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Honda Accord Quality Control Issues

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Comments

  • rbruehlrbruehl Member Posts: 85
    I experienced the delay and after two replaced transmissions by Honda, I got rid of my V-6 Accord. There is no delay in the Toyota transmission at all. In addition, I have driven a Subaru Legacy are there is no delay.
  • gee35coupegee35coupe Member Posts: 3,387
    Doesn't really make sense though. Up until the I-vtec engine Honda engines didn't even turn the same direction as other makes. It would be like comparing a Honda sarter noise to a Toyotas. They are markedly different designs.
    Honda builds and designs thier own trannies and they do not operate the same as others. Just as thier engines are a tad more efficient.
  • mikek37mikek37 Member Posts: 411
    People...

    TRANSMISSION DELAY does not = BAD ! ! !
  • gee35coupegee35coupe Member Posts: 3,387
    Transmission permanent no go= bad
    Transmission delay= performing within acceptable parameters.
  • hjihji Member Posts: 20
    hi,

    I read some post saying the tire pressure should b 38 psi. But today i find the manunal indicates:
    front 32 psi
    rear: 30 psi.

    I check my tires they are about 36~38 psi. What should I follow, 38 or 32? Thanks.
  • mikek37mikek37 Member Posts: 411
    Not 38... 32
  • emaleemale Member Posts: 1,380
    the sticker on the b pillar will give you the correct tire pressure both frnt and rear...
  • jebinc1jebinc1 Member Posts: 198
    Some say "not BAD" which I subscribed to until the dealer that sold me the car said, "delay... BAD....new transmission on order". I too was shocked, but my 03 EX V6 with 3100 miles goes into the shop on Wednesday for a new transmision installation........

    Facts are facts.

    How many of you folks with the 03 V6 auto have a slight (1-2 sec) delay and can hear/feel the transmission engage two times? I would really like to understand the magnitude of this condition as I want to inquire with the dealer WHY he wants to replace MY transmission and not all of yours!
  • gee35coupegee35coupe Member Posts: 3,387
    on some throttle positions. The tech said I needed a new turbo. $2500 in warranty work later I had a new turbo and the same "HONK". Maybe the tech's defective and not the tranny. Whatever the difference you'll get a new tranny. Let us know if it has the same pause.
  • emaleemale Member Posts: 1,380
    jebinc1,

    colour me stupid but i can't for the life of me figure out why they wanna replace a working tranny in your car. i presume you are still driving your accord and it's not sitting on the dealer's service lot. please ask the service manager why they are putting a new tranny in your car. WE are all interested...!
  • jcihakjcihak Member Posts: 60
    I went to my dealer in MD 3 weeks after buying my 03 EX V6, and while I was there asked the tech about the '03 5 speed auto transmissions. He seemed to know a lot my concern including the extended warranty and issues with the older trannys. Fortunately he has not seen any problems with the '03s. I haven't seen any shifting delays either.

    I know with my old '98 Civic, it took a good second to shift from R to D, but it in now way affected the performence or reliability of the transmission.
  • tblazer503tblazer503 Member Posts: 620
    Engines ran in the opposite direction of other manufacturers, but they were also mounted on the opposite side of the engine bay. So in theory, you could use a Toyota engine with a Honda Transmission, or vice versa w/ the exception of bellhousing or mounting points...
  • jebinc1jebinc1 Member Posts: 198
    In my case, the tech, assistant manager AND service center manager would have to be defective. Each elevated to the next level because they were not sure. The final call was reached by the Service Center manager. As I said earlier, I originally dismissed this as "normal" because I had a similar delay in my 2000 EX V6. That one ended up having other loose/weird shifting over time. Glad it got rear ended so I could replace it. What turned me around was driving another 03 EX V6 that was on the lot. No delay at all. I repeat, NO DELAY AT ALL. Maybe that one is defective?
  • emaleemale Member Posts: 1,380
    jebinc1,

    still waiting to hear what was really wrong with your car...!

    honda wouldn't just stick another tranny in your car for no good reason. so, what is that reason?
  • jebinc1jebinc1 Member Posts: 198
    As I said earlier... I will tell you when I get the car back. That won't be until Sunday because I'm off to Las Vegas in 30 minutes :)
  • canadianaccordcanadianaccord Member Posts: 2
    Problem #1: Pulling to the right.
    I tought I was dreaming. My first new car, it just couldn't be that a new car had a misalignment. They will check next week when they try to fix for the second time Problem #2 (see below)

    Problem #2: Front break noise at low speeds when not breaking. Got it fixed at 6000km. It's back again even though they changed the calipers. Has anyone had them fixed but had to go back again? Dealer says they will likely change disks and pads now. Will that fix it? I'll let you know.

