Honda Odyssey Transmission Problems
I have an '03 Honda Odyssey at 58k miles. Lately I've been having problem shifting/moving the gear selector out of "P" Park position. It takes a few times to get it to move. At first, I thought maybe I wasn't stepping on the brake pedal hard enough - but that wasn't the case. I always park on a flat surface so there shouldn't be any issues with a "transmission lock-up". Does anyone have any similar experience?
Thanks in advance for your comments.
Thanks in advance for your comments.
0
Comments
Good luck! I would takt it in before you get stuck though.
I looked through my repair records and noted that I had taken the car in a few years earlier for a transmission recall, where they installed an "oil jet kit" to put more lubrication into the engines 2nd gear area, to help keep it cool, a known 5 spd odyssey tranny problem & what seemed like a responsible thing for honda to do to recall all odysseys to check for existing damage and as a precaution, do this free service. Searching on the web, I found was alittle upset to find alot of discussions regarding Odyssey tranny problems at the National traffic Safety administration (apparently some people had even worse experiences of them locking up - a safety hazard) and there was even a stop sales order from Honda to all its dealers for all 2002 odysseys until they could all be fixed with this kit in april 2004. This was not an isolated incident.
My dealer was somewhat non-committal when I brought it in, but eluded to the fact that Honda had often "gifted" repairs on these cars (he admitted honday was not happy about how many cars had problem!). I was very happy when a day later, my dealer called, saying honda would replace the transmission with a new model, which had all the latest fixes, at no charge (parts or labor). Although this may sound like a "gift", its something I personally expect from honda or toyota, given the premium we pay for their products and their strong reputation and committment to quality. I have my car back, it drives like new, Im alittle uncertain as to what whether they will "gift me again" if I have problems in say another 15K miles (my next door neighbor is on his 3rd or 4th tranmission on a 2001 Acura - "all gifted"), but my confidence in honda is once again maintained by how I was treated. I also love my local orange county dealer, who has never let me down now for many years. I urge anyone in similar situation to use their dealer, then if they dont get proper resolution, call honda directly and complain quite bitterly. I do believe they understand the value of repeat business, of the power of the consumer network regarding these things, and especially with honda, have an incredible pride and desire to be recognized as an ultra high quality manufacturer. The web is also a great resource to see whether you are truly the 1 in 1000 or whether your problems are systemic and something which a manufacturer has a responsibility to resolve.
I do wonder why honda did not simply extend the warranty on the transmission to 100K for the 2002 as they did for the 2000-2001. Unless people are making things up on the web, 2002's and even 2003's still have quite a few transmission problems, but they appear resolved to work them one by one after people complain. The only thing that could have made my experience better is not having to worry that Id be taken care of (which a simply warranty extension would have done). Im also slightly miffed about the lack of information about what actually was wrong. My cars engine light code was P1750 (clutch pressure failure)and of course I was told, my problem wasnt the same as those I cited to them as reading about so widely. I am an engineer though and dont believe that one bit. Im sure the dealers have strict rules with Honda Corp reg what to say to consumers.
Best of luck to others in similar situation
I have the transmission off from the car and have removed all of the various outer parts and the torque converter. I have taken off the back cover and removed the shift rod linkages on the back. I have removed the bolts around the perimeter of the case and I can separate the front section from the mid-section of the case by approx. 5/8" but that is as far as it will go. It seems that it might be hanging up on the main shaft somehow but I don't see how.
Can anyone tell me the magic key to finish opening up the case so that I can get to the clutches, bands, etc. inside?
I appreciate any advice. :confuse:
Thanks.
We are in a similar situation as you have detailed. We have a 2002 EX-L, bought new, serviced always at Honda Dealer, with 61750 miles. Transmission started slipping a few weeks ago. This past Monday, we had the 60K service done (including another tranny flush and fill). Yesterday, it was slipping in 2nd gear almost constantly. Took it in today, and they are telling us new transmission (at $4500), and will NOT be covered. We did not buy at extended warranty, as we did not think it would be needed. What were you able to do to get your dealer and/or American Honda to cover the cost of your repair? Any idea on what needs to be said in order to get them to "gift" the repair? Thank you in advance for any help you can provide.
