2002 Honda Odyssey Power Train
Owner-reported problems and safety issues filed with NHTSA. Review common failures, severity levels, and complaint trends over time.
Complaint Timeline
Chronological view of owner reports
NO EVENTS LEADING UP TO THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE IS THE TOTAL LOSS OF POWER TO THE DRIVETRAIN WHEELS DUE TO AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION TORQUE CONVERTER FAILURE. THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION IS BEING REPLACED WITH A REMANUFACTURED AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION. THE ONBOARD COMPUTER, AN OXYGEN SENSOR AND THE IGNITION SWITCH ARE ALSO BEING REPLACED. THESE ITEMS WERE PROBABLY DAMAGED WHEN THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION FAILED. *TR
2002 HONDA ODYSSEY TRANSMISSION FAILURE AT 100,650 MILES. WHILE DRIVING AT MODERATE SPEED TRANSMISSION "CLUNKED" INTO GEAR WHILE SHIFTING. WHEN I STOPPED THE VEHICLE THERE WAS TRANSMISSION FLUID UNDERNEATH THE VEHICLE. I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO HENDRICK HONDA OF WOODBRIDGE, VA AND THEY DETERMINED THE TRANSMISSION MUST BE REPLACED OR IT COULD SUDDENLY CEASE, POTENTIALLY CAUSING AN ACCIDENT OR INJURY. THE DEALERSHIP AND SUBSEQUENTLY, HONDA OF AMERICA, SAID THEY WOULD OFFER NO ASSISTANCE REPAIRING THE TRANSMISSION - I PAID THEM $4300 TO HAVE IT REPAIRED. BECAUSE THE ODYSSEY IS KNOWN TO HAVE AN UNUSUALLY HIGH RATE OF TRANSMISSION FAILURE I EXPECTED FOR HONDA TO PAY 50% OF THE COST. I TALKED TO THE MAINTENANCE MANAGER AT THE DEALERSHIP, HENDRICK AUTOMOTIVE GROUP CUSTOMER SERVICE AND HONDA OF AMERICA CUSTOMER SERVICE AND WAS DISSATISFIED WITH THEIR RESPONSES. LESS THAN A MONTH AGO I PURCHASED A NEW HONDA FROM THIS DEALERSHIP AND WAS TREATED VERY POORLY BY ALL PARTIES I TALKED WITH. I HAVE BOUGHT HONDA VEHICLES FOR 20 YEARS AND HAVE NEVER EXPERIENCED SUCH POOR CUSTOMER SERVICE. *TR
ON MY 2002 HONDA ODYSSEY MY TRANSMISSION HAS GONE OUT 3 TIMES AND I HAVE REPLACED IT ALL THE TIMES. SO I JUST WANTED TO KNOW WHAT I CAN DO ABOUT THIS? *TR
I HAVE A 2002 HONDA ODYSSEY. IT HAS TRANSMISSION SLIPPING PROBLEM SINCE LAST YEAR (BEFORE 107550 MILES). NOW THE MALFUNCTION LIGHT IS ON, THE DIAGNOSIS FROM THE DEALER SHOWED TRANSMISSION FAILURE. THE DEALER IS NOT HELPFUL. HONDA AMERICA IS NOT WILLING TO PROVIDE ANY RELIEF, AND TOLD ME MY ODYSSEY IS NOT UNDER THE EXTENDED WARRANTY. THIS IS MY FIRST HONDA. I PURCHASED HONDA BECAUSE ITS QUALITY, BUT SEEMS TO BE FOOLED. BASED ON SO MANY COMPLAINS FOUND FROM THE WEB (MANY MIGHT NOT POST AT ALL), AND ALSO BASED ON SO CALLED EXTENDED WARRANTY FOR HONDA ODYSSEY TRANSMISSION, IT IS VERY OBVIOUS THAT HONDA KNOW THERE IS A PROBLEM ON THEIR TRANSMISSION, BUT DO NOT WANT TO ADMIT AND TAKE ITS RESPONSIBILITY. *TR
2002 HONDA ODYSSEY HAS TRANSMISSION FAILURE. *TR
I HAVE OWNED A 2002 HONDA ODYSSEY EXL SINCE NEW. AT 140,000 MILES THE TRANSMISSION STARTED TO SLIP BETWEEN 2ND AND 3RD GEAR. IT BECAME PROGRESSIVELY WORSE IN A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME. WITH MY WIFE DRIVING THE ENGINE LIGHT, TCS LIGHT, AND THE DRIVE LIGHT CAME ON WITH BUCKING AND HIGH RPMS OF THE ENGINE MAKING THE CAR UNDRIVEABLE. DEALER SAID IT NEEDED NEW TRANSMISSION AND CONTROL UNIT AT A $5000.00 COST. HONDA OF AMERICA WOULD NOT PROVIDE ANY HELP EVEN THOUGH RECALL 04V176000 WAS DONE ON VEHICLE. NHTSA NEEDS TO RECALL THESE ENTIRE TRANSMISSIONS AND PROVIDE OWNERS WITH RELIEF FROM THESE COSTLY REPAIRS. HONDA WILL NOT HELP EVEN THOUGH THEY KNOW THEY EQUIPPED THIS VEHICLE WITH A TRANSMISSION THAT WOULD NOT LAST. *TR
