Honda Odyssey 02 Trans slips, any others?

[tlamhain]

Well all I can say is I wish I had found this wesite before I got a loan to buy my 2002 Odyssey in July of this year.
Yup I too have all the same problems with my tranny. Started 2 weeks ago with only 44000 miles on the van.
Brought it to the dealer on Tuesday 9/26 and they were able to get it to slip for them today. Got the call about an hour ago telling me I needed a new tranny. So, here I am waiting to hear back from the dealer to see if Honda will pay anything towards the replacement tranny. I am the 3rd owner of this van this the first owner only had it about a month. The second owner a 80 year old man had owned it since. This guy was right on time with all the maintence stuff. I figured I was buying a car to last me the next 10 years....
Well, we'll see how things turn out......
Theresa

9/28 got a call from the dealer they have gotten Honda to replace the tranny and the computer control. I have to pay for the labor which will be $875, I feel like I can't complain. He says the control MUST be replaced with the tranny as otherwise your tranny will just burn out again.

[tlamhain]

Well, I got my van back on 9/30. It seems to be running fine. I hope that I don't have the same problem in 45000 miles. My husband is insisting we sell the van. Who knows....
Theresa

Well all I can say is I wish I had found this wesite before I got a loan to buy my 2002 Odyssey in July of this year.
Yup I too have all the same problems with my tranny. Started 2 weeks ago with only 44000 miles on the van.
Brought it to the dealer on Tuesday 9/26 and they were able to get it to slip for them today. Got the call about an hour ago telling me I needed a new tranny. So, here I am waiting to hear back from the dealer to see if Honda will pay anything towards the replacement tranny. I am the 3rd owner of this van this the first owner only had it about a month. The second owner a 80 year old man had owned it since. This guy was right on time with all the maintence stuff. I figured I was buying a car to last me the next 10 years....
Well, we'll see how things turn out......
Theresa

9/28 got a call from the dealer they have gotten Honda to replace the tranny and the computer control. I have to pay for the labor which will be $875, I feel like I can't complain. He says the control MUST be replaced with the tranny as otherwise your tranny will just burn out again.

[TransHonda2002]

I read all these postings from over the years regarding the faulty transmissions on the Honda Odyssey 2002. I have had problems with my transmission since a month after I bought the car in 2002. Had documentation (complaints) in the Honda system over all these years since I always have my oil changed there. I have had several Honda mechanics, Quality Reps, etc. check it out and they all said that it was fine and the van was supposed to ride like that. Well after much complaining, getting the oil jet put in for the tramsimission recall a couple of years ago, and accepting that the van was supposed to run and shift hard...It finally started to slip consistently between 2nd and 3rd gear - ~72K miles on the van. Took it in with all my documentation over the years, talked to the service manager. They checked it out, called Honda America and am getting a nw transmission 100% paid by Honda. What helped me was that I had all the complaints about my transmission from day 1 in their system. Let's see how it comes out....Waiting for the transmission to come in...Will keep you posted.

[tlamhain]

Be sure to ask them to replace the computer that actually does the shifting!
Theresa

I read all these postings from over the years regarding the faulty transmissions on the Honda Odyssey 2002. I have had problems with my transmission since a month after I bought the car in 2002. Had documentation (complaints) in the Honda system over all these years since I always have my oil changed there. I have had several Honda mechanics, Quality Reps, etc. check it out and they all said that it was fine and the van was supposed to ride like that. Well after much complaining, getting the oil jet put in for the tramsimission recall a couple of years ago, and accepting that the van was supposed to run and shift hard...It finally started to slip consistently between 2nd and 3rd gear - ~72K miles on the van. Took it in with all my documentation over the years, talked to the service manager. They checked it out, called Honda America and am getting a nw transmission 100% paid by Honda. What helped me was that I had all the complaints about my transmission from day 1 in their system. Let's see how it comes out....Waiting for the transmission to come in...Will keep you posted.

