Honda transmissions
A-1 Transmission in Reno works on every type of transmission, including the CVTs in many Honda Civic, Accord and CR-V models and the stepped automatics in the Pilot and Odyssey. The NHTSA table below shows owner reports for five Honda models; they are unverified and follow sales.
Closed now. Opens Monday at 7:30 am.
Honda builds more than one kind of transmission, sometimes within a single model line, so the first useful fact is which one your Honda has. This page shows what the federal fuel economy listings say for five popular models, how to read the NHTSA rows, which signs are worth a call and what the shop looks at first.
At a glance
- Five models in the table: CR-V, Pilot, Accord, Odyssey and Civic
- CR-V: 703 power train complaints out of 8,696 (8%)
- 2022 CR-V, Civic and 1.5 L Accord: listed with variable-ratio automatics (CVTs)
- 2022 Pilot and Odyssey: listed with 9-speed and 10-speed automatics
Which transmission does your Honda have?
The U.S. Department of Energy and the EPA list the transmission for every model, year and engine on fueleconomy.gov. For model year 2014, the Accord with the 2.4 L engine and the Civic are listed with an automatic with variable gear ratios, which is a CVT, while the CR-V, the Pilot and the Odyssey are listed with 5-speed and 6-speed stepped automatics. By model year 2022 the picture has changed: the CR-V, the Civic and the Accord with the 1.5 L turbo are listed with CVTs, the Accord with the 2.0 L turbo with a 10-speed automatic, the Pilot with a 9-speed and the Odyssey with a 10-speed.
Some Honda listings read AV-S7. In the fueleconomy.gov legend that means an automatic variable transmission with select shift and seven steps the driver can pick. It is still a CVT. Manual gearboxes appear as well: the 2014 Accord and the 2022 Civic are each listed with a 6-speed manual. For your own car, the owner's manual or the fueleconomy.gov listing for its year, model and engine settles the question in a minute.
| Model | 2014 listing | 2022 listing |
|---|---|---|
| Civic | CVT or manual | CVT or 6-speed manual |
| Accord | CVT (2.4 L), 6-speed automatic (3.5 L) or manual | CVT (1.5 L turbo) or 10-speed automatic (2.0 L turbo) |
| CR-V | 5-speed automatic | CVT |
| Pilot | 5-speed automatic | 9-speed automatic |
| Odyssey | 6-speed automatic | 10-speed automatic |
Reading the Honda rows
The CR-V has 703 power train complaints out of 8,696 for model years 2012 to 2022 (8%), and its busiest year is 2015 with 150. The Pilot shows 662 of 5,768 (11%), peaking in 2016 with 201. The Accord shows 549 of 8,462 (6%), the Odyssey 526 of 4,040 (13%) and the Civic 500 of 5,593 (9%). Across the five models, 2,940 of 32,559 complaints name the power train, about 9%.
Two cautions apply. Power train is a wide NHTSA category that takes in driveline parts as well as the transmission, and a complaint is an owner's report, not a finding that anything was defective. The table also cannot separate a CVT complaint from one about a stepped automatic, so it says nothing about one transmission type against another. Popular models collect more reports simply because more of them are on the road.
Signs worth a call on a Honda
A CVT does not change through fixed gears, so the engine speed can hold steady while the car gathers speed. That is how the design works and is not a fault. What is worth a call on any Honda, CVT or stepped automatic: a shudder when pulling away or at light throttle, a whine that rises with road speed, a pause before Drive or Reverse takes hold, the engine revving without the car speeding up, or a warning light with reduced power.
- Shudder or vibration at low speed
- Whine or hum that changes with road speed
- A delay when shifting into Drive or Reverse
- Revs climb but the car does not keep up
- A warning light, a stored code or reduced power
What the shop looks at first
Every job starts with a diagnosis: what you describe, the fluid level and condition, any stored codes, and a road test when the car can be driven safely. On a Honda it also matters which transmission sits under the car, because the owner's manual lists the fluid and the service schedule for each transmission separately. Honda posts owner's manuals by model and year, and the manual names the fluid your transmission takes and when it should be serviced.
Before you call
Have the year, model, engine and mileage ready, and say whether the transmission is a CVT if you know. Note when the symptom shows up: cold or warm, at low speed or on the highway, on a grade or on the flat. If a scanner has read a code, write it down. The call checklist lists everything that helps the shop give you a straight answer on the phone.
What owners reported to NHTSA
| Make and model | All complaints, 2012 to 2022 | Powertrain complaints | Powertrain share | Model year with the most powertrain complaints |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Honda CR-V | 8,696 | 703 | 8% | 2015 (150) |
| Honda Pilot | 5,768 | 662 | 11% | 2016 (201) |
| Honda Accord | 8,462 | 549 | 6% | 2018 (144) |
| Honda Odyssey | 4,040 | 526 | 13% | 2018 (165) |
| Honda Civic | 5,593 | 500 | 9% | 2015 (181) |
Owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defect findings. Popular models draw more complaints because more of them are on the road.
On a phone the table shows the key columns. Turn the phone sideways or use a computer to see every column.
Keep reading
Related pages
Services
Work this vehicle often needs
Automatic transmission repairAutomatic transmission repair covers the gear sets, clutches, valve body, torque converter and electronics that shift for you.
Transmission diagnosisTransmission diagnosis is the step where a mechanic finds out what is actually wrong before choosing a repair.
Transmission fluid serviceTransmission fluid service replaces the worn fluid that cools, lubricates and operates your transmission.Vehicles
Other vehicles
Answers
Honda transmissions questions
Still have a question? Call (775) 829-1333 during shop hours. More answers are on the questions page.
Does A-1 Transmission work on Honda CVTs?
Yes. The shop works on every type of transmission, automatic, manual, CVT and dual-clutch, in foreign and domestic vehicles, Hondas included. Call with the year, model and engine.
How do I know if my Honda has a CVT?
Check the owner's manual or the fueleconomy.gov listing for your year, model and engine. A listing that says variable gear ratios, or a code that starts with AV, means a CVT.
Is the Honda CVT a problem?
The NHTSA data cannot say that. The counts are unverified owner reports that follow sales, and they do not separate one transmission type from another.
My Honda does not seem to shift. Is that normal?
On a CVT, yes. It changes ratio smoothly rather than in steps. A shudder, a whine or a delay into gear is worth a call.