NHTSA Complaint #10548065 — 2001 HONDA ODYSSEY

FOURTH TRANSMISSION FAILURE ON A VAN I'VE OWNED SINCE NEW. FIRST ONE FAILED AT APPROX. 55K MILES, THE SECOND ONE AT 96K MILES, THE THIRD ONE AT 122K MILES AND FINALLY THE FOURTH ONE AT APPROX 155K MI. AHM PICKED UP THE COST FOR THE FIRST TWO (THEY HAD AN EXTENDED WARRANTY UP TO 105K MILES AND I HAD ALSO PURCHASED THE 7 YEAR / 100K MILES EXTENDED WARRANTY). THE THIRD TRANSMISSION COST ME $1000 FOR LABOR, BUT AHM PAID FOR THE TRANSMISSION. THE WARRANTY ON THIS THIRD TRANSMISSION INSTALLED IN THE CAR WAS 3 YEARS OR 36K MILES. IT FAILED AGAIN UNDER 36K MILES, BUT A FEW MONTHS OVER THE 3 YEAR MARK (EXPIRED IN JUNE '13, AND IT FAILED AT BEGINNING OF OCT '13). IT LEFT MY FAMILY STRANDED 90 MILES NORTH OF SAN DIEGO LATE AT NIGHT. WHILE CLEARLY THE LETTER OF THE LAW IS WITH AHM AS THE WARRANTY PERIOD INDEED EXPIRED, I THINK I HAD WINDSHIELD WIPERS THAT LASTED LONGER THAT THE HONDA TRANSMISSION ON THIS VAN. AS A SIDE NOTE, THIS WAS A GOOD CAR AND WE HAD MINIMAL ISSUES WITH IT OTHER THAN THE DISPOSABLE TRANSMISSIONS. AHM SHOULD FIGURE OUT THAT PUSHING OUT A BADLY DESIGNED TRANSMISSION (BASED ON WHAT I'VE READ) IS NOT A WAY FOR GETTING REPEAT CUSTOMERS. I HAD AN ACCORD (WHICH WAS OK) AND I STILL HAVE MY S2000 (WHICH I LOVE), BUT I WILL NEVER BUY A HONDA EVER AGAIN. *TR