Automatic Transmission problems of the 2003 Honda Odyssey - part 1

The contact owns a 2003 Honda Odyssey. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the transmission independently shifted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The dealer was made aware of the failure. The contact was informed of the four unrepaired recall repairs on the VIN. The contact informed the dealer that she was afraid to drive the vehicle due to the failure. In addition, the contact stated that the transmission and the engine motor mounts were replaced in may 2025 by the contact. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The contact referenced NHTSA campaign number: 04v176000 (power train), however the contact's VIN was not associated with the recall. The contact was advised to contact the NHTSA hotline and report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 251,599.

2003 Honda Odyssey. Consumer writes in regards to vehicle slipping into neutral while driving.

Submission from constituent re recall 04-021:c "automatic transmission recall for Honda Odyssey 2003" (full document not imaged). The consumer stated according to an emission testing center, there was a problem with the transmission, the computer gave two codes, p0730 and p1750. The consumer was informed, the transmission recall, was performed on her vehicle in the past. However, the problem has since returned.

The contact owns a 2003 Honda Odyssey. The contact stated while driving approximately 50 mph with the accelerator pedal engaged, the vehicle decelerated independently. The failure recurred multiple times. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for diagnosis. The technician diagnosed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 110,000.

Vehicle popped out of gear while moving at 50mph and would not accelerate. Upon stopping on side of road and shifting from d to park and back to d, the van was able to move for a few hundred yards. At 35mph it popped out of gear again. Did same thing with transmission and was able to "limp" home as long as vehicle stayed under 30mph. Towed vehicle to dealer and found out transmission is bad. I have a 7yr/105,000 mile warranty, but it expired last year. I only have 103,000 miles on the van. The repair is quoted at $4200. I have complete and timely service records at a Honda dealership for the life of the van.

Minivan started to accelerate upon push of accelerator (rpms jumped significantly). Jerky/harsh acceleration from 0-40. Severe shudder of van when decelerating between gears. Malfunctioning overdrive (will not down shift to d3, 2, or 1st gear while rolling. Reverse gear did not work unless the car was started again.

My family and I were traveling on the freeway with cruise control set and began smelling smoke and then started seeing smoke behind our families vehicle. We immediately pulled over and found transmission fluid all underneath and on back of our vehicle. We managed to make it to a Honda dealer and after 3 hours of "we're not really sure" we were told "Honda" told them our torque diverted was bad and our transmission needed to be replaced. $5000!!.

I was driving on the freeway about a mile outside of rawlins, wy and the rpm indicator suddenly went all the way to the top and then smoke started coming out from under the hood. I decided to drive it into rawlins although it was slipping gears and I had a hard time getting it to shift from 2nd to 3rd gear. I had to drive very slowly and carefully and when I got to the gas station in rawlins, there was tranny fluid all under the car and on the under side of the car. So I called and took it to a mechanic just before they closed. He quickly checked it and said it probably just needed a transmission service. So my boyfriend and I towed it to casper, wyoming and took it to the Honda dealership there. They checked it and it came up with 3 malfunction codes p0710n/p0780/p1750. So it needed a new transmission. The mileage is at 148417 and I have only owned the vehicle for about a year now. It has been well taken care of and there was no previous indication that it had any problems. I was told it would cost me between $3200-$4500 to have a new transmission put in my car. I do not have the money for that. So now I have no vehicle for my family.

Bought my Odyssey used, certified with the 7yr/100k mi warranty from a Honda dealership in alexandria, va in may 2006 with less than 20,000 miles on it. Have had it serviced by my local Honda dealership exclusively since purchasing. Less than 24 hours ago (at about 99000 miles), I experienced my first odd experience with shifting up/down while at expressway and freeway speeds. I returned home within 50 miles and parked the car until I could get it to the dealership (2 miles from my house). First thing this morning (about 7:30 am), took the Odyssey to the dealership for a diagnostic of the transmission and to have the brakes checked and/or replaced as needed as well as any other routine maintenance that might be needed. Received a phone call from the service department at the dealership about 1 pm today and was told that I needed a new transmission, as the old one was shot. The price quoted to me for a remanufactured transmission and control module was about $5000, not what I wanted to hear or was expecting. I took my vehicle in last just a few months ago for an oil change and any regular maintenance needed, expecting any abnormalities would be noted. I would have been due for another oil change about now, but I just recently changed the oil and oil filter myself, less than 3000 miles ago. How is it that a supposedly reliable vehicle can, without warning, go from 100% functioning to needing a major drive component replacement? I just called Honda corporate for assistance with this, as a major equipment failure of this nature shouldn't be dropped on the consumer, and I have read many similar issues with this model year transmission. I'd be happy paying 25-50% of the costs, with a minimum 36k mi/ 3 yr warranty on the transmission. This would only be the second major expense I've had to pay on the van, as the first one was the regularly scheduled timing belt replacement, which was done well before the typical mileage mark.

