Edmunds dealer partner, Bayway Leasing, is now offering transparent lease deals via these forums. Click here to see the latest vehicles!

Honda Odyssey Transmission Problems

1272830323347

Comments

  • sham1sham1 Member Posts: 3
    edited September 2011
    I'd like to know the FACE BOOK page - can't find it and I'd love to post on there - any ideas? Also - my earlier post got rejected because of a "third party" email -- so here it is again if anyone cares ...
    #1487 of 1503
    Trip off, trans. failed, trade ruined!!! by sham1
    Jun 02, 2010 (10:49 am)

    This in reply to :
    (2002 Blue NA Posted: 05/17/2010
    You have probably heard this one, but if enought people make safety (a failed tranney at high speeds and/or heavy traffic is very unsafe!) complaints to NHTSA perhaps they may be forced to take some responsibility. There is also a lawfirm that you can register your complaint for a possible new class action lawsuit. EMAIL ME IF YOU WANT THE ADDRESS! :sick:

    *This is to the attorney's address that is "maybe" gonna take on a class action suit and what I mailed to him:
    ***I got your email address in a forum today from reading over all of the problems people are having with their Honda's transmission. Well, we should be at Kings Island right now as I speak. My whole family was on the way there when about 25 minutes or so into the ride- our check engine light came on. Then - a few more minutes later, maybe 10-15 - the TCS light on the dash came on! Scare the **** out of me and I told my husband who was driving - please stop and let's check it out but before I could get the sentence out - all of a sudden the thing started jerking like a bull and the rpm's reved up real loud and we lost power and it kept jerking and kept jerking - SCARED ME AND THE KIDS TO DEATH!! We were on the highway - none the less - with the cruise on. Now - we bought this Honda from a dealer brand new with 10 miles on it and it's only got 91,000 on it now! I can't believe this happened. The whole reason we paid $30,000 for a van was because it WAS a HONDA!!! As they say, if I had known then what I do now - .... obviously we would have NEVER bought it! Anyway, we got off of the next exit 143 to a gas station/truck stop and my husband went inside to see about getting some transmission fluid but they didn't have any. The engine was all wet under the hood and the transmission fluid was low but we had no choice to turn around, cancel our Kings Island fun day, and head home (hoping and praying that we would make it)! We got back on I-74 and I called our Honda Dealer where we bought it (Bob Rohrman's Indy Honda) service department and explained to a service tech. what happened and he basically said to pull over - call a tow truck and bring it in so they could look at it! That's it!!! That's all he said! NO - let ME call a tow truck for you and bring you a rental - NOTHING!!! We obviously couldn't do that - we aren't made of money - plus - 6 of us can't fit in a tow truck!!! Again - we paid $30,000 for this van brand new, babied the **** out of it, always kept it maintained and clean (heck - we even had seat covers on it ever since we bought it cause I didn't want to ruin the seats cuz of our kids and grand-kids - especially when we go to alot of ballgames! - and we had plastic on the floors under the mats up until March of this year!) So, anyway, we started to head back only doing about 50 cuz the rpm's were way up there so we had the flashers on and made it down the road to the next exit in Greensburg where there was an AutoZone and my husband bought some transmission fluid. We have that receipt too! We put that in and slowly and ever so carefully made it back home where it now sits in our driveway - I am very sad cuz it was my baby and now ... we have a major dilema.

    **** We had just decided last week that we were going to trade it in on something newer while we could still get a good deal out of it since it was so exceptionally clean and taken care of. In fact, we had decided to trade it in on another vehicle yesterday but by the time we got everything done - the banks were closed. Our salesman knew we were going to Kings Island and is awaiting our call for us to come back out to trade it in once we got back and we were going to do that tomorrow! Now what? Now what are we going to do? There is no way the dealer will want to take our van on trade now with all of these problems! What are we to do now??? My husband is on vacation this week and believe me - this is NOT how he wanted to spend it!! He has put a call into the salesman but I can guarantee you - it is gonna cost us several thousand dollars on our trade now - IF THEY WILL EVEN TAKE IT!!! We are wating to hear back. I have video of the lights on if you need that. Oh - I forgot to mention - while all of this was going on - the "d" for drive light started flashing too and when we pulled into the truckstop/gas station - we then realized we had lost our Reverse gear too! No kiddin! We had to manually push ourselves backward out of the parking space!! Imagine that!!! Anyway, what do you recommend from here? Please help!!!

