2000 Honda Odyssey

THE CAR LURCHES WHEN ACCELARATING FROM A STANDING STOP. IT FEELS LIKE THE TRANSMISSION IS CATCHING, AND IS A JERKY MOVEMENT. HAS GOTTEN WORSE IN 2004 WHEN THE ENGINE WARNING LIGHT HAS BEEN ON AT LEAST THREE TIMES. *AK WE BOUGHT THE CAR "NEW" FROM WHAT WAS APPARENTLY CANADIAN INV ENTORY. WE WERE TOLD THAT BECAUSE THE CAR WAS CANADIAN THE ORIGINAL WARRANTY DID NOT APPLY AND THE DEALER PROVIDED 3RD PARTY COVERAGE. WHILE WE DID REPORT THE ISSUE DURING THE COVERAGE PERIOD, IT WAS NOT CLEAR WHAT EXACTLY IT WAS (AT LEAST TO US) AND WAS NOT IDENTIFIED AS A TRANSMISSION PROBLEM. ONLY IN 2004 HAVE WE AND THE DEALER CONCLUDED IT WAS DEFINATELY A TRANSMISSION ISSUE. HONDA USA WILL NOT ACKNOWLEDGE THE PROBLEM BECAUSE IT IS A "GRAY MARKET VECHICLE" AND SAID WE MUST DEAL WITH HONDA CANADA, AND HONDA CANADA SAYS IT IS A US PROBLEM AND WON'T DEAL WITH IT. WHILE THE DEALER IS SUPPORTIVE AND THEIR SERVICE DEPARTMENT HAS WORKED WITH US, THEY DIRECT US TO THE MANUFACTURER AS THEY SAY THE THIRD PARTY COVERAGE HAS EXPIRED AND THE GRAY MARKET VECHICLE HAS NO WARRANTY. I FEEL I HAVE A SAFETY ISSUE AND THAT NEITHER HONDA OR THE DEALER WILL STAND BEHIND THEIR VECHICLE. WHEN I DISCUSSED THE ISSUE WITH HONDA CANADA, THEY TOLD ME THE VIN INDICATED THAT A PREVIOUS OWNER WAS BUDGET RENTAL CARS, SO HOW THEY ARE INVOLVED IN THE SHIFTING OF DEALER INVENTORY IS QUESTIONABLE AT BEST. I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY THEY ARE ALLOWED TO OPERATE IN THIS WAY, AND WHY THE MANUFACTURER AND/OR THE DEALER WILL NOT STAND BEHIND THE VEHICLE AND ADDRESS A SERIOUS PROBLEM. THIS PROBLEM IS NOT NORMAL AND SHOULD NOT BE HAPPENING ON A CAR WITH 65,000 MILES, ESPECIALLY ONE THAT HAS BEEN WELL MAINTAINED WITH ALL SCHEDULED SERVICE.

THE VAN TRANSMISSION SOUNDED LIKE IT WAS DELAYED IN ENGAGING, THEN IT SUDDENLY LUNGES FORWARD. HAD IT CHECKED OUT, TECH SAID NOTHING WAS WRONG WITH TRANSMISSION. VAN HAS GOTTEN PROGRESSIVELY WORSE UNTIL NOW IT SLIPS CONSTANTLY. SINCE IT HAD UNDER 100,000 WHEN IT STARTED DOING THIS IT SHOULD BE COVERED BY HONDA BUT THEY WON'T TAKE RESPONSIBILITY EVEN THOUGH THEY ADMIT HONDA MINIVANS CONSISTENTLY ARE BEING BROUGHT IN FOR TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS. *JB