The tranny is acting up and missfiring - Dealer replaces the tranny (we pay 25%), the car runs good.
8 weeks later it is missfiring again - Dealer says cat convert, valve job, and finds other problems, we don't do the cat converter, or valve job, runs good leaving shop
4 weeks later, missfiring again, take it to my local shop, bunch of codes, but they can not figure out what the problem is, they don't believe the cat converter is causing my problem
All they do is clear codes, car runs good leaving shop
I borrow a friends code reader, I drive the car (usually my daugher drives it) after awhile I detect slight missfiring, over several reading and resets, P0300, 301, 302, 303, 304, 305, 306, 420, 1399. Can not find any info on P1399. At first the reset would help for awhile 50 to 100 miles. Now it only turns off the check engine light, soon the symptons come back. Oh yes, the TCS light comes on some times. Turning the engine off a stop light and turning back on will turn off the TCS light. :sick:
Anyone have any ideas. Anyone think the EGR has anything to do with this.
Question is Any one is experience this?
I would appreciate for any help or advice on how to convince dealer? I know I will have hard time to convince them.
Honda extended the warranty on the transmission for up to 16000km.
Do not let them get away with it?. The Honda odyssey (1999 -2003) had transmission problems and they know. They should fix it period.
Have you had any luck getting the tranny open? I also have a 1999 Odyssey with 121,000 on the clock. The TCS and engine check lights came on last week and it's shifting 'funny', much softer than usual. Those seem to be the classic failure symptoms, so I figure it's time to rebuild or replace the transmission.
The best price I can find on a rebuilt unit is $1,250 from an outfit in Phoenix, with a 12 month warranty. I was thinking about just rebuilding it from front to back, but I'm limited on the amount of time I can take for the project. The family will probably only tolerate about 4 days start to finish.
I'm pretty mechanically inclined and I've been doing my on maintenance for about 15 years. I typically do oil changes, brake jobs, suspension, clutches, etc. so I feel kind of comfortable, but I also know that an automatic transmission rebuilt is a daunting task to say the least. I would be interested to see how you are doing on your project.
Thanks,
Paul N
Get the tranny for free from Honda. Make sure you let them know that you are well informed on the Honda V6 transmission failures.
If your car has over 100k miles then just pay for the labor or parts whatever is cheaper.
before thinking all is lost, bring it in and have it looked at. possibly a shift lever/cabling issue.
Looks like there is a class action law suit against Honda with the transmission failures.
It's about time...a tranny failture on the highway can be dangerous. I know first hand...2003 Accord V6, 40k miles (bought new) failed uphill on I-78 in New Jersey, barely moved off the road in heavy truck traffic.
Also, my 2000 Odyssey with 135k is on its 3rd transmission (all free replacements). Instead of putting another defective tranny in the cars, Honda should have sued their supplier & demanded an engineering solution to the problem.
Now I'm dealing with the 2000rpm drone on my new '06 Odyssey. Some say I'm a glutton for punishment.
Looks like there is a class action law suit against Honda with the transmission failures.
I guess I will have to wait and see if there is another class action to include the 02's and 03's.
I plan to keep the van to 200K and am basically making car payments to myself so I'll be ready when the time comes.
If I would have wanted a Hyundai or Kia I would have bought them. They are offering a 100,000 mile warranty and I could have saved a bundle of cash. Instead I went with a reliable name and now feel like I am getting burned. I have not talked to the dealer yet, but think Honda should replace all of these that need it regardless of miles, due to a fault of this transmission.
Now that I have treated the car well and been able to get 110,000 miles from a defective transmission I get punished. It also looks like I will get the double shaft according to what I have seen others posted with Canadian versions - Honda America says we can not touch it and Honda Canada says you have it registered in the US. Can Honda not let the left hand know what the right hand is doing!?
Someone from Honda should be on these boards and giving some feedback. Another option is to give this a LOT of publicity (local news, letters to editors etc.) and see if they will step up to the plate. I love this van, but I do expect it to run well into the 200,000-300,000 miles if not why buy this and pay the extra?
