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Honda Accord Coupe Transmission Problems
I bought a 2007 Honda Accord Coupe with the 6-speed manual trans about three months ago. It generally shifts very smoothly, but occasionally malfunctions going from 2nd to 3rd. You feel a notch or stop that makes you think you are in 3rd. The gears grind and the trans throws the shift violently back to neutral and the engine revs high. This only happens every 100-200 miles or so, usually when the car is cold. The Honda service manager says it is designed that way and therefore not a defect and the warranty does not cover it. Has anyone else had this problem?
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A test drive of the civic Si earlier this year (on edmunds i think) also mentioned that they noticed this problem on the Si's 6-speed gearbox.
If it's remains what it is without doing any damage, then I really don't care about it. But, if my gearbox blows out at 40K miles or something, I might be slightly bothered!
this is a major issue so if anyone else has their own story, please post it here so we can print these comments and show them to honda !!
It also happens whether it's hot or cold.
I can now recgonize the feel of when it's not really in 3rd, so I don't grind the tranny anymore. But it is annoying to have to reset, and attempt to shift into 3rd again.
I'm going in for my first service at the Honda dealership. I'm going to bring it up.
And otherwise the transmission is a joy to use.
If found a post on the Honda website indicating they had addressed the problem. But they said it was addressed for all 2007 models, so I don't know why I'm having the problem.
Honda Genuine MTF: It’s Even Better Than Before
In case you haven’t heard yet, Honda Genuine MTF has been improved. It offers better overall shift quality in cold weather (especially in freezing tempertures), and it’s got better friction reduction for improved fuel economy and longer
transmission service life. This new MTF (P/N 08798-9031, H/C 8429094) is
the factory-fill on all ’07 M/T-equipped Honda models, and it’s backward compatible with older models. It comes in a 1-quart bottle that wears a new label and a white cap.
The transmission is commonly overfilled at the factory and that can result in some of the 3rd gear problems.
When I am parked on a hill, facing downward, and put the car in reverse, if I don't have my brakes on, my car will roll forward on down the hill til it runs out of momentum.
Most cars, you put it in reverse, it might roll a little, but then the transmission catches and you stop.
I took the car into a local dealer, and they told me the car was designed that way.
I've been driving now for over 25 years and I have never put an auto in reverse and had it roll forward 50 feet downhill.
Is is because I'm a woman with a warrenty about to expire?
Or is this just a dumb design?
When I go to pick up my car I expect to test drive some others on the lot to see if this is true, but honestly, it's just seems like BS to me.
Manuel
...my 6M coupe infrequently feels ropey going into 3rd gear also.....
The GM Synchromesh goo solution appears not only here, but also on DA and TOV.
I reckon nothing is truly perfect.............
best, ez....
Both doors have rattles in them.
Drivers door has a serious rattle when driving with window partially down.
Drivers seat squeaks and groans.
There is a fingerprint in the clearcoat.
I know no car is perfect but I expect better from Honda especially with only 11k miles on it. My previous car was an 03 civic Si (made in England) and this car had no rattles even at 20k miles and shifted fine. Iam wondering if it has something to with the fact that it is assembeld in America not Japan. Are the parts U.S sourced? I say this because everyone knows the american way of doing things is "O well thats good enough". Often I wonder if this car were assembled in Japan would I be having these issues at such a low mileage.
Manuel
This is one source. The issue also revolves around any six speed from Honda. S2000, Civics, TL, TSX, RSX. Plug in 6-speed and Honda into Google and you will see that all 6-speeds seem to affected.
Manuel
Let me be the first to point out that over at AcuraZine, the word is GMSFM to cure all your 3rd gear 6M problemas..................
best, ez.....
Hope this helps those who've had issues with this.
