Honda 10-speed Transmission Reliability: Common Issues and Lifespan

In various markets, the 10-speed automatic transmission made by Honda is presented in the Odyssey, Accord 2.0T, and also several Acura models - RDX, TLX, RLX, and MDX. It was made to replace the 9-speed ZF transmission that is still used in several models and isn't commonly thought to be really reliable.

Honda 10-speed transmission highlights

• Average lifespan:150,000-170,000 miles
• Reliability Score:Medium
• Prone to minor issues:Seldom
• Price for repair after failure:$1,100-$1,500
• Price for replacement:$3,500-$4,700
• Availability of parts:Average
• Common problems:Gears slipping, sudden jerking, shifting out of gear, bearing noises, expensive maintenance.

Key facts about the 10-speed automatic transmission

This transmission was made in 2017 as a way to avoid problems with the 9-speed ZF transmission that was commonly used in big Honda vehicles at that time. The ZF unit appeared to be really faulty and had a lot of minor and major problems popping up unexpectedly at almost any mileage. Here's a little spoiler: things haven't gone the right way and the 10-speed unit is also pretty unpredicted.

I overall love the way this transmission goes. It's very smooth and you barely feel the shifts. You will only feel them if you look at the RPM needle going up and down. Also, you have paddle shifters which is great for applying manual mode without doing anything with the shifter. This allows you to brake using the engine or go sporty whenever you want.

Here are some key facts about the transmission:

• it's very smooth and comfortable unless it starts working harshly;
• gas mileage is more or less like advertised if you drive carefully;
• unfortunately, any kind of active driving decreases the fuel economy immediately;
• the transmission allows the engine to work at low RPM at high speed which is good for engine and gas mileage;
• there have been several modifications - some of them have the TCM, others don't, this means the codes won't always be there and the warning light may not turn on in case of failure;
• overall, it's a simple automatic transmission with 10 speeds, a torque converter, a valve body, and some electronics to govern these things.

For now, things may seem pretty good. It's not a dual-clutch transmission or a CVT which would mean the mileage of 100,000 miles and then replacement. You may think that this massive 10-speed transmission can easily last over 200K miles. But no, things will go bad much earlier than that.

Personally, I didn't have any problems with the transmission even though my Odyssey was not new at the time I was driving it. That car belonged to one of our partners and he told me that they had replaced the transmission at 20K miles under warranty. Unfortunately, I couldn't get the report from the dealership and the reason for replacement remained unknown. But this information really shocked me, so I went further to investigate things online.

How many miles will the 10-speed transmission last?

According to my research and several talks with Honda dealership mechanics, the 10-speed Honda transmission will last about 150,000 miles. This is the average estimated durability and of course, it can last longer than that if you are lucky.

But if you are unlucky, things may go bad much earlier. I've found dozens of reports saying that Odyssey owners had to replace this transmission between 20,000 and 40,000 miles. This is ridiculously low mileage for any kind of transmission, so it seems unreal.

I will tell you about some major problems that may happen with this unit. But I assure you that the majority of Honda owners are happy with this transmission and keep driving their cars with 100,000 miles plus on their odometers with no single problem. Please don't think that I wrongly blame Honda and try to make you buy something else.

All modern transmissions are not perfect and the 10-speed Honda unit seems solid. But please avoid thinking that it's flawless.

What are the common problems with this transmission?

The 10-speed automatic transmission by Honda is overall good and won't cause a lot of problems if you are lucky. People drive it for a lot of miles without any issues and are happy with everything it offers. But things may go wrong at almost any mileage and it seems that you can't control some failures of this unit. They just happen sometimes and you can't do anything to prevent them.

Here are some really annoying but still common issues:

1. Gears start slipping

Many owners report that suddenly the transmission may start slipping when shifting between certain gears. Usually, it's between 4th and 5th gear. You will see that before shifting the RPM goes sharply up and then you will experience a little punch when shifting. This means it's time to go to the dealership and check the fluid level. Something is wrong with the unit.

2. Jerking at low speed

Jerking usually happens at low speed and with some load. You may tow a trailer or maybe go uphill. In this case, jerking may mean overloading and it will be OK when you drive without much load. But if jerking persists, it may mean that the transmission needs software updates. Unfortunately, dealers charge over $400 for this which is surprisingly expensive.

3. It may shift out of gear when driving

I've found several reports of the 10-speed transmission shifting out of gear right on the highway. Once I even read a report saying it shifted to P at high speed and killed itself immediately. The parking pawl was broken and got inside the transmission mincing all its gears at once. It seems to be a problem with software or low fluid level. But anyway, any transmission should act like that.

4. Bearing noise at high mileage

You may hear a deep humming noise when driving your Honda after it reaches 100,000 miles or something. The shifting may still be smooth but the noise means that one of the bearings is going to pass away soon. If the transmission bearing falls apart, you will most likely need a new transmission, so this problem needs proper inspection and repair.

5. Super expensive fluid change

I was surprised when I asked in the Honda dealership how much it was going to cost me to change the fluid. They said it was going to be around $400. I own the Honda CR-V with the 5-speed automatic transmission and have just changed the fluid there in the same dealership for $150. Interestingly, the 10-speed unit doesn't use the expensive type of fluid, so I don't understand why they charge so much. Maybe, this is a very labor-intensive procedure for this vehicle.

Can you prolong the life of the 10-speed Honda transmission?

As with any transmission in the world, you will need to follow the maintenance routine to keep this 10-speed unit alive. Please stay away from flushing this transmission unless the drained fluid is contaminated. Dealers will try to sell that procedure to earn more money but Honda insists on not flushing the transmission unless necessary.

Honda doesn't state a clear fluid change interval for this transmission but I strongly recommend changing it pretty often. Change the fluid and filter once every 30,000 miles or 3 years, whatever comes first. This will help you avoid a lot of common issues or at least prolong the problem-free life of the transmission.

There is one big motivator for good fluid change intervals and other maintenance: the transmission replacement cost is going to be about $9000. This is one of the most expensive Honda transmissions so far.

One more thing is that you shouldn't overload this transmission. Towing anything heavier than a tiny trailer is not recommended. Mind payload - it's not that huge in these modern Honda vehicles. Also, avoid very aggressive driving. When overheated, this transmission can go bad very soon.

Final thoughts

While someone is glad to have so many gears and so much flexibility in modern transmission, I really don't understand the necessity of this. When your transmission keeps shifting so many times, especially when driving in the city, it leads to much sooner degradation of parts. Also, it spoils the fluid much faster than the 5-speed transmission in my old good Honda CR-V.

The answer is simple: EPA and other organizations like this demand lower RPM on highways from manufacturers. This is all for the sake of several drops of fuel that you will save (and mainly not burn) when driving making new cars more eco-friendly (at least in reports and documents).

But this is something all of us are going to pay for.