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Honda Accord Quality Control Issues

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  • beachnutbeachnut Member Posts: 291
    No prob, I'm not offended that easy :-) Nor do I think you were trying to offend. There's definitely two sides to every coin and I think we've explored both thoroughly enough today. Goodnight all!
  • beachnutbeachnut Member Posts: 291
    You're smart to stay away from the above referenced thread - there's only so much you can argue about when it comes to looks! BTW, I doubt if you'll see many Mazda engines nowdays since they're mostly Fords (current owner of a Duratech in my MPV), except the Renesis rotary .

    PS. I got your email the other day; I wouldn't worry about it (did I say that?!)
  • dc_sports_ruledc_sports_rule Member Posts: 134
    It was a relief to read that Honda finally admitted their was a problem with its V-6 transmission. Many people here defended Honda almost to the extent that it was a "life or death issue".

    Now, I would love to hear (someone used the term "resident gadfly") from isellhondas who adamantly denied their was a problem with the V-6 transmission. Talk about eating "crow"! I think the "resident gadfly" needs to apologize to everyone in this forum regarding his critical remarks.
  • mikegold_1966mikegold_1966 Member Posts: 138
    Webster defines gadfly as: "A person who stimulates or annoys especially by persistent criticism." Sorry isellhondas, but this definition defines you and your attitude.

    Well, it would be nice to see your head out of the sand once again regarding this transmission issue. It is an issue that cannot be overlooked.
  • dash400mdash400m Member Posts: 55
    Well, I ate a little crow on this one too. A clothespin to the nose, and a dash-a-la-drink of MadDog 20-20 took care of the bad taste. I still can't believe something like this would happen, and I still want to believe that Chrysler Crapulation is behind the bogus transmissions. It's another conspiracy.

    isellhondas: Come on back and have a drink with me. I'll even BBQ the crow. I enjoy your postings, and you sometimes have a good point or two.

    dc_sports_rule: I told you that my Civic was restored. Do you want to buy it?
  • 79377937 Member Posts: 390
    I thought I'd join this little love fest with this tidbit. Now I know it's all about Honda reliability here but this is about Acura.

    From Popular Mechanics October 2002. Page 121.
    I quote - "Is there an unexplained,unfindable engine oil leak in your 1997-2002 Acura V6? TSB 01-041 tells your mechanic how to find it and fix it by - get this - covering up any porous places in the aluminum engine block with epoxy to keep oil from seeping through." Unquote.

    Yikes !!!!!!!
  • isellhondasisellhondas Member Posts: 20,342
    No crow to eat!

    I don't think I have ever said that there have been no problems...have I ?

    I have stated and will continue to state that from my vantage point I have NOT seen or heard of numerous transmission problems with Hondas.

    I have only shared my personal opinions based on my personal experiences in the business.

    If this makes me a "gadfly" so be it.

    The VAST MAJORITY of complaints that I've heard have been right here, in this forum.

    But, now Honda has publically admitted that some of their transmissions have had problems and that they intend to stand behind them. Good for Honda!

    If we round up the number from 1.6 % to an even 2.0%, that means that two out of a hundred will have problems. In my book, that's a low number but still is too high of a percentage from a company like Honda who is well known for building trouble free cars.

    I have tried here to rebut some of the hysteria and doom and gloom mongers simply by sharing my personal thoughts on the subject.

    So, go ahead...flame away, I'll be out of town for a few weeks.
  • timadamstimadams Member Posts: 294
    >>gadfly: "A person who stimulates or annoys especially by persistent criticism." <<

    Talk about Orwellian double-talk. This term hardly applies to isellhondas as much as it does to a couple of gadflies who pipe in every time someone even mentions buying a Honda with "don't buy one because the transmission will fail" or who use phrases like "Russian Roulette" and "time bomb" to describe a problematic car component.

