10.0
really awful- Crashes / Fires:
- 1 / 3
- Injuries / Deaths:
- 1 / 0
- Average Mileage:
- 70,478 miles
About These NHTSA Complaints:
The NHTSA is the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints can be spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem. See the Back button — blue bar at the very top of the page — to explore more.
« Read the previous 20 complaints
I have been told by Honda and 2 other independent transmission repair shops have told me my 2002 Honda Odyssey, 76K miles, transmission needs to be replaced due to a very hard shift from 1st to 2nd. I'm also told the ECU must be replaced as well otherwise new part will not be warranted. Honda has agreed to pay 70% of the repair. I feel Honda knows these defects exist, and don't think I should be charged 30% of this repair.
- Vacaville, CA, USA
The transmission on our 2002 Honda Odyssey is going and Honda is not willing to take care of it. The recall is only for vehicles through 2001. The vehicle keeps slipping gears between 2nd and 3rd gear and there is a huge clunking noise. Our mechanic emptied the tranny fluid and added a "repair" fluid. That worked for a while, but we do not have $5K to replace the transmission. We have had nothing but trouble with this vehicle.
- Portland, ME, USA
Transmission failure. Gear does not shift up. Initially occurred in April every few days, but occurs almost daily now. This is a safety hazard especially when driving on the highway.
- San Jose, CA, USA
The contact owns a 2002 Honda Odyssey. While driving he experienced gear failure, which caused the steering column to lock. The manufacturer was notified in reference to recall #04V176000 (power train:automatic transmission); however, he was advised that since the recall was already performed, they would not assume any responsibility for repairs. An authorized technician concluded that the transmission was never replaced. The failure has not been remedied. The failure and current mileages were 140,000.
- Durham, NC, USA
Transmission fail to engage to 3rd gear.
- Centreville, VA, USA
Honda Odyssey LX 2002, transmission started failing. While driving the van would immediately not "go" anywhere while pressing on the gas. We had to press on the gas a few times to get the van to start driving again. The engine light came on got code P0730 and P0845 Sept 17, 2009. Honda dealer states we need a new transmission, we now have 70,900 miles on the van. We are told we are over the years for a warranty and that the transmission recall from 2004 was "fixed" on our van. The van is unsafe to drive and it is due to a bad transmission due to a faulty 2nd gear recall fix that has now caused damage to the 3rd gear. Even though a cooler has been installed on van from the 2004 recall it has not resolved the issue of the 2002 Odyssey transmissions from failing.
- Jacksonville, FL, USA
Honda Odyssey LX 2002, transmission started failing. While driving the van would immediately not "go" anywhere while pressing on the gas. We had to press on the gas a few times to get the van to start driving again. The engine light came on got code P0730 and P0845 Sept 17, 2009. Honda dealer states we need a new transmission, we now have 70,900 miles on the van. We are told we are over the years for a warranty and that the transmission recall from 2004 was "fixed" on our van. The van is unsafe to drive and it is due to a bad transmission due to a faulty 2nd gear recall fix that has now caused damage to the 3rd gear. Even though a cooler has been installed on van from the 2004 recall it has not resolved the issue of the 2002 Odyssey transmissions from failing.
- Jacksonville, FL, USA
My 2002 Honda Odyssey began having troubles shifting into gear in August 2009. It happened sporadically and once I took my foot off the gas it would shift. Recently that did not work and I was almost in an accident as I was merging on to the long island expressway. The transmission wouldn't shift even after I took my foot of the gas and I had to quickly pull on to the shoulder to avoid getting hit. The only way the car would shift after that is that I had to stop the car first. I took the car to Honda and they told me I needed a new transmission. Since my car is a 2002 and not between 1999 and 2001 it does not fall under the recall and it is going to be very expensive to fix. I don't understand why a recall hasn't been made for this year. On this site alone is over 125 pages worth of complaints (with at least 2 complaints per page) about the transmissions for this model, make and year. This most definitely is still a design flaw in the transmission. Not only is this expensive but someone can be seriously hurt.
- Huntington, NY, USA
I was having problems with the "D" (drive gear) light flashing a couple of months ago. My husband took the car to aamco and they said the fuel cells needed to be replaced otherwise we will have transmission problems. So, we replaced them (cost us about $300). This past Friday, starting of the labor day holiday weekend, my entire family (husband, wife, 3 kids and mother) were taking a road trip to niagara falls in Canada. My husband was driving and approximately 400 miles into our trip on I-90, he felt the car stall while driving. Then the tcs light came on by itself and wouldn't go off, even after he pressed the tcs button. Within minutes the car was not driving properly, it was stalling and then it started to smoke. He pulled over at a "parking" restop, no facilities, just an "aid" phone (which didn't work). The entire vehicle filled up with smoke and when we opened the hood, the amount of smoke was tremendous. It smoked for at least 30 minutes. We called for service, but since that's a private road, we couldn't get a towing company to come out. The nys thruway authority finally got someone there to tow the vehicle to schenectady, NY (about 1/2 hour drive in opposite direction) and we had to pay extra for towing to that town. There was no service until Tuesday due to holiday weekend. We had to get a taxi to albany airport to get a rental car...everything sold out due to long weekend...begged and pleaded and finally got a rental for 2 days...basically, we were stranded...we paid an astronomical amount for the rental SUV which had to be dropped off at jfk (incur more fees because we needed a vehicle to get back home). On Tuesday, day after labor day, repair shop quoted us $6K for a rebuilt transmission. Since that amount is too high, we had the vehicle moved to a relatives home in schnectady until we can somehow get it back home.
