Honda Odyssey Transmission Problems

isellhondas

Do you think cars should come with a lifetime warranty?

I mean, Honda realized that a small percentage of their Odysseys had experienced troubles and they reacted by extending the warranty from 36,000 miles all the way up to 100,000!

Do you think they should have just extended the warranties forever?

I think in Susan's case, they went the extra mile and did the right thing.

Would you have the same reaction if her Odyssey had, say, 200,000 miles?

badgerfan

I missed that earlier post where she stated she paid $9K more for the Ody than the GC. That $9K she would have saved by buying the GC would probably buy 2-3 replacement transmissions in the Grand Caravan. My '96 is still running fine at nearly 80K miles on the first transmission. So, I am well on my way to being many dollars ahead by not buying Ody "quality". Of course, Honda didn't really have an equivalent competitor in 1996 anyway, so it's a moot point.

bren3

2 weeks ago. With the fan and radio off and windows rolled up, it seems like I can still hear the transmission whining through the gears. It's very faint, not anything like before.

Has anyone had problems with rear vent window rattle when open?

just4fun2

Do I think cars should come with a lifetime warranty? That is not the question here. If it is a small percentage of Ody's that will have transmission problems due to bad design, as Honda "fix" seems to indicate, then the "origional" owner should be given a lifetime warranty on the transmission. This may seem extreme to you, but how many origional owners of Ody's will keep their van forever? The engine and other parts will wear out and have to be replaced which will prohibit cost wise people from keeping their vans forever.

I feel that Honda extended the warranty because there "is" a problem with the transmissions in their vans. How many people here are driving a vehicle that is 12 years old with over 200K miles? Most people won't keep a vehicle that long.

200K? I don't think you will find a Ody with this transmission problem going anywhere near that mileage without a transmission problem.

Anybody here with that type of luck?

stever

I think Spartanmann has gone 300,000 miles on his original transmission on his '99 Ody.

I know he's gone 300,000 miles on his original timing belt!

Try an Advanced Search on his name for more on that saga.

Steve, Host

just4fun2

He sounds like the exception and one of the few that Honda wouldn't have to worry about covering with a lifetime warranty on the transmission. Or would they? If Spartanmann transmission never needed to be repaired then Honda would have lost nothing. 300k in 6 years equals 50K per year, way, way over the normal driving of most folks. I bet most people lease for less time than 6 years.

Again, I would think that the number of "origional" owners keeping their Ody's long enough to use the "lifetime" trans warranty would be very small.

Susan will have to pay $500,00 instead of $5k. If she's happy, I am happy.

imidazol97

"that a small percentage of their Odysseys "

If only a small part needs a recall, why are they checking _all_ of them? A small part would be a if there had been a small number of below quality parts supplied and they were recalling only those transmission into which those parts had been placed. But they allllll are getting checked.

iluvoldjags

I appreciate your honesty. I am the original owner of a 1991 Toyota Previa with 279K miles that is still in daily use. We just maintain it well. There has been no work done on either the engine or transmission. I would expect that with regular preventative maintenance, any vehicle should go far beyond 100K miles without failure.

isellhondas

I keep hearing something like 2 % of the production ever had a problem. Of course, a forum like this one will tend to attract the people in that catagory.

With your way of thinking Chrysler would have REALLY had a problem since they had a TON of transmission problems.

stever

Actually I bet Chrysler's warranty claims rate was around 2% too. GM was pushing 3% on all claims last year and Ford was next worse at 2.5%.

Warranty Week

Steve, Host

just4fun2

I don't remember Chrysler telling their customers that they need to inspect the transmissions on their vans to see if the second gear is failing due to a lack of lubrication. Honda extended the warranty to 100k because something was wrong with their transmissions.

I can't comment on Chrysler transmission problems, but if Chrysler had made a design flaw and announced it, I would be just as critical on Chrysler.

isellhondas

Seems like they can't win here. They are doing these inspections and updates to insure there won't be any problems. THAT is doing the "right thing" in my book.

As far as the Chryslers? Ask any transmission shop and they will tell you these had a VERY high failure rate. Hopefully they have fixed the problems.

just4fun2

I don't think Honda had much of a choice. If the failure rate is around 2% so far, what would the failure rate be when these Ody's get 70-100k? No matter how you sugar coat it, this is a design flaw and even the "fix" might not fix this problem down the road.

I think that it is great that Honda extended the warranty to 100k, people that bought this van from Honda expected a better quality vehicle than some of them received because of the flawed transmission design.

