I will never buy another Honda again. I always serviced this car on time at the dealer but now I am out of a car because of transmission failure. It only has 136500 on it. Honda is a waste of money.

Update from May 8, 2018: Call Honda Customer Service at (800) 999-1009 to complain & asked for "goodwill compensation" they said they cannot help because my vehicle is out of warranty. So, My car has to go to the junk yard now. I will never pay any money for any Honda ever again. And will never recommend their cars to anybody.

My 2004 Honda Odyssey purchased in 2011 with 109K. Transmission fluid drained and filled 7 times since 2011. In Feb 2016 the D light started flashing. Took it to my local Honda Dealer the 4th gear oil sensor went out. Had both 4th gear and 3rd gear oil sensor replaced.

Two weeks later on a Saturday the car started slipping and bucking. Lucky I was close to the only transmission shop in New Bern that does things the old fashion way-knows what the hell they are doing. I opt to have a rebuilt transmission with new torque converter, outside, inside filters, new upgrades to this model since the shop has done these.

Also had the number one killer of 2004 Honda Odyssey Transmission heat. I had the biggest cooler installed in front of the driver side bumper so it cools the transmission. I ran it for 90 miles and had it checked in 75-80 degree weather and it read 160 degrees which from the repair shop standards is great.

On my 90 mile test drive checked the transmission fluid after stopping, popping the hood, check the level. Fluid is red as can be and at the proper level. So far I have driven 140 miles with no problems and it shifts better than it was purchased in Oct 2011 with 109K. I spent $2404.50 but it was well worth it since I did not need a car note right now.

Baldwins Automatic Transmissions in New Bern is the only game in town and they do a awesome job. The gent is originally from Mt. Vernon NY, Yonkers area ans has done hundreds to transmission rebuilds.

Me and my wife have noticed that ever since last week or so, the transmission in our Honda Odyssey was slipping, and the TSC and check engine light were on. I was driving it to the mechanic when the car broke down. So, basically, I was coasting down the road switching lanes, hoping that I could make it to the brake down lane in one piece. I was losing speed. Heck, a landscaping truck almost hit me! Once in the break down lane, I had the car towed to the mechanic. The mechanic told me it was transmission failure, and that my Honda was the 3rd Honda he had with this problem in this month! ( The other Hondas were an '02 Odyssey and a '99 Accord. ) So, great. Now we have to get a new car. This was me and my wife's fourth Honda ( our other Hondas were an '89 Accord, a '98 Accord, and an '06 Civic.)

You know, my first car was a 1988 Corolla. It had almost no problems in the 14 years i had it, other than the normal problems for a car it's age and mileage. I owned it for 14 years and 140,000 miles before trading it in for this crap Honda. Next car with DEFINITELY be a Toyota!

Update from Nov 11, 2015: About 2 1/2 months into the purchase of our 2015 Toyota Sienna XLE, and we love it! We should have stuck with Toyota instead of giving Honda our money! I think it's safe to say that this car will last me probably TWICE as long as that crap Honda!

This was the third transmission in this vehicle. And now it's slipping again with 40000 miles on the latest transmission. I have more tied up in repairs than this car is worth and can't afford to get rid of it. To top it off the dealers have been rude and cold - wouldn't even offer to work with me to put me in something more reliable. The 2nd and 3rd transmissions were put in at Casey Honda in Newport News, VA and they told me there was a 50,000 mile warranty on the work. I called yesterday to have it checked while still under warranty and was told "No, it's only 36,000 miles on the warranty". Not the first time I've been lied to.

Finding an honest Honda dealer has also been a problem. Casey Honda lied to me. Other Honda owners told me to stay away from the ones in Fredericksburg, VA and Richmond, VA. Latest visited was Urse Honda in Bridgeport WV and they have tried to sell me thousands of dollars in repairs that an honest and well respected shop down the road told me were not necessary at all. I'm very disillusioned with Honda overall. I always thought it was one of the better vehicles but they are not reliable and the people who work at the dealership think they are above everyone else. They refuse to deal or try to help the situation.

