2002 HONDA ODYSSEY Complaints

MY VEHICLE IS A 2002 HONDA ODYSSEY EX-L. THE VEHICLE WAS SUBJECT TO A RECALL FOR ITS AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION (NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 04V176000). RECALL SERVICE WAS PERFORMED FOR MY VEHICLE BY REPLACEMENT OF THE ORIGINAL TRANSMISSION IN 2005. I HAD NOT NOTICED ANY SIGNIFICANT CHANGES IN PERFORMANCE SINCE I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE IN 2006 THAT ALERTED ME TO ANY NEW PROBLEMS WITH THE TRANSMISSION. WHEN THE INCIDENT OCCURRED, I WAS DRIVING THE VEHICLE ON THE INTERSTATE AT 62 MPH. SPOUSE AND FOUR YOUNG CHILDREN WERE PASSENGERS. WITHOUT WARNING, A LOUD "CLUNK" WAS AUDIBLE FROM THE ENGINE AND THE VEHICLE LURCHED, AFTER WHICH THE TRANSMISSION COMPLETELY LOCKED, THE FRONT WHEELS QUIT TURNING, AND THE VEHICLE SKIDDED TO A STOP WITHIN AROUND 100 YARDS OR LESS FROM THE INITIAL POINT OF FAILURE. THE FRONT TIRES WERE SMOKING AND NEARLY BURNING WHEN THE VEHICLE CAME TO REST, HAVING BEEN WORN DOWN TO THE BELTS DESPITE THEM BEING ONLY ABOUT ONE YEAR OLD. IT WAS LATER DETERMINED BY THE DEALER THAT WHEN THE TRANSMISSION LOCKED, IT ALSO CAUSED THE ENGINE BLOCK TO CRACK, THE SHIFT CABLE SNAPPED, AND THE RIGHT AXLE WAS BROKEN INTO TWO PIECES. AMERICAN HONDA AGREED TO INSTALL A REMANUFACTURED TRANSMISSION, A SALVAGE ENGINE, NEW RIGHT AND LEFT AXLE ASSEMBLIES, AND NEW FRONT TIRES. THE DEALER WAS INSTRUCTED TO SEND THE TRANSMISSION BACK TO HONDA. I WAS ABLE TO MAINTAIN ONLY VERY LIMITED CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE WHEN THE FRONT WHEELS LOCKED, AND IT IS REMARKABLE THAT THERE WAS NO CRASH, INJURIES, OR FATALITIES CONSIDERING THAT THIS OCCURRED AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS IN A NARROW URBAN CONSTRUCTION ZONE WITH MODERATE TRAFFIC. AT LEAST TWO OTHER VEHICLES AVOIDED HITTING MINE FROM BEHIND ONLY BY QUICKLY BRAKING AND SWERVING INTO THE ADJACENT LANE. THIS IS A WELL-KNOWN DEFECT FOR THIS TRANSMISSION THAT HAS NOT BEEN CORRECTED BY THE RECALL. MANY OWNERS ARE ON THEIR 3RD OR MORE TRANSMISSIONS, AND I HAVE SEEN REPORTS OF SIMILAR INCIDENTS (LOCKUPS AT HIGH SPEEDS) TO MINE. *TR

2002 ODYSSEY, PURCHASED NEW. TRANSMISSION FAILURE AT 135,000. WHEN SHIFTING FROM 2ND TO 3RD, IT SLIPS INTO "NEUTRAL" AND WILL NOT RE-ENGAGE. I'VE READ ABOUT MANY FAILURE OF THE SAME TYPE. DEALER WILL NOT HELP COVER COSTS AND SAID 135,00 IS "PRETTY GOOD" FOR THE LIFE OF THIS TRANNY AND THEN REQUESTED $4000 TO HAVE IT REBUILT. SO MUCH FOR HONDA QUALITY. *TR

HONDA ODYSSEY 2002 NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID: 04V176000 VEHICLE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION IS "POPPING" OUT OF GEAR WHILE DRIVING. WHEN THIS HAPPENS THERE IS A LOW WHIRRING AND GRINDING SOUND. THIS TRANSMISSION WAS PART OF A RECALL MENTIONED ABOVE. UPON INSPECTION BY HONDA DEALER, CONCLUSION IS THAT TRANSMISSION MUST BE REPLACED. AMERICAN HONDA IS REFUSING TO PAY FOR REPLACEMENT TRANSMISSION. PLEASE ADVISE AS TO WHAT MY OPTIONS ARE REGARDING LEGAL RECOURSE. I AM AFRAID THAT THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE. *TR

NO UNUSUAL EVENTS LED TO THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS BEING DRIVEN IN SUBURBAN TRAFFIC, MOSTLY AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS, WITH THE OCCASIONAL STOPLIGHT. THE FAILURE IS THAT THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION FAILS TO SHIFT, OR SHIFTS WITH A LURCH OR A SHUDDER, GENERALLY IN THE HIGHER GEARS. IT ALSO OCCASIONALLY FAILS TO SHIFT INTO REVERSE AND REQUIRES SEVERAL MOVEMENTS OF THE SHIFT LEVER. THE DEALER HAS STATED THAT THE TRANSMISSION HAS FAILED, AND IS A KNOWN DEFECT OF THIS YEAR TRANSMISSION AND VEHICLE. THE TRANSMISSION HAS NOT YET BEEN REPAIRED. *TR