When a transmission fails because of age/miles that is one thing, but when there is a design problem people will feel like they have been cheated and didn't get what they paid(MSRP) for.

hayneldan

unfortunately you have your facts confused with your desire to sell Odyssey's. Chrysler's failure rate is no worse than Honda's. (see earlier post)Did you forget Chrysler has sold over six million minivans? They would have more in any trans shop than Honda by sheer numbers with the same failure rate. If you were to check Allpar.com you would find that some of the problems were caused by using the incorrect transmission fluid.

isellhondas

You are mixing up your Hondas. The 2% rate was for the earlier models. The oil jet kit is for the newer ones. These aren't causing much trouble at all and Honda wants to keep things that way by being proactive. They inspect 2nd gear and install the oil jet kit.

I'm not knocking Chrysler but I sure think then number of problems was a whole lot more than 2%!

Where's driftracer when we need him?

robevts

We had a 92 Voyager with a tranny that went out at 80k. Being the mini van types, against our better judgement we got 96 Caravan whose tranny went out at about 90k. No one is going to tell me Caravans don't have a high failure rate. Our mechanic told us about Chryslers' poorly designed transmissions particularly in the Mitsubishi designed drivetrain with the 3 liter. We bought our Odyssey with the definite expectation that it will be a reliable vehicle that should, given Honda's reputation, go well beyond 100k with no major problems with the drivetrain. Having Acura's for our second vehicles and having great success with their reliability is another reason we went with the Odyssey. Honda hopefully has got it that there reputation is at stake here BIG TIME! And they had darn well better back up there products for the long haul, or customers like me will be go elsewhere.

bren3

Try telling that to someone who has just had their transmission replaced at 32.5K, and still hears a faint whining. IMO, it's always trouble when the trans. has to be replaced due to design flaws. Yes, Honda is owning up to their mistake, but that does not absolve them or anyone else.

driftracer

how can I help?

stever

We're looking for links showing what the transmission failure rates are for various makes of minivans.

Steve, Host

isellhondas

Drift,

What are your thoughts on Chrysler transmissions based on your wide range of experience. Someone said they think caravans had a 2% failure rate and I'm thinking it's a LOT higher than that?

just4fun2

If you are looking for Chrysler failure rates you will have to find a chart that breaks it down by private owner vs. rental car companies. Chrysler sells a ton load to rental companies while you would be hard pressed to find a Ody's being rented in the same numbers. People who rent vehicles don't treat them kindly. Ask someone that rented a van to take all of their kids stuff to college and back. I doubt that most people would make two trips when thay can overload the van and make it in one. Yes, I am guilty of doing bad things to rented vehicles.

If the newer transmissions aren't causing "much" trouble at all, what are they looking for?

fredc

My 2003 EXL was inspected and a new transmission was installed two weeks ago, I am very satisified with Honda and will buy another Oddysey next year. Mileage was almost 48,000 long after the initial 36,000 warranty.

Two previous transmission replacements in our family were on Pontiacs, both times just out of warranty and we paid the entire amount.

Thank you Honda

metoo

I've got my new transmission. It took one week. Honda paid for the rental car. I received a statement that said I would have paid $9,000.00 for my new transmission if it had not been covered under the recall. My Odyssey has 40,000 miles and I did not purchase an extended warranty. All things considered Honda's customer service was quite good. I hope the new transmission holds out. I never asked about a warranty on the new transmission-I'd better check on that!

bren3

It's 3 yrs./36K. How did you get a rental paid for? I asked about that and service dept. said they wouldn't give me one.

just4fun2

Read the above messages and ask , why did I buy this Honda in the first place? The transmissions are dropping at 40k then the next msg states around 48k. $9000.00 for a replacement transmission? Wow, that a new high! If your are paying "thousands" more for a Ody in the first place, at best, you are only getting some of your money back!!!!!

So, you would recommend a Honda Ody because they replaced your transmission in a van that you paid top dollar for and you thought it had better quality than the others vans you looked at!

To quote a popular statement from today's headlines...If you knew then, what you know now about Honda's transmsiisons failures, would you have bought Honda?

