Edmunds dealer partner, Bayway Leasing, is now offering transparent lease deals via these forums. Click here to see the latest vehicles!
Honda Accord (2003-2007) Maintenance and Repair
Mr_Shiftright
Member Posts: 64,481
in Honda
In order to make the original and highly popular “Honda Accord Owners: Problems and Solutions” forum more manageable, we are dividing that forum into “Accord generations”.
Please make sure you are in the right generation for your Accord, and then post your questions concerning any maintenance or repair item.
Thank you again for helping to make the Accord forums so great here at Edmunds!
MrShiftright
Host
Please make sure you are in the right generation for your Accord, and then post your questions concerning any maintenance or repair item.
Thank you again for helping to make the Accord forums so great here at Edmunds!
MrShiftright
Host
0
Comments
oh boy - my advice: look out for flying snowballs and icicles!
Has anybody tinted the windows? I want to tint rear doors and back window. I will have a professional do it. Any ideas on how dark to go? Any problems with tinting on the Accord. I have an 05.
Thanks in advance.
I have also noticed a vibration in the gas pedal at lower city speeds and a pull to the left when driving over 40 mph.
Anyone have ideas as to if these are common problems?
Thanks. Great split on the form BTW.
If you click on Maintenance and Repair, it displays the entire list of discussions available on the Maintenance & Repair Board.
And on the top of that list is the "Archived Discussions" link.
Also you can just use the "Search Forums" feature to the left of this page and enter the keyword "Honda Accord" and you will see all active AND archived discussion about the Accord.
Shifty the Host
In other words, don't hold your breath...
It seems that Honda has ALWAYS had issues with its transmission. It's been ALWAYS shifting more roughly than some other cars (its archrival Camry, for instance), though comparing my new '05 to my old '95 (both V6), there is quite an improvement...
And yes, I have also noticed some slight vibration at low speed, sometimes....
Pull to the left? That needs to be addressed by your dealer. But before that, have you checked your tires' air pressure?
If your problem is common, Honda might be willing to absorb most or all of the repair cost. It's worth a try.
Let us know of your success--Honda (as well as other car manufacturers) will sometimes accommodate customers with repairs even beyond the warranty period. Isn't that why we buy Hondas? Because they're unlikely to have the kind of problem you're having?........Richard
According to the dealer that is normal for that tranny.
No vibration on my yet ?!
Also, car is pulling to the right and I am sure it is the crap Michelins Pilot HX MXM4....dealer is checking the wheel alignment this week and if that is not the problem he will replace the tires.
Other then this the car is great....very quiet....solid....no squeaks or rattles.
HP overrated at 244 HP.....my 330i feels so much faster !.....I know, I know it is the torque !
Regards,
Webby
Honda Accord Owners: Problems and Solutions (Retired Discussion)
Host
1) I wonder how useful are these inspection? or they are just dealer profit. If I don’t feel anything wrong with the car, would you recommend to skip them and just do only the “real maintain” like oil change/ air filter, etc.
2) Does the warranty (and Honda care- extended warranty) require us to complete the inspection?.
3) If the inspections are useful, I might do them at 30000 miles services (skip 10000, and 20000 miles inspections). What would you think?
Thanks in advance
Have you checked your cold tire pressures against the inflation specifications on the door jam label? If your wife's car is pulling to the right, it sounds like one front tire has more or less air than the other.
http://www.driveaccord.net/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=2517
XM radio IS sluggish to change station, just the way it works. The only explanation to it being even more sluggish in the winter, which I doubt, maybe clouds, or atmospheric interference, since your car gets the XM signal directly from the Satelite up there high in the sky...
Taking it in tomorrow for a wheel alignment check so will have the tire pressure checked.
Will post when find out.
Thanks
Webby
The 2nd gear slipped about 8-10 times over the course of 20k miles before failing today. Yes, it passed the 2nd gear color inspection recall.
I pulled the car onto the shoulder of a busy interstate in rush hour. The smell of burnt trans fluid filled the car. The engine was revving as I pushed the accelerator but the car did not move.
To make a long story short, I was able to limp the car into my driveway.
I refuse to pay for a tranny replacement on a $26k car (I bought brand new) with 51K miles. Honda should goodwill a new trans.
1.) Did you ever change the trans fluid?
2.) If the answer to this question is "yes", did you use Honda fluid?
3.) Did you purchase a Honda extended warranty?
FACT:
Honda does not have to "good will" anything! You are well beyond the 3 year / 36,000 mile new vehicle warranty. If you wanted to protect your vehicle investment, you could have purchased a 7 year / 100,000 mile warranty for $875.00 at the time of the vehicle purchase. You cannot have it both ways, (saving on the purchase price of the warranty, and getting a warranty as "good will") You took a gamble and you lost!
(2) Did you purchase a Honda extended warranty?
No, I bought a Honda for reliability. American Honda is pretty fair about replacing/fixing items that are premature failures. I don't think anyone will dispute the fact that transmission failure at 51k is considered premature. My car has a full service record at the dealer where I purchased the car new.
You took a gamble and you lost!
If I bought a Ford, GM, or Chrysler I would agree. Those companies typically do not stand behind their product like Honda. I trust Honda will replace the transmission for free since they recognized the problem early w/the 2nd gear recall.
IMO, I think Honda will extend the transmission warranties to 100k on the +'03 V6 Accords like the 99'-01' Odyssey campaign. And yes, I am also a victim of 2 transmission replacements in my '00 Odyssey.
