Honda Odyssey, Passport, Ridgeline, Pilot: Lawsuit Investigation Looks into Transmission Problems

Attorneys working with ClassAction.org are investigating whether a defect is behind the “shaking” or “juddering” problem reported by some Honda drivers.

In addition to juddering, drivers have also reported issues with acceleration.

Honda Transmission Issues: What Are Drivers Saying?

Honda Odyssey, Passport, Ridgeline and Pilot drivers say they’ve experienced issues when trying to accelerate from a stop, merging into traffic, driving uphill and changing gears at low speeds.

Attorneys believe that the transmission issue creates a serious safety risk for Honda drivers, passengers and others on the road.

Below you will find a sample of complaints posted online and/or sent to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) about the transmission problem [sic throughout]:

I have a 2019 Honda Odyssey that is experiencing hard shifting into 3rd gear. It has less than 4k miles on it and whenever it reaches 25 it jerks the car quite noticeably. Brought it into the dealer and they acknowledged there was a ‘sound’ when it shifted into third gear but couldn't replicate the ‘hard shift’ that I've noticed. They said it's operating as normal.”
— mmaki, 2019 Honda Odyssey Owner, OdyClub.com

2019 Honda Passport touring w/ 10k miles o blind downhill s-curve approx one mile from my home. . My zf-9 speed transmission slipped out of gear while driving, resulting in loud grinding, lurching, and complete loss of power while driving. Incident occurred immediately after a full stop at the end of my lane before entering main roadway and downhill curves. I had to coast to the bottom with the grinding and gnashing gears and bucking, lurching vehicle dealership claims they could not replicate the problem, nor had they ever heard of this problem. They also stated that diagnostics did not identify any issues which is odd because I could give them a timeframe of exactly when incident and subsequent loss of power occurred...”
— 2019 Honda Passport owner, CarProblemZoo.com  

After driving for approximately 275 miles in winter temperatures but with normal driving conditions, upon taking a banked turn the check engine light flashed while the engine lost power and caused the car to begin shaking. I pulled over and was able to pull diagnostic codes from the vehicle. The vehicle reported that two cylinders were misfiring. Upon restarting the car the vehicle operated normally. I brought this vehicle in to the dealer who was familiar with the problem but responded that Honda has no resolution yet. This problem seems to affect multiple years and models of Honda vehicles (using the 3. 5l engine).”
— 2022 Honda Ridgeline owner, CarProblemZoo.com

I just bought my brand new 2021 Honda Pilot I had it for 1 week so I decided to take it to las vegas on the way there it was fine but on the way home I'm coming down I started to feel a jerk in the transmission I didn't think nothing of it so I kept driving. But for a new car it should not be doing anything like that at all so I took it to Honda dealer and they did a multi inspection check and said they didn't find anything wrong with it and everything shift fine but when I took it home a week later it's happening more and more especially when it's traffic you will feel it way more I just hope it don't go out after my 60k miles warranty right now it's only 2,500 miles and I feel I got a lemon I already have transmission problems but it just too new to go out right now.”
— 2021 Honda Pilot owner, CarProblemZoo.com

This is a serious safety issue. When driving the vehicle, the transmission has an issue where it can launch the vehicle into traffic. More specifically, after a complete stop at a stop sign or traffic light, when the throttle pedal is depressed to initiate forward motion, the transmission hesitates, then engages, causing the vehicle to launch into traffic. Many times there is an unintended tire squeal. Other times, this hesitation and launch makes the vehicle much more difficult to control. I've had this vehicle for slightly less than one year. The transmission hesitation and safety issue has become progressively worse over that time.”
— 2019 Honda Odyssey owner, Zionsville, Indiana, NHTSA.gov

Class Action Lawsuits: How They Can Help

If attorneys gather enough information and believe a lawsuit is viable, Honda Odyssey, Passport, Ridgeline and Pilot drivers may stand to receive money for repair costs and loss of their vehicle’s value. A successful class action could also force Honda to recall the cars and offer a fix.

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