One problem related to transmission not engage has been reported for the 2001 Honda Odyssey. The most recently reported issues are listed below. Please also check out the statistics and reliability analysis of the 2001 Honda Odyssey based on all problems reported for the 2001 Odyssey.
Traveling down I-75 near marietta georgia, traffic came to a near stop as tornado producing storm entered the area. The "check engine" and tcs light came on prior to the failure. The vehicle has 130,000 miles on it, but has been well maintained. When attempting to re-accelerate, the engine rpm's increased rapidly but the transmission did not immediately engage. When the transmission did finally engage, the van lurched forward with a very unhealthly sounding mechanical clunk. After exiting the highway, the transmission continued to delay engaging making it very difficult to seek cover from the storm. As the tornado sirens wailed and the hail starting coming down, my family and I found ourselves essentially stranded 8 hours from home in the midst of very severe and dangerous weather. I am the original owner of the 2001 Odyssey and purchased it specifically for Honda's purported reliability. It appears that Honda has known for years that this transmission is prone to failure. At a minimum, Honda should have notified all owners so that they could act accordingly - instead Honda allowed owners to unwittingly place their loved ones in danger. I'm a long time Honda proponent and I'm enraged that they would act with such negligence! not only are they responsible for endangering, but they disrupted our vacation, cost us a cab trip to the atlanta airport piled with bags for seven people as well as a week's car rental charge. After pressing Honda, they agreed to pay for half of the transmission cost but no labor.