2003 Honda Odyssey Transmission Question

[Caveman]

This minivan has 154k miles now. I purchased with 67k.

80% of the miles are from long road trips.

Recently while it was cold, I noticed it shifts from PARK to REVERSE with a fairly severe "CLUNK". The clunk seems related to temperature (less when warm, worst when cold).

I can immediately go back to PARK and then into REVERSE with a normal shift into gear (no CLUNK).

Even when cold, the car can go from PARK to DRIVE without such a severe clunk... Perhaps even "normal".

Honda doesn't do any rebuilding of transmission parts... I can only get a new remanufactured Transmission and that's ~$4k. I'd rather not go down that road.

Any other ideas???

 

[PhoKingGuy]

You have a glass transmission, have the fluid changed every 15k miles

 

[PottedMeat]

Is this the problem covered by that transmission warranty extension a few years back on odysseys?

 

[LOUISSSSS]

You have a glass transmission, have the fluid changed every 15k miles

stop lying.

OP, have it checked out by a tranny shop. some shops will charge much less than that $4k to fix it. make sure you've followed scheduled maint. change the fluid accordingly, not any more or you're wasting money

 

[PhoKingGuy]

stop lying.

OP, have it checked out by a tranny shop. some shops will charge much less than that $4k to fix it. make sure you've followed scheduled maint. change the fluid accordingly, not any more or you're wasting money

Hardly, by 20k the fluid in my gfs accord is already black and slightly burnt smelling and shes already had the thing replaced once (post 2005 redesign)

I think Thomasbrain here advocates the same thing

 

[skyking]

Our pilot has a 30K mile transmission oil change, it is basically the same as the Ody.
One of those learning moments, I would never buy one of these again. We love the car but that is a really poor design. you can only get 4 quarts out without splitting the case or setting up a complicated flush system. I went too long once and it had 'juddering', a funky shudder between gears. It went away with a couple of changes.

 

[SparkyJJO]

It has 154k miles. If it dies, at least it served a useful life.

I don't know about putting another transmission in it though. Just because of the cost ($4k sounds like an awful lot for a transmission but then it is an import, I guess they do tend to cost more) vs age+miles of the vehicle.

 

[Caveman]

Well, it is a Honda so I am hoping to get about 300k out of it... I think I'll try a fluid change... Who knows, maybe that will help...

The engine is perfect... I've used Amsoil since I bought the car and I get good gas mileage and use maybe 1/2 qt every 10k miles.

 

[PhoKingGuy]

Well, it is a Honda so I am hoping to get about 300k out of it... I think I'll try a fluid change... Who knows, maybe that will help...

The engine is perfect... I've used Amsoil since I bought the car and I get good gas mileage and use maybe 1/2 qt every 10k miles.

Good luck, I know for sure that transmission wont last that long. Do you know if it was replaced or not when when it was done?

 

[SparkyJJO]

300k is a lot of miles I don't care who makes the vehicle. I'd be expecting any vehicle to be giving fits by that point.

That being said, friends had an old lumina minivan with well over 300k that just didn't quite want to die. Original powertrain. yeah it was a rattletrap and it had its issues but the engine/trans didn't want to quit. I would have gotten rid of it long before it hit that much personally.

 

[PhoKingGuy]

300k is a lot of miles I don't care who makes the vehicle. I'd be expecting any vehicle to be giving fits by that point.

That being said, friends had an old lumina minivan with well over 300k that just didn't quite want to die. Original powertrain. yeah it was a rattletrap and it had its issues but the engine/trans didn't want to quit. I would have gotten rid of it long before it hit that much personally.

We had one of those pontiac dustbuster vans in my old lab in college as a vehicle to ferry people out to the research marsh and back. It has 210k on it, nothing electrical works outside of the headlights, radio and dash, and the windows....sometimes. Its still on the original engine and transmission though, go figure. That poor thing has been driven within an inch of its life and refuses to die, great thing it is.

 

[nwfsnake]

Hey Caveman!

We have an '02 that has the same clunk when cold. Ours has 125K on it, and just recently started. I think it is one of the motor mounts that has not been replaced yet, probably the rear or the one that actually bolts to the tranny. The front and side mount were recently replaced, and appear to still be fine. Our tranny shifts fine otherwise. I have done drain and fills every 20K miles since new. You can always go to Odyclub.com and search for other things that can cause the clunk. I plan on taking a good look at all the mounts whenever I change the struts in the next couple months. Good luck neighbor!