Mike
You are entitled to a free transmission replacement. Many people are reporting "goodwill" consideration from Honda well beyond the mileage warranty. I heard many are paying for the labor & Honda will buy the parts. If you have over 110k.
Here is a link for the settlement link title
With your case, don't pay anything!!!!
Before you get mad, contact Honda and see what they'll offer to do. As other posters have noted, they know they have a problem and have offered to do more then most manufactures would.
Back when you bought this Odyssey, there were waiting lists and over MSRP pricing - I know as I was on 2 of them for 12 weeks. You bought this gray market vehicle and knew exactly what you were getting into. It was a "used" car and came with an aftermarket warranty - you knew Honda wasn't covering it. You probably didn't have to deal with a waiting list and didn't pay over MSRP. You probably felt you were getting a better deal than the rest of us.
Now it's come back to bite you. You realize the only people who made out on this deal were the two dealers who were involved in this cross border trade. Back then with the exchange rate, the MSRP in US$ was less in Canada - hence Honda actually made less money on units sold in Canada.
Canada is considered a separate market from the US. Honda Canada is a different company than Honda America. All auto manufacturers clamped down on warranty for these gray market vehicles. And NAFTA doesn't apply in consumer purchases - it's designed to make B to B cross border transactions easier.
I wish you luck but when a deal is too good to be true...
Flame suit on.
As you are aware, Honda vehicles are more expensive to purchase than equivalent American models. I pay more money therefore I expect more.
If you can get 200k miles on a $18k Chevy Venture transmission. One would expect a $30k Odyssey to last just as long or longer.
Most people buy Honda for reliability. Just look at one of their recent sales brochures "Every Honda is a model of smart value, thanks to timeless design, loads of standard features, legendary reliability, and extended maintenance intervals".
My old beater was a '94 Ford Tempo & it ran well over 250k miles with the original engine & transmission.
100k miles is a premature failure for a transmission in today's market.
All makes profess to be reliable.
Statistically you're going to have breakdowns that will occur anytime with any vehicle. When you pass 100,000 miles mark you're well into the period of increasing problems and that's why most manufacturers stop warrantee's on vehicles well before that threshold(Hyundai's only offering it to buy market share and to overcome a lot reliability issues they've had with earlier models.). Throw in drivers who tow more weight than the transmissions are designed for and the reliability question becomes even more murky.
Chevy's are a poor comparison because while they have some issues; there power train isn't one of them. The GM 4 speed transmission gets critqued for being old, but it's darn reliable and shifts fairly smooth. I've owned a lot of them and 200,000 to 300,000 miles is very easy to do. Now they have problems with intake manifolds and electronics, something the Honda doesn't.
I'm not saying your transmission should be failing. I am saying it's unreasonable to expect Honda to foot the whole bill on a vehicle with that many miles. Besides while the light has come on, I think you said it's still working. If you think you can't live with it, trade it while it's still working, get the legendary Honda resale value, and buy that Chevy Venture. :shades:
I agree with most of your points. Manufacturers can't warranty a car forever for free. However, the Honda V6 transmissions were defective with very high failure rates. I had 2 replacements in 100k miles on my 2000 Odyssey.
What people don't know is when Honda replaces your transmission, you get back the same defective design. Problem not solved just delayed again for another early failure.
I can't comprehend why Honda didn't force Aisin (transmission supplier) to come up with an engineering fix for the problem. This class action suit may not be the last we hear of this debacle. People are going to be upset again when their "replacement" transmission fails agiain after 30k miles.
The fact that Honda took responsibility for a design error shows great integrity. They extended the warranty to 100k before the class action suit. Other manufacturers probably would wait until a law suit occurred before fixing a design error. Hence, why I still buy Hondas after having tranny failures on my Odyssey & '03 Accord.
Tell a prospective Honda buyer that the transmission in their new Odyssey/Accord/Pilot will probably not last much past 100k. You would see a dramatic drop in Honda sales - guaranteed.
