Transmission Gear Slipping problems of the 2003 Honda Odyssey - part 1

Vehicle went idle while in motion on a highway and have almost got rear-ended because the transmission slips. The mileage reading is 130,000 and the car was well maintained in a Honda dealership.

The vehicle was driving fine, and then the transmission started slipping. Trying to stop at the light, the abs seemed to engage, the car had a hard time stopping and downshifting, the check engine light came on, the d light started flashing, and the tcs light stayed on. The car almost didn't stop in time, and there was 5 passengers in the minivan.

Passenger airbag light came on for a few seconds while driving at highway speed limit. Then vehicle seems like the transmission was slipping or took a few seconds to engage from a starting movement forward leaving a stop light. At idle the tachometer started to rev between 1100-2000 rpms at standing ilde in park. The sliding doors get jammed stuck when attempting to open from the dash controls. I know these could cause and accident and not be able to get NY children out of the vehicle via the sliding power side doors. Vehicle was purchased on 12-12-2014.

Please have one of your investigators' to look into this: take a look on the internet you will find thousands of complaints ( only a small percentage of Honda owners', vans & sedans on the road who have this same problem occurring) 2003 Honda transmission slipping between 2nd & 3rd gears - all the owners' complaints are identical. Unexpectedly, the vehicle loses all acceleration power, a very dangerous & serious safety defect, hazard as the driver loses control of their vehicle & acceleration. Researching on the internet, I found thousands and thousands of complaints about the exact same problem occurring in our model year 2003 and from many Honda and Acura sedan owners are also experiencing the same problem: all have the v-tech engine with automatic transmissions. This is a very dangerous situation for thousands of Honda & Acura drivers on the road -a mother's with a van full of children or really any driver trying to accelerate on a busy road from a dead stop. A driver loses control of their vehicle speed unexpectedly could cause a serious accident, even death. Honda dealers are hitting customers' for $4000. 00 for a new transmission install, replacing the same malfunctioning one that was in the vehicle previously, not reimbursing owners' for the very expensive repair bill. Honda should be held accountable for this serious & dangerous safety defect which they ignored, hid, kept installing the same transmissions when it was well known to Honda insiders' that they had a major problem - they were well aware of the problem occurring for years & did nothing. They need to be forced to fix the Honda transmissions affected at no cost to the their customers' . Honda refused to re-manufacture, re-engineer the transmission or reimburse owners' for the expensive repair bill ($4000. ). It is extremely hard to believe that NHTSA has not issued a safety recall yet!.

Evidently, the 2003 Honda Odyssey was part of a massive Honda recall and class action law suit due to failing transmissions. When we purchased our Odyssey, we were never informed on this issue. Our transmission has suddenly started failing. It will slip into neutral or a lower gear without warning. This has occurred on the highway travelling 60 mph; merging into traffic at 30-45 mph; on the secondary roads shifting from 1st to 2nd gear or 2nd-3rd gear. When the transmission slips, the car has no power to continue forward at the same rate of speed. For obvious reasons, this in extremely dangerous.

Purchased a Honda Odyssey 2003 brand new in 2003. Have always maintained it per manual with the same mechanic/garage , etc. The car has 115,000 and transmission started slipping two days ago. Check engine light came on and tcs, and had to have towed to garage. Mechanic says new transmission. This car has always been properly maintained and no reason why this should have happened. Very upset that Honda has had a chronic problem with transmissions on these Odysseys since their inceptions, and have even gone as far as offering people percentage of costs. I want Honday to pay for this repair!!!!.

We bought a used 2003 Honda Odyssey. We were aware that there was a transmission recall on this particular model. We contacted Honda before we bought our minivan with the VIN number, to verify that the van had the recall work done. It did. . . . We purchased the van and have been driving it for the past 19 months. We bought the van with 60,000 miles on it. Well this past Thursday the transmission started to slip just a little and it did it again on Friday. Long story short, by Monday our transmission completely went out. We took it to a Honda dealer to confirm and they assured us that we needed to replace our transmission. Our van now has 75,000 miles on it and a bad transmission. We contacted Honda about this issue and they offered no explanation or assistance. They pretty much told us that we were out of luck. We are pretty upset that we contacted them before we purchased this van about the transmission and less than 2 yrs (and only 15,000 miles) later we are paying $3700 to have a new one installed. From what we have read online, this is a common problem with this year of Honda Odyssey and we feel Honda should be held accountable for this issue!! thank you!.