    I know I will be lambasted as having my head in the sand or on Honda's payroll, but that's OK. It looks like Honda is coming through with an extended warranty, which seems to be the proper thing to do.
  • mikegold_1966mikegold_1966 Member Posts: 138
    I would like to know who said, "don't buy one because the transmission will fail"? As far as the extended power train warranty offered by Honda, it had to do something because their phones were ringing off the hook! Could you imagine the customer backlash against Honda products?

    My question is, why did Honda take so long to correct a problem that they knew existed from day one? So much of a problem, it re designed the transmission in the 2003 Accord!

    isellhondas has a very cavalier attitude in anything he posts. The guy is a "mark" if you know what I mean. He trumpets the sound of the Honda marketing department to the letter. He sells cars for a living and I bet wouldn't even tell a customer about the transmission problem if he sold a used 2000 Accord V-6. Now, the guy is going away for two weeks so he doesn't give a rats [non-permissible content removed] what anyone posts. Burying his head in the sand again.
  • isellhondasisellhondas Member Posts: 20,342
    And, mikegold...it appears you have taken the gloves off now.

    I have never resorted to name calling or personal insults. I guess that's how you like to conduct a discussion.
  • anselmo1anselmo1 Member Posts: 163
    Let's keep the personalities out of the postings.
  • beachnutbeachnut Member Posts: 291
    If you want to see cavalier, go to the "Incondsiderate XYZ" boards! In defense of Isell, whenever I've lurked those forums his posts there (and here) have been polite, curt maybe, but polite; never once have I seen him "throw off the gloves" and personally attack an individual. Yes, this tranny discussion has been a passionate one from both sides of the aisle, but let's keep the name calling out of it. I'm sure he has his own personal feelings about this whole affair - if he decides to share them, that's up to him (or maybe he already did, LOL!).
  • mikefm58mikefm58 Member Posts: 2,882
    Honda acknowledged certain trannys aren't up to standards and they did the right thing, extended the warranty on affected units. What do some of you people expect them to do, issue a recall? Come on now. I have a 2001 Accord, one of the affected cars and I still feel it's one of the best vehicles made...sheesh. I can't believe the terms I've read..."russian roulette" and "time bomb". You people should get rid of your Honda and go buy a Daewoo.
  • dc_sports_ruledc_sports_rule Member Posts: 134
    Don't you mean a KIA? (Killed in action).
  • glideslopesglideslopes Member Posts: 431
    Daewoo out of business? No way? What is all this about their transmissions, and no parts for them? Let's stay on topic, ok!
  • beachnutbeachnut Member Posts: 291
    I've been surfing around today trying to find out if the trannies in all the affected models are the same, but haven't come up with much. My best educated guess is that they are, with minor differences of course. Mainly I'm curious if Honda used the same 4-spd for the Ody (prior to the new 5-spd) that they put into the Accord. Anybody have any interesting links or technical info?

