2003 HONDA ODYSSEY Complaints

THE TOP BRACKET HOLDING THE ALTERNATOR TO THE ENGINE BLOCK FAILED AGAIN FOR THE THIRD TIME WHILE MY WIFE WAS DRIVING THE VAN. AS A RESULT OF THE FAILURE OF THE TOP BRACKET, THE STRESS ON THE MAIN SERPENTINE BELT CAUSED THE BOLT HOLDING THE ALTERNATOR IN PLACE TO SNAP OFF AT THE ENGINE BLOCK. THIS CAUSED THE ALTERNATOR TO BECOME LOOSE AND CAUSED A BURNING SMELL TO COME INTO THE CABIN OF THE VEHICLE. THE ALTERNATOR LOOSE AND UN-ATTACHED POSES A POTENTIAL CATASTROPHIC FAILURE WITH THE PULLY SYSTEM AND THE POWER STEERING WHICH MAY CAUSE AN ACCIDENT. I REPORTED THE PREVIOUS INCIDENT OF THE SAME PROBLEM ON OCTOBER 25TH, 2010. MY CONCERN IS THAT THIS IS A RECURRING PROBLEM THAT HONDA IS AWARE OF AND NOT CORRECTING WITH A RECALL AND ADDITION OF A RE ENGINEERED AND STRENGTHENED TOP ALTERNATOR BRACKET. I AM ALSO VERY CONCERNED THAT FAILURE OF THIS PART/SYSTEM WHILE MY WIFE AND CHILDREN ARE DRIVING THE VAN WILL CAUSE AN ACCIDENT AND INJURY OR DEATH TO MY FAMILY. I HAVE CALLED HONDA AND THEIR SOLUTION OR RECOMMENDATION IS TO REPLACE THE PART AND USE PROPER TORQUE SPECIFICATIONS. THIS HAS NOT WORKED 2 TIMES SO FAR AND MY MECHANIC TRIED TO WELD AND ADDITIONAL PIECE OF METAL TO THE OEM BRACKET TO MAKE THE BRACKET STRONGER, AND THIS DID NOT WORK.

I HAVE A 2003 HONDA ODYSSEY AND WAS DRIVING ON THANKSGIVING EVENING ON AN INTERSTATE HWY. IN FLORIDA BACK TO MY HOME IN ORLANDO. DURING THIS TRIP THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON SUDDENLY...AND THEN MY TRANSMISSION HAD A CATASTROPHIC FAILURE. LEADING UP TO THIS THE MINIVAN WAS DRIVING NICELY. SUDDENLY THE VEHICLE SPEWED OUT TRANSMISSION FLUID ONTO THE ENGINE AND THERE WAS A HORRIBLE BURNING SMELL. THE CAR DECELERATED, AND I NEARLY LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. I WAS ABLE TO STEER IT ONTO THE SHOULDER. FORTUNATELY, THERE WAS VERY LITTLE TRAFFIC CLOSE BEHIND...SO I AVOIDED A COLLISION. AFTER THIS EVENT, I HAVE FOUND OUT THAT MY HONDA ODYSSEY WAS RECALLED FOR A FAULTY TRANSMISSION. RECALL ID 04V176000. THE DEALER IS COGGIN HONDA ORLANDO, AND THEY NOW ACKNOWLEDGE THAT IT WAS RECALLED. THEY WERE INSTRUCTED BY HONDA AMERICA TO INSTALL A MODIFIED OIL JET KIT. OBVIOUSLY...THIS FIX WAS NOT EFFECTIVE. MY OUTCOME IS THAT MY FAMILY WAS STRANDED FOR HOURS UNTIL WE COULD GET THE VEHICLE TOWED. I'M AWARE THAT COUNTLESS OTHER 2003 ODYSSEYS HAVE HAD THE SAME TRANSMISSION FAILURE. SOME OF THEM INVOLVE CRASHES, INJURIES AND DEATHS. HOW MANY MORE PEOPLE WILL LOSE THEIR LIVES BECAUSE OF HONDA'S FAULTY TRANSMISSION DESIGN, AND THEIR UNWILLINGNESS TO PROPERLY FIX THE PROBLEM? I'M ANGRY BECAUSE NEITHER HONDA AMERICA OR COGGIN HONDA TOLD ME ABOUT THE RECALL. I NEVER WOULD HAVE PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE IF I HAD KNOWLEDGE OF THIS RECALL? DOESN'T THIS VIOLATE MY RIGHT TO FULL DISCLOSURE OF THE VEHICLE'S HISTORY? HOW IS THIS LEGAL? *TR