    ** So to follow up ... we finally found someone who would take it - gave us $3,000 for it for parts and we ended up buying a Ford. Too bad you cant rely on Honda any longer - or really ANY vehicle anymore because when you look at it .... there is not one single vehicle that is truly american made - with every component in it being made in america which is the only reason we bought the ody in the first place since it was considered to be the best, safest, most reliable, dependable, etc.... yada yada yada - obviously the truth is - you can't believe jack sh*t anymore from ANYONE!!! Just sad! Why is it now "abnormal" now to be what was used to be considered as "normal"? My moto now is ... "Abnormal is now the New Normal ... Normalcy is now the minority!"
    :mad: :( :confuse: :sick:
  • hondalover1988hondalover1988 Member Posts: 1
    Did you have to pay for the new transmission or did the dealer help with the cost
  • vanwaanabevanwaanabe Member Posts: 15
    edited June 2010
    I have an Odyssey. For the last 3 years we've been complaining about the transmission slipping (while it was under warranty). Honda of Bowie could never "duplicate" the problem. It went out of warranty, bingo, they could duplicate the problem. They wanted $5000 to fix it. Reluctantly, we had them fix it. 300 miles after the fix, the transmission fails. I bring it in. Its under warranty. Guess what, yep, they can't duplicate the problem. They ask me to come in and ride with one of their techs. I put the car in drive and nothing happens, RPMs just go up. The tech laughs and says, yep, there it is. He then admits he could only get it to "flare" at 45 mph (hmm, I thought you couldn't duplicate it). We walk back and the tech says to the service manager, "yep, I saw it. He added gas and nothing happened." Service manager says "looks like we need a new transmission." So I leave. Just got a call from the Service manager's boss. Wait for it. "Ah sir, we can't duplicate the problem."

    HONDA SUCKS
  • madmommy3madmommy3 Member Posts: 28
    we have an 01 MDX with same problem we barely drive it after dropping $3500 on a new tranny and radiator with 72K miles on the car. We also have an '08 Oddessey and I am praying it doesn't tank before the warranty is up. I am done with Honda and Acura after this van. going back to Ford and always getting an extended warranty, something I haven't worried about until now. Their customer service is terrible. check out the MDX tranny complaints as well, they are a million. I am guessing it's the same for the Pilot since they are similar vehicles.
  • jvhwoodjvhwood Member Posts: 8
    Madmommy3;
    Please read my post #758 on my sad Honda experience. Here is a suggestion on saving a bundle on the extended warranty and extended service contracts. Honda offered us $1000 trade in on our 2002 E XL with all the options. This was July of 2008. The Honda was in the process of losing the second tranny. We went across the street to Toyota and got $6000. tradein plus $2000. discount for $8000. total trade in.
    We drove off in a loaded Toyota Sienna. 2 years later not one issue with the Sienna.

    Extended Warranties and Maintenance Service contracts you can save big dollars on these by going online to purchase them. Get the best quote from your selling dealer be it Ford Toyota or whoever then go on line and search for extended factory warranties for the make model you are purchasing. In our case we found Toyota dealers across the country offering toyota factory products for dealer cost plus $85 to $100 for doing the paper work. We bought both the extended warranty and scheduled maintenance contracts and saved $1100 dollars on them under the dealer quote. We bought from dealer in Maine and our car is serviced in Southern California at the local Toyota dealer with no problems what so ever.
    Good luck with your Honda's their trannys are junk, and their refusal to stand behind their products will keep me from ever buying another Honda.
    Grand pa Jim
  • jeffg57jeffg57 Member Posts: 1
    Just spent $2,000 on 100,000 maintenance items only to discover two weeks later that my torque converter is bad. Honda dealer wants $5,400. We were planning to trade my wife's Mini Cooper for a "more reliable" Honda, but are reconsidering that idea. What a shame that Honda has this known problem and fails to address remedy the situation.
  • doggrandmadoggrandma Member Posts: 144
    Have you seen this?

    http://www.in.honda.com/Rjanisis/pubs/SB/A09-053.PDF

    There is a lot of discussion about Honda Odyssey transmission problems in the Honday Odyseey vibration forum.
  • isellhondasisellhondas Member Posts: 20,342
    5400.00 sounds very high for just a convertor!

    Just curious, how long do people expect a transmission is a mini van to last?

    100,000 miles?

    200,000 miles?

    Forever?

    After being in the automotive field my whole life, I just have to wonder just what people expect? Seriously, I'm just curious.

    Few cars have a rougher life than a minivan. Even a Honda will break given enough time, miles and abuse.
  • rfreitasrfreitas Member Posts: 63
    How long do you think they should last? Would you buy one knowing you had to replace the transmission every 70k???

    They should put in the maintenance schedule replace transmission every 70k for only $3000.

    You might want to start selling Toyotas.

    Ex Honda buyer.
  • isellhondasisellhondas Member Posts: 20,342
    edited July 2010
    Actually, I officially retired after 14 years last month so I really don't have a "dog in the fight".

    You are definatly pushing things if you are saying that an Odyssey transmission only lasts 70,000 miles. Not the norm at all!

    It's true, there were a few years that had far more troubles than people expect from Honda. honda stepped up to the plate and extended the factory warranties for a large percentage of these people. They didn't have to do this for out of warranty cars but they did. I watched Honda step up to the plate over and over again.

    Maintenance schedule? It was the experience of our shop that a lot of the Odyssey transmissions that had troubles appeared to NEVER have had a fluid change in 100,000 or more miles.

