2003 HONDA ODYSSEY Complaints

2003 HONDA ODYSSEY HAS AN APPARENT DESIGN FLAW IN THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION. AFTER 60,000 MILES, THE TRANSMISSION HAS FAILED. DRIVING THE CAR DURING THE 3 DAYS AFTER FAILURE WAS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS WITH THE CLUTCH INSIDE THE TRANSMISSION SLIPPING CAUSING HIGH REVVING AND LACK OF CONTROL. SLOWING DOWN (RESULTING IN DOWNSHIFTING) CAUSES THE CAR TO "JERK" SINCE THE CLUTCH ISN'T FUNCTIONING PROPERLY AND THE CAR ISN'T ABLE TO SMOOTHLY CHANGE GEARS. HONDA ISSUED A RECALL IN 2004 TO ADD AN "OIL JET" INSIDE THE TRANSMISSION ON THE 2ND GEAR TO PREVENT OVERHEATING, BUT THIS FIX HASN'T FIXED THEIR DESIGN FLAW. DESPITE HAVING THIS RECALL TAKEN CARE OF BY THE DEALERSHIP IN 2004, THE TRANSMISSION HAS STILL FAILED. HONDA APPARENTLY ISSUED A WARRANTY EXTENSION, BUT I NEVER RECEIVED NOTICE OF THIS EXTENSION AND THE DEALERSHIP HAD NO DETAILS ON THIS WARRANTY EXTENSION (OTHER THAN TO TELL ME I AM BEYOND THAT EXTENSION DUE TO TIME LAPSE). HONDA NEEDS TO BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR THIS DESIGN FLAW. IT CAUSES A DANGEROUS SITUATION IF NOT IMMEDIATELY ADDRESSED, NOT TO MENTION A VERY EXPENSIVE FIX FOR A PROBLEM THAT HAS PLAGUED HUNDREDS OR PERHAPS THOUSANDS OF 1999-2003 (OR BEYOND) ODYSSEY OWNERS. *TR

NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 04V176000 WAS RECALL/REPAIR FOR TRANSMISSION. CAUSED DELAY IN TOTAL FAILURE OF TRANSMISSION. 2003 HONDA ODYSSEY WITH 90K MILES. LAST NIGHT OUT OF BLUE STARTS TO REV WHEN PULLING OUT INTO TRAFFIC. ALMOST KILLED, AS SUDDEN FAILURE CAUSED VAN TO HAVE NO POWER WHEN NEEDED TO PULL OUT. REALLY NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED! *TR

MY 2003 HONDA ODYSSEY TRANSMISSION GAVE OUT AFTER ONLY 77,000 MILES. MY RESEARCH HAS SHOWN THOUSANDS OF CUSTOMERS ARE HAVING OR HAVE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM WITH THEIR ODYSSEYS FROM 1999-2004. HONDA SETTLED A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT COVERING FROM 1999-2001. THESE TRANSMISSIONS ARE APPARENTLY ALL DEFECTIVE. HONDA REFUSES TO REPLACE THESE DANGEROUS TRANSMISSIONS FOR FREE LIKE THEY SHOULD. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 HONDA ODYSSEY. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY BETWEEN 55-65 MPH ON NORMAL ROAD CONDITIONS AND SUDDENLY SMOKE WAS COMING FROM UNDERNEATH THE HOOD. PRESSURE WAS APPLIED TO THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL, FOLLOWED BY NO POWER RESPONSE. THE DRIVER PULLED OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING WHO STATED THAT THE ENGINE EXHIBITED A TRANSMISSION FLUID LEAK. THE TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AND HAS BEEN ORDERED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNAVAILABLE.

