NHTSA complaint: 2000 HONDA ODYSSEY — POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
I WAS DRIVING MY 2000 HONDA ODYSSEY EX ALONG THE LOMBARD STREET IN SAN FRANCISCO WHEN THE TRANSMISSION SUDDENLY FAILED. I HAD 2 CHILDREN AND 3 ADULT PASSENGERS IN THE CAR. I STOPPED AT THE INCLINED ROAD WAITING FOR OTHER CARS IN FRONT TO DRIVE UP. I THEN SWITCHED THE GEAR TO "2" HOPING THAT IT WILL BE ENOUGH TO DRIVE THE CAR. AT THAT POINT, IT FAILED TO ACCELERATE FORWARD BUT INSTEAD STARTED MOVING BACKWARDS EVEN IF I ATTEMPTED TO MAX THE GAS PEDAL. I TRIED SHIFTING TO GEAR "1" BUT STILL THE WEIGHT WAS PULLING US DOWN AND IT CRASHED THE CAR BEHIND CAUSING A MINOR DAMAGE ON THE EXTERIORS OF BOTH CARS. I THEN ASKED ALL MY PASSENGERS TO GET OFF THE CAR AND SOMEHOW I WAS ABLE TO MANEUVER THE CAR DOWN SLOPE. I THEN PARKED THE CAR IN THE SIDE STREET, TURNED OFF THE ENGINE, OPENED THE HOOD AND LET IT COOL DOWN FOR ABOUT 30 MINUTES. AFTER THAT I WAS ABLE TO DRIVE THE CAR HOME AND TRIED TO AVOID STEEP INCLINED ROADS. RESEARCHING THE INTERNET, I FOUND SEVERAL REPORTS OF TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS IN HONDA ODYSSEY MINIVANS AND MY 2000 MODEL APPEARS TO BE INCLUDED IN THE LIST THAT HONDA HAS EXTENDED THE TRANSMISSION WARRANTY TO 100K MILES. IS THIS TRUE? WAS THE PROBLEM IN MY CAR AN INDICATION OF A FAILING TRANSMISSION AND/OR A MANUFACTURING DEFECT? THE CAR HAS 81K MILES AND I'M THE SECOND OWNER AND IT IS ALREADY OUT OF STANDARD WARRANTY. I PLANNED TO HAVE IT CHECKED BY A MECHANIC. I USED TO LOVE THIS ODYSSEY BUT AFTER THIS INCIDENT I'M NO LONGER SURE IF I CAN REALLY RELY ON THIS CAR
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration — Office of Defects Investigation