Honda Odyssey 02 Trans slips, any others?

[stevec]

Is the replacement transmission better than the original? That is, they must know the problem, which means they can address it in the replacement transmissions, right?

I just purchased a used 2001 Odyssey (48K miles), and I'm noticing a slight hesitation before switching from 1'st gear into 2'nd gear. If I decide that I have this transmission problem, hopefully the replacement will last longer than 45K miles!!

Thanks,

Steve

These trans fail all the time.
I replace 2 a week sometimes.I have gotten so good at doing them I can knock one out in 2.2 hours!
Honda is warranting all of them at our shop.


I would not pay to have it fixed.
I would not own one that is not under warranty.

From what I heard a bearing is going bad and contaminating the trans.

The second gear thing is from lack of lubrication, this is a separate problem.
I keep seeing more and more powerful engines every year with the same weak trans that could not even hold up to the earlier engines with less power.

I dont mind the problem personally.
Job security!

[dmbyte]

I love Honda, we have a 2000 Odyssey and have recieved 2 recall notices for the tranny, both time with the limits being just under where we are mileage wise. Now at 106k, having just listed the van for sale, the stupid thing decided to take a dive.

The dealership is telling us $3600 to replace the stupid thing and we have been encouraged to contact Honda as they MAY have mercy on us to replace it. So, 2 questions, has anyone had success with Honda helping after the mileage limits? If not, what about going to a salvage yard and getting a tranny from a vehicle with less miles on it and having the warranty fulfilled on that tranny?

Thoughts?

These trans fail all the time.
I replace 2 a week sometimes.I have gotten so good at doing them I can knock one out in 2.2 hours!
Honda is warranting all of them at our shop.


I would not pay to have it fixed.
I would not own one that is not under warranty.

From what I heard a bearing is going bad and contaminating the trans.

The second gear thing is from lack of lubrication, this is a separate problem.
I keep seeing more and more powerful engines every year with the same weak trans that could not even hold up to the earlier engines with less power.

I dont mind the problem personally.
Job security!

[rphjem]

Thanks for info in this thread. My 02 ody chk engine lights and tcs lights came on at 70,500 miles. The day after having egr relaced. Honda Dealer said transm is failing and needs replaced. (my symptoms of hesitation etc similar to those already posted.).
Not under warranty, cost $2850. Called American Honda 800 # and they agreed to pay for transm. but I had to pay for labor. ($600) If not for these posts we might have just paid it all.

[dmbyte]

Honda ponied up and replaced our tranny at zero cost. no labor, nada..

[Tnsauthority]

Honda ponied up and replaced our tranny at zero cost. no labor, nada..

Dealer said he spoke to his area rep and is willing to do tranny at Honda cost and have Honda pay half of that leaving me with a bill of $1800 still. I said no thanks and contacted Honda.//waiting to hear from person handling case.

Please share how you were able to convince them to pick up the whole tab please. Thanks!

[izzy1222]

Honda ponied up and replaced our tranny at zero cost. no labor, nada..

Please, please share how you got Honda to pay or who you talked to. This JUST happened to us and Honda only agreed to pay for the transmission, no labor, since this was our second one and only had 24,000 miles on it. We are still trying to get the labor paid and would appreciate any input from someone who has been through this (Odyssey over 100K miles on it).

[enroute]

It has 54,000 miles on it. Over a period of just a few days, it went from occasional slipping or lagging when shifting to refusing to move forward (or in reverse) when starting from a stop. Today it stopped in traffic - thankfully, the traffic was light and it didn't cause an accident. Would those of you who have been successful in getting Honda to replace your transmission please share some specifics of what articles, etc. you presented to make your case?
Thanks.

[popong]

I am so happy... i only stated on service that "gears changes abruptly"
no questions asked, return to pick my Ody and service dept said they ordered new transmission. Would i pay? i asked, but said "no it is under your warranty"
So, today i picked my Ody and the engine runs smooth as brandnew with a new high whining VTEC sound.
Thank you Honda, good service.

[MicroBabyDad]

Thanks to all of the information posted here, stories and suggestions alike.

Our '02, purchased in Jan '02, began shifting hard last summer. It happened slowly over time, so it wasn't as noticable until I can now compare it to a new trans and how it should perform. The 2-3 slip started last fall, but only a couple times, getting progressively worse until a couple weeks ago we had the engine and TCS lights come on, with only the engine light staying on since then, and the slip was occurring most every 2-3 shift.

