VEHICLE: 2003 HONDA ODYSSEY WITH 84,000 MILES. WIFE WAS DRIVING OUR VAN HOME FROM THE GYM AND UPON RETURNING HOME REPORTED TO ME THAT THE TRANSMISSION WAS SLIPPING AS IT SHIFTED FROM 2ND TO 3RD GEAR. I DROVE THE VEHICLE TO THE HONDA REPAIR SHOP ABOUT 5 MILES AWAY AND OBSERVED THE SAME THING. THEY WENT AND "DIAGNOSED" THE PROBLEM AND REPORTED TO ME THAT THE TRANSMISSION NEEDED REPLACED. IN FACT, THEY SAID THAT THEY BARELY MADE IT BACK TO THEIR SHOP AT THE CONCLUSION OF THEIR DIAGNOSIS. IN ADDITION TO TRANSMISSION REPLACEMENT, HONDA REQUIRES THAT THE ENGINE CONTROL COMPUTER BE REPLACED AS WELL BECAUSE THERE IS NEW VERSION THAT RUNS THE TRANSMISSION. THERE WAS A RECALL FOR THIS YEAR AND MODEL OF VEHICLE RELATING TO THE TRANSMISSION, BUT WAS SIMPLY AN INSPECTION AN A SUBSEQUENT INSTALL OF AN "OIL JET." THIS RECALL HAD BEEN COMPLIED WITH ON MY VEHICLE. I BELIEVE HONDA KNOWS THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH THESE TRANSMISSIONS AND IS DOING A DISSERVICE TO CONSUMERS. THE EARLY RECALL COUPLED WITH THEIR REQUIREMENT TO REPLACE THE COMPUTER, AND THEIR WILLINGNESS TO PAY A PORTION OF MY REPAIR TO ME IS PROOF OF THEIR ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF A PROBLEM WITH THEIR INITIAL DESIGN. IN MY OPINION THERE ARE ALSO LEGITIMATE SAFETY CONCERNS WITH THIS PROBLEM. *TR
2004
STRUCTURE
THE MIDNIGHT BLUE PAINT IS PEELING. I DID NOT RECEIVE NOTICE OF HONDA'S 2008 RECALL OF THIS PROBLEM. WHEN AN INDEPENDENT CAR REPAIR SHOP TOLD ME OF THE PROBLEM IN 2012 I THEN WENT TO A LOCAL HONDA DEALER TO REPORT THE PROBLEM. HONDA SAID THAT IT WAS PAST THE WINDOW OF TIME IN WHICH HONDA WOULD RESTORE THE PAINT JOB AT THEIR EXPENSE. I TOLD THEM THAT I DID NOT RECEIVE A RECALL NOTICE. THEY DID NOT CARE. *TR