Honda Accord Quality Control Issues

mark339 · July 2006

Hi,

I bought a 2006 Accord EX sedan about 2 weeks ago and after a few days I've noticed a rattle/clicking sound coming from one of the wheels. Dealer cannot find the source (i.e., brake assemblies, suspension seems okay).

Zeromitsu:
Could you hear your sound at highway speeds or only at low speeds?
Was it obvious to you where the exact source of the sound was coming from? That is, you knew that the sound was coming from somewhere around the right rear wheel area, or did it take you some time to pinpoint the source?

Thanks.

hqly2001 · July 2006

Help.. after parking the car today in the garage.. i hear dropping sounds.. like loud water drops.. but thee's no leak.. could it be the gas casket underneat the car?
i dunno why it would make such sound.. onyl had it for one day..
it went away after 5 or so minutes.. but annoying...
i've never had this issue with any car.. but then again i've never had a car where the gas tank is underneath the seat.. any thoughts??

blane · July 2006

It's not "water drops". It is no doubt your sheet metal exhaust system cooling down. This is normal for most cars on the road today.

nifty56 · July 2006

I second that

thegraduate · July 2006

Many cars, including my 1996 Accord, our 1993 Accord, 2000 Odyssey, 1996 Chrysler SEbring Convertible, and both our new Accords (2005, 2006)...all made/make the exhaust ticking noise...easily could sound like water tinkling into something that resonates. Don't fret over your new baby!

savagekei05 · July 2006

when i got my car fixed after i got into an accident, they said the water noise is normal. so don't worry.

normkol · July 2006

The other responses are no doubt correct, but in this weather, with using AC, you will have water condensation dripping off the AC line for a while after you shut down.

Either way, this is all normal.

hqly2001 · July 2006

thanks guys... i think everything is ok with it.. except i'm only going about 230 miles from the original fill up..
it was still at F when i got the car.. the guy drove 60 miles to deliver the car to me.. but after me putting on 170 miles.. i'm near E now.. i hope i will get more than 230 miles on a "full" tank when i fill it up..
but i love it so far.. far better than 15 miles per gallon that my van was giving me.. yes!

hqly2001 · July 2006

I also heard that you should break your car in slowly?
i was revving it up to 5000k rpm.. but stopped doing so.. how do u break in a car? after reading some comments i'm now scared to gas hard.. it's ok to go 80+ right? lol..
i saw a posting that someone did nto go over 45mph for the first 2000 miles.. freaked me out..

paulcudlip · July 2006

I remember when this forum was started that anselmo warned potential buyers of the V-6 Accord tranny problem.

thegraduate · July 2006

Do exactly as your owner's manual says to. Avoid Jack-Rabbit Starts and excessive revving (I stayed under 4k RPM for the first 1,000 miles). Drive at varying engine speeds (don't set the cruise at the same speed for two hours). 80 is probably fine, because the engine will only be running at 2,700 RPM...hardly dangerous or harmful.

Enjoy the new car!

thegrad
2006 EX I-4 Sedan Auto - 8,800 miles

blane · July 2006

That was over 3,400 messages and three years ago.

cwalti · July 2006

...sorry I misspelled some words in the earlier posting...

Hello I just wanted to tell everyone that HONDA really backs up their product.
I just had the trans replaced a power door-lock (slider driver) and replaced the ignition interlock on a van that is OVER 7 years old and has almost 80,000 miles on the odo. No hassle, no BS just yes sir we will repair this under Honda's warranty service. I never bought an extended warranty either. I will drive nothing but Hondas from now on and I will most likely buy them at Norm Reeves in Cerritos SoCal!!!!

Sidenote, - I had a lincoln continental, blew the trans at 72K, the motor at 75K and the suspension at 80Kmls. Ford told me to go fly a kite every time! Guess what? -- I dissuaded at least three peoples from buying a ford product, but have swayed at least six peoples to buy Hondas. I have three Hondas: a '91 Accord, a '99 Odyssey, and an '05 CR-V...
And I really want to add an Element to the list... :-)

djm2 · July 2006

edyan702:
Put an Extended Honda Warranty on this vehicle. I have a 2003 4 cylinder Accord,(purchased used). To date, Honda has put in $3,000.00 worth of repair on this vehicle, under the 7 year / 100,000 miles warranty. I would never own a vehicle without an extended warranty. Once I get to 99,500 miles this vehicle is history! I am already doing the research for the replacement vehicle. Some of the vehicles that I am considering are as follows: Honda Accord or Element, Ford 500, Chevrolet Impala or HHR, or Toyota Camry. The "BIG ISSUE" is the selling dealer and their service. My Honda dealer gives excellent service, even though my Accord was purchase used from an estate sale. Quality wise, I do not think that the other vehicles listed above are any better than the Accord. I would still purchase an extended warranty for the maximum years and mileage, and trade the vehicle once the warranty is over. One major repair could reflect the initial cost of the warranty.---- Best regards. ----- Dwayne

gee35coupe · July 2006

Has only been back to the dealership service dept. for a blown light in the heated seat switch. 45k miles too.

vegasproblems · July 2006

This is STILL a problem. I have to have a new tranny installed at 7000 miles in a 05 V6....as well as countless other issues that Honda claimed were all resolved 3 years ago.

