My wife drove this minivan, honda odyssey 2003, and just before entering the interstate freeway the "check engine" light turned on, the transmission became "sleepy" or lazy and the car just stopped. She panicked because this was during heavy traffic and the situation became dangerous. She slowly drove to her friends' house and left the car overnight. The next day, I checked the diagnostic codes and had p0730 and p0780 (transmission failure). Poway honda dealership, in san diego, ca, was asking for $4,565.00 to replace the bad transmission with a refurbished unit. I am very disappointed with honda's "high" quality product. This vehicle has only traveled 108,000 miles and now requires such a high repair cost. I found one private repair company that will repair this problem somewhat cheaper. My question to honda is, is the mechanical designer in charge of this bad design part still working for you?
2003 Honda Odyssey transmission complaints
Page 10 of 19: complaints 251 to 280 of 533, newest first, as owners wrote them.
My wife drove this minivan and just before exit to 15 freeway "check engine" light turned on, transmission starts sleeping and car just stop. She gets in panic because in this time was heavy traffic and situation become dangerous. She slowly drove to friends house and dropped the car overnight. Next day I checked codes and had p0730 and p0780 (transmission failure). "poway honda" in san diego, ca was asking for $4,565.00 to replace bad transmission with refurbished unit! I was very disappointing with honda "high" quality product (only 108k miles and ~$5,000.00 have to pay for used transmission!) I found one private company for $3,300.00 to replace this junk from honda.
2003 honda odyssey; transmission shifted erratically for several weeks prior to failing completely, and leaving my in-laws stranded on the highway.
We own a 2003 honda odyssey ex with 89,000 miles on it. We bought it used in 2007. Last week the transmission "shuddered" for two miles while on the highway. I pulled over, turned off the vehicle, restarted it, and continued. About 50 miles later, the transmission slipped out of gear while I was trying to merge into traffic on an interstate. I was able to pull over, get the van into a gear, and "limp" home. I have now studied this issue and learned that honda has a serious problem with transmissions with their v-6 engines. The van, in fact, does require a new transmission - and it will me significant dollars. Fortunately I was alone in the van at the time, and no accident occurred, but one very certainly could have. Losing all power at the wrong time could be disastrous(goes without saying). I am disappointed that honda knows about these problems, and has not taken proactive steps to prevent them. I would hope that the federal safety agency would compel them to.
My 2003 honda odyssey started experiencing transmission problems in august 2010 at around 62,000 miles. Most of the problems were observed when shifting from 2nd to 3rd gear. Due to the unpredictability in shifting, it creates a hazardous situation when merging into traffic.
I was in my 2003 odyssey with my daughter when the van lost all power merging on to the freeway. The tcs and check engine lights came on and then the van would no longer accelerate. We came extremely close to having an accident. I took the van to the honda dealer and they reported back that the transmission had completely failed with only 73k miles. In 2004 I took the van to the dealer for the transmission recall (the federal safety agency campaign #04v176000), but it did not prevent it's future failure. I have regularly performed the factory required transmission maintenance, but this was not enough for the faulty transmissions in odysseys from 2001-2004. Honda said in a recent report that insufficient cooling can lead to heat build-up and broken gears in the transmission. In rare instances, gear breakage could lock up the transmission. Gear failure could result in transmission lockup, which could result in a crash. Honda of america will not cover the replacement of my transmission even though they know that there have been pervasive failures with transmissions on the 2003 odyssey. Honda has not taken full responsibility for the epidemic of odyssey transmission failures. There needs to be a recall of all 2003 odyssey transmissions!
No advanced warning for automatic transmission failure. Transmission failed while driving on busy parkway at about 9:00pm at night. Vehicle suddenly decelerated and had no forward drive. Fortunately, this incident occurred at night in light traffic as in heavier traffic the vehicle would have certainly been struck from the rear by a following vehicle given the sudden and unexpected deceleration. Car was safety hazard as it was driven home in a single gear at no more than 25-30 MPH. The transmission failed to engage it "limp-home" gear (1st??) on several occasions on the drive back home and became stuck in the middle of the intersections. This would occur when the vehicle would engage the "limp-home" gear for a moment (enough to pull into the intersection from a stoplight) and then fail or if the intersection was sloped downhill, releasing the brake would permit the transmission to "freewheel" like the transmission was in neutral (but it was not)and the vehicle would roll into the intersection. The car had to be turned off and restarted several times before the automatic transmission could re-engage the limp-home gear. Manual shifting of the gear lever was either impossible (I.e. Gear selector would not change) or ineffective (I.e. Limp-home gear would be selected but not engage and the vehicle did not move forward). Van has not been repaired and is located at my home as it is now dangerous even to drive on a public road.
2003 odyssey with 93,000 miles had the transmission go out on it. I was barely able to get it home. After getting the engine light, the van would operate for a couple of minutes after each start and then it would decelerate until it would not move. The dealership examined the vehicle and determined the entire transmission and solenoid package needed to be replaced to the amount of $3,000. After initially citing a repair estimate of $4,700. We had the repair completed by the honda dealership.
2003 honda odyssey transmission failure. Started with long shifts from 2nd to 3rd gear, then eventually within 2 months (maybe 1000 kms later) failed to shift from 2nd to 3rd at all. Ultimate failure and replacement occurred at 165,000 kilometers. No injuries/damage to personal property.
