2004 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
CAR SEEMED TO SUDDENLY SLOW DOWN WHEN APPROACHING STOP SIGNAL. TRIED TO PULL AWAY WHEN LIGHT WAS GREEN, BUT REMAINED STATIONARY AFTER PRESSING ON GAS/ACCELERATOR THREE TO FOUR TIMES. FINALLY WAS ABLE CREEP ALONG UNTIL I WAS ABLE TO STEER INTO A BANK PARKING LOT. HONDA DEALER DIAGNOSED ;PROBLEM AS FAULTY TRANSMISSION DUE TO OVERHEATED/BURNTOUT OF SOLENOIDS. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 HONDA ODYSSEY. THE CONTACT STATED THAT SHE WAS ABLE TO REMOVE THE KEY FROM THE IGNITION WITHOUT THE VEHICLE BEING SECURED IN PARK. THE VEHICLE WAS STILL IN DRIVE WHEN THE KEY WAS REMOVED. THE CONTACT WAS NOT AWARE OF THE FAILURE UNTIL SHE ATTEMPTED TO RETRIEVE SOMETHING FROM THE TRUNK AND NOTICED THAT SHE WAS PUSHING THE VEHICLE FORWARD WITHOUT MUCH FORCE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION OR REPAIRS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 103,000.
I WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY WHEN THE SHIFT LIGHT ON D STARTED FLASHING AND THE TRANSMISSION FAILED WITH THE VEHICLE COMING TO A STOP. I HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO THE TRANSMISSION CLINIC 3875 INTERPARK DRIVE, COLORADO SPRINGS, CO. 80907. UNDER A HONDA RECALL ID# 48576, I TRIED TO GET SOME COMPENSATION FOR THE $3,897.40 REPAIR OF A REBUILT TRANSMISSION. AMERICAN HONDA MOTOR CO. INC. NEVER SENT ME A RECALL NOTICE EVEN THOUGHT I BOUGHT THE CAR NEW FROM THEM AND I NEVER CHANGED MY ADDRESS. HONDA SHOULD HAVE SENT ME A RECALL NOTICE OR CHECKED THE TRANSMISSION WHEN I HAD THE VEHICLE IN THE DEALERSHIP FOR OIL CHANGES. I HAVE WRITTEN TWO LETTERS TO AMERICAN HONDA MOTOR CO. INC. AND RECEIVED A CASE # N012013-01-21-02021 AND TALKED WITH A BRIDGET 1-800-999-1009 EXT. 117730. SHE SAYS SENSE I DID NOT HAVE THE REPAIRS DONE BY HONDA, THEY WILL NOT COMPENSATE ME FOR ANYTHING. SHE REFUSED TO ADDRESS THE RECALL NOTICE THAT I NEVER RECEIVED.
SECOND OWNER. TRANSMISSION REPLACED BY HONDA IN 2006 AT 55,000 MILES FOR NOTED GEAR OVERHEATING RECALL IN SARASOTA, FL. CURRENT MILEAGE IS LESS THAN 90,000 MILES LATER. TRANSMISSION REGULAR MAINTENANCE COMPLETED AND A FIRMWARE UPDATE WAS DONE IN 2009 AT 120,000 (65,000 ON NEW TRANNY) MILES. TRANSMISSION NOW DOWNSHIFTS VERY HARD (HARD SHIFT) FROM 3-2 WHEN COASTING DOWNHILL OR IF THE BRAKE IS SLIGHTLY APPLIED WHEN COASTING DOWNHILL. HONDA TECHNICIANS STATED NORMAL OPERATION TO ALLOW FOR ENGINE BRAKING. NEW FIRMWARE CAUSED THE CHANGE. Q4 2012 TRANSMISSION NOW SHIFTS FROM 1-2 IN ABOUT 3 SECONDS, NOT SLIPPING, BUT TAKING A LONG TIME TO SHIFT AND PREVENTS ACCELERATION DURING THIS DELAY. COULD PREVENT ACCIDENT AVOIDANCE WITH LONG DELAY. HONDA TECHNICIAN STATES NORMAL OPERATION AND INCLUDED IN FIRMWARE TO REDUCE DAMAGE DUE TO RECALL. NOTE THESE ISSUES ARE ON THE SUPPOSEDLY "FIXED" TRANSMISSION. SERIES OF DATA SUGGESTS THAT THE RECALL REPAIR DID NOT SOLVE