- Baldwin, NY, USA
I own a 2002 Honda Odyssey. Bought the vehicle on 2/7/04 with 28,317 miles. On 2/17/04 with 28,784 miles brought the vehicle in saying the transmission was hesitating. The dealership found nothing wrong. On 6/29/04 brought the vehicle in for the transmission (2nd to 3rd gear tranny oil kit install) with 35.385 miles on the vehicle. On 9/28/04 brought the vehicle in at 40,676 miles with the same hesitation issues. I was told then that the hesitation was merely caused by the electronic signal in the transmission and the accelerator. I took that as gospel and drove with the ever worsening issue until today (9/5/09). On 9/2/09 I brought the car in for a transmission flush to see if that might help. The engine light was on and the tlc light was on. The service person and mechanics did not even address that issue, even through they were driving the vehicle around their lot. I mentioned the lights to the service person who told me to drive the vehicle around for a few days and if the light stayed on to come back in. They would turn off the light and see if it said off. If it came back on I should bring the van back in. My transmission totally failed. In the middle of highway traffic my van started to slam in and out of gear. I had to slam on breaks to keep from sliding out of control due to the sudden lower gear kicking in at 70 mph. Luckily I had just dropped off my daughter and it was only my wife and I in the vehicle. I am upset that I was at the dealership and they totally ignored the lights that were on, and that they told me to drive around with the engine light on to see if the problem would get worse. I found two blogs with people all over the country having these same issues - failing transmissions even when maintenance has been maintained and failing service at Honda dealerships. You people need to address this issue. There are many 1998 - 2003 Honda vans out there and they are just ticking time bombs.
- Carolina Beach, NC, USA
The contact owns a 2002 Honda Odyssey. He stated that when driving 25 to 30 mph the rpms increased and the speedometer stayed at 40 mph which also caused the gears to slip. The check engine light illuminated with a code P0730. When the check engine light illuminated and the driver was shifting from second to third gear, the vehicle began shaking and the transmission over heated. The dealer was notified and stated that there was a fee to diagnose the failure. The failure is directly related to NHTSA campaign id number: 04V176000 component: Power train:automatic transmission. The failure mileage was unknown and the current mileage was 103,000.
- Lewis, DE, USA
No particular events. Just careful driving in rural Iowa. Transmission failure on 2002 Honda Odyssey. Transmission had 89,500 miles on it. Transmission was fixed via recall in 2004 and transmission flushed in Sept 2007. Still failed in August 2009. Dealer is estimating $4,000 or so to replace with rebuilt transmission.
- Oskaloosa, IA, USA
The contact owns 2002 Honda Odyssey. While driving approximately 20-40 mph on normal road conditions, the automatic transmission failed to shift into gear. There was an excessive increase in the engine RPM's when traveling at low speeds. The "engine maintenance" warning light indicator illuminated intermittently. An authorized dealer diagnosed the vehicle and stated that the failure was related to the transmission which needed to be replaced. NHTSA campaign id number 04V176000, power train:automatic transmission is related to the failure. The vehicle was repaired; however, the remedy failed to address the recall defect. The failure continued and the transmission has not been replaced at this time. The contact had concerns of the safety risk involved. The failure and current mileages were 74,500. The VIN number was rejected from the system which will be updated upon receipt of the safety complaint form. Updated 09/18/09. The consumer has been to the dealer several times. Updated 09/21/09.
- Phoenix, AZ, USA
Have always had all scheduled maintenance completed. Previously: 39,000 miles July 2004 had the oil jet completed by Honda for recall; 43,000 miles Oct 2004 check engine light coming on and shifting abnormally, re-manufactured engine installed by Honda per sb# 04-043; 67,000 miles July 2006 shift hesitation between 30 - 60 mph, egr valve replaced by Honda per sb# 05-026. Still having hesitations after egr valve replaced, but Honda was not able to determine any additional problem. Continued this hesitation on and off. 114,000 miles Mar 2009 shift slipping and van moving slow. Of course passed all warranties. Advised by Honda that I needed yet another transmission costing almost $4,000. Called american Honda. Only offered 25% discount. I was able to get it done cheaper by someone else with a better warranty. I would like to be included if there is any type of "defect" determined, which I as well as many others believe is the case.
