Older Honda Accords

gregoryc1

The V6 03 Accord must be a VERY different vehicle from the 4 cylinder version. I have 33,000 miles on my 03 4 cylinder Accord, and I do not have any of these problems.

talon95

My V6 Accord has been commendably reliable so far. I, for one, haven't had any problems other than the rotten egg smell (which is mostly a factor of gasoline formulation anyway), so I can nearly match your anecdotal evidence of trouble free service with my V6 Accord. However, here are the problems shared by both 03 V6 and I4 Accords that are widespread enough to warrant TSBs to cover them.

Creaking/popping when accelerating/decelerating
Wind noise - front window
Headliner sag
Rotten egg smell
Rattle from rear shelf
ABS light comes on
Brake shudder

And the I4 Accords have a whole list of TSBs for issues that affect only them. So clearly, not all I4 Accords are as trouble free as yours.

It's interesting to note that the discussion revolving around the V6 Accord transmission recall has been pretty much devoid of any reports of problems or actual failures... people are mostly asking about whether or not others have received the notice. Also interesting is that, despite the fact that the transmission recall affects only V6 Accords, the only case that I've seen reported on Edmunds of a transmission that failed and had to be replaced among gen 7 Accords was on an I4. I saw one other report of an I4 transmission failure on another site. These failures have lead to lots of speculation that it's only a matter of time before the I4 Accords are added to the recall. Only time will tell.

It's not that the V6 and I4 are such different vehicles... it's just that some of us, like you and me, have been lucky and dodged most or all of these "bullets" (knock on wood).

chucko3

http://www.northcoasttuners.com/TSB/04-037.pdf
The repair procedure isn't that complicated.

The dealer installed the oil jet kit in my friend's Odys. So far, he's happy with it.

Yes, I really love the smoothness of the EXV6 tranny. Will see it will be the same when I get it back after the repair in Oct.

justin

hmmm, never knew about the wide spread wind noise problem. maybe the ruffled noise i hear from time to time is wind noise, and not an actual "rattle"? i sometimes think it comes from the door panel, and sometimes the window area.

is there a TSB for that? Honda claims there is no TSB for anything driver door related...

thanks.

i read that transmission TSB listed above. looks complicated. seems like it must mean that after the recall is performed, only Honda will be able to maintain/fix the tranny after warranty.

whitecloud1

About the tranny issue. Fact is that with the cost of fixing a transmission, most people would not opt for a fix. Maintenance is the thing. If you replace a transmission; any good shop ought to be able to handle that. A good transmission shop, not the dealer is where one would go out of warrenty. Their prices are generally lower because they specialize in FIXING and often get work from other shops after the tranny is removed.
If it's new they're still going to be cheaper and they will likely have to get the transmission from Honda anyway.

justin

has anyone had this TSB performed? i called Honda, they say it involves the rear glass of the drivers door, installing some insulation. that might get rid of the noise i hear at ear level.

anyone have any experience with it?

thanks!

emale

btw...thanks for the feedback guys...i guess i'll just sit and wait patiently for my recall notice to arrive in the mail...

whitecloud1

I called two separate dealers today about the tranny recall. Here in the Wash D.C. metro area they seem anxious to do the recall work. Both said
they could take me tomorrow. Don't Wait If You Don't Want To! It's only 4 hours estimated time.

talon95

Actually, according to the TSB, the estimated time is .7 hours for just the mod (vehicles with less than 15000 miles), 1.1 hours for gear inspection and the mod, and 7.8 hours for gear inspection and transmission replacement (if the gear inspection shows that it's necessary). So for most of us, it should be just a bit over or under an hour.

justin

i called a local dealer (not sure if i can name names or not) but they told me to WAIT until after 15k to get the recall done. they said if i have 14k-ish now, i would be better off getting the pics done (only done at the 15k mark), in case it is borderline and needs a new transmission. hmmmm. not sure what i think about that.

