Older Honda Accords

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Comments

  • deemikedeemike Member Posts: 1
    Yes! Honda prides itself on "QUALITY PRODUCT", and YES they are fixing the problem at no cost to the customer. I an Accord EXV6, my sister have one, my brother have one, and we all have the transmission issue. It's fixed we have no problem, and even if we did, we would still buy another Honda, will keep buying Hondas.

     

    Mercedes, BMW and other high luxury car makers prides on "QUALITY PRODUCT" too, and they have issues too. One would think buying a luxury car you wouldn't or shouldn't have any of these problems, but guess what? you're wrong, they're no better than a Honda product, just cost more.
  • ktnrktnr Member Posts: 255
    You make a good point about the quality reputation of luxury car mfr's who have slipped badly in reliability ratings.

     

    Just curious - out of three EX-V6's in the family, did any need a replacement (remanufactured) transmission? Or did they all just get the lubrication update?

     

    Unless a car has a discolored second gear, it doesn't need a replacement trans. The heat stress issue with the one gear pair was only supposed to effect a small number of cars.
  • venus537venus537 Member Posts: 1,443
    i wasn't making any judgements on the hybrid, just stating how i think the car will be received initially by consumers.
  • venus537venus537 Member Posts: 1,443
    most excellent post on the tsx's advantage over an accord v6. and i have an accord V6!

     

    but there's no such model as a EX-L 6, it's just a EX V6.
  • aggie1995aggie1995 Member Posts: 318
    2003 EX-L @ 13000 miles

     

    Just came back from a 300 mile road trip cruising at 70 mph. I got 34.5 MPG. That is with the Heat/AC running and manual transmission, which has a lower fifth gear than the auto, so the auto should get better highway miles.

     

    10,000 miles were needed for me to start achieving the highway figures on the sticker.

     

    I get about 29 in the city, with typical stop & go highway driving.
  • uncommonmanuncommonman Member Posts: 65
    This is my first post on this thread. My wife got a new leftover '04 EX Sedan in October, and we are regretting it because of the terribly engineered (from our perspective) front seats. The thigh and lower back support are so bad we have aching legs and backs after about an hour ride. A recent 135 mile trip was excruciating. We are beginning to hate this car and it's only 2 months old. We're athletic build, 5-10 male 160#, 5-4 female 105#. I saw from a search here for seats that a few others have mentioned this, but most of you like the seats. Has anyone else with seat problems found a solution? I was thinking about putting a metal plate at the front mounting bolts to raise the front of the seats up about 2 inches. We may be going right back to big American iron in our driveway if a solution isn't found. We weren't 50 feet out of the driveway this weekend in our old tired S10 Blazer and my wife commented it has MUCH more comfortable seats than her new Accord. What a shame.
  • anonymouspostsanonymousposts Member Posts: 3,802
    You are definitely "uncommon" if you find the seats that uncomfortable. My husband is 6'6 200+ lbs and I am 5'2 100lbs and we both find the Accord seats very comfortable. They were even extremely comfortable throughout my pregnancy.
  • 1997montez341997montez34 Member Posts: 202
    The seats on my '03 LX sedan are among the most comfortable I have ever used. They are firm and well shaped to give support over long distances. Kind of surprised to hear you don't like them.
  • zitchzitch Member Posts: 55
    That is pretty unusual. I just did a 1400 round trip vacation in my 03 Accord LX last week and found the seats very comfortable on the 10 hour drive stretch, and never found it uncomfortable at any time. My girlfriend in the passenger seat said the same thing, and she had a 17" widescreen notebook connected to a GPS receiver on her lap for the entire trip (Which provided us superb navigation on the trip... ;) ).

     

    The only thing I can think of is that you're used to the softer ride of the Blazer than the harder ride of the Accord. It may have nothing to do with the seats, or the combination of the seats + the ride just doesn't agree with you. Not that's a bad thing, but it is one reason many people prefer the non-SE Camry over the Accords.

