My wife purchased the Odyssey because she liked the room and cool automatic sliding doors. We bought a 3 year old used(125,000kms), local trade Odyssey and I felt confident in the Honda product. My 2000 civic has been a fantastic car, and still is 11 years on.

At year 3(2009), the transmission failed- it manifested itself as a really long shift from 2nd to 3rd gear. Eventually, it just would not shift beyond 2nd gear. My local Honda dealer said there was nothing to be done. So I purchased a rebuilt transmission and had a reputable local shop install it. The mechanic called me once the transmission was out to show me the condition of the transmission fluid- it was littered with fine metallic bits and so forth.

So here we are one year later (end of 2010) and another transmission code has been kicked on. And here I am, seeing online the numerous transmission failures of the '99 to '04 odyssey. And Honda does nothing for you. There was a class action lawsuit which helped those with '99 to '01 by extending the warranty to 106,000 miles. We had a recall here in Canada (Transport Canada recall #2004143). Our vehicle apparently had the recall measure performed, and yet the transmission still failed. Some fix, eh?

Now we will be replacing our nearly valueless 2003 odyssey. We will NOT be visiting Honda for another automatic equipped vehicle ever again.

Be warned. DO NOT purchase a Honda Odyssey '99 to '04. Ever.

Thank you for your time.

2003 honda Odyssey with 120K. Last month (Oct'2010) I asked dealer to review the transmission and transmission belt package. Spent around 2500$. Now a month later my car just stopped and it had 'D' indicator blinking also had to tow car to the same dealer (Open Road Honda). Now the dealer says I have error codes.

P0730-automatic transmission need to be replaced

P0845-There is problem with 3rd gear pressure issue

He said he will need 5000$ to fix it. My car does not have any extended warranty. Don't know what to do now. Any help/advice will be highly appreciated.

My wife and I leased a 2003 Honda Odyssey brand new and then purchased it after the lease expired. What a mistake! Our van now has 122,355 miles and this past weekend my van broke down. Today from the dealership we find out that we will need a new transmission and a updated poser module. The cost to me was quoted as $5,143.00 (USD) Ridiculous since the wholesale value of the van is around $8,000.00 (USD).

Since the quote was so high, I asked the service technician for an explanation of what the power module purpose was to replacing the transmission. He stated that it controlled the shifting of the transmission and that it would be required when we repaired our transmission. My thoughts to the service technician are that this sounded like the reason for the transmission failing anyway and why should I pay for a Honda design flaw. He was silent for a few seconds and stated that he had called Honda but they were refusing to do anything for us.

The humorous thing about this (if one can find humor) is that we bought a Honda because we had transmission problems with our American made Plymouth Grand Voyager at about the same mileage. My wife and I both agreed at the time we bought our Honda that paying more for a Honda would be worth it since we believed at the time that make a better quality vehicle. WRONG!!!!

Chris Tyler

Chandler, AZ

Like many Honda buyers in 2003, I looked past a total lack of style to buy an incredibly boring but also incredibly reliable Odyssey.

What a shock. At 45k the transmission wouldn't go in to 2nd gear. The dealer claimed by fluid was burnt due to poor maintenance. Reminding them that they had provided the 30k transmission service at 31k miles I commented that the car had serious problems or they failed to do the service. The dealer back peddled saying they didn't mean to say burnt, and that they took care of the fluid and replaced a part under a recall.

It seemed safe to assume the transmission 90k service wouldn't be needed until 105k since the transmission was serviced at 45k. The tranny failed at 107k about the time it needed to be taken in for servicing.

The dealer acknowledged that they had NOT serviced the fluid at 45k. 5 minutes of research regarding the 03-08 transmission made it clear I was one of many victims of Honda's fraud. Rather than admitting that they have a problem, Honda recommends transmission replacement with the same defective model they've been building since 2003.

Honda has taken a lesson from the 70's playbook of the American car manufacturers - shoveling down short term profits while sacrificing a reputation that they worked so hard to earn. If the trend continues, in 10 years S. Korea will have climbed to the very top and the American companies will have returned to their position above the Japanese has-beens

Our 2003 Honda Odyssey began slipping out of gear while we were driving it. A trip to the dealership verified what we already knew: the transmission was failing and we were out of warranty. The dealership said 'Feel free to call Honda if you want, but we can't help you.' [How's THAT for great customer service?? They didn't even offer to call for us.] So we called Honda, and after telling them that this van has been babied and serviced on schedule for the entire 88,900 miles we have owned it, they said MAYBE they would pay 50% of the $3,800 transmission replacement cost we were quoted if we could fax to them the service paperwork to prove we have had two transmission flushes done according to the maintenance schedule. We faxed the paperwork, and they followed up by saying that they would only pay 37% of the cost because the second transmission flush was NOT done at a dealership (It was done at a Tires Plus shop), and they did NOT use the Honda ATF-Z1 transmission fluid in their flush, as specified in the Honda Owner's manual--Tires Plus used VersaTrans fluid instead. Called Tires Plus and asked them how they decide what transmission fluid to use: "we just type the vehicled into the computer and it tells us what kind to put in." When I asked how much extra it would cost to put in the Honda fluid, he said "No extra charge, if that is what you want."