IN DECEMBER 2003, THE TRANSMISSION AND CATALYTIC CONVERTER WENT OUT ON MY 2000 HONDA ODYSSEY MINI VAN. THE CAR IS ONLY THREE YEARS OLD AND HAD ONLY 65,000 MILES ON IT--TOO SOON TO NEED A NEW TRANSMISSION. AFTER SOME RESEARCH, I DISCOVERED THAT HONDA HAS SERIOUS PROBLEMS WITH THEIR TRANSMISSIONS AND THE HONDA DEALER I TOOK IT TO ADMITTED AS MUCH. TO FIX THIS KNOWN DEFECT IN THEIR VEHICLES, HONDA HAS EXTENDED THE WARRANTY ON TRANSMISSIONS ON MANY OF THEIR CARS INCLUDING MY YEAR MODEL AND MAKE. SO THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT SAID THAT HONDA WOULD REPLACE MY TRANSMISSION FOR FREE. HOWEVER, WHEN THEY PULLED UP MY VIN I WAS GIVEN THE UNFORTUNATE NEWS THAT MY CAR HAS A CANADIAN VIN--A SUPPOSED "GREY MARKET VEHICLE" AND THAT HONDA VOIDS THE WARRANTY ON THESE VEHICLES. I HAD NEVER EVEN HEARD OF A GREY MARKET VEHICLE. SO EVEN THOUGH MY HONDA ODYSSEY WAS MADE IN THE EXACT SAME CANADIAN PLANT WITH THE EXACT SAME SUB STANDARD TRANSMISSION AS THE CARS THEY ARE REPLACING TRANSMISSIONS ON, HONDA REFUSED TO PAY FOR MY TRANSMISSION. THIS IS IN MY OPINION A SAFETY-RELATED DEFECT; WHEN MY TRANSMISSION WAS SLIPPING, MY CAR WAS COMPLETELY UNRELIABLE IN ACCELERATION. I WAS SO AFRAID THAT I WOULD PULL OUT IN FRONT OF SOMEONE OR BE TURNING AND MY CAR WOULDN'T GO AND THEY WOULD CRASH INTO MY VAN WITH MY TWO SMALL CHILDREN IN THE BACK. THANK GOD MY HUSBAND AND I WERE ABLE TO AFFORD THE $3200 BILL FOR A NEW TRANSMISSION SO I DIDN'T HAVE TO DRIVE MY UNSAFE VEHICLE MORE THAN 2 WEEKS (ALTHOUGH THAT WAS TOO LONG IF YOU ASK ME). BUT I KNOW THERE ARE MANY PEOPLE WITH THESE FAULTY TRANSMISSIONS WHO CAN'T AFFORD TO GET THEM FIXED RIGHT AWAY, SO THEY JUST DRIVE THE CAR UNTIL THEY CAN AFFORD A NEW ONE. IT'S A SAFETY ISSUE TO HAVE THOSE PEOPLE ON THE ROAD. TO ME, HONDA SHOULD RECALL THESE TRANSMISSIONS; THEY ARE AN OBVIOUS THREAT TO EVERYONE'S SAFETY ON THE ROAD. THANK YOU. *CB

TRANSMISSION FAILURE: SLIPPING AND JERKING DURING LOW SPEED AFTER 30 MINUTES OF DRIVING. SUDDEN ACCELERATION AND DOWN SHIFTING AROUND 3RD GEAR. CONFIRMED BY DEALERSHIP AS FAULTY TRANSMISSION ASSEMBLY. NOT BEING COVERED BY MANUFACTURER'S EXTENDED 7 YEAR WARRANTY SINCE CAR WAS ORIGINALLY MARKETED FOR CANADA DESPITE THE FACT THAT IT WAS ORIGINALLY PURCHASED AT BEAVERTON HONDA IN OREGON. *LA

HONDA ODYSSEY PURCHASED IN 2000 HAS HAD TRANSMISSION REPLACED TWICE. CURRENTLY IN LITIGATION WITH HONDA INC WITH NJ LEMON LAW. SEVERAL MEETINGS WITH HONDA REPS (TO INCLUDE ARBITRATION) HAVE RESULTED IN NO SATISFACTION. I CANNOT DEPEND ON THIS VEHICLE FOR ANY OF MY TRANSPORTATION NEEDS DUE TO CONTINUING PROBLEMS AND SAFETY CONCERNS.*AK

WHEN DRIVING FROM VA TO MI, GOING THROUGH MOUNTAINS OF PA, THE TRANSMISSION WOULD DOWN SHIFT FROM 4TH TO 3RD. AS I PROCEEDED DOWN LONG STEEP MOUNTAIN GRADES, BUT ONLY AFTER I TOUCH THE BRAKES JUST A BIT. THIS OCCURRED ABOUT 3 TIMES. THOUGHT SOMETHING WAS WRONG WITH TRANSMISSION. THEN I FIGURED IT WAS AN INGENIOUS DESIGN IN KEEPING THE CAR WITHIN A REASONABLE SPEED. ONCE I REACHED LEVEL GROUND AND PUT MY FOOT GENTLY ON THE ACCELERATOR, THE CAR UPSHIFTED TO 4TH AND OVERDRIVE WITH NO PROBLEMS. I HAVE HAD NO PROBLEMS WITH TRANSMISSIONS YET. YET! ADVICE: DRIVE IN 3RD GEAR WHEN DRIVING AROUND TOWN. ONLY PUT GEAR SHIFT INTO 4TH WHEN YOU KNOW YOU'LL BE DRIVING AT 50+ MPH FOR AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF TIME. I TOO HAVE HEARD THE CLATTERING IN THE ENGINE BAY WHEN THE ENGINE RUNS AT ABOUT 1500-1700 RPMS, SO I KEEP IT IN 3RD GEAR UNLESS I'M DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY. I HAVE APPROXIMATELY 32000 MILES ON 2000 ODYSSEY AND NO PROBLEMS YET. I AM THE SECOND OWNER. FIRST OWNER BOUGHT 100,000 MILE WARRANTY FROM WARRANTY DIRECT UPON PURCHASE BACK IN 2000, WHICH WAS TRANSFERABLE TO ME WHEN I BOUGHT IT JUST AFTER CHRISTMAS 2002. *PH