[stevta]

I found this thread searching for some problems I have had with my 03' Odyssey. I recognize the details of slipping between 2nd and 3rd gear. I have the light flashing on the D - gear indicator light.
Some difficulty downshifting.
All of this is infrequent and started around the 40k mark. I now have close to 90k.

[tlamhain]

From what I have read on here and what happened with my van. The flash D light means you need a new tranny.
Good luck....
Theresa

I found this thread searching for some problems I have had with my 03' Odyssey. I recognize the details of slipping between 2nd and 3rd gear. I have the light flashing on the D - gear indicator light.
Some difficulty downshifting.
All of this is infrequent and started around the 40k mark. I now have close to 90k.

[Guy in MI]

Same problem as others on this post, impending failure of 2002 Odyssey transmission at 94K miles. My situation was resolved before doing internet research and coming upon this post. Fortunately, my situation was resolved well. Here's the facts.

Model - EX, standard package.

Purchased - Nov. 2001. This was a company car that I drove (I'm with an automotive supplier, more on that later). I purchased it 3 years later from the company when the lease was up with 69K miles on it. Became primary vehicle for my wife to drive. My next company car was a 2004 Accord (no problems there).

Transmission recall - This is where the dealership installed a jet valve to improve circulation of transmission fluid and help prevent these failures from occuring. Had this done in May 05 at 75K miles.

In Sep 06, wife started sensing slippage while accelerating. Mileage on car now 94K. Took it to the auto repair shop we've been using for several years now (better rates and same level of service as the Honda dealership), who confirmed the problem was in the transmission. They said I'm better off going to the Honda dealership with such a major problem (by the way, they didn't charge me for this check, thus my continued loyalty to this repair shop).

Honda dealership - My wife took the van in and they confirmed problem was in the 2nd-3rd gear and said it will eventually fail. Guess the jet valve fix didn't work afterall. They said they could replace it with a rebuilt transmission for $4300, parts and labor. Yikes! They said they would contact American Honda and see what type of goodwill gesture Honda would provide to cover costs. They did this on their own, my wife's not a hot head like me that will raise a stink. (Seeing these posts, its now apparent the dealership was well aware of this type of problem). Next day the dealership confirmed that all costs would be covered. They didn't offer a free rental in the interim like I saw on some other posts, but we never thought of asking. It was a minor inconvenience for the week we were without the van, so it just never came up.

Concerns - I'm extremely satisfied that Honda stands behind their product in this particular case and covered the full amount even though its outside the warranty period. The big question is how long will the remanufactured transmission last? Was this transmission done right and included the fixes to prevent any early failures, or am I on the clock? Only time will tell. I can't say I'm dissatisfied as a customer until a problem arises that Honda doesn't fix. Until then, I'm happy with what I have.

Why are the costs and amount of coverage being offered on the transmission replacement all over the place as listed in the various posts? This is puzzling. I think the majority of it is the dealership you are dealing with. I have steered my 2 company vehicle purchases to the Honda dealership doing the work, and a co-worker has done 2 as well. Since I'm in their system, maybe they want to keep me satisfied and steer future purchases their way? So they may have put in a good word to American Honda and pleaded to them to cover.

At the same time, I wouldn't be surprised if some dealerships are trying to skim some money off this. American Honda may be reimbursing the dealership in full for parts and labor, and the dealership in turn is charging the customer a portion. For those with transmissions with less than 100K miles, keep pushing hard between the dealership and American Honda to cover all the costs (and to throw in the rental too which I didn't get).

Another area is the dealership is probably providing an assessment to American Honda on the overall condition of the vehicle. Does it (or did it) have a towing package? Is the underbody severely marred? Other signs of severe vehicle driving conditions? This wasn't the case for mine since the majority of the miles are highway miles, no offroading or towing. Thus its a case by case review.

