2002 Honda Odyssey Fuel System Problems

06/04/2021 2002 Honda Odyssey - Aftermarket Fuel Pump Lock Ring - Multiple Failures Safety Issue = Gasoline leaking out of the tank onto the ground. Starting in 2019, three aftermarket fuel pump lock rings have failed on one 2002 Honda Odyssey. The lock rings were all made of plastic. The OEM Honda lock ring was also made of plastic and after 17 years did not fail, but was replaced when a new fuel pump was installed. A DELPHI model FG0956 fuel pump had two lock ring failures. The third lock ring failure was on a AIRTEX model E8642M fuel pump. The torque spec per Honda for the fuel pump lock ring is a hefty 69 FT LBS or 93 NM. An SK click type torque wrench model 73100 was used on the installs, as was a fuel tank lock ring tool LISLE model 63000. All the lock rings were at first hand tightened to prevent cross threading before using the torque wrench. The SK torque wrench used has never been known to over torque bolts. The third lock ring for AIRTEX was torqued to about 60 FT LBS due to the prior failures. No warning lights or messages appeared when the lock ring fails. All failed within one year of install. Failure detected by noticing the smell of gasoline, especially outside the vehicle and sometimes inside the vehicle. Each of the failed lock rings split, and then gasoline starts leaking out of the top of the tank at the fuel pump and onto the ground. The fuel pump will start to rise above the tank due to it being spring loaded and the lock ring failing. The problem is most noticeable after filling the fuel tank, and when the vehicle is exposed to high outside air temperatures. If you look under the vehicle, a puddle of gasoline on the ground is sometimes visible just below the fuel pump. If the failure is not yet severe enough, you will not see a puddle but may still smell gasoline. A local auto parts store recommended purchasing an OEM Honda lock ring due to the aftermarket failures and the hefty Honda torque spec of 69 FT LBS on a plastic ring.

The contact owns a 2002 Honda Odyssey. The contact stated that the air bag warning light was illuminated along with a warning message which stated that the driver’s and passenger’s side air bags need to be repaired. The contact referenced NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V501000 (Air Bags) as the cause for the failure. The Vin was not included in the recall. The contact also stated that the manual transmission would jump out of gear and would not accelerate out of second gear until she manually shifted the vehicle to park and then back to drive. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed with a fuel pump and fluids needing to be replaced. The contact stated that the failure recurred. The dealer and manufacturer were not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 165,555.

THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION OCCASIONALLY DISENGAGES BETWEEN 30MPH TO 40MPH. SOMETIMES IT RE-ENGAGES OR SOMETIMES MANUALLY DOWNSHIFTING CAUSES THE DRIVE TO RE-ENGAGE. DEALER SAYS THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE AND THE SOLUTION IS TO REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION. I'VE TAKEN IT TO A LOCAL MECHANIC AND A CALLED A LOCAL TRANSMISSION COMPANY AND THEY ALSO SAY THIS IS A KNOW ISSUE WITH THIS MODEL YEAR. A GOOGLE SEARCH TURNS UP MANY PEOPLE WITH THE SAME ISSUE FOR THIS MODEL YEAR OF THE ODYSSEY. I WILL HAVE TO GET THIS FIXED AS I CANNOT COUNT ON THE VEHICLE FOR RELIABLE AND SAFE TRANSPORTATION ANY MORE. *TR