Manuel
I have a 2008 Accord EX-L I-4 MT. I am having the exact same problem shifting. When the car is "cold", when I shift from 2-3, I feel like I have 3rd gear "in", but when I release the clutch, I get a grind, then a slip back to neutral. Second try I force it into 3rd gear, it works fine, then when I shift from 3-4, the 4th gear engages fine, but when I release the clutch, the car lurches. My local dealership cannot duplicate the problem, along with the dealership where I bought the car from. But the problem is definitely there.
I was wondering if the 3rd gear parts from the 6MT are similar to the parts for the 5MT, and any advice from people in this forum to get dealerships to listen.
I had the issue going from 4th to 3rd. Any dealership who recognizes the 6M problem should be able to recognize the same issue with the 5M.
This tranny has a transmission filter screen and not the standard mesh filter serviced at periodical intervals. Purpose of the filter screen is to remove large transmission particles.
I service by removing the plug and draining fluid. About 3qts and cost $32.
Replace the plug crush washer. Z1 fluid from Honda. Do not drop the pan.
Test fluid color before service by a drop on a clean paper towel. If red with little dark at the drop point, fluid is ok. Dark or black is unacceptable. Check after driving 100 miles.
Annually is cheap compared to overhaul.
I bought the car in November 2007 and noticed that it would pop out of 3rd gear occasionally and grind in 3rd gear so I told the dealer this and they advised that this should go away at 10,000 miles.
I wish it were so but they ended up replacing the 3rd gear two weeks ago.
I picked up the car from the dealer on Tuesday night and had a rental car for two days while Wilde Honda in Waukesha tried to fix the problem.
I picked the car up and drove it home with no 3rd gear problems but did have a difficult time putting it into first gear with the clutch all the way down.
The next morning when I was driving to work I was on the entrance ramp to 94 west to head to work and could barely get the car to go into first gear and was afraid that someone would rear end me.
As the week progressed that problem with first gear went away.
On day 6 and 7 when I shifted into 4th gear it began to pop out of gear on its own (hence the name "Gear Popping").
At the end of day 7 it started whining in each gear and was still popping out of forth gear.
On day eight I called the dealer and advised that major problems needed to be addressed with the gearbox/transmission. I drove the car to the dealer and barely made it on since it was loudly whining in each gear and the gear shift knob had to be held in at each gear so that it would not pop out of gear.
The dealership has now had my car since Tuesday September 30th and I will not be getting my car back until possibly Monday October 6th. Originally the dealer told me that I would have my car back today on Friday. (By the time I pick my car up I will have been driving junky rental cars from enterprise for 8 days at the cost of $18 per day for the loss of rental insurance which means if someone crashes into you and the rental car needs to replaced and you don't have this insurance they can charge you up to $100 per day for loss of rental.)
The reason for delay on getting my car fixed was Wilde Honda Dealership did not have the parts to complete this job and advised that hopefully the parts will be there on Monday. I sure the heck hope so this getting a rental car every single darn week is getting very old......
I talked to the Sales Manager at Wilde Honda and told him my problems and he said it sounds like I have a lemon which is really rare with a Honda.
I visited Wilde Honda to if they could give me an even trade minus navigation with automatic since I am so disgusted with the poor quality of this manual 6 speed transmission but the salesperson said we will give you $22,000 on the trade in. I told the dealer to forget it if thats the best you can do; since, I am not going to take a $10,000 loss on a $32K vehicle.
Any ways I hope you have gotten your car fixed and you are the happy owner of wonderful new sparkling accord.
I can only pray that Honda really listens to its customers and takes us seriously, since I am not feeling that way now with the second fix in two weeks.
I am really hoping for an honest fix to these problems, but after reading much commentary on the problems with the gearbox's and transmissions and yes I had a 2001 Acura 3.2TL V6 that had its transmission replaced after $50,000 miles.
Honda did a recall on 1/4 of a million transmissions on the TL and I think they are doing everything possible to avoid a "Man Up" on this current problem until enough people like myself spend hours complaining on sites like
This whole experience has left a sick feeling in my stomach to be quite honest.