One interesting side note. I saw on a couple of posts regarding the SRS indicator light coming on, and getting that unit replaced even though its out of warranty. I have the same situation with the light on for some time now that I have ignored. I need to followup on this and see if I can get the dealership and American Honda to cover this too even though its out of warranty, as the airbags are not a "wear and tear" type item.

Good luck on your attempts to get the transmission covered.

[canuck knight]

I bought my 02 van in Dec.01. I just had my transmission fail on me a couple of weeks ago. Reading thru these posts I realized that the slipping gears has been going on for a long time but just thought it was normal. I had the old clunk sound as well when backing up when cold right from the start. Anyways I called Honda Canada and they told me that my warranty was over but they would think about what they could do for me. So they decided to pay for 1/2 the cost of the part and my dealer paid $200 dollars of the labor. My cost would be $2400. I complained that others were getting the transmission covered totally but Honda Canada would not budge. Again they said I was lucky they were covering as much as they were as they were under no obligation to pay anything. I asked to speak to a supervisor and was told that was not possible.
Well I went to pick up my van today and paid the $2400 and about 30 yards out of their parkade the transmission died!!! I almost had an accident as this was rush hour. I managed to turn around and drive back to the dealership and they told me they couldn't understand how that could happen. I even questioned them if I indeed got a new refurbished transmission and they told me yes I did but after checking it they said I would now need another one as the one they just gave me was no good . Would that be a record for the shortest life for a transmission. Lasted about 30 yards!!! I called Honda Canada when I got home to complain and all they told me was thats all they were going to pay and take any problems back to my dealer. For all those who have had their transmission replaced I wish you all the best because as soon as mine gets replaced again next week, there will be a for sale sign on it. I have lost all faith in Honda. I have owned a prelude, accord and presently own a MDX and odyssey. I will be selling both my odyssey and MDX as I will not support a company that doesn't support their customers.

[dpatter]

I have a 2003 Odyssey that has developed a shake just before it shifts into third, This started after I took it in for the 45000 mile service which included the transmisson service. I now have 46000 miles on it and the engine light came on. The recall on the trans has been done. I contacted the dealer and will take it in to be checked out. When I asked him about warranty he said some of the trans had been extended to 8 years or 80000 miles but mine was not. I couldn"t get an answer as to why. Anybody know about this or have any suggestions about dealing with Honda?

[morehondaproblems]

I have a 2002 Honda Odyssey that we purchased in January 2002. Why I purchased the Honda, due to the commitment or brand - Service, Safty and Reliability. Since signing the contract for the $28k these machines costs - Service and reliability have yet to be determined. I am currently having transmission problems (honda has advised new transmission is required - not covered of course. So I have a case opened with American Honda which I am sure will not accomplish anything except getting a few things off my chest and add another Honda transmission log to their already thousands. As I look over the many, many issues everyone else is having 2%+ of Odysseys are having these issues - looks like we should be able to hold Honda to their word - RELIABILITY or they should change their commercials to No Service and a little bit of Reliability.

[guiang]

We bought our 02 van as a Certified Preowned Honda back in 04. No problem since then until a month ago, we noticed it seemed to be hesitating when you move from stop. 2 weeks ago the problem got much worse- after my wife stopped for a few minutes with the engine on, it wouldn't move at all in Drive. She had to turn the engine off, let it cool for a few minutes before she could get it to move.

Took it to Honda dealer shop. After inspecting it, they said the whole transmission had failed, need to be replaced. Initially said I had to pay ~$4,500 for parts and labor. I told them I had heard of other owners with similar problems and they said they'd call American Honda and see if they can get a discount. I decided to call Am Honda myself and was told there was no extension on the 02 transmission warranty, and was advised to talk to dealer instead. When I got back to dealer, I was told they had talked to Am Honda and that the transmission (rebuilt) will be provided for free- that I only have to pay the $1,134 in labor costs. Agreed to have them do the job. They didn't have any loaner car program so I had to get and pay for a rental car myself.

