has the right fix. Be sure to call Honda customer relations at
800-999-1009 to get a case number assigned to your problem before you go to dealer. Let him know that you have a case number and all problems documented.
Also, AC compressor bearing began to squeek/chirp
at 54,000. This will be a $1000 repair when it fully fails. Switch for remote mirror control failed at 46,000. Honda is struggling to live up to its reputation. In general, the refinements are not durable.

leonmacha1

What amazes me is the number of times a dealer repair department says 'we have never had one of those fail' or 'we have nothing on that problem from Honda' or they fail to tell you about another problem when you bring your vehicle in for other service. These people see hundreds of vehicles every week and I can assure you they have SEEN IT BEFORE, and Honda surely does not keep these problems secret from the dealers. How can they all do this and keep a straight face?
They arent smart enough to learn that you might learn to have confidence in the dealer and you might come back to buy again even if you once had a lemon model

leonmacha1

Go to NHTSA website and search for recalls and service bulletins on your car or one you are planning to buy. Its free. All the information is current.

havermeyer

I'm disappointed with what I'm confronting in this van. That's why I didn't buy Chry/Ford. Hopefully the AL plant will tool up and make good vans for Honda.

I am very happy so far with my experience at Hendrick (Honda Cars of Concord).

However, given my experiences with this Ody I would recommend a Sienna at this time.

BTW the dealer didn't question anything-- service records, driving history, nothing. We do follow the service plan, and made a point to do so when I recognized the possibility of my van needing the warranty.

When I called, the shop simply said it sounds like the transmission problem, they even ordered one the day before I brought it in to get the diagnostic-- so they could get it installed ASAP.

Edmunds is an extremely valuable resource.

just4fun2

I have to sit back and smile at the way people are. Had to have the Honda, greatest vehicle since sliced bread, paid MSRP or more. Now, let's run away from Honda and buy a Toyota. I wonder where people will run when the new Toyota van starts to have problems, say in about 2 years/50,000 miles.

grandtotal

When I called, the shop simply said it sounds like the transmission problem, they even ordered one the day before I brought it in to get the diagnostic-- so they could get it installed ASAP.

If they did order one the day before it was not for you. The dealer needs to send photographs of the internals of your transmission to Honda before they can order a replacement.

havermeyer

Went to the Ody from a Caravan because of impending transmission troubles at 45000 miles. No help from the manufacturer. Vehicle was complete crap. Went to the Caravan from a Windstar because it had transmission trouble around 80k. That car was a complete piece of crap. Went to the Ody because it was not Chry/Ford.

At this time I am 100% certain I will never run to any Chry/Ford product. I am also 100% certain the Ody is the last mini-van I'll own.

I don't think the manufacturers have figured out, even yet, how to engineer a mini-van. It has to handle like a car but haul like a truck. Can't get handling in a truck like a car and can't get hauling in a car like a truck.

I have had zero trouble with a number of Honda cars with mileage well in excess of 150k. Honda, like the other manufacturers, hasn't nailed the mini-van yet. But unlike Chry/Ford, they will figure it out. Chry/Ford will never get any of my money ever again.

anonymousposts

Be thankful that Honda is stepping up to warranty these transmissions. And they did it quickly. Much quicker than Ford was to admit there was a problem with the engine in it's early Windstars and much quicker than Toyota was to admit that there were a few of it's models that were experiencing premature engine failures (Sienna included).

rbell2

Could be more specific about the premature engine failures you mentioned for Toyota vehicles (Sienna included?)??

anonymousposts

http://www.autosafety.org/article.php?did=416&scid=37

http://www.consumeraffairs.com/automotive/toyota_engine.html

A quick search on google under Toyota engine sludge will yield more similar results.

In all fairness, it would appear Toyota has resolved the issue and the 3.3L Sienna engine shouldn't be affected. But it goes to show that no automaker is immune to a design flaw. One thing that is interesting though is that it took Toyota a long time to own up to the fact that there might be a problem with it's service recommendations.

carguy1234

I wish both the Honda and the Toyota people could just own up to the fact that neither car is perfect. Anytime people bring up Honda issues, people jump in with "yeah, but Toyota had sludge!!!!".