TRANSMISSION FAILURE PROBLEM, BUT WAS A BAND-AID IN COMBINATION WITH FIRWARE UPDATES TO "BUFFER" 2ND GEAR MANUFACTURING DEFECTS. I DO NOT BELIEVE THE TRANSMISSION WILL SURVIVE TO 100K MILES, BUT HAS RECEIVED EXCELLENT CARE AND REPAIRS. SAFETY ISSUE IS THE INABILITY TO ACCELERATE DURING 1-2 SHIFT DELAY AND UNEXPECTED ENGINE BRAKING DURING DOWNHILL COASTING WHICH COULD TRIGGER REAR-END ACCIDENTS (NOTE NO BRAKE LIGHTS WHEN IT OCCURS). I BELIEVE IN HONDA AND THEY SHOULD DO THE RIGHT THING AND PROVIDE LIFETIME TRANSMISSION REPLACEMENTS DUE TO THE SAFETY CONCERNS WITH THEIR PRODUCTS THAT ARE WELL-KNOWN AND DOCUMENTED. *TR
WE USED HONDA ODYSSEY [2004] DAILY FOR COMMUTING (NEVER TOWED ANYTHING AND DON'T HAUL ANYTHING). THE CAR WOULD START MOVING AND ALL OF THE SUDDEN WOULD STOP MOVING FORWARD. THE CAR WAS SUDDENLY STUCK IMMEDIATELY AFTER CROSSING THE INTERSECTION. I WAS NOT ABLE TO MOVE THE CAR IN ANY DIRECTION AND STUCK ON THE ROAD. ON DUTY POLICE OFFICER INFORMED THAT I NEED TO MOVE THE CAR AS EARLY AS POSSIBLE BECAUSE IT IS A SAFETY ISSUE. HE WANTED TO CALL THE TOWING TRUCK, BUT AT THAT TIME I TRIED SHIFTING FROM TO PARK AND BACK TO DRIVE IT WOULD MOVE FORWARD FOR FEW HUNDRED FEET AND AGAIN SAME THING NO FORWARD MOTION. AT THAT TIME I WAS ON DOWN THE HILL AND SO ABLE TO PULL THE CAR NEAR ONE BUSINESS PARK. LATER, I TOWED THE CAR TO NEAR BY SHOP AND FOUND TRANSMISSION FAILURE. HONDA MOTOR COMPANY REFUSED TO DO ANYTHING. WHEN I FOUND RECALL FOR THE SAME ISSUE, HONDA MOTOR COMPANY SAID THAT THERE IS NO RECALL ON MY CAR. HONDA DEALER IS CHARGING $5,600 TO FIX THIS. 8TR
ROUGHLY 3 WEEKS AGO WHEN PUTTING THE VAN INTO D IT WOULD HESITATE BEFORE ENGAGING. THE DELAY BECAME GREATER AND THEN IT STARTED SLIPPING BETWEEN 2ND & THIRD GEARS. THREE DAYS AGO THE TRANSMISSION COMPLETELY DISENGAGED WHILE DRIVING. I TURNED THE VAN OFF, STARTED IT AGAIN & IT DROVE FOR NEARLY .5 MILES ONLY TO STOP AGAIN. AT THIS POINT I HAVE BEEN TOLD I NEED TO REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION & HAVE FOUND A LITANY OF INFORMATION ABOUT THE FAULTY HONDA TRANSMISSION. *TR
MY TRANSMISSION IS MAKING A NOISE, AS OF 3/21/13. I HAD TAKEN IT TO TRANSMISSION SHOP AND IT IS RING AND PINION AND IT IS QUITE EXPENSIVE SO WHEN I WENT TO CHECK IT OUT ON THE INTERNET CAME ACROSS THAT THERE WAS A RECALL ON THIS MODEL BACK IN 2004 I WAS NEVER NOTIFIED AND NOW IT IS COSTING ME SEVERAL THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS, IF THERE IS A RECALL ON THIS I EXPECT HONDA TO PAY FOR THIS NOT ME. I LOVE MY VAN AND BOUGHT IT BECAUSE OF ITS DEPENDABILITY AND RELIABILITY AND NOW I AM HAVING A LOT OF PROBLEMS WITH THE VAN. I EXPECT SOMEONE TO CONTACT ME ASAP AND HONDA TO COVER THE COST. *TR