SO BUYER BEWARE: when you get oil changes or transmission flushes, you better ask for the fluid that is specified in your owner's manual or you will be up a creek with no paddle if you are driving a Honda (or if you happened to be stranded along the roadside one).

We bought this Honda because of the company's excellent reputation for quality and service, after having a 3-year Chrysler van nightmare that wouldn't end. Since Honda doesn't stand behind their vehicles either, I guess I will cross them off the list too, just like Chrysler. I suppose I will take their 37% deal, consider myself hosed, and trade in the van for something else. Too many reports online of repeat transmission failures in Odysseys, and I'm just not that lucky today.

Just as others stated, tranny failed at 103K. Drove directly to dealer, they said tranny needs to be replaced at a cost of $3300. Ouch. Called Honda America the very next day and told them car broke down and the cost of repair. A manager at Honda America called me back to tell me our case was being reviewed. In the meantime, I called our Honda dealer to let them know I contacted Honda America. Long story, short. Honda America agreed to pay 80% of repairs. The things in our favor, we bought the car new and had it serviced at the dealer (really just oil changes) and we also own another Honda (Accord) shows we are loyal customers. If this happens to you, my advice is, be concise and very polite while dealing with Honda America. Good Luck!

Update from May 15, 2010: The number for Honda America in CA in 800-999-1009. Another piece of advice is to record ALL correspondence even if you feel it is insignificant. Good Luck!

What's new, here I am, another Odyssey tranny failure! I just had my van serviced for the timing belts and all. The dealer gives me back a van with a broken throttle cable which I had to fight them and they fixed it finally. One week later, the transmission starts acting funny and then the engine light comes on. I take it in and they cannot find anything wrong! "Your Odyssey is fine" Come the next week and it starts smoking right before the tranny dies. I tow it back to the dealer and they tell me it is a "freak random internal transmission failure"...wtf?!!! I research the Odyssey tranny online and find a shipload of the same issue. I call American Honda who tells me that they have nothing to do with my situation. The case manager, Ray, had the nerve to tell me that Honda ONLY manufactures the car and after that it goes to a independently owned & operated dealership! Therefore, they don't interfere and I have to resolve my case with the dealership! The service manager, Kevin, at Honda North in Fresno, CA tells me that American Honda is offering to pay 50% which amounts to $2200. I told him that I was told American Honda isn't getting involved. He said again the 50% is not from him, it's from Honda. I call back to Honda and they tell me it's the dealer paying 50%. What the hell is going on??? I am still fighting to have the complete cost covered so I may sell the van and minimize my financial loss. I was supposed to get a call from Honda three days ago...still waiting today-Friday April 2, 2010.

My transmission on my 2003 Odyssey failed at 140,000. The dealer (Tameron Honda in Birmingham, AL) is quoting a repair cost of $5,900!!! That is outrageous. That is probably equal to the value of the automobile at this point. The whole reason for spending extra money on a Honda is for automobile reliability - so that the repair costs in the long run do not add up or one does not have to purchase a new car so quickly. This was a low mileage vehicle without a lot of hard driving and I've repeatedly spent $300-500 to take the car into Honda for regular maintenance, including very recently a transmission check! Ha! This is just a disaster. One should expect a car like this to go at least 200,000 to 250,000 before such catastrophic failures. It is especially troublesome given that I'm now finding out that this is an endemic problem for 2003 Odyssey owners from hundreds of complaints. I am in the process of contacting Honda, but I doubt I'll get anywhere.

Honda has lost my business that's for certain.

This is our second transmission failure with this vehicle.

While en route to South Carolina for vacation ., we were traveling at highway speeds. We were in a long line of vehicles in the left lane. Traffic slowed, I slowed as I accelerated with traffic the transmission seemed to hesitate/slip. then all seemed well. after a few miles my daughter said, "dad something smells like it's burning" No indicator lights, then came the smoke and I noticed all the traffic behind me falling back, Ah the dreaded oil on the windshield. I pulled to the berm and coasted to the next exit. To my delight i discovered the car had blown out all the transmission fluid and my engine was coated and smoking.

No car for the rest of vacation, $3200.00 rebuild for the second time in 2 years.

The Transmission Doctors, were able to provide a tow, and have it rebuilt by the weekend,,,,no specific diagnosis for what caused the failure, but I asked and have most of the parts. All clutch rings are burned and the overhaet caused the fluid to blow out the front of the bell housing. Round two with HONDA here I go.....

Update from Jun 29, 2009: second time the transmission failed, this was an overheat do to unknown reason, transmission fluid blew out the front of transmission causing tranny to overheat and burn out several items inside.

