Owner-reported complaints naming the powertrain system, filed with NHTSA
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Powertrain reports that are not specifically the engine or transmission — driveshafts, axles, transfer cases and differentials. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 1999 Honda Odyssey submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 31 reports on file name it.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
The 25 most recent of 31, in the owner's own words
THERE HAVE BEEN 2 RECALLS FOR MY 99 HONDA ODYSSEY. THE FIRST WAS ON TRANSMISSION A FEW YEARS BACK N NOW THERE IS ONE OPEN FOR MY AIRBAGS. WELL MY TRANSMISSION WAS NEVER FIXED BY HONDA. AND NOW I CAN'T GET THEM TO FIX MY AIRBAGS
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 HONDA ODYSSEY. WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED, THE VEHICLE SHUT OFF WITHOUT WARNING WITH THE EXCEPTION OF A GREEN KEY ICON FLASHING ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE VEHICLE WAS PLACED IN NEUTRAL AND COASTED OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. THE VEHICLE WAS ABLE TO RESTART. THE DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND STATED THAT THERE WAS NO RECALL. THE FAILURE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 220,000.
RECENTLY, WHILE TRAVELING ON INTERSTATE 94, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON IN MY VEHICLE ALONG WITH A LIGHT THAT READS "TCS". SHORTLY AFTER THESE TWO LIGHTS CAME ON, MY VEHICLE BEGAN HAVING PROBLEMS ACCELERATING. WHEN I DRIVE MY VEHICLE, I HAVE PROBLEMS WITH THE VAN TAKING OFF AND MAINTAINING STABILITY ONCE IN MOTION. DURING TRAVEL ON HIGHWAYS, FREEWAYS, INTERSTATES, OR CITY STREETS, MY VEHICLE VIOLENTLY SHIFTS FROM FIRST GEAR TO SECOND GEAR WHEN I PRESS ON THE ACCELERATOR, CAUSING IT TO SLOW DOWN UNEXPECTEDLY BEFORE JERKING INTO MOTION IN THE MIDDLE OF TRAFFIC. ALSO, DURING RECENT NIGHT TIME TRAVEL THE HEADLIGHTS BEGAN TO FLICKER, GO DIM THEN GET BRIGHT AGAIN. THE VEHICLE ALSO SLOWS DOWN WHEN TURNING CORNERS THEN WILL SUDDENLY JUMP INTO MOTION. ALSO, THE DRIVER SIDE PASSENGER DOOR RECENTLY WENT OFF TRACK CAUSING A SCREAMING ALARM TO SOUND DURING TRAVEL. I HAVE RECENTLY HAD TO HAVE THE HIGH PRESSURE POWER STEERING LINE REPLACED BECAUSE IT HAD A HOLE IN THE UPPER HOSE.I AM EXTREMELY CONCERNED THAT THE POOR ACCELERATION OF MY VEHICLE AND THE VIOLENT JERKING FROM FIRST TO SECOND GEAR WILL CAUSE AN ACCIDENT. MY VEHICLE IS MY ONLY MODE OF TRANSPORTATION TO WORK, SCHOOL AND ANY IMPORTANT PLACE THAT I NEED TO TRAVEL TO.
