Honda Accord Quality Control Issues

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Comments

  • according2meaccording2me Member Posts: 236
    Definitely agree about components from Denso vs Delphi.

    You'll only become aware of this issue after 50K or so. Off the lot, they would seem the same.
  • parisbistroparisbistro Member Posts: 1
    I am new to this site and impressed by what I have read and I feel a little bit better about my Honda's problem. I have a 1995 Accord with 132,000 miles on it and thought my Honda Accord's engine would last forever and not burn oil. I don't drive it that often and it was very low on oil. the oil light went on and off and I was so shocked since that had never happened. the mechanic (after finding no leaks changed the oil and filter) told me that he could not find any leaks and wants me to bring it back after 1,000 miles. From what I have read, some of you think this is normal - but this is a Honda and I thought the engine would last forever and not burn oil. Also, is 5W30 a good oil weight for Honda to be using - they tell me the manufacturer recommends 5W30. Am I just being too particular about this old car that I thought would last forever?
  • ironmanterpironmanterp Member Posts: 57
    Ask your mechanic what is going on. There are many minor things (like stuck PCV valves or dirty air filters) that can cause oil burning, so you probably should not push the panic button just yet.
     
    You did not mention how much oil had burned or how many miles it took for the oil to disappear, nor did you mention any symptoms (after not burning any oil ever, suddenly your car was blowing enough smoke to make entire homes disappear, etc.), so no one can say if your case is unusual or not. You do need to keep an eye on the oil level on a more frequent basis as your car ages since parts tolerances open up some. Every fuel fill up is a good interval. If my 9 year old car burned a quart of oil every 1,000 miles on a consistent basis, I would not worry if I were you, especially since you mention that you drive infrequently.

    If your mechanic said to come back in a thousand miles, it would seem there is nothing catastrophic going on. My guess is that the suspicion is there is some sludge/gunk is in the system. Using an early oil change interval is a way to help clear stuff up, but be sure to ask the mechanic. Short drives on an infrequent basis are perfect conditions for gunk to build up in an engine. Occasional long drives will let the oil heat up and get some gunk loose enough to come out with the next oil change and perhaps help with oil burning.

    Since it seems to have worked for you for more than 130,000 miles, stick with the recommended oil weight at least until your mechanic comes back with a diagnosis.
  • chucko3chucko3 Member Posts: 793
    Just make sure there is no drip at the oil plug.
    I have been using recommended 5W30 oil for my 89 Accord for every oil change for the last 15+ years. The engine still does not burn much oil.
    Previously I thought my engine burnt oil about 3/4
    QT every 3 months, but it turned out it was the drip at the oil plug. It leaked more than I think.
  • snarkssnarks Member Posts: 207
    First start something that you always should do, check your oil every other or every third fillup. Basically how much do you burn in 1000 miles. If more than a quart you have an issue, otherwise I would just watch the oil. Never let it go down to where light goes on, this means low oil pressure which is horrible for motor. All cars have problems and Honda's are not immune. Honda's overall are less likely to have issues but certain ones still get them. At 9 years old don't throw in the towel, just check your oil regularly and follow up with mechanic.

    basically don't worry just check.
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    Quite normal for an engine to burn some oil at 132K miles! That's about 3/4 predicted engine life gone already. Your Honda is doing its job!

    Even excessive oil burning doesn't hurt anything as long as you keep adding it. It may annoy other motorists but usually you can even pass smog tests no problem with an oil burner.

    Don't "patch up" an old engine. Either rebuild it if you wish or just nurse it along.
  • sazaman1sazaman1 Member Posts: 22
    My Accord is 1994, DX, 4 cyl, auto transmission and I have 321,000 miles on it. I have exclusively used 5W-30 and now it burns less than half a quart in 3000 miles.
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    That's pretty good for an old engine, better than normal.
  • ironmanterpironmanterp Member Posts: 57
    From the 3/5/04 Cleveland Plain Dealer
     http://snipurl.com/Honda_V6_Oil_Leaks

    "A manufacturing defect on almost 2 million Honda and Acura V-6 engines - mostly made in Ohio - may allow oil leaks, but Honda is not extending the warranty on the engines.

    Honda spokesman Chuck Schifsky said the problem affects a small number of vehicles despite the large number covered by the technical service bulletin recently sent to dealers informing them of the problem."

    The article isn't very specific, but does say the leak can occur at the front, middle, or rear - where the heck else can there be a leak?

    USA Today 3/9/04 quote
     http://snipurl.com/Leak_under_warranty

    "The problem typically happens in the first 4,000 miles, under warranty, Honda says. Dealers are authorized, but not required, to fix out-of-warranty porous engine blocks free. Casting procedures were changed for 2004 models to eliminate the leaks, Honda says."

