Problems with 2003 Honda Odyssey POWER TRAIN

2003 honda odyssey 80,000 miles transmission slips while accelerating. went to honda dealer, test drove, said everything ok. after being almost run over by other vehicles because the van transmission would slip, went back to dealer, test drove, needs new transmission. had the recall done for overheating done when the recall came out. *tr

I had complete transmission failure on my 2003 honda odyssey on sat. nov.8,2008. my check engine light came on about 10 minutes before this happened. we had the car towed to a honda dealership and they are replacing the transmission with a refurbished one since new transmissions for this model are no longer available. we have contacted honda corporate and they have agreed to a 50/50 split on the repair. this will put us out of pocket for this around 2500.00. the vehicle has 135,000 miles on it and has been maintained at the dealership. we have investigated and learned that this is a very common occurrence in 2003 model honda odysseys and i complained when i carried my vehicle in for a recall in 2006 that the engine was slipping was slipping on the interstate but the dealer could not replicate the slipping sensation and i was sent home without a repair. i was stranded on the highway for 1&1/2 hours and late for work. i am now going to have a used part in my vehicle that has failed already with only a 36,000 mile warranty to back it up. i travel to work sometimes in excess of 100 miles a day and i am now going to have to rely on a previously faulty part. we have been told by employees of honda that the 2003 odyssey transmissions were made by a company other than honda and they have known for sometime that the transmissions were faulty, but have remained silent hoping that the transmissions would not go out until after the new car warranty had expired on the vehicle at which time they would not have to shoulder the expense of repairing the vehicle. after investigating online all of the complaints about the 2003 honda odyssey's with transmission problems, i can understand why they have kept silent, but that does not make what they are doing right. these transmissions are faulty and they should be repairing them at no cost to the consumer that believed in the honda name and then got saddled with lemons. *tr

I purchased a used 2003 honda odyssey in january 2006, the van had ~50, 000 miles on it. in june of this year we took the van to the dealer for service and to have the transmission checked, (the transmission would hesitate prior to going in gear) the dealer checked the transmission and found no problems. on november 8, 2008 the transmission failed with ~75,000 miles. the dealer quoted $4200 to replace the transmission. upon doing research i found the transmission was recalled and "fixed" prior to our purchase of the van. the dealer has not taken any action on the transmission to date and has not offered for honda to stand behind their product. it seems apparent to me that honda has recognized a design defect since a recall was issued on this problem, yet the fix to the recall did not fix the problem. i am concerned that honda has sold the public a faulty product and refuses to accept responsibility. thanks for your time in this matter. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 honda odyssey. while driving approximately 30 mph, the vehicle stalled and was taken to a repair shop for a diagnosis. the transmission was determined to be the cause of the failure. the repair shop will rebuild the transmission. a report was filed with the manufacturer. the manufacturer stated that the transmission was checked for nhtsa campaign id number 04v176000 (power train automatic transmission). the contact was advised to submit her repair receipt in order to be considered for reimbursement. the current and failure mileages were 120,000.

The check engine light came on, took it to the local service station, they reported the code po740-torque converter clutch. took car to a transmission repair shop, who said they found metal in the bottom of the transmission so it needs to be replace. waiting for word from honda about replacement. *tr

I have a 2003 honda odyssey with approximately 87,000 miles. the van suddenly started having problems with jumping as it tried to change gears. honda issued a recall several years ago involving the transmissions in these and other model year odysseys in which a repair was made to the van to supposedly correct the problem. the dealer is now saying we need a new transmission. apparently, this is a common problem on 2003 model year odysseys. *tr

Sudden transmission failure on yet another 2003 honda odyssey minivan. driving at night with our daughter in the car, the rpms suddenly starting revving like crazy, we lost speed and the car eventually stalled. we could not get it back in gear. tcs and engine lights came on. fortunately we were near a field where we let the car "rest" for a while. eventually, we were able to get it going, limped to a service station and poured some transmission fluid. we barely made it home. the car is less than 5 years old and has 94,000. dealer says we need a new transmission for $5000. we balked. later since we were such "good" customers and had religiously performed all scheduled maintenance at the dealer, they 'dropped" it to $2000. we still say no go and have taken it up with honda america. we bought a honda thinking we were buying superior reliability and technical performance. what a joke. transmissions are built to last--except for hondas, judging by the number of complaints here and on the internet. it is simply unacceptable to us to pay the price that honda charges for its vans and to be told less than 5 years later that a car that has been well maintained, regularly serviced and has not even reached 100,000 should need a new transmission. we haven't even finished paying for the car and we are furious! i am wondering how long it is going to take nhtsa to open an investigation. *tr