THIS IS IN ADDITION TO MY EARLIER COMPLAIN---NHTSA ID NUMBER: 10499643-- INDICATION OF ENGINE TROUBLE DID NOT GIVE ANY ADVANCE INFORMATION.INDICATION MUST BE AN ALARM FOR THE DRIVER SO THAT HE WILL TAKE CORRECTIVE ACTIONS.IN MY CASE THERE WAS NO TIME AVAILABLE.IT WORKED AS FAILURE INDICATION ONLY. ALL VEHICLE MANUFACTURERS BE INFORMED THAT ALARM (TROUBLE)INDICATION SHOULD BE A PRE-FAILURE ALARM AND SHOULD GIVE SOME TIME TO TAKE CORRECTIVE ACTIONS. HOPE YOU WILL TAKE UP THE ISSUE WITH MANUFACTURERS. *TR
TRANSMISSION BURNED UP WHILE DRIVING HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS. MERRY CHRISTMAS HONDA. *TR
TRANSMISSION SYSTEM FAILED AT 90,000 MILES. I HAVE DONE ALL SERVICES AT REGULAR INTERVALS AND ALL MAJOR SERVICES FROM THE DEALER. JUST BEFORE THIS BREAKDOWN, I HAD MY 90K MILE SERVICE DONE AT THE DEALER AND EVERYTHING WAS REPORTED FINE. *TR
THE TRANSMISSION ON MY 2004 HONDA ODYSSEY FAILED. I WAS ALMOST REAR-ENDED, BEFORE I COULD PULL OVER TO THE SIDE. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 HONDA ODDYSSEY. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE SHIFT LEVER BECAME VERY LOOSE AND AS A RESULT, IT WOULD SHIFT GEARS WITH THE SLIGHTEST TOUCH. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE TECHNICIAN DIAGNOSED THAT THERE WAS A DEFECTIVE PART INSIDE THE TRANSMISSION AND THE TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 96,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 101,000.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 HONDA ODYSSEY. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 45 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED WHILE SHIFTING GEARS. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A LOCAL MECHANIC. AFTER DIAGNOSTICS, THE MECHANIC NOTICED BROKEN GEARS IN THE TRANSMISSION AND STATED THAT THE ENTIRE TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER 04V176000 (POWER TRAIN). THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 179,000.
WAS DRIVING MY "2004 HONDA ODYSSEY" . I STARTED LOOSING SPEED CONTROL.AT TIMES IT FAILED TO START AFTER STOPPING. AND AGAIN THE SAME THING..... AND NOW I HEAR CLICKING AND CLICKING AND THAN MY CAR JUST COMES TO A SCREECHING STOP..... I SEE MY ENGINE LIGHT ON AND I SEE MY TCS LIGHT COME ON. I REACHED AUTO REPAIRER NEARBY.COST ME $ 566 BUT FAILED AGAIN WITHIN ONE HOUR AND NOW ADVISES TO REPLACE POWER TRAIN AT $3500 ADDITIONALLY???? MY CERTIFIED ADDITIONAL COVERAGE IS 100000 MILES OR 7 YEARS WHICH EXPIRED ON 08/05/2011. TIME-LIMIT OF 7 YEARS WITH THE GUARANTEE IS UNFAVORABLE TO DRIVERS WITH LESS MILEAGE. I AM UNEMPLOYED. I NEED HONDA TO DO THE RECALL ON ITS TRANNYS ASAP.... I COULD HAVE MET WITH ACCIDENT. *TR
WAS DRIVING MY "2004 HONDA ODYSSEY" . I NOTICED MY TRANSMISSION KINDA NOT WANTING TO CHANGE GEARS. AND AS TIME GO BY IT CHANGES FINS. AND THAN. "BOOM" I FEELS LIKE SOME ONE HIT ME FROM BEHIND. BUT WHEN I LOOK NO ONE WAS THERE..... AND AGAIN THE SAME THING..... AND NOW I HEAR CLICKING AND CLICKING AND THAN MY CAR JUST COMES TO A SCREECHING STOP..... I SEE MY ENGINE LIGHT ON AND I SEE MY TCS LIGHT COME ON. I CALL A TOW. AND BEFORE THEY ARRIVE. I TRY AND START AND GO AND IT WORKS...... I NEED HONDA TO DO THE RECALL ON ITS TRANNYS ASAP.... I COULD HAVE DIED AND SOO COULD HAVE MY CHILDREN THAT WAS IN THE VAN.... *TR