Live with it - Honda isn't perfect either. I'd still buy a Toyota or Honda over anything else these days knowing that they aren't perfect, but usually better than most.

anonymousposts

Notice where I said this "But it goes to show that no automaker is immune to a design flaw". I keep hearing "Ody's have bad trannys so you should buy a Sienna". Fact is, you take a chance with any car. Lexus has even had a couple of transmission problems on the ES300.

Mr_Shiftright

this site lists Honda complaints by year, model and type. If anyone has the time, they could spend 10-15 minutes and maybe tell us if indeed there are an unusual number of Odyssey transmission complaints in the records.

http://www.mycarstats.com/auto_Complaints/HONDA_Complaints.asp

midthirtykev

It was mentioned earlier that the tranny "fix" for '02-'03 is to increase fluid flow. Does anybody know whether that is what has been done with the new '04 Oddys, or did Honda make any changes in the hardware?

The latter would seem likely if the same tranny will be used in the '05 model -- that way they can test out any design mods.

igiban

Honda has extended warranty to 99-01 Ody's tranny, and recalled 02-04's. I am wondering if there's really a problem on one of these Ody's trannies, what tranny would Honda replace with that will not have the same problem? From what I heard, it's not gonna be a Honda factory made tranny but more like a re-manufactured tranny apporved by Honda. How do we know it's gonna fix the problem found on a factoy made tranny?

kimo9

The manual says to consult the dealership on how to add transmission fluid as it isn't described there. Any help is appreciated on the where to add and the how to add.

p.s. on a relatives old car we used to add it in the hole the dip stick came out of.

Thanks.

fezo

Since I've posted in here before on the topic I just thought I'd mention that I got my recallnotice for the 02 Ody today. The thing is at 50+K and running flawlessly and will do a round trip from New Jersey to New Hampshire this weekend. Not even giving it a second thought.

Will keep you posted on what they find and do.

robsdad1

I found out about our transmission being on the recall list through the Honda Care site after posting our VIN#. Current mileage is 10,047.

I called the dealer and told him we were leaving on vacation, that we had not experienced any tranny problems and asked whether they felt is was ok to travel.

Dealer said it would be best to bring in for a check up. This morning I took it in and they installed the oil valve to give 2nd gear the extra lube it needs. It took a little over one hour to get it done. No pictures were taken because of the low mileage. They said the problems are occuring in the high mileage trannies and if ours was high mileage a picture of 2nd gear would have to have been taken for Honda resulting in longer service time.

robsdad

rbell2

Dealer called me today saying the transmission kits are in and I have an appointment on Thursday. Will inform everyone of the verdict.

johnnyrf

1st tranny was replaced at 40K miles. Noticed tranny fluid leak 3 days ago. Ody is at 80K miles now. Brought to dealer and dealer says tranny needs to be replaced. 3-5 days is expected to get one. Thank God I have the 7 yr. 100K mile Honda Care warranty to cover these problems. i will sell this vehicle with 10K miles left on the warranty to cover the next owner.
Ody trannys are crap.

wpalkowski

Sorry about your crummy luck. I thought Honda extended the transmission warranty to 7 yrs, 100K on '99s thru '01s. In which case the only thing Hondacare is getting you is $30 per diem towards a rental car.

buddyzuniga

When I purchase my 04' Ody, I also purchased the extended warranty.
It's extended beyond the 36000 miles to 75000 miles. If I wanted to have it covered up to the 7 yr or 100,000 mile mark what must I do?
  Any help is welcomed. Thanks in advance.

