NHTSA Complaint #10346448 — 2000 HONDA ODYSSEY

APPROX -JUNE OF 2010 I BOUGHT THE CAR USED AT 114500M "AS IS". WHEN PURCHASED, IT DIDN'T LEAK WHEN SITTING STILL. I PAID JIFFY $122.00 TO POWER FLUSH THE TRANSMN FLUID. I LIFTED THE CAR AND INSPECTED IT MYSELF AFTER I THEN SAW A LEAK. I WAS GOING TO SIMPLY REPLACE THE DRIVERSIDE AXLE SEAL TO SOLVE THE LEAK PROBLEM. BUT I FOUND A MUCH MORE SERIOUS SAFETY PROBLEM WAS BUILD INTO THIS CAR, THAT THE MFG IS RESPONSIBLE FOR. THE LEFT SIDE INNER SHAFT AT THE TRANSMISSION SEAL AREA WAS LOOSE. (I WIGGLED IT BY HAND). I FOUND THAT WHEN DRIVEN IT SPILLS FLUID AT A RATE OF 1/2 QUART PER DAY, AT THE SEAL. I CAN'T AFFORD TO CONTINUE TO PURCHASE AT $5000.0 AND SIMULTANEOUSLY PAY $5025 FOR A NEW TRANSMISSION. HONDA AMERICA SAID "THAT THE DIFFERENTIAL IS THE PROBLEM, YOU CAN PUT SEALS IN IT ALL DAY AND THAT WON'T FIX IT, IT MUST BE REPLACED". TODAY 07/30/10 IT STOPPED FORWARD MOTION ON A HILL. I TURNED ON MY FLASHER AND ROLLED 3 BLOCKS BACKWARDS DOWN THE HILL TO A SAFE LEVEL AREA. I CARRY LOTS OF TRANSMSN FLUID NOW AND ADD A QUART A DAY TILL I CAN COME UP WITH AN OUT. I CAN'T JUST SELL THE CAR TO SOMEONE ELSE, IT'S JUST NOT THE RIGHT THING TO DO.AND I MUST GET TO WORK IM THINKING ABOUT BUYING A USED ONE AT THE JUNK YARD. THE SCARY THING IS DID HONDA EVER PUT OUT A TRANSMISSION THAT WORKS RIGHT T? OR HAVE THEY SIMPLY ABANDONED THERE BRAIN CHILD. I WAS LUCKY TO NOT HAVE BEEN HIT BY ANOTHER VEHICLE IN TODAY'S SITUATION. THIS IS AN UNSAFE SITUATION, THAT I FIND MY SELF IN NOW. ONE OTHER THING. HONDA SAID MY TRANS FLUID WAS REDDISH BROWN WHEN THEY INSPECTED IT. BUT THE DAY BEFORE THIS JIFFY LUBE REPLACED ALL OF THE FLUID WITH NEW AND CHARGED ME $122.00. THIS IS WHY I FIND IT HARD TO TRUST ALL OF WHAT HONDA SAYS. HOW CAN NEW TRANS FLUID BE REDDISH BROWN? (OLD). I THINK THEY DOCTOR THERE INSPECTION REPORTS IN ANTICIPATION OF GOVERNMENT INVESTIGATIONS. THEY ALSO SAID THE SUBFRAME WAS BENT, BUT DIDN'T ADD HOW THAT MIGHT AFFECT THE CAR. THERE IS A SMALL DENT ON THE BOTTOM, AS IF BUMPED ON A. *TR