     

    As a side note: the Accord does surprisingly well driving hard on a gravel track.. ;) I had a hoot when we found a scenic drive in the Carlbad National Park reserve in New Mexico last week; just stick the car in 1st gear to handle the slopes, don't go over 25 MPH, don't go too fast around corners, and roll the windows down and have fun. Beautiful scenery driving in and out of a canyon, combine with the thrill of the car sliding a bit around corners made for a good vacation... :)
  • jmaxejmaxe Member Posts: 198
    I too had a bad initial experience with the seat in my 04 EX-V6 but after a week or so I either adapted to it or made the correct adjustments. It's just fine now. Good luck.
  • blaneblane Member Posts: 2,017
    uncommonman:

     

    I don't have the sedan, so I may be off base here. I drive an '04 EX Coupe. My wife and I are about the same size as you folks and we both find our seats to be extremely comfortable. Based upon my readings of the thousands of posts here, I can't recall anyone else with such vociferous complaints about their Accord's seat comfort.

     

    Since both you and your wife find your seats to be "terrible", I can only conclude that neither of you tried to use the seat adjustment mechanisms built into your vehicle. If your car has power seats, you can easily tilt the seat so that the front is higher than the rear. You wouldn't need to attempt "putting a metal plate at the front mounting bolts to raise the front of the seats up about 2 inches." Perhaps the manual seats are much more limited in motion, but I've no experience with them.
  • richards38richards38 Member Posts: 606
    My back is so bad it nearly qualifies for urban renewal.

     

    Drove 8.5 hours last year from San Francisco to Palm Springs with no discomfort whatsoever.

     

    I sympathize with your problem, but complaints about seat comfort in new Accords are VERY rare, indeed.......Richard
  • ken972ken972 Member Posts: 162
    My only issue with the seats is the headrest. It sets my head a little to forward for my tastes. They are very comfy otherwise..especially with the seat heater on..
  • zitchzitch Member Posts: 55
    Those headrests are not actually head rests, strangely enough. It seems that the idea is that you don't actually rest your head on it, but they feel like that will prevent a whiplash if you're hit from behind.
  • rampedramped Member Posts: 358
    I think jmaxe hit it on the head.

     

    You probably will adapt to the feel of the new seats in a month or so, plus the seats themselves should probably soften a little. I had the same impression after I recently bought a different brand sedan. I hated the seats so much I was ready to take it back, but two months later they seem pretty comfortable.
  • isellhondasisellhondas Member Posts: 20,342
    I can't stand it!

     

    The V-6 Accord does NOT have transmission problems and Toyota does NOT have a " Major Sludge problem"!

     

    Very few cars were affected by this and the problems were isolated and solved long ago!
  • isellhondasisellhondas Member Posts: 20,342
    The others are right on the money. With some people it can take awhile to adapt to a new and different seat. This keeps coming up in these forums. Most people find Accord seats VERY comfortable and supportive.

     

    Last summer, I sold a new LX Accord to a very nice lady. She complained a few days later that the seats were just killing her. She regretted buying the car at that point but decided to stick it out.

     

    Saw her in service last week and she went out of her way to tell me that she now finds the seats very comfortable and has back trouble when riding in other cars!

     