    glideslopes: Sorry, I didn't realize we had a new host ... I must've been too busy cleaning the gum out of my carpet to notice ;-)
  • glideslopesglideslopes Member Posts: 431
    Ya, dat's a good one!
  • bgabel1260bgabel1260 Member Posts: 135
    My 2001 Accord passed the 15K mile mark recently. Overall, its reliability mostly justifies the pedestal many place Honda on. I had the sunroof creak fixed last year and that was the only warranty repair performed on the car. It's not perfect, though: sometimes the windows rattle, the parking brake handle squeaks when applied, the passenger seat doesn't click into position smoothly, and 1st and 3rd gear are occasionally hard to engage. Nothing tragic and my Accord has always started and reached my destination without adverse fanfare. 4cyl, 5spd, EX-L...no V6 with the weak slushbox.
  • paulo3paulo3 Member Posts: 113
    I won my case in court with the help of my lawyer regarding the paint issue on my Accord. Honda agreed to paint my entire car. Received notice today in the mail.
  • bodydoublebodydouble Member Posts: 801
    Chalk one up for the good guys. But how much was your legal fees?
  • lugwrenchlugwrench Member Posts: 213
    I wonder if Honda America ever reads these posts regarding their V-6 transmission? Wonder how they would react to the term slushbox?
  • bodydoublebodydouble Member Posts: 801
    I thought all auto trannies are affectionately called slushboxes?
  • inkieinkie Member Posts: 281
    Thats correct bodydouble that the endearing term oldtimers use for trannies.I believe it originated in the racecar circuit.
  • brews1brews1 Member Posts: 40
    The dealer replaced my automatic transmission and I got my car back in 4 days as promised. Other than finding a plier under the hood, seemed OK and no hassle since they provided a rental car. After taking it home, can't get the key out all the time without jiggling the shifter. Back in today for repair. Hoping adjustment will fix it.
  • storm11storm11 Member Posts: 38
    I'm new to this board, having acquired an '02 EX V6 in August and appreciate the information so far available from fellow owners. I've seen numerous complaints regarding the transmission problems and have seen the link indicating extended warranties on certain years of the Accord's automatic trannies. I haven't seen information regarding the '02's tranny on the V6. Any experiences out there for that year, or did Honda finally fix the problem for the '02's?
  • paulo3paulo3 Member Posts: 113
    Honda had to pay all court costs as well as my attorney.
  • dash400mdash400m Member Posts: 55
    I vaguely remember the paint issue from sometime back. I've recently noticed that my '98 Accord (Ohio) has a number of what I call "spot chips" all over the hood (the paint is raisin pearl or plum color). I've also noticed spider-like veins on various parts of the paint-body. The car has always been clean, polished and kept in a garage. To my knowledge, I haven't driven the car in an area (or conditions) that would warrant these chips. I'm not looking for Honda to do anything about this, given that the car is five years old. However, I'm baffled about the condition of the hood and overall appearence with the spider veins.
  • brews1brews1 Member Posts: 40
    The Dealer just called and said the reason the key was getting stuck is because there was a burr on the key and they made me a new one. Very interesting. The key never did this before the new tranny, coincidence? I shall see.
  • glideslopesglideslopes Member Posts: 431
    When I drove the 5-speed manual 03 on Monday it did seem noticeably quicker than the Auto, and it was SO SMOOTH. I drove the two cars less than 2 days apart so my memory was fairly fresh. If I can talk the wife out of the MPV purchase I sure would like to become one of the 5% who order the manual. The EX I-4 in a 5-speed manual would make me a very happy husband.

    Anyone want to buy a 97 Quest?

    Regards,
    Mark.
  • spokanespokane Member Posts: 514
    One of the interlock circuits for the shift selector has a solenoid that disallows removal of the key unless the selector is in PARK. If the selector switch is just a bit out of adjustment, the switch is unable to signal the solenoid to release the key. Often, as in your case, jiggling the shifter will trigger the switch and allow the key to release. It is not surprising that this adjustment was needed following replacement of the transmission. However, as you indicate, a burr on the key is a very unlikely explanation. The shop technicians may be doing excellent work but the explanation you received is damaging to their credibility.
  • paulo3paulo3 Member Posts: 113
    The paint on my car was coming off in huge chunks. Pieces were the size of a silver dollar.
    The paint chips on your hood are pretty normal. The condition you mention that are like spider like veins is not normal. This occurred at the factory when your car was painted and is more noticeable on dark colors. Hunter green seems to be the color where this is really visible for some reason.
  • storm11storm11 Member Posts: 38
    Good luck with yours. Hopefully, we'll be part of the 98+% that never have this problem. I had mine at the shop yesterday for a water pump recall. Did you get that done yet? They had the car for two days for an alloted repair time of 6-8 hours (which we all know is padded to begin with). Not a good first service experience. I questioned the svc. mgr. on the '02 tranny and if it had similar problems to the years covered under the extended warranty. He indicated he believed the problem was addressed and fixed in '02 (yeah, like I was expecting a different answer). I'm sure that's a spiel, but hopefully it won't be a problem. Like you said, I'm not losing sleep over it either.

