Honda Odyssey Transmission Problems

donethat_1 · July 2012

The Honda ODY from years 2000 to present have a engieering design flaw. There are too many people with too many tranny issues to think otherwise. In addition, Honda lost a class action lawsuit ($90 million) already on the early models and there are ongoing class actions for the newer models. Parents driving around town and the hwy when all of sudden the tranny seizes or smokes, etc leading to abrupt braking to prevent an accidents. I would never every buy another Honda based on my experience. I have contacted them on numerour occassions and they do not want to address.

Even this, February 2012 Motor Trend Long Test Article 2011 Odyssey Touring Elite, 6 months old, 14999 miles "...we'll have the technicians look at the transmission as well. Over time, shifting has become rough, and occasionally upon acceleration between first and second gears, the transmission seems to be shuddering."

castironguitar · July 2012

I've owned two Odyssseys - 2000 and 2005. Here is my transmission experience:

Drove the first Odyssey for about 120,000 miles before we sold the van. About half of the miles were highway- the rest in town. Van was frequently heavily loaded with passengers and cargo. Had the transmission serviced at about 60 -70,000 miles (dealer service). We never had any transmission performance or reliability problems. I would describe our transmission experience as "excellent".

The 2005 Odyssey now has 145,000 miles. These miles are probably 2/3 highway and 1/3 in town. We moved to Arizona just after we bought this van and the temperature is frequently >110 degrees for most of the summer and >120 is not uncommon. Because the nearest dealer is more than 70 miles away, I have had the vehicles serviced by a trusted local mechanic. I had the transmission flushed and serviced at 60,000 and 130,000 miles. The mechanic described the transmission to be in very good condition (and he services many transmissions of all makes.) We have never had any performance or reliability problems with this transmission either.

The service reliability of these two cars (as good or better than any other cars we have ever owned) has my wife insistent that only an Odyssey will do when we decide to replace it. I kind of like the Sienna a bit more, but our experience with our other Toyotas has made us both gun-shy.

Is there something specific about the current Odysseys that make it apparent that they should be avoided? In particular, is the newer 6-speed automatic a problem child?

stickguy · July 2012

it seems that they have made a lot of improvements to the later models, but not sure how much of it (at least with the 5 speed0 was tweaks to try and cover for design issues.

though hopefully the newer 9dual shaft?) design they adopted in ~ 2007 truly fixes the root cause.

the more recent problems seem to be with the torque converter, and that seems to also be computer (controls) related.

honda certainly had plenty of time (and bad experience to review) since 2000 to fix the issues for real, not just bandaid the old pig!

ramy1995 · July 2012

anyone has possesed tranny like mine, first,
2000, 150k,
first, 2 yrs ago, tranny ill shift properly, kick, spit, disengage, but moves..
now, wont shift past 3gear, but goes like gunho.. somtimes, slips, but mostly goes..
no transmission monkey was able to pin point , thats when they say, u need new tranny. bad tranny , but bad tranny wont move at all ...
anyone went thru this? any input>
dan

tlw6 · July 2012

Have a '03 model and is time for scheduled transmission fluid service. I was suggested to "flush" it instead of just replacing the fluid. is it advisable? The manual states "replace" though.

tlw6 · July 2012

I had a '99 that behaved similarly for a while and eventually stopped moving... The only caution would be safety, I guess, when the car begins to show signs of possibly stopping in the middle of the road or any unpredictable changes of speeds.

stickguy · July 2012

Just got a notice today that the warranty on my 2005 was extended through 8 years/105K for torque converter shudder. Have to keep a close eye on that, though not sure I want to risk the software update! They may just do it anyway next time it is in for an oil change.

geh86 · July 2012

We have an '03 Ody that shuddered at low RPMs for years (at least 3). We took it to the Honda dealer and they blamed it on the EGR valve. The dealer also replaced the transmission fluid. Last year, I took it to a recommended local mechanic and was able to replicate the problem with him in the vehicle. I was concerned that it would cost thousands to repair. He recommended a power flush (~$150) and it KNOCKED OUT the transmission issues period. I can't tell you how much time I spent on the internet researching the issue...to no avail. Many thanks to the mechanic. I will never simply replace the transmission fluid again on my Ody.

autowrite · July 2012

See my message #2015. just spend $150 on an aftermarket transmission cooler. Your return lines will all be looked after.
Replaced transmssion once at 184k kms; currently at 306k kms on my 2002.

donethat_1 · July 2012

That is just it. the later years are no better....this is from Motor Trend.....February 2012 Motor Trend Long Test Article 2011 Odyssey Touring Elite, 6 months old, 14999 miles "...we'll have the technicians look at the transmission as well. Over time, shifting has become rough, and occasionally upon acceleration between first and second gears, the transmission seems to be shuddering."