    Mini vans get called on to haul large families, pull boats and trailers and generally have tough lives in a lot of cases. I was only curious as to just how long a car has to go when a transmission failure is acceptable?

    Oh, I could have sold Toyotas. They are a great car that I have always believed in. They too, have some transmission problems and seem to be subject to sludge and engine failures IF they don't receive proper care.

    Someone complained that they had a transmission failure at something like 165,000 miles. That is why I asked if they expected to NEVER have a automatic transmission go bad?

    Just asking out of curosity but if and when you find a car that NEVER breaks, let me know and I'll buy one!
  • jvhwoodjvhwood Member Posts: 8
    edited July 2010
    RE:isellhondas
    :lemon: Read my earlier post #758.
    First failure at 38,000 fix new tranny.
    Second failure at 102,000 fix new car (Toyota Sienna)
    Senior driver only no towing, maintenance freak always done on schedule.
    From 38K to 102K miles honda had a super tranny cooler installed and fluid changed every 15,000 miles. With all this it lasted 64,000. miles.
    Remember the muscle cars of the 60's and 70's when you could get them with a positraction rear end? Well honda only offers a POS tranny at no charge to all Odyssey customers I.E. POS = piece of sh**. :lemon:
    If you were in service instead of sales you would have first hand knowledge of the monumental problem these trannys were known for. Google this "honda odyssey transmission problems" If the 1,040,000 hits you receive doesn't wake you up, then dream on.
    Happy Toyota Sienna Owner
  • gavanmomgavanmom Member Posts: 32
    I've had three transmissions put in my van by our Honda dealer and I have 40000 miles on it. The first one was replaced after 1300 miles, next at 6000 miles and the last at 13000. These mileages are approx, I'd have to look up the actual miles. After all this and having my 2007 van out of commission for 9 months of the first 13 we owned it, Honda has a sour taste for me. All of the replacement trannys and the work done on my van left us with the same problem....... very hard downshift and broken engine mounts. Finally, after replacing the tourqe converter, again and two computer re programs, no more downshift problem, no more broken engine mounts. Amazing, it only took them 3 years to fix the problem. My only saving feature is that we were smart enough to buy the 120000 mile 8 year warranty (from an online Honda dealer that has been mentioned on here before} and push Honda to fix it. We have been fought from the bottom up, first by the service techs, then the service manager, then the local Honda rep, finally to American Honda. Only after some high up guy rode with me and was about jerked out of his seat did he admit there was a problem. Second and last Honda for us.
  • rose40rose40 Member Posts: 1
    We just bought a '08 Honda Odyssey June 1, 2010. After 2 weeks we started feeling a vibration at about 35mph. Recently it started doing it on the highway at any mph. I read on this forum about transmission problems and came to #1514 which has a link to a service bulletin that was sent out to Honda dealers, dated May 1, 2010. It states that the transmission software on all '07-'08 Odysseys and certain '09 Odysseys need to be updated. "These vehicles must be updated before they are sold or leased." The CarFax did not show this was done and the engine compartment's VIN would have a punch mark above the 7th character if it was done. It was not updated before they sold it. There was a previous update available (not sure when it came out), but it did "not address all the transmission concerns." So now this latest transmission software is out. Honda has a name for this vibration feeling. It is called a "judder." The bulletin says that if "the judder returns sometime in the future, after the transmission software is updated, the torque converter will need to be replaced."

    Owners of affected vehicles are supposed to be sent a notification of this product update.

    The car has 28,000 miles on it. I do expect it to make it to AT LEAST 100,000. They also should have taken care of this before selling it to us. I would NEVER have bought this car had I known this MAJOR flaw.

    We are supposed to drive out to Colorado (we live in Illinois) and rent a 1400LB popup trailer while we are out there in 1 week. What are we supposed to do? Do I trust that this software will do the trick while we are climbing up a mountain pulling a trailer? After we get the software update, will we have to replace the torque converter? Will I be on a highway with my kids when the transmission goes out? I almost want to trade it in for a Sienna, but we probably would just be getting other problems. On the other hand, what do we have coming with this car? If we do have more problems, the trade-in value of this car will go down quite a bit. So far, it is NOT looking good.

    The plan is to take the car in tomorrow to the dealer where we bought it to have it looked at. I will show them the bulletin and ask them why they didn't have this done BEFORE selling it to us. It usually comes down to money. It was a gamble for them; maybe this car wouldn't have a problem. If it does, the owner will bring it in.....Or maybe they even knew it had a problem when they sold it.

    I wanted to post this to inform all about the bulletin and thank #1514 for putting the link about the bulletin out there. Another reason was to maybe get some advice.
  • isellhondasisellhondas Member Posts: 20,342
    Actually. I spent a lot of time in service since that is where I got my beginning.

    Your experience is HIGHLY unusual and I have no explanation other than to say there are a lot of high mileage Odysseys out there that have never had a problem.

    It has to be remembered that forums like this attract the people who have had problems like a magnet and no matter what the make or model, problems tend to be over amplified.