 

[skyking]

Hey Caveman!

We have an '02 that has the same clunk when cold. Ours has 125K on it, and just recently started. I think it is one of the motor mounts that has not been replaced yet, probably the rear or the one that actually bolts to the tranny. The front and side mount were recently replaced, and appear to still be fine. Our tranny shifts fine otherwise. I have done drain and fills every 20K miles since new. You can always go to Odyclub.com and search for other things that can cause the clunk. I plan on taking a good look at all the mounts whenever I change the struts in the next couple months. Good luck neighbor!

Nice! I had not thought of the mounts.

 

[KIAman]

So, what kind of transmission maintenance have you done so far? Don't tell me you've driven 100k miles without any. If you have not, then most likely, your transmission is dying.

Another thing to consider is that there are 3-4 return lines inside the transmission that are 1/4 inch thick that consistently gets clogged up. Go to the odyssey forums for your generation and check it out, there were lots of info the last time I was trolling there.

 

[Doggiedog]

Is your transmission a 5 speed? The 5 speeds had a bad defect in them and had to be recalled to install some kind of transmission oil injector IIRC. I had an 03 Acura MDX that had this recall. Like someone said, it's not called a glass transmission for nothing.

 

[LTC8K6]

http://www.carcomplaints.com/Honda/Odyssey/2003/tsbs.shtml

http://www.motortrend.com/cars/2003/honda/odyssey/recalls/index.html

 

[AMCRambler]

I agree that the tranny is probably on it's way out. My brother has an '02 with around 120k miles on it and the tranny in it crapped out last July on them while they were in Virginia on vacation. Change the fluid in it and see if that helps. Otherwise drive it till it porks and trade it in on something newer if you've got the scratch. No sense in dropping 4 grand on a tranny for a 6 year old mini van. Even if it is a Honda.

 

[hans007]

im assuming it has that same problem that the 5 speed autos had and it was used in most of the american region cars (i know it didnt affect the world cars like the tsx/euro accord 5 speeD) i remember reading they wereon like the 7th or 8th revision for some accord and TLs.

Since the oddessey is based on the accord platform (like hte TL) i would figure its the same issue. guess you are going to be out $4000. most honda stuff lasts forever, so i would figure the rest of the minivan will hold up , but that transmission was supposed to be problematic.

 

[thomsbrain]

From what I hear, the Odyssey had more problems with the transmission than any of the other Hondas (not counting Acuras). I suspect it was because the added weight meant the drivetrain had to work that much harder.

My favorite independent Honda mechanic started telling me years ago to avoid those second-gen Odysseys because he was already seeing so many failures.

And yeah, regarding the fluid, my experience has been that Honda grossly overestimated the fluid lifespan. My Accord recommends 120,000 miles intervals and toasts its fluid black in just 15,000 miles. I check it every time I check the engine oil. I replaced my first transmission at just 65,000 miles after trusting the fluid interval and learned my lesson then.

Good luck, whatever happens.

 

[LOUISSSSS]

Good luck, I know for sure that transmission wont last that long. Do you know if it was replaced or not when when it was done?

stop spreading your lies, you don't know that for sure. Telling a broad statement with your single instance of your gf's car isn't good.

its like me saying my Q6600 died, so all will die.

 

[LOUISSSSS]

there are 3 odysseys in my family/close friends range and not a single one of them from 2003-present have had any problems. 2 are from NYC with constant stopping and going at lights and harsh drivers + a single from a more suburban area. Both were maintained by scheduled maint and nothing is wrong with them. all are over 100k miles.

dont listen to all the crap on these forums, none of these guys are car mechanics, and none have any reason to tell you anything worth your while. check out a tech forum or a mechanic friend. Statistically + sales numbers + consideration from Honda's resale value, you will see that your Honda Odyssey has better quality than any other minivan out there.

 

[zoiks]

stop spreading your lies, you don't know that for sure. Telling a broad statement with your single instance of your gf's car isn't good.

its like me saying my Q6600 died, so all will die.