I can't believe, HONDA management can be that horrible, car broke down on highway, in between traffic. Luckily escaped. Towed to Honda Dealer and they diagnosed with TRANSMISSION failure, this is my second car which had transmission problem after completing 90K.

Called American Honda at Torrance to let them know about this incident because it happened on highway which could be life threatening and they simply denied for any kinds of help.

They said, old car, we won't help. If I knew this thing, never think to buy Honda. I have spent huge amount for changing the Transmission.

HONDA doesn't care for customers, they only care for how to sell new cars. I request to talk to senior person and they don't talk about it.

Can I ask if this incident happened with HONDA, then they realize the bad quality of transmission.

Update from Feb 14, 2014: I called Honda Customer Service couple of times in past two days and requested to give me some discount on new transmission but they denied. It's the service which American Honda provide to customers.

First, I'll start by saying if you own a big Honda/Acura with an auto transmission and a V6 engine, look into have a big aftermarket transmission cooler installed by a reputable mechanic. Heat is the primary killer of these transmissions. More on this later.

We've owned our 2004 Odyssey since new. The vehicle has been meticulously maintained and garage kept. I typically go a little extra on maintenance, I change the oil every 4K with Mobil1 synthetic. The transmission has been drained and filled 3 times in 87,000 miles. I don't tow anything, and I rarely haul heavy loads. Other than some pricey electrical problems, it has been a great van, with plenty of space, excellent steering feel and precision for a vehicle of its size, good power and a decent and relatively quiet ride when using Michelin Primacy MXV4 tires.

But on Tax day (joy), I was on my way home from work and the transmission start slipping. I had something similar happen on a '95 Chevy truck 15 years earlier, so I knew exactly what the problem was. I could feel my wallet getting lighter as my speed dropped. I lost 4th and 5th gears immediately, then lost 3rd while limping over to my preferred mechanic who was fortunately only about 1 1/2 miles away. The trans was shuddering in 1st and while shifting/slipping into second.

Estimated cost varies. Honda dealer is going to be $4,500 to $5,000. A reputable transmission rebuilder in the area will charge $2,500, and he will actually incorporate some improvements (more on that later). A Jasper reman is about $3,000 (after core credit), but that doesn't include labor (figure on another $1,000).

Needless to say, this is a common Honda/Accura fault affecting all V6 automatics, particularly the heavier models like the Odyssey, Pilot and MDX.

Based on my research, the factory Honda trans cooler is completely inadequate. In the words of the independent transmission shop I'm considering, it is a "piece of crap." The transmission tends to run too hot, even under light loads. This leads to accelerated clutch pack wear, which leads to blockages in trans fluid passageways, which leads to higher temps and more clutch wear ... classic feedback loop. Also, the primary filter is inside the case and can't be replaced without taking the whole trans apart (what were they thinking).

The Honda reman seems to have a reputation for failing earlier than the originals. But I'm currently working with Honda to see if they can cover any of the repair costs. If they don't, I'll have a local shop that does rebuilds on LOTS of these transmissions do the work. That shop will install the biggest aftermarket trans fluid cooler that will fit behind the bumper, which is the single most important improvement that can be made to these flawed transmissions. They'll also use an aftermarket torque converter to replace the fragile factory unit, along with a few other internal components where the aftermarket has a better product than OEM.

Another option are Jasper remans, which I've generally heard good things about. I feel pretty confident saying they are better than the remans Honda installs. I've even heard of some Honda owners who received good will from Honda (Honda paying 10 to 50% of the repair cost) convincing Honda to pay the same dollar amount, but install the Jasper transmission instead of the Honda reman. To me, that is a win-win (the owner gets a better Jasper trans, and Honda gets out of honoring a likely warranty claim on one of their crummy remans). The Jaspers have a 3 year 100k mi warranty, and incorporate the following updates:

Raybestos GPX frictions in all clutch packs. The Raybestos GPX frictions are an upgrade from the OEM frictions, the OEM frictions wear out prematurely.

