2003 HONDA ODYSSEY Complaints

HI, HONDA HAD A RECALL ON THE 03 ODYSSEY TRANSMISSION FOR CHIPPING OF METAL, OVER HEATING, ETC. RIGHT NOW MY CAR WILL NOT ENGAGE FROM REVERSE TO DRIVE FOR 10-15SEC AND WHILE DRIVING WILL ACCELERATE FOR NO REASON, WHICH I BELIEVE ARE VERY MAJOR SAFETY ISSUES. SPOKE TO HONDA CUSTOMER CARE AND THEY WILL NOT TAKE CARE OR FIX THESE ISSUES CASE#[XXX] ON 1229/2011. [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

2003 ODYSSEY APPROXIMATELY 67K MILES DEVELOPED FLUID LEAK IN PAST WEEK. VEHICLE HAD BEEN SERVICED REGULARLY. WHILE DRIVING WITH FAMILY COOLANT LEAKED ONTO EXHAUST SYSTEM CAUSING SMOKE AND HAD TO PULL OFF INTERSTATE. ENGINE HAD OPERATED NORMALLY AND THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS OR ABNORMAL TEMPERATURE GAGE READINGS. HAD VEHICLE TOWED TO LOCAL HONDA DEALER. DIAGNOSED AS LEAKING HEAD GASKET. UPON REMOVAL OF THE CYLINDER HEAD, THE HEAD BOLTS PULL FROM THE BLOCK PORTS WITH THE BOLT THREADS. APPARENTLY HEAD BOLTS HAD BECOME LOOSE GIVEN THE THREAD FAILURE IN THE BLOCK AND ALLOWED LEAKAGE OF FLUIDS IN THE CYLINDER HEAD. HONDA STATED THAT THE ENGINE WILL NEED TO BE REPLACED AT A COST OF 3K++. APPARENTLY THIS SAME ISSUE HAS OCCURRED TO SEVERAL OTHER 2003 ODYSSEY OWNERS ACCORDING TO ON-LINE SEARCH. THE DEALER WAS AT A LOSS TO EXPLAIN THE FAILURE OF THE BOLTS AT THE GIVEN MILEAGE. IT APPEARS THAT THIS COULD BE A DEFECT IN THE BLOCK DESIGN OR MANUFACTURE AND COULD LEAD TO PREMATURE ENGINE FAILURE. HONDA SHOULD ADDRESS THIS ISSUE AS WELL AS AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION AND EGR VALVE DEFECTS WHICH HAVE ALSO BEEN A CONTINUAL PROBLEM WITH THE 2003 ODYSSEY. VERY DISAPPOINTED IN THE RELIABILITY OF THIS VAN *TR

COMPLETE TRANSMISSION FAILURE WHILE VEHICLE WAS OPERATING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. *TR

WHILE TRAVELING FROM FLORIDA TO VIRGINIA DOWN I95 AT 70MPH IN CRUISE CONTROL, I SUDDENLY LOST ACCELERATION AND LOOKED UP IN TIME TO SEE SMOKE COMING FROM THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE. I PULLED OVER AND TRANSMISSION FLUID CONTINUED TO BURN AND SMOKE FROM ENGINE COMPARTMENT AND THEN THE PLASTIC ENGINE COVER CAUGHT FIRE. WE WERE ABLE TO EXTINGUISH IT AND HAVE IT TOWED TO A HONDA DEALER, WHERE WE WERE TOLD THE TRANSMISSION OVERHEATED FOR AN UNKNOWN REASON. THIS VAN HAD ALREADY HAD THREE TRANSMISSION COOLER LINE RECALL PERFORMED AFTER A SIMILAR INCIDENT BY A PREVIOUS OWNER THAT CAUSED THE TRANSMISSION TO NEED TO BE REBUILT. AFTER BEING LEFT WITH NO OTHER OPTION, I OPTED TO REFILL TRANSMISSION FLUID AND CONTINUE TO DRIVE THE CAN BACK TO VIRGINIA. THE VAN OPERATED PERFECTLY AND HAD NO ISSUES FOR THE REST OF THE SIX HUNDRED PLUS MILE TRIP HOME. I AM OF COURSE NOW SCARED TO DRIVE IT ANYWHERE EVEN THOUGH IT RUNS LIKE IT NEVER HAD A PROBLEM. IT GAVE NO INDICATION OF TROUBLE BEFORE THIS SUDDEN OVERHEATING EITHER. THIS COULD HAVE BEEN MUCH WORSE ESPECIALLY SINCE WE WERE TRAVELING WITH THREE SMALL CHILDREN INCLUDING A BABY. *TR