WAS DRIVING VEHICLE ON HIGHWAY WHEN THE TRANSMISSION FAILED. WAS NEARLY KILLED, AS I WAS UNABLE TO MOVE CAR INTO A SAFE AREA
I WAS DRIVING THE VAN AND ALL OF SUDDEN WITHOUT ANY WARNING LIGHTS STOPPED AND COULD NOT MOVE FORWARD IN MY STREET
OUR 1999 HONDA ODYSSEY HAS HAD THE P0740 TORQUE CLUTCH CONVERTER SOLENOID CIRCUIT (OPEN) CODE DISPLAYED NUMEROUS TIMES, WE THOUGHT SINCE IT WAS A SERIOUS ISSUE AND THE TRANSMISSION HAD ALREADY BEEN REPLACED WITHIN 20,000 MILES THAT WE SHOULD ACTUALLY TAKE IT TO THE DEALER IN MARYSVILLE, WA AND HAVE THEM DO A TRANSMISSION FLUSH THEN A SUPERVISOR AND SAID NO YOU SHOULD HAVE US RUN A DIAGNOSTIC BY ONE OF OUR MASTER TECHS. AFTER REITERATING THIS SERIOUSNESS OF OUR TRANSMISSION ISSUE THE CODE COMING ON AND DELAYS IN SHIFTING MOSTLY JUST BARELY NOTICEABLE, THEY ASSURED US IF WE PAID $129 FOR A DIAGNOSTIC THAT A MASTER TECH COULD GET TO THE ISSUE, HOWEVER THEY LATER TOLD US AFTER WE GOT THE CAR BACK AND CALLED ON THE ISSUE THAT AN APPRENTICE (NOT A MASTER TECH) HAD DONE THE ENTIRE INSPECTION AND CAME UP WITH NO PROBLEMS EXCEPT A DIFFERENT CODE HAVING TO DO WITH UP BAD CATALYTIC CONVERTER WHICH HAD NEVER BEEN AN ISSUE BEFORE AND TOLD US WE MAY NEED TO GET THAT REPLACED SOON. THE TRANSMISSION CODE P0740 CAME UP ON OUR WAY HOME FROM THE DEALERSHIP. I TOLD THEM OF THE CODE AND THE RESEARCH I HAVE DONE AND ASKED WHAT ELSE TO DO AND THEY TOLD ME THERE IS NOTHING THAT CAN BE DONE THAT IS A TRANSMISSION DEATH CODE AND WE WOULD NEED TO REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION, TO WHICH I ASKED EVEN THOUGH IT WAS JUST REPLACED 20,000 MILES AGO AND HE SAID MAYBE YOU GOT A BAD TRANSMISSION. Q: ARE THEY JUST ALL BAD FOR THIS VEHICHLE?
I WAS DRIVING ON A CROWDED EXPRESSWAY WHEN MY CAR SEIZED UP COMPLETELY DUE TO A TRANSMISSION FAILURE WHICH PUT ME IN AN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS SITUATION. I WAS IN THE MIDDLE LANE WITH THREE LARGE SEMI TRAILER TRUCKS IN FRONT OF ME, IN BACK OF ME, AND TO THE RIGHT OF ME ON A 3 LANE HIGHWAY. THE TRUCK BEHIND ME HAD ENOUGH ROOM TO BARELY SLOW DOWN BUT IT ALMOST CRASHED INTO ME. I TURNED ON MY EMERGENCY FLASHER LIGHTS AND WAS ABLE TO GET THE CAR ONTO THE SHOULDER OF A SLIGHTLY UPHILL EXIT RAMP, NARROWLY ESCAPING SERIOUS INJURY. I WAS THEN ABLE TO VERY SLOWLY MOVE THE CAR IN FIRST GEAR WITH THE FLASHERS GOING, AND FORTUNATELY WAS CLOSE TO A SIDE STREET WHERE I PARKED THE CAR AND HAD IT TOWED TO THE NEAREST DEALERSHIP. ALTHOUGH HONDA REPLACED MY TRANSMISSION FOR FREE UNDER THE AUSPICES OF A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT BACK IN 2007, THE CAR HAS LOW MILEAGE FOR THE LIFE OF THE TRANSMISSION. HOWEVER, THEY ARE REFUSING TO COVER THE REPLACEMENT COST OF THE TRANSMISSION. THE TRANSMISSION FAILURE WAS SUDDEN AND LITERALLY SEIZED UP THE CAR AND PUT MY LIFE IN DANGER. THIS DOESN'T SEEM TO MATTER TO HONDA. I AM REGISTERING THIS COMPLAINT NOT ONLY TO GET SATISFACTION FROM HONDA, BUT ALSO TO WARN OTHER ODYSSEY OWNERS THAT THIS MAY HAPPEN TO THEM, AND LET THEM KNOW THIS IS POTENTIALLY DEADLY. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 HONDA ODYSSEY. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE ROLLED AWAY DOWN A HILL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE GEAR SHIFTER NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 232,000.