New 3rd & 4th clutch pressure switches.

Milled and sleeved torque converter housing countershaft bearing, brought back to geometric center. Overtime, the bearing pocket will cavitate creating gear noise.

Milled and sleeved center case mainshaft and countershaft bearings, brought back to geometric center. Overtime, the bearing pockets will cavitate creating gear noise & premature bushing wear.

Updated sprag assembly. Overtime, the OEM sprag has a tendency to soften up increasing the likelihood of premature failure.

New low gear. The low gear is the mating surface for the updated sprag assembly, the low gear has a tendency to wear and soften overtime.

Updated cooler line kit for the 2nd gear drivetrain. The 2nd gear drivetrain has inadequate lubrication. This cooler line kit rectifies the inadequate cooling.

External transmission cooler provided. During internal testing the external cooler was proven to keep the transmission ATF temperature lower by up to 30 degrees.

A few weeks ago, my 2004 Odyssey with 118,000 miles started having problems shifting into drive after backing out of the driveway. Thought maybe it was just the cold weather. Then the engine light came on. Took it to Auto Zone & they showed code P0740. A few days later, it took about 10 seconds to shift into any gear. After doing much research online, we realized this was a common problem & some were recalled. Of course, ours was not. Called Corporate Honda to see if they would help at all & they said take it to Honda for a diagnostic. Told it needs transmission replaced - gears were burned up & shot! Cost - $5750!! Today, Corp. Honda called & said they would pay 30%, but that still leaves us close to $4000! Definitely NOT worth it! Only offered $1500 for a trade in! Very disappointed that this has happened. Was not ready to get a new van at this time.

I bought this 2004 Honda Odyssey with the hopes that it would be a long lasting vehicle with very little issues. Since Hondas are suppose to be very well made cars that with the proper maintenance they will last. Now I know that I have 140,000 miles on it but I do maintain the regular maintenance and take good care of my van.

Last week the engine light and the TCS lights came on at the same time. Later that day I took it to the dealer and they told me I needed a new transmission and a long list of other things. Total price tag $8000.00. Now after I picked myself up off the floor I thought I simply cant afford the repair costs. I was told it wasn't serious and could wait a bit but I needed to have it done. I am a single parent with 3 kids and money like that doesn't come easy. I had also asked if my van was part of the transmission recall on the 2004's and of course its not. So I left there and took it to a smaller mechanics shop. He said he could do the job for much less than Honda but he said the same thing the dealership said that it wasn't all that serious and could wait a bit. He turned off the engine light for me and said to see if it comes back on. No one seemed real concerned with it so neither did I.

Well a few days later it came back on with a vengeance. I was on my way to work, I was driving 60 on the freeway and I go to accelerate and nothing. Then is seemed to drop right into gear and about 3 miles later the same issue happened again. Then the engine light and the TCS lights came on again. Then is started to shake and slip in and out of gear. I was only able to drive 40 mph with it dropping in and out of gear and I finally made it off the freeway called a tow and $150.00 later found myself at the mechanic shop spending money I don't really have. Luckily it will cost around $1700.00 rather than the heap Honda service wanted.This is obviously a big problem with Hondas. Why cant they fix it. They are putting people and their families at risk.

Update from Dec 17, 2012: Now with an update I had the original transmission replaced with a "rebuilt" with a 1 year warranty. Well guess what my van is now back in the shop with transmission issues AGAIN. I went less than 6000 on the new one and now Im having issues again. I will never again buy a Honda product. This is a waste of my time and money.

Check engine light came on Sunday evening after getting gas. Spouse drove it a couple miles the next day. However less than 36 hours when heading out for an early morning gym workout it sputters and shakes so ii slowly pull into a parking lot. That parking lot happened to be pep boys. They took a look and said no thanks! Drove it to dealer, and they quoted 3500 to 5000 for repair. We bought this for the longevity, guess we were wrong! That's not the only problem with it...recall for paint a couple of times, some power windows, everything else was normal maintenance including "check ups" and replacing belts.