- Baton Rouge, LA, USA
While driving to work, I was not able to shift gears and then my car was moving so slow that I barely made it to Honda service. I'm glad I didn't have the kids in the car with me. The car only has 90,000 miles and was serviced and maintained properly. Transmission has to be completely replaced costing total $5,000. Honda motor co. Was only willing to pay 50% of the cost. They should pay the entire cost since it is a defective part. They admit they are at fault by sending recalls in 2004 on the transmission and now paying 50% of the transmission replacement.
- Torrance, CA, USA
I own a 2002 Honda Odyssey with 88,948 miles on it that now has a check engine light on and codes for P1491 egr valve failure and P1740 4th pressure switch failure. Honda refuses to fix this for less than $5000. The egr valve failure is well-documented in a service bulletin and on the internet and Honda has extended warranty repairs for that to 80,000 yet wont' extend another 8000 for mine. I cannot afford a $5000+ repair or new car and it is not fair that a car I paid $30,000+ for in 2001 based upon its reputation for reliability is failing me after only 88,000 miles moreover, the no. Of complaints by fellow Honda owners for this same defect clearly shows a manufacturing defect that Honda needs to accept liability for. The car may not be safe but I have no choice but to Transport my kids in this car because I can't afford a new car or to get this fixed. Honda really needs to take responsibility for this and fund these repairs. It is not fair and with no rhyme or reason that Honda will cover these problems up to 80,000 miles but not to mine with 88000 miles. Moreover, I believe my problem could have started at 80,000 miles but was not properly and timely diagnosed. Please expand your actions against Honda to hold them accountable for these repairs just as they are under warranty service problems.
- Vienna, VA, USA
On Friday, July 31, 2009, wife was driving our 2002 Honda Odyssey on interstate freeway at 65 mph. Vehicle has about 95,000 miles on it, and has been well maintained, including the 2004 recall. Without any warning or symptoms, vehicle began loosing power in jerking manner, violent enough to lock the seatbelts of my wife & 3 kids who were in the vehicle with her. Wife was able to get across lanes of traffic to get off to the side of the road, where she immediately called me. She was crying and very shaken up. She stated that had she been close to another vehicle, she likely would have been in an accident. Engine light and tcs light were now on. Took vehicle to nearby Honda dealership. They found "4 codes" the following day. Technician performed further work the following Monday & they said vehicle needed new transmission and new engine control unit (computer - aka ECM, tcm & PCM?) at a total cost of $4400. I was quite surprised to find all the information available on the internet that clearly indicates this problem dates back to model year 1999, and clearly was not fixed by the 2004 recall "oil jet" procedure. I also have not been able to get explanation from Honda as to why computer needs replaced. Either the computer is causing the problem or it is not. If it is, it should already have been replaced through recall. If it is not, the consumer is getting fleeced. Its one thing for a product to fail over time due to normal wear and tear. But it is not ok for something as fundamental as a transmission to fail in 7 years with less than 100,000 without warning while you're driving down the freeway. There will be a transmission that fails in traffic and will result in an accident, and somebody will get killed because of this problem.
- Columbus, OH, USA
Returning home from vacation and transmission went out on my 2002 Honda Odyssey at 133000 (approx). The original transmission was replaced by Honda (lester raines) under safety recall around 47000. Contacted Honda customer service, lester raines and crown Honda for assistance and was told they could not do anything because we are beyond the normal warranty. This was after waiting all week for an answer. In the meantime, left without a vehicle, had to rent vehicle to get back home originally ($258 charge incurred). I feel this is still a problem on this particular model year after reading this site and other Honda forums and wish to have assistance on this. Im currently looking at a $5000 repair bill if replaced by Honda. I can get it done cheaper by someone else with better warranty. However because of the safety issue and known problem with these models, I feel that Honda should fix the problem. We've owned Honda vehicles for several years and right now, I'm very disappointed. Any assistance would be greatly appreciated.
- Glasgow, WV, USA
I just bought a 2002 Honda Odyssey May 12 2009 as is from a Honda dealership 2 days later I was noticing my rpms were revving up I called up the better business bureau they told me to check for recalls I did 2nd gear shift brought it back to the dealership put it on a diagnostics they said it was fine ordered the oil jet kit put it in a month later then when I was given the keys was told I had a transmission problem, I walked in the dealership they told me to call up Honda Canada and see what they can do for me, they said nothing called the dealership back and asked them why did they sell me a car if they knew had transmission problems they said that they could try to get me a power train warranty I have to get up $910 im upset and mad at how they can get away with this and sell me a car that has problems when they diagnosed it to be a working car with no problems now im looking on the internet of these horror stories I paid 10,000 cash for this van please help I have a special needs child and this car is needed to bring her back and forth to drs. Appointments.
- New Haven, CT, USA
- Abingdon, MD, USA