2002 HONDA ODYSSEY. WHILE ACCELERATING ONTO THE ROAD/HIGHWAY, THE TRANSMISSION FAILS TO ENGAGE THE NEXT GEAR (3RD) AND 'SLIPS' - FREEWHEELS AS IF IN NEUTRAL! MULTIPLE TIMES THIS HAS HAPPENED, EVEN WHEN ACCELERATING UP A HILL, AND IS VERY DANGEROUS BECAUSE WE CAN'T GET INTO THE TRAFFIC STREAM! HONDA HAS REFUSED TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE DESIGN FLAW WITH THEIR TRANSMISSIONS AND KEEPS REPLACING THEM WITH 'BROKEN' ONES!! THE HONDA DEALER SAYS THE TRANSMISSION NEEDS TO BE REPLACED, BUT AS YOU CAN SEE ON ODYSSEYTRANSMISSION.COM, THAT TRANSMISSION WILL HAVE THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM IN ABOUT 30-40K MILES!! *TR
I WAS DRIVING MY 2002 HONDA ODYSSEY DOWN THE HIGHWAY WHEN THE RPMS STARTED ACCELERATING AND SMOKE STARTING COMING FROM THE CAR. BY THE TIME I GOT TO THE FIRST EXIT, MY CAR WAS ONLY ABLE TO GO ABOUT 30 MILES AND HOUR. I WAS LUCKY THAT THERE WAS A GAS STATION WITHIN .5MILES THAT I MADE IT TO SAFELY WITH MY TWO YOUNG BOYS. WE LIVE IN ALABAMA AND TEMPERATURES HAVE BEEN IN THE HIGH 90'S. I WAS LUCKY THAT I WAS ABLE TO GET TO A GAS STATION, OTHERWISE, IT WOULD HAVE BEEN VERY DANGEROUS TEMPERATURES TO BE STUCK IN THE CAR OR OUTSIDE. THE HONDA DEALER SAYS OUR TRANSMISSION NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. THE CAR HAS 160,000 MILES ON IT BUT WE JUST HAD THE TRANSMISSION REPLACED AT 120,000 MILES. I HAVE NEVER HAD THIS KIND OF TROUBLE WITH ANY OTHER CAR THAT WE HAVE OWNED. WE DO NOT TOW WITH THE MINIVAN. I CERTAINLY FEEL THERE IS A DEFECT AND THAT HONDA SHOULD ADMIT TO THE DEFECT. *TR
I WAS MERGING INTO TRAFFIC AT AN ON-RAMP ONTO I-80 IN MY 2002 HONDA ODYSSEY. AS I ACCELERATED TO MATCH THE SPEED OF TRAFFIC THE VEHICLE STARTED BUCKING VIOLENTLY AND THE ENGINE REVVED RATHER THAN SHIFTING. THE VEHICLE THAT I WAS MERGING IN FRONT OF NEEDED TO SWERVE INTO THE NEXT LANE TO AVOID HITTING ME. OTHER VEHICLES COMING UP BEHIND ME, INCLUDING A LARGE TRUCK, NEEDED TO SLOW AND CHANGE LANES TO AVOID HITTING ME. I BROUGHT VEHICLE TO THE DEALER, WHO REPORTED THAT THE TRANSMISSION NEEDED REPLACEMENT. THE VEHICLE HAS APPROX. 150,000 MILES ON IT. I HAD FIRST NOTICED ROUGH SHIFTING AT APPROX. 65,000, BUT NEVER SO BAD AS HAPPENED IN THIS INCIDENT. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 HONDA ODYSSEY. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH WHEN THE CHECK ENGINE WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHERE THEY WERE UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE AND THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE RECURRED APPROXIMATELY ONE WEEK LATER. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE AUTHORIZED DEALER WHERE THEY WERE AGAIN, UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO EXPERIENCE TROUBLE ACCELERATING WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED SO IT WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE FAILURE INVOLVED THE TRANSMISSION. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 110,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 119,000.