    All in all, this is a great vehicle ..... comfortable and roomy, quick, handles well, fit and finish are superb, it is extremely intuitive and it has nice bells and whistles. One problem though...where the heck are you supposed to rest your elbows in this thing (major ergonomic flaw)? Never understood the fixation of Honda owners with these cars....never had one before now......now I understand why the majority of folks love these things. Good luck.
  • lugwrenchlugwrench Member Posts: 213
    Congratulations on winning your court case. Was anything brought up about "water based" paint during the case?
  • jar1945jar1945 Member Posts: 22
    Hi-

    I have a new Honda 2003 4 cyl automatic EX-L and it has the horrible rotten egg smell that a small percentage of cars have (all makes). I have tried different grades of gas and it does not matter. I will get the converter changed but does anyone else know of this problem and what causes it? It is not a new car smell; it smells like noxious gas (sulphur) and really it taking all the fun out of an otherwise perfect car!

    Opinions?

    Jerry
  • ickes_mobileickes_mobile Member Posts: 675
    It will go away as your cat coverter is broken in...
  • jar1945jar1945 Member Posts: 22
    I had a similar problem with a 1998 CR-V and they changed the catalytic converter 3 times and it never got better, only worse until I demanded a new car and they, as a last resort, put an accura converter in (which has more platinum) and the smell vanished. How do you know the odor sometimes goes away and have you had experience with this yourself?

    thanks,

    jar1945@aol.com
  • beachnutbeachnut Member Posts: 291
    ... these two things many, many times: it'll go away when the CC is broken in, or change your brand of fuel. It seems like a very perplexing problem. Apparently there's been some success with either of these two solutions or folks wouldn't post them so often. Then there's those cases where nothing works, even replacing the converter as Jar1945 noted. You bring up an interesting point regarding the platinum, something that's crossed my mind before as well. Could it be that manufacturer's today, in their zeal to cut costs, are using cheaper CCs and that platinum, being a semi-precious metal, is used in smaller and smaller quantities? I'll be the first to admit I'm not a scientist, so maybe someone knowledgeable in this field can contribute ....
  • anselmo1anselmo1 Member Posts: 163
    I am starting to wonder what percentage of Honda parts are out sourced?
  • martye320martye320 Member Posts: 45
    hmm...buyer beware...don't be a guinea pig for honda and pay to test their 2004 accords...i've read about so many problems with them. well, any first year model anyway...just wait people! maybe with time and people not buying their cars, next year may be a lower price!
  • ickes_mobileickes_mobile Member Posts: 675
    I had the same experience w/ my current car when I bought it new. The car had only 10 miles on the odo (that was a long time ago it now has 197,000). Anyway, the smell went away, but I don't remember how long...
  • pj23pj23 Member Posts: 158
    What problems have you read about? I'm curious, given the fact that nothing of serious consequence has popped up on these boards.
  • ravynravyn Member Posts: 101
    paulo3, congrats on getting honda to fix your problem. paint coming off in chunks the size of a silver dollar and they wouldn't help you without being forced? sheesh. i took American Honda to the Better Business Bureau's AutoLine Program with my paint problems and did end up winning...(but i ended up trading in my car last month to the dealership that painted it - so they couldn't get me on "poor repair quality" for the trade-in amount)

    Water-based paint quality was brought up during the arbitration but was pretty much dropped. two of my witnesses felt that the paint was "over-cured" thus causing the paint to become brittle and shatter as well as chip more easily.

    but anyway, as an aside... i really wanted to tell rskinner to take them to the Better Business Bureau. if you have all of your documentation, then you have nothing to lose. you even had admissions from the service reps that "yes, the seat is crooked." i hope those statements are in writing on the service receipts. but the way you've been treated thus far sounds exactly like the way i was treated by american honda - dealers, service reps, and their torrance, ca office... and all for issues that would be minor for them to fix and still cause us, the consumer, to be wowed at the level of commitment and customer service shown to us.

    so to sum up - keep all documentation, get 1-2 other opinions (in writing) from sources not affiliated with honda and go to the BBB. it doesn't cost you anything except maybe a little time. good luck.
  • dc_sports_ruledc_sports_rule Member Posts: 134
    I called the dealership where I bought my Accord to get an appointment for an oil and filter change. Usually, I call and can get an oil change within 2 days at my convenience.