    Problem#3: Rattling dashboard noise passenger side. Kind of intermittent. But I now see I'm not the only one. I have not seen a solution to it though on this post. Is there one? If mine gets fixed properly, I'll update you.

    Problem #4: Bad carpet rear right side. Got it replaced. Must have been a defect from supplier.

    Problem #6: Strange vibrating noise when going from first to second gear when engine cold. Looks like I found the reason here. ABS pump "fills up" my dealer says.

    Problem #7: Driver side belt height adjustment device. When driving over highway, the spring in the mechanism makes a vibrating noise. It sounds silly, but the thing is just at me ear level and it dose it especially on our not so nice canadian roads and highways. And it's driving me nuts. Anyone experienced this? Is it just a bad one? Dealer will look into next week. I'll let you know again.
  • rueshanrueshan Member Posts: 32
    Honda is replacing the transmission with the delay because they have no choice. The dealer techs are not allowed to take the transmission apart to check for problems. If you take the car in with a complaint about the transmission that would normally require a mechanic to take the transmission apart, you will either have to live with the 'problem' or get another unit installed. Also, as another poster noted, if you have a car with an automatic transmission, the correct way to operate the unit is to come to a complete stop before changing the gears. You can choose not to do that, however, you will have mechanical issues to deal with in the future as a result. If you are feeling your new Accord bump into gear twice when you accelerate after backing up, you are in this group. It is a bad habit that will eventually catch up with you as you wear the transmission out... especially if you are still rolling backwards when you change gears. Take care of your car, and more than likely it will take care of you.
  • jebinc1jebinc1 Member Posts: 198
    Being the one who posted the "delay" item, I just want to set the record straight that I do come to a complete stop. The delay, and double bump, is there if I'm stopped for 1 hour or 1 second. I do agree with your post #2636 in general, however.

    PS. Long story, which I will type out later, regarding the continuing replaced story.....
  • emaleemale Member Posts: 1,380
    jebinc,

    still waiting on that tranny news...
  • jebinc1jebinc1 Member Posts: 198
    It's replaced, it's the same. Yes, they ripped out a good tranny even after the service manager verified it was bad. They put the new one in and found the same behavior...they decided at that point to try others on the lot and found the same thing. They feel like dumb @$$es, which they are. I told them that they were either incompetent or committing fraud (charging Honda for warranty work that wasn't warranted). Requested appointment with dealership owner. Owner gone until next Monday. Met with son-in-law of owner. Currently they are looking to put me into an 04 and take the 03 off my hands at no cost to me. I'm waiting for the callback tomorrow on what they plan to do. They were very apologetic. If they are not reasonable and fair, I will turn it over to my lawyer as I don't have the time given my job requirements. Stay tuned, the story has a few more chapters.
  • accordboy4accordboy4 Member Posts: 7
    Keep us posted with what happens with your '03. My '03 has been at the dealer since Monday (9/29). I'm awaiting on the Honda case manager from Honda Corporate to call me back (takes 3-5 business days!!). I'd LOVE to get a '04 for a '03 with no money exchange. Remember, I'm the one with the V6 EX with 1500 miles on it.
  • bd21bd21 Member Posts: 437
    Turn it over to your lawyer, you have got to be kidding! O.K. your dealer's service department made a big mistake and apparently changed a good transmission. They did the work in good faith and you are still covered by a warranty. They gave you an apology and you have your car back. Unless you had to rent a car while Honda worked on your car, they don't owe you anything! Now I'm sure your dealer may want to offer you a free service visit or something to show a good faith gesture, because they caused you an inconvenience, but again they don't own you anything unless you have lost money from their error. If indeed you happen to have lots of extra money laying around to pay a lawyer to waste his time on such a claim, what damages do you think he could collect? In other words I wouldn't tell the dealer you will engage your lawyer if they don't give you a new car. If you do, I suspect they will tell you to have a nice day, they are done dealing with you. They know they have done nothing to you or Honda that has any legal ramifications. Good luck, I look forward to hearing your outcome. By the way I'd be pissed too, I'm just trying to put your situation into a realistic perspective.
  • emaleemale Member Posts: 1,380
    sorry...but i can't help but think something really reeks here...! and take that however you want...
  • justinjustin Member Posts: 1,918
    something is fishy