1. MANUFACTURER REMEDY TO NHTSA CAMPAIGN # 04V17600 DOES NOT CORRECT HEAT BUILD UP/ GEAR FAILURE IN 2002-2004 HONDA ODYSSEY AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSIONS. IT ONLY DELAYS THE FAILURE. 2. COOLER RETURN LINE REVISION WAS PERFORMED ON MY VEHICLE AT 17,847 MILES. DESPITE THE MANUFACTURER DESIGN REVISION THE GEARS FAILED THIS LAST WEEK (CODE P730 - GEAR RATIO ERROR) AT 44,500 MILES. I WAS FORTUNATE. IT ONLY RESULTED IN LOSS OF POWER. THERE WAS NO TRANSMISSION LOCK UP OR CRASH, THIS TIME. I'M NOT THE ONLY ONE. EVEN CURSORY INTERNET RESEARCH REVEALS OVER 1300 REPORTS OF CONTINUING FAILURES AT THE EDMUNDS SITE ALONE; SOME VEHICLES HAVING HAD AS MANY AS THREE TRANSMISSION REBUILDS BY THE MANUFACTURER. 3.COOLING LINE REVISION HAS NOT CORRECTED THE HEAT BUILD UP PROBLEM. THE GEARS STILL GET HOT ENOUGH TO LOSE TEMPER, SOFTEN AND FAIL UNDER NORMAL LOADS. IT IS ONLY A MATTER OF TIME UNTIL DEBRIS FROM THE FAILED GEARS CAUSE A TRANSMISSION LOCK UP AND CRASH. TO DATE AMERICAN HONDA MOTOR CO. DECLINES TO HELP ME WITH THIS ONGOING PROBLEM. *TR

THE TRANSMISSION ON MY 2003 ODYSSEY JUST FAILED AT 83,000 MILES. 2ND AND 3RD GEARS, MAINLY OVER 25 MILES PER HOURS, DO NOT WORK PREDICTABLY. WHEN ONE WOULD NORMALLY EXPECT IT TO GO TO THIRD GEAR, IT SLIPS. THE CAR JUST STARTED THIS TODAY. FROM WHAT I HAVE READ, THE DEALERSHIP WILL CHARGE THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS TO REPLACE IT. I AM DROPPING IT OFF TONIGHT OR EARLY TOMORROW MORNING. I HOPE IT IS ONLY A PART, AND THAT I DON'T HAVE TO REPLACE THE WHOLE TRANSMISSION; I CAN'T AFFORD IT. THE CAR HAS HAD AVERAGE MAINTENANCE BY THE DEALERSHIP. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE. I CAN'T PULL INTO AND OUT OF INTERSECTIONS PREDICTABLY. TAKING A LEFT FROM A BUSY HIGHWAY, SUCH AS THE ONE I LIVE NEAR, IS DANGEROUS, BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE VAN WILL ACCELERATE LIKE. WHAT IF IT SLIPS OUT OF GEAR, AND I GET STUCK IN A LANE OF ONCOMING TRAFFIC? I HOPE THAT HONDA IS REQUIRED TO FIX OR REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION. NO ONE EXPECTS THIS OUT OF A SIX TO SEVEN YEAR OLD CAR WITH 83,000 MILES ANYMORE. PEOPLE MAY TRY TO DRIVE SLOWLY ANYWAY, BECAUSE THEY CANNOT AFFORD TO REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION. THERE ARE ACCIDENTS WAITING TO HAPPEN, BECAUSE THE CARS BEHIND THE VAN WILL EXPECT IT TO ACCELERATE, AND IT WILL GET CAUGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF INTERSECTIONS. *TR

IT SHUDDERS WHEN DRIVING BETWEEN 30-35 MPH SPEED. I SHOWED TO MECHANIC AND HE TOLD ME THAT TORQUE CONVERTER LOCK-UP CLUTCH IS CAUSING THIS ISSUE AND IT IS VERY COMMON PROBLEM WITH ODYSSEY. I PERFORM ALL REGULAR MAINTENANCE BUT STILL THIS HAPPENED. *TR