Was driving from desoto state park back home to tuscaloosa when the transmission began to slip between 2nd and 3rd and then again between 4th and 5th. Ended up having to drive home doing 40 mph on back roads. Rebuilt the transmission to the tune of $4000. Two years and 40,000 miles later the transmission failed again. . . Same exact issue. This is a well known problem to every mechanic I have dealt with. This issue has existed since the car hit the market. This needs to be investigated. Now I have a gigantic paperweight sitting in my driveway. The vans value is less than it will cost to fix. Pease investigate.

The transmission started slipping while our family was heading for a vacation going 75 mph on freeway in the middle of nowhere. Van jerked incredibly, then wouldn't shift into anything higher than 3rd gear. We made it to a freeway exit (not a town, just an exit) where after stopping for a minute we discovered that the van wouldn't go into reverse. We were able to turn it around by pushing and managed to make it to a small town limping along on the side of the freeway going 40 mph with our hazard lights on. Repair shop has quoted us at least $3700. 00 to fix it.

The transmission is beginning to fail as indicated by the transmission slipping (press accelerator and engine races with no power to the wheels) for about 5 seconds at random times while traveling about 40 mph on a trip of about 5 miles. This happens on about every other trip and is increasing in frequency.

While driving my daughter to school, accelerating from 35 to 40+, transmission locked up! extremely dangerous!!! could have been in a serious accident since we were merging onto a busy highway. Next day, another lock up + slipping between 25 & 35 mph and @ 50 pm. Transmission slips and gear shift will get stuck in park, reverse & drive. Rpm revs high. Honda dealer diagnosed today as "internal transmission failure" 164,000 highway miles, serviced @ dealer, babied wtih oil changes, etc. Now $4,000 quote for transmission 3 yrs/36,000 mile warranty. I have been a loyal Honda owner since 1990, but will not consider buying any future Hondas.

Transmission slipped pulling out onto road, barely avoiding a bad accident.

Transmission started slipping at 77k miles, even though I had brought the van into the dealer for the 'fix' when the recall was issued. Was driving along highway and during acceleration engine rpm went up and van acted like it was in neutral. Dealer wanted ~$6k to fix. Honda offered $2k as good will.

Approximately 2 weeks before the total transmission failure,vehicle started making a whirring sound and was sometimes slow to engage in drive after a cold start. There were also some erratic shifts. Vehicle was driven to Honda dealer where were it was purchased new and always serviced and maintained . (including transmission fluid services). Dealer diagnosed the repair as a transmission replacement at a cost of $4177. Because of the cost,I decided to consider my options and started to drive home. Approximately 2 miles later the transmission began to slip,lost power, and stopped dead against oncoming traffic as I attempted to turn onto a side street. (since this occured on busy state highway 303 with a 50 mph speed limit,there were a few anxious moments until I was able to push the van off the roadway). After a 2 hour wait for a truck,the van was towed to a transmission shop who confirmed the transmission had completely failed. This shop rebuilt the transmission for $3000. I am disappointed that Honda is unwilling to accept any responsibility for the failure due to the fact that the vehicle was purchased new and I was loyal to the dealership for all my service,and all maintenance performed as recommended. The vehicle was always gently driven and never used for towing or hauling.

Transmission failure on Honda Odyssey 2003. Vehicle part of the recall that was issued in 2004. Oil cooler installed but it did not fix the original issue of the second gear having tooth chipping. Transmission fluid was changed as recommended, according to Honda. The car has 78k miles on it and the second gear is slipping. Honda never fixed the original issue of the second gear failing. This car was one of the first cars issued in the 2003 year model. I think this is still a safty issue because Honda never fixed the original problem.