06accordx2 · July 2006

Are all these tranny problems I read about only with the V6?

gee35coupe · July 2006

pervasive back in the earlier models. A couple transmission problems here and there is understandable in a car that sells 400,000 units, but back then there were several new people a week that were having problems.

There was a guy saying Hondas have engine issues just because his 4 cylinder blew up in less than 500 miles. And his was an isolated occurence. But then Honda really DID come out later with porous engine blocks in a run of V6's that they readily admitted to. From my 15 year relationship with Honda, they usually own up to problems that effect the long-term reliability of the vehicles. They usually repair the problem long after the warranty expires.

cindjo2 · July 2006

Hi all, this is my first time posting on this website. I just bought my first Accord brand new 06. My engine light went on , it hesitated hard and then bucked. I brought it in right away. The service person asked me if I "topped off" when I got gas the last time. I did in fact "top off". I was then told that this can cause damage to the engine due to a valve thats right near the gas tank that is for "vapor only". So by topping off one is risking gas to leak into this valve .I am very upset . I always topped off with my other vehicle which was a Nissan. I had 118,00 miles on her with never having to get her serviced , only normal wear and tear. I bought that car brand new also. I am really disapointed. I would think that there would be a warning on the inside where the gas cap is to caution the consumer of the damage that can occur from this with this vehicle.

robr2 · July 2006

Not topping off has been SOP for some years now. More than likely, your manual addresses it.

The fuel system is part of the emissions system and pumping in extra fuel to round up the currency can cause problems as you discovered. In the old days, you could fill up to the filler neck.

You didn't break anything, just avoid doing it in the future.

gee35coupe · August 2006

Topping off is not recommended. There is a recirulation system or something that could get damaged if you do.

cindjo2 · August 2006

I know that "now". I got my car back today. the problem wasn't due to topping off at all. it wound up being a defective V Tec module? whatever that is., I know it has to do with what makes the engine work properly. I am glad that it wasn't caused by topping off. needless to say I will never top off again..

tjordan1 · August 2006

Has anyone experienced a high pitch hum coming from the radio on a 2006 Accord? It's weird - I only hear it on FM/AM and CD but not on XM.

The car is brand new - but wasn't sure if this problem was common.

Thanks

rutan74 · August 2006

O.K. I have scanned a couple of the Honda forums and have found nothing save for one post concerning a sudden total electrical shutdown on my Accord.

Background: 2003 V6 minus nav. Milage is approx 97K. Up until now, car has been basically trouble free. Car was bought new.

Problem: About 2 weeks ago my wife tried to start the car while in the garage and there was no power. I mean no power. Total shutdown. No click, no dash lighting, nothing. She got out and went in the house and returned in a few minutes and tried again and the car started without problem.

3 days ago, wife driving and pulling into a parking lot when the car completely lost all power. All dash lights went out and the car was completely dead. Luckily, she was able to coast to a stop safely. She got out and then back into the car and tried to start the car. The car started.

Of course she told me of these two incidents and I sort of brushed them off as something flaky. I have over 16 years as a systems troubleshooter and know a little about fixing problems. Well at least on main frame computer systems.

Fast forward to tonight. I am in the car with wife. We pull out into traffic and bam, the car completely goes dark. Nothing. Totally dead. Wife puts tranny into park and tries to start the car. Nothing. Not even a click. We move the shifter in and out of park and still nothing. Nothing works in the car. I then start to get out of the car by manually pulling the door lock nob. Once I do that and open the door, the car becomes energized. Dash lights up and we are able to start the car.

These last two times, the power failure has been so severe that the clock needs to be re-set (blinking like when you disconnect the negative battery cable) which also requires the radio code to be re-entered.

Now, this is huge in my estimation! I cannot find a thing on this and know of no recalls concerning this issue.

Talk about a dangerous situation? Luckily both times we have lost total power while driving, we have been able to get stopped. Of course I am now wondering what would happen on the freeway or in the midst of making a turn or simply on the road at 50 mph or more.