From Google.

http://www.google.com/search?source...n+problems&aq=0&oq=odyssey+transmissi&aqi=g10

From Wikipedia

Transmission issues

Many owners reported transmission failures in their second generation Odysseys. The 4-speed automatic transmission in 1999 to 2001 models had very serious problems with transmission durability. Mike Spencer, a spokesman for Honda, stated that the four-speed models were afflicted with a bad bearing that could break apart, scattering fragments of metal that clogged fluid passageways in the transmission, causing it to shift erratically.[3] Honda responded to the problems by extending the warranty on the transmission on U.S.A. '99-'01 models to 7 years or 100,000 miles (160,900 km). A class action settlement further extended coverage to 109,000 miles (175,400 km) or 93 months for some '99-'01 Odysseys in the U.S.A.[4] Canada is not included. The five-speed automatic was first installed in Odyssey in the 2002 model, but general reliability of the transmission did not improve until 2004 according to Consumer Reports. Mike Spencer, a spokesman for Acura, said that the five-speed models typically were damaged by premature wear of the third-gear clutch pack. As the clutch friction material abraded, it scattered bits inside the transmission case, clogging fluid lines and causing erratic shifting. Drivers might suffer slipping, poor or no shifts, or sudden down-shifts from 5th gear to 2nd gear.[3] A totally different 5 speed transmission problem was that under some conditions, second gear could overheat and break, causing the transmission to lock. An oil jet was added to lubricate this gear but this did not solve the third gear clutch problem.[5] The addition of the Honda transmission cooler with the towing package still allows transmission fluid temperatures that are too high. But it was required along with a power steering cooler for any towing, or the warranty would be void. The Acura CL, TL, MDX and Honda Accord suffered similar problems.

2003 models are also affected by this problem.

Trying to reduce failures, some Odyclub Forums have been adding aftermarket stacked-plate transmission coolers and changing the "non-serviceable" external transmission fluid filter on 02-04 5-speed models. Adding aftermarket filters on the transmission cooler line allows for easier periodic filter changes. None of these modifications are suggested by the manufacturer and it is too early to know if failures are reduced.

 

[AMCRambler]

From Google.

http://www.google.com/search?source...n+problems&aq=0&oq=odyssey+transmissi&aqi=g10

From Wikipedia

Louisss once again with his head in the sand. Now he'll claim it's all mass delirium. I can't understand how he still maintains his fan boi posturing when confronted with irrefutable evidence. A court even ruled the transmissions are effed up. Honda admits it themselves.

 

[Doggiedog]

there are 3 odysseys in my family/close friends range and not a single one of them from 2003-present have had any problems. 2 are from NYC with constant stopping and going at lights and harsh drivers + a single from a more suburban area. Both were maintained by scheduled maint and nothing is wrong with them. all are over 100k miles.

dont listen to all the crap on these forums, none of these guys are car mechanics, and none have any reason to tell you anything worth your while. check out a tech forum or a mechanic friend. Statistically + sales numbers + consideration from Honda's resale value, you will see that your Honda Odyssey has better quality than any other minivan out there.

Wow! You're telling others not to listen to everything they say in forums because there are lies but then claim that there is nothing wrong with Odysseys only because 3 people you know didn't have problems with them. Well, my MDX isn't a Honda but I know for a fact the transmission was bad. I even got a letter from Acura to tell me to take my MDX in for a bad tranny.

I like Japanese cars as much as anyone. But they are not perfect. My Honda Prelude SH, which I loved and got brand new, had problems, my MDX had problems, my G35 sedan (my favorite of them all) had problems and even my Lexus GS300 had problems. None of the problems were that severe except maybe the Prelude and G35 problems but it just goes to show any car can have problems. It is a known fact that Honda auto 5 speeds from that timeframe had problems and a recall as well. No matter what your friends/family experienced, there was an official service bulletin for vehicles with that transmission.

 

[StageLeft]

dont listen to all the crap on these forums, none of these guys are car mechanics, and none have any reason to tell you anything worth your while.

Does that include you? The guy who's so petrified of car breakdowns that in your view everyone should buy a new one; you live in fear of the previous owner doing God knows what? And some people here are actually mechanics or at least have worked on more cars than you ever will. Because you're scared of used cars to begin with.

Statistically + sales numbers + consideration from Honda's resale value, you will see that your Honda Odyssey has better quality than any other minivan out there.

Wow I never thought I'd see the day Louiss talking up a Honda. Nobody is saying they are not great quality. But some Hondas have known transmission issues.

Of course you know better. And in fact I'm sure you know better than "Mike Spencer, a spokesman for Honda" who specifically says that the 2003 Odyssey has a known transmission problem.

Honda admits it themselves.

They are wrong, Louisss knows more about Honda's quality than Honda, get with the program.