WE WERE DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE IN STOP AND GO TRAFFIC WHEN FOR UNKNOWN REASONS THE TCS AND ENGINE MALFUNCTION INDICATOR LAMPS CAME ON. WE PULLED OFF THE INTERSTATE, PARKED, TURNED THE VEHICLE OFF AND READ THE OWNERS MANUAL TO SEE WHAT IT SAID ABOUT THE ENGINE MALFUNCTION LAMP. IT SAID THAT IT COULD BE FROM A LOOSE GAS CAP SO WE TIGHTENED THE GAS CAP AS IS STATED IN THE OWNERS MANUAL. WE THEN CAREFULLY RESUMED OUR TRIP. THE MALFUNCTION INDICATOR LAMP REMAINED ON DURING THE TRIP. THE FOLLOWING DAY WE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A LOCAL HONDA DEALER SERVICE DEPARTMENT. THE COMPUTER ERROR CODE WAS READ AND THE PROBLEM WAS DIAGNOSED AS AN INCORRECT GEAR RATIO CODE AND THAT THE VEHICLE REQUIRES A NEW TRANSMISSION. SO FAR THE TRANSMISSION HAS ONLY HAD MINOR SLIPPAGE WHEN STARTING FROM A STOP. THE ASSISTANT SERVICE MANAGER TOLD US THAT IT WILL ONLY GET WORSE. THIS VEHICLE WAS IN A 2004 TRANSMISSION INSPECTION RECALL. WE HAD HONDA SERVICE INSPECT THE TRANSMISSION AND THEY SAID IT WAS GOOD. THE TRANSMISSION SHOULD NOT HAVE FAILED WITH ONLY 67,850 MILES ON THE VEHICLE. AFTER RESEARCHING ON LINE WE DISCOVERED THAT THE TRANSMISSION FAILURES ON THE ODYSSEY CAN RESULT IN A CRASH. THIS IS THE ONLY CAR WE OWN AND NOW MY WIFE AND I ARE AFRAID TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE ESPECIALLY WITH OUR KIDS IN IT. WE CAN NOT AFFORD A $3,000 OR MORE TRANSMISSION REPLACEMENT BILL.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 HONDA ODYSSEY. THE CONTACT PREVIOUSLY REPAIRED ACCORDING TO RECALL 04V176000 (POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION) AT THE LOCAL DEALER. WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH, THE DRIVE INDICATOR ON THE GEAR SHIFT BEGAN FLASHING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A REPAIR SHOP WHERE THE MECHANIC STATED THAT THE PROBLEM WAS A SYMPTOM OF THE PREVIOUS RECALL. THE CONTACT NOTICED NO PERFORMANCE ISSUES. THE CONTACT CALLED THE DEALER AND WAS TOLD THAT THEY WOULD NOT REPAIR IT AGAIN ACCORDING TO THE RECALL. THE MANUFACTURER HAD NOT BEEN NOTIFIED. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 100,000. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 99,000.