    Go figure...
  • davem1davem1 Member Posts: 1
    Hello

    I own a 2003 Accord EX. I am having troubles with a rattle that sounds like it is coming from the radio/cd area of the dashboard. Any Honda owners experiencing the same rattle? Any fixes?
  • chang00chang00 Member Posts: 5
    I too experienced rattles in 2004 EX V6 at the center dash. It was fixed at the first oil change. The dealer replaced the glove box and placed foams around the radio, and it worked like a charm. It now only has a clicking sound from inside the driver's door, and I plan to get it fixed at the next oil change.
  • sapparosapparo Member Posts: 68
    Do you know if Honda is buildng a Special Edition Accord as I saw one the other day with the S.E. badging? It was silver with perforated black leather seating and had the full wood trim package, looked real sharp contrasting the black. How is resale for these S.E. models?
  • uncommonmanuncommonman Member Posts: 65
    Thanks to all for your posts regarding your experiences with liking the seats in your cars. Last week we owned 6 vehicles here, all American except the new Accord, until I sold the old Chevy Van which had great seats. Of the remaining five, the S10 Blazer has okay seats, the two big full framed GM cars have very good seats, and the Yukon has really great seats. The Accord (seats) suck. I took measurements on all vehicles to see if I could isolate a difference, and the Accord seats are about 1.25" shorter than the others, but they're also lower to the floor which causes your legs to be more horizontal. That's why I thought raising the front 2 inches would give more thigh support. The Accord also needs some more foam in the lumbar area. I wish we hadn't bought this car now, which has turned out to be a $20,000+ mistake. Ouch! :-).
  • chucko3chucko3 Member Posts: 793
    You are a terrible consumer!

    You didn't even test drive the car before purchased it.
  • hmurphyhmurphy Member Posts: 278
    Perhaps you could try using a seat bolster or other seat padding to make the seat more comfortable for you.

     

    I've seen tons of diffent types of lumbar support pillows and other seat add-ons that could raise your seating position a bit and give you more support.
  • ken972ken972 Member Posts: 162
    Right..they arent head rests..thats my point. My head is always hitting the head rest no matter how i adjust the seat. Im 5'7
  • blaneblane Member Posts: 2,017
    Those things behind your head are Head Restraints, to restrain your head from travelling rearward as the the effect of whiplash in case of an accident. They are not, nor have any auto manufacturers ever called them, head rests. The term is just a popular misconception.
  • ktnrktnr Member Posts: 255
    "They are not, nor have any auto manufacturers ever called them, head rests."

     

    Well, a google search of the term "headrest" came back with thousands of hits, many of them auto-related. The U.S. federal government and numerous auto manufacturers use the terms "headrest" and "head restraint" interchangeably. Look for yourself. Plus, surely your argument doesn't cover all English-speaking countries of the world including Canada, Britain, and Australia. Perhaps the whole world except yourself is under the same popular misconception. ;-)

     

    One of the things I like about my Accord is that I can use the headrest to comfortably rest my head while driving. I'll agree with you though that many cars have the, ahem, head restraints positioned so that you're not likely to rest your head against them while driving. On the other hand, a few upscale cars have tilting, adjustable headrests that can be positioned to support the head at a wide range of angles - which kind of shoots the "restraint only in a rear-end crash" theory held against the auto industries throughout the planet, no?
  • blaneblane Member Posts: 2,017
    ktnr:

     

    Since this is a Honda Accord Sedan board, I suggest that you first go to the Honda Corporate page at the following link. In the Find Answers box at the upper right, type in Head Restraint and click on the grey Go button:

     

    http://automobiles.honda.com/models/model_overview.asp?ModelName=- - - - - - - - Accord+Sedan&bhcp=1&BrowserDetected=True

     

    You won't find that information by typing in Head Rest.

     

    You can also go to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety website here:

     

    http://www.highwaysafety.org/

     

    In their SITE SEARCH box at the right, type in either Head Restraint or Head Rest and press the green Go button. You will see that ALL results use the proper term Head Restraint.

     

    You can also go to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's (Department Of Transportation) website here:

     

    http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/

     

    You will find similar results when searching their site. There are about eight pages of results searching for "Head Restraint" and two searching for "Head Rest". Be sure to use the quotation marks.

     

     

    Try the Edmunds website here too:

     

    http://www.edmunds.com/ownership/safety/articles/46912/article.ht- - ml

     

    The above are probably the most authoritative places to research. Sure, you will find many incorrect usages all over the web. But logic should tell you that resting your head while driving a vehicle is not the way to remain alert and avoid accidents. Head rests are great for dens and living rooms. Auto safety engineers design head restraints.

     

    Your comment tilting, adjustable headrests that can be positioned to support the head at a wide range of angles is misguided. Those adjustments are to assure that drivers of all sizes can have the head restraint in the proper position to prevent neck injury in case of an accident. Such adjustments were never designed for resting while driving.

