IN DECEMBER 2003, THE TRANSMISSION AND CATALYTIC CONVERTER WENT OUT ON MY 2000 HONDA ODYSSEY MINI VAN. THE CAR IS ONLY THREE YEARS OLD AND HAD ONLY 65,000 MILES ON IT--TOO SOON TO NEED A NEW TRANSMISSION. AFTER SOME RESEARCH, I DISCOVERED THAT HONDA HAS SERIOUS PROBLEMS WITH THEIR TRANSMISSIONS AND THE HONDA DEALER I TOOK IT TO ADMITTED AS MUCH. TO FIX THIS KNOWN DEFECT IN THEIR VEHICLES, HONDA HAS EXTENDED THE WARRANTY ON TRANSMISSIONS ON MANY OF THEIR CARS INCLUDING MY YEAR MODEL AND MAKE. SO THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT SAID THAT HONDA WOULD REPLACE MY TRANSMISSION FOR FREE. HOWEVER, WHEN THEY PULLED UP MY VIN I WAS GIVEN THE UNFORTUNATE NEWS THAT MY CAR HAS A CANADIAN VIN--A SUPPOSED "GREY MARKET VEHICLE" AND THAT HONDA VOIDS THE WARRANTY ON THESE VEHICLES. I HAD NEVER EVEN HEARD OF A GREY MARKET VEHICLE. SO EVEN THOUGH MY HONDA ODYSSEY WAS MADE IN THE EXACT SAME CANADIAN PLANT WITH THE EXACT SAME SUB STANDARD TRANSMISSION AS THE CARS THEY ARE REPLACING TRANSMISSIONS ON, HONDA REFUSED TO PAY FOR MY TRANSMISSION. THIS IS IN MY OPINION A SAFETY-RELATED DEFECT; WHEN MY TRANSMISSION WAS SLIPPING, MY CAR WAS COMPLETELY UNRELIABLE IN ACCELERATION. I WAS SO AFRAID THAT I WOULD PULL OUT IN FRONT OF SOMEONE OR BE TURNING AND MY CAR WOULDN'T GO AND THEY WOULD CRASH INTO MY VAN WITH MY TWO SMALL CHILDREN IN THE BACK. THANK GOD MY HUSBAND AND I WERE ABLE TO AFFORD THE $3200 BILL FOR A NEW TRANSMISSION SO I DIDN'T HAVE TO DRIVE MY UNSAFE VEHICLE MORE THAN 2 WEEKS (ALTHOUGH THAT WAS TOO LONG IF YOU ASK ME). BUT I KNOW THERE ARE MANY PEOPLE WITH THESE FAULTY TRANSMISSIONS WHO CAN'T AFFORD TO GET THEM FIXED RIGHT AWAY, SO THEY JUST DRIVE THE CAR UNTIL THEY CAN AFFORD A NEW ONE. IT'S A SAFETY ISSUE TO HAVE THOSE PEOPLE ON THE ROAD. TO ME, HONDA SHOULD RECALL THESE TRANSMISSIONS; THEY ARE AN OBVIOUS THREAT TO EVERYONE'S SAFETY ON THE ROAD. THANK YOU. *CB
