~26K no issues, no regrets, however I have had all the services that the car asks for done by the dealer. Including the brake fluid flush, tire rotations, and filter changes. I know it has nothing to do with the transmission but with the reputation that dealers have, some run scams and such, it matters.

 

Hi Fuego. In general, I'm happy with the 9-speed on my 2018 EX. At first, it suffered from the hiccups while it "learned how I drive." It now accelerates smoothly but in the last few months, on four occasions has died for five seconds after taking a corner. To me, that's a VERY dangerous problem that should come under the safety issues list.

I hear there is a software tech bulletin to fix a rough shifting problem. After the upgraded software is installed, I'll be back to square one. It will take 500+ miles for the software to re-learn my driving habits. I have not felt any of the rough shifting experienced by others on this forum. I may ask that Honda not do the upgrade. On the other hand, if I refuse, they can void my warranty. It's a no-win scenario.

I drive in ECON mode all the time. Although the acceleration is smooth, it lacks response. Now, everyone will probably say that this is to be expected with ECON mode. The difference is, my wife drives a 2012 CRV, 6-speed in ECON mode all the time. That car is very snappy - almost like an Accord. Then again, it has a Honda transmission.

In conclusion, I think the 9-speeds are basically alright but there have been some major issues with a lot of them. There must be a reason Honda decided to ditch them in favor of their in-house 10-speed for all trim levels. I have misgivings about the long-term reliability. If someone were wanting any 5th generation Odyssey, I'd advise them to choose one with the 10-speed. I test drove a 2020 EX in ECON mode. I was very smooth and snappy. I can't get that response from my 2018 EX.

 

I get an occasional rough upshift from my 9 speed but overall I’m happy. I’m guessing it’s from the dog clutch engaging. I test drove a 2020 a couple days ago and honestly couldn’t feel too much of a difference, other than the 10 speed showing no signs of the rough upshifts.

 

Agreed about the 2020 10-speed. The differences were subtle but noticeable. It's like when I pressed the gas pedal on the 2020, the Ody said, "I'm ready. Where do you want to go and how fast?" When I press the gas pedal on my 9-speed, my Ody says, "Ah mom, I don't want to go to school today ."

 

no issues 500 miles.?

 

Over 50K miles and no issues with the 9 speed. The transmission is invisible and has never misbehaved.
I probably will bring it in for the software update, but it doesn't really need it.

Based on postings on this forum, it seems like the 10 speed is the one to avoid!
There have been multiple people with slipping transmissions and bad shifting, and several people had new transmissions.
Also, don't forget problem where the 10 speed goes into park at highway speeds...

 

2500 miles on the 9-speed in our 2019 - all good so far. Leaps and bounds better than the 6-speed that was in the 2017 that was here prior. That one sucked.

 

29,000 miles on a 2019 EXL-Nav. Did a drain and fill of the (expensive) trans fluid at 15,000 miles, the original fluid was surprisingly dark for only 15,000 miles. The new fluid looked like Mountain Dew, the old looked more like Coca-cola. Planning to do this (3.5 quarts) every 30k (after this initial change). (Pics below)

Shifting (upshifting) has been smooth and satisfactory for the most part. Only complaint is that initial step off is either too slow or it wants to burn rubber but maybe I would get used to that eventually (the Ody is my wife’s DD). It also was once dreadfully slow to downshift, as in I floored it coming off an off-ramp (wanted to get around this wandering generality in front of me) and it took enough time dithering to the best gear that just as it found its footing I had to give up due to approaching traffic. Maybe that was the dog clutches. It’s definitely slow witted but it’s a VAN. We like the mpg and performance otherwise.

The shift paddles are close to worthless. We live in a hilly neighborhood and a downshift with the paddle does nothing to slow the van down, unlike the paddles in my ‘15 Accord Sport, which work amazingly well (& yet I still rarely use them).

Other than that, no weird noises, nothing else to make me want to take it to the dealer for anything. We only have taken it to the dealer for the recall last year. I have done all other maintenance work.

 

Thanks for the detailed reply on fluid change GromitFan

How expensive are we talking and what’s the quantity?