whitecloud1

I'm sure it depends on the dealer. talon95, I challenged them on the point you made. Obviously, my dealer wants more money from Honda. They said they inspect them all, no matter the mileage. I was going to wait until they said that, as I think getting the inspection is the thing to do. Go figure.

blackexv6

Does anyone know the percentage of tranny replacemets vs. mod kits? Does honda offer a loaner while getting the tranny replaced?

whitecloud1

The dealer I bought the car from promised a rental. The other dealer said, only if the car was bought there. That dealer though, did work for me before on another Honda..and because there was a parts availability problem after 2 days they extracted a rental from Honda. That was for work out-of-warrenty. If you stay in touch with Honda American Customer Service, I personally think they try to make things right.

smpear

Had to bring in mine to have them look at driver side seat shifting to the right on left hand turns. Asked if they could do the recall while it was in. They asked how many miles and i told them 10K. They went a head and did it.

BTW, the seat shifting magically stopped the day I broght it in and they did not find a problem. Been fine for the week since.

sonic

Hi guys,

Anybody here from a really hot place? I was wondering if its really such a bad idea to buy leather upholstery. I checked with the dealer and he said i wont be able to get navigation etc without leather in the base model.

I personally hate leather a little bit, and the arizona weather isnt that nice to weather anyway. But I cant give up on the premium options like navigation. So, my question is, is leather really such a bad idea in such hot weather? Will it help if i dont take black leather and take grey tan or something like that?

I think i will have access to covered parking while parking at home (and possibly at work). Any comments from people living in such weather is appreciated.

Thanks!

richards38

There are sheepskin covers for leather seats. They're supposed to be warm in winter and cool in summer and are often used over leather.....Richard

filod

smpear - I can't believe I see someone with the same problem as mine!

I brought this to the attention to the dealer and we test drove the car.. for a while he can't notice it, and suddenly he did. What he said though is that it is not the seat but something inside the seat..

Made an appointment for the recall, and told them about the seat again, but we can't duplicate the problem with another test drive). It disappeard, but I know it will come back.. I think we will hear from others on this shifting of the drivers seat

snakehair

You can do a search and see the shiftong seat has been discussed at length. I had the complete seat frame replaced by dealer after finally demonstrating to their tech (I rode with him) how to cause it. He admitted there are several seat related problems (most minor). The point is, you must be able to cause the problem repeatably and then demonstrate it to the dealer. After that they will fix it.

sorter

My accord is 98 LX 4cyl with 95K. Started to notice extra noise(like the sound of a un-even wear tire, except I just spend $400+ for a set of good one) while traveling about 45MPH, then the noise coverd by wind and other noise above 60MPH. First thought it was wheel bearing, but did not notice any noise difference when left or right turn. Gas input does not affect the noise, but the speed of vehicle does.
Bring to Honda dealer. It took over 8 hours before they finally said it was the wheel bearing and spindle. I then decide to change it for $550. Both front end wear out, I was told.
Dealer took a whole day to do the work, told me there is no part of one of the two recall I am also doing in the same dealership, so I continue to drive the loaner.
Second day, dealer call, and said the parts were changed but the noise did not go away. so there will be no charge for the wheel bearings. However, I need to change transmission. Because that is where the problem is. It will cost me about $1800 for a re-manufactured transmission.
My 2001 Accord did receive a 100,000 miles transmission warranty from Honda, but not the 1998. I am not sure if they are the same transmission. (2001 is a V6 coupe)
Honda hold value well, so my car is still worth 7k to 8k on paper (blue book or edmund), but what I can actually sell for, is a different story. To spend 2k to change a used transmission, is hard for me to decide. And the dealer call, want their bearing back. so I have them change my old ones back.
Any comment or input on this is appreciated.

dudleyr

What? They want their bearings back! Don't they know that they are used now, and can't be resold.

Ask them if the whine means imminent failure, or is just noise. You could drive it for a while as is if they don't think it will fail anytime soon. How long do you plan on keeping the vehicle? $1,800 is less than 6 months of a new car payment, so I would not worry about putting the money in. If the rest of the car is in great shape, and you plan on keeping the car for a while, then don't feel bad about putting money into it.

aggie1995

You should still be able to see $6k if you sell it on your own.