    I'm surprised you weren't worried that your Sienna's engine wouldn't sludge up and stop running! That one was blown WAY out of proportion to...big time!
  • fillthebarmanfillthebarman Member Posts: 1
    I'm looking at buying a 2003 honda odessey with 140,000. I was thinking it was a good buy. Not sure now. My neice has a 2000 and loves it. ??? :confuse:
  • stimmonsstimmons Member Posts: 2
    I have a 2002 Odyssey and I've had I'm on my 3rd transmission ( 1st one under warrenty, the second with Honda's minimal support $3500). Additionally, I've had to replace the motor mounts ($120), replace the sliding door motors and rollers ($800 each door). The motors on both vent windows went out three years after I bought the van. I didn't fix them because I rarely used them. You couldn't pay me to buy another Honda. :lemon:
  • doggrandmadoggrandma Member Posts: 144
    I know what you mean! However, if you read enough of these forums, you will see that every car maker has problems, and some people do get lemons. I really wanted a minivan to haul the grandkids and the grand-dogs, so I did finally buy a 2010 Odyssey several months ago. So far, it has been a wonderful vehicle, but I see where a lot of people don't have that saem experience.

    All I can say is to be careful when you buy. If you know the seller, so much the better. Ask to see the service records, check out the Carmax report (although those are not foolproof!), and pay a local mechanic whom you trust to look over the vehicle before you buy, especially with a vehicle that has so many miles on it.

    I hope you are able to find a good vehicle that fits your needs.
  • odsytrannyodsytranny Member Posts: 6
    We have enjoyed our 2003 Odyssey - except when the transmission needed to be replaced at 79,000 miles. We now drive it minimally and will replace it before the new transmission warranty expires. Just put about $6,000 aside for additional repairs above normal maintenance items and you'll probably be okay.
  • isellhondasisellhondas Member Posts: 20,342
    So, what will you buy?

    You can go to any "problems" forum on any car and read the stories of woe.

    Honda's "minimal" support? They didn't have to do anything.
  • 2005_exl_owner2005_exl_owner Member Posts: 3
    First I want to mention that I purchased from Honda the extended bumper to bumper warranty (5yrs or 100K Miles) which is still active for another 7 months. All my service work has been done by Honda (oil changes etc.)

    To date the warranty has covered the replacement of the following: replaced the CD changer due to skipping, replaced the power steering pump due to whining after long distance travel and replaced the catalytic converter which tripped a code that it was failing/clogged. Honda did not give me any problems with these replacements and based on the repair costs I'm flush on what I spent on the warranty.

    Now here's the kicker. The last 3 times I brought the car in I also complained about the intermitent shudder at 40mph where it seemed the transmission couldn't decide which gear to go into. Shift up, shift down (back and forth) 10-15 times before it settled down. The problem developed at around 60K miles and the car currently has 68K on it. The first time I brought it in the service man who handled my work could not replicate the problem as it was intermitent. So he told me to contact them again if it returned. At the next scheduled maintenance I mentioned to the man on the phone who I was making my appointment with about the issues and was told it was the torque converter and that they would diagnose and fix it this time. So I brought the car in. However the man I spoke to on the phone was not the person I ended up with. My service work was redirected to another person. I thought that was weird but did not make an issue of it. She told me she could not find anything wrong with the transmission and to contact her if the issue returned. She seemed to be very adept at conforting the customer and downplaying the issue. Since that time the issue has gotten worse and occurs at other speeds and gears as well. I did as much research on the internet as possible on the issue and to see if similar complaints were occuring and as you know very well they are. So I called again to make another appointment for service and was mentally prepared to fight if necessary to get the car fixed under warranty and hoping that this would not be necessary. I brought the car in and spoke to the service rep I made the appointment with and was immediately referred to the same woman that handled me last time. So I asked the guy why her and not you and he reluctantly told me he didn't know. So now I knew I was in for a battle. She immediately tried to talk me out of it this time telling me that this shudder was normal, there's nothing they could do to correct it and that even though it was under warranty it was not an issue. So now the fighting begins...just loud enough for other customers to hear but not to look like a crazed idiot. Every illogical claim she made I countered a logical response showing her logic made no sense. Not going into every detail but in short most customers would have backed down by now. She got increasingly unmoveable with me and so did I with her. In the end I made it very clear to her that when I bought the car new it did not have this issue and that it developed over time and was not normal and I insisted it be fixed before the warranty runs out so I didn't have to foot the avg bill of $2,200. She told me she had to refer my case to the service mgr. I said that's fine and to hold on to the car as long as she needed to properly diagnose and fix the car.