Update from Jun 29, 2009:

second time the transmission failed, this was an overheat do to unknown reason, transmission fluid blew out the front of transmission causing tranny to overheat and burn out several items inside.

Update from Jun 29, 2009: This is our second transmission failure with this vehicle.

While en route to South Carolina for vacation ., we were traveling at highway speeds. We were in a long line of vehicles in the left lane. Traffic slowed, I slowed as I accelerated with traffic the transmission seemed to hesitate/slip. then all seemed well. after a few miles my daughter said, "dad something smells like it's burning" No indicator lights, then came the smoke and I noticed all the traffic behind me falling back, Ah the dreaded oil on the windshield. I pulled to the berm and coasted to the next exit. To my delight i discovered the car had blown out all the transmission fluid and my engine was coated and smoking.

No car for the rest of vacation, $3200.00 rebuild for the second time in 2 years.

The Transmission Doctors, were able to provide a tow, and have it rebuilt by the weekend,,,,no specific diagnosis for what caused the failure, but I asked and have most of the parts. All clutch rings are burned and the overhaet caused the fluid to blow out the front of the bell housing. Round two with HONDA here I go.....

I was very surprised when the transmission on our 2003 Odyssey failed last spring, but it did explain all the phone calls offering an extended warranty. Silly me, I didn't think I would need one for a Honda. The only good thing was that since I had the vehicle serviced regularly at my local dealer where I bought it Honda offered to pay for the transmission and I only had to pay for the labor. The dealer even payed for my rental car when they could not get the job done on schedule. My only concern now is how long the replacement transmission will last. Does the replacement have a fix or is it a design floor that could not easily be fixed by Honda? If somebody knows the answer to that question I would love to hear about it.

Traveling to SC to pick up a U-haul trailer to bring furniture back to FL. Picked up the U-haul trailer got it within one block of my SC home and the transmission went out. AAA hauled the van to the Honda dealer. It was determined the cost to fix the van would be $4,800.00. Since it was Saturday the service representative said the transmission failed was not due to driver error and could not have been avoided. The rep said that Honda may replace the part but would have to wait until Monday to contact them and that I would have to pay the labor $1,150.00. I had to rent a car that would not allow one way to FL and with no transportation to get to another rental dealer; so we were stuck in SC. Rental car does not allow towing of any kind and was unable to get U-haul to pick up the trailer. Expensive and a lot of stress that I did not need.

Honda Dealer in 2004 does a recall and scopes transmission and then installs recall fix which is an injector to cool 2nd gear. Dealer refused to change oil and replace with my purchased Mobil 1 synthetic trans oil. The flushed with Honda Trans. fluid. Honda Corp. now tells me now they do not recommend the flush. Flush at 34,000 miles granted I went to 81,000 miles of easy driving never towing. Transmission failed. If they would have done the fluid change with the synthetic I would not be here with a failed transmission. Bottom line transmissions of marginal design increase maintenance schedule to 25,000 miles on easy driving. Very poor for a Honda. Looks like a GM, Chrysler for me next time. Good news for the US Automakers.

I seem to have had the same trouble as a lot of other people... We bought this car new, drive it gently, have done all the recommended maintenance, yet the transmission now needs to be replaced to the tune of $4,000. I am working with our Honda dealer/repair people now to ask Honda to extend the warranty and cover the repair, since there is clearly a LEMON issue with this transmission -- well documented on many websites. Questions for other folks: what number did you call and who did you talk to at Honda corporate to get them to address the issue? Also, is it wise to get a rebuilt Honda transmission put in as a replacement if they totally stink and will break down again? Did Honda pay for a new, rather than a rebuilt transmission for anyone out there?

Interestingly, even though I asked a lot of questions, my dealership would not say "Yeah, these transmissions break all the time" until I brought up the idea of asking the factory rep to extend our warranty and replace it for free. Then and only then did the person helping me say "I'm so glad you said that. Because now that YOU have brought it up, because I am not allowed to, I can now tell you that we will try that possibility." The kid I was dealing with was only following orders -- but sheesh -- what a slimy way to do business. If you can keep a happy and loyal customer buy owning up to the repair, why do you have this secret policy?

I used to own a Civic that had more than 120,000 miles and virtually no repairs -- it was fabulous and that is what we expected when we dished out the dough for an Odyssey., which in 2003 was the most expensive minivan available just about. We were planning to replace our second vehicle with a new Honda later this year, but this is seriously making us reconsider.

A few years ago I received a recall notice from Honda regarding the transmission. At that time, they just checked the transmission for a particular type of wear, if there was evidence of wear - they were supposed to replace the transmission. On Christmas Eve, while going up a hill, my car started making a noise like it was dragging a tree and it just wasn't going. Eventually (what seemed like forever but was only a few seconds) the transmission caught. I drove right to Honda and left it with them (Merry Christmas to me). Anyhow, they called this morning and told me the clutch was gone and I needed a new transmission but Honda was going to pick up the tab. Merry Christmas to me again.