I'm hoping that Honda will prove me wrong when I pick up my car on Monday that they have truly fixed the gearbox problem.
Tune in this website and I will let you know how this one progresses.
I will say that Honda did an excellent job on the 1998 Prelude 5 speed manual; thus, I never had any problems with this car and traded it in for the 3.2TL with transmission problems.
Great job on that car Honda, please make me feel the same about the 2008 Accord V6EXL Coupe.
Signed,
Gear Pops Frequently Accord Coupe 2008 :sick:
Two weeks ago I have had the 3rd gear replaced on repair at dealership on the first visit for this problem due to 3rd gear grind/popping out of gear which the vehicle has been doing since I bought it in November 2007.
This week my Accord EXL V6 is in the dealership again for the 2nd time same problem different gear now it was the 4th gear grind/popping out of gear into neutral.
I will pick the car up on Monday and have now been without the car for a total of nine days.
I feel like the dealership is listening to me and doing everything they can to fix this problem; thus, I hope it is really fixed this time. No fault to the dealership they are trying their best.
Let me know how your situation has been.
Signed,
3rd and 4th Gear Popping Honda Accord 2008 :confuse: V6EXL Six Speed Manual
Manuel
Check this site to show video of Accord V6 manual popping out of gear the website "http://www.automotivearticles.com/123/article258.shtml" it should show you what is happening.
If you have a video camera and a friend that can ride in the car with you to video tape you while you are shifting you can catch it on tape and take it to the dealership to show them what your experiencing; thus, make sure that if it happens you take it in to the dealership and demand that they take care of the problem right away don't buy the line that the problem will go away at 10,000 miles, like I was told.
I sent the dealership that I am working with this website so they can better understand the gear popping issue. Make sure to keep a note pad in your car to document each occurence that it happens so you can remember when you take it to the dealership.
Let me know if you are able to access the site to see the gear popping problem on tape.
Make sure you pay close attention when you put the clutch all the way to the floor if it grinds into that gear and then immediately pops out into neutral and then you have to put it in that same gear again.
Good Luck and keep me up to date with whether your problem is truly resolved.
I am going to the dealer on Monday to pick up my 2008 Accord V6EXL w/navi and I am having both service managers ride in the car with me and also drive it to see if there is any trace of gear grinding/popping.
This whole experience has caused me to lose faith in the car I have and that is a bit unnerving.
The dealership has provided me with two dumpy low end rental cars from Enterprise Rent A Car (PT Curiser and Mazada Speed 3), when I should have gotten a dealer demo that has a least has some safety built in like the accord, my mistake.
I will have had a rental car coming up on Monday now for a total of 9 days with an out of pocket expense of $180.00 and will ask the dealership to cover this since they did not pick up on the frontside.
The regular insurance does not cover the loss of rental insurance on the dumpy rental vehicles they have provided me with ($18 dollars per day).
Loss of rental means you pay if someone runs into and crashes your rental vehicle and it cannot be rented to someone else you can be responsible for $100 per day which could add up to $3000 for the month if it takes that long to fix the vehicle.
I am hoping the dealership will step up to the plate and cover this loss of rental insurance, since I am not at all happy with this whole nightmare experience with this Honda Accord. Wilde Honda acts like it is no big deal to be in a dumpy rental; since its not them driving it.
Lets just say that I am numb about this whole Honda :sick: experience.... Let me :mad:
best, ez....
After the "fix" with the GMSFM transmission fluid, honda reformulated their own transmission. The new fluid alone did not fix my transmission issue. Only after the replacement of the transmission parts fixed the issue for me. When only the fluid was changed, the problem disappeared for two weeks or so. When it was cold third gear popping was much more prevelant than when warm. Now that it is getting colder here in Jersey, it will be a better test for the new parts.
If so did the dealer tell you it would go away after 10,000 miles?
How many times has the dealer tried to fix your problem so far?
