NHTSA Complaint #10618474 — 2004 HONDA ODYSSEY

DRIVING 2004 ODYSSEY (140K MILES) DOWN I-95 IN RICHMOND (FROM NOVA) AND STARTED LOSING POWER (DROPPING SPEED WITH INCREASING RPMS). BAD SMELL AND SMOKE OUT THE BACK LED ME TO BELIEVE IT WAS MY CATALYTIC CONVERTER. CHECK ENGINE LIGHT NEVER CAME ON. FOUND A SHOP THAT REPLACED THE CC. WHILE REPLACING THEY NOTICED LOTS OF OIL UNDER MY VEHICLE. TURNS OUT IT WAS TRANSMISSION FLUID. THE SHOP TOPPED OFF THE TRANSMISSION FLUID (4 QTS), LET IT RUN FOR A WHILE, DIDN'T SEE A LEAK, AND I DROVE OFF THE LOT. I NOTICED THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WAS STILL ON SO I RETURNED TO THE AUTO SHOP. THEY WERE HAVING TROUBLE ERASING THE ERROR CODE SO THE LIGHT WOULD GO OFF SO THEY RECOMMENDED I HAVE IT FIXED WHEN I RETURNED HOME. I WAS ON MY WAY TO A NORTH CAROLINA BEACH WITH NO OTHER PROBLEMS ENCOUNTERED (ALBEIT A CHECK ENGINE LIGHT STILL LIT). LOCAL DRIVING AT THE BEACH AT LOW SPEEDS (BELOW 40 MPH) CAUSED NO ISSUES. THE FOLLOWING WEEK ON MY WAY FROM THE NC BEACH TO NOVA, THE TCS LIGHT WAS NOW LIT (IN ADDITION TO THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT). WITHIN A FEW MILES I ENCOUNTERED A SIMILAR SITUATION WHILE HEADING NORTH ON I-95 (AS I DID THE WEEK BEFORE WHILE HEADING SOUTH ON I-95) THOUGH NOT AS SEVERE (SLIGHT DROP IN SPEED WITH INCREASING RPMS, BAD SMELL WITH SMOKE OUT THE BACK OF THE VEHICLE). I FOUND OUT THE NEXT DAY ABOUT THE HONDA ODYSSEY TRANSMISSION PROBLEM. SOUNDS LIKE I WAS LUCKY TO GET 140K OUT OF IT, THOUGH NOT HAPPY TO HEAR ABOUT THE LACK OF RESPONSIBILITY TAKEN BY HONDA. MY WIFE AND I HAVE BEEN LOYAL HONDA CUSTOMERS SINCE 1984 WITH 4 VEHICLES PURCHASED. NO MORE. *TR