If I bought a Ford, GM, or Chrysler I would agree
The Hondas lines have had transmission problems for more than a decade. They've had to extend warranty to 100K mi. on many models. You bought a known problem car with trans problems.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
Wheel alignment was out on 3 wheels, rear right really bad.....great Hunter machine brought all to specs...it was intersting to watch.
Air pressure was fine in all tires .
Took it for a drive with service mgr and car still pulled to the left.
Went back and switched front tires...left to the right side and right to the left side.
Took the car for test drive again and now pulls to the left side.
The verdict as suspected.....crappy Michelins Pilot HX MXM4.
Planning to replace with BF Goodrich Traction T/AV 91V, had great luck with these or Bridgestone Turenza LSV
Also, first tank gave me 450 km ( 64.7 l tank )....I am averaging 650 km on my 330i ( 63 l tank ) both cars are rated approx same for gas consumption.
Service mgr drives same car but a Coupe V6 and best so far he got is 500 km.....what is going on ????????
Regards,
Webby
P.S. Wife loves the car !
I just bought an automatic V6 sed and I was reading some of your problems and wanted to say I too had a pull to the right on my Accord V6 but rather then checking alignment, the dealer just needs to switch the front two tires that are on your car and see if the pull happens the opposite way. If it does, whichever way it is pulling is the bad tire. This is such a common problem that the dealer actually stocks extra crappy Michilins Pilot Hx MXM4 and all other Michilins so they can "replace" them. Do not ask to get your alignment done if this happens because you will waste the dealer's money paying his Tech to do a unnecessary and time-consuming job. BTW, the dealer ain't gonna do it even if you ask but don't waste your energy over this despite your enthusiasm for your new car. I am coming from a V4 Integra so I am not worried about any sluggish down shifting of this transmission and infact, I am praying to the Honda gods to keep my tranny and everything else safe from early malfunction. I would advise you all to do the same becasue you know that if you wanted a strong V6 (counting the Tranny) you would buy a Nissan V6 cuz they practically "specialize" in strong V6 engines. Hondas, at the moment, doesn't specialize in anything except maybe fit n finish despite historically being great at 4 cyl vehicles. If you run your V6 like a V4 while in traffic and like a Prius by letting off the gas completely when you see a red light in the distance, we hopefully won't have a Tranny (nor brake) problem. Pray hard! :sick:
Try it out with the trip odometer as well. That takes a long time to update between clicks in cold weather too.
Haefr, what sorts of "crispness" should I be experiencing?
Since I drive mostly highway miles, my first thought was that somehow my handbrake had been on for a time and I'd missed it. I checked the function of the dash light and found that if the lever is even one click up, the light on the dash is on, and I dont think I would have missed that.
The service advisor gave me some explantion that city driving will sometimes cause premature rear wear, but that does not apply in my case. Any chance that something like the ABS system might have caused the premature wear?
Just looking for answers since in my own experience the fronts go way before the backs and my fronts still have alot of meat on them. The handbrake explantion is the most plausible, but I dont see that has having happened here...
Thanks for any insights/experiences you may have.
Just an update: I just reported that the Accord might have a slow crank but actuallly its an extended crank and not a slow crank that is what my purported malady is. I'm "going in" on Monday to my service dept and have them check the fuel etc. It's not a slow crank because a slow crank would be the actual cranking would be longer but an extended crank is it just that.. takes extra cranks to start and not necessarily longer cranks. Meanwhile, I am going to try this:
Put the car in the On position for about a second or two before you start it to see if it needs time for the fuel pressuring to take place. You know that sound you hear like a Whiz boom and a click before you start the car? That's the sounds of the fuel being added before you start the car. Also I am going to try to put the gas cap to one click when I shut it as opposed to two clicks. Anyone else had this extended crank and know what the fix was?
The I4 has been bullet proof.
I am not concerned about it since the warranty is 5 yrs or 100,000 km and as you said it really is not a problem.
However there are couple other things that bother me....took the car today for lengthy drive on the highway approx 100 km and drove at speed between 100 and 130 km, there appears to be a slight vibration on the gas pedal at around 120 km/hr.
I can not tell if it is from the tranny, engine, bad gas or ??? ....it does not bother my wife but it bugs me.
Also, the mileage appears bad....do not have the numbers yet since the car has only 600 km....please comment on your mileage.
So no problem starting...first crank
Will be talking to Honda first thing Monday morning and will post.
Regards,
Webby
P.S. Wife loves the car !
I have a 2006 Accord SE Automatic with 700 miles and here's a list of my observations:
o Occasional vibration is gas pedal, especially in hilly drive
o Weak acceleration in short-ramp fast freeways (--I was able to remedy this by using D3 gear initially and then at the right moment shift to D; now I'm also incorporating the "2" gear when making sharp turns that go uphill, shifting from D to D3 then "2", then D3, D depending on the slope; yeah this automatic transmission can be operated as a "stick" without having to worry about depressing a clutch!)
o Low MPG in mixed city-highway (60%-40%) driving -- only averaging 23.9 miles per gallon!
o Obnoxious engine sound when running between 40 to 50 miles on a hilly road (is this what they call "gear hunting"?)
o Noticeable "rough" auto transmission shifting, especially the first drive in the morning.
Not very impressed, ramida
Sorry to tell you this but your dealer is pacifying you by saying what you want to hear. As far as I know, your car has the same V6 tranny as the 03'-05'models. Many people including myself reporting tranny failure at 50k. Do a search in this forum or google it for yourself.