    jebinc -

    what exactly is happening with the car now? they replaced a transmission, with a bad one? and now they are saying that it is normal?

    i hate to ask, but what exactly is wrong with it, if all cars are doing the same thing?

    thanks!
  • bburton3bburton3 Member Posts: 185
    IMHO it sounds like the service people made an honest mistake in diagnosing the tranny as a problem. Don't know how well Honda reimburses their dealers for warranty work but most manufacturer's reimbursment barely covers the dealers costs. If they do a no upcharge swap for an 04, this is a great dealer IMHO.
  • jebinc1jebinc1 Member Posts: 198
    All who have commented on my last post,

    My note from last night was short and abrupt because I didn't have the time to type out more information. Again, to summarize or clarify --

    RE: Tranny and other issues - Yes, the Service department made a mistake (two managers and a tech). The replacement tranny works the same as the old one. It is also over filled and some wiring harnesses were not hooked up. Additionally, some other problems were created as a result of the replacement. This is one area where I have issue with the dealership. Secondly, the car has been back several times for other minor issues that have not been resolved. In one case the service department claimed to replace the center console compartment. After the first visit when it was not fixed, I marked it to see if they would replace it the second time like they promised. Well, after the second time, they said the work was done and it was not. In a very polite way, and by following the advice of my original salesman, I began working directly with the sales manager. I honestly told him that I lost confidence in the car and service department. I acknowledged that the Lemon law didn't apply and asked him what he could do to swap the car out. We both agreed this was fair if he could work the math out. NOTE: I paid less than MSRP and more than invoice for the 03. He offered the 04 at cost and will give me full retail on the 03. That will be pretty close to $0. Again, no threats.

    Re: Lawyers - I never threatened or even mentioned legal action to the dealership. I always give folks the opportunity to make things right (which doesn't translate to giving me a new car as one of you implied). In fact, I'm letting the Service and Sales manager figure out a fair solution to my issues. The Lawyer comment was related to my line of work and the fact that I don't have time to review all the paper work due to business travel. I typically delegate these tasks to my legal team. I was not suggesting hiring a lawyer and suing the dealership but I was suggesting getting some help to work this through while I'm out of town traveling next week. Sorry for the confusion.

    I will post the final outcome but the dealership is being very fair and I expect to reach final resolution on this early next week (but I will be out of town). Someone mentioned in an earlier post that this would be a great dealership... Indeed it would be and I believe it is. This is why I continue to send business their way.

    Again, facts, not threats are what I use.
  • gee35coupegee35coupe Member Posts: 3,387
    But I refer you back to my MR2 story. dealerships do make mistakes. I wan't ticked off about the new turbo though. I agree with you in that if they didn't do the job right, they should replace the car since THEY damaged your otherwise perect Accord
  • talon95talon95 Member Posts: 1,110
    Not that you need anyone else to tell you to find another dealership for service ASAP...

    But when the service department at my local Honda dealer replaced the transmission on my 2000 Accord, the car looked just like it did before. And it ran just like before, except that the tranny glitch was gone. So a transmission replacement can be accomplished without screwing up the car overall.

    It seems that your experience was a monument to incompetence at every level. The decision was bad, the actual work was shoddy... unbelievable!

    I hope they follow through on the exchange. Best of luck for a satisfactory outcome.
  • bd21bd21 Member Posts: 437
    Now we have the rest of the story. Your dealer's service department is beyond incompetent. My local Honda dealer isn't much better. There motto seems to be, "there is nothing wrong with your car that's the way it's supposed to operate". If I need warranty service, I drive my car to another town. It's funny how another Honda dealer fixed two known problems that weren't normal operation.

