NHTSA Complaint #10412034 — 2004 HONDA ODYSSEY

THE VAN HAS MADE STRANGE NOISES AND GOTTEN HORRIBLE GAS MILEAGE SINCE WE PURCHASED AS 'CERTIFIED PRE-OWNED' FROM HONDA DEALER. WE REPORTED BOTH TO DEALER AND GOTTEN NO RESPONSE BUT 'OH, WELL'. WE HAVE SERVICED THE VEHICLE AT THE SAME DEALERSHIP SINCE PURCHASED AND FOLLOWED ALL RECOMMENDATIONS FOR SERVICE. THE D LIGHT HAS BEEN FLASHING AT RANDOM FOR OVER A YEAR, BUT EACH SERVICE APPT THEY FOUND NOTHING AND JUST SENT US ON THE WAY. AT THE LAST APPT, THEY FINALLY FOUND A BAD SENSOR THAT HAD BEEN CAUSING THE LIGHT TO FLASH (THEY SAID). WE HAD THEM REPLACE THE SENSOR. WE DROVE ACROSS THE US TO VISIT FAMILY. THE TCS AND CEL CAME ON AND WE TOOK THE CAR TO A SHOP TO HAVE THE CODE READ. P0740. WE CALLED OUR DEALER IN OR AND THEY SAID IT WOULD PROBABLY MAKE IT BACK TO OR FROM AL. 20 MILES LATER THE TRANNY DIED COMPLETELY. MY WIFE CAME WITHIN 10 FEET OF BEING FLATTENED BY A BIG TRUCK DUE TO LACK OF POWER OR CONTROL. MY WIFE AND TWO KIDS WERE STRANDED ON THE SIDE OF THE INTERSTATE. WE HAD THE VAN TOWED AND HONDA DEALERSHIP SAID IT WOULD BE 2800-3K TO FIX. THEY CALLED BACK A COUPLE DAYS LATER TO SAY IT WAS ALMOST 3600. WE HAVE RELIGIOUSLY SERVICED THE VAN AND NEVER TOWED OR HAULED ANYTHING. WE HAVE COMPLAINED FOR YEARS TO OUR DEALER THAT THERE WAS SOMETHING WRONG WITH THE VAN. WE BOUGHT AN EXTENDED WARRANTY THAT COVERED EVERYTHING UP TO 105K MILES. WE HAVE COMPLAINED SINCE WE BOUGHT THE VAN IN 2006 AND HONDA ONLY DROVE AND SAID THEY DIDN'T HEAR ANYTHING. WE ARE NOW OUT 3.6K FOR THE NEW TRANSMISSION EVEN THOUGH WE HAVE BEEN CALLING IT OUT FOR 5 YEARS. THE TRANSMISSIONS IN THESE VEHICLES ARE WEAK AND SHOULD NOT BECOME A 4000 REPAIR FOR CONSUMERS. THE VAN HAS BEEN CARED FOR MECHANICALLY AND WE HAVE DONE OUR PART, BUT HONDA REFUSES TO DO ANYTHING. IT IS HARD TO BELIEVE THAT A TRANSMISSION ON ANY VEHICLE WOULD FAIL THIS EARLY. THERE ARE HUNDREDS OF OTHER PEOPLE WITH THE SAME FAILURES. THERE SHOULD BE SOME ACTION FROM HONDA TO FIX THIS DANGEROUS CONDITION. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5