    The following day I run into a friend in the elevator at work who was exceited to tell me he just bought a brand new Honda (same dealer) and got the extended warranty like I did but had not taken possesion of the vehicle yet pending detailing. I told him what happended to me. The reason why he got the warranty was because the Sales Mgr told him that he got one for his wife on her new Honda due to the torque converter issues. So my friend went back that evening and spoke to the sales mgr and mentioned that I had my car in the shop with the very same issue and that they were not going to honor it. So the sales mgr went to the service mgr and pulled my work order. All the sudden I'm getting a phone call from the woman working on my account that they were able to relicate the issue and that they would be contacting the warranty company about a full transmission replacement. What was also intersting is that my car never left the same spot it was first placed in the day I brought it in. So much for really replicating the issue seeing they never test drove it or brought it into the garage to run tests (I checked the car twice a day and it never moved an inch). After several days I contacted her to find out when I should expect a resolution and she told me that they got approval to replace the entire transmission and that it would be another week before they got the part and completed the work. I drove by yesterday and now the car was on the lift and the mechanic was dismantling the tranny. So far it looks like I'm going to get full satisfaction but the work is not complete yet. I will let you know the final outcome.

    I'm very surprised at how this whole was handling to this point. I bought the car and the warranty fro them, had all my service work done by them and it took my friend threatening not accepting his new car in order for me to get satisfaction. Needless to say I will not be buying another Honda from this dealer and may not ever buy another honda either.
  • odsytrannyodsytranny Member Posts: 6
    Honda did assist me - it only cost me $3,000 to replace the transmission - but that decision by Honda was made extremely reluctantly and only after some very hard negotiation. You're right - "they" didn't have to do anything since my car was a 2003, not a 2002. Without extreme coaxing they would have chosen the route of doing nothing - other than charging top dollar for a replacement and wishing me well. I give them credit for doing "something." Stimmons, which Honda dealer do you work for? The Honda transmission problems are well documented and Honda knows full well that they chose and installed an inferior transmission in these cars. That is the only reason a car company that promotes reliability as a primary reason to choose their brand would actually do "something" when pressed against the wall about this embarrassing situation. I would hope that the new version of the Odyssey has overcome this manufacturing deficiency, but someone considering purchasing a used 2003 Odyssey should know the facts . . . these transmissions fail with greater regularity than they should . . . and they should not expect Honda to do anything to assist them. Buyer beware.
  • samspade1samspade1 Member Posts: 5
    How many miles does your daughter's 2000 have on it? I ask because our 2000 Odyssey is currently undrivable, sitting in our driveway due to it's transmission problems, and it has only 75K mi. We purchased it new and serviced it regularly. We have been buying Hondas since 1988, and were always impressed with their reliability, etc. Now, we are being punished for having low mileage because the Honda dealer we purchased it from says it has been too long since our warranty expired and the warranty extension that Honda America issued a few years ago. We had a 100K mi warranty that we purchased when we bought the car. In virtually all other respects, this Odyssey has been a great car for us. Now, we are reluctant to buy another Honda because they are not honoring their product. Honda is making a big mistake on this issue. Whatever it takes to repair/replace the transmission on our Odyssey, we intend to sue Honda and the dealer for cost + whatever grief they've caused due to their irresponsible behavior...
  • stickguystickguy Member Posts: 50,441
    just had the trans fluid changed today on my 2005 (at just about 60K). 2nd time for this, since I decided (based on all the reported problems) to go with a 30K change interval, on the better safe than sorry schedule!

    well that, and if something does happen prematurely, no way Honda will be able to argue that I did not take care of the van, since they are the only ones that have touched it (other than for tires), and I am going way beyond what is required.

    also, for the 75K 2000 model, that one you have a reasonable chance of getting assistance, and even if they split the cost, it probably makes sense to spend the 2-3K on it, since it has so little value as it sits, and should be good for a lot longer if you get it fixed (especially compared to what else you could get for the value of a dead van + repair costs!)

    I would not touch a 140K one, unless it was super cheap, and had a replacement tranny already installed not too many miles before.

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

  • isellhondasisellhondas Member Posts: 20,342
    edited July 2010
    I guess it's hard to say where they have to draw the line. 75,000 isn't very many miles but ten years is a long time.

    You might want to take this to the next level and be sure to stress the fact you bought en extended warranty and took good care of the car.
  • isellhondasisellhondas Member Posts: 20,342
    I change the trans fluid iour Hondas every 30,000 miles and I have always done this in all of our cars. 60,000 miles just seems like a long time.
  • stickguystickguy Member Posts: 50,441
    well, 60K isn't even the recommended interval. That is, I think, 105K or 120K!

    Of course, that was decided upon by the same dim bulbs that think it is a good idea to only change the filter at every other oil change. But, I guess if you are desperate to save $5, it might be a good idea!

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

  • isellhondasisellhondas Member Posts: 20,342
    I'm too lazy to pull out an Owner's Manual but I believe it's 60K on trans services.

    The bean counters and the engineers argue all of the time. some prospective buyers are more concerned with how little money they will have to spend on maintenance that they stretch change intervals as long as they possible can.

    People need to remember that these are MINIMUM service reccomendations.