    I had a transmission replaced on my Nissan Dealer without a hitch. I wasn't thrilled that it had to be done, but they did a good job. Trust must the first thing I did was put it on a lift and check everything. I'm a mechanic and I'm thorough when I do work. I will tell you this, about 70 percent of the time, when I have any work done by a dealership or car service center, I find something not installed properly. This includes car dealers (Honda, Toyota, Nissan), tire centers and muffler shops. I hate to take my car in for any repair because it is the exception that the work is totally done right in my personnel experience. This even happens when the service manager has told me they have their best master mechanic doing the work. That's why my goal when I buy a car is to never set foot back in the service department. I do all of the work myself unless it's is a warranty part that has to be replaced.

    I hope your dealer gives you a new car and hopefully you will never drive on their lot again. Good luck!
  • gee35coupegee35coupe Member Posts: 3,387
    Same with Lexus dealerships. I had to take my GS300 back 3 times to get one little misfire fixed. Even after I told them what it needed. I did my own plugs on my LS400 just to keep thier overpriced hands off my baby.
    Lexus make it nicer than most though by providing nice shiny new Lexi to drive around while they are screwing your car up worse. makes you just want to trade it in. I drove a new IS300, ES300, and RX300 while I was going through this. I wasn't even upset about the incompetence.
  • autobumautobum Member Posts: 11
    Sure hoped Honda had things under control by now ... although based on these recent postings one's gotta really wonder?

    Questions for Honda to ponder -

    Where are Honda's technical experts and why aren't they more involved in educating their current and potential consumers?

    Why are dealers given such latitude to independently differentiate normal from abnormal?

    Why doesn't Honda require an approval process before undertaking such a large repair as replacing a transmission? In other words, if Honda was involved, perhaps their engineers would have caught this error in judgement before it progressed to this level.

    Given Honda's recent quality issues, they need to be keenly aware that their consumer base is legitimately paranoid. To overcome this, they need to more than willing to educate their consumers and dealers. I am pretty fortunate to have a dealer that is responsive, patient and has a service manager that is intelligent and informed.

    To all of us as consumers ... it's our responsibility to seek out reasonable answers, and when doubtful, to get another opinion. It's also important that we resist being paranoid. These are very complicated machines and they don't always sound/act as we'd expect.
  • anonymouspostsanonymousposts Member Posts: 3,802
    Honda does require their dealerships to meet certain requirements. It's unrealistic to believe that they are able to monitor all of their dealerships all of the time. So far there have been over 1 million Hondas sold this year alone. It's up to the dealership to authorize a repair. With the recent transmission issues the dealers probably have more leeway when it comes to replacing them. Also, dealers make very little, if any, money when it comes to warranty repairs. That ensures that dealers aren't just replacing items on a whim. This dealership made a booboo .. if they are seriously talking with jebinc about providing a replacement car then they are going above and beyond in my opinion.
  • jebinc1jebinc1 Member Posts: 198
    They are serious, and they do want to make it right. Right now there is so much not right with the car, we all agree the best thing to do is swap it out. Most of that which is wrong was created by the swap out of the transmission that was not defective. I'm told that by next week this time, I should be into the new car. They are just working out how to transfer the old 2.9% loan so I don't lose out. the current rate is 4.9%. Again, I've been only dealing in facts and the dealership is listening and responding. It's not done until it's done, however. Stay tuned....
  • lugwrenchlugwrench Member Posts: 213
    Ten years ago, did any one of you think Honda had any notable quality issues? Honda was the benchmark that other manufacturers hoped to duplicate.

    Cutting corners by utilizing error prone suppliers seem to be what is bringing the Honda Accord down. In addition, the once stellar Honda plants in the USA and Canada are now producing quantity instead of quality.

    I read the JD Powers Survey regarding the 2003 Accord and was shocked by its scores. Honda needs to address these quality issues ASAP to reassure its customer base.
  • talon95talon95 Member Posts: 1,110
    I always have to take their results with a huge grain of salt. My 2003 EX V6 sedan has been completely troublefree... the best new car experience that I've ever had. But I didn't get a chance to express that fact, since JD Powers never contacted me. So is their sample representative? Not from my perspective.
  • winbrowinbro Member Posts: 235
    is there really any difference between the 5-star ones Vs the ones that dont get that distinction
  • imidazol97imidazol97 Member Posts: 27,132
    I don't recall writers saying that JD Powers data was wrong when honda gets good ratings. Were the methods just as "poor" then as now such that they need a grain of salt?