Honda odyssey 2003 with 106,000 miles transmission slips between gears. *tr

2003 honda odyssey, check engine light, tcs light, transmission fail to engage 3rd gear 50% of the time. error code p0740. had the oil jet kit installed on aug 4 2004. *tr

Premature automatic transmission failure. van began to slip in gears and hesitate from standing stop. rpm's will race with vehicle in "d" then engage. will disengage all gear while driving. cel code p0730. honda of america won't even start a case for me since i am active duty military stationed outside the us. 2003 honda odyssey ex 81,000 miles transmission recall performed in 2004. *tr

Transmission is acting up on my 2003 honda odyssey. after searching the internet for possible causes i have found that many people are having the same problem and concern. my transmission has problems going into reverse at start-up and seems to lag at acceleration. the reliability of honda transmissions is poor at best. i was directed to this site to help express consumer concerns about the safety of these transmissions. i believe action needs to be taken before something tragic happens. please investigate all complaints and respond accordingly. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 honda odyssey. the contact was driving approximately between 35-40 mph on normal road conditions. when accelerating the transmission exhibited a slow response in one gear. the driver continued in operation with caution to the residence. the vehicle was towed to an authorized dealer. there was a recall under nhtsa campaign id number 04v176000 (power train:automatic transmission). the vehicle was inspected in fy 2004, and a recall remedy repair was not performed on the vehicle. the contact was displeased to know the authorized dealer refused to repair the vehicle under the recall campaign id number 04v176000. the vehicle was repaired at the owners expense. failure mileage was 104,000.

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 honda odyssey. while driving approximately 45 mph on normal conditions, the transmission shifted to low gear without assistance and the rpm's increased. in addition, the check engine warning indicator illuminated intermittently on the instrument panel. the vehicle suddenly stalled and restarted after several attempts. whenever the gear shifter was shifted into park or reverse, the vehicle immediately lunged forward. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer for inspection and they stated that the transmission failed. the technician discovered nhtsa campaign id number 04v176000 (power train:automatic transmission); however, the vin was excluded from the recall. the vehicle has not been repaired. the failure mileage was 61,000 and current mileage was 61,500. updated 08/31/2011 *ln *tr

Transmission shudder at low speeds and low power. dealers can't identify problem or fix it. car shudders on regular basis and new egr valve, fluid changes tune ups make no difference. known transmission problems make me nervous of the reliability of the trans. *tr

I own a 2003 honda odyssey which currently has 82,000 and i purchased an extended warranty to 75,000. on 11/3/04 i took my car to the dealership per the safety recall for the automatic transmission second gear inspection. at that time my car had 29,000 miles on it. the dealer installed an oil jet kit. per the recall, cars under 15,000 miles were to get the kit and cars over 15,000 were to be checked for heat discoloration, which indicates possible damage and if found, if found, the dealer was to replace the transmission. no where on my service receipt does it indicate that the inspection ever took place. in june 2005 i had problems getting the car in and out of gear and took the car to be serviced and honda claimed they could not find a problem and again there was no indication that they checked the transmission for heat discoloration. i continued to have problems but reluctant to take the car back since they claimed there was not a problem. in dec. 2006 while still under warranty, i took the car back again still complaining about the transmission and the gears being difficult. honda claims it had something to do with the brake light switch, replaced the switch and said the gears were working ok. i was on the highway on the way to the dealership to get a different problem corrected when the car stopped accelerating. i was able to get off of the highway but was stuck in the center lane of another very busy road and had to wait 30 minutes be towed to the dealership. now with 82,000 miles i am told the transmission needs to be replaced. i feel honda was completely aware of this defect and i could have been in a serious car accident. honda is not willing to take responsibility and so i am forced to lodge a complaint. *tr

I had no warning that something was wrong until i was driving on the pa turnpike today and all power was shut off. i immediately got to the side of the road and had the van towed and i was told that i needed a new transmission. i just read that there was a recall and unfortunately, i never got any mail informing me of a possible problem with the transmission. now i am stuck with a 3,000 bill to replace the transmission. *tr

Check engine light came on at the same time as the tcs light with no other physical symptoms. transmission fluid was "a little" low and "dirty" so authorized replacement of the transmission fluid. 24 hours later, the gears began sticking in between 2nd and 3rd gears with the engine just revving, lights came back on. could not accelerate. code on computer said transmission needed to be replaced/rebuilt. have yet to pay to have it fixed due to cost and apparent issue with the safety of honda odyssey transmissions 2003. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 honda odyssey. the vehicle was repaired according to nhtsa campaign id number 04v176000 (power train:automatic transmission); however, the contact is currently experiencing the failures described in the recall. whenever he places the vehicle into drive, the gear indicator light begins to flash while the vehicle is turned on. the vehicle has not been diagnosed by the dealer. the current and failure mileages were 86,000.