Honda transmission problem. When the vehicle switch from 2nd gear to 3rd gear, the vehicle accelarate to high rpm but doesn't move enough causing go slow for a while. Not any responsible answer from Honda.

Today, while driving my kids to school, my 2003 Honda Odyssey started to act funny. The engine revved up and down. The car started shifting gears up and down when driving at the same constant speed. Then, the tcs light and check engine light came on. Also, the d in the shifter display started flashing. Barely had time to pull part way into a mall parking lot driveway, halfway out of traffic before the car lost all momentum and stopped. Had it towed to the dealer and they say the transmission needs to be replaced. Car has been serviced by dealer and authorised Honda mechanic at suggested intervals since the van was bought off the lot new.

We bought our 2003 Honda Odyssey from a private party in may 2008 with an odometer of 46,000 miles. We have been well satisfied with the van since then. We now have 101,000 miles. We were visiting our daughter & family in oxford, ms and were returning home to rock hill, SC near tupelo, ms (about 50 miles) when the tachometer revved up to 5000+rpm. We had aaa tow it to a shop in tupelo who diagnosed a burned up transmission. The shop estimate of repair time was 8. 1 hrs based on the guide the owner said it took about that time to remove the defective transmission. When calling aaa we told them to take it to any shop that could repair it. I will be contacting Honda about assistance on the repair costs, even though it was not the Honda dealer. We have maintained the vehicle faithfully accoording to the manual.

Started slipping on a major street. . . . Leaving me in a dangerous position. Occurred at 159. 00 miles after being serviced at the original dealer I purchased from. Was first told 4300. 00 for rebuilt. Got Honda involved, and it was reduced to 1900. 00 after voicing my complaint.

2003 Honda Odyssey transmission, when up-shifting actually causes the van to lose power and slow down.

Noticed hard shifting into reverse of my 2003 Honda Odyssey with just under 80,000 miles. A few weeks after that, persistent slipping of the transmission into neutral (causing stall) was noted and addressed by a dealer. Dealer could not reproduce slippage and I was told to bring it back when it happened again (difficult when it stops on the side of the road). Dealer quoted me approx. $4500 for transmission replacement, which is more than half what the van is worth. All transmission servicing was done according to Honda service advice.

Van will sometimes stall in second gear, necessitating that I either step on the brake or shift into neutral before shifting back into drive. This is not a problem when I'm the only one on the road, but becomes a safety issue when turning corners or accelerating in heavy traffic. 2003 Honda Odyssey with 136,000 miles. Honda dealer says that the transmission and computer must be replaced completely.

We had purchased our 2003 Honda Odyssey brand new from a Honda dealership after extensive browsing, researching, and comparing, we felt Honda was the way to go due to their reputation for "making quality vehicles that last a long time and work great. " how wrong we were. We babied this van. Made sure it got any oil, lube, or fix it needed and have the documentation to prove it. Shortly after buying it we had received a recall notice regarding problems that year's model had with the v6 transmissions, so we took it over and had them fix what was "supposedly" the problem. In April, 2009 we decided we'd get a detailed "full servicing" done and fix any issues or potential issues the Odyssey had at that time which, after all the repairs, cost $1,300. At that time they had performed a complete transmission fluid change along with everything else. Last Tuesday while I was driving home I was going about 50 mph when the transmission just completely stalled in the middle of the road causing the car behind me to swerve into oncoming traffic. I took it straight to a shop nearby who then showed me that the transmission fluid was so burnt up it was black and thick like engine oil. After initially assuming from the looks of it that I hadn't ever had a tfc, he was shocked when I told him it had not even a year and a half ago. The next day I took it to the Honda dealership where they told me it would cost $5200 to fix. I then asked why, if the tranny went out just because, was the tran. Fluid so burnt up after only a year. They basically said they couldn't do anything for me in regards to owning up and replacing the defected transmission which they should have done in the first place when the recall happened back in 2004! I refuse to pay for this and am demanding that Honda take care of this transmission so I can sell this van and never buy another Honda again. Go ahead and google "2003 Odyssey transmission". It's horrifying to see how many stories are just like mine and unresolved.

The contact owns a 2003 Honda Odyssey. While driving approximately 65-70 mph the check engine and traction control light illuminated on the dashboard. He drove onto the side of the road and turned the vehicle off, waited approximately 5 minutes and turned the vehicle back on. When the vehicle restarted the traction control light shut off but the check engine light remained illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who performed a diagnostic test and advised him that the transmission needed to be replaced. The dealer also advised him that they would call the manufacturer for assistance with the repairs. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact referenced NHTSA campaign id number: 04v176000, power train:automatic transmission and was not sure if his vehicle was not part of the recall. The failure mileage was 96,000 and the current mileage was 96,500.

The transmission on my Honda Odyssey is failing starting just before 100,000 miles. It lurches into gear especially up an incline and when it put into reverse. I have keep meticulously care of the car and have the records to prove it. I spoke with the service manager at our local dealer and it would cost me $3750, which is considered a reduced price from them. This is a documented problem with Honda starting with their recall 04v176000 and it is a disgrace that they aren't held accountable.