GOING UPHILL ON A CURVE AT ABOUT 35 MPH AT 9:45PM WITH A SLIGHT DRIZZLE. THE TCS AND ENGINE LIGHTS CAME ON AND GEARS DISENGAGED. GEAR WAS AT D4. NO POWER TO DRIVE THE MINIVAN UPHILL AND VAN STARTED TO ROLL BACKWARDS AND DOWNWARDS. WHEN ACCELERATOR WAS PRESSED, THE RPM WENT UP TO 6000-7000 RPM BUT THE GEARS REMAIN DISENGAGED. SUSPECT TRANSMISSION DEFECT. SET EMERGENCY LIGHTS ON AND ROLL OVER TO THE CURB. PARKED AND HITCH A RIDE HOME. FILED A COMPLAINT WITH NHTSA AND REPORTED IT TO AMERICAN HONDA ON 8/4/2014 AS THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS EVENT. *TR
TRANSMISSION FAILED. VEHICLE FAILED TO MOVE FORWARD, THE SYMPTOMS ARE EXACTLY HOW HONDA EXPRESSED IN THE WARRANTY EXTENSION. THE TRANSMISSION WAS REPLACED ONCE AT A HONDA DEALER AT OUT OF POCKET COST WHEN THE VEHICLE HAD 124K MILES. I CALLED THE HONDA PRODUCT & CONCERN DEPARTMENT, AND FILED A CASE # [XXX]. THERE ARE SEVERAL FORUMS AND SITES WITH CONSUMERS HAVING TRANSMISSION FAILURE ON ODYSSEY 1999-2003 OVER AND OVER AGAIN. HONDA SHOULD BE HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR THEIR FAULTY DESIGN. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR
OUR 1999 HONDA ODYSSEY HAS RELATIVELY LOW MILEAGE (~125000 MILES) AND IT HAS BEEN DIAGNOSED AS HAVING TRANSMISSION PROBLEM AGAIN. WHEN IT ONLY HAD ABOUT 30000 MILES, IT HAD A TRANSMISSION PROBLEM AND ITS REPLACEMENT WAS COVERED UNDER MANUFACTURE WARRANTY AT THAT TIME. WE SEARCHED THE INTERNET AND FOUND THAT THE TRANSMISSION PROBLEM IS A VERY COMMON FOR HONDA VEHICLES. WE CONTACTED AMERICA HONDA AND THEY TOLD US IT HAS ALREADY PASSED THE WARRANTY PERIOD AND THEY WOULD NOT HELP WITH THE TRANSMISSION REPAIR. WE PAID FULL STICKER PRICE FOR THIS VAN 14 YEARS AGO AND WISH IT CAN LAST UP TO 200000 MILES. NOW WE ARE RELUCTANT TO PAY FOR THE HIGH REPAIR COST OR WE COULD NOT SELL IT AT A SATISFACTORY PRICE. WE ARE VERY UNHAPPY WITH AMERICA HONDA'S RESPONSE AND TOTALLY LOST OUR TRUST IN HONDA VEHICLES. *TR
MY ODYSSEY FIRST HAD A TRANSMISSION ISSUE BACK IN AUGUST, 2003, ONLY 4 YEARS AND 42,000 MILES AND THE DEALER COMPLETED THE REPAIR WITHOUT ANY COST SINCE IT IS STILL WITHIN THE MANUFACTORY WARRANTY. THE SECOND TIME THE TRANSMISSION FAILED AGAIN IN 2008 AT 96,000 MILES. I WROTE A LETTER TO AMERICAN HONDA MOTOR AND THEY AGREED TO COVER IT WITH NO COST. HOWEVER, THIS ISSUE RESURFACED AGAIN. THE VERY SAME SYMPTOMS HAVE REOCCURRED AND MY CAR BROKE DOWN ON THE FREEWAY AT 126,000 MILES LAST WEEK. HAD A MECHANIC CHECKED IT AND IT IS THE TRANSMISSION ISSUE. THIS VAN IS MY WEEKEND CAR AND I HARDLY DRIVE IT SO I HAVE ONLY ADDED 30,000 MILES AFTER THE LAST TRANSMISSION REPLACEMENT IN 2008. THIS PROVES TO ME THAT THERE IS AN ISSUE WITH THE DESIGN OF THE TRANSMISSION AND THE ODYSSEY TRANSMISSION CAN ONLY SUSTAIN ROUGHLY 40,000 MILES BEFORE BREAKING DOWN.