Honda has done nothing to fix the problem in the past or even now. Mine went out at 68000 miles and Honda told me too bad so sad. You are on your own. I did the service, no towing, etc.

tlw6 · July 2012

Hi, could I ask you two questions:

you said "(put in 3 1/2 quarts, run it through all the gears, dump it out and do it again , and then again)" how many time did you do this in one service? is this equivalent to "power flush" it?

2nd, "Magnefine inline filter," where did you buy it? is it easily understandable? Would a mechanic be able to know what to do if I show him your message? I am not capable to do this myself. Thanks.

longo2 · July 2012

Hi twl6
I don;t think HOnda recommends a "power flush" for the Odys' In fact a lot of a/t owners dread the idea of disturbing all the built up gunk and varnish in the screens. The drain and re-fill system is a much less violent experience for your tranny. Costs a lot less too. This is one Honda service that anyone can easily do but if you have a guy with a lift I guess that's good too.

I buy my Magnefine filters off eBay, look for the 3/8" ones. you cut the rubber hose "return line" under the air breather box and put the filter in that location. Under heavy use i.e high mileage people have opened them up and they seem to be good for a year or at least 25,000 miles. The first thing you notice after installing one is when you do a 'drain and fill', the Honda magnet on the drain plug will hardly have any debris stuck to it, so the Magnefine filter is doing is job well.
BTW, the complete installation instructions are in the box.

tomcat7 · July 2012

Our 03 never gave any tranny problems until Honda dealer overfilled the tranny at service interval and we got the flashing D alarm. Fearful of problems, after I found the level overfill by 1.5 inches, I had them drain the fluid so I could inspect it. There was no contamination and color was perfect. I then instructed them to flush with new fluid and refill to perscribed level. Never another alarm or problem. Ours had the Honda installed trailer hitch option that added the extra coolers. Sold at 145K with no problems but was serviced as per the manual. I believe the extra coolers and careful service is key. Do believe flush is not necessary as long as you look at the fluid being removed.

longo2 · July 2012

I never dreamed there would come a day when I said this but, my next Van will be a Chrysler Product.
They built a/t stinkers for years too, but now are just a good as or better than any other VAn in that price range. I can get a Chrysler Town and Country for $10,000 or less than an Odyssey with a better warranty and reputation.

I now see them everywhere on the road and in the warm sunny city where we spend the 5 months of winter.

To be fair tho, I love the HOnda engine on my pressure washer!

longo2 · July 2012

So here's the thing...............................

" Chrysler's first diesel engine will be a turbocharged 3.0-litre V6. The powerplant, jointly developed with Fiat, will reportedly make 241 horsepower and 406 pound-feet of torque. Currently mated to a five-speed automatic gearbox under the hood of the Jeep Grand Cherokee in other markets, the new oil-burner would deliver an fuel economy of about 10.2 L/100km (23 mpg) city and 7.1 L/100km (33 mpg) highway (the Cherokee's current gasoline-fed 3.6-litre V6, also mated to a five-speed, delivers 13.8 L/100km (17 mpg) city and 10.2 L/100km (23 mpg) highway).

While the bad news is that the automaker is likely going to delay the launch of its diesel models until the 2014 model year to finish development on a new ZF-sourced eight-speed automatic (a gearbox that promises to deliver improved acceleration and even better fuel economy), the good news is that the automaker will shorten the 2013 model year to allow the 2014 models to arrive as early as January of next year."

I have read the the new ZF a/t will be well worth waiting for and so will the 30 mpg highway.

samji · July 2012

I have a 2005 Odyssey it has 86k and it just starting to slip between 1 and 2 or 3 to 2, any suggestions? I already did the transmission service but didn't help and now the check engine light came one.

vger · July 2012

Check what the code is. If it's PO740, your torque converter is not getting enough fluid pressure. Again my suggestion before wearing out your clutch plates is clean the two upper trans solenoid screens outside of the trans. Baby those shift points by giving little gas when slipping from gear to gear. The more it slips, the more wear from the clutch material, more debris, the more clogging. So try cleaning them asap.

samji · July 2012

Thanx vger, yeah, i'll get check engine light checked and I know how to work on cars, is it a big job taking out the solenoid and what do I clean it with and do I have to get new gasket for it? thanx

samji · July 2012

Also I forgot to mention and it's very important, when the van is cold i could drive it for at least one hour with no problem what so ever but after one hour of driving that's when it starts to slip or not engage in gear.