It all depends on your finances if you want to repair it or not. $2000 is only about 5 months of a new car payement. If the rest of the car is working well and you like the vehicle then repair it(do your timing belt at the same time). If you were planning on replacing the car in the next year or so then seel it and go shopping.

At least you have new wheel bearings....what is causing the transmission to make that noise?

deewof

Re the 2nd question, my ' 03 Accord goes to the dealer nearest me, Victory Honda in Plymouth, MICH, for an o'nite stay where they will inspect the tran. tomoro while I'm at work. Even tho I did *not* buy the car there, they say I can keep a loaner car o'nite. I just bought this car 2 weeks ago, my 1st Honda ever, & my initial impressions of the car & this dealer are v.good.

chucko3

You said you just bought the car 2 weeks ago.
And this is the inpsection of the tranny recall you are talking about.
I am curious why the selling dealer did not fix the tranny recall before selling you the car.

gbwonson

I live in Houston, TX and just purchased a 04 Accord Silver with Black Leather. The leather does get pretty hot if you let the sun shine on it. One way to avoid getting burned when you sit on the leather is to have the windows tinted and use a sun shade for the front windows. The dealer did let me now that black leather would be much hotter in Houston that all of the other color choices but I still requested that color since I believe over time it will resist stains and dirt much better as compared to a lighter color.

In Arizona with the dryer climate you will have to condition the leather several times a year in order to avoid cracks and keep the leather looking new.

ch00

I have a 99 Accord and I love it except the noise on highway. When it is over 60mph, wind noise and road noise are loud. Does anyone have comments about the new (2004) one's noise level on highway?

richards38

Noise level very low in my 2004 Accord EX-L sedan with AT.

Smooth body style helps to nearly eliminate wind noise and tall 5th gear keeps engine speed so low that 4 cyl. is nearly silent.

I think there was more tire noise when the car was new and tires quieted down a bit after broken in.

One thing I find that's TOO quiet is the turn signal "clicker" that is very hard for me to hear. Not sure if that's because of my ears, whether my car has defective "clicker" or whether it's normal for the new Accords.

I listened to the turn signals in another new Accord and I think it was similarly quiet--more so than a previous generation Accord's "clicker" I listened to. While I was waiting for an oil change at the Honda dealer, I listed to turn signal "clickers" and would not recommend that as an all day project .....Richard

cynic

I have a 2002 EX V6 and I probably would be getting a 2005 EX V6 in a few months ... If anybody here have (had) a V6 of the previos (98-02) generation and a new one (2003-), would you be willing to share what things you like more/less about the current generation?

Thanks!

talon95

IMO...

Gen 6 (2000 Accord EX V6)
Preferences
- Exterior styling (it's a close call, though)
- More commanding view of the road (lower dash and sill)
- Cornering felt a bit flatter

Gen 7 (2003 Accord EX V6)
Preferences
- Improved acceleration with comparable mileage
- MUCH smoother shifting
- Better steering feel
- More comfortable seats
- Leather seats have a softer touch
- Slightly more comfortable ride
- More upscale looking dash design
- Electroluminescent gauges
- Better controls (cruise, stereo) on dash
- Quieter
- Traction control (2000 didn't have it, 2001/2002 had low speed traction control, 2003+ has "all speed" traction control)
- Wood trim is still plastic, but it looks much better

lyzette

I have the Redondo Red Pearl 2004 Honda Accord EX 4-Cyl. Sedan. I wanted to know if anyone knows if there are indiglo gauges or customized gauges for my car??? Perhaps, "indiglo" gauges would be nice. If so, what is the website that I can look under? I really would like to change the gauges in my car! Can someone help? Thanks.

stacey_burke

I own both a 99 and a 2004 accord. Both are excellent cars but the 2004 is much nicer. Everything is a little better quality. The Navi is outstanding and the controls for everything are easier to use. I thought it might be harder because of the navi but it is not. The heating (dual control) is much better and we love it. It is smoother, quiter, and just a nicer car. I have not found anything I do not like about it, however, I would have liked memory seats. The two of us have very different builds and I have to move the seat back and down every time I get into it after my wife drives.