TRANSMISSION WAS SLIPPING AND A HARD SHIFT BETWEEN GEARS 2ND TO THIRD. *TR
I WAS DRIVING ON I-630 IN LITTLE ROCK, IN MODERATE TRAFFIC WHEN THE CAR SUDDENLY LOST POWER AND WOULD NOT ACCELERATE. I WAS FORCED TO COAST THROUGH TRAFFIC TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD WITHOUT INCIDENT. AS SOON AS I LOST POWER, THE LIGHTS ON THE DASH FLASHED. IF THE TRAFFIC HAD BEEN HEAVIER, THE OUTCOME MIGHT NOT HAVE BEEN AS FAVORABLE. THE TRANSMISSION FAILED WITHOUT WARNING IN THE MIDDLE OF THE FREEWAY. *TR
THE TRANSMISSION START WORKING WRONG, WHEN THE AC COMPRESSOR STOPS SHOUTS DOWN, I DON'T KNOW WHAT COULD BE THE PROBLEM, NOW THE ENGINE LIGHT IS ON AS WELL THE TCS LIGHT. THE VAN ACCELERATE BY IT SELF AND STOPS REALLY HARD, AND SOMETIMES STAYS IN 2ND GEAR OR 3TH GEAR. PLEASE I NEED HELP!!!! *TR
HONDA ODYSSEY HAS TRANSMISSION ISSUES. THEY HAD A CLASS ACTION LAW SUIT AGAINST THEM AND I HAD THE APPROPRIATE WARRANTY WORK DONE ON IT. IT HAS NOW GONE COMPLETELY OUT. I'M UNDER ON THE MILEAGE FOR THE EXTENDED WARRANTY WORK, BUT OVER ON THE AGE. IF YOU LOOK ON THE INTERNET, THIS IS HAPPENING TO A LOT OF PEOPLE. HONDA EITHER DIDN'T FIX THE TRANSMISSION ISSUES OR CREATED NEW ONES WITH THE RECALL. NOW THE FIX IS A $5000 ONE. HONDA SHOULD BE LIABLE TO FIX THIS OR A LARGE PART OF IT. *TR
I WAS DRIVING ON ROUTE 17 IN BERGEN COUNTY, MY TCS LIGHT CAME ON. I NOTICED THAT MY TACHOMETER WAS ELEVATED WITHOUT ANY INCREASE IN SPEED. I HAD NO FORWARD MOTION AND HAD TO COAST TO THE SHOULDER, NUMEROUS TRUCKS AND CARS WERE PASSING BY VERY CLOSE AND THE VAN WAS SHAKEN AS THEY WENT BY. I TRIED TURNING OFF AND STARTING THE VAN TO SEE IF I COULD SHIFT ANY GEARS WHEN RESET, THERE WAS NO RESPONSE. I NEEDED TO CALL 911 FOR AN OFFICER TO GET A TOW TRUCK FOR ME. I WAS VERY HAPPY TO HAVE HIS LIGHTS AND PRESENCE AS THE ROAD WAS DARK AND HEAVILY TRAFFICKED. I WAS TOWED AND INFORMED IT WAS THE TRANSMISSION, THIS SITUATION WAS DANGEROUS AND AFTER RESEARCHING REALIZED THAT THE ODYSSEY HAS A HISTORY OF THIS PROBLEM!! THIS NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED SO OTHERS WILL NOT BE PUT IN DANGER. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 HONDA ODYSSEY. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH, THE TRANSMISSION SLIPPED OUT OF GEAR, CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO STALL. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE DEALER ADVISED THE CONTACT THAT THE TRANSMISSION WAS SLIPPING OUT OF THIRD, FOURTH AND FIFTH GEARS. THE DEALER REPLACED THE TRANSMISSION FLUID BUT IT DID NOT REMEDY THE PROBLEM. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE BACK TO THE DEALER. THE DEALER THEN ADVISED THAT THE TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 131,000.