TRANSMISSION STARTED FAILING AT 100,000 MILES. WILL NOT SHIFT FROM 2ND TO 3RD. WHILE MAKING A TURN FROM ONE HIGHWAY TO ANOTHER, TRANSMISSION SLIPPED AND WOULD NOT MOVE THE CAR FOR SEVERAL MINUTES. WE EVENTUALLY HAD TO STOP THE CAR (ON THE HIGHWAY). AFTER STOPPING, WE WERE ABLE TO EVENTUALLY GET THE TRANSMISSION TO "KICK IN" AND THE CAR STARTED MOVING AGAIN. THE TRANSMISSION CONTINUES TO SLIP FROM SECOND TO THIRD. TOOK IT TO THE DEALER. DEALER STATES THAT IT NEEDS A NEW TRANSMISSION. THERE WAS A RECALL FOR THIS TRANSMISSION BUT HONDA REFUSES TO FIX. I WILL NOT DRIVE THIS VEHICLE AGAIN UNTIL FIXED AS WE WERE ALMOST IN A MAJOR ACCIDENT. BY THE WAY, MY VAN HAS BEEN AT THE DEALER FOR 5 MONTHS WAITING FOR A RESOLUTION. *TR

I EXPERIENCED A CATASTROPHIC BREAKDOWN OF THE TRANSMISSION IN MY 2003 HONDA ODYSSEY WHILE I WAS DRIVING ON A LOCAL HIGHWAY. THE CAR LITERALLY STOPPED WHILE DRIVING AND TURNED COMPLETELY OFF, RENDERING THE CAR UNCONTROLLABLE. WE NARROWLY MISSED BEING HIT FROM BEHIND. MY CAR HAS 83,000 AND HAS BEEN METICULOUSLY MAINTAINED INCLUDING TRANSMISSION POWER FLUSHES. THIS IS THE 2ND TRANSMISSION IN THIS VEHICLE. AT 40,000 THE FIRST TRANSMISSION WOULD NOT SHIFT INTO REVERSE. AMERICAN HONDA AGREED TO REPLACE THAT TRANSMISSION FOR FREE EVEN THOUGH THE CAR WAS OUT OF WARRANTY BECAUSE I HAD BEEN COMPLAINING BEFORE THE WARRANTY RAN OUT. THE HONDA DEALER ASSURED ME THAT THE NEW TRANSMISSION WAS OF A DIFFERENT DESIGN AND WOULD NOT EXPERIENCE THE SAME PROBLEMS. ABOUT 40,000 MILES LATER THE SECOND TRANSMISSION JUST STOPPED DEAD. HAD I BEEN ON THE PARKWAY OR TURNPIKE I WOULD NOT BE HERE WRITING THIS COMPLAINT. THE NEW TRANSMISSION WILL COST OVER $3000. NHTSA MUST STOP THIS CORPORATION FROM IGNORING THEIR LIABILITY AND MAKE THEM RECALL AND REIMBURSE ALL ODYSSEY OWNERS FOR THEIR FAULTY TRANSMISSIONS BEFORE A FAMILY IS KILLED. AFTER ALL THIS IS A FAMILY VAN! *TR

TWO WEEKS AGO, MY 2003 HONDA ODYSSEY BEGAN TO MANIFEST A DELAY AS IT SHIFTED FROM 1ST TO 2ND GEAR, AND THEN FROM 2ND TO 3RD GEAR. THIS DELAY QUICKLY WORSENED AND WAS CHARACTERIZED BY A SUDDEN DECREASE IN POWER, A POWERLESS LULL, THEN A SUDDEN REVVING....FINALLY, A JARRING CLUNK AS IT SHIFTED INTO THE NEXT GEAR. AN OBSERVER ALSO SMELLED A STRONG BURNING ODOR AS MY CAR PASSED BY. THE SLOW AND IRREGULAR ACCELERATION AND CLUNK ARE CLEARLY A SAFETY HAZARD. MY LOCAL MECHANIC TOLD ME ON NOVEMBER 5, 2010 THAT MY CAR NEEDS A NEW TRANSMISSION. I AM THE ORIGINAL OWNER OF THIS CAR. HAVE MAINTAINED IT VERY WELL, AND IT ONLY HAS 84,500 MILES ON IT. *TR

