2003 HONDA ODYSSEY Complaints

2003 HONDA ODYSSEY TRANSMISSION, WHEN UP-SHIFTING ACTUALLY CAUSES THE VAN TO LOSE POWER AND SLOW DOWN. *TR

NOTICED HARD SHIFTING INTO REVERSE OF MY 2003 HONDA ODYSSEY WITH JUST UNDER 80,000 MILES. A FEW WEEKS AFTER THAT, PERSISTENT SLIPPING OF THE TRANSMISSION INTO NEUTRAL (CAUSING STALL) WAS NOTED AND ADDRESSED BY A DEALER. DEALER COULD NOT REPRODUCE SLIPPAGE AND I WAS TOLD TO BRING IT BACK WHEN IT HAPPENED AGAIN (DIFFICULT WHEN IT STOPS ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD). DEALER QUOTED ME APPROX. $4500 FOR TRANSMISSION REPLACEMENT, WHICH IS MORE THAN HALF WHAT THE VAN IS WORTH. ALL TRANSMISSION SERVICING WAS DONE ACCORDING TO HONDA SERVICE ADVICE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 HONDA ODYSSEY. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 45 MPH THE VEHICLE WOULD SPUTTER AND STALL. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER WHO DIAGNOSED A TRANSMISSION FAILURE AND ADVISED REPLACING THE TRANSMISSION. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 143,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 HONDA ODYSSEY. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING 35 MPH WHEN THE CHECK ENGINE AND TRACTION CONTROL SYSTEM WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO DECELERATE TO A LOWER SPEED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND STATED THAT THE TRANSMISSION WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THERE WAS NO WARRANTY OR RECALLS FOR THE FAILURE AND THE CONTACT WOULD BE HELD LIABLE FOR THE $5000 REPAIRS COSTS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND A CLAIM WAS FILED BUT NO ASSISTANCE WAS OFFERED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 106,000. UPDATED 5/2/11 *CN THE CONSUMER STATED HE EXPERIENCED SLUGGISH ACCELERATION AND A NOISE WHEN THE GEAR WAS SHIFTED FROM PARK TO REVERSE. UPDATED 05/16/11

WE HAD PURCHASED OUR 2003 HONDA ODYSSEY BRAND NEW FROM A HONDA DEALERSHIP AFTER EXTENSIVE BROWSING, RESEARCHING, AND COMPARING, WE FELT HONDA WAS THE WAY TO GO DUE TO THEIR REPUTATION FOR "MAKING QUALITY VEHICLES THAT LAST A LONG TIME AND WORK GREAT." HOW WRONG WE WERE. WE BABIED THIS VAN. MADE SURE IT GOT ANY OIL, LUBE, OR FIX IT NEEDED AND HAVE THE DOCUMENTATION TO PROVE IT. SHORTLY AFTER BUYING IT WE HAD RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE REGARDING PROBLEMS THAT YEAR'S MODEL HAD WITH THE V6 TRANSMISSIONS, SO WE TOOK IT OVER AND HAD THEM FIX WHAT WAS "SUPPOSEDLY" THE PROBLEM. IN APRIL, 2009 WE DECIDED WE'D GET A DETAILED "FULL SERVICING" DONE AND FIX ANY ISSUES OR POTENTIAL ISSUES THE ODYSSEY HAD AT THAT TIME WHICH, AFTER ALL THE REPAIRS, COST $1,300. AT THAT TIME THEY HAD PERFORMED A COMPLETE TRANSMISSION FLUID CHANGE ALONG WITH EVERYTHING ELSE. LAST TUESDAY WHILE I WAS DRIVING HOME I WAS GOING ABOUT 50 MPH WHEN THE TRANSMISSION JUST COMPLETELY STALLED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD CAUSING THE CAR BEHIND ME TO SWERVE INTO ONCOMING TRAFFIC. I TOOK IT STRAIGHT TO A SHOP NEARBY WHO THEN SHOWED ME THAT THE TRANSMISSION FLUID WAS SO BURNT UP IT WAS BLACK AND THICK LIKE ENGINE OIL. AFTER INITIALLY ASSUMING FROM THE LOOKS OF IT THAT I HADN'T EVER HAD A TFC, HE WAS SHOCKED WHEN I TOLD HIM IT HAD NOT EVEN A YEAR AND A HALF AGO. THE NEXT DAY I TOOK IT TO THE HONDA DEALERSHIP WHERE THEY TOLD ME IT WOULD COST $5200 TO FIX. I THEN ASKED WHY, IF THE TRANNY WENT OUT JUST BECAUSE, WAS THE TRAN.FLUID SO BURNT UP AFTER ONLY A YEAR. THEY BASICALLY SAID THEY COULDN'T DO ANYTHING FOR ME IN REGARDS TO OWNING UP AND REPLACING THE DEFECTED TRANSMISSION WHICH THEY SHOULD HAVE DONE IN THE FIRST PLACE WHEN THE RECALL HAPPENED BACK IN 2004! I REFUSE TO PAY FOR THIS AND AM DEMANDING THAT HONDA TAKE CARE OF THIS TRANSMISSION SO I CAN SELL THIS VAN AND NEVER BUY ANOTHER HONDA AGAIN. GO AHEAD AND GOOGLE "2003 ODYSSEY TRANSMISSION". IT'S HORRIFYING TO SEE HOW MANY STORIES ARE JUST LIKE MINE AND UNRESOLVED. *TR