So, the car is off to the dealer tomorrow with a few choice words. This is a SAFETY issue to me plain and simple. I'm not sure how Honda will find this problem but this is a serious issue.

I am here asking if anyone has had any experience with this type of problem? Could it possibily be tied to the door locks since that seemed to have restored power? Or could it be the ingnition key getting worn. I know intermittant electrical problems are tough to find, but this is not a minor issue and needs addressed.

So, anyone have any ideas, opinions?

Ohh, AC was on. We live in SC and so the average temp in July and August is 90 and the wife has the AC on all the time. Don't know if that has anything to do with it. Car is garaged at night, and has not suffered any water damage. Two years ago, car was in accident involving front end, but all was repaired.

Like I said, up until now, car has been basically trouble free apart from my headlamps (low beams) burning out which I think was premature. Other than that, no mechanical issues or other electrical related issues to speak of.

thanks,

john

robr2 · August 2006

A shot in the dark - bad transmitter in the key or bad receiver in the ignition. If those don't connect, car doesn't run.

spiff72 · August 2006

I hope you aren't expecting Honda to fix this free of charge (unless you have an extended 100k mile warranty)...

Just because you say it is a safety issue doesn't mean they are obligated to fix it at no charge. If this wasn't your intention or your point, please disregard this message!

normkol · August 2006

I'm not positive about Honda, but in most cars that is only checked when cranking, not continuously as the car runs.

rutan74 · August 2006

Thanks!

Actually after thinking about the problem and then talking it over with a few of our generator Engineers, they seemed to think it might be the ignition switch since everything goes through that switch. I also thought of the key not making good contact or something like that. Anyway, I jiggled the key around but I could not get the car to go dark again. I will try it with the wife's key too seeing that is the key that was in the ignition at the time of all the failures.

Dropped it off at the dealer and you should have seen their eyes when I told them my car went dark while on the road! Anyway, to make a long story short, my positive battery cable was loose and that is all they could find. They also stated that this problem DID exist back in 1999 and it was the ignition switch. That was my initial thought.

I'm not totally satisfied with that answer since the car is driven over many bumps and you would think that if the cable were that loose, this would happen more than 2 times. I go over 3 sets of railroad tracks each day and if the cable were causing a break in the circuit, I surely would see it then.

Anyway, I have the car back and they have simply thrown their hands up after running some tests. The problem is now well documented and if it happens on the road and or causes an accident, they will surely be the first to know since I will no doubt sue. Of course, they gave me my car back saying everything was fine, no problem. So now they own their diagnosis and I let them know it.

I can only hope that this is the reason.

Thanks anyway for your input.

johng

robr2 · August 2006

To their credit, keep in mind that intermittent issues like this are difficult to repair. They have to be there when it happens to get a feel for what it could be.

If you brought it in dead then it gives them a starting point.

rutan74 · August 2006

I never said that I expected them to fix it free of charge.

I do expect them to find the problem though! And it is indeed a safety issue IMO. Maybe not in yours or Honda's but I would say that losing total power while driving that causes an accident is a safety issue.

And seeing that I have some direct knowledge of corporate lawsuits (I'm not a lawyer but I do know our company expert that handles most engineering issues dealing with lawsuits in my company), it don't matter one iota if the warranty has expired or not concerning safety issues. The company is still responsible.

I'm not trying to sue, nor do I want anything for free, but if this happens again after the dealership has said no problem, and causes me any out of pocket expense, then it is perfectly in my rights to seek reinbursment.

johng

mrbill1957 · August 2006

The loose + lead on the battery sounds logical to me.

If it was your ignition switch going bad, you would still have SOME electrical things working, (headlights, power door locks, brake lights, radio memory etc.)

Mrbill

rgray3 · August 2006

Can anyone else see the out line of the airbag through the dash? I just bought this car Friday.

I cannot see it when i am sitting in the car. It is only visible when I look into the car via the front windshield.
I am going to have the dealer take a look it next week.

mrbill1957 · August 2006

Yep, the outline of the airbag can be seen. It's something that was noticed on the 03-05 Accords (can be seen from the drivers seat on my 04), and appears they haven't fixed the problem on the 06 models.

Mrbill

rgray3 · August 2006

Ok...so the Dealer can do nothing about it huh?

I thought I read someone in here had the dealer replace the the dash on the passenger side....

thanks!

thegraduate · August 2006

I can see the airbag outline barely on my 06 EX; I didn't find a problem, especially since it looks better than having a raised airbag cover like my old car!

rgray3 · August 2006

Grad, My 94 Acura had the raised cover as well! I can live with the outline as well...

