NHTSA Complaint #10425710 — 2003 HONDA ODYSSEY

TRANSMISSION FAILURE: TRAVELLING UP A HILL ON A FREEWAY AT 70MPH WITH FAMILY/CHILDREN IN THE VEHICLE, SUDDENLY & WITHOUT WARNING, TRANSMISSION WILDLY SHIFTS FROM 4TH DOWN TO 2ND/1ST, BACK TO 3RD, CONTINUES LURCHING/SHIFTING BACK AND FORTH AS RPM'S FLUCTUATE WILDLY; HOBBLED TO NEXT EXIT, SMOKE & TRANS FLUID COMING FROM UNDER HOOD. CALLED LOCAL DEALER WHO "HAS NO IDEA" WHAT'S WRONG WITH IT BUT FOR $100 WILL CHECK IT OUT. RESULT: THEY TELL ME THAT TRANS OVERHEATED & MELTED DOWN, BURNED OUT CLUTCHES, NEEDS NEW TRANS -> $4800 (REBUILT). TRANS WAS JUST FINE & TRANS FLUID WAS FINE PRIOR TO THIS INCIDENT, CAR WAS MAINTAINED, ABSOLUTELY NO WARNING OF ANYTHING AMISS. NOW I FIND OUT VIA THE INTERNET THAT MANY, MANY PEOPLE HAVE THIS PROBLEM W/2003 ODYSSEY'S. CALLED HONDA, THEY TELL ME, "THERE IS NO KNOWN PROBLEM WITH THIS MODEL YEAR" (LIE) AND THEY WON'T DO ANYTHING TO HELP WITH THE REPAIR BECAUSE THE CAR CAME W/36,000 MILE WARRANTY AND WE ARE BEYOND THAT. HE ACTUALLY ASKED ME, "IS THIS THE FIRST TIME YOUR TRANSMISSION HAS BLOWN ON THIS VEHICLE? ARE YOU STILL ON YOUR FIRST TRANSMISSION?" WHICH IS A FUNNY THING TO ASK IF THERE IS NO KNOWN PROBLEM. INTERNET INDICATES THAT WHEN PEOPLE HAVE TRANS REPLACED, 2ND TRANS FREQUENTLY BLOWS ALSO. THIS CAR HAD A RECALL FOR TRANS OIL COOLING, WAS COMPLETED BEFORE WE BOUGHT (NEW FROM DEALER) & WE WERE NOT INFORMED ABOUT IT. THIS IS DEFINITELY A SAFETY ISSUE WHEN YOUR TRANS EXPLODES AT 70MPH WITH YOUR CHILDREN IN THE BACK SEAT. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6) *TT