Also, The Hondas of the past ran 200k miles usually without major mechancial problems. Hence how they built their reputation. We started buying Hondas for this very reason.
1) I buy used '03 Odyssey
2) I buy from a NON-Honda dealership
3) I don't go to a Honda dealership to have tranny fluids
changed
Also, is there a way to determine if one particular Odyssey is problematic vs. another simply by looking at the VIN number? Or would Honda give me this information if I called them?
Any opinions or suggestions are greatly appreciated. Thanks.
I bought my '00 Odyssey used from a Toyota dealer & they replaced my transmission twice with no questions asked. It helps if you establish a repoir with a local Honda dealer & use them for service maintenance, oil changes, etc.
Also, most of the transmission failures occurred on the '99-'01 Odyssey's with the 4-speed auto. The '02+ Odysseys have a 5speed transmission.
My opinion you should buy the car if you like it. The '03 & '04's are probably the best Odysseys to buy. They hold their value so be prepared to pay $$$$.
A new '07 EX costs around $26k so weigh it out. I personally think the '03,'04's are built much better than the new ones (I own a '00 & '06 Ody). My new one has a droning defect that cannot be fixed & it is truly a shame we have to live with an otherwise great car.
If you have the VIN# you can check the coverage on the Honda transmission settlement webite.
Here's the link link title
Good posts.
I'm just curious why the heck you hung onto your Odyssey after the first transmission went out?? Especially since you know there is a design flaw. I would have dropped it like a ton of bricks after getting it fixed and moved onto bigger and better things(and yes probably would have switched to a Toyota who has had none of these problems)
Knocking on wood, I'm glad I just bought a new 2007 Honda Odyssey EX.
1) I buy used '03 Odyssey"
Comments for USA market cars only, not Canada, not grey market. For USA market, some were made in Canada. Here is a link about the class action lawsuit. http://www.hondatransmissionsettlement.com/php/login.php
No. Not 2003 model. Original warranty 3yrs 36000 miles on 2002-2004. Or per extended warranty if bought at extra cost, time and mileage limits vary with price of extra cost warranty options. On 99-2001, 7 years, 100,000 miles extended warranty for free on transmission only. Class action lawsuit is 109,000 miles or 93 months on 99-2001 Odyssey and several other Honda Acura transmissions. Not for 2002-2004 Odyssey.
"2) I buy from a NON-Honda dealership."
Possibly if it is within warranty or class action lawsuit.
"3) I don't go to a Honda dealership to have tranny fluids
changed "
Maybe if Honda repair place believes you changed ATF by the recommended schedule.
"Also, is there a way to determine if one particular Odyssey is problematic vs. another simply by looking at the VIN number? "
Odysseys as a group for that year have problematic transmissions. Even if the recall repair was done.
"Or would Honda give me this information if I called them?"
Might deny everything. At least local dealer denied that any problem existed.
Basically, we kept the car because it is paid off & couldn't trade in with 100k miles. So...we are running it for free except gas & oil changes. Actually, I like it better than my wife's new '06 Odyssey EXL/NAV/RES...much smoother & quieter engine.
I am leasing next time because Honda runs great money factor specials & they have probably the best lease programs (for moderately priced cars).
I have not talked to the dealer as of yet since this happen just before Christmas and I thought that I need to be talking to the service manager and he may be out this week due to vacation. So my plan is to go just after the new year and see what they have to say. I will update this when I have additional info.
Another question for all - I still love this van and would like to keep it. If I need to put a transmission in it myself, what are my best options (costs, dependability etc.) and how dependable are the new transmissions as I see some having two or three replaced? Thanks for your help!
One other question is I see many from 1999-2003 vans listed having this issue. Was this fixed in 2004 and newer?
Mike
(An aside: Back in 2000, the EX was in high demand and there was a $5K market premium which I refused to pay to the dealer. Enter carsdirect.com. I ordered the car through the web site, chose my color, put down a $1K deposit on my credit card. Very cool. I paid MSRP but no market premium to carsdirect. When I took delivery of the minivan a couple of weeks later, I happened to see carsdirect.com's delivery papers and noted that online company had, in fact, paid a $3K market premium to the dealer from whom the Honda Odyssey was acquired. The cost of the premium was not passed on to me! Needless to say, the carsdirect does not directly sell cars anymore. End Aside.)