VAN WILL SOMETIMES STALL IN SECOND GEAR, NECESSITATING THAT I EITHER STEP ON THE BRAKE OR SHIFT INTO NEUTRAL BEFORE SHIFTING BACK INTO DRIVE. THIS IS NOT A PROBLEM WHEN I'M THE ONLY ONE ON THE ROAD, BUT BECOMES A SAFETY ISSUE WHEN TURNING CORNERS OR ACCELERATING IN HEAVY TRAFFIC. 2003 HONDA ODYSSEY WITH 136,000 MILES. HONDA DEALER SAYS THAT THE TRANSMISSION AND COMPUTER MUST BE REPLACED COMPLETELY. *TR

TRANSMISSION FAILURE ON HONDA ODYSSEY 2003. VEHICLE PART OF THE RECALL THAT WAS ISSUED IN 2004. OIL COOLER INSTALLED BUT IT DID NOT FIX THE ORIGINAL ISSUE OF THE SECOND GEAR HAVING TOOTH CHIPPING. TRANSMISSION FLUID WAS CHANGED AS RECOMMENDED, ACCORDING TO HONDA. THE CAR HAS 78K MILES ON IT AND THE SECOND GEAR IS SLIPPING. HONDA NEVER FIXED THE ORIGINAL ISSUE OF THE SECOND GEAR FAILING. THIS CAR WAS ONE OF THE FIRST CARS ISSUED IN THE 2003 YEAR MODEL. I THINK THIS IS STILL A SAFTY ISSUE BECAUSE HONDA NEVER FIXED THE ORIGINAL PROBLEM. *TR

APPROXIMATELY 2 WEEKS BEFORE THE TOTAL TRANSMISSION FAILURE,VEHICLE STARTED MAKING A WHIRRING SOUND AND WAS SOMETIMES SLOW TO ENGAGE IN DRIVE AFTER A COLD START. THERE WERE ALSO SOME ERRATIC SHIFTS. VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN TO HONDA DEALER WHERE WERE IT WAS PURCHASED NEW AND ALWAYS SERVICED AND MAINTAINED .(INCLUDING TRANSMISSION FLUID SERVICES).DEALER DIAGNOSED THE REPAIR AS A TRANSMISSION REPLACEMENT AT A COST OF $4177. BECAUSE OF THE COST,I DECIDED TO CONSIDER MY OPTIONS AND STARTED TO DRIVE HOME. APPROXIMATELY 2 MILES LATER THE TRANSMISSION BEGAN TO SLIP,LOST POWER, AND STOPPED DEAD AGAINST ONCOMING TRAFFIC AS I ATTEMPTED TO TURN ONTO A SIDE STREET.(SINCE THIS OCCURRED ON BUSY STATE HIGHWAY 303 WITH A 50 MPH SPEED LIMIT,THERE WERE A FEW ANXIOUS MOMENTS UNTIL I WAS ABLE TO PUSH THE VAN OFF THE ROADWAY). AFTER A 2 HOUR WAIT FOR A TRUCK,THE VAN WAS TOWED TO A TRANSMISSION SHOP WHO CONFIRMED THE TRANSMISSION HAD COMPLETELY FAILED. THIS SHOP REBUILT THE TRANSMISSION FOR $3000. I AM DISAPPOINTED THAT HONDA IS UNWILLING TO ACCEPT ANY RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE FAILURE DUE TO THE FACT THAT THE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED NEW AND I WAS LOYAL TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR ALL MY SERVICE,AND ALL MAINTENANCE PERFORMED AS RECOMMENDED VEHICLE WAS ALWAYS GENTLY DRIVEN AND NEVER USED FOR TOWING OR HAULING. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 HONDA ODYSSEY. THE CONTACT STATED THE IGNITION WOULD NOT TURN AND THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT RECOGNIZE THE KEY WHEN ATTEMPTING TO START THE VEHICLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND ADVISED THERE WERE NO RECALLS ON THE VEHICLE AND REFERRED HIM TO THE DEALER TO HAVE A DIAGNOSTICS TEST PERFORMED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER NOR REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 128,848.

AUTOMATIC SLIDING DOORS ARE NOT OPERATIONAL - EITHER OPENING/CLOSING BY HAND OR BY BUTTON CONTROL. THEY ARE NOT CLOSING PROPERLY. *TR