I wish I would have addressed these gear issues within the first week I had the car and not listened to the dealer that this problem just some how goes away after 10,000 thanks for the B.S. "nice snow job guys" just in time for winter I might add.
You know its amazing I had bought a Honda Prelude in 1998 5 speed manual never any problems with any gear grinding popping what so ever now that is true Honda quality; thus, I know Honda can fix this problem if they really put their mind to it.
What the hell is going on here with Honda's quality control on their 6 speed manual transmissions please own up on the problem that is facing many of us.
The problem is there are not as many customers driving manual transmissions, so you can only imagine the percentage of people likely having problems with these transmissions and are not computer savvy enough to report it on a site like this to warn other people about it.
All I am asking is that Honda really fixes this problem instead trying to pacify me; thus, Honda please hear what I am saying and step up to the plate and "Man Up" and take some responsibility here.
I really love Honda engines and have been driving a Honda for the past 10 years and would like to be driving them for the next 30 years but I need some real fixes here this time guys and gals at Honda engineering transmission group this time lets get it right this is really getting old...
If if sounds like I am venting about my frustration with this you bet I am when I spend $32,000 for a car I do expect it to be absolutely reliable come on folks wake up and smell the burnt coffee for pete's sake,
Take a video camera and record your gears popping out so you can show the dealer and keep record of it.
Good luck and hopefully Honda will resolve this problem for good so I can spend my time doing other things rather than on this site.
Thanks for sharing your transmission problems/issues :mad: :sick:
They tried a poor fix on it the first time two weeks ago at the dealership that lasted just about one week and darn near left me stranded on the side of the road and certainly not with warm fuzzies on the inside. The whole geabox fell apart; thus, how great is that on a $32,000 vehicle you can imagine that I am really not happy like a clam on the beach in summertime..
The accord has now been at the dealership for 7 days come Monday when I am suppose to pick up it up.
Believe me this is getting really old here, I really just want it fixed right thats all just want some quality for a change.
Believe me I am not buying another v6 manual Honda to save my life if I have to take it in for this same happy problem the next time which will be time #3 to see if I am just having some bad luck here with one out of 100 forget it.
Did you end up selling your car? Did the dealership replace your gear box?
Thanks for this website I forwarded it to the dealer so they can see this problem also first hand.
The video shows the same exact problem I have had with my Accord for 10,000 miles and has continued even with the attempted fix by the wonderful dealership mechanic.
So far Two very exciting happy dealership visits to the dealership for more excitement than your regular oil change to the mechanic shop to replace gearbox problems; thus, the first fix almost lasted one week for 3rd gear but the rest of those happy gears decieded to take a vacation on me. How about for a "quickie" until the whole gearbox decided to fall apart on me leaving me almost stranded on the roadside. Thanks for my early birthday present I really wasn't wishing for a geabox to fall apart on me.
I barely made it to the dealer without all the gears falling on the roadway.
Hope to pick up the car tomorrow on Monday and have this whole nightmare 100% fixed by the dealerships mechanics because I bought a car to drive at least that was my intention when I listened to the Honda Accord commercial on the internet for the 2008 Accord Coupe it said "You Are More Than A Driver" I guess your right about that statement from the commercial so I am thankful about that, since I have been a spectator from the sideline not a driver maybe I should be catching the city bus or something.
I really have enjoyed having my car sit at the dealership mechanic garage for 9 long days along with having a crappy rental car to drive around with poor crash rating provided at the expense of my wonderful dealer. II am so elated about this whole experience that it is really better than an all expense paid trip to Hawaii for the week seriously it does not get any better than this.
Halloween must have come early this year because I sure feel like this has been some "Tricky Treating" at my expense thanks a million :P
:P
Are you more than a Driver Like the commercial says about this car?
The car is great with styling inside and out A+ to those engineers that worked on those areas they just need to get the transmission group and tell them half time has ended and its time to get back on the field for the 3rd quarter thats all I am really asking for, since I would like to be a loyal Honda fan for the next 30 years.