     

    The "misconception" is yours my friend.
  • ktnrktnr Member Posts: 255
    http://automobiles.honda.com/info/news/article.asp?ArticleID=2003- 112036818

    "the front bucket seats on the Civic Coupe model feature a sporty, open headrest..."

     

    http://automobiles.honda.com/info/news/article.asp?ArticleID=2003- 112037209

    "An open "halo" headrest further separates (the Civic Coupe) from the Sedan.

     

    http://automobiles.honda.com/info/news/article.asp?ArticleID=2003- 100139734

    "S2000 Interior Features - Headrest speakers"

     

    FWIW; "Headrest" is one word. Searching automotive web sites for "Trans mission" won't net you many more results than "head rest". Unless you need the last word, let's drop this and move on, okay.
  • austinman7austinman7 Member Posts: 313
    The only issue I have with my 04 Accord LX seats is the (non-adjustable) lumbar support. Honda shaped it to what it considered a good average to suit most buyers, and I suppose it does, if lack of comments on this thread are an indication. But for me, it bulges out too much, resulting in little or no support for my mid and upper back. I can shape my spine to fit the seat properly only if I have the seat almost bolt upright. In the proper reclining position for my driving position and safety, my upper back has no support at all -- I'm essentially leaning against only my lower back.

     

    So, I've added some upper back support by placing a small padded cushion to cover the upper part of the seat back. The lumbar support is still there, but now it's evened out in the right proportion and my entire back is supported. In essence, I've reshaped the seat slightly for my own comfort, and it's worked out okay. My message to Honda, though, would be to include a manual lumbar support on the LX models -- would have meant a lot to me. If I had that feature, I would have simply ratcheted the lumbar support back a little.

     

    Other than that, I find the Accord seats to be comfortable, though like many older folks, I grew up in an era where the seat bottom was longer. They've gotten shorter and shorter, making me feel my legs are sticking out of the seat too much. I especially didn't like this feature of my previous car, an 02 Camry. I think the Accords are slightly longer, which I like.
  • rutger3rutger3 Member Posts: 361
    Honda misses the boat on seat adjustments. They should have a power drivers seat as standard equipment on a 22-27k auto. The Camry comes with this;even my 99 had it as an easy to get option.

    At the least, it should be offered as an option on all Accords. Don't cheap out Honda.
  • ktnrktnr Member Posts: 255
    Personally, the only minor gripe I have with the LX seat is the lack of a seat cushion tilt adjustment.

     

    My last two Mitsubishi's had manual adjustment knobs to control the height of the front and rear of the seat cushion separately. On the LX there is one lever that moves the entire seat up and down. Other than that, I have no complaints about the seats.

     

    The power tilt adjustment on the LX-V6 and all EX models is a noteworthy feature.
  • austinman7austinman7 Member Posts: 313
    I would agree with you about the lack of a tilt feature, although, just by luck, the average tilt that Honda built into the LX seat is okay with me.

     

    Interestingly, I have temporary "custody" of my son's 98 Accord coupe while he's overseas, and it has at least one knob like your Mitsubishi's that will tilt the seat, but I don't believe you can adjust the seat up and down. I can't remember if the lumbar is adjustable, but if not, it's set at a much less agressive level than my 04 Accord and suits me fine. So, as Honda goes forward, we gain many things, and lose a few.
  • ktnrktnr Member Posts: 255
    From the Japanese National Agency for Automotive Safety and Victims' Aid....

     

    Honda Inspire 30TL (aka Accord V-6)

     

    Crash Test Results

    http://www.nasva.go.jp/assess/html2004e/type/12_inspire.html

     

    Performance Comparison Test movie

    http://www.nasva.go.jp/assess/html2004/rm/12_full.rm

     

    Full-wrap Frontal Collision Test movie

    http://www.nasva.go.jp/assess/html2004/rm/12_off.rm

     

    Side Collision Test movie

    http://www.nasva.go.jp/assess/html2004/rm/12_side.rm

     

    Listing of all 2004 movies

    http://www.nasva.go.jp/assess/html2004e/movie.html
  • richards38richards38 Member Posts: 606
    Inspire/Accord looks safe--must make appointment to have the driver's airbag modified per recall notice received a few days ago.