I WAS ENTERING AN INTERSTATE ON A CROWDED DAY WITH CONSTRUCTION CONES ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. I HAD TO ACCELERATE QUICKLY TO GET INTO A LANE, AND HIT THE GAS PEDAL. I LET UP ON THE PEDAL ONCE I WAS ON THE HIGHWAY, BUT THE PEDAL WAS STUCK. I TRIED TO PULL IT UP, BUT IT WOULD NOT MOVE. I COULD NOT GET OVER, AS THE SHOULDER WAS BLOCKED, SO LOOKED FOR AN EXIT. I TRIED TO SHIFT INTO NEUTRAL, BUT IT DID NOT SLOW THE CAR WHEN I DID. THE ONLY SUCCESS I HAD AT ALL IN SLOWING THE CAR (I WAS GOING 70MPH WHEN IT STUCK) WAS IN HOLDING THE BRAKES, WHICH I DID. I FINALLY SAW AN EXIT WHERE I COULD GET OFF, AND I DID, HOLDING THE BRAKES AS HARD AS I COULD WHILE THROWING THE CAR INTO PARK AND KILLING THE ENGINE. IT WAS ONLY BY TURNING THE CAR OFF THAT I WAS ABLE TO STOP IT. WHEN WE STARTED THE VAN LATER, THERE WAS A HORRIBLE SMELL (PROBABLY THE BRAKES), BUT THE PEDAL CAME UNSTUCK. MY MECHANIC DISCOVERED THAT THE CRUISE CONTROL HAD GOTTEN STUCK, AND HE DISCONNECTED IT. IT IS THE MOST TERRIFYING CAR EXPERIENCE I HAVE EVER HAD, AND I AM ONLY THANKFUL THAT I WAS ALONE IN THE CAR, AND NOT WITH MY CHILDREN. I WAS INCREDIBLY LUCKY, WAS COMPLETELY TRAUMATIZED, BUT HAVE HAD TO GET OVER IT BECAUSE MY JOB REQUIRES A GREAT DEAL OF DRIVING. I DON'T TRUST MY VAN, EVEN THOUGH I KNOW THE CRUISE CONTROL IS NOT CONNECTED. WHAT ELSE WILL IT DO NOW!? I HAVE BEEN UNHAPPY WITH VISIBILITY IN THIS VAN, ALREADY, AND THIS CONFIRMS THAT I WILL NEVER AGAIN PURCHASE ANOTHER ONE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 HONDA ODYSSEY. THE CONTACT NOTICED A GASOLINE SMELL FROM THE EXTERIOR OF THE VEHICLE AND AFTER EXAMINING THE VEHICLE, THE CONTACT NOTICED A FUEL LEAK COMING FROM THE FILLER HOSE OF THE FUEL TANK. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED BY THE DEALER OR REPAIRED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 37,000.

HONDA ODYSSEY 2002 TRANSMISSION AND FUEL PUMP PROBLEM. *TR

2002 HONDA ODYSSEY TRANSMISSION FAILURE. WE STRONGLY BELIEVE THAT HONDA HAS DESIGN PROBLEMS. DESPITE THEIR ATTEMPTS TO FIX THE PROBLEM BY INSTALLING A FUEL PUMP TO LUBRICATE THE GEARS, THE TRANSMISSION (TORQUE CONVERTER) HAD A MASSIVE FAILURE. INITIALLY, HONDA AGREED TO PAY FOR 50% OF THE REPAIRS BUT RETRACTED THE OFFER AFTER WE VOICED CONCERNS ABOUT VARYING VERBAL REPAIR ESTIMATES PROVIDED BY THE DEALER. THE DEALER WOULD NOT PROVIDE THE REPAIR ESTIMATE IN WRITING EVEN AFTER ASKED TO. WE REQUESTED HONDA TO PAY FOR THE PART AND WE WOULD PAY FOR THE LABOR. HONDA'S POSITION WAS THAT THEY WOULD RATHER 1) RETRACT THE OFFER AND 2) NOT HELP WITH DEALERS PRICING OR BUSINESS PRACTICE BECAUSE THE DEALERSHIP WAS INDEPENDENTLY OWNED AND OPERATED. LISA PRAK, A REGIONAL MANAGER WITH HONDA SUGGESTED WE COULD CALL BBB AND FILE OUR COMPLAINT. HER SUPERVISOR SUGGESTED WE CONTACT THE NHTSA BUT THEY WOULD NOT PARTICIPATE IN THE REPAIRS. *TR