I got the van from the shop on Monday, 2 days ago, and seemed fine on the drive home. However, yesterday my wife called me and said it would hardly move from stop. Drove it myself today and it was exactly as she said. It seemed fine in Reverse. D was a problem until you get moving fast. Stop and go traffic was a nightmare. In addition, the D light was constantly blinking, no matter which gear you were on and the TCS and Check Engine light was also constantly on (they were not lit when I got the van from the shop).

I have emailed the dealer and will be taking it back to them tomorrow.

It is outrageous. As most other Honda owners, I bought this because of its reputation for reliability. I would have been better off with a Hyundai!

I'll make another post when I get the van back.

Edwin

[fullpitch]

Ive heard of the odyssey having tranny problems and this 3 page thread proves it.

I have an 01 odyssey and I had the tranny replaced after it started acting up at 59k miles, thankfully right before the warranty was going to expire so in my experience the dealer took good care of me and Ive had no more problems since.

[Spurvinator]

Ok. Here is the deal :-)
I just bought a 03 Odyssey. I was driving it home and noticed the D light started to blink.
As soon as I got in the house I checked the Internet and found this post.
The van has 66000KMS on it.
The van is still under extended warrenty however I do have a 7 day return policy I can take advantage of.
Are there any suggestions out there on what to do?
Thanks

[lescarrs]

Ok. Here is the deal :-)
I just bought a 03 Odyssey. I was driving it home and noticed the D light started to blink.
As soon as I got in the house I checked the Internet and found this post.
The van has 66000KMS on it.
The van is still under extended warrenty however I do have a 7 day return policy I can take advantage of.
Are there any suggestions out there on what to do?
Thanks

The flashing D means your transmission is overheating, and a typical symptom of an Odyssey transmission failing (along with TCS and check engine lights). We've been the single owner of a 2002 Odyssey EX and this week at 63000 km we too have fallen victim to a transmission failure. Our onset of failure was sudden, but fortunately was in the neighborhood at fairly low speeds. The research I've done following on this topic has been eye-opening. Seems that 40k miles/65k kilometers is the magic point where a much too high percentage of these transmissions begin to fail.

My recommendation would be to take advantage of the 7-day return policy. After returning it, if you wish to stick with an Odyssey (there is a lot to like about them once you get past the transmission and the sliding side doors problems), at least get one with a transmission that is currently running well. I would also have it checked out by a good mechanic. Finally, based on what I've seen I would either try to find a 2005+ Odyssey model if you can afford it, or take out a very good extended warranty if you buy a 99-04 model.

[lescarrs]

We now have to count ourselves among the many who have suffered a transmission failure on an '02 Odyssey. Our failed at 63k km/40k miles, right at the witching value on the odometer.

It is fascinating to see the various responses folks have gotten from Honda, and the fact that many have been successful getting Honda to stand behind their product is encouraging. I, however, have a special challenge to overcome and will likely need all the help I can get to succeed at this one. Those game for a challenge, read on...

I am American, now living in Texas, but we purchased our Odyssey (we've been its only owner) in Canada in Jul 02, shortly after starting a job assignment there. When we moved back to the US in 2005, we brought the Odyssey with us as a permanent import; Honda in the US provided paperwork necessary to assist with this. When I learned of the transmission failure, I called Honda in the US to open a file and pursue an amicable resolution. I was told that information would need to be sent from Canada, and to provide proof that the car was now registered in the US. I followed these instructions, only to be told today after they received the information that this was a "Canadian vehicle," even though it is now registered in the US. I told her I bought a HONDA, made at the same factory in Ontario that made all North American Odysseys at that time.

None of this mattered to her, and she indicated I would have to call Honda Canada to pursue this problem. It feels like Honda has started a game of runaround straight off the bat....

I'm seeking advice/ideas at this point. How should one approach this? It's clearly the same problem with all the vehicles ("Canadian" or "American") that were made at the same factory -- they all got the same recall notice in 2004. I have yet to call Honda Canada (will try after the weekend) but don't anticipate much joy based on some of the posts I have seen here.