    Some people like to take better care of theri cars than that.
  • j orbj orb Member Posts: 4
    Having the same issue with my '05 Odyssey at 69K miles and it's at the dealership right now. At light throttle around 35 mi/hr, the car will shudder if going up an incline at about the time the transmission is about to shift into a lower gear. It seems to happen more often when cold. I too have the Honda extended warranty and it will be interesting if I will need to argue the point to get the torque converter replaced. The service writer was also talking about a software update on newer models but of course that would not be covered by the extended warranty. Very surprising how the "bumper to bumper" extended warranty that was sold to me seems to cover nothing.
  • 2005_exl_owner2005_exl_owner Member Posts: 3
    Following up with the final outcome from Honda. They replaced the entire transmission with remanufactured one. Shudder problem is gone at least for now. The bill which was at a discounted rate came to $4004.00 but the warranty covered it and had no deductible. If it was on my dime Honda told me it would be approximately $4500.00

    Honda exaggerated the issues (added things like trans slipping etc.) on the form they provided to the warranty company to get a replacement transmission and not just a new torque converter. I guess they figured replacing the entire tranny would assure that it wouldn't be coming back again for the same issue. Whatever the reason I'm satisfied.

    To date my 1500.00 extended warranty has covered 5700.00 in repairs, glad I got it but never expected to use it. To date had to replace the CD changer due to skipping (500.00), replaced the power steering pump due to whining after long trips (750.00), replaced the catalytic converter because it was getting clogged and triggered a code (450.00), and finally the transmission which was (4004.00) all in the first 5 years.

    While I still love my Honda and I'm happy with the outcome of this last event, I'll probably lean towards Toyota or Nissan for my next car purchase.

    Good luck everyone!
  • 2005_exl_owner2005_exl_owner Member Posts: 3
    I asked about a software update hoping that it could be a quick and easy solution but Honda told me that there were no software update solutions for the 2005 models. Apparently that is not available until the 2008 and later models. By the way they also told me that in 2008 they started using the Ridgeline transmission in the Odyssey. Ironically they too suffer from the shudder issue although can be fixed via software update.

    Good luck with yours, I hope you get full satisfaction. Don't let them bully you into accepting anything less than full replacement if possible.
  • compal55compal55 Member Posts: 1
    Per honda you have a warranty of 100000 miles on your tranny because of extended warranty given to all of the vans with the bad tranny, this was done on a class action lawsuit so the fix was that they continue to fix your tranny till it reaches 100000; mine was changed a total of four times on my 2001 van, after the 100000 u are on your own every trans lasted 36000 to 40000, get it fixed and get rid of it, after you reach your 100000 extension which i did, i had to pay for a fix on mine, it cost me $2200.00, then i told my wife to get rid of it, she did not listen and 36000 miles later it died again, now sitting in drive way as a reminder to do what i told her to do.....I'm in Calif, not sure if it covers other states, just call and ask if your tranny is covered under the 100000 per honda tranny recall all dealers may not be the same so call multiple ones to see if answer is the same, honda issued a paper thru mail stipulating this, not sure if you ever got it, not sure where mine is if not i'd send you a copy so you don't think i'm full of %$#@!, any way see if you can get them to do this and GET RID OF IT even if the rest of the vehicle looks great, or get ready to get stuck with it once the extension runs out! good luck
  • micottomicotto Member Posts: 1
    I've got a 2001 Ody EX with 108000 miles on it and I tow a 3500 lb boat several times a year - sometimes to Canada - never had a problem. but I do change the fluid every 20k miles of so, and did install an aftermarket tranny cooler when I bought it - maybe that's what makes the difference. Does anyone have any statistics on what percentage of vehicles have had problems? And of those, how many have an external cooler?
  • wally_worldwally_world Member Posts: 1
    a) A recent clunking noise during shifting led to finding out two motor-mounts were broken. After repair, my wife said the car shifts wonderfully (??? LOL)

    b) On the Honda Odyssey transmittion matter, I needs some other opinions for feedback to wife as she now thinks our trans is uniquely better than all other.
    With 105K miles, and only some periodic slight slippage and jerky shifting, what would be the chance of a safe trip to Estes Park Colorado (Rocky Mountains) from Houston-TX pulling a pop-up camper? ???
  • od685od685 Member Posts: 1
    2000 Odyssey with 135,000 miles and there goes the transmission....sway bar...and engine mount. From the looks of other threads, I was on borrowed time. Seems like the same problems everyone has with the Ody. Car's worth $4000 if in good condition and it'll cost $3,500 to repair it. Looks like time for the scrap heap. Last Ody I'll buy, that's for sure. Honda reliability....huh! Honda NA, if you're listening, I buy 4 new cars every few years for my business, and the last ones were Hondas. You'd better get behind your product or start looking for some bailout bucks.
  • jipsterjipster Member Posts: 6,244
    Wow, only 11 years on that transmission. I'd ask for my money back.
    2020 Honda Accord EX-L, 2011 Hyundai Veracruz, 2010 Mercury Milan Premiere, 2007 Kia Optima
  • soltalksoltalk Member Posts: 2
    I love my three girls so much and I bought a 2004 Honda Odssey with only 34,000 mileage and exactly one year later ( mileage now 44,000 ) and i took it Honda dealer the day I noticed " check engine" sign and the bad news i received was the transmission is Bad. The code was po 720 and PO 730 D.