About a month ago, I had two occasions when my 2003 honda odyssey would not shift from park to reverse. Each time I turned the car off and back on and then it would shift normally. On 12/23/10, I was driving down the street when suddenly the gears disengaged. The tachometer revved, but the van was just coasting. After a few seconds, the gears engaged again. The has happened several times over the past few days. Today I took my van to the dealer and was told the van has fault codes p0740 and p0780. I need a new (rebuilt) transmission and a new ecu. The cost is $5101.80.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 honda odyssey exl. The contact stated that the vehicle would not shift into second gear and the contact had to tap the accelerator pedal in order to get the vehicle to shift. The dealer was contacted who performed an electronic diagnostic test and informed the contact that the transmission would need to be replaced or rebuilt. The manufacturer was also notified of the failure who advised the contact that no further assistance would be provided until she had spoken with the district manager who was unavailable. The vehicle was not repaired. The current and failure mileage was 118,000.
2003 honda odyssey. Consumer states transmission problems *tgw the consumer stated there was a whining noise coming from the vehicle. The dealer concluded the noise was coming from the transmission. The mechanic informed the consumer it was a normal operating sound. The dealer informed the consumer that unless the engine light was flashing, or the drive 4 light was on, or shifting problems they would not replace the transmission.
Automatic transmission failed in june 2010 at 8 years and 140,000 miles. Transmission became difficult to impossible to shift into or out of 2 and/or 3rd gear. Transmission started to buck, vibrate and grind. Driving became increasingly difficult if not impossible. Went on for a couple of days before took it to the dealer. Dealer reported that transmission had failed due to torque converter. Recommended replacement of transmission with factory-rebuilt transmission and engine control module. Since previous year model had been included in a "quiet" extended warranty period, customer argued that honda shoudl cover the transmission repair costs. Honda eventually agreed to cover 40% of repair and replacement costs.
2003 honda odyssey transmission failure.
2003 honda odyssey transmission failed without notice causing safety concern as I was driving without any ability to speed up and control.
I have 2003 honda odyssey. I had problem a month back with transmission (oct'2010). It thought the transmission was not smooth. So I showed to a nj dealer (open road honda). They advised me to fix something in transmission + they asked me to do transmission belt package, which I did. It did cost me around 2500$. A month later (nov'2010) my automatic transmission failed. The car stopped in mid of the road when I was driving with me and family with check engine light on. I had to tow in the vehicle to the same dealer on black friday (11/26/2010). Now today dealer called me and told I have to spent around 5000$ to fix the car. The error code which he mentioned to me are >> p0730-automatic transmission need to be replaced p0845-there is problem with 3rd gear pressure issue I checked online and my car is in the list of recall for 'automatic transmission' I have 120k on my car. I called honda company they told me the vehicle is not on warranty. They can not help. Dealer did not fix the issue earlier when I had shown the car to him earlier before engine light could come on. Don't know what to do next. Any help in this matter will be highly appreciated.
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?
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.
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. The federal safety agency 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!
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.
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.
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.
Without any warning the engine light and the tcs light came on in my van, I was told by the dealer just from that information "oh you need a new transmission" I had honda perform all required servicing on the vehicle as defined yet it still failed. Also my van has the same ignition issue (key can be removed without the vehicle in park) that honda recalled cars for, yet when I contacted my dealer he said it's not part of the recall so they would not fix it. I guess it's unsafe in a car but safe in a van.
2003 honda odyssey van, transmission down shifted at 72m.p.h. On interstate .went to two honda dealers 1st. Dealer said trans. Gone replace for $4,000 dealer where purchased said trans. Gone will replace for $6,000 called honda corp. They said to bad. Bought van new serviced at dealers 112,000 miles. Honda has built a bad product and will do nothing about it !
2003 honda/odyssey/5dr ex vehicle # [xxx]. Transmission does not shift to 3rd gear ,frequency 2-4 times in one hour of city driving,consequences almost had a serious accident unable to merge into traffic because of sudden down shift. @40-60 km/h the day before this almost serious accident,I took the vehicle to maple honda 98 auto vaughan drive,ontario. They stated it was a lack of fluid in the transmission added fluid the problem the problem still present and progressively getting worst. Please note honda had a recall on there 1999-2001 odyssey with the same symptoms that I have been experiencing sudden down shift ,3rd gear clutch pack. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6).
Automatic transmission failure. Car was making a whinning noise when accelerating, took to the dealer who flushed the transmission. Soon after there was the smell of fluid burning. Dealer informed that the transmission has failed. The recall issued in 2004 for the transmission problem was installed on this vehicle. I have researched where transmission failure is a common problem with the model year and vehicle. The dealership acknowledged that transmissions are an issue on this vehicle, however the manufacturer has not done anything to address the defects and failures with this vehicle. This is a major safety hazard considering the transmission can lock at high speeds and may cause a serious accident.
I own a honda 2003 odyssey with approximately 108,000 miles and the transmission locked up on me and would go forward very slow. The car has been maintained, but after research, I come to find out that honda has had numerous complaints about transmission problems with the 2003 odyssey and honda has done nothing.
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