cynic

Thank you for going into such detail! I also do like the 'old' exterior styling more. But, I can live with the 'new' one too. I am glad to hear that you like transmission shifting better as mine feels somewhat jerky ... I wish I could get the same color combination - silver/grey but probably would have to settle for dark blue/grey istead as I am no a huge fan of black leather ...
Thanks again!

sorter

Thanks for the advise. The good thing is, now that I know it is the transmission noise, I can try to ignore it. I don't hear it when the window is down, or the radio is up high enough. Dealer said eventually I will lose my third gear. So basically what I am hearing is probably the gear noise. It really doesn't make much different between fixing it now or fixing it when I lose my gear. I only dirve 12 miles to work, and use my wife's SUV for other driving.
I am so used to driving without a car payment for so long, that it is a little bit tough for me to go back to pay $450 a month for a new car. Even though most of other people do anyway.
Do you guys think I should fix it in the Honda dealership for 1800 or should I go out and find some shop which do it cheaper? It is sad to know it is a used transmission to be put on.

murray53

Hello,

I just bought a 2002 Accord SE (will be picking it up Wednesday). I noticed the same things you did, the visibility seems better in the gen6 cars. It seems that almost every manufacturer is going with that high rear end styling. It may look great but it doesn't do anything for those who have to parallel park, not to mention quick lane changes. I didn't really need steering wheel audio controls (another thing the new ones have) and some of the other "improvements". It seems like the gen6 Accord has fewer maintenance problems than the current one. I see lots of them on the road here in NY. The Honda dealer in my neighborhood got a few '02 Accords which came off lease. Mine has only 14,500 miles on it!

murray53

It seems that the latest generation Accords and Camrys both are very different from the earlier ones as far as the transmission is concerned. Does anyone know if the gen7 Accord uses an electronic throttle like the Camry? I checked the Camry forums and I found lots of posts from people with transmission problems - a lot more than I would expect.

murray53

I can't believe the number of cars with spoilers on them these days. I saw one which was installed by the local dealer on a Civic in his showroom. I can't see why people actually waste good money (about $400-500) on something like that which doesn't make the car any better.

talon95

Gen 7 Accords with V6 engines have electronic throttle. Those with 4-cyl engines do not.

murray53

Hello talon95,

You seem quite knowledgeable. I just bought a used 2002 Accord SE 4-cyl automatic with only 14,500 miles on it. Is there anything special I need to know about this car to get the most out of it?

lyzette

I own a Redondo Red Pearl 2004 Honda Accord EX 4-Cyl. Sedan and wanted to know if there are indiglo gauges or customized gauges for my car. If so, what is the website that I can look under? I really would like to change the gauges in my car! Can someone help? Thanks.

gregoryc1

You will hear many opinions on this board with regards to vehicle maintenance. My wife and I own two Honda vehicles. (2003 Accord with 33,000 + miles, and a 2004 Civic with 5,000 + miles, both 4 cylinder vehicles). We have the oil and filter changed by the dealer at 3,000 mile intervals. The dealer recommends 3,750 mile intervals. The "book of Honda" recommends 5,000 (for severe service) and 10,000 (for regular service). I believe that a "CLEAN ENGINE" is a happy engine. Oil and filters a CHEAP, engines are expensive. You need to make your own decision on this subject.

talon95

My recommendation is to follow Honda's maintenance schedule. If you have ANY doubts whatsoever that your driving habits fit into their definition of "normal" service, or if you feel more comfortable with more frequent maintenance, follow the severe schedule.

richards38

It's pure gingerbread with no performance value at all. Maybe a properly designed spoiler helps at speeds over 125 MPH--really useful on public roads.

A low-rise thing on the edge of the trunk lid might make the car easier to park if it can be seen without obstructing rear visibility which a raised wing thing is likely to do.

