1998 Honda Odyssey Transmission Problems

Your transmission failed completely, and when you replaced it with another one, it failed again within two days. You've found that other owners are reporting similar transmission failures online. Getting a new transmission fixed is very expensive, and you shouldn't have to replace it this frequently.

Your parked Honda Odyssey rolled away while the engine was off and the transmission was in Park. You were able to stop it by using the emergency brake. The dealer suspected the problem might be with the transmission's internal locking mechanism (tumblers), but the vehicle hasn't been repaired yet. This issue may require transmission inspection or repair to ensure the vehicle stays in place when parked.

Your 1998 Honda Odyssey is being recommended for its third transmission replacement since you've owned it, at a cost of $4,000. Despite careful maintenance, the transmission keeps failing prematurely. The repair involves removing and replacing the entire transmission assembly.

CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. STOPPED AT AUTOZONE TO HAVE THEM READ THE CODE. THE CODE P0740, INDICATED A TCC FAILURE. UPON CONSULTING WITH THE HONDA DEALERSHIP ON MY 1998 HONDA ODYSSEY, AND CONSULTING THE INTERNET, DETERMINED THAT THIS WAS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH 1998 - 2002 HONDA ODYSSEY'S. HONDA OFFERED NO HELP. THE CAR HAD LESS THAN 100,000 MILES ON AT THE TIME. *TR

THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ON MY 1998 HONDA ODYSSEY CAME ON WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE. I TOOK IT TO A REPAIR SHOP AND THEY TOLD ME THAT THE VEHICLE REGISTERED A PROBLEM CODE OF P0740-TORQUE CONVERTER CLUTCH CIRCUIT MALFUNCTION. I RESEARCHED THE PROBLEM ON THE INTERNET AND FOUND THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM FOR HONDAS WHICH SHOULD BE REPORTED TO THE NHTSA. *TR

TRANSMISSION REPLACED AT 90K MILES. HAVE READ THAT MANY '98 HONDA ODYSSEY'S HAD TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS AND MANY WERE REPLACED INSTEAD OF SIMPLE REPAIR. THEY REPLACED MINE AND REFUSED TO RECALL OR ASSIST WITH REPAIRS. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 HONDA ODYSSEY. THE ENGINE WOULD RANDOMLY SHUT OFF IN LOCAL STREETS OR WHILE DRIVING LOW SPEEDS, SUCH AS 25 MPH. THE CONTACT HAS NOT TAKEN THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER BECAUSE SHE COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE FAILURE. IN ONE INSTANCE, THE CONTACT APPLIED THE PARKING BRAKE, PLACED THE VEHICLE IN PARK, REMOVED THE KEY FROM THE IGNITION, AND EXITED THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY ROLLED BACKWARDS WITH HER DAUGHTER INSIDE THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT. THE CONTACT JUMPED BACK IN THE VEHICLE AND SLAMMED ON THE BRAKES. SHE LATER REALIZED THAT EVEN WHEN THE GEAR WAS PLACED IN REVERSE, THE KEY WAS STILL ABLE TO BE REMOVED FROM THE IGNITION. SHE FOUND A RECALL ON THE NHTSA WEBSITE AND CALLED THE MANUFACTURER; HOWEVER, THEY STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED. THE RECALL NUMBER WAS UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 90,150.

CONSUMER STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED AND WITHOUT WARNING TRANSMISSION FAILED CAUSING THE VEHICLE NOT TO ACCELERATE. DEALER NOTIFIED. TS

CONSUMER STATES VEHICLE HAS BEEN EXPERIENCING PROBLEMS WITH THE TRANSMISSION, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT HAS ILLUMINATED ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS INDICATING A PROBLEM, THE TRANSMISSION HAS BEEN FLUSHED SEVERAL TIMES, THE TORQUE CONVERTER HAS LOCKED UP DUE TO CLUTCH FAILURE.*JB

DATE: 3/17/99; MILEAGE: 12,264;NGINE CHECK LIGHT CODE P0740, TRANSMISSION SYSTEM FLUSHED. DATE: 11/08/99; MILEAGE: 23,874 ENGINECHECK LIGHT ON, DEFECTIVE ECU, BULLETIN 98-033. DATE: 12/20/99; MILEAGE: 25,706; ENGINE CHECK LIGHT ON, REPLACED ECU AND FLUSHED TRANSMISSION. DATE: 7/24/01 ENGINE CHECK LIGHT ON, CODE 740 TORQUE CONVERTER LOCKED UP, TRANSMISSION FLUSHED. DATE: 11/06/01; MILEAGE: 61,115:ENGINE CHECK LIGHT ON, CODE PO740, SPECIAL ORDER PCM (CONTROL MODULE) PER BULLETIN. DATE: 11/12/01; MILEAGE: 61,281 ENGINE CHECK LIGHT ON, INSTALLED PCU AND FLUSHED TRANSMISSION. DATE: 7/12/02; MILEAGE: 70,624; ENGINE CHECK LIGHT ON, FAILURE CODE P0740, CLUTCH FAILURE, WILL NEED TORQUE CONVERTER REPLACED, EST. COST $1400. AS CAN BE SEEN, THIS SAME DESIGN FLAW HAS BEEN ONGOING SINCE 12,000 MILES. THE CONTROLLER WAS "TOO SENSITIVE" AND REPLACED, WHICH BRINGS INTO QUESTION THE REASON FOR THE ULTIMATE CLUTCH FAILURE. FAILURE OF THE TRANSMISSION COULD LEAD TO SERIOUS ACCIDENT AND LOSS OF LIFE, FOR INSTANCE, SHOULD THIS OCCUR DURING ACCELERATION INTO BUSY TRAFFIC. REQUESTING ASSISTANCE ASAP. NOTE: CAR WAS PURCHASED AT GRIFFITH HONDA, BALTIMORE, MD, BUT HAS ALWAYS BEEN SERVICED AT O'DONNELL HONDA, ELLICOTT CITY, MD.*AK

DIAGNOSTIC CODE P0740 - WE ARE BEING TOLD ENTIRE TRANSMISSION NEEDS TO BE REPLACED (EVEN THOUGH IT STILL SEEMS TO BE WORKING FOR NOW). I WANTED TO REPORT IT AFTER SEEING LOTS OF COMPLAINTS ON INTERNET FORUMS FROM ODYSSEY OWNERS WHO HAVE HAD LOW MILEAGE TRANSMISSION FAILURES.*AK

TRANSMISSION FAILED. *YC

TRANSMISSION SENSOR INOPERATIVE. YH