With now only 40,500 miles, I talked to American Honda (thanks OdysseyTo Safety for the phone number) and my local dealer. American Honda started a case file and said that the local dealer may work directly with their regional contact, or I may need to go back to American Honda. My local dealer ended up taking care of everything with their regional office and replacing the trans at no cost to me! They even gave me a rental minivan (a Dodge???) at their cost while the work was being done. Cudos to Honda for supporting their product and making the process as simple as possilble for me. I took the van in on Wednesday morning and it was done by Friday at lunch, complete with new trans with a 3 year, 36k mile warranty! Hard to ask for much more than that.

Some things to take away from this:

1. Talk to Honda before you or another mechanic do anything. Honda extended the warranty on some '02 transmissions to 100k miles, but mine was not one of them. Due to my low mileage and the obvious defect, they took care of me. If I had done something myself first, they probably wouldn't have helped me like they did.

2. Talk to Honda at the first sign of a problem. Even if it ends up not being a problem like these transmissions are, the sooner (and lower mileage) Honda knows about a problem, the more likely they are to take care of you.

3. When changing trans fluid, the mechanic that worked on my trans told me to use the Honda recommended fluid - not Dexron III. The Dexron III will cause harder shifting which will, among other things, put more stress on the trans - not good for longevity.

4. For those that are curious, I understand it is one of the carrier bearings that is causing the problem. The bearing is failing and letting metal flakes get into the fluid. These metal flakes cause all kinds of problems, including causing the clutches to wear quickly. The fluid in the trans should be a clear red or red-pink color, but mine was a charcoal color full of grit. This junk in the fluid and bearing failure can lead to all kinds of other problems, some of which have been described in other posts here and elsewhere, but it seems the 3rd gear clutch pack is the most vulnerable. The good news is that Honda knows about the problem and any new transmissions should not have this problem again.

As much as I liked building old Dodge, Chrysler and Plymouths with my dad, I can't tell you how happy I am to be out of that Caravan and back into my Odyssey!

[adouglas7]

I've just returned from the dealership where Stewart the service manager has given me the bad new that the tranny is almost dead, and to call Honda for assistance. What was Stewart's quote for a remanufactured tranny? $6000. Following Steward's recommendation (as well as others in the board), I've just opened a case with Honda America on my 2002 Odyssey EX with 92,000 miles. Both Stewart and Honda said that my vin doesn't fall in the extended warranty group, so I'm very anxious as to were this will end up.

My first Honda was a 91 Accord that was totaled in 2003 with 250k on the odometer. So naturally, I was lead back to the Honda family and purchased the vehicle that matched our new family needs in the Odyssey. I've bought into the Honda institution, but if they stonewall me on this one, my only choice will be to move on to someone (Toyota) who stands behind their products.

A defect is a defect, warranty or not. Like most of you, I didn't mind paying a premium for Honda because they were dependable … but I'm not so sure any more. Anyway, I've just opened my case today 2/6/05 and will let you know the outcome.

Thanks for sharing your experiences as well …

[lkirk]

Our honda odyssey 02 with 78k mile is in the shop today. the honda dealer contacted american honda and they will replace the transmission. My husband said the dealer told him honda extended the warranty on the Trans. They did say there will be a 300.00 deductible.

[adouglas7]

Two weeks later… I must say "Kudos" to Honda America, they really stepped up and took responsibility. They replaced my transmission with 100% Goodwill and paid for the rental car. This is the reason I purchased a Honda. Now, I need to figure out whether replacement transmissions are prone to fail? The service manager said that I've received an updated tranny but I see so much on the internet were others have went through two or three transmissions.

As straight forward as it was, it was emotionally unsettling? Its easy to imagine how things could have turned out.

Good lucky and best regards ...

I've just returned from the dealership where Stewart the service manager has given me the bad new that the tranny is almost dead, and to call Honda for assistance. What was Stewart's quote for a remanufactured tranny? $6000. Following Steward's recommendation (as well as others in the board), I've just opened a case with Honda America on my 2002 Odyssey EX with 92,000 miles. Both Stewart and Honda said that my vin doesn't fall in the extended warranty group, so I'm very anxious as to were this will end up.