This game can still be won, but the transmission group at Honda needs not to wait until the fourth quarter with 2 seconds on the board to win my customer confidence back please do it now.... seize the moment.
They replaced my 3rd gear two weeks ago the fix lasted for one week until the whole gearbox feel apart so it was in the dealer for 2 days the first time.
Now my car has been in the dealership for 7 days and will pick it up on Monday and hopefully no more dealers garages are in my future since I am tiring of my vacations on the shop floor there is only so much to see there.
If it looks like a lemon, feels like a lemon, tastes like a lemon its probably not a lemon so don't be concerned after all my dealership told me this is a problem that normally goes away after 10,000 miles. Now how convenient are those statements since a car is usually a year old after 10,000 miles so if the problem is not fixed correctly I can live with it for the next 2 years/24,000 miles I am jumping for joy right now I can hardly contain myself.
I can soon look forward to another 2 years of wonderful ownership if not fixed with hours inside a pile of junky rental cars provided by the dealership and taking my vacations at the waiting room to suck down some diet cokes, have some cookies, or maybe some good gourmet coffee while I am at it and I will feel like Christmas came early this year.
I can plan my fun vacations with my accord coupe looking through the dealership mechanic garage to see how great it looks being taken apart again, then I know like the commercial I am more than I driver, I am very elated customer sitting in the service waiting room at a 5 star Honda Dealer with comfy chairs, big screen TV and snackes a plenty to last the whole day.
I just want Honda transmission group to "MAN UP" on the V6 6 speed manual and fix it for real this time please that is all I am asking but don't waste too much time doing it either.
Keep in mind fewer people have manual transmissions these days and the ones who do may not know about this site or may have bought the line from the dealership that "Oh that 3rd gear problem will go away after 10,000" well it sure did not and like a bad dream it has been reoccuring as well.
Seems like there are people out there like yourself that are having the same problem as me; thus join the club fasten your seatbeat grab some diet cokes and cookies at the delearship and enjoy every varieity of classy rental cars and the big screen TV at the dealership well try to make it a smooth ride for you but I can't promise you there will not be any turbulance along the way unfortunately.
By the way Half times ove, its time for the transmission group of engineers at Honda to get back into the game in the 3rd quarter and put the popcorn down.
Make sure you have them fix it and don't settle for lame answers. I had a Honda Prelude that was made in Japan (1998 model) and it never ever gear popped in 2nd or 3rd gear and the gears never grinded in any of the gears now that is the quality I expect in this V6 6 speed transmission thats out there now, I really won't a genuine fix not a half botched fix like I've gotten. The weather should not make a difference it did not make any difference on my 1998 Prelude. The 1998 Prelude gets an A+ all the way around from styling to transmission/gearbox. I know Honda can get it together again thats all I want.
Good Luck and hope it gets fixed or is already fixed so you don't have these issues anymore like leaky plumbing that keeps dripping all night long try to put a real plumber on this problem.
Have a great day,
Signed,
3rd and 4th Gear Popping Accord EXLV6 6 spped manual
:shades:
Today is exactly one year since I bought the 2007 Accord EX-L 6-speed sedan. The problem started about December and was in the dealership to have the tranny fluid changed with the reformulated honda tranny fluid. The problem went away for two weeks and promptly returned. April 12th, honda issued the long awaited TSB. In June the car went dealership. 6 WEEKS later the car came back after 4 tranny removal/installations. The details are ugly, reverse was lost, multiple 3rd gear kits were used. (Yes, I had a loaner that was a rock solid Accord 4cyl automatic. No, rattles, the honda I expected.) My car had rattles, the glove box, the driver door window rattle, the driver door lock area rattle. I got my car back. The rattles were not fixed. Back four more times for the rattles. The glove box was fixed, there is a solution dealerships can look up. The window rattle was gone with another well known fix using tape and not only lubricatiing the window. My door lock rattle is the most annoying of all. That stupid thing was gone when I got the car back... two weeks later it came back. ANNOYING! I'm too tired to take it back right now. This has been going on since August. Another thing, the interior rear view mirror stinks. It has a constant vibration even after it was replaced. I hate it.