slip

I have read several of the posting here and am still trying to figure out exactly what the bad tranny symptoms are. I have a 2000 Oddy with about 55k on it. Sometime in the last 3000 miles (or so), it has become severely sluggish up through 40mph, at that point it becomes responsive. It's weird because sometimes it seems to shift around 15-20mph and then again at around 40mph and then sometimes it does not. It's like we lost first gear some how. When I actually put it in first, it runs like it is in first. Took it back to the dealer we purchased it at and they wanted $40 to drive it. I'm sorry but I'm not paying for this - cause by my understanding the tranny is still warranted for several more miles. Took it to another dealer - who appear very competent from other service they did - and they test drove and said it was fine. I now need to figure out what to do. I would appreciate any and all assistance. Thanks.

hobieslug96

any one know how they can take pic of 2nd gear without removing the tranny
on my sons 02 the dealer said they have to take a picture of 2nd gear and it will take about 2 hrs. that includes the other recall of the timing belt bearing that can possibly be misaligned
this tranny like other hondas has no pan

pat84

any one know how they can take pic of 2nd gear without removing the tranny ?

The good picture of second gear, with no discoloration, is Honda Part # 43557-785
The bad picture of second gear, showing discoloration, is Honda Part # 43557-786 ;-)

stever

Are any mechanics using those fancy video scopes? Seems like a good application here if you could snake one through a vent opening.

Steve, Host

hobieslug96

I'm thinking thats what they're using
and I think they're removing the counter shaft speed sensor because 2nd gears are on the counter and secondary shafts

azkid2

The ATF filler is on top of the tranny to the right of the engine. It is marked ATF on the plug which needs a socket wrench to undo. BTW my early '04 Ody had the recall fix done at 11K and the fix is now part of the ATF filler plug. What do I do now if I change my own ATF?

slip

HELP. I have read several of the posting here and I am still trying to figure out exactly what the bad transmission symptoms are. I have a 2000 Oddy with about 55k on it. Sometime in the last 3000 miles (or so), it has become severely sluggish up through 40mph, at that point it becomes responsive. It's like I lost first gear some how. I would appreciate any and all assistance and what to do. Thanks.

johnnyrf

I have noticed the same behavior on my 99 Ody. Sluggish acceleration in the low gears. Also, when I brought it in to the dealer, the tech observed a whining noise. When my first tranny failed, I had the clunking behavior and slippage when driving in reverse.

aspesisteve

my vin for an '02 oddy is also included in the recall, but I have only 20k miles and haven't experienced any problems.

with that said, my last road trip, with a very heavy load going to Yosemite - i did notice a burning smell when stopping for gas.

the oil pump sounds fine, but to have anything messed with before it breaks worries me.

lisa

Your situation sound similar to mine - similiar syptoms. I have an 00 Ody and first (and second) time I brought my ODY to the dealer, they said it was fine... The third time was after a long road trip, got off the hwy, and my ODY acted like it was in nuetral - stepped on the a gas and all I got was high RPM's. Then all of a sudden it took off. Brought it to them and they replaced the trans with a rebuilt one.

That was about 6 weeks ago. Already I can "feel" the "new" trans hesitating at different speeds - similar to what another posted... So, I'll be back there soon.

And by the way, your 00 trans is warrantied until 100K miles under the Honda announcement of an extended trans warranty for 99 -00 ODY's. However, they will give you as many trans you need until 100K. If it fails after that, again, you are SOL.

fezo

Well, the van went in yesterday for the recall inspection as scheduled. No discoloration found, they put the little lubrication gizmo on and changed the oil as long as I was there and all remains well at this point - 52,000 miles. So far so good.

In general my take is that this is still by a pretty wide margin the most trouble free van I've run into (my own and family and friends) which is strictly anecdotal bu there it is. It is stil not an Accord in terms of just nothing ever going wrong but it's pretty darn close.

Now if I get past 100,000 on it I'll have a real experience I can go bragging about.

Truth in advertising: my next door neighbor has taken his second consecutive Grand Caravan past the 100K mark and still going. Says it hasn't taken much work and he does a lot of work himself. Claims that part of the secret is getting the smaller 3.3 engine instead of the larger. Just a more dependable engine.