My first Honda was a 91 Accord that was totaled in 2003 with 250k on the odometer. So naturally, I was lead back to the Honda family and purchased the vehicle that matched our new family needs in the Odyssey. I've bought into the Honda institution, but if they stonewall me on this one, my only choice will be to move on to someone (Toyota) who stands behind their products.

A defect is a defect, warranty or not. Like most of you, I didn't mind paying a premium for Honda because they were dependable … but I'm not so sure any more. Anyway, I've just opened my case today 2/6/05 and will let you know the outcome.

Thanks for sharing your experiences as well …

[bjjupiter]

My 2002 Honda Odyssey was purchased in November of '02. Besides cosmetic problems (ie. peeling paint on dash board - resprayed twice and cup holder tabs coming out ) the more serious problems have been transmission related. In April '04 I had continual difficulty getting the shifter out of park (from a parked position after car was started) and Honda stated that they could not duplicate the problem. Brought it in in Sept. '04 for Second Gear inspection recall and an AT oil jet kit was installed. In March of '05 the car was brought into Honda again due to hesitation when driving at 35 mph and up and continual inability get shifter out of park. At that time some type of exhaust gas valve was installed. Now, 2/06 at 59,000 miles the car was brought into Honda due to continual bucking and surging of vehicle. Now I'm told that I need a new transmission for a problem that should have been addressed when I initally brought the car in for the second gear recall at 39,000 miles! My attorney husband is filing a lawsuit against Honda...

[john6206]

Well, based on the information in this forum, I took my 2000 Honda Odyssey that I have owned for about 4 years in to the $tealer for a look at the transmission. My problem was that when I was going about 15 mph and wanted to briskly accelerate to 45 mph, I would depress the accelerator and the transmission would kick down from 3rd to 2nd gear, but it would "slam" into gear. I experienced no slipping or hesitation from the transmission. I did have the TCS light come on during hard acceleration a couple of times and stay illuminated but after turning the car off and restarting, the light extinguished. I remembered that I had received the 7/100 extended warranty information from Honda, and retrieved it, and handed it to the service advisor. I only told him that the transmission was making excessively harsh shifts when going into 2nd gear, and he said that they would test drive it and let me know. Diagnosis was that the trans was no good and that they would be replacing it as soon as they could order a new one from Honda.

Just thought I would share my experience with the rest of you curious Honda owners.

[Ody02Fail2]

Another failed 02 Ody transmission. Had 72000 km (about 45000 miles) on it. This one had the oil jet kit installed already during the recall. It started to slip from two into neutral since November 2005. Put it into reverse gave a loud bang after parked it for say more than 3 hours. The service guy said it's normal, but I really doubted. The bang was so loud that makes me feel really uncomfortable. Metal banging onto metal, what is the result. Something's gonna give. Took it into the dealership, they did something that they did not want to tell me. Worked for maybe a week and it started again, same symptons, mostly happens in 2-3 shift like most of the threads posted here. Same "loud bang" putting into reverse. Took it back in March 2006, was told that I need a new tranny and they want me to pay for it even though it still have 9 months powertrain warranty. Thanks for everybody who posted here. Without these info, I will have to pay for the new tranny. Now Honda paid 100% for the tranny and labour. Hopefully, this will work a little longer. At the first sign of slippage, take it back to Honda and tell them to read the threads posted here and see what they say.

[SLCKev]

It seems like the problem is just with the 2002 Odyssey. Has Honda worked this problem out on newer models?

[shumancar]

I am so glad I found this forum. I started experiencing issues with my 2003 Honda Odyssey about 2 weeks ago. (57,000 miles, no extended warranty). At first I thought it was reving really high when shifting from 2nd to 3rd, but, then I realized it was actually going into neutral. I was able to get it back in gear by slowing down a bit. It happened about 3 times the first week I noticed it, and then started happening about once a day. I brought my car into Honda yesterday after it happened 2 times with my kids in the car.
Honda hooked the car up to the computer and came back with nothing. 'Change the transmission fluid' was the recommendation. I looked back in my records and I had just changed it 7,000 miles ago. But, I went home with the car, hoping I could figure out how to replicate the problem.
This morning, the car wouldn't go into drive or reverse, I couldn't get it out of park. I had to turn it on and off 5 times to get it to go in gear. I drove right to Honda with it. I brought along printouts of all the Odyssey Transmission issues listed on this site as well as the phone number for Honda America.
I showed the technician the printouts and told him I wasn't leaving with that car. He took it back to diagnose it and I immediately called Honda America. I was super nice to the woman who answered the phone. I told her about the issues I have with the car and how I am a loyal Honda customer and how disappointed I am with the car, that I am afraid to drive it, that I almost got into two accidents because of the transmission issue. She opened a case for me.
Sure enough, the technician tells me a few minutes later that the transmission is shot, I need a replacement. He has no price for me, but, will work it up. I told him that I called Honda America and there is a case out there. He said 'Oh, good, I was going to tell you to do that'. The technician said that he had to contact the district manager and that he would get back to me. I left the car and got a rental.
About 2 hours after I got home, I received a call from the service rep, Honda will pay for the whole thing!
I think calling Honda America before I was quoted a price really helped. I have this site to thank for that. Replacing the transmission restores some of my faith in Honda. I am not sure I will buy another one, but, hopefully I won't have to worry about that decision for another 36,000 mile - or when the new transmission goes.

