Honda Recalls over 50,000 Odysseys Because of Transmission Issue

If you have ever tried to engage the R gear while the car is in motion, you know that you are likely to hear unpleasant metal rubbing noise. Needless to say that you should not do it on purpose, otherwise such experiments with your transmission will end in costly repairs. But sometimes similar problem can occur without the intervention of a driver, like the transmission issue which caused Honda's latest recall.

Recently, Honda has issued a recall of 57,000 minivans in the USA and Canada – certain 2018 and 2019 Honda Odyssey cars equipped with transmissions that could independently shift to the P gear while driving. Honda installs 9- and 10-speed automatics in the redesigned Odyssey, but these are the 10-speed models that are included in the recall list.

The source of the issue lies in the TCU unit, which is in charge of all operations occurring inside the automatic transmission. Low-voltage conditions can lead to the TCU reloading and subsequently trigger unintended R gear engagement. If this occurs when the car is in motion, it may break the rod (element of the parking system), provoking potentially dangerous situations: the P gear may not operate properly when the car is parked.

2018 Honda Odyssey

Honda stated that this issue emerged two years ago, when the company received a complaint on a minivan malfunction which, as initially was supposed, was caused by loose battery terminal connections. The carmaker made alterations to the assembly line procedures to make sure that the terminal connections were tightened accurately. About a year ago, Honda received the 1-st complaint of a minivan self-shifting to the P gear being driven in Mexico, and later another one in the US. Honda started an internal investigation and subsequently other similar cases have come to light, providing more data on transmission issues in Odyssey minivans.

Earlier this year, Honda has already solved the issue on its production site by installing the new software. Now in case of low voltage conditions, a TCU reloading will force the transmission to shift to the N gear. This solution won't cause the metal rubbing that caused the recall. Despite the fact no road accidents or injuries related to the abovementioned issue have been officially registered, Honda has received 10 warranty requests and 53 operation reports related to the Odyssey transmission issues.

In the US, the recall will be officially started this summer. Honda undertakes a commitment to check the battery terminal connections and to update the TCU software absolutely free of charge. In addition, Honda promises to replace the entire transmission unit, if the P gear turns out to be out of order.