I bought a used 2003 ex from carmax in 2006 with 36k miles on it. It now has 82k miles on it. We have taken good care of it and always serviced it at a Honda dealer. A montha ago we occasionally started to feel bumpy shifting of the gears between 20-40 mph. The problem slowly worsened and the check engine light came last week. I got into the service center to get it checked up and was told that I needed a new transmission. I couldnt believe it ! we have always bought and stuck to Honda for its reliability and longevity. Apparently we were wrong ! the quote given by them for the repairs was $4521 + tax !! I am still dumbfound and infuriated. This is a serious safety hazard which has been un-acknowledged by the parent company. Please do something about. Honda is taking the american consumer for a ride. Their compensation package offered for the tranny by the Honda is very adhoc and suspect.

My husband experienced a catastrophic breakdown of the transmission in our 2003 Honda Odyssey while he was driving on the freeway. The car just stopped working at 65 mph. He was able to partially pull off the road and another vehicle stopped to help push him off completely. He had to call a tow truck which cost $150 to tow the vehicle to our home town and our repair center. Our Odyssey has 136,000 miles on it and has always been meticulously maintained. The new transmission that was required cost $4700 and we were without a vehicle for 12 days.

I bought a 2003 Honda Odyssey van from a Honda dealer in bowie maryland. It had (30,000) miles on it, I put down ($3000) cash towards the purchase. I have been up to date with the service maintenance at the same bowie dealer. Last month just (2) years after the purchase the light came on the dash board I took it back to the dealer after examining it they told me it was the transmission and it would cost ($5000). The extended warranty had expired. They were not helpful at all. I decided to get a second opinion from a specialized Honda mechanic how confirmed the problem. He suggested rebuilding the transmission. I had to get the van fixed quickly as I needed the van for the family, it cost ($3400) which I put on my credit card. I complained to Honda America they asked me to fax the bill to them which I did and then told me they would only pay me back ($500) towards the repairs.

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.

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. Nhtsa 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!.

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.

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.

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.

My 2003 Honda Odyssey's transmission went out in fall of 2010. I am a careful driver, taken care to maintain my car according to suggested maintenance schedule. The transmission felt a little loose for a few days, and then one day on the way home from work it completely failed. I couldn't get into any gear. I called Honda and asked for help and they said my car was too old and it was normal for transmissions to fail. The mileage on my car was 134760. I had to have a complete transmission replacement at aamco for $3000. This car has had so many problems, and Honda refuses to stand behind their product. I've had the key core go bad, my drivers side rear door had been "fixed" 3 times and still won't close properly, all the paint is peeling all over the car, and Honda would only repaint portions of the car as part of the recall. So one side of my car and the back is completely peeled away, and they refuse to repaint it, unless I pay to have it done.

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.

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.

The contact owns a 2003 Honda Odyssey. The contact stated that while driving, the vehicle suddenly began to slow down as if it were in neutral, despite the contacts attempts to accelerate. He pulled over, turned off the engine and restarted the vehicle. When he attempted to shift in gear, the vehicle would not move; it did move in reverse since the vehicle was parked on an incline. The vehicle was towed to an authorized dealer and inquired about recall 04v176000 (power train:automatic transmission) but the dealer refused to repair it. The vehicle was not repaired and the manufacturer was not notified. The current and failure mileages were approximately 130,000.

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 !.

Faulty shifting by Honda Odyssey transmission. Random shifting, missed shifting leading to near red-line engine tachometer readings.

03 Honda Odyssey while traveling at 50 mph, the transmission went into lower gear and back. Then continued to drop down a gear or 2 and go back up. I stopped the car and started up again, it continued, then the transmission would not shift. I was about 5 miles from a Honda dealer and decided I better drive there. On the way the check engine light came on plus all the other lights, it wouldn't shift and I couldn't go over 20 mph. I was on a major highway to get to the Honda dealer. My children were terrified and upset. The transmission was originally recalled, I had the recall fix and it still failed. I found numerous complaints online about this transmission and there is a class action lawsuit. Please check into this to prevent any deaths. If I had been driving during rush hour on a major road whoever was behind me would have slammed into me.

With no warning or indication, our 2003 Honda Odyssey, with 111k miles, shifted itself from d to second or first gear at 70 mph. The lever and indicator stayed in d the whole time and no warning light illuminated prior to or following the event. It was violent, like slamming the brakes, but of course with only the front wheels digging in creating a difficult control situation. Had it not been for the luck of a dry and straight three lane highway with no closely following traffic, with sharp skills at the wheel necessary, it would have wrecked us with potentially severe injuries. We have not driven the van at highway speed since that day and obviously cannot. We researched the solutions and paths that 1,000's of other owners have taken following reporting life threatening and other Odyssey transmission safety issues. Most owners have experienced repeat failures making this vehicle unsafe at highway speed even following current repair solutions. I plead with you to take swift action so that my voice may speak for the dead and injured that do not understand why their Odyssey or the Odyssey in front of them went out of control.