I am the original owner of a 2003 honda odyssey (purchased october 2002). in summer of 2004, i received a recall notice regarding the transmission, and potential failure of transmission. i took my vehicle to a honda dealer for inspection and repair. was informed that there was nothing wrong with my vehicle, and no repair was necessary. in july 2006, with approx. 84,000 miles on the vehicle, my transmission failed while i was driving on the freeway, causing transmission fluid and oil to splatter everywhere inside and outside the vehicle. there was smoke coming out of the engine, for approx. half an hour. the vehicle was towed to a dealer 90 miles from my home. after negotiations with american honda, a rebuilt transmission was installed and was covered by honda. now, just over two years and 40,000 miles later, the exact same thing has occurred. am attempting to negotiate with honda to take care of this problem. on both occasions, was traveling with children in the car, and was forced to compromise their safety as well as mine, while waiting on the side of the freeway for over an hour. *tr

Transmission failure at approx. 99000 miles. had transmission fluid changed and 2 weeks later transmission began slipping between 1st and 2nd gear. took it to dealer and was told it would be a 4400.00 repair including the ecu. honda paid half of remanufactured transmission as well as ecu for "goodwill" even though we were initially told that they would contribute nothing. transmission fluid had been changed twice during ownership. transmission was also serviced with the earlier honda recall. failure occurred out of town while on vacation - had to leave the car in neighboring state and return home in a borrowed car. *tr

Transmission slipped into neutral several times while driving. i took the vehicle into the honda dealer and they found dirty transmission fluid but could not find a transmission problem. the said the problem was due to dirty fluid. one week later the same problem occurred and the transmission warning light came on. i took the car back to the dealer and they told me i needed a new transmission for $4210. the car has only 57,000 miles on it. *tr

On 07/18/2008, at about 1:30 p.m., the transmission failed on personal 2003 honda odyssey while wife and daughter were traveling on busy highway (southbound 163 transition to westbound 52) in san diego ca. freeway side rails didn't allow motoring public to safely pull off freeway. wife smelled odor of burnt oil and van began slowing down. lucky for wife and daughter, a recreational vehicle (rv) traveling behind the van saw wife turn on emergency/hazard lights. realizing van was in trouble on transition ramp, the rv ran interference to slow down other speeding traffic overtaking van from behind. wife was able to coast safely off freeway to next safest opportunity to completely get off freeway. without the help of the rv, van could've easily been rear ended due to the transmission failure. van was towed to temecula ca and initial garage estimates are total transmission failure. transmission needs to be replaced. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 honda odyssey. while driving between 50 and 60 mph, the vehicle would not accelerate when the accelerator pedal was depressed. when the contact took her foot off of the pedal it moved forward at a very low speed. the check engine light was also illuminated. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer where the fuel cap was replaced. within a couple months, the vehicle displayed the identical symptoms. the vehicle was taken back to the dealer where the ebv valve was replaced; however, the failure continued to occur and the rpms increased excessively. the contact stated that the vehicle performed as if she were changing gears. the vehicle was taken to a local mechanic who repaired the injectors to the transmission and replaced the transmission fluid. the dealer stated that the transmission needed to be replaced when the failure continued to occur. the vehicle had not been repaired when the complaint was filed. the failure mileage was approximately 80,000. the current mileage was approximately 110,000.

Transmission failure, violent downshifting during driving at normal speeds. *tr

We have a 2003 honda odyssey van with approximately 111,000 miles on it. several months ago i noticed a longer delay from the time i would put it in reverse to the time it actually went into reverse. then, just a couple of weeks ago the transmission slipped between 2 and third gear while accelerating to get on the freeway. we took it into our local honda dealership and they said that they could not duplicate the problem and everything looked fine. the same slippage has now happened twice more in the last week. this mileage is a little low to have transmission problems so i started to do some research on the internet. to my surprise there are thousands of people with this same problem with the same year and model of van. the cost to replace the transmission away from the dealership was quoted to me at $2,700. seems to me that honda knows there is a problem and something should be done about it. *tr

Traveling at 65 mph the transmission failed without warning. no warning lights, no slippage... a complete failure. i managed to get into breakdown lane before transmission had completely seized. i was driving with my 72 yr old mother and 3 children, ages 4,6,8. i feel very lucky i was not involved or caused a vehicular fatality due to this failure. all recommended maintenance had been done at dealerships. a compete vehicle inspection was completed the day before the incident. *tr