Transmission failed at 108K in 2004 -> Took to a local dealer -> a repair rep was nice enough to whisper to me that this condition was quite common and well-known and if I raised a stink, Honda would cover the replacement. I did (create a stink), and they did (cover it 100%). Transmission failed again at 128K. Covered again, 100%. This one was tricky since, technically, the 12K/12 month warranty was expired. However, the dealer went to bat for me and Honda covered the cost 100%.
Now the car has 158K and I am shopping for an '07 EX-L or Touring. Does anyone know if the transmission problem has been fixed definitively in the '07 Odyssey model? Or should I go w/ the Sienna XLE Limited AWD?
Finally, I agree with the many previous posts which imply that Honda should be held to a higher standard than other automakers when it comes to quality. If a non-Honda tranny fails, on average, at around X miles, a Honda tranny should fail, on average, at Y miles, where Y miles is much larger than X miles.
After all, Honda automobiles command a price premium and Honda has successfully built a strong brand on the back of its reliability history. The Honda brand is a promise (for you marketing experts) to us consumers which the Company needs to fulfill. If it can't deliver on that promise, either the brand needs to step off its pedestal or the prices need to come back to Earth (or both)...
So, is the transmission fixed in the '07 models?
I had it rebuilt for $1,800. The gentleman who did the work said that the problem was that metal was flaking off of the torque converter and clogging the filter screens, which caused low fluid levels and pressure.
My situation sounds somewhat similar to yours. I bought a 2000 Odyssey in November of 1999. It is a Canadian "grey market" vehicle, which I bought in Washington from a non-Honda dealer with a third party warranty that has long since expired. About two weeks ago, the "check engine" light came on. After checking with Honda, they suggested that we drive it for a while to see if it would go off on its own. It did go off after about a week, but promptly came back on again. We then took it to a Honda dealership, who said that the error code for this problem (P0740) required that the transmission be replaced. We haven't actually had any problems with the transmission yet, so I was a little shocked. After doing some research, I've found that the transmission problems are fairly common after all. I was just wondering what happened in your particular case. If anyone has any adcvice, I'd love to hear it. Thanks.
Yes, I did get the transaxel open, put in the rebuild kit, closed up, back in the car, and it seems to be working fine.
Here is what I learned: It comes apart from the back, there are 3 large gears (in series) that have size 34 mm nuts holding them on to large threaded shafts. Those have to come off first. Beware: two of them are LH threads, and the other is RH. What makes no sense at all is that the one RH threaded nut is not the one in the middle. All 3 nuts are have flanges that are dinged into a flat spot on each shaft so they have to be cut with a cold chisel before they will come off. Once I had the nut flanges cut, I rented an impact wrench to give me the power to get the nuts off without using a long torque arm since it is hard to keep the gears from spinning.
When the tranny went back into the car, it apparently had some serious leaks. By that time I had it taken to a (thankfully honest) transmission shop who said that there were just some loose "plates" and a bad seal. They took care of the leaks and the transmission worked.
The only other note of interest is that the kit I bought (from Makco) did not have everything in it that I needed. Specifically I had to buy a filter and 3 replacement nuts for those 3 large gears (they have to be cut off with a cold chisel).
Good luck if you decide to tackle this one yourself.
Dustin
Based on your experience and after talking with local transmission places, I learned that this chronic problem. I called back the dealership and they reduced the price to just labor ($800). Much better...not a gift...but better.
I wish others luck with this issue.
I am in the same boat. With the 2000 ODY still at the dealers and renting a car until I figure out what to do. The dealer told me initially he would exchange it but took three days to tell me (today) that it would not be covered. When I bought the van I also got the 3rd party warranty from Heritage that served me for very little. In less than a year from getting the van it had a leak in the gas tank and I had to hop between three dealers to find one that would take that "good for nothing" warranty. I would also like to hear some advise in this matter.