COMPLETE TRANSMISSION FAILURE ON A 2002 HONDA ODYSSEY. THIS OCCURRED IMO BECAUSE HONDA HAS FAILED TO PROPERLY HANDLE THE QUALITY ISSUES WITH THEIR TRANSMISSION. THIS STRANDED MY WIFE AND CHILDREN, AND COULD HAVE BEEN VERY DANGEROUS HAD THIS BEEN ON THE INTERSTATE OR IN HEAVY TRAFFIC. *TR

2002 HONDA ODYSSEY TRANSMISSION-ON GOING PROBLEMS WITH TRANSMISSION SLIPPING. DEALER HAS DONE ALL SERVICE WORK AND RECALLS ISSUED TO DATE AND TRANSMISSION STILL IS NOT OPERATING PROPERLY FOR A WELL MAINTAINED 2002 ODYSSEY WITH ONLY 58,000 MILES. THE TRANSMISSION IS A SAFETY HAZARD. WHEN BACKING IT INTO THE DRIVEWAY YESTERDAY, THE TRANSMISSION SLIPPED AND THE VAN WOULD NOT MOVE. THE DEALER WANTS $4,000 TO REPLACE? *TR

WHEN PUTTING CAR IN REVERSE, WILL NOT GO FORWARD FOR SEVERAL SECONDS AFTER THE CAR HAS BEEN PUT INTO DRIVE. TRANSMISSION PROBLEM. HONDA COVERED THIS PROBLEM FOR 99-01 ODYSSEY'S BUT NOT 2002. PROBLEM OBVIOUSLY WAS NOT CORRECTED PRIOR TO 2002. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 HONDA ODYSSEY. THE CONTACT RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE IN 2004 FOR NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 04V176000 (POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION). AN AUTHORIZED DEALER PERFORMED THE RECALL REPAIR. ON A SEPARATE OCCASION, WHILE DRIVING LESS THAN 60 MPH AND ATTEMPTING TO ACCELERATE, THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT SHIFT GEARS. THE RPM INDICATOR SHIFTED FROM 2,000 TO 4,000; HOWEVER, THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT ACCELERATE. AFTER SEVERAL ATTEMPTS, THE VEHICLE FINALLY ENGAGED. THE CONDITION WORSENED AND THE CHECK ENGINE WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE DEALER STATED THAT THERE WAS A SOLENOID ISSUE, WHICH NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AT THE ESTIMATED COST OF $600. THE REPAIRS WERE MADE, BUT THE WARNING INDICATOR REMAINED ILLUMINATED. THE DEALER REPLACED THE TRANSMISSION. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE LESS THAN 86,000.

VEHICLE EXHIBITS PROBLEM WITH AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION SLIPPING WHEN SHIFTING FROM SECOND TO THIRD GEAR RESULTING IN REVVING OF THE ENGINE AND LOSS OF ACCELERATION AND CAUSING TRAFFIC OBSTRUCTION. INTERNET RESEARCH HAS SHOWN THAT A MODEL YEARS 2002 THROUGH 2004 OF THIS CAR HAVE SIMILAR ISSUES. HARD SHIFTING FROM FIRST GEAR TO SECOND GEAR AND THEN SLOW ENGAGEMENT OF THE THIRD GEAR. A SPOKESPERSON FROM HONDA AMERICA HAS MADE A COMMENT ABOUT THE "THIRD GEAR CLUTCH PACK" DISINTEGRATING AND CONTAMINATING THE TRANSMISSION. AS OF YET, HONDA HAS BEEN REPLACING TRANSMISSIONS ONLY IF OWNERS HAVE COMPLAINED SUFFICIENTLY AND CAN PROVE THAT THE DEALERS HAVE PERFORMED MAINTENANCE. OTHER PERSONS WHO HAVE MAINTAINED CARS THEMSELVES HAVE HAD TO BEAR THE REPLACEMENT COSTS OF NEARLY $4500 IF THEY CANNOT PROVE THAT THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN MAINTAINED BY A HONDA CERTIFIED FACILITY (I.E. DEALER). A PREVIOUS RECALL FOR THE SECOND GEAR OVERHEATING ISSUE HAS NOT REDUCED THE LIKELIHOOD THAT THE TRANSMISSION LONGEVITY WOULD IMPROVE. I WOULD LIKE HONDA TO ADMIT TECHNICAL ISSUES WITH THEIR TRANSMISSION DESIGN AND OFFER TO REPLACE THE DEFECTIVE PART (TRANSMISSION). *TR

2002 HONDA ODYSSEY TRANSMISSION FAILURE. *NJ WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH, THE CONSUMER FELT A HUGE LUNGE IN THE VEHICLE. THE CONSUMER WAS THROWN FORWARD, THEN BACKWARD AGAINST THE HEADREST AND THE RPM'S AND SPEED OF THE VEHICLE DROPPED CONSIDERABLY. THE CONSUMER WAS INFORMED THE TRANSMISSION HAD FAILED. *JB