[NoMoreHondas]

Our 2002 Honda Odyssey lost it's transmission this past weekend. The symptoms of the problem were out of the blue transmission slipping after shifting out of 1st gear, Traction Control locking in and engine trouble light coming on. I had already had the recall service performed a year ago. The vehicle has roughly 55,000 miles on it of mostly suburban and highway driving - very little city stresses.

I first called the dealer nearest to where I now work and was told it was $94 to evaluate. When I told the service rep that I believed there was an extended manufacturers warrenty on this issue, the comment was that I did not buy the car there, that was between me and Honda. As far as I am concerned - I WILL NEVER DO BUSINESS WITH THIS DEALER AND ANY OTHER DEALERSHIP OWNED BY THE SAME COMPANY.

I called the dealer where we bought the car - over an hour and a half away - we bought during the Odyssey shortage in January 2003 - and the service rep understood the problem, said it was probably covered by the extention to the warrenty and Honda would even pay for a rental car during the repair if it was the issue. Yes, after having the van towed there (thank goodness for AAA Master Membership) they are installing a new transmission.

A few things I learned during this process:

- When it is a major possible warrenty issue always deal with the dealer you bought the car from
-There are at least 2 major problems with the transmission

The problem covered by the spring 2004 recall. This is a recall because the transmission will suddenly seize and cause the car to abruptly stop at any speed. If you have not had the recall work done - do it.

The problem most people in this board have had - the transmission slipping and the wheels not getting power. While it is clear that Honda knows that the transmissions in the vans (and other models from Honda and Acura) are defective, since it is not likely to directly cause an accident, they are not required to do a recall. Instead, they quietly extended the warrenty and hope that most of us don't know about it. From my research, it appears to be blamed on a manufacturing defect at a US subcontractor. Given the pair of problems, it appears to be a combination of poor design, poor design quality control and a manufacturing defect.

At this point, I am thankful that the van is being fixed at no charge. I am concerned that the replacement transmission is still a defective design and I will not get the 140000 miles out of the vehicle that I have planned on. It means that when i do the planned replacement of our other vehicle next year - after the van is paid off, I will go to a lower cost vehicle so I can replace the van before it gets to 110000 miles.

I can guarentee one thing - no vehicle bought in this household will ever be a Honda again.

[canuckoddy]

We have a Canadian built 02 Odyssey, bought from an American dealer with only 38 miles on it. At the time there was a 6 month wait for one, so we snapped it up. We had never heard of grey market cars, foreign made cars sold by American dealers. Don't every buy one. Honda Canada will not cover any recall work, even if you take it to Canada, if the vehicle has non-Canadian license plates. American Honda will not honor any grey market cars, even if sold by one of their authorized dealers.

We have it serviced at the dealership we purchased it from, and the service advisors told me for years they couldn't get any information on Canadian vehicles. The recalls on the Odyssey were in the news, so I knew there had to be something out there. I finally talked to the owner of the dealership, who got the recall information on the transmission lubricant, and did the work without charge in Sept. 2005. In Feb. 2006 it started shifting hard, then having trouble at stop signs, but the service dept. said they couldn't replicate the problem and couldn't fix it. It started getting worse the end of March, with the RPM indicator into the red zone changing into 2nd. I took it in to get it checked and for the 90000 mile work, and was told the transmission is "full of metal", and needs replacing.