VEHICLE: 2003 HONDA ODYSSEY WITH 84,000 MILES. WIFE WAS DRIVING OUR VAN HOME FROM THE GYM AND UPON RETURNING HOME REPORTED TO ME THAT THE TRANSMISSION WAS SLIPPING AS IT SHIFTED FROM 2ND TO 3RD GEAR. I DROVE THE VEHICLE TO THE HONDA REPAIR SHOP ABOUT 5 MILES AWAY AND OBSERVED THE SAME THING. THEY WENT AND "DIAGNOSED" THE PROBLEM AND REPORTED TO ME THAT THE TRANSMISSION NEEDED REPLACED. IN FACT, THEY SAID THAT THEY BARELY MADE IT BACK TO THEIR SHOP AT THE CONCLUSION OF THEIR DIAGNOSIS. IN ADDITION TO TRANSMISSION REPLACEMENT, HONDA REQUIRES THAT THE ENGINE CONTROL COMPUTER BE REPLACED AS WELL BECAUSE THERE IS NEW VERSION THAT RUNS THE TRANSMISSION. THERE WAS A RECALL FOR THIS YEAR AND MODEL OF VEHICLE RELATING TO THE TRANSMISSION, BUT WAS SIMPLY AN INSPECTION AN A SUBSEQUENT INSTALL OF AN "OIL JET." THIS RECALL HAD BEEN COMPLIED WITH ON MY VEHICLE. I BELIEVE HONDA KNOWS THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH THESE TRANSMISSIONS AND IS DOING A DISSERVICE TO CONSUMERS. THE EARLY RECALL COUPLED WITH THEIR REQUIREMENT TO REPLACE THE COMPUTER, AND THEIR WILLINGNESS TO PAY A PORTION OF MY REPAIR TO ME IS PROOF OF THEIR ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF A PROBLEM WITH THEIR INITIAL DESIGN. IN MY OPINION THERE ARE ALSO LEGITIMATE SAFETY CONCERNS WITH THIS PROBLEM. *TR

2003 HONDA ODYSSEY HAS A UNINTENDED ACCELERATION AND HAD TO APPLY BRAKES SEVERELY TO CONTROL THE VEHICLE THIS HAPPENED TWICE FOR THE VEHICLE AND WAS INFORMED TO THE DEALER AND HONDA OF USA.*CW

2003 HONDA ODYSSEY NOTHING WRONG WITH THE CAR. DRIVING HOME ABOUT 40MPH, SLOWED TO ABOUT 20 TO CROSS A STREET THAT IS CROWNED. STARTED TO ACCELERATE, THE ENGINE JUST REVVED. COASTED TO THE SIDE ABOUT 100 YARDS AHEAD TO GET OFF THE STREET INTO A PARKING LOT. CAR STARTED WORKING AGAIN, PROCEEDED HOME. HAD TO STOP 2 OTHER TIMES TO GET BACK HOME. CHECKED THE WEB AND THERE ARE HUNDREDS OF OTHER COMPLAINTS. CALLED A REPUTABLE TRANSMISSION SERVICE, TOLD ME THAT THE ENTIRE 2009 YEAR WAS FILLED WITH HONDAS COMING IN! IN FACT, HE HAD AN IDENTICAL HONDA ODYSSEY THERE WHEN I GOT THERE.THIS IS A GIANT SAFETY PROBLEM! I CANNOT IMAGINE BEING IN THE LEFT 5TH LANE DOING 70 AND HAVING THIS HAPPEN- OR A LOCK UP! FROM WHAT I HAVE READ ON THE NET, IT SEEMS HONDA DOES NOT WANT TO ADDRESS THE ISSUE. THIS IS MY SECOND HONDA. MY FIRST WENT 248K MILES W/O ANY MAJOR ISSUE WHATSOEVER! THAT IS WHY I BOUGHT ANOTHER. THIS IS TRULY A BAD SAFETY ISSUE.*CW