     

    Note from the video clips that the passenger compartment is not deformed at all--the front of the car crumples to absorb crash forces.

     

    Side test makes it clear that curtain airbags are a must-have feature and they're now standard on ALL Accords sold in the U.S.....Richard.
  • ktnrktnr Member Posts: 255
    If you're curious, you can download the Honda Service Bulletin from the following link.

     

    http://www.driveaccord.net/forums/attachment.php?s=&postid=13- 298

     

    When the recall work was done on my car, the inflator upper hooks weren't properly reseated into the airbag cover leaving the cover itself loose. I had to go back to the dealer a second time so they could reassemble the steering wheel correctly.
  • ktnrktnr Member Posts: 255
    There has been mention on this board that “Honda knows best” regarding their specification of 5W20 engine oil. However, have a look at the EPA’s web site below and read over manufacturers letter CCD-00-06 from June 26, 2000.

     

    http://www.epa.gov/otaq/cert/dearmfr/mfrltrs3.htm

     

    The letter from the EPA discusses how Ford (in September, 1999) and Honda (in March, 2000) asked permission to use 5W20 oil in fuel economy test vehicles. The EPA granted permission under the eight detailed conditions outlined in the letter. Among those conditions were that:

     

    “1) The Manufacturer provides instructions in the Owner’s Manual that clearly and unambiguously identify 5W20 GF-3 non-synthetic engine oil as the oil which is to be used in the vehicle’s engine…and…inclusion of any qualifier word….associated with the oil viscosity is considered to introduce ambiguity into the instruction, and disqualifies the use of 5W20 engine oil in test vehicles…

     

    2) The manufacturer clearly indicates on the engine oil filler cap…that 5W20 engine oil is to be used in the engine.”

     

    So, Honda knows best? Or Honda had it’s hands carefully and deliberately tied by the EPA in regards to engine oil viscosity recommendations?
  • uncommonmanuncommonman Member Posts: 65
    You are [non-permissible content removed]-u-me'ing we didn't test drive before purchase. How would you know that? Actually, we drove it twice, but not for 50 or 150 miles. The seats seemed okay for the two times we took it out for a half hour or so, but they are NOT okay at all for us now. What good is a car if the seats are uncomfortable on a trip? For us, the seat design sucks, and we wish we hadn't bought an Accord. For now we're stuck, but we won't

    make this mistake twice. We've tried those little travel pillows under the thighs, and at the lower back area. We even have a special slim pillow somebody made for us, but it doesn't fix the problem. If these seats were just a little longer, a little higher, and had more padding at the top front of the seating surface and in the lumbar area, they would probably be okay. As it is, regretably we now own a $23,000 boat anchor. While it otherwise has a lot of nice features, I can't recommend this car to anybody who's intending to use for anything other than trips to the grocery store. I know most of you have had a good experience with this car, and I'm happy for you, but we haven't. Buyers beware - the front seats in the Honda

    Accord suck!
  • richards38richards38 Member Posts: 606
    2000 is ancient history now. Current Accord engines are all new since then and it's unlikely that Honda would compromise reliability, reputation, and resale value of its cars by yielding to some oil viscosity conspiracy just to gain a tiny fraction of a mile per gallon.

     

    Bottom line: do what the owner's manual says and use oil recommended by the people who built and tested the engine.....Richard
  • robr2robr2 Member Posts: 8,805
    It's unfortunate that you are unhappy with your seats. But seats are designed for averages - they don't fit every driver the same.

     

    Instead of complaining here, talk to the dealer to see if they will help you out with an upholsterer that can modify the seat to reduce your discomfort. If they won't help out, then take it upon yourself to find an upholsterer who can do it.