The service bulletins on this problem are identical for Honda Canada and American Honda. It states that for vehicles under 24,000km/15,000 miles to update the transmission with a simple revision to the oil cooler line. For vans over this mileage, the dealer inspects for discoloration due to overheating; if found the transmission needs to be replaced. If not, do the "simple revision". At the top of the bulletins, the reason for the recall is that overheating can lead to gear tooth chipping and gear breakage. Could this be the metal our transmission is full of, 6 months after the recall work was done? Hmm.

American Honda closed our case because the dealer had already done the recall work, satisfying the claim. I asked if the recall work had not been done properly, especially since the vehicle had 60,000 plus miles on it - well over the 15,000 limit - and the dealer never said anything about inspecting it, just that was all that needed to be done. Had the work not been done, American Honda would have to consider our case.

The dealer has had our vehicle for 6 days now, and the service manager will not return my calls. Honda Canada says our model is not covered by the 7yr/100,000 mile warranty on the transmission, but won't tell me why. I talked to the NHTSA and filed a complaint. No help anywhere yet. Any ideas, anyone?

[thompsoda]

We have an '01 Odyssey with the same problem happening just this last week -- acting like it's shifting into neutral, check-engine light on, drive light blinking -- after only 66K miles. I'm pretty unhappy with this -- paid a few thousand more to avoid these EXACT durability problems with similar vehicles from Chrysler and Ford -- and feeling a bit foolish. On the other hand, Honda, at their own initiative, extended the transmission warranty a little while back so, we're completely covered. And the dealership (Fisher Honda) has just been great about eliminating any hassle. Still, I'm wondering what they're replacing my tranny with (a rebuilt version of the same bad part?) and whether I'm going to have problems w/the Pilot I now own? I dunno, I really like this dealership because the service has been so great, but Honda's at risk of losing an otherwise satisfied customer. At today's prices, I cannot afford to be buying crappy cars. Maybe I'll go back to Toyota; never had any problems there.

[compadv]

Our 2002 Odyssey transmission just failed at 94000 miles. The dealer didn't offer to fix it but we called Honda and they opened a case for us. We had done both of the trans recalls we received at the dealer. The dealer said it was better coming from us than from them so we are keeping our fingers crossed. Needless to say we are very disappointed since we bought the Odyssey to avoid the transmission issues on the Voyager/Caravan. Any advice on the best way to approach it when they call would be appreciated (we were told we would get a call in 24 - 48 hours). We are a little upset with the dealer for not offering to handle it for us.

[compadv]

I posted earlier today about our Odyssey transmission failure at 94K miles. Talked to the Honda rep today and they are covering the full cost. They did want to verify with the dealer that the car had been properly maintained. Dealer told me it was better for me to call Honda than for them to. I am extrememly pleased at how they are standing behind their product. Be firm and prove that you did the recall work and changed the transmission fluid according to their specs (even if it wasn't done by the dealer). If your Odyssey was 2001 they would cover it with no problem (due to their exension of the transmission warranty on 99-01 models). I just don't think the quantity of 2002 transmission failures have caught up with them. It helps to be a loyal Honda customer which we are.
Good luck.

[Tiger]

My 2002 Oddyssey transmission is failing. Dealer confirms this- 149,000 KMS - Canada. (88,000 miles). Qutoes $4,000 to replace. Called Honda customer service whom opened the file but advises that it will not be covered. Customer service rep simply based it on the fact that there was no documented problems with my transmission in the past. Recalls were done when letters were received. Its out of warranty right now. I suggested to her that a recall should have been issued for the whole transmission based on the number of cases. She asked where I get this information - I mentioned the Internet and her response is that there are all sort of things said on the internet. Any suggested recourse. I expressed my disappointment at a Honda product failing after 4.5 yrs. Customer rep did let it be known that she has put in writing my disappointment for the record. Does not get me covered.

Any recourse or advise from fellow Honda owners?

[Parkupine]

This problem started about 3 weeks ago for us in our 02 Odyssey. It is very intermittent and has happened going from 2nd to 3rd and 3rd to 4th gears. Thus far, I can cycle the gas pedal 3 or 4 times and it will finally catch.

I had the vehicle in at a Honda dealership and they were completely clueless regarding this issue so I started looking into myself and found this thread.

We only have 40k miles on our vehicle and have had it dealer maintained thus far.

[AndyB]

At 39,000 the gear didn't engage until you released your foot from the gas pedal. Honda did a replacement w/o charge, but I wonder when this might happen again.