vger · July 2012

The job is not hard in itself, but some of the #10 bolts are hard to get at. First time I did it, it took me 4 hours to do it. With care, you can reuse gaskets and o-rings, but they're cheap buying new from dealer (less than $5.00, I recommend buying it for the Linear solenoid o-rings and paper gasket). Your Oddy is a later year than mine, so I'm not sure if the solenoids are at the same place. There are two solenoids, one called the Linear solenoid have six bolts holding it down ( on top of your tranny, below your radiator hose), the other is the shift solenoid and has 3 bolts holding it (below the base of the throttle intake), both have electrical p[ugs to disconnect. You need to take off the air filter and air intake and one end of the radiator hose (just move it out of the way, but find something to plug the other end to keep it from dripping). When you take out the linear soenoid you will see four removable tubes, there is one or two with different sizes, (one is a return tube with no screen) so don't mix them up. When you pull them out (careful not to nick or scratch them), at the end you will see metal screens, the second one is usually the one that gets clogged... air blow it clean. There are o-ring gaskets for each tube replace if you bought them. Clean the inside and if you have something to suck the passage ways where the tube goes in, I recommend it. "Rinse" the area with Honda Trans fluid. The other solenoid has three bolts, the last is the hardest to get at. You may have to unbolt some items (wire harness holder) that are in the way. When you take it out, you will see a rubber gasket with two screens... carefully pry the gasket out and blow clean the screen and replace(take care this is a $20.00 gasket). Put every thing back, say a prayer, and your tranny will be back to normal.

samji · July 2012

Thank you vger, first thing i'm gonna do tomorrow is check to see what the code is and buy the gaskets and O rings more trans fluid, I have to start working on it before I do more or any damage to it, thanx again that's a lot of good information, I will let you know what the code is.

ramy1995 · July 2012

hey buddy, you forgot most important part, what is the exact pray?

on more serious note, do you know of any video or illustration of what you explained here.

me: oddy, 2000, 150k
dan

tlw6 · July 2012

Hi longo2, Thanks for the reply. I tend to agree that Honda does not recommend flushing the tranny. however, other messages state the other way-for example, msg #2240. what would you think of those?

I ordered my Magnefine filter at ebay and is waiting for it to arrive. This is also not described in the manual. any idea as why wouldn't Honda add it?

Thanks again.

ramy1995 · July 2012

FIND OUT THAT THERE ARE 2 KINDS OF AT FILTERS FROM MAGNIFILTER,
ONE IS A LOT MORE EXPENSIVE THAN THE OTHER, WHATS TEH DIFRNC>
IS IT WORTH THE EXTRA BUCK>
DAN

longo2 · July 2012

I can only imagine that Honda has a legal reason for not mentioning anything that would increase the reliability of their transmission. If they did it would probably set off a legal fire storm of claims that Honda admits their filtration system is inadequate.
I also think that the "Z1" Honda a/ fluid has never been up to the job and when Honda replaced it with the DW1 they did it in a very sneaky way.

They never said that it was a more robust fluid, (even tho it is) never claimed it would solve any of the wear and tear of the trannys,(it probably will) or any mention it was an upgrade in any way except helping to increase mpg's at cold start up.
Thereby negating any claims that they knew for years that the Z1 fluid was not up to the job.

I know one re-builder that never replaces the Honda Z1 OEM fluid in his re-builds, and he has a 5 year warranty on his transmissions.

There are other car companies that create propraitary products as well tho so Honda is not alone on this one

The Odyssey and other Acura/Honda transmissions are a multi million dollar headache for Honda and their legal department is very aware of the consequences of the company doing anything except swapping them out with re-builds with no modifications that could be proved in court that they admitted to the design flaws.
In fact my local dealer has said that their shop will not do ANY work on them except swap them out for the re-build.

( BTW when they do they add an extra filter to help the POS re-build survive until the warranty is up.)

longo2 · July 2012

Hi ramy,

I don't know about "Magnifilter" might be a different brand (or a typo?)

but here's a link to Youtube that I got a kick out of....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=inG3rsg1f5c

(Don't miss "Part 2) the same guy takes the filter off after less than 700 miles and you will see all the metal sludge it's picked up...don't forget that your a/t also produces other nasty things like clutch wear, aluminum, and dirt that the paper filter catches, the magnet traps the iron bits.