    Does anyone know where to look for these leaks or have any additional information? Thanks!
  • spiderman32spiderman32 Member Posts: 13
    I also had some defects in my '04 accord coupe. The headliner was making crackling noise when I changed lanes. brought it back to the dealership and they installed some more foam underneath and the problem was fixed.
    But now I found another defect, my trunk latch inside the car doesn't work. key lock mechanism seems to be stuck in the lock position even thought i put in the key and move it from lock to the unlock position.
    I am getting this rattling noises when I push on the acceelarator on the freeway.
    Lastly, when I reverse out of the driveway and then put it in drive and drive away. I get this grinding feel like the brake is rubbing against something or a mud guard. The only thing is that i don't have mud guards. Any takes???
  • whitecloud1whitecloud1 Member Posts: 268
    Can't speak to the defects you've found, except for the grinding that sounds like brakes.
    I've experienced the same and I'm confident that it is the brake pads. Goes away after a couple stops. No negative affect at all.
  • billyperksbillyperks Member Posts: 449
    I think the grinding is the ABS warm up, I experience the same noise too when I do a drive-off.
  • lelandhendrixlelandhendrix Member Posts: 240
    There is a distinct way to tell the difference.

    The ABS self test occurs when you are NOT breaking. It occurs during initial movement when cold, when the wheels start moving enough for the sensors to do their self-test. You hear a buzz and feel vibration in the gas pedal.

    Grinding will occur when coming to a stop. I occasionally find that the ABS will kick in if I am stopping abruptly or even moderately when on rough/uneven pavement. In that case, you're just feeling pedal vibration due to the ABS pump.

    A sure fire way to tell the difference is to roll down your windows and listen for an actual grinding sound coming from the wheels.
  • daavodaavo Member Posts: 8
    Heres a list of the issues that I have had so far with my '03 Accord. The front rotors were warped by 4k, the dealer resurfaced them and they warped again by 10k. Dealer has stated there was a problem and has replaced pads and rotors. Serious alignment problems with car. Car would constantly shift from left to right on the freeway. Dealer did "subframe shift" and did an alignment and car handles better now but still wanders alot. I have rattles at the front and middle of the headliner, the tops of the b-pillars rattle occasionally, two squeeks at the front of the dash on cold mornings, both front doors rattle and there is a rattle in the center console that will be "fixed" for the third time. The service guy at one dealerships told me "your just going to have to live with it." ...nice .. Having to visit a dealership this many times is a real reality check for me because the '96 Celica I traded in ran flawlessly for all 138k miles. Not one problem with that car but this one has been a nightmare.
  • 77hchbck77hchbck Member Posts: 24
    TSB #01-009 addresses this issue for 99-03 Odyssey, 03 Pilot and 98-02 Accord
  • azguyazguy Member Posts: 23
    I say there is too much wind noise for driver and passenger sides. Dealer did some foam installation < from a service bulletin, they said >and says all is well. It's better, but still too loud for an Accord, I think. They say it's from the side mirrors and "normal"..any ideas? Thanks.. zguy@theriver.com
  • inspectoringinspectoring Member Posts: 102
    I just got a brand new 2003 accord from a dealer (EX) and I just drove it for 300 miles, filling up the tank twice.

    I am amazed - the brand new accord is giving me 21 mpg on a local highway.....do I have anything to worrk about?

    thank you guys in advance...
  • ssteelmassteelma Member Posts: 15
    My car sits at the dealer for me to pick up tomorrow - for the 4th time with "popping" front window seal problems (and popping headliner problems, too). In my state this allows for the invocation of the "lemon law" should it not be corrected.

    HOA has been contacted and has contacted the dealer performing the service. Will let you know how it turns out.

    I am not going to "live with" this problem for the next 10 years.........
  • inspectoringinspectoring Member Posts: 102
    I am truly sorry for your problem...and although mine is nothing compared to yours - I really do feel your pain...its just not right for a car company to put out products like these...you are right - you SHOULD invoke the lemon law...fortunately we live in a country where this kind of protection exists....
    good luck with it...
  • lelandhendrixlelandhendrix Member Posts: 240
    Does your state's lemon laws apply to rattles or noises? If so, then wind noises, too?

    I was under the impression that it just involved problems with features/parts of the car that didn't work.

    Of course, with the right lawyer, you can argue that your headliner (a part of the car) isn't doing its job of reducing noise.
  • ironmanterpironmanterp Member Posts: 57
    Honda makes obtaining TSB information next to impossible. A few Google searches on the TSB number you provided and bingo, I was able to feel a bit more at ease about my '03 Accord - thanks!
  • imidazol97imidazol97 Member Posts: 27,691
    I understood lemon laws were aimed at defects involving safety. Do they include rattles in some states?

    2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,

  • lelandhendrixlelandhendrix Member Posts: 240
    That's my question exactly.

