NHTSA Complaint #10376573 — 2001 HONDA ODYSSEY

I OWN A 2001 HONDA ODYSSEY. IN JUNE '06, MY TRANNY HAD TO BE REPLACED AT 100K MILES. AT THE TIME, AMERICAN HONDA(AH) REPLACED IT FREE OF CHARGE UNDER AN EXTENDED WARRANTY PROGRAM AS I WAS ADVISED BY LANCASTER HONDA. IN A MATTER OF FEW SHORT MINUTES & COUPLE OF MILES THE TRANNY ON MY VAN BURNT UP & I NEARLY LOST MY FATHER IN A SENSELESS SITUATION CAUSED BY AH'S MISREPRESENTATION OF FACT & CARELESS DISREGARD FOR HUMAN LIFE. MY FATHER WAS DRIVING NB HWY 14 IN SANTA CLARITA VALLEY RETURNING HOME WHEN HE BEGAN TO EXPERIENCE TROUBLE WITH THE VAN. THE VAN'S CRUISE CONTROL WAS SET @ 65 MPH & HE WAS DRIVING IN THE # 3 LANE. AS HE APPROACHED THE GRADE HE NOTICED THE TCS AND MALFUNCTION LIGHTS ON THE DASH. HE ATTEMPTED TO MERGE TO THE RIGHT TO PULL OFF TO THE SHOULDER BUT WAS HAMPERED BY A TRUCK-N-TRAILER IN THE LANE TO HIS RIGHT. NEXT, THE ENGINE BEGAN TO MAKE A SCREAMING NOISE. AS HE STILL TRIED TO MOVE TO THE SHOULDER WITHOUT ANY SUCCESS, THE SCREAMING NOISE CONTINUED, SO HE TURNED OFF THE CRUISE CONTROL, THE NOISE STOPPED BUT AT THIS POINT HE NOTICED SMOKING BILLOWING UP THE BACK OF THE VAN FROM THE REAR WINDOW. BY NOW, HE HAD REACHED THE TOP OF THE HILL, WITHIN MOMENTS OF TURNING OFF THE CRUISE CONTROL THE VAN HAD LOST POWER ' HE COULD NOT ACCELERATE. WITHOUT POWER & RIDING ON DOWNHILL MOMENTUM WITH HEAVY TRAFFIC SPEEDING PAST MY FATHER @ SPEEDS OVER 65 MPH HE IS STILL TRYING TO GET TO THE SHOULDER. FINALLY, THE TRUCK-N-TRAILER HAS PASSED MY FATHER & HE PROCEEDS TO MERGE RIGHT & GETS TO THE SHOULDER & HE PARKS SO. OF AQUA DULCE CANYON ROAD. THEN HE IS NEARLY HIT BY A CORVETTE DRIVING ON THE SHOULDER RACING A MUSTANG @ 100 MPH. MY FATHER CALLED FOR A TOW TO LANCASTER HONDA (LH) WHERE IT STILL SITS. LH WANTS $6K TO REPLACE SOMETHING THAT WAS SUPPOSED TO ALREADY BE FIXED. THE 'NEW' TRANNY IN '06 SHOULD LAST AT LEAST ANOTHER 100K MILES NOT ONLY 70K. MY STORY IS LIKE ONE OF THOUSANDS OF CONSUMERS WHO OWN HONDA ODYSSEYS. THEY PUT FAMILIES LIVES IN DANGER. BAD TRANNYS. *TR