BTW you don't have to cut them up...a big pair of waterpump pliers will turn off the intake end of the filter housing. It's designed to be taken apart by unscrewing the housing.

tlw6 · July 2012

Hi longo2,

Thanks again for the good info... Just so that it is clear what I need to do, when you said âBTW you don't have to cut them up...â were you or were you not referring to what you said in msg #2244: â...you cut the rubber hose "return line" under the air breather box and put the filter in that location.â

If you were, are you now advising, instead, use waterpump plier to âturn off the intake end of the filter housingâ? do you mean the Magnefilter housing?

ramy1995 · July 2012

Here are some pictures i took when i was doing the job that you described above, i took off the linear seloid and cleaned it, but i was confused when it came to shift selnoid> I was not sure which one you meant since you said it has 3 number 10 bolts, the one i saw on my 2000 ody, has 2 bolts, i did not take it off , thought of sending you the pictures to help me n me help others
( question is: are pictures postabale here? )

i guess not, :mad: ">

stickguy · July 2012

you can't paste pictures in. You have to host them someplace (flickr or snapfish say) and then link to them (you can paste in the URL and they will display)

ramy1995 · July 2012

thanks , how do u url it, without posting in host , if possible, ?
can u do that with utube, still pictures we are talking here.
dan

ramy1995 · July 2012

i guess i found my answer, no pictures , sucks..
i will try to shoot video tomoro , n post it to utube, then post it here, 2 sucks
dan

if someone see this, let me know if it works

http://www.ebay.com/itm/HONDA-ACCORD-ODYSSEY-ACURA-CL-TL-V6-A-T-Sh- ift-Control-Solenoid-A-B-ASSEMBLY-/320932985063?hash=item4ab918b8e- 7&item=320932985063&pt=Motors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&vx&#8203- ;p=mtr

ramy1995 · July 2012

ramy1995 · July 2012

i am trying to post picture of the shift selonoid, and verify that this is the right part to remove, clean and return...if someone did that before, let me knos plz

http://www.ebay.com/itm/HONDA-ACCORD-ODYSSEY-ACURA-CL-TL-V6-A-T-Sh- ift-Control-Solenoid-A-B-ASSEMBLY-/320932985063?hash=item4ab918b8e- 7&item=320932985063&pt=Motors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&vx&#8203- ;p=mtr

surfsalterpath · July 2012

Post your pictures here:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/224748094257241/

ramy1995 · July 2012

is this the shift selenoid??

https://www.facebook.com/#!/photo.php?fbid=10151136089557028&set=a.163070567027.- 147441.548307027&type=1&theater

jea3cd · July 2012

I should have known better as well. After our Pontiac Montana started having problems with over heating at 197,000 miles, we traded it in on a Honda Ody because everyone claimed how good they were. Worst mistake we ever made. After a year the transmission has lost all forward gears but 1st. Honda wanted about $4500 for a reman trans. We took it to a transmission shop for half the price, but they also said the Odyssey was the most common transmission they work on, bar none. The Odyssey has 52k less miles than our Pontiac had when it had problems. Difference is, I could change the entire drivetrain in the Pontiac for about the same price of a Honda trans.

I'll be going back to GM, Ford or Dodge.

ramy1995 · July 2012

thanks a lot for the person here who explained how to clean the linear and shift selonoid, my transmission almost normal after i gave up on everything. I had this sliping, and disengaging, and kicking, and sliding for over two yrs, and 2 visit the best tranny shop in area, and everyone says: you need tran overhaul, your tranny is dead. least price, was 3200 dollars , i fixed it by myslf, and i m not a mechanic for 0 dollars.
i read here , cant remember the name, about cleaning the selonoid screens, i was really doubtfull, but i did it, and it is not a picnic for first timers, like me, but i did it, with 105 degrees tempreture, n lots of sweat, i could not believe my eyes n feet,, the ody 2000, with 155k, ran so smooth, that i was really ecctatic.
it took me 4 hours, and no parts changed at all, only cleaning the screens and put back together , and voillla, car runs 90% better,
only mistake that i did , is not to replace old atf b4 the fix, because some of old dirt maybe went back n clogged some of screens holes. so learn from my mistakes.
i really doubt that there is anything wrong by design in trans itslf, and all it takes is some cleanning to those selonoids,
i think dealers and tran shops have known that for long time, and instead of charging cpl hours of work to fix ur tran for another 50k miles, they want you to shed 4000 dollars, as ethics are optional in this profession as ever.
if you need help, i took some pictures in process of working , i can share with you, or better if you live in my area, northern va, i can do it for you for a lot less than new tran