2002 HONDA ODYSSEY TRANSMISSION FAILURES. BOUGHT VEHICLE NEW, RECALL REPLACED THE TRANSMISSION AT 58,000. NEW TRANSMISSION FAILED AT 140,000. *TR
2002 HONDA ODYSSEY BEGAN DISPLAYING SYMPTOMS OF FAILING TRANSMISSION (I.E., ERRATIC SHIFTING) AT APPROXIMATELY 52,000 MILES. HONDA'S BANDAID FIXES COST OVER $800 AND DID NOT IMPROVE THE SITUATION. TRANSMISSION FINALLY DIED AT 85,000 MILES. VEHICLE WAS EXCEPTIONALLY WELL MAINTAINED, TO INCLUDE TRANSMISSION MAINTENANCE (I.E., FLUID CHANGES) WELL IN EXCESS OF HONDA'S SPECIFICATIONS. *TR
I HAVE A 2002 HONDA ODYSSEY WHOSE TRANSMISSION IS JUDDERING AND SLIPPING. WE'VE HAD INTO THE DEALER 5 TIMES SINCE THE CAR HAD ABOUT 70K MILES AND HONDA NEVER TOLD US THIS IS A MAJOR PROBLEM ON THIS YEAR ODYSSEY. THEY NOW WANT TO CHARGE US $5000 TO REPLACE IT. *TR
HONDA ODYSSEY AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION FAILURE. TRANSMISSION IS SLIPPING,BETWEEN 2ND AND 3RD GEAR.VEHICLE SUDDENLY NOT ACCELERATE AND REENGAGE AGAIN,ENGINE LIGHT IS ON "D"LIGHT IS FLASHING. BROUGHT TO DEALERSHIP AND SAID NEEDS NEW TRANSMISSION AND COST 3959.08. THE VAN IS ONLY 58,165 MILES ON IT. *TR
TRANSMISSION FAILURE. *TR
2002 HONDA ODYSSEY TRANSMISSION FAILURE,73,000 MILES. VEHICLE HAS NEVER BEEN TOWED.
TRANSMISSION FAILURE WITH MY HONDA 2003 ODYSSEY. *TR
2002 HONDA ODYSSEY LX SALVAGE TITLE 68905MI, 2ND AND 3RD ERRATICALLY SHIFTING BETWEEN 25-40 MPH BROUGHT IT TO HONDA SAYS NEEDS NEW TRANSMISSION AND WOULD NOT REPLACE OR FIX DUE TO SALVAGE TITLE, I BELIEVE THERE IS A RECALL BACK ON SPRING/SUMMER OF 2004 AND IT IS A RECURRING PROBLEM TO THIS DAY WITH THE TRANSMISSION. CONTACTED AMERICAN HONDA AND NO HELP FROM THEM, I BELIEVE ITS A SAFETY RECALL BECAUSE OF TRANSMISSION COULD LOCK UP AND CAUSE AN ACCIDENT. *TR
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 HONDA ODYSSEY. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THIS WAS THE SECOND TIME THAT THE TRANSMISSION FAILED ON THE VEHICLE. IN 2005 THE TRANSMISSION REPLACED AT 70,000 MILES. THE FIRST TRANSMISSION WAS REPAIRED UNDER RECALL CAMPAIGN NUMBER 04V176000 FOR THE POWER TRAIN. THE RECENT FAILURE OCCURRED WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH WHEN THE TRANSMISSION STARTED SLIPPING AND SMOKING. THE CONTACT HAD TO STOP THE VEHICLE AND NOTICED THAT THERE WAS TRANSMISSION FLUID LEAKING OUT OF THE VEHICLE. A DIAGNOSTIC TEST WAS BEING PERFORMED BY A TRANSMISSION SPECIALIST; HOWEVER, HAD NOT BEEN INSPECTED WHEN THE COMPLAINT WAS FILED. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 167000.
