Their Cars Are Shiftless, Many Honda Owners Complain

Despite widespread reports of automatic transmission failures in Honda and Acura models, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has found no reason to take action, The New York Times reported recently.

The agency reviewed the complaints and found no evidence of a safety problem, a NHTSA spokeswoman said.

ConsumerAffairs.com has received more than 420 complaints from Honda owners complaining of transmission problems. Many, like Mike of Perrysburg, Ohio, have replaced their transmission more than once.

Mike said he bought a new 2001 Honda Odyssey and drove it until 2008, when the transmission failed. Honda replaced it free of charge. Now, says Mike, the transmission has failed again at 148,000 miles and Honda is refusing to offer any assistance.

Kenji of Cerritos, Calif., has a similar experience, replacing the transmission in his 2000 Honda Odyssey twice.

Recall failed?

Some Honda owners say their cars were part of a 2004 recall to fix transmission problem. That recall covered some 1.1 million cars and, judging from complaints to NHTSA, ConsumerAffairs.com and other websites, many of the cars now having problems were included in the 2004 recall.

Chris of Johnstown, Penn., said the transmission in his 2003 Honda Pilot was repaired as part of the 2004 recall. But in December 2010, the transmission failed again and Honda refused to help, he said.

Claudette of Pittsburgh said her 2004 Odyssey's transmission failed late last year -- "the same factory defect that the company supposed recalled shortly after I purchased it in 2005."

"Obviously the so-called 'fix' did not work. This is a $30,000 vehicle and I cannot afford to spend $4800 to get it repaired," she said.

Besides the reports of outright failures, many Honda owners say their transmissions work so poorly that they are unable to cross a busy intersection or merge into traffic safely.

NHTSA has the authority to open an investigation into whether the 2004 recall solved the problem but says it has found no reason to do so at this time.