))))
dan
ramy1995@yahoo.com

autowrite · July 2012

Was this a used Odyssey & if so what year was it? I believe a new one would have enough warranty on it to cover no cost repairs. If I did not want to stay with Honda I'd go with Toyota. Fod does not have a minivan. Ford's Windstar's transmiision were guaranteed to go at 104.000 kms.

bayhooker · July 2012

Hi,

I have a 2008 Odyssey EX-L with about 60k on it. The van seems to stutter at highway speeds usually 60mph. I have read many of the other post but am getting confused. Is this a transmission problem or motor mount issue? It is a certified pre-owned van from Honda and we picked up the Platinum Bumper to Bumper warranty as well. Worst case scenario is the Tranny will need to be replaced??? If so will it be covered under warranty 100%?

Thanks for the help,

autowrite · July 2012

Is the Platinum warrenty from Honda or an after-market warranty house? Did the warranty include the Power Train? If it included the Power Train and you got 100,000 warranty time period you should not have to pay to replace it.
On my transmission replacement, in 2007, I wrote Honda and in the meantime paid the full amount of CN$4,200. They refunded half. I had 184,000kms on it and my warranty was for 160,000kms. Had it happen up to 160,000kms it would have been 'no charge'.
I currently have 307,000kms on my 2002.

bg18947 · August 2012

I just had my Odyssey towed to the dealer yesterday. Transmission started showing signs of problems about 2 weeks ago. But, it clunked and slipped like crazy yesterday morning. The original transmission was replaced at about 60K, 1st replacement was then replaced just shy of 90K. This 2nd replacement transmission lasted less than 30 months and I got less than 25K out of it. Odometer is at 114K+.

I expect that Honda will give me some kind of discount because this is a ridiculously short life for a transmission. Everything about the vehicle is nice except for the transmission. I always warn people looking for used 99-01 to be aware of the notorious transmission issues. 02-03 also have problems but not as bad as the old 4-speed. :lemon:

ramy1995 · August 2012

i had same problem, mine is 2000, if you live in area of washington dc, i can fix it for you for lot less,
dan

vger · August 2012

Good to hear Dan. Don't get depressed if you find that you need to do it one more time, maybe in 20,000 or 30,000 miles.. There will be residule debris in the passages, but second cleaning with some fresh Tranny fluid will extend the next interval. I agree that most problems with our tranny started with these filters, but there are also engineering problems, such as a weak thrust bearing and problems with the torque converter.

ramy1995 · August 2012

on the risk of being misunderstood as a fan of honda, i say: the tranny after 150k miles, and after cleaning the screens in 3k miles, moves pretty well, although, i noticed that after drivning for 30-45 mints, first gear to second shift becomes jerky, and ugly. when cold, no problem whatsoever, stilll 200000 times better than what used to be , that might proof what you said,
any remedy for the weak thrust bearing and torque converter short of replacing them?
thanks again
dan

askmieke · August 2012

i have 2000 odyssey also....my shop is telling me there is a problem with the solenoid, so they want to rebuild the transmission, etc. Can the solenoid be fixed instead...how do they interact?

ramy1995 · August 2012

your shop is bsing u like they did to me, tell them specifically that you want them to remove and clean the linear and shifter selonoid, just clean , put back and ur car will run much better. i did that to my 2000 oddy myslef and ran like charm. problem is, how do u know they did that<?
where do you live?

vger · August 2012

All solenoids are located outside of the tranny so there is no need to overhaul. If your clutch plates are worn due to the lack of pressure (faulty solenoid) than you need to overhaul. Wonder what the cost of solenoids? You can look up the cost online.

ramy1995 · August 2012

you will never find a tran shop that tells you it is only the selonooidss.. it is always overhaul.. why? coz the difrence is 3500 dollars for them .
clean your seline diyons.. selonoids and see what happens.. it is i think 3 hours by the book, although , me no mechanic with cave man tools, i did it in 3 hours.

autowrite · August 2012

My Canadian Ontario dealer never BS me! I had a 3rd pressure switch ($289) replaced last Dec and went faulty in August 2012; they replaced it No charge, They said I could have a heat sensor go at any time; just bring it in asap and they will gladly change it. I had the transmission replaced at 184,000 kms. Two years ago I had an after market transmission cooler installed. I currently have 308,000 kms.

bljarv · September 2012

We had the second transmission fail in our 01 Odyssey on our vacation last week. The original only got us to 119,000 miles and the first replacement got us to 170,000. We won't put a third transmission in this van at nearly $5000. The Odyssey was our first and last Honda we will ever buy.

Honda Odyssey Transmission Problems

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