If your happy, I'm happy. I just don't understand why your so happy to have a van that sounds like something most wouldn't would "run" away from in the first place.

anonymousposts

I bought my Odyssey in May 04 even though I have subscribed to Edmunds for a while and knew about the recall beforehand. Why? Because Honda is fixing them. Additionally, only a small percentage of Odys are affected. At least you know the problem area and Honda is even assisting customers who are out of the warranty period. Not all manufacturers would do that.

isellhondas

Huge over reaction to a problem that affects such a small percentage of cars!

robevts

People will continue to buy Honda vans, providing they continue to back up their products FOR THE LONG HAUL. Last year, we researched and tried 'em all. Until the new Sienna came out, the Odyssey was not only the best as far as performance and features, but also the winner in terms of "bang for your buck". It probably still is the best value, and will remain there, as long as Honda continues to take care of their customers.

dinky100

There was a recall on the 2003's too- but after I had the service performed under warranty- the tranny still went-- and they were not willing to do anything!

dinky100

I have not been totally satisfied with Honda-- I had the service done ont he recalled tranny issue-- then after they had my van for 3 weeks straight- I got it out of the shop and the tranny went out after only 70 miles-- they won't replace the tranny- ii have an extended warranty-- really a bummer-- I have a whole new lok about honda now.

grandtotal

There is way more to this story than you have told us.

fordless1

Ok I'm putting down my "buy only Honda" tooter
as of today. I would never have imagined that
our 2000 Odyssey would blow a transmission at 109,000 miles.
The estimated cost is $4500.00 and we are 9000 miles outside
of the extended 100,000 mile warranty. Perhaps
Honda will compensate being so close to the warranty period.
I can get more mileage on a transmission with an American made car. I am very upset becuase I made the decision to pay an extra $9000.00 for a vehicle I thought would be reliable. In addition
my family sacrificed years of driving beat up old
cars just to save up a downpayment for an Odyssey.

To add salt into the wound we are right in the middle of a move from one house to another.
The van would be nice to have now but we are stuck
with a small loaner Honda Civic.....
Just hope the couch will fit.

We have had good luck with Civics and Accords
but I doubt my next vehicle will be a Honda Odyssey.

scmelvin1959

I can only imagine what Chrysler would say ... once they got off the floor from laughing their heads off.

However, I would not expect a Chrysler product to last as long as a Honda. And, I DID expect Honda to stand by their product. That is their reputation, after all!

Susan Melvin

scmelvin1959

No offense taken at all to any of your questions.

I don't know what kind of mileage I expected to get out of my Honda before I would not have been upset if I had to replace the transmission. I bought the Odyssey and paid full MSRP for it with the hope that I would not have to pay for huge repairs if I maintained it properly. I had had enough huge repair bills with my 2 Dodge Caravans. I was sick and tired of never knowing if my vehicle was going to make it through the day. I am a busy person; I have children to shuttle around and a job to get to and a husband who travels a LOT. So after months and months of research and lots of consultation with my mechanic (who told me that if everyone owned Hondas and Toyotas, he would have to get another job), I decided on the Odyssey. Paying full price at nearly $30,000 was a lot to swallow, but I rationalized it because I would have a reliable car. And I HAVE maintained it exactly as the owners' manual required and I have NOT abused it or driven it in strenuous situations like up and down mountains, etc.

I think a lot of people even today do not generally expect a car to go much more than 100,000 miles without major repairs ... UNLESS they have a Honda (or Toyota) ... and then they are willing to pay a bit more at the outset because of the manufacturers' reputation for reliability.

When that reliability fails, I think we have a valid reason for being highly annoyed ... even Livid!

And, I think Honda engineers are among the finest ... so yes, I do think they should warranty the transmission for the life of the car!

Feel free to relate my excellent experience to potential purchasers. You DO work for a good company. It is very unusual to have a result such as mine.

Susan Melvin

scmelvin1959

in which I described my experience, just last week, with American Honda. I was also at 109,000 miles in my Odyssey (1999 model) and American Honda agreed to replace the part for free. I had to pay $500 for the labor ... which may or may not have been the accurate cost for the labor. However, the original quote to replace the transmission was $5,000,so I felt fairly lucky to get out for $500.

You need to be very proactive with your local dealership service department .. and then call American Honda and ask them to stand by their product. I bet they will ...

Good luck.

Susan Melvin

robevts

Honda has a lot at stake here. We aren't talking some piddly defect. We're talking about a part that cost a hefty 5K, that can even be potentially dangerous if it fails under certain circumstances. Honda knows this, and that's why they are sucking it up now. Already Toyota's overall sales are outpacing Honda, so they have to try to keep the reliability bar up high in order to keep their loyal customers, and attract new ones.

Don't let them weasel out of it, lean on them hard if you have too. They have made plenty on them over the past several years (particularly charging full sticker, since 1999 until just a little over a year ago).