TRANSMISSION COMPLETELY FROZE (LOCKED-UP). THIS IS THE SECOND TRANSMISSION IN THIS VEHICLE, THE FIRST WAS REPLACED UNDER A CLASS ACTION SUIT AGAINST HONDA. FORTUNATELY, DRIVER WAS NEAR SIDE OF ROAD AND RECOGNIZED A PROBLEM PRIOR TO THE COMPLETE LOCK-UP, OTHERWISE THE VAN WOULD HAVE SKIDDED TO A STOP IN THE MIDDLE OF THE HIGHWAY. HONDA INFORMS THEY WILL NOT PROVIDE ANY ASSISTANCE WITH ANY REPLACEMENT TRANSMISSION AND WILL ONLY OFFER A 1 YEAR WARRANTY. IT COSTS OVER $4000 TO REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION IN THIS VEHICLE. HONDA IS COMPLETELY UNSYMPATHETIC TO THE POTENTIAL RISKS THEY ARE FORCING ON ODYSSEY OWNERS. THIS HAD HAPPENED TO THOUSANDS OF ODYSSEY OWNERS AND HONDA NEED TO BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE. *TR
VEHICLE STOP SHIFTING GEARS FIRST, UNRESPONSIVE TO ACCELERATOR. SLIPPING CONSTANTLY AS IT STARTED MOTION. SECOND GEAR NOT WORKING AT ALL. CHECK ENGINE LIGHTS AND EMERGENCY LIGHT WENT ON. CAN ONLY OPERATE ON L1 GEAR. AT THE TIME WAS MOVING TO COSTA RICA. DID NOT HAVE TIME TO FIX IN US. VEHICLE CURRENTLY IN COSTA RICA. MADE FLUSH AND REPAIRS BUT IT DOES NOT WORK PROPERLY. PARKED MOST OF THE TIME. *TR
MOTOR MOUNTS BROKEN. FIRST TIME WAS WHEN I GOT MY TRANSMISSION DONE AT ABOUT 100,000 MILES OF WHICH I NEVER GOT REIMBURSED FOR PER CLASS ACTION SETTLEMENT. SECOND TIME WAS A FEW YEARS BACK. NOW I'M TOLD THAT MY MOTOR MOUNTS ARE BROKEN AT ST. LUCIE BATTERY IN JENSEN BEACH, FLORIDA. THESE MOTOR MOUNDS THAT HONDA IS PUTTING IN THEIR VANS DON'T HOLD THE ENGINE WELL WITHOUT BREAKING. *TR
TRANSMISSION SLIPPING AND TORQUE CONVERTER BAD? HAD THE TRANS REPLACED ONCE BEFORE? THIS PROBLEM GOT DANGEROUSLY WORSE WHEN THE IGNITION RECALLED SWITCH CASED EXCESSIVE STALLING AT HIGH RATES OF SPEED. PLEASE HELP. *TR
DRIVING THRU THE MOUNTAIN FROM KANAB UT TO FLAGSTAFF AZ ON HWY 89 (SCENIC ROUTE) THE TRANSMISSION BEGAN TO WHINE AND TACH OUT AT 7000-8000 RPMS IN D4. VEHICLE WOULD NOT RESPOND, AS IF SLIPPING. THEN DOWN SHIFTED TO D3 AND THE SAME THING HAPPENED. OUT IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE, THEY LIMPED INTO FLAGSTAFF AT D2 AND 40 MPH. NOTIFIED THAT THE TRANSMISSION WAS GONE AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. HONDA REFUSES TO ASSIST WITH REPAIRS EVEN THOUGH THEY HAVE KNOW ABOUT THEIR DESIGN FLAW FOR YEARS. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 HONDA ODYSSEY. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING 35 MPH WHEN THE CHECK ENGINE WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. WHILE ATTEMPTING TO ACCELERATE FROM A TRAFFIC STOP, THE VEHICLE BECAME RESISTANT AND STALLED. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO RESTART THE VEHICLE BUT COULD NOT SHIFT INTO DRIVE. THE VEHICLE WAS ABLE TO BE DRIVEN FROM THE SCENE AFTER SEVERAL ATTEMPTS. THE DEALER WAS NOTIFIED AND INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REBUILT. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE CONTACT HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO A LOCAL MECHANIC FOR A SECOND OPINION. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED AND INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT UNDER WARRANTY AND PROVIDED NO ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 110,000.
TRANSMISSION DIAGNOSED AS EARLY STAGE OF FAILURE. NO HELP FROM HONDA TO COVER COST OF REPLACEMENT OR REPAIR. *TT
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 HONDA ODYSSEY. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE WOULD DECELERATED AND STALL WITHOUT WARNING. IN ADDITION, THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD JERK VIOLENTLY AND SHIFT GEARS AUTOMATICALLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE IGNITION AND THE TRANSMISSION WERE DEFECTIVE AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE WHO DID NOT OFFER ANY ASSISTANCE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 90,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 110,000.
