— Honda Odyssey transmission problems have caused a class action lawsuit that alleges 9-speed ZF 9HP automatic transmissions suffer from delayed shifting, loud noises while shifting, rough shifting, rough acceleration/deceleration and sudden power loss.
The Honda transmission lawsuit includes all current and former owners or lessees who purchased or leased 2018-2019 Odyssey minivans equipped with 9-speed automatic transmissions.
The plaintiffs who sued say Honda began equipping certain vehicles with 9-speed transmissions allegedly to increase fuel economy. But the class action alleges any improved fuel economy came at the expense of transmission problems.
One of the plaintiffs says she purchased a new 2019 Honda Odyssey, but within the first few months the minivan experienced harsh or delayed shifting and engagement, delayed accelerations, banging into gear, hesitation, jerking, shuddering, lurching and a lack of power.
The plaintiff says Honda hasn't been able to repair the Odyssey and she doesn't feel safe.
According to the plaintiff, she returned the minivan to the dealership at 8,447 miles and told technicians the minivan jerked when accelerating below 40 mph. However, the technician drove the Odyssey and couldn't find anything wrong. No repairs were made and the minivan was returned to the plaintiff.
The plaintiff took the Odyssey minivan back to the dealership at 9,746 miles complaining the transmission jerked when accelerating from a stop. But again Honda said the Odyssey was working as designed, and it was returned to the customer.
"During one service visit, Ms. Browning drove the vehicle accompanied by a service technician to demonstrate the problem. During the drive, the vehicle exhibited delayed acceleration followed by a bang, which the service technician acknowledged he heard. In response, the service technician kept the vehicle for further inspection and a software update. However, after each visit, Ms. Browning’s vehicle was returned to her with no permanent repair." - Honda transmission lawsuit
The plaintiff says she finally traded the Odyssey for a different vehicle, "at a large monetary loss."
The lawsuit alleges multiple transmission problems cause unsafe conditions, not only to Odyssey occupants but to all others on the roads. The alleged transmission problems make it difficult to change lanes safely, make turns, merge into traffic and accelerate from stops at intersections.
According to the class action, Honda has issued multiple technical service bulletins (TSBs) to dealers concerning the ZF 9HP transmission problems.
Additionally, the plaintiffs say the automaker created a customer service campaign due to the transmissions, but Odyssey owners and lessees continue to experience problems with their minivans.
The lawsuit also references a report from Road & Track Magazine which said the ZF 9HP transmission “uses an electronic shifter…[that] takes an eternity to engage drive, its shifts are clunky, and it’s painfully slow to react to manual commands.”
Honda also allegedly refuses to extend the warranties or recall the Odysseys even though the automaker has knowledge of customer complaints, service campaigns, TSBs and dealer repair orders.
The Honda Odyssey transmission lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California: Browning, et al., v. American Honda Motor Co., Inc., et al.
The plaintiffs are represented by Capstone Law APC, and Berger Montague PC.
CarComplaints.com has complaints about the 2018 Honda Odyssey, 2019 Honda Odyssey and other Odyssey model years.