    I was shocked and I could not understand that after 10,000 mileage driving this Van and now, transmission is bad. Is there any one can help me in giving me advice what to do. I was told that the dealer will cover 60 % and i will cover 40 %. and that 40 % will be about $1700 dollar i will pay. Is this fair? I do not have any extended warrantee at all.
  • soltalksoltalk Member Posts: 2
    I love my three girls so much and I bought a 2004 Honda Odssey with only 34,000 mileage exactly a year ago. Today, i noticed check engine sign and took right away to Honda Dealer to check and a bad news that i received is that the transmission is bad.

    Can any one help me by giving advice what to do? I do not have any warantee. The dealer told me that they can cover 60% and I pay 40 % means i WILL PAY $1700 DOLLAR. Is this fair ? or the dealer should cover the whole amount?

    Any feed back will greatly appreciate.
    Solomon
  • samspade1samspade1 Member Posts: 5
    Thank you for your response to my message to someone else regarding their question...Well, I'm in California, too, and the dealer I bought my odyssey from was the first Honda dealer in the US. We paid a premium >MSRP since it was in big demand at the time '99-'00 because it was considered to be the best mini-van in the market according to practically all of the auto/consumer publications. I've got too many issues going on right now, but I'm crafting a letter that will be sent to everyone who matters at Honda in America and Japan, as well as the dealer. As far as I'm concerned, it doesn't matter how long you've had your Odyssey, if the transmission fails within 100K mi it's their responsibility. Otherwise, it penalizes everyone who has low mileage, like my wife who had a short commute to work. If I don't get satisfaction from any of them, I'm going to sue all of them...Seriously!
  • autohowzerautohowzer Member Posts: 3
    edited July 2010
    I'm away on a trip (from IL to Snead Ferry/Wilmington NC area) and my green drive indicator light in the instrument panel started to blink. So far my Odyssey is driving okay and I can't detect/feel anything yet although I haven't actually driven anywhere here except for around the block to turn the van around.

    In hind sight, I thought I felt some hesitation or slip/miss-shifting when I made slow residential street 90º turns back in IL for the last month or so but I couldn't be sure whether it always did that or even it actually did something at all. It just felt a bit odd but then... not really kinda thing. On the way here going thru some descents in WV & Virginia I thought it felt a bit strange as if the car wasn't accelerating right at certain steep descending sections but then I'm not used to descend like that all that much so I couldn't be sure.

    I'm in an unfamiliar area away from home. What should I do? Should I just attempt to drive back home to IL? I'm not sure whether it'll be okay driving extended steep incline through VA, WV, Ohio or not. Any advise would be appreciated. If I were to bring in to a Honda dealer, which one and how do I approach this, etc etc. TIA.
  • farmdog1farmdog1 Member Posts: 9
    "Honda did assist me - it only cost me $3,000 to replace the transmission "

    ONLY $3000? They made money off you while claiming they were assisting. Honda is laughing at those of us who bought their defective product at a premium price (could have bought Chrysler/Dodge at least 10k less) and when it fails they make money due to their own bad design.
  • vanwaanabevanwaanabe Member Posts: 15
    Make sure you post your story on Facebook:

    http://www.facebook.com/#!/hondaodyssey?ref=ts

    Get attention to what's happening.
  • autohowzerautohowzer Member Posts: 3
    Well here is the follow up report of sorts. I turned my Odyssey on and drove around. Now the 'drive' light doesn't blink and seems to drive okay... I think. I called a Honda dealer/service and Honda America.

    They asked my VIN# and told me my transmission has been ALREADY SERVICED FOR A RECALL IN 2004 so they cannot help me!!!! Well I followed up and called the Honda dealer in IL and they told me it was a minor recall to take care of a transmission noise issue. To be exact it was a very simple procedure that took only few minutes: they either installed and changed out an injector spray for the 2nd gear(?) or some such thing to get more tranny fruid to the area/gear to reduce noise and has nothing to do with current tranny issue (he seemed to hint that they are aware of without actually admitting). I've feeling Honda is using the 2004 recall as one of the their first line of defense against less-willful meek claimants saying that since they've already worked on the transmission once and therefore they won't take any more transmission recall claim from you.