Ok I will not obsess over this any more. Other than this one "issue" my EX-L V6 Cpe is a great car and fun to drive!

blane · August 2006

Even though I've never noticed mine, seeing the "outline" should be very comforting. It confirms that the cover is thin enough to allow the airbag to deploy through it in case of a crash.

rgray3 · August 2006

Another VERY Good point!! Ok... I will just enjoy my new car now!

user777 · August 2006

exactly. didn't the poster say the clock lost it's time?

either the battery has died or is about to, or there is a bad ground, or bad connection to the battery.

the technicians sound like they did a good job.

zeromitsu · August 2006

Sound is intermittent. Can be heard on the freeway or street road, high speed or low speed.
It took me a while to figure out where the noise is coming from. First two trips to the dealer they can't find or hear anything. Out of frustration I had to look for it myself and broke some clips trying to remove the panels looking for some loose bolts, wiring etc...
Right now I can hear the other strut making the same noise but not as annoying as the one that was replaced.

geemann · August 2006

I just noticed the noise this past week, and have had the car for only three weeks. Like you said, it is a very high pitched squeal that you can hear between songs or during quiet sections of music. Mostly it is noticeable when playing a CD at slightly higher volumes so it is not incredibly annoying, but hints at a possible electronic problem.

Have you taken it in yet to get it checked out? I probably will this weekend.

vegasproblems · August 2006

This was the latest problem my car had. The first the the dealer found nothing but gave me a print out about 2000 accords (not real relevant for a 2005). When I complained they "found" a service item/recall about the fuse box being loose on the 05 causing the car to lose power. They replaced that. Now just waiting for the next thing to go wrong.

2 transmissions, 3 radios, a fuse box, air vents, speakers, windshield rattles, etc in under 12,000 miles.

user777 · August 2006

does it occur with the engine running or not?

if the former - does the squeal change tone with the speed/RPM of the engine?

tjordan1 · August 2006

Thanks for the note - It was happening regardless if the car was on or not - As it turns out - I took it back to the dealership - and they are replacing the radio - there seemed to be some interference that was getting through to the radio - something internal with the radio itself.

tjordan1 · August 2006

Just read your other message - That is exactly what I was experiencing - you can hear it on talk radio pretty well - just based on the low background noise. Take it back to the dealer - they should set you up with a new one.

nfc138 · August 2006

I recently bought a 2005 Honda Accord EXL, 4 doors, 4 cyl, 27000 km. When it reaches 80 km/hr, I start to hear some intermittent wind noises coming from the passenger side, the sound is like wind trying to blow through a gap in the window or door. The noise is more pronounced at speed of around 110 km/hr. I took the car to a Honda dealer, who said they could not replicate the noise and hence, no fix.

Does anyone has similar experience and know how to remedy this problem? Could it be the defective seal on the doors, windows, sunroof, or windshield? I heard also that the design of the side mirror could be the culprit?

spiff72 · August 2006

My wife has an Accord EX V6 Coupe, and it makes intermittent noise like this. I have found that the noise is actually from the tires. Here in Michigan, they like to use a black crack sealing material on the roads (highways), and whenever the wheels roll over these, it makes a whooshing sound, very much like wind noise. Could this be what you are hearing?

It is a bit noisy in the rain too, but that MIGHT be another story issue

user777 · August 2006

have someone else drive and try to localize the sound from the passenger seat.

ok - if your up for it, you might want to try to do some sleuthing / testing with easily removable tape (like 3M blue painter's tape which should come off easily - test that assertion), sealing the rubber around the windshield, the pivot point on the side-mirror, the sun roof, the cowling (black plastic at the bottom of the windshield), the wipers to the windshield, the front mudflaps, maybe even the hood / body spacing...

i know this could easily get carried away. i don't personally know how you could determine the source otherwise. maybe there's an easier way another poster knows.

assuming the tape causes the sound to be silenced, i would remove one area of tape at a time, repeating the experiment of bringing the vehicle to speed till the sound re-exhibits itself.

nfc138 · September 2006

user777, your suggestion to use tape to isolate the source of the wind noise works. When I taped over the exterior seal between the passenger side mirror and the window, the noise stops. My next challenge is to convince the dealer, somehow I am skeptical that the dealer will take me seriously. Thanks for the clever suggestion.

wildman63 · September 2006

I noticed some wind noise in my 2006 EX-L the other day at 50MPH. I recycled the driver's window and the noise went away for now. The car is really pretty quiet, but I'm guessing the difference between noise and quiet is pretty thin.

Try some sinacone spray on the door seals and make sure the window tracks are clean.

Honda Accord Quality Control Issues

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