2003 HONDA ODYSSEY TRANSMISSION TOTALLY WENT ON PALISADES PARKWAY LEAVING MY WIFE AND FRIEND STRANDED ON THE ROAD. THEY WERE VERY LUCKY THAT THERE WAS NOT A MAJOR ACCIDENT. THE CARE HAD TO BE LEFT PARTIALLY ON THE ROADWAY UNTIL HELPED ARRIVED. THERE WAS LITTLE WARNING BEFORE THE TRANSMISSION TOTALLY WENT. MY WIFE SAID THAT THE TRANSMISSION SLIPPED ONCE OR TWICE BEFORE IT TOTALLY WENT LEAVING MY WIFE WITH NO POWER TO GET THE CAR OFF THE ROAD. THE CAR WAS TOWED TO MY RESIDENCE. THE CAR DID WHINED AT TIMES BUT NOTHING WAS FOUND. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 ODYSSEY. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS EXHIBITING AN ABNORMAL NOISE AND DRIVING HARD. THE DEALER REPLACED THE MOTOR MOUNTS AND THE JET COOLANT FOR THE TRANSMISSION UNDER A MANUFACTURERS RECALL. LATER WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH IN CLEAR WEATHER, THE CHECK ENGINE AND TRACTION CONTROL (TCS) WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO DRIVE ROUGH AND THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE DEALER WHERE A DIAGNOSTIC TEST WAS PERFORMED THAT PROVED THAT THE TRANSMISSION WAS DEFECTIVE. THE CONTACT NOTICED NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS ONLINE REGARDING THE FAILURE FOR HIS VEHICLE AND CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURER. THE MANUFACTURER ADVISED THE CONTACT THAT THEY WOULD RETURN HIS CALL AT A LATER DATE WITH A RESPONSE. IN ADDITION, THE CONTACT STATED THAT HE WAS NOT INFORMED THAT THE TRANSMISSION FLUID WAS BLACK, WHICH SHOULD HAVE INDICATED A FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT FURTHER REPAIRED AND THE CONTACT WAS AWAITING A RETURN CALL FROM THE MANUFACTURER. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 102,000.

2003 HONDA ODYSSEY - AS WE WERE DRIVING ON HWY I-24 W, TCS AND CHECK ENGINE INDICATORS LIGHTED UP. WE CHECKED THE HANDBOOK GIVEN BY HONDA IN WHICH IT WAS SAID THAT THE VEHICLE CAN BE DRIVEN EVEN WHEN THESE LIGHTS ARE ON. WE DROVE FOR 30 MILES WHEN THERE WAS A SMELL LIKE GAS AND IT GOT STRONGER IN COUPLE OF MINUTES. I ASKED MY HUSBAND TO PULL OVER AND STOP THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE DID NOT MOVE AFTER THAT. HAD TO CALL A TOW TRUCK AND HAD IT TOWED BACK TO THE DEALER AT HOME. THE DEALER INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND TRIED FLUSHING THE TRANSMISSION FLUID, WHICH ACCORDING TO THE SERVICE PERSONNEL WAS SO BURNT THAT THE TRANSMISSION NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. THE DEALER QUOTED $3750.00 FOR REPLACING THE PART. CALLED AMERICAN HONDA TO REPORT THE PROBLEM. THEY SAID THAT NOTHING COULD BE DONE SINCE WE WERE NOT THE ORIGINAL OWNER OF THE VEHICLE. CASE# N012010-11-0103469. BASED ON RESEARCH WE FOUND THAT THERE WAS A RECALL FOR THIS VEHICLE IN 2004, YOUR CAMPAIGN ID# 04V176000. THERE ARE MANY OTHER COMPLAINTS OF THE SAME AND EVERYONE SAYING THAT HONDA HAS NOT DONE ANYTHING TO RESOLVE THIS ISSUE. THIS WAS A DANGEROUS SITUATION FOR US, SINCE WE HAD TWO CHILDREN IN THE VAN AND IF THE TRANSMISSION HAD GIVEN OUT BEFORE WE PULLED OVER WE WOULD HAVE SURELY BEEN REAR ENDED BY SOMEONE SINCE EVERYONE IS TRAVELING AT SUCH HIGH SPEEDS. *TR