Thanks for all ideas.

[Spurvinator]

We so much love this van. Any idea on how new transmissions perform in these vans? What does a new transmission do for the resale value of a vechicle? I appriciate anybodys input.
Thanks

[Jim in NY]

Hey, check out the link:

http://www.hondatransmissionsettlement.com


Appears that someone is finally doing someting about this.

[tom in MD]

I am new to this site, but have been told this AM that our 2002 EX is going to need a new tranny to the tune of $3300. Can you tell me how you got American Honda to pay for the complete cost of the repair? We bought the car new, and have 61800 miles on it. We have always had this car serviced at the dealer. What can I do to ensure that we do not have to pay for this repair? Did you need to do anything beyound working through the dealer and American Honda to get them to cover the cost of the new transmission?

I read all these postings from over the years regarding the faulty transmissions on the Honda Odyssey 2002. I have had problems with my transmission since a month after I bought the car in 2002. Had documentation (complaints) in the Honda system over all these years since I always have my oil changed there. I have had several Honda mechanics, Quality Reps, etc. check it out and they all said that it was fine and the van was supposed to ride like that. Well after much complaining, getting the oil jet put in for the tramsimission recall a couple of years ago, and accepting that the van was supposed to run and shift hard...It finally started to slip consistently between 2nd and 3rd gear - ~72K miles on the van. Took it in with all my documentation over the years, talked to the service manager. They checked it out, called Honda America and am getting a nw transmission 100% paid by Honda. What helped me was that I had all the complaints about my transmission from day 1 in their system. Let's see how it comes out....Waiting for the transmission to come in...Will keep you posted.

[hohoho]

need someone's help please...

i have a 2002 LX model which was purchased certified used in 2005. current odometer reading is about 50k. everything runs just great except starting about one year ago the instrument panel lights (i mean the entire panel) sporatically flashes a second or two and then disappears. i took it to the dealer and they were NOT able to pinpoint the cause as it only happens about once a day or so. to make it more strange, i noticed recently that the D light sometimes brightens when you accelerate and then dims when you move your foot out of the gas pedal. initially i was thinking it might have something to do with the bad wiring connection. but after reading the posts here, i begin to worry about the tranny now as it is right in the range you folks are have those issues. did you guys have any similar experiences?

thank you for your input on this...

ted

[SPinNorthernCA]

Hi,

Thank you to everyone for showing me the way here. It was good to find that I am not the only person with this experience. It is bad to find that it is so common on a brand that I thought was reliable, not only for the engineering and design, but for their customer service. I am waiting for my 2002 (66k miles) van to come out of the shop with a new tranny.

Wife and I have experienced several months of intermittent issues (trans slipping, loss of power to drive wheels, TCS light coming on every now and then, CheckEngine codes showed P0730--transmission fault of some sort). It was all a mystery to me, until I took it to a independent shop. The mech there insisted that I take it to the dealer (this mech is an honest guy--honest enough to admit that he has no idea, instead of buying a boat load of parts to put on my car for lack of a better idea).

At the dealer, I began to describe what we had been experiencing and the service advisor cut me off before I could finish. "You need a new tranny," he boldly stated. Well, how the heck did he know that so fast? He continued, "I have replaced 50 of these in the last two years, and I have been a Honda mech for 21 years." In fact, he did not even test drive with me, but he wrote on the service report, "Test drove with cust and found trans slipping when shifting from 1st to 2nd approx 10-15 MPH and had P0730 stored." Hmmm, sounds like Honda knows that there is a significant problem, and maybe they are quietly trying to fix it. I have not seen any correspondence from Honda, but they sure are good at sending me those "buy-a-new-Honda" letters.

