21st Sep 2007, 12:13

I had the same problem and my transmission was replaced by the dealer at no cost under the powertrain warranty. They also couple other things and oil change at no cost with this.

25th Nov 2007, 18:57

I bought a 2001 Honda Odyssey EX new. It has 57K miles on it.

Overall has been reasonably good so far.

Just completed an intermediate service at a "reliable" independent Honda mechanic. Since then, the steering vibrates at speeds over 65MPH. The vibration is not constant, it keeps coming every 2-3 seconds. Over and over again.

Need to take it back to see what they did to cause this problem!

19th May 2008, 11:15

I own an 02 Odyssey and started having transmission issues at 48000 miles. Was told it shifted like that in order to get max fuel usage per gallon. I now have 119,000, transmission frequently will not shift from 2nd to 3rd gear. Honda agreed to pay 1/4 of almost $4000.00 replacement. Class action law suit, here I come.

14th Feb 2009, 20:48

I'm the original owner of a 2002 EXL that has required far more maintenance and repairs than expected. At 125K miles we have 3K in repairs including blown head gasket, trans pressure switch, bad motor mount and others. These are extremely unusual repair items for a car of this age. The car has been carefully maintained and never abused.

30th Mar 2010, 10:33

I have a 2002 Odyssey. It has an oil leak problem. Based on the information from Honda, there are problems with the oil leak for 1998 - 03 Accord V6, 1999-03 Odyssey and 2003 Pilot. The memo indicated normal warranty applies if it is under warranty, or if the warranty is expired, it will be a goodwill consideration by the service manager. I find it an insult to the public, as how can a company like Honda not do a recall when there is a wide spectrum of a known manufacturer defect. I called the headquarter to try to work something out with them. The typical answer is you are out of the warranty, you are on your own.

They have just lost me for good.

30th Mar 2010, 19:41

To comment 10:33.

You can't expect a recall on a car that's 8 or more years old. Especially if it's not a safety issue.

21st Jul 2010, 15:11

Our 2002 Odyssey LX has 114,000 miles - which we bought brand new.

The transmission has felt "iffy" for at least the past 30,000 miles with very occasional shifting hesitation and slipping. The incidents increased and worsened recently - even after having the transmission serviced. We weren't made aware of any known transmission problems until we were just told by the dealership after the check engine light came on. We were told that we need a new transmission and ECM for a total of $5200.00!

We feel that Honda has pulled a fast one on us with the known issues and no notification. We've often had the van serviced at Honda dealerships over the past and have been told nothing. I've owned a CRX, CIVIC and Accord over the past 25 years. This will be my last Honda.

We're having the repairs done by a very reputable mechanic for half the price that Honda quoted. We'll then sell it in the next six months and go with another brand - no doubt.

30th Oct 2011, 20:24

I understand that a lot of people have problems with their transmissions, and idle fluctuation and check engine lights.

I used to be a mechanic with Honda, and I'm now working back with Toyota. When I worked with Honda, I bought a nice 2002 Honda Odyssey for my wife. I performed the recall on the transmission the same day I bought the van. Basically, all we were doing was adding a cooling jet for the 2nd clutch pack to help keep the clutch temp in check, so it wouldn't come apart. My van has 251,XXX miles, and still the same trans and same engine. Of course I had to do a few things to it, but nothing major. As for the engine mounts, they do go bad on all cars. I'm not defending Honda, but they do make good cars, The transmission is a weak point, I agree, but if taken care of and not abused, it will last, like in my case.

I've read a lot of people here that the trans acted up on a long trip, and also had to deal with a lot of customer cars like that. My question to you, is when was the last time you checked your transmission fluid, if ever? And when was the last time you changed the fluid? Real simple check to it every month, or before a long drive. Change it every 30K; now I change it every 15K, because it costs me nothing, because I do it at home.

Take care of your car, and she'll take care of you. All cars have problems, some are better than others, but in the end, they all wear and break down, that is not related to the brand, it's just what it is. The Oddy is a very good mini van with minimal problems in my opinion, as an owner, and as a service professional.