Don’t like the color that early.

 

I am with You on the color. I followed this same schedule with the DW-1 fluid in our old 2006 Ody (change at first 15k, and every 30k thereafter) and thought that fluid was more brown that I would have though at the 15k point (making me glad I changed it then!).

When I bought the 3.1 fluid last March it was $48 per QUART at my local Honda dealer, and I paid Bernardi Honda (bernardiparts dot com) $37 per quart for 4 quarts and bought a bunch of other stuff (HCF-2 fluid for my Accord CVT, wiper refills etc) to dilute the shipping costs.

The good news is that prices are currently much lower and a check last week showed Bernardi is now under $26 per quart, which is still INSANE, but less so. Look for the thread on this forum for the “How to change 9-speed fluid” thread where I describe my what I did.

2018 9-speed ZF transmission fluid: when to change & how

Hello all. I've tried searching the forums but haven't found a specific answer for some of my questions. My family has had our 2018 Odyssey EX-L Navi+RES (9-speed ZF) for 15 months and just passed 37,000 miles (mostly highway miles). Took to dealer for maintenance minder code B1 (oil change and...

www.odyclub.com

Good luck to you!

 

It has it's quarks but overall we're pretty happy. The only thing I really care about is the overall longevity of the transmission. It seems most of the complaints are about how it shifts and not how long it lasts. I'll probably go with the approach @GromitFan is taking for maintenance just to ensure it lasts as long as possible. With how expensive cars are nowadays I want to make this one last as long as possible.

 

So far I have not had any problems with my 9-speed transmission. My vehicle is a 2019 and I have almost 8,000 miles on it so far. I will keep the group posted with how things go with this tranny. I was somewhat apprehensive about buying a Honda vehicle with the 9-speed, given the poor reputation it has. Because of this, I purchased the extended warranty on my vehicle. Funny thing is that my previous Honda was a 2004 Odyssey EXL which had the infamous 5-speed transmission that was prone to failure. I had 140,000 miles on the vehicle when I sold it, and I never had not one problem with my transmission. I did follow the guidelines from Honda for normal maintenance - fluids, filters, etc. Anyway, we shall see how this vehicle and it's transmission hold up!

 

Are you kidding me ?? Anyone who claims to be happy with their ZF9 transmission.. has not put any miles on it.The ZF9 in my 2018 EX started making distinct noises at about 30k miles. Several trips to the Dealer brought only the cookie-cutter response: our Tech could not duplicate your concerns. At 74.5k miles, the trans failed completely. Now, the replacement transmission is making the same noises, with 35k miles on it. Current mileage: 109k, ( I drive about 400 highway miles daily), and drive quite conservatively.

And FYI, for all ZF9 owners and lookers out there... the symptoms feel like a loose U-joint on an older-model car. When you slow, or accelerate after slowing, there is a noise and feeling of slack in the drive train. It's fairly subtle at the onset, and increases in frequency and severity with mileage. I have been to the Dealer twice, regarding the same issues with the replacement trans, and they still give me the same response, A replacement trans costs $6400 !!

 

Are you kidding me ?? Anyone who claims to be happy with their ZF9 transmission.. has not put any miles on it.The ZF9 in my 2018 EX started making distinct noises at about 30k miles. Several trips to the Dealer brought only the cookie-cutter response: our Tech could not duplicate your concerns. At 74.5k miles, the trans failed completely. Now, the replacement transmission is making the same noises, with 35k miles on it. Current mileage: 109k, ( I drive about 400 highway miles daily), and drive quite conservatively.

I do believe that the Honda Dealer Mechanic Tech Reps have to go to a special school and a hospital, ok I have this backwards, frontal lobotomy than to a school that teaches them to use the standard cookie-cutter responses such as "Our Tech could not duplicate your problems", "I have never seen that before", "The cars salesman told you what?", "We do not have a Technical Bulletin on that".
We need to have a Honda certified liar app which automatically turns on the whole building paging system and pronounces the Technician/Technical Rep/Car Salesman or otherwise known as turkey vultures/Manager that their "name inserted here" is lying again and must admit the truth to the customer!