I know I'll get flamed for saying this, but plastic junk hung onto a good design almost surely demeans it......Richard

ken972

Im thinking about adding door edge guards to my 04 Graphite sedan for the protective value they provide. After a number of visits to the dealer I cant find a car with them already installed. Im curious if they blend right in with the doors or is it very noticeable that they are installed.

richards38

The door edge guards I've seen are uglier than whatever chips might occur if you open your doors into something. The guards exaggerate the panel gaps which are very narrow on Accords. The car's ultra-smooth appearance is ruined by door edge guards, in my opinion.

Anybody who takes pride in his/her car is unlikely to hit things with the doors. Little chips can be repaired with touch-up paint and won't be very visible anyway.

More important are the dings done to your car by clods who thoughtlessly open their doors into the side of your car leaving very prominent dents and "dings."

It's too bad that the Accord's side rub strips are too thin and mounted too low to do any good. One thing I miss from an '85 Pontiac Sunbird I drove for an employer were the wide rub strips that were very protective and mounted on the car doors where they actually did some good.

I'd suggest buying a bottle of touch-up paint for any edge dings you create, and hoping that the people who park next to you are careful (don't count on that, though!).......Richard

justin

my Accords exterior is still PERFECT. not a scratch. the front left fender still pops if you touch it, but i chalk that up to typical-of-late Honda quality. but at least you can't SEE an exterior flaw.

ken972

I wish I was as lucky. The front hood of my car has gotten pretty beat up from rocks in the year that Ive had it. Little paint chips here and there with a couple of spots that are indented alittle from bigger rocks. All thanks to the highway in the winter.

aggie1995

Take it to a good transmission shop to get the repair done. See if they can find a transmission at a junk yard to save even more $.

Oh by the way re-manufactured is not used. The casing is used but the guts are all new. So no need to worry about the quality of the new unit (if you do it at the dealer)

Car payments suck and I can inderstand your desire to not have one.

sorter

I have to say this Trans problem really surprised me. Having heard so many people have similar problem, and the fact that my 01 coupe got a free extend warranty to 100k tells me something is going on. I used to own another accord. 1994 LX. I have the seal broke, and oil leak empty while driving. Then spend 300$ to fix it. about 2 years later, after someone stolen my car, then I reveive mail from honda saying that is a recall, and I can get the money back if I have the prove of work. Maybe one day Honda can come clean and recall the 98 tran? maybe it is high hope.

murray53

I would tend to agree. Here in NY the winters can be hard on a car, especially when it is used for short trip driving. I have (until tomorrow when I pick up the Accord) a Toyota Camry which I bought new in Oct. 1987. I have put 139,000 miles on the car and had the oil and filter changed every 4 months (I drive about 10,000 miles a year). As a result the car still runs well and does not burn any oil between changes. I have addressed the other routine maintenance items somewhere between the normal and severe schedules too. As a result I have gotten almost 17 years of reliable service from the car. I don't know if the Accord will last that long but if I get 7-8 years out of it I will be more than happy. From what I see on the road there are plenty of Accords 10+ years old still running. When I got my first car in the early 1970's cars used to last 8-10 years before they got big rust holes in them due to lack of adequate rustproofing and the liberal use of salt on the roads in the winter.

irv

Be very careful how they are installed. When I bought my 98 accord I saw an accord in the dealership which had all the extra cosmetic junk installed to drive up the price $2000. When I looked closer, I noticed that they cut away the rubberized material that is painted over on the inside around the edge of the door in order to get the edge guards attached and you can see exposed metal. I couldn't believe a dealership would do this to a brand new car!!

snakehair

I bought the door edge guards aftermarket and installed them myself. The instructions clearly state how to use the included tool to peel back the edges and also state to use touch up paint to cover any exposed metal. I am not that handy and got the job done with no real problems and I think they look great. The parts were Honda parts with Honda instructions bought online at HandA. If a dealer did not follow the instructions, I'd take it back. the instructions can be downloaded and reviewed before buying the parts (a great help for us fumble fingered types).