2002 ODYSSEY - CK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AT 100K MILES. TOOK IT TO THE DEALER AND THEY PULLED A P0740 CODE. DEALER STATED COST WOULD BE $5500, BUT WOULD REDUCE IT TO $3000. THIS INCLUDES A NEW TRANSMISSION AND COMPUTER. THEY SAID THAT BOTH NEED TO BE REPLACED TO ACTUALLY CORRECT THE PROBLEM. THE PROBLEM WOULD COME BACK IF TRANSMISSION WAS ONLY REBUILT. NEXT, I TOOK THE VAN TO A 3RD PARTY SHOP AND CONFIRMED CODE AND PROBLEM. THEY WANT $3000 TO REBUILD IT, REPLACE THE KNOWN BAD PARTS AND SEVERAL OTHER VALVES AND SOLENOIDS, BUT NO NEW COMPUTER. 3RD PARTY SHOP SAID THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM THAT HONDA SHOULD HAVE TAKEN CARE OF FOR ALL ODYSSEY'S. VAN NOW HESITATES WHEN HOT AND LOOSES POWER. GOING BACK TO DEALER TO TAKE UP THEIR OFFER AND SEE WHAT FINANCING THEY HAVE. *TR
WHILE TRAVELING IN A 40/45 MPH STREET, THE ODYSSEY'S TRANSMISSION SUDDENLY LOCKED UP AND MY SPEED SUDDENLY DROPPED TO 20 MPH FROM 45 MPH. THE CARS BEHIND ME ALMOST CRASHED MY REAR END DUE TO THE SUDDEN TRANSMISSION FAILURE. THE TRANSMISSION SHOULDN'T FAIL AT 73,341 MILES. HONDA HAD A SAFETY RECALL IN '04 (NHTSA# 04V176000) WHERE I HAD THE JET KIT INSTALLED IN '04. I FOUND OUT THAT THERE WERE AT LEAST 400 PEOPLE IN THE INTERNET HONDA GROUP FORUM WHO HAD A SIMILAR TRANSMISSION PROBLEM ON THE ODYSSEY AND MOST OF THEM REPLACED THEIR TRANSMISSION AFTER 90,000 MILES. MANY OF THEM HAD A NEAR FATAL ACCIDENT DUE TO THE 2ND GEAR LOCKUP AT HIGH SPEEDS. THE JET KIT FAILED TO FIX THE TRANSMISSION ISSUE. IN ALMOST ALL CASES, HONDA USA REFUSES TO FIX THE TRANSMISSION FOR FREE. A HONDA DEALER WAS CHARGING $5600 FOR THE REPAIR, BUT I WAS ABLE TO GET A DISCOUNT OF $1800. THERE SHOULD BE A CLASS ACTION SUIT AGAINST HONDA SINCE MORE THAN 1 MILLION CUSTOMERS WERE AFFECTED BY THIS TRANSMISSION SAFETY PROBLEM ON THE ODYSSEY AND HONDA PILOT. HONDA SHOULD REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION FOR FREE! I CAN'T IMAGINE THAT MY TRANSMISSION FAILED AT 73,241 SINCE I HAVE VERY LOW MILES. I PRIMARILY USE THE ODYSSEY TO DRIVE AROUND THE TOWN AND I DON'T USE THE VEHICLE FOR TOWING.