    Get this, the service writer told me on the phone the earliest he could get me in was Tuesday October 8th. I asked him why so many days?

    His answer was "we have a high amount of transmissions on Accords that need to be replaced". We are in the process of hiring additional staff for oil changes and tire rotations. Hope to have the staff problem resolved within 2 weeks.

    Curiously, I asked him how many transmissions need to be replaced. His answer was "to many".
    So all this about the transmission problem is true and even worse than I personally thought.
  • hkyhky Member Posts: 71
    After reading this thread, I remembered my brand new x-2000 exv6 had paint problem too. I thought I was the only one... Basically, the rear quarter panel has dust under the clear coat - I didn't realize the serverity until the first time I tried to detail the car. I have to complaint to the honda customer service, dealership service dept boss and sales boss and threaten to sue them... then they back down and agree to repaint it. Good luck to all owners having paint problem and be firm to get them fix it.
  • lugwrenchlugwrench Member Posts: 213
    Along with the transmission, paint quality has not been up to snuff since 1998 on Honda Accords.
  • ken143ken143 Member Posts: 1
    wife drove off the lot with a 2002 accord EX yesterday. Today i drove it for the first time and noticed a slight torque steering effect when driving on the highway. just wanted to know if this is normal or the car fell off a truck. Any feedback would be real helpful.

    The symptom occurs driving on a straight highway. Speed when noticed was 55-60 mph - have not checked at lower speeds.

    When feathering the gas pedal the car either pulls slightly left when removing gas, or pulls slightly right when applying gas. As i said the pull either way is slight and only takes slight movement of the throttle to cause the effect. It bugs the ..... out of me(and i only drove it for an hour).

    Wife had a 91 accord and i didnt notice the effect.
  • bodydoublebodydouble Member Posts: 801
    It may be an alignment problem, or a tire inflation issue. I'm assuming the road crown is not the culprit.
  • ghomazghomaz Member Posts: 68
    I have been a Honda loyalist for the last 15 years. However, now I am beginning to get worried. I remember, in my childhood days (1960s), almost every house had an Impala in its driveway and these were good reliable cars back then. Now nobody even looks at Impalas. Is Honda headed the same way? The new Civic is referred to as "something new from Honda - a loser" by Car & Driver, the quality of the previous generation Accord's transmission is now recognized to be a real issue, etc. Like the tech market, is the Honda bubble also about to burst? Is the Honda bull-run coming to an end?
  • anonymouspostsanonymousposts Member Posts: 3,802
    What major manufacturere hasn't had a quality slip-up? The most important thing is that Honda stepped up to the plate and is fixing any bad transmissions and offering an extended warranty on the transmission for any possibly affected Honda/Acura product.

    As for the Civic, they tested a LX model, maybe an EX model would've made a difference .. who knows? An EX has a better engine, better interior, and maybe the quality control issues were a fluke .. or maybe they had a test model and who knows what the car had been through. I'm not trying to defend them if they are making a bad product. However, I think it it is way to early to jump to conclusions about the demise of Honda.
  • paulo3paulo3 Member Posts: 113
    After having to hire a lawyer to take Honda to court on my paint problem, I have come to the conclusion that Honda isn't the same Honda of 10 years ago.

    The quality control which was once stellar is nothing more than average at best. To many corners have been cut during the past 5 years on quality assurance control.

    The paint issue is one thing but the faulty transmission issue is a serious problem. I am also under the impression that the transmission problem started with the generation 6 Honda Accord in 1998. The LA Times article was a real eye opener.

    I hope Honda reads these posts because I personally will have to consider another company once I decide to purchase another new vehicle.
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