I WAS DRIVING THE CAR ALONG AND IT FELT AS THOUGH IT WENT INTO NEUTRAL. THE MOTOR CONTINUED TO SHOW REVOLUTIONS ON THE TACHOMETER BUT THE CAR SLOWED DOWN TO A STOP. I COASTED INTO A SHOPPING CENTER PARKING LOT AND TURNED THE CAR OFF. I WAITED ABOUT FIVE MINUTES AND STARTED THE CAR AGAIN. I WAS ABLE TO PUT THE CAR IN DRIVE AND PROCEED FOR ABOUT THREE MINUTES AND THE SAME THING AS ABOVE HAPPENED. I CALLED MY HUSBAND AND HE CAME TO MY LOCATION IN A DIFFERENT CAR. I FOLLOWED HIM FOR ABOUT FOUR MILES WHILE HE DROVE THE HONDA ODYSSEY, 2003 AND OBSERVED THE SAME THING TWO MORE TIMES UNTIL WE REACHED A GARAGE WHERE OUR CARS HAD BEEN WORKED ON BEFORE. THE NEXT DAY ON SATURDAY, MY HUSBAND DROVE HIS CAR TO THE GARAGE AND TOOK THE HONDA TO THE DEALERSHIP LESS THAN A MILE FROM WHERE IT WAS PARKED ALL NIGHT ON FRIDAY, DECEMBER 9. *TR

TRANSMISSION SUDDENLY BEGAN SLIPPING - NO WARNING LIGHTS APPEARED -- OCCURS INTERMITTENTLY -- HAVE READ ABOUT MANY SIMILAR CASES WITH THE HONDA ODYSSEY TRANSMISSION ---HONDA SHOULD BE FIXING/REPLACING THIS DEFECT FOR ITS CUSTOMERS! *TR

ATTEMPTING TO MOVE THE VEHICLE FROM OUR DRIVEWAY TO THE STREET, THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION FAILED ON OUR 2003 HONDA ODYSSEY EX. THE CLUTCH WOULD NOT IMMEDIATELY CATCH IN EITHER REVERSE OR DRIVE. ONCE IT DID ENGAGE, IN EITHER DIRECTION, THE ENGINE AND TRANSMISSION WOULD SHAKE AND JERK THE ENTIRE VEHICLE. WE DROVE THE VEHICLE ABOUT 2 MILES TO A LOCAL REPAIR SHOP. THE MECHANIC TOLD US WE NEEDED TO REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION AND ALSO INSTALL AN ELECTRONIC CONTROL MODULE. THE REPAIR WILL COST US $4,700. WHILE HE NOTED THE VEHICLE OTHERWISE LOOKED IN EXCELLENT MECHANICAL CONDITION, TRANSMISSION FAILURES WERE VERY COMMON FOR HONDA ODYSSEYS MANUFACTURED FOR THE 2002-2004 MODEL YEARS. FURTHER RESEARCH SHOWS HUNDREDS OF COMPLAINTS AROUND HONDA'S AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION FOR BOTH THIS VEHICLE AND OTHER MODELS. WHAT OTHER INFORMATION DOES DOT/NHTSA NEED TO MOVE TOWARD A RECALL? *TR

FIRST TRANS DRIVE INDICATOR LIGHT STARTED FLASHING.PAID TO REPLACE SENSOR AND FLUSH TRANS OIL.THREE WEEKS LATER TRANS REFUSES TO SHIFT OUT OF PARK.,I OPENED STEERING WHEEL OVERRIDE AND TRANS IS WORKING FINE EXCEPT I MUST EMPLOY OVERRIDE FEATURE TO SHIFT GEAR. *TR

I PULLED INTO MY GARAGE AND STOPPED MY VAN. I TURNED THE KEY TO THE OFF POSITION WITHOUT REALIZING I HAD NOT YET SHIFTED INTO PARK. I WAS ABLE TO REMOVE THE KEY FROM THE IGNITION WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS STILL IN DRIVE. I HAVE BEEN ABLE TO REPLICATE THIS ISSUE SEVERAL TIMES, EACH TIME BEING ABLE TO REMOVE THE KEY FROM THE IGNITION WHILE THE VEHICLE IS STILL IN DRIVE. I HAVE BEEN FULLY STOPPED WITH MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE EACH TIME. *TR

TRANSMISSION FAILED AND BURNED OUT COMPLETELY GOING 65 MILES PER HOUR ON I95. 3 KIDS IN THE CAR AND LEFT AT THE SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY, VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION. HONDA WILL NOT HELP US BUT WOULD LIKE US TO PAY THEM $5600 FOR A REBUILT HONDA TRANSMISSION. THERE ARE NUMEROUS REPORTS OF HONDA TRANSMISSIONS FAILING AT AS LOW AS 45K MILES. THERE SHOULD BE A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT FOR MODEL YEAR 2003. THEY DO NOT CARE HOW MANY LIVES THEY PUT AT RISK. *TR