TRANSMISSION FAILURE BEGAN WITH WHINING NOISE. TOOK THE VEHICLE INTO THE DEALERSHIP FOR DIAGNOSIS AND TRANNY OIL CHANGE. THEY REPORTED BACK THAT THE TRANNY WAS FAILING. THE OIL CHANGE ONLY MADE THE PROBLEM WORSE. TCS AND CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON, SLIPPING, REVVING WITH NO MOVEMENT AT A STOP. I ENDED UP HAVING VEHICLE TOWED TO A SHOP AND THE TRANNY WAS REBUILT. COST WAS $2,668.75 WITH TAX. *TR
AT AROUND 80,000 COMPLAINED TO HONDA DEALER THAT MY VAN WAS ROUGHLY DOWNSHIFTING FROM 3RD TO 2ND GEARS. THEY JUST RECOMMENDED A TRANSMISSION FLUSH AND NEVER MENTIONED PREVIOUS RECALL AND TRANNY PROBLEMS. I BOUGHT THIS VEHICLE AS A CERTIFIED PRE-OWNED WITH 39,000 MILES. WAS UNAWARE OF THE RECALL AND PROBLEMS WITH PRIOR MODEL YEARS. MY EXTENDED WARRANTY EXPIRED AT 100,000 MILES AND MY TRANSMISSION DIED AT 112,560. I BACKED OUT OF THE GARAGE AND WHEN I SHIFTED FROM REVERSE TO DRIVE MY VAN KEPT ROLLING BACKWARD. I THOUGHT IT WAS A FLUKE UNTIL IT DIED WHILE DRIVING IT WITH MY TWO SMALL CHILDREN IN THE VAN IN THE MIDDLE OF OUR TOWN. IT MANAGED TO SHIFT TO 2ND GEAR AND DRIVE TO A LOCAL MECHANIC AT AROUND 45 MPH (I WAS ABLE TO DRIVE SINCE I WAS IN TOWN AND THE SPEED LIMIT WHERE IT FAILED WAS 40MPH. I HAD TO HAVE IT TOWED TO HONDA AS THE TRANSMISSION WAS NOT DRIVABLE ONCE IT WAS SHUT OFF AT MECHANIC. THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS. IT IS WRONG FOR HONDA TO NOT HAVE TO REPLACE THESE FAULTY TRANSMISSIONS. I PAID HONDA OVER $3,000 FOR THIS REPLACEMENT. *TR
CAR STOPPED GOING INTO GEAR CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON D STARTED FLASHING AND TCS LIGHT CAME ON CAR WOULD KEEP HESITATING INTO GEAR AND FINALLY JUST WOULD NOT MOVE. TYPICAL PROBLEM FOR HONDA ODYSSEY AS I JUST FOUND OUT BY CLASS ACTION SUIT AND MANY COMPLAINTS ON LINE. BUT WHEN I CALL HONDA THEY SAY THIS CAR HAS NEVER BEEN RECALLED FOR ANY TRANSMISSION DEFECTS. PICTURE THAT IT IS AMAZING HOW MANY PROBLEMS THEY HAVE HAD AND CONTINUE TO HAVE BUT THEY DO A GOOD JOB KEEPING IT QUIET. THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS AND I AM SURE EXPENSIVE PROBLEM FOR THEM THAT IS WHY THEY WONT ADMIT TO ANY DEFECTS. SINCE THIS IS COSTING ME 3500 TO GET A JASPER TRANSMISSION WITH 3 YEAR WARRANTY. WILL NOT BUY A HONDA AGAIN. *TR
THE TRANSMISSION JERKS AND SHUDDERS. I AM LOSING CONFIDENCE ON THE SAFETY OF THIS VEHICLE. *TR
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Quick Summary
The 2004 Honda Odyssey has 180 Power Train complaints on file. 5 crashes have been reported. Review the timeline above for detailed owner experiences.