    Now when honda is not riding its reputation, deserved or undeserved, we're supposed to use a grain of salt?

    Actually the problem with anecdotal use of the reports is that they are historical. They don't evaluate the reliability of a particular car bought today. The problem is not the statistics. I'm sure JDPowers knows that about 1500 samples gives a good representation of the items they are collecting data about. I'm sure JDPowers knows well how to randomly collect samples.

    2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,

  • talon95talon95 Member Posts: 1,110
    "Were the methods just as "poor" then as now such that they need a grain of salt?"

    Yes, in fact, they were. They've always been poor and still are. Poor methods are poor methods, whether you're happy with the conclusions or not. I'll reserve my right to view their results with skepticism... sorry if that bothers you so much, but that's life. There are lots of opinions regarding the overall validity of their research, some positive, some negative.

    I take JD Powers with a grain of salt regardless of their results. I don't care if they like Honda or not. My lack of confidence in their findings has nothing to do with whether or not I agree with their results. I find the whole client funded and advertising driven premise behind JD Powers to be inherently flawed. So you don't have to get all hot and bothered about me having "conditional" confidence in them... I NEVER put stock in what they say.

    I've found that Consumer Reports has invariably reflected my experience with cars for years. While their sampling isn't perfect either, I just find their whole methodology and premise to be a much better foundation. So I'll stick with them, and leave JD Powers for others who have confidence in them.
  • emaleemale Member Posts: 1,380
    the only reliable way to judge a cars reliability would be internal warranty audits. of course the automakers would never release that info. CR and JD Power both have problems. CR for instance; hell i could claim i have a maxima when i really don't. and then give it a bad report card! CR needs to require that readers give their vehicle's VIN number on the form. don't know how JD power handles this...?
  • gee35coupegee35coupe Member Posts: 3,387
    When Honda had a huge problem with a couple months of production in the 2000 V6 Accords, Edmunds BLEW UP. Since then we have had sporadic rattles, creaks and pops. But all of them appear then go away. With anything produced at the rate of 30,000 a month, a small glitch here and there can produce hundreds of "mistakes". The fact that Honda seems to keep these problems to a minimum when they make soo many Accords is why they have the reputation they do. There are very few issues that seem to effect ALL Accords. That's why I don't pay attention to the JD power initial test. It's the 5 year test that separates the winners from the losers. Who knows what kinda of errors were goong on when the 1987-1998 or so Accord were being built. There was no Edmunds to complain to back then. But now we all think that was the heyday of Acord quality. Who knows, we may be in that heyday right now for long term Accord dependability. I know we are in features/safety/comfort for the money
  • emaleemale Member Posts: 1,380
    gee35...why do you bend over backwards to support honda every chance you get? it's a car company for crud's sake!!
  • anonymouspostsanonymousposts Member Posts: 3,802
    Together gee and I have owned the following:

    1990 Acura Integra with 124,000 miles
    1991 Acura Integra with 134,000 miles
    1992 Acura Integra with 125,000 miles
    1994 Acura Integra with 110,000 miles

    1989 Civic wagon with 108,000 miles
    1993 Civic EX with 134,000 miles
    1996 Civic EX with 108,000 miles
    new 1998 Civic EX
    2000 Civic SI X 2 (we had his and hers)
    new 02 SI X 2 (first one met unfortunate death)
    new 03 Civic SI (looking at this one right now in the driveway)

    1993 Acura Vigor with 60,000 miles

    1991 Honda Accord EX with 100,000 miles
    1993 Honda Accord EX with 135,000 miles
    new 99 Accord EX sedan
    new 01 Accord EX V6 coupe
    new 03 Accord EX-L coupe
    new 04 Accord EX-L sedan

    That's 20 Hondas. Not to mention the 99 Civic my sister had, the 83 Accord hatchback she had prior to that, the 93 Accord gee bought for his Mom, the 90 Civic wagon his sister had, and the 00 Accord that she has now.