 

Did you change the transmission fluid when the maintenance minder came on at 50K miles?

 

2019 EX-L with 11k miles over our 8 months of ownership and we've had no complaints with our purchase. Hopefully, it will stay like that?.

 

hometechnc said:
At 74.5k miles, the trans failed completely.

bandit400 said:
Did you change the transmission fluid

Yes I want to know too!

This guy has posted multiple times about his failed transmission.
I have asked several times about changing the fluid, which hasn't received a response.

This guy probably rolled the dice and ignored the maintenance minder.
I checked his post history, and he probably is a forum troll. I doubt he has ever own a Honda vehicle.

 

This guy has posted multiple times about his failed transmission.
I have asked several times about changing the fluid, which hasn't received a response.

This guy probably rolled the dice and ignored the maintenance minder.
I checked his post history, and he probably is a forum troll. I doubt he has ever own a Honda vehicle.

Supposedly from his/her multiple posts, some TV station facilitated getting a refund from Honda so no longer an Odyssey owner. Wish there was a way where if you declare you are not an ODY owner, you cannot post anymore.

 

Just so everyone is aware - the 20+ page thread on the 9-speed (this one here - Rattle noise on acceleration revisited - 9 speed ) is actually about Honda ENGINE problems.

My 9-speed is just fine.

 

Thanks for that, Rosskoss. When I started that thread, the 9-speed was under suspicion. You're 100 percent right - it's an engine issue.
The 9-speed has other Gremlins .

 

No issues here. I'm not saying there isn't an issue with the 9-speed that at this point merits Honda looking into it, but based on the sheer number of the Gen 5 Odysseys I see on the road every day, there would be rioting in front of the Honda dealerships if they all had issues.

Like many things, I think forums are a microcosmic representation of the ownership experience (for any vehicle). Because of Bimmerfest, I ride around in my 328i waiting for the day my electric water pump fails and I overheat and blow the head gasket. Ironically, I am not nearly as worried about the Odyssey.

 

Service Bulletin A19-124
I got this service done. I didn't have issues pre or post the software update. I did notice the dog clutch from 1st to 2nd after purchase but that disappeared after ~2k miles. There has been nothing that stood out so far. I just care for longevity of it all. Hoping this will last me awhile.

I'll keep posting here if things change. ~at 8k miles atm.

 

Service Bulletin A19-124
I got this service done. I didn't have issues pre or post the software update. I did notice the dog clutch from 1st to 2nd after purchase but that disappeared after ~2k miles. There has been nothing that stood out so far. I just care for longevity of it all. Hoping this will last me awhile.

I'll keep posting here if things change. ~at 8k miles atm.

Did you just ask the dealer to perform this TSB? Was it free? Im out of warranty. Im wondering if dealerships will perform TSBs for free upon request.

 

Quick update:

Went over the learning 500mi period, my experience remains the same. (Not really able to go anywhere with the pandemic) So far I can't complain. Would love to hear from some long term / high mileage 9 speed owners on their experience.

Do we have any all together failures here? I did see several 10 speeds failing in the forums.

 

I have had a 2019 Passport for 20 months and over 12k miles and it has the same engine and tranny as the Odyssey and I have had zero problems with it. My previous car was a BMW 3-Series and I really hated it when I tried to accelerate after a right hand turn, it hesitated terribly (unless you alreay had high RPMs) but with the 9-speed, I can punch in after a turn and get power right away...!

 

2019 Passport for 20 months and over 12k miles

Yeah, there are so many Honda's out there with this 9 speed atm. There had to have been refinements over the last few years. I know the 2016 Pilot, MDX, TLX had issues and some folks were hit hard. This is with anything new coming on the market.

Overall I feel like most of the complaints primarily come from the dog clutch shift patterns. Some will look for problems where there is none. A lot of folks might dwell a bit much in the thought of this is horrible and fall in to the zeitgeist. It's contagious I'm not denying that there aren't real problems for some people but there has got to be a bit of hysteria on the topic.