TRANSMISSION "INTERNAL FAILURE" AS STATED BY HONDA DEALER. SYMPTOMS: HARD SHIFTING BETWEEN 1 AND 2 GEARS. PRONOUNCED STUTTER/STALL WHEN ACCELERATING FROM 30 MPH TO HIGHWAY SPEEDS - SAFETY CONCERN WHEN ENTERING HIGHWAY AND CAR STALLS/STUTTERS. *TR
2002 HONDA ODYSSEY TRANSMISSION STARTED TO SLIP. HONDA DEALERSHIP SAID IT WAS A PART RELATED TO TRANSMISSION AND CHARGED APPROX. $326 TO REPLACE IT. NEXT DAY THE TRANSMISSION KEPT SLIPPING AND NOW HONDA DEALER SAYS TRANSMISSION NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. THEY REFUNDED MOST OF THE $326 AND OFFER A DISCOUNT ON A REPLACEMENT. THE REPLACEMENT HOWEVER IS A REBUILD OF THE SAME ONE THAT IS DEFECTIVE AND WILL ONLY LAST A FEW YEARS AND POSSES THE SAME RISK AS THE OLD ONE. I HAVE RESEARCHED THIS PROBLEM AND HAVE FOUND THAT YEARS 1999 TO 2003 HAVE MANY REPORTED CASES OF BAD TRANSMISSIONS. (I AM SURE NEW ONES WILL PILE UP AS THEY GAIN A SOME MILES) I AM ON A LIST AND AM RECEIVING E-MAILS OF NEW COMPLAINTS DAILY. NOT ONLY IS THIS WRONG BUT IT IS VERY DANGEROUS BECAUSE IF THE TRANSMISSION GOES OUT ON A BUSY HIGHWAY SOMEONE IS GOING TO BE HURT OR KILLED. YOU DON'T HAVE TO DO MUCH RESEARCH TO SEE ALL THE COMPLAINTS. THIS IS A MUCH BIGGER ISSUE THAN THE TOYOTA PROBLEM. *TR
JUNE 21, 2010 (12:55PM): WE ARE DRIVING OUR 2002 HONDA ODYSSEY AND THERE IS A BIT OF INCLINE WHERE THE TRANSMISSION SUDDENLY GAVE AWAY, RPM WENT UP FROM 2K TO 4K AND THEN IMMEDIATELY EVERYTHING WAS BACK TO NORMAL WE BARELY MADE IT, OTHERWISE THE SUV BEHIND US WOULD HAVE REAR ENDED INTO US. BUT THE CHECK ENGINE CAME ON AND HAS REMAINED ON SINCE THAT INCIDENT (CODE P0730). THE VAN HAS 78000 MILES ON IT AND HAS NEVER BEEN TAKEN FOR A ROUGH RIDE. THE VAN DOES NOT SEEM TO HAVE ANY TROUBLE AFTERWARDS, BUT THE CHECK ENGINE WILL NOT GO AWAY. MY WIFE USES IT TO FERRY CHILDREN, AND THIS IS OUR ONLY CAR. JUNE 21, 2010: TOOK IT TO HONDA DEALER, WHO SAYS THAT HONDA WILL COVER A PART OF IT. HE SAYS THAT OUT OF GOODWILL, HIS MANAGER WILL SPEAK TO DISTRICT PARTS AND SERVICE MANAGER TO GET A BETTER QUOTE. HONDA KNOWS ABOUT THIS PROBLEM, BUT WILL NOT RECALL IT. *TR
HONDA 2002 ODYSSEY BROKE DOWN IN THE DESERT GOING 75 MPH BETWEEN LAS VEGAS AND CALIFORNIA. WE HAD TO DRIVE AT 40 MPH WITH OUR FLASHERS GOING LOADED WITH 7 PASSENGERS AND ALL OUR LUGGAGE (GOING ON VACATION TO BEACH IN CALIFORNIA). HAD TO HAVE IT TOWED BACK TO VEGAS ON JUNE 7TH TO AAMCO TRANSMISSIONS. NEEDS A NEW TRANSMISSION. IT IS JUNE 16TH AND AAMCO STILL HAS OUR VAN, HAD TO TAKE OUT THE TRANSMISSION THEY INSTALLED AND REINSTALLED IT. HONDA HAD A TRANSMISSION RECALL ON THIS VAN IN 2004 WHICH WE HAD TAKEN CARE OF, OR SO WE THOUGHT. LUCKILY WE WEREN'T HIT ON THE FREEWAY. DON'T KNOW IF IT HAS BEEN REPAIRED CORRECTLY AS OF YET. HAVE TO DRIVE FROM SLC, UTAH BACK TO VEGAS TO PICK IT UP.
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Quick Summary
The 2002 Honda Odyssey has 555 Power Train complaints on file. 3 crashes have been reported. Review the timeline above for detailed owner experiences.