NHTSA Complaint #10392748 — 2003 HONDA ODYSSEY

WE HAD PURCHASED OUR 2003 HONDA ODYSSEY BRAND NEW FROM A HONDA DEALERSHIP AFTER EXTENSIVE BROWSING, RESEARCHING, AND COMPARING, WE FELT HONDA WAS THE WAY TO GO DUE TO THEIR REPUTATION FOR "MAKING QUALITY VEHICLES THAT LAST A LONG TIME AND WORK GREAT." HOW WRONG WE WERE. WE BABIED THIS VAN. MADE SURE IT GOT ANY OIL, LUBE, OR FIX IT NEEDED AND HAVE THE DOCUMENTATION TO PROVE IT. SHORTLY AFTER BUYING IT WE HAD RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE REGARDING PROBLEMS THAT YEAR'S MODEL HAD WITH THE V6 TRANSMISSIONS, SO WE TOOK IT OVER AND HAD THEM FIX WHAT WAS "SUPPOSEDLY" THE PROBLEM. IN APRIL, 2009 WE DECIDED WE'D GET A DETAILED "FULL SERVICING" DONE AND FIX ANY ISSUES OR POTENTIAL ISSUES THE ODYSSEY HAD AT THAT TIME WHICH, AFTER ALL THE REPAIRS, COST $1,300. AT THAT TIME THEY HAD PERFORMED A COMPLETE TRANSMISSION FLUID CHANGE ALONG WITH EVERYTHING ELSE. LAST TUESDAY WHILE I WAS DRIVING HOME I WAS GOING ABOUT 50 MPH WHEN THE TRANSMISSION JUST COMPLETELY STALLED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD CAUSING THE CAR BEHIND ME TO SWERVE INTO ONCOMING TRAFFIC. I TOOK IT STRAIGHT TO A SHOP NEARBY WHO THEN SHOWED ME THAT THE TRANSMISSION FLUID WAS SO BURNT UP IT WAS BLACK AND THICK LIKE ENGINE OIL. AFTER INITIALLY ASSUMING FROM THE LOOKS OF IT THAT I HADN'T EVER HAD A TFC, HE WAS SHOCKED WHEN I TOLD HIM IT HAD NOT EVEN A YEAR AND A HALF AGO. THE NEXT DAY I TOOK IT TO THE HONDA DEALERSHIP WHERE THEY TOLD ME IT WOULD COST $5200 TO FIX. I THEN ASKED WHY, IF THE TRANNY WENT OUT JUST BECAUSE, WAS THE TRAN.FLUID SO BURNT UP AFTER ONLY A YEAR. THEY BASICALLY SAID THEY COULDN'T DO ANYTHING FOR ME IN REGARDS TO OWNING UP AND REPLACING THE DEFECTED TRANSMISSION WHICH THEY SHOULD HAVE DONE IN THE FIRST PLACE WHEN THE RECALL HAPPENED BACK IN 2004! I REFUSE TO PAY FOR THIS AND AM DEMANDING THAT HONDA TAKE CARE OF THIS TRANSMISSION SO I CAN SELL THIS VAN AND NEVER BUY ANOTHER HONDA AGAIN. GO AHEAD AND GOOGLE "2003 ODYSSEY TRANSMISSION". IT'S HORRIFYING TO SEE HOW MANY STORIES ARE JUST LIKE MINE AND UNRESOLVED. *TR