2003 honda odyssey with 77,000 miles began to make grind and rattling noise with noticeable blipping of rpms earlier this year. sound become consistent in july. local dealer examined the car and determined that the entire transmission had to be replaced. nhtsa records and numerous internet sites note this type of transmission failure on 2001-2003 odyssey models. neither dealer or honda usa would admit that the transmission was defective, but the dealer offered to replace the transmission with a remanufactured unit for $1,000 "with honda's help." *tr

Auto transmission failed on a 2003 honda odyssey honda paid for the part, the transmission customer paid for installation. *tr

The transmission on our 2003 honda odyssey is failing - won't engage 3rd gear. you try to accelerate, the rpm's increase, but the vehicle just coasts. it's getting worse. the local dealership "cannot duplicate the problem" and refuses to acknowledge a safety issue. *tr

Transmission broke down i had to to tow it to a honda dealer and get it repaired. it cost me $3200. *tr

2003 honda odyssey transmission failure. *tr

Transmission failure (p0740) at 77k miles. *tr

Problems with the transmission shifting into/out of 2nd gear for the last couple of months. finally "check engine" light and tcs light went on; dealer says it needs a new transmission. i found through the internet that 2003 odysseys have had a lot of transmission problems. dealer wants $3750 to replace this on a car with 94k miles. *tr

2003 honda odyssey transmission seized briefly going up a hill at 79k mi, tcs and engine light on. mechanic reports that "gear ratio is incorrect" and there is a crash hazard from possibility of total transmission failure due to defect in manufacturing. honda dealer says records show the vehicle was recalled for inspection of the transmission in 2004 and some kit was installed, but honda does not replace the known defective transmission because supposedly this one was "fixed" in 2004 rather than replaced. transmission still requires replacement to make this car safe to drive. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 honda odyssey. while driving 65 mph, the vehicle began jumping and downshifting. the engine began revving and the rpm's increased, but the vehicle decelerated. the contact took the vehicle to the dealer and was informed that because he did not have a service history, he would only be charged for half of the replacement cost. nhtsa campaign id number 04v176000 (power train: automatic transmission) was referenced. the current and failure mileages were 98,000.

I bought a used 2003 honda odyssey from power honda of valencia in december 2007. in april 2008 the car would not shift out of second gear or go faster than 35 mph. the rpms would rev very high 5k+. i took it into the dealer and they said it needs a new transmission. american honda offered me a 25% discount on a rebuilt transmission, but i just bought the car 4 months ago and i feel that others are having the same problem leading me to believe that they are bad honda transmission. *tr

I have a 2003 odyssey that i bought in jan 03. at 74,000 miles and 1.5 months after the extended warranty expired, the transmission needed to be replaced. at the dealer i was informed that the recall recommendation had been completed previously and there's nothing else that could be done. i had previously taken the van in complaining that it was not driving right and felt like it was shuttering. the tech inspected and found nothing. i was told the tech thought it probably was the way i drove it. it ended up that it wasn't "my driving", it was the transmission slipping. the transmission was replaced. at the time the transmission was replaced it was noted that motor mounts also needed to be replaced due to breakage. this was the 2nd time in less than 12 months they needed to be replaced. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 honda odyssey. while driving 30 mph, the shifter light began flashing and the vehicle began to rev. the dealer stated that the transmission failed. the contact was informed that the vehicle had previously been repaired under nhtsa campaign id number 04v176000 (power train: automatic transmission). the contact could not find any proof of the recall repair having been performed. the vin was unknown. the failure mileage was 69,800.

Transmission failure 2003 honda odyssey. *tr

We were parked at a store. when we went to leave, the car would stall when it was put into gear-- any gear. it kept stalling try after try. we had it towed to the honda dealer and they determined that we needed a new transmission. there was no indication before this time that there was any problem with the car or transmission. we called honda corporate to complain that the transmission shouldn't need to be replaced with only 80k miles on the vehicle. we knew of the warranty extension for the 2000 and 2001 models because of transmission issues so asked for some "goodwill assistance". we paid $1540.70 which was 60%. it is obvious that the transmission issue from the earlier models did not get fixed for the 2002 and 2003 either and honda is trying to cover it up by helping with partial payment of the transmissions. *tr