Anyway, those are my issues with the car. Now that it is getting colder, that will be the real test. The issue was much much worse when it was cold outside. Best wishes with yours.
Thanks for writing back; thus, I am really sorry to hear about your experience with your Honda Accord, you really should look into seeking legal counsel it sounds like you have a lemon there. I know the rule usually states taking the car in for 3x for the same problem with having the car at the dealership for 30+ days within one year of having the car which is the case that you seem to have.
I have a next door neighbor who won on the lemon law with the help of an attorney and received 1 and 3/4 value of his car w/attorney.
Type in Lemon law on the internet and seek some counsel here.
Your experience should be much better than it has been that is really unfortunate you have had this unpleasant experience.
Its hard to explain the stress that this causes to other friends, family, dealership if they have not had this happen to them.
If I were you I would be making some phone calls tomorrow find out what your rights are here.
Good Luck and let me know what your outcome is and I will let you know how my car is from the dealer tomorrow when I pick it up.
Thanks,
Gear Popping 3rd and 4th 2008 Honda Accord Coupe EXLV6
Did you ever get the problem fixed with your accord?
I have had the same 3rd gear popping out problem for 10,000 miles and it did not go away. They replaced the 3rd gear and a week later the whole gearbox feel apart.
No on repair #2 for the same problem they are replacing the whole gear box.
Several accord owners are having this same problem.
I have been milking the clutch and shifting with the revs to get the best gas mileage I can and still have had the gear grind when you try to put it into 3rd gear and then it would pop back out into neutral again very frustrating and seems to be a design flaw here but no one at Honda really wants to do a whole recall on this problem.
The last recall Honda had was a recall of 1/4 of a million 3.2 TL 2001-2003 Acuras with a shifting problem from 2nd to 3rd gear and the transmissions were failing in huge numbers.
I hope you are remaining persistent with the dealer to fix this problem it is for real.
Some Accord owners have video taped the gear popping by having a friend video tape the gearbox while they are shifting and has shown evidence of gear popping.
I have been a Honda fan for 10 years but after this experience I am losing confidence big time in the product unless they can change things around.
Good Luck on your situation and let me know how it is going with your problem and if they have actually fixed it permanently or just a quick fix that lasts a week like mine and then falls apart or for a few weeks like you have had.
I will be posting comments after I get my car back on Monday but if it still has that problem I will be leaving it with the dealer to get it right I'm getting sick and tired of driving crappy rental cars from the dealership.
Signed,
Gear Popping 3rd and 4th Gear Accord 2008 Coupe 6 Speed Manual
Other than the hesitation every now and then on the 2nd-3rd gear shift, a clutch with a vague friction point and a couple of window regulator motors replaced under the factory warranty, the 2005 6M coupe seems to be a first class mo-chine...............
Plus on the freeway, the fuel efficiency is hard to believe.................
all the best, ez..........
It took about two months for the dealer to get the parts in, and then two days for installation. They picked up the rental car cost.
It took about three months total time to get this issue resolved.
I've put about 6K on since then and have had no further problems with the shifting. However, about a week after the fix I started to hear some creaking from the front end. The dealer fixed it, saying a control arm bolt had worked loose. Since the transmission repair tech seemed somewhat embarrassed about it, I assume the control arm had been removed as part of the transmission repair.
I notice that in post #50, EZShift5 mentions window regulators. Around the time of the shifting problem, I'd complained about noisy window operation and the dealer replaced both window regulators under warranty which fixed it. No hassle, but it makes me wonder if regulators are another chronic problem.
Overall, I'm satisfied with the car and the dealer service.