My transmission failed on my 2003 Honda Odyssey shortly after the warranty expired. It had the recall update done years before but that didn't work. The transmission fluid was burnt causing the transmission to slip. There was not an accident, just a transmission that was failing. It seems this is more the rule than the exception with the Odyssey. I had to get it replaced and after doing research, I decided to get a jasper transmission instead of having the dealer replace it with another faulty Honda transmission.

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.

The transmission began to slip and race on I-95 in heavy weekend traffic. Diagnostics by the dealership resulted in the root cause being transmission and throttle-body failure. Unacceptable for a 2003 model Honda with 124k miles.

2003 Honda Odyssey, transmission failure. Driving down the highway, the transmission slipped from gear. Honda said a total transmission replacement is needed.

2003 Odyssey, purchased new, I am original owner, at 60,000 miles transmission began to slip, tcs light came on, check engine light came on, engine revved very high at low speeds, car would not go into reverse, erratic and abrupt gear shifts. I am being told car needs new transmission between $3500 and $3700. I notice on Honda's website there was a recall in 2004 but I was never notified. Please help.

Failure of 2003 Honda Odyssey automatic transmission. After relatively good performance from this vehicle, the "check engine" and "transmission" lights both lit. The transmission began slipping, not able to operate during acceleration. More troubling is that during slowdown on highway, the vehicle was not able to downshift, causing a safety hazard for me, my wife and 3 children. This transmission failure occurs each and every time we operate the vehicle -- both during acceleration and deceleration. After having this checked at Honda dealership, it required a new transmission -- nearly $4,000. Since this time, I have investigated this problem and have learned that thousands of other Honda owners have the exact problem, it is a known design problem by Honda, they have issued a recall for vehicles in 1999-2001 for the same problem but they have not provided any remedy for owners after 2001 unless it is within factory warranty. This vehicle is dangerous, it is criminal to have this vehicle on the road. It should be recalled for correction and repair immediately by Honda.

My wife and I recently purchased a 2003 Honda Odyssey minivan. It only had 71000 miles on it at the time. Thought we had a good vehicle. Honda's are suppose to be great. Two weeks after we bought the van the transmission started slipping between 2nd and 3rd gears. We would be driving down the road and it would slip completely out of gear at times as well. The engine would race and not allow you to go and then jerk violently as it engaged into gear. Now at 77000 miles it jerks horribly at around 50-55 mph. Took it to Honda dealership and they said the transmission is shot and needs to be replaced at a cost of $5200 dollars. I started to research online and there are literally hundreds if not thousands of people with the same transmission complaint. Honda has a known defect in their transmissions and they should be held accountable. There are websites dedicated to Honda Odyssey transmission problems. Honda has already issued a recall for 1999-2001 Odyssey vans, why not extend it out for the 2002-2004 vans as well. They have the same transmission, and the same transmission problems. This could potentially be a devastating problem. My wife uses this van every day to transport our two young girls. If the transmission were to lock up in the middle of an intersection, who knows what would happen. We don't have the money to fix this problem. That is why I am appealing to you to look at all the other complaints and see what can be done to help. It is not fair for them to get away with a known problem of this magnitude.

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.

Our 2003 Honda Odyssey at 80k suddenly had the transmission slipping between 2 and 3 gears, and the dealer says we will need a new transmission at $5200+ this van has been faithfully serviced at the same location since it was bought. We have since read hundreds of complaints exactly like ours - the van was not safe to drive and an obviously large problem is not acknowledged or being addressed by Honda.

Transmission slipping between 20-30mph almost like engine is in neutral. Happens at least 3 to 4 times during 30 minute period of driving. Van slows down and causes traffic to slow behind us. Van has not been repaired yet.

Since Feb 2010 our 2003 Honda Odyssey transmission has been slipping at 135,000 miles. A check engine light came on, was immediately taken to mechanic with the following codes po845, po730, po700. The mechanic and Honda both confirmed that the car needs a new transmission and that Honda has had significant problems with these transmissions.

Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6) I brought a brand new 2003 Honda Odyssey van from an authorized Honda dealer. The van is only has 72k miles on it and the second gear slipping as my wife drive on highway. The van is suddenly slowing down on a 65 mile zone with lights flashes on the dashboard, and stop completely. I later on find out the transmission is defective with the computer module. The VIN number is [xxx]. Honda is selling defective transmission which was not fix in the first place. The incident my wife had almost resulted in a crash on a busy highway. I also noticed that there are more than 350 cases similar to mine. I also informed that Honda did a recall back in 2004 but apparently didn't fix the problem. Now Honda is not willing to take the responsibility to fix it.

2003 Honda Odyssey has an apparent design flaw in the automatic transmission. After 60,000 miles, the transmission has failed. Driving the car during the 3 days after failure was extremely dangerous with the clutch inside the transmission slipping causing high revving and lack of control. Slowing down (resulting in downshifting) causes the car to "jerk" since the clutch isn't functioning properly and the car isn't able to smoothly change gears. Honda issued a recall in 2004 to add an "oil jet" inside the transmission on the 2nd gear to prevent overheating, but this fix hasn't fixed their design flaw. Despite having this recall taken care of by the dealership in 2004, the transmission has still failed. Honda apparently issued a warranty extension, but I never received notice of this extension and the dealership had no details on this warranty extension (other than to tell me I am beyond that extension due to time lapse). Honda needs to be held accountable for this design flaw. It causes a dangerous situation if not immediately addressed, not to mention a very expensive fix for a problem that has plagued hundreds or perhaps thousands of 1999-2003 (or beyond) Odyssey owners.

Vehicle: 2003 Honda Odyssey with 84,000 miles. Wife was driving our van home from the gym and upon returning home reported to me that the transmission was slipping as it shifted from 2nd to 3rd gear. I drove the vehicle to the Honda repair shop about 5 miles away and observed the same thing. They went and "diagnosed" the problem and reported to me that the transmission needed replaced. In fact, they said that they barely made it back to their shop at the conclusion of their diagnosis. In addition to transmission replacement, Honda requires that the engine control computer be replaced as well because there is new version that runs the transmission. There was a recall for this year and model of vehicle relating to the transmission, but was simply an inspection an a subsequent install of an "oil jet. " this recall had been complied with on my vehicle. I believe Honda knows there is a problem with these transmissions and is doing a disservice to consumers. The early recall coupled with their requirement to replace the computer, and their willingness to pay a portion of my repair to me is proof of their acknowledgment of a problem with their initial design. In my opinion there are also legitimate safety concerns with this problem.

2003 Honda Odyssey transmission started slipping and catching, nearly smacking my head on steering wheel. Contents of car became missiles. Tried to get it home, slips in and out of gear on highway. Real dangerous!!.

The contact owns a 2003 Honda Odyssey. While driving various speeds, the transmission would sporadically downshift. The dealer stated that the second and third gears failed and the transmission needed to be replaced. Several years ago, the vehicle was inspected according to NHTSA campaign id number 04v176000 (power train:automatic transmission), but no repairs were made. The vehicle has not been repaired. The VIN was unknown. The failure and current mileages were 112,375. Updated 09/01/09. At a stop after the leaving the interstate, the vehicle slipped put of gear. The consumer took the vehicle to the dealer. A diagnosis revealed the transmission was slipping on 1-2 and 2-3 shifts and needed to be replaced. No abnormal discoloration was found in the transmission and an oil jet kit was installed. Updated 09/03/09.

The contact owns a 2003 Honda Odyssey. While driving between 40-45 mph on normal road conditions, the automatic transmission slipped and began shifting erratically between gears. The engine revved extremely high and then the rpm's decreased to zero. Suddenly, the vehicle resumed to normal operation. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer for diagnostic testing, but they could not duplicate the failure. On a separate occasion, the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer for an identical failure. Currently, the vehicle is being repaired. The transmission and engine control module were replaced. The failure mileage was 20,334 and current mileage was 110,000.

The gear ratio on my 2003 Honda Odyssey is incorrect according to the auto repair place I took it to have it looked at. The transmission slipped and went into neutral with no warning and has done it several times in the last two months. I took it in and had it put on a diagnostic machine when the "check engine" light came on.

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.

Honda Odyssey 2003 with 106,000 miles transmission slips between gears.