     

    Good Luck.
  • chucko3chucko3 Member Posts: 793
    Because if you test drove the car, you would have noticed this problem. You test drove twice, and couldn't notice the problem. Hmmm...
  • blaneblane Member Posts: 2,017
    ktnr:

     

    You ignore the obvious safety device message. If you wish to use "news" puff pieces about where speakers are mounted as support, instead of engineering, that's your privilege. I've now moved on.
  • ktnrktnr Member Posts: 255
    Richard - Do you really think there's a conspiracy or are you just ridiculing the information that I shared?

     

    The Accord's I4 engine is closely based on the K20A which debuted in October 2000 in the Honda STREAM in Japan. Obviously the K-series engines in use around the world were designed without regard to American EPA oil viscosity requirements from June 2000.

     

    The EPA policy for engine oil viscosity used in fuel efficiency test vehicles was updated for the 2005 model-year in EPA letter CCD-04-07, dated March, 2004. The only substantive change was the switch from GF-3 spec oil to GF-4.

     

    Why do you believe that using 5W20 oil in fuel efficiency testing yields only a tiny fraction of a mile per gallon improvement? How do you know what oil viscosity is recommended for these engines in parts of the world far removed from the American EPA? If the oil viscosity specified by Honda is the same throughout the world, then you might have a point but we don't know that.

     

    The U.S. government document linked clearly demonstrates that manufacturers are not free to specify whatever oil they wish to promote maximum engine life. Instead, the EPA rightfully and logically requires a system that makes engines in use comparable to those tested by the EPA - tests where the sole goal is maximum reportable fuel efficiency. Given the conflict-of-interest demonstrated, it’s worth questioning the specification and allowing those with open minds to judge for themselves, no?
  • patpat Member Posts: 10,421
    I think the debate about "headrests" vs. "head restraints" vs. "head rests" has been thoroughly examined and both of you need to move on - a last word has to come somewhere, so let's make it mine.

     

    Thank you.
  • lmacmillmacmil Member Posts: 1,758
    "a last word has to come somewhere, so let's make it mine."

     

    Thank you. It's beyond me why these arguments that clearly cannot be resolved continue ad nauseum.
  • gee35coupegee35coupe Member Posts: 3,387
    and whether to follow the owners manual.

     

    If you don't want to follow the owners manual, keep it to yourself. But why buy a car from a manufacturer you don't trust enough to include the best maintenance information for your car.
  • richards38richards38 Member Posts: 606
    Please see post #16450 with which I fully agree--no need for me to elaborate.......Richard
  • gregoryc1gregoryc1 Member Posts: 764
    Read posting #9103 and 9106 on the "Honda Accord Owners Problems & Solution board"! ----I can't stand it either! The "quality" stinks!
  • patpat Member Posts: 10,421
    Gregory, please read pat, "Honda Accord Sedan" #16392, 18 Dec 2004 11:34 am.

     

    Please stop repeating yourself here - it is not accomplishing your purpose.

     

    Thanks.
  • ktnrktnr Member Posts: 255
    For anyone here who hasn't read Honda Service Bulletin 04-037, you owe it to yourself to have a look. Whether you drive an affected car or not, it's still an interesting read from an engineering standpoint.

     

    To get the photographic evidence required, Honda had to provide dealerships with a digital camera, a camera mount, a known light source, and then detailed camera settings for White Balance, ISO, exposure, shutter speed, and aperture. Then, even though the camera settings are recorded in each photo's EXIF data, Honda provided a printed color bar to be included in the photos as a cross-check of the color recorded.

     

    Wow. Somebody at Honda had to really think through this. I'm impressed - give that guy a raise!

     

    http://www.driveaccord.net/forums/attachment.php?s=&postid=64- 94
  • koumeikoumei Member Posts: 7
    I had back problem driving 03 LX Sedan for the first few months. I decide to put my back and hip all the way back the seat and it solved problem. Try adjusting your driving position.
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