    We've got lotsa experience with Honda products. As long as they keep building reliable cars that we like we will keep buying them. Out of all of those Hondas we have had NO catastrophic problems (knock on wood). Just regular maintenance. We have yet to find a car that offers such a nice balance for US. We've owned outside of Honda and had the following:

    new 00 Silverado: spent first 2 weeks in shop and still wasn't fixed.
    new 01 Protege: Great handling car, engine sucked for highway trips (which we love)
    95 GS300 bought @ 135,000: Sucks gas (20MPG) which sucks with gee's 80 mile round-trip commute. Had to fix the power steering wheel. Otherwise it's been flawless.
    1994 Lexus LS400 Anniversary Edition: Gee's baby. 8,000 miles in over 2 years. Needless to say this car doesn't make it out often enough to break.
    1997 Dakota V6: Bought at 67,000 and sold it at 73,000 almost 3 months later. Nice truck if you are truck people but we aren't. It miraculously turned into a blue 03 Civic SI. Couldn't make it up hills even with a 3.9L V6. No problems though. It will make someone a great truck.
    new 1997 RAV4: The only car we've ever completed a contract on. In 48,000 miles nothing ever went wrong. No rattles. Nothing. Just a little small and a little buzzy on the highway.

    So as you can see we've owned some of everything .. except Korean. It's always the Hondas that we come back to. The one time I bought something other than a Honda for me I traded it in 7 months. Haven't looked back. We considered everything under the sun before we bought our 04 Accord. Again, it was the best car for us and for the money by far. It can't be beat in terms of interior comfort, performance, predicted reliability, and safety.

    I think we are the type of buyer that keeps Honda where they are. We bought plenty of used Hondas and now that we can afford a new car we are staying with Honda based on those used car experiences. So far, all of our new Hondas have not let us down. Even the new 98 Civic with a paint flaw did not let us down because Honda gave us a new Accord for invoice and some compensation. Probably another reason we keep coming back. We have faith that if there is a problem with a Honda they will take care of it.
  • emaleemale Member Posts: 1,380
    anon,

    are u and gee married...?
  • thompsamthompsam Member Posts: 5
    I have a 1999 Honda Accord, 4 door sedan with the dark green paint. The paint on my roof has several spots that have faded out, 2 which are about 3 inches in diameter. has anyone successfully gotten a dealer to repaint a car with similar symptoms? And if so, what "argument did you use with them to convince them this was a factory defect verses an owner caused problem?

    Sam
  • gee35coupegee35coupe Member Posts: 3,387
    We've been together 8.5 years.

    GOT MARRIED FRIDAY!!!!!

    Yeah I'm a happy camper. Lucky camper too.
  • emaleemale Member Posts: 1,380
    so what are u doing here trying to defend honda when you should be on your honeymoon!!
  • imidazol97imidazol97 Member Posts: 27,132
    "sorry if that bothers you so much, but that's life."
    "So you don't have to get all hot and bothered about me (sic) having "conditional" confidence in them..."

    I don't understand why you are attacking me so sharply and personally.
    You may disagree.
    I am welcome to my opinion.

    2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,

  • gee35coupegee35coupe Member Posts: 3,387
    On the beach in Hawaii....Just kidding.

    We're taking a honeymoon later. I mean when you've been living together for 7.5 years, what's the hurry.
  • talon95talon95 Member Posts: 1,110
    Well, when you engage in personal attacks on others by presuming to accuse them of hypocrisy, prepare for them to react "sharply and personally". Perhaps you didn't intend your first post to be an attack, but that's how I perceived it. And you know what they say... it's all in the perception.
  • talon95talon95 Member Posts: 1,110
    "Consumer Reports collects their info too anecdotally. It's in questionaires sent to some subsribers and returned, if the subscriber wishes to complain or boast about their experience with their car."

    They send the questionnaire to ALL of their subscribers, and the result is a huge sample. And the questionnaire is worded as carefully as any that I've ever seen. There's no more likelihood of "anecdotal" results than with any other survey, including JD Powers. Any survey can be filled out with the intent of complaining or boasting about one's experience with one's car if the person is so inclined, again including the JD Power surveys. Finally, the CR surveys aren't funded by the very companies that are being rated, and the results can't be used in advertising. Unlike JD Powers, whose surveys exist primarily for the advertising potential.

    Just my opinion.
This discussion has been closed.