Had the timing belt replaced with the water pump as preventive maintenance before a 400 mile road trip 2/2012 @ 109,000 miles. Then 8/2012 making a 80 mile trip (all highway) I was going 70 mph with the cruise control on a heavily traveled I-70 in Missouri and it had a small clunk and jerk, like I hit a bump then the engine revved like I was out of gear, then I stopped the cruise control and tried to accelerate and it revved and continued to slow down 12 miles from our destination. Smoke was pouring out from under the front and I looked in the rear view mirror to see a trail of smoke behind me. Never had a warning light, never had a slip when I was driving and I am the main driver. It was 95 degrees and we were stranded. We had to wait 1.5 hours for a tow. The dealership I had it towed to charged me nearly $4,000 and said there was no recall.

Honda knowing that the 2004 Odyssey had a faulty transmission sold this new van to us. Not only that but they told us it was the safest van on the market!!! They let us buy this van knowing that the transmission could lock up and cause an accident. In 2008 when the van only had 60,000 miles the transmission locked up and Honda would not cover under warranty and wanted $7000.00 to replace the transmission. Honda not only put my wife and three children in serious danger but also left us stranded without a ride. Because we spent all of our money on what we thought to be a reliable ride, there are no funds to replace with a safe van.

Epidemic of Honda transmission failures- This is a story like so many others on this site and others regarding Honda transmissions. Family buys Honda as a reliable family car. Transmission fails. Honda fails too - to honor its responsibility to customers. We were satisfied longstanding Honda owners. Shortly after our second child arrived, we decided to sell our Accord wagon and get a larger vehicle, a second hand 2004 Odyssey. We were happy with the Hondas we had owned before and still believed in the Honda reputation for customer service and quality. Honda no longer delivers on that reputation. This car was meticulously maintained, serviced regularly at a local dealer. Almost immediately after buying the car, with just 34k miles on it - it developed a periodic shudder in the lower gears. We did not recognize this as a potentially big issue until many miles later we could no longer manually downshift the transmission. When we took it in the HondaNorth - at 67k miles young - for diagnosis of the problem, the list began with the need for new engine mounts, new heat shields for the catalytic convertor and ended with a new torque convertor. So much for that Honda quality. After AmericanHonda took more than a week to check out our case and turn us down for assistance, the dealership called to inform us that they would start charging storage on our car still waiting there in their lot. So much for customer service. Since then, with a second review, HondaAmerica has continued to refuse assistance for the torque convertor – that will cost $2325. I have another car with 3 times the mileage that has never needed repair of such a basic item. The NHTSA, the Dept of Transportation official website has some 570 transmission complaints from owners of 2003–4 Honda Accords. There are just over 700 transmission complaints from owners of 2002–4 Odysseys. For 2004 Odyssey’s alone, half of the 240 complaints for this model (as of 11/13/11) are transmission related. According to the executive director of the Center for Auto Safety, Clarence Ditlow, there has been a huge spike in the number of complaints regarding transmission failure. Of the 267 transmission complaints the Center received in the second half of 2010 alone, 169 were from Honda or Acura owners. A number of the complaints filed with NHTSA recount mechanical failure that created very serious danger for the families involved. According to a report in the New York Times (Jan 8, 2011), “Despite a huge recall in 2004 and a class-action settlement in 2006, many Honda owners are still having serious problems with the automatic transmissions of their Accords, Odysseys and Pilots, requiring thousands of dollars in repairs…..Angry owners of Accords — as well as Civics, Odysseys and Pilots — have filed a total of about 3,500 complaints with the highway safety administration, the Center for Auto Safety and CarComplaints.com…” A year ago, we all witnessed the long failure of Toyota to come clean about the accelerator issues. Now there is an epidemic of Honda transmission failures. When will Honda and our government officials pay attention?