I TOOK WIFE AND MY SON TO DMV IN WILLIMANTIC.ON OUR WAY BACK, AROUND ROUTE 32 MY TRANSMISSION STARTED SLIPPING..I SHUT OFF THE ODYSSEY FOR A MIM, TURN IT ON DROVE FINE FOR 3 MIM AND SLIP AGAIN FINALLY I CALL TOW TRUCK..TOOK IT TO MY HOUSE.. CALL AAMCO TO PICK IT UP AND FIX IT..$3,600 TRANSMISSION REBUILD AND REINSTALL $384.00 RADIATOR AND THEY ONLY OFFERED 12 MONTH/12,000 MILE WARRANTY. *TR
I JUST BOUGHT A HONDA ODYSSEY YEAR 1999. THE TRANSMISSION JUST BROKE AT ONLY 91,000 MILES. AFTER READING SO MANY COMPLAINTS ABOUT TRANSMISSION ISSUES, I FELT I SHOULD EXPRESS MY FRUSTRATION IN THIS MATTER. ONE THING I WILL TELL YOU, I WILL NEVER BUY A HONDA CAR AGAIN. IT IS UNBELIEVABLE HOW MANY COMPLAINTS THERE ARE ABOUT THIS ISSUE. I WROTE A LETTER TO HONDA JUST TO BE DENIED ANY KIND OF HELP. HONDA SHOULD STAND FOR THEIR CRAPPY TRANSMISSIONS ON THE ODYSSEY AND OFFER SOME HELP. I'VE ALWAYS OWNED TOYOTA CARS AND ALL I CAN SAY IS THAT THEY VERY RELIABLE CARS. IF YOUR PLANNING ON BUYING A HONDA, PLEASE THINK ABOUT TWICE! *TR
BOUGHT THE VEHICLE AT AN AUCTION 4 DAYS AGO AND STARTED EXPERIENCING TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS TODAY. THE TRANSMISSION IS SLIPPING AND STALLS WHEN SHIFTING TO UPPER GEARS ESPECIALLY FOR THE FIRST 3 GEARS. I UNDERSTAND IT'S A USED VEHICLE AND COULD HAVE PROBLEMS. BUT WHEN IT IS AN OBVIOUS DESIGN/MANUFACTURER'S FLAW, GOING BY THE THOUSANDS OF COMPLAINTS FROM ODYSSEY USERS (BRAND NEW AND SECOND/THIRD OWNERS), SHOULD HONDA NOT BE LIABLE FOR THESE DESIGN FLAWS? ONLY AFTER BUYING, EXPERIENCING AND THEN RESEARCHING MY TRANSMISSION PROBLEM DID I REALIZE MY GRAVE MISTAKE OF INVESTING IN THIS VEHICLE. THOUSANDS OF CUSTOMERS HAVE HAD FROM 2 TO AS MUCH AS 6 TRANSMISSIONS PUT IN THESE ODYSSEYS! I AM A STUDENT AND PUT EVERY PENNY OF MY SAVINGS INTO BUYING A VEHICLE I CAN NOT DRIVE! ANY HELP IN ADDRESSING THIS ISSUE WILL BE GREATLY APPRECIATED.
CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WAS INDICATING THAT THERE WAS AN EGR VALVE ISSUE. TURNED INTO MUCH BIGGER UNDERLYING PROBLEM WITH THE TRANSMISSION. CLEANED OUT THE VALVE ON 3 OCCASIONS AND LIGHT KEPT COMING ON. TRANSMISSION STARTED SLIPPING UNTIL IT WAS NO LONGER SAFE TO DRIVE...WOULDN'T DRIVE IN "DRIVE". HAD TO PUT IT IN 3RD, THEN 2ND AND STILL IT WAS VERY UNSTEADY. BROUGHT IT IN AND WAS TOLD IT NEEDS A NEW TRANSMISSION. HONDA ALREADY REPLACED THE TRANSMISSION 2 YEARS AFTER WE BOUGHT IT. WE HAVE MAINTAINED THIS VEHICLE RELIGIOUSLY! WE ARE VERY DISAPPOINTED. IT ALSO MAKES THIS ODD CLICKING NOISE INSIDE THE VAN...THIS APPEARS TO BE ELECTRICAL IN NATURE.
1999 ODYSSEY WITH TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS. **CC THE CONSUMER HAS BEEN HAVING ONGOING PROBLEM WITH THE TRANSMISSION FOR OVER THREE YEARS. THE VEHICLE WOULD ROLL WHILE ON HILLS, WAS SLUGGISH AND WOULD NOT SHIFT PROPERLY. EVERYTIME THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO BE REPAIRED THE CONSUMER WAS ASSURED THAT NOTHING WAS WRONG. THE TRANSMISSION WAS FINALLY CHANGED BUT THE PROBLEMS CONTINUED. *NM
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
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