Don't put your tooter down just yet though. In all fairness Honda should be given a chance to hopefully, do the right thing. If they treat you as they did scmelvin, that in my mind, is saying a lot for the company backing up its product.

stickguy

just to be clear, Honda makes the same $ on the Ody whether it sells for MSRP, MSRP +ADM or Invoice. The dealer gets the extra jingle. Honda just gets the invoice amount, although they do wave something not having to offer incentives.

It's actually a fairly recent change that engines and trannys are considered life of the car components, as opposed to wear items. It used to be common to do engine work (valves/rings etc) or a tranny rebuild at way less than 109K.

stickguy

Actually, all these tranny concerns is just another good reason to drive a manual transmission. Also would eliminate the lag problems Toyota suffers from.

And yes, if they offered a 5 speed on the Ody, I would buy one.

isellhondas

Well, I'm glad things worked out for you and I hope you get another 109,000 miles and more out of your Odyssey.

I am surprised that you feel a car should have a "lifetime" warranty. Every part on every car ever built will eventually wear out.

clvrmom23

DODGE GRAND CARAVAN NOW HAS OVER 122K ON THE SAME TRANSMISSON WHAT TO GET NEXT??? HONDA'S W TRANNY PROBLEMS, CARAVAN W LOW CRASH SCORES HELP ADVISE!

isellhondas

Seriously, if you read all of the boards you will find all makes and models can have problems.

And, when you type in all caps you are SHOUTING!

just4fun2

All makes and models can have problems, the problem is, not all makes and models can charge MSRP and above to get these problems. I believe Ody owners were complaining about sliding door sticking and then it was the EGR tubes needed cleaning every 60k and now it is transmissions that fail.

I will give it two years and the owners of the "New" 2005's will be here telling their horror stories and some people will say....it's a very small percentage of people having these problems!

Your right, all vehicles will have problems. Remember the "premium" that you are paying to drive this Honda!

isellhondas

Every one of your posts drips with venom toward Hondas?

Hopefully, you own and drive something else that is perfect and never causes problems!

just4fun2

I am just an observer of what people here are saying about their Honda Ody's and that is all. I don't have to worry about selling Honda's to make a living. I have nothing against Honda, I don't own one, but that doesn't mean I haven't driven one.

What's wrong with that? If people know about Honda's problem/s and still want to purchase an Ody, fine, just don't cry when it does not meet your expectations down the road. You have been warned.

Again, to pay MSRP/over, I don't believe that buyers should get a ho-hum van when it comes to transmissions.

markhoot

Is the trans in the new 05 the same as the previous model? If so, did they address the problem?

They look like nice vans, but I'd hate to have a trans problem with the new model.....

Thanks.

Mark

stickguy

don't know if it will last, but after a quick drive, it works real well.

if nothing else, Honda has set a precedent for putting an extended warranty on the tranny if they start having any issues.

isellhondas

The later 2004's and 2005's have had the modifications made.

I have a question in case anybody has any thoughts. Forget the fact (if you can) that I happen to sell Hondas because this is just a question in general.

I think all of us know that every mechanical component has a "service life". If that component reaches those years or miles and fails, it's to be expected. If it exceeds it's expected service life, then it becomes a good thing. Conversly, if it fails prematurly then it's a bad thing.

So, take an automatic transmission for example.

How long do you think a normal "service life" should be? I'm curious.

100,000 miles?
150,000 miles?
250,000 miles?
Forever?

I guess in my case, I would expect, perhaps 150,000 miles on a modern car.

Any thoughts?

stever

When I was growing up in the 50's and 60's, cars just didn't last much beyond 60,000 miles. Manuals were popular because they were cheaper and easier to fix than automatics back then.

I don't think trannies should fail within the first 100,000 miles but I like your 150,000 mile benchmark even better :-)

Steve, Host.

stickguy

I go with 10 years/150K. Mileage will vary though depending on usage (25K/year highway longer, 4K/Year in the mountains towing a speedboat lower).

One way to look at it is ESPs. I think the longest standard plan is 7 years/100K, so based on that, once you are over 100K it's a crapshoot.

Vehicle matters too. The tranny in a 4,300 lb. ody hauling large loads of people/cargo will work harder than one in an Accord with a single passenger.

stickguy

You mean the oiler gizmo is now factory installed, or they made a more integrated change to cover the 2nd gear oiling problem?

One worry is that there have been a few problems along the way, so hopefully they have debugged them completely. If so, that's probably safer than a brand new design, but it does seem that the current tranny is being band-aided a bit, so hopefully they will come up with a robust new design, something the I don't think Chrysler ever did.