When I asked what the warranty policy was (I do not have the extended warranty), he asked if I had done all the required maintenance. Fortunately for me, I had just had the van in for the 60k mile service ($500!) and we were now sitting at 66k miles. 60k mile includes trans flush and refill, with an operational test. I pulled out the receipt, which said, "No problems noted." I certainly was not ready to drop $5k into a new tranny for a Honda vehicle that is supposed to be reliable. It's not like I bought an $800 rattle trap and I am complaining that it's now broken! Couple days later, it turns out that the tranny is going to be covered 100% parts and labor by Honda. Phew! I encourage all of you experiencing this issue to fight for 100% coverage (and hopefully, you'll have the maintenance records to support your claim).

Thanks for all the info, because if I had not had the scoop that I found here, I would not have been prepared to argue my case for the warranty coverage very well.

My next decision is whether to keep this car. I don't want to be visiting this tranny issue again in 5k miles or 50k miles. I suspect that there is nothing better about the replacement, compared to the original. Therefore, it will probably have the same type of problems. What do other people think?

Thanks,

SP

[SPinNorthernCA]

This lawsuit applies to these models:
Honda Accord
2000-2001
Honda Odyssey
1999-2001
Honda Prelude
2000-2001
Acura 3.2 CL
2001-2002
Acura 3.2 TL
1999-2002
Acura CL 3.2 TL Type S:
From VIN 19UUA5 …3A000001
Thru 19UUA5… 3A019061
2003
Acura CL 3.2 CL (all models):
From VIN 19UYA42…3A000001
Thru 19UYA42 … 3A005203
2003

[MULE]

Hi Ted,

Just read about your flashing panel light problem. The same thing was happening with mine whenever I hit a bump or made a sharp left turn. I discovered that the problem was the sliding door on the passenger side. The door would ever so slightly move away from the door closed switch when hitting a bump. I solved the problem by taking the switch off and putting a washer behind the switch which in turn meant it now stuck out about 3/32 of an inch more. Just enough to solve the problem.

My 2000 Odyssey with 150K on it is starting to have classic transmission failure. Anyone know if I'm covered considering the current lawsuit against Honda?

Roman

[TerriR2001]

We have just 49,000 miles on our car. I knew a transmission lawsuit was pending, but didn't know it had been settled until we brought the car in this morning. The car had been shifting roughly for at least the last month - I was slow to get it in and am glad nothing bad happened...

I was told that we will be needing new engine mounts too as 3 are cracked (3?) and that this isn't covered under the warranty. Can this be a problem caused by the faulty transmission? I noticed someone else asked this earlier. They will be covering the full cost of a new (rebuilt?) transmission, including labor, but of course they came up with several other things we 'need' to do as well. We have been taking this car to the dealer since we got it in 2001 -- the service manager we used to see for years left recently and the last 2 times with a new service manager I have not been thrilled with his suggestions for replacing this and that for $ and $ and $. We are going to pick up the car now and will take it back when they get the parts in -- glad to have found this forum.

Otherwise we've loved the car with the exception of lousy gas mileage in the city and the fact that everyone and their mother has this car in the same color. Our family has walked to the wrong car more than once and wondered why the doors won't open.

[cg2952]

Just got the call from the Honda dealer and Honda USA is providing the reman tranny and I will have to pay $850 labor.

This is good news in light of the fact that my brother works for GM and his '02 Tahoe's transmission failed with 78K miles and GM did not offer a thing.

So at least I'll get another 2 years out of the van...I'm not happy with the faulty transmission, but Honda went above and beyond to keep me happy.

I will give Honda my business again.

[tlamhain]

Well, I got my van back on 9/30. It seems to be running fine. I hope that I don't have the same problem in 45000 miles. My husband is insisting we sell the van. Who knows....
Theresa

I should have listen to the hubby this time..... I just was pulling out of the bank and there was a big clunk/clunk and then my engine and maintenance lights came on, the green D light started blinking and the TCS light was blinking too. I now have 52000 miles on it. So this tranny lasted less then 10000 miles!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Spoke on the phone with my Honda dealer and they said if it is the tranny it will be covered 100% labor too. I have an appointment for Monday...

Theresa