One week before i took my van to the dealership for repair, i noticed that my van would roll back from the r position when i put it in the d position. then one night the engine started revving up from a stop position as i began to accelerate. that scared me, so i stopped driving and called the dealership. they test drove it and checked the van out to discover that the transmission had failed and told me that at this point it was not even drivable. i would need to tow it if i moved it. the cost for repair would be approx. $5200 to replace the transmission and an engine control switch. after my shocked reaction, the dealership made some calls and brought the price down to $2100. with only 95,000 miles on my van, i don't think my transmission should have failed. i called honda of america. they reviewed my case and because i only done one maintenance service at 30,000, they would not come down in price. i change my oil regularly. have bought new tires and brakes. but, could not afford to go for the following two maintenance checks because my husband is ill and on disability. still, honda could do no more on the price. i felt it should have been covered under warranty because i checked the internet and there are several problems with the automatic transmission on honda odysseys. they extended the warranty on the 2001-2002 models, but would not do it for my 2003. i am upset, but need my van back to get my 3 children places. so, i am getting it repaired for the $2100. still, i am not happy and see lots of problems with the 2003 automatic transmissions on the internet. this is obviously a problem that needs to be addressed. *tr

Honda odyssey 2003 was purchased used on 10/31/06. (no mention of a recall) jan 22, 2008 van began to slip gears. had it towed to aamco for transmission repair due to free towing. charged $3062.06 to rebuild transmission. april 10, 2009 van again began to slip gears. took back to aamco and needed another rebuilt transmission and 3 mos out of warranty. charged us $1587.55. june 22, 2010 van is packed with the entire family going to our vacation destination in sc, the transmission again begins to slip. called the local aamco and they picked up the van. same story, needed another rebuilt transmission in the amount of $2406.59. after spending our vacation week with phone calls to honda corporate and aamco to no avail, we had to borrow money from relatives in order to get our family back home. july 20, 2011 van is again packed with entire family to travel to nc vacation. 30 minutes outside of our hometown, louisville, ky it happened again! 13 months after last repair. we had the van towed to our nearest aamco dealer. we fortunately were able to borrow a car from a family member and continue with our vacation trying not to despair. the new tab from aamco is $2835.60. no assistance from honda corporate nor aamco customer relations. they are very, very hard to speak to. just leave a message and wait to see if anyone calls you back. this would make it $9891.80 in four years for four transmissions. there is a reason that these transmissions are not lasting. there is a reason why they continue to fail right beyond the annual warranty. this is not right, this is not fair, this is not safe and honda should back their products and stop ignoring this issue. update: 01/11/13 odyssey transmission fails once again on the way out of town and has been towed back to aamco! *tr

We own a 2003 honda odyssey, and we have had problems since we bought it. it started with the "subframe" shifted during delivery and has gone downhill since then. we have had trouble with the steering locking on us several times. the automatic doors have stayed open leaving me unable to drive with 3 small children. our recent problem has been the transmission. we had the routine maintanence done on it at 100,000 miles. since then the transmission has shifted hard and even slipped while shifting. i will be accelerating between 15 and 25 mph when the rpm's will raise and the speed will lower. i have to push the brakes and accelerate again for it to finally shift. our other major problem has been the paint. we have had most of the car repainted top to bottom and front to back. we have put more money into the car than it is s worth. *tr

I was driving on i-95 s when the vehicle suddently started losing power & speed, just come to a complete stop.when i popped up the hood,transmission fluid smell was all over the car,also i could see trans.fluid all over the trans. top surface.vehicule could not move at any gear so had to be towed.*cn

My 2003 honda odyssey was part of a transmission failure recall. the first attempt to repair the problem was on 4/21/2004. the consequences of not repairing the transmission was serious injury to my family and those driving in the vehicle. the initial repair failed and my transmission needed to be replaced. honda provided the part, but insisted i pay $1068.00 for labor costs to replace the defective transmission they installed in a car i purchased brand new. the transmission has since been replaced but at a cost to me of $1068.00. *tr

Transmission failure on a 2003 honda odyssey which was recalled and the problem not rectified. honda will not fix the problem. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 honda odyssey. while driving approximately 40 mph, the vehicle would not accelerate forward and the rpm's increased. the contact was informed that the transmission failed and needed to be replaced. eight months later, the transmission was replaced; however, the vehicle is not accelerating properly. the current mileage was 100,896 and failure mileage was 85,000.

The transmission on my 2003 honda odyssey failed at 67,800 miles with no warning and no prior issues. this transmission has a history of premature failure and this one realized its prophecy. *tr

Check engine light and tcs light on lots of issues over 3 years - engine hesitating, engine revving on idle, and finally engine revving while driving finally at 67,000 miles i am told i need a new transmission. only told that i have an internal transmission failure that cannot be identified specifically recommend new transmission. *tr

I was driving on route 100 at approximately 60 mph when the engine seemed to lose power. all the warning lights illuminated on my dashboard. i was able to coast to the side of the road. fortunately, the engine restarted immediately. *tr