Like I've mentioned before, there are several 10 speed failures in the forums here. I still believe the 10 speed is better product, but it is new. Again, this will require refinements too. None of us know how long things will hold up because the vehicles are fairly new.

My goal is proper maintenance and care so that my van has long life. Still would love to hear form higher mileage folks. I'll keep updating this thread.

cheers!

 

Update

Now that my 9 speed updated with TSB guidelines a new problem is started.
driving on high 40s MPH and stop pressing gas paddle... car will gradually decrease speed and when it reaches between 41 to 39 MPH it down shifting. This down shift is felt jerk.
Visited dealer again. This time dealer is saying that they approach Honda to approve transmission replacement but Honda saying that clear the code and return vehicle to customer. Dealer said to me that they will try asking again next week that customer came back with issue. hopefully Honda approve to replace transmission.
I have only 11,000 miles on car, problem 1st felt at 1500 miles. I drive very much sober. This is my 1st brand new vehicle. Big disappointment with Honda 9speed.

I've experienced my first "Click" (not a nice click noise for lack of good way to explain it) but this is really hard to reproduce. Only occurs at a particular road with a particular hill going up. Guessing the conditions are just right. Nowhere else was I able to repeat this. As pulseps mentioned here

I have to be in ~41mph range. let go of the accelerator for bit and then give it more throttle while going up this hill the van will downshift and make this noise. Believe this is 5th to 4th gear downshift. Now there is no jerk but noise. Dog Clutch?

This is approximately the grade of the road. Van moving L > R. Red dot is where this noise occurs. Now I've gone up many rolling hills, never able to reproduce this noise. even on this particular road/hill its about 20% of the time.

Other than this nothing else that stood out. ECO mode makes this thing lazy(er) although the transmission is lazy overall.

I'll take it to dealer and update back here again.
Cheers!

 

Update on ☝

Noise is actually from 7-8 & 8-7 gear shifts.
There is a faint click on 4-5 & 5-4 gear, if you really listen for it.

The noticeable noise I hear is on that hill I mentioned earlier.
The noise on the shifting happens ONLY if I am really punching it, and driving more aggressively. This is exactly what I did to recreate the noise. Otherwise on normal driving there isn't anything noticable.

From all the technical jargon we are suppose to hear dog clutch on 4-5 & 7-8.

 

I turned 50,000 miles this week on my 2018 EX-L and have not had any transmission problems. Shifts are smooth as silk unless you are jumping on the gas and then you can feel them. I average 24 mpg in town and 28 mpg on the highway so you can tell I don't drive my van hard. My maintenance minder tells me I need a B3 service at the next interval which means oil, filter and transmission service. However, my dealer is telling me that I don't have to service the transmission until 100,000. I will check with Honda before the next service is due and make the decision on what I want done. I'd rather wait till 100,000 miles and get the transmission serviced, the timing belt changed and the valves adjusted. I am really pleased with my van overall.

 

Shifts are smooth as silk unless you are jumping on the gas and then you can feel them. I average 24 mpg in town and 28 mpg on the highway so you can tell I don't drive my van hard. I am really pleased with my van overall.

thanks for the feedback. This is
100%

The noise on the shifting happens ONLY if I am really punching it, and driving more aggressively. This is exactly what I did to recreate the noise. Otherwise on normal driving there isn't anything noticeable.

The van likes to accelerate at a steady consistent throttle and sick to a decent speed. Any jumping around and fluctuation in throttle you are going to get the thing all confused. I am following this topic closely so that I can log it here.

 

Checking in with our 2019 EX-L ZF 9-speed (bought new) with almost 50k miles. We've experienced the hard shifting at the beginning that was fixed by the TSB and had jerky shifting at around the 30k mark that was fixed with a transmission drain and fill from the dealership and haven't had issues since. We don't baby our Ody and it's been driven hard (not a stranger to full-throttle accelerations). The transmission is smooth regardless of how much or little throttle we give it.

 

2018, 71000, fluid changed nothing special happening. Tropical Climate, occasional roadrunner behavior