    Well I'll see if I can make it back to IL without this problem blowing up on me and stranding me in the middle of West Virginia Mountains. Well wish me luck. I'm going to call the dealer that did the tranny recall work in 2004 and have them call the Honda America to clarify and make note under my VIN# record that the recall work that was done in 2004 has nothing to with any transmission issue that develop due the design flaw... and if I can I'm trading it in ASAP.
  • farmdog1farmdog1 Member Posts: 9
    edited July 2010
    Vanwaanabe, I have never posted on facebook but after viewing that link I might have to. Can you say valium pumping shills? Did Honda fix their transmissions for free in exchange for happy posts? Honda really does SUCK, I gave them until today to contact me, they did not. War starts tomorrow.
  • johnboy18johnboy18 Member Posts: 9
    I AM REALLY AMAZED AT ALL THE BASHING OF HONDA HERE, I HAVE 109000 ON MY 03 I MUST BE VERY LUCKY IT IS RUNNING LIKE A DREAM. HAS ANY BODY NOTICED THE AMOUNT OF ODDEYS ON THE ROAD? LOOKS LIKE A HUGE AMOUNT OF PEOPLE DRIVE THEM. PLEASE DO NOT BELIEVE EVERY THING YOU READ HERE, HAVE HAD MINE 8 YEARS OF GREAT SERVICE :):D
  • farmdog1farmdog1 Member Posts: 9
    johnboy18, so do you think all of us with transmission failure are lying? What would be the point of spending as much time as we do other than Honda SCREWED US and we're damn mad about it.
  • rfreitasrfreitas Member Posts: 63
    johnboy18, you must work for Honda? My Odyssey is piece of junk. I have to replace the transmission, struts, motor mounts, a couple solenoids, and now my replacement transmission is starting to act up. Don't by Odyssey's!!!
  • nedlyjnedlyj Member Posts: 89
    edited July 2010
    Well, obviously the reality for the vast majority of people is somewhere in between both extremes. If you feel like you had a lemon and Honda did nothing to help you out then of course you feel screwed and would never buy a Honda (or at least an Odyssey) again. If you've never had a problem, then you feel great and suspect that only a few people are whining.

    But reality says that most people have some level of problem and that for most of them it was either taken care of to their satisfaction, or they simply and quietly are resolved to having to fix the problem themselves.

    In my case, I have a 99 Odyssey that is on its 3rd transmission (replaced at 60K and 124K). Currently has 170K so, yes, I'm not too optimistic about it never needing another. But Honda replaced the first one at their cost, and paid for most of my 2nd (I paid $1K). So for the transmission issues, I am relatively happy but ONLY because Honda treated me fairly in my mind. But I also ALWAYS had it serviced at Honda and had developed a good relationship with my service manager, which I do believe helps in the end.

    Now, with that said, over the last 6 months I've also replaced $2K worth of items (struts, engine mounts, sway bar, bushings, tie rod, ignition switch, master relay, etc.) which at 11 years and 175K were quite frankly worn out. Should they have been made more durable? Maybe. Probably. But I can say now that the van drives exceptionally well - and what I thought was a POS 9 months ago is something we can happily drive until the transmission craps out again or we decide to get rid of it becasue we want to not because we need to.

    So, yeah, I'm one of those in the middle - but still happy enough overall with Honda and the Odyssey that we purchased a 2010 Odyssey in December (Yeah , I currently have 2 vans) because we thought the 99 was on its last legs and needed a reliable family transport.

    Unfortunately (or maybe it's fortunately) everyone's situation is different. And some people have every right to be upset without being accused of being "bashers" while others have the right to be happy without being labeled "employees" or "fanboys". I hope that those who are getting the run around can get some level of satisfaction.
  • dboweringdbowering Member Posts: 3
    My tranny (04 Odyssey) just gave out while returning from the east coast on vacation. I had hoped it would hang in there til we got home. I had sensed some issues but the tranny blew it's top on I 90 just south of Rochester, NY. Had only 8 more hours to go before I arrived in Battle Creek, MI!

    Had the van towed to a transmission shop (after I searched the internet, bbb, and other sites to find a decent place). They are now working on it putting in a rebuilt.

    My van has 160K miles on it with at least 3 trips to Newfoundland, Canada, 2 trips to Florida, and multiple trips to MIssouri. Along with that there are many 1-2 hour trips to follow our sons sporting events.

    Unfortunately I did not ever changed the tranny fluid. In all of my 25 years of driving I never changed tranny fluids ever!

    In talking with some other Honda owners, they tell me that if you are faithful to have a tranny oil change every 30-40k and throw in a flush and fill once or twice, your tranny should last you a long time. Maintenance is everything!

    I have worked to maintain all other parts of the Honda Odyssey but neglected the tranny. I am grateful to have gotten 160K out of it.

    The mechanic told me if I maintain this tranny there should not be any issues with it. LESSON LEARNED - and an expensive one at that!

    All cars have issues!

    If you've had a bad experience with a Honda dealership, find another one. But all I've had have been great experiences. This is the only major issue I've had with this van the entire 160K. I'm hoping it lasts another 160K. I would like to see this vehicle reach the 300K mark.
  • imidazol97imidazol97 Member Posts: 27,132
    >40k and throw in a flush and fill once or twice, your tranny should last you a long time.

    What is the factory recommended transmission fluid change mileage? Look in the owners manual? I'll bet it's not 30K miles.

    2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,

Sign In or Register to comment.