    I do feel they involve the performance of advertised features too, though. To include air conditioning and such, which is not a safety feature.
  • mikefm58mikefm58 Member Posts: 2,882
    Here's the link to Florida's lemon law. It's probably very similar to other states. You should be able to find your state's lemon law somwhere online.

    http://www.800helpfla.com/~cs/lemonlaw.html
  • pj23pj23 Member Posts: 158
    I think it would be a stretch to say that a headliner rattle would meet the Florida standard of impairing the "use, value or safety" of the vehicle. I'd imagine most other states are pretty close to Florida's standard, in that the problem has to have a substantial impact on the functioning of the car in order to invoke lemon law protection.
  • ssteelmassteelma Member Posts: 15
    Drove my car home from the dealer after the 4th time for headliner/windshield noise. Sounded great, looked like my problem was over.

    When driving home later in the day after work, the headliner noise reappeared. After reading the shop receipt, found that they had removed the headliner and placed "duck" tape in strategic places.

    Called HOA and asked them about the durability of a "duck" tape repair. In the desert heat out here tape in the roof will not last long.

    In my state the lemon law states that any defect "that affects the car's value" is admissible. If a potential buyer heard the noises coming from the windshield and headliner area, they wouldn't buy the car - it's value would be zero - it's just not natural.

    My first visit they did the A-pillar stuff. The second visit they took 10 days to take apart and reassemble the dash - spraying Subaru dry lube everywhere (I know because they left the can in the car). The third visit they replaced the front windshield gasket - worked for a month. For legal purposes, I was fortunate enough that they described the "duck" tape repair on my fourth receipt!

    The car's mechanicals' are wonderful. Interior integrity is not....
  • nw1997nw1997 Member Posts: 227
    Just for everyone's information, I read an article a few weeks back that stated that Honda had changed the mold in which the Accord V6's were being made from. The article stated that this took affect starting from the 2004 Model V6's. Reason being, was due to oil leaks from the poorly designed engine blocks. this also affected Acura's
  • blaneblane Member Posts: 2,017
    nw1997:

    Please identify the specific article, name of author, date of publication, name of publication, etc where you read about V6 engine blocks. You've stated: "...poorly designed..." Was that the actual wording of the article? Or are those your own words?
  • imidazol97imidazol97 Member Posts: 27,691
    "poorly designed..."
    If it leaks oil, I'd would say it's poorly designed. Whether it's one person's words or not would be moot.

    2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,

  • anonymouspostsanonymousposts Member Posts: 3,802
    Note where Honda said a very insignificant number of vehicles were affected and those that are affected will show signs within 4,000 miles. At least it's not a Camry. Did anyone read the top half of that article?
  • blaneblane Member Posts: 2,017
    atlantabenny:

    Thanks for the link.

    imidazol97:

    It should now be interesting to see if, upon Honda's detailed analysis, it is determined that this porosity issue is a design concern or whether there were a limited number of blocks that were affected due to a raw material or production problem.

    I believe that anyone using the term "poorly designed" regarding this issue, is shooting from the hip without sufficient data to back up such an assertion.
  • gee35coupegee35coupe Member Posts: 3,387
    Poorly designed sounds a little severe when you have a 3.0L V6 that put out a rated 240 hp. Poorly designed? I think not. Maybe QC may have slipped. But I can't see the "poorly designed" description holding water.
  • lelandhendrixlelandhendrix Member Posts: 240
    Design and production are two completely different things.

    From what I've read, Honda usually has engineers who design the part also design the manufacturing process in an effort to keep cost in line. This sounds like a factory related or raw material issue.
  • justinjustin Member Posts: 1,918
    has not been leaking oil as far as i can tell. good news i guess. ever since the 2nd brake pads, the car has been trouble free.

    and i don't buy for one second that whole sudden accelaration crap on the Camry's. at least once a decade a car gets in the crosshairs of some ultra conservative "consumer" group. in the 80's it was Audi (people not knowing difference between gas pedal and brake pedal) and in the 90's it was the Isuzu Trooper (people not quite understanding that you have to drive a top heavy truck a little bit different than a Corvette).

    the Camrys are not my favorite cars by any stretch, but Toyota is a fairly respectable company. they would not make a car that kills people. can't afford the lawsuits. they aren't Ford after all ;)
  • hmurphyhmurphy Member Posts: 278
    ...since I'm a consumer. Somehow I doubt that these cars and manufacturers are singled out simply because people don't know how to drive a particular vehicle.

    For example, why would only Audi drivers "not know the difference between gas pedal and brake pedal?" And why would only Isuzu Trooper drivers not understand "that you have to drive a top heavy truck a little bit different than a Corvette?"

    So all of the other sedan and SUV drivers knew how to drive their particular models, but not Audi and Isuzu Trooper owners?

    That would be a scientific marvel.
  • justinjustin Member Posts: 1,918
    scientific marvel? unfortunately for us "consumers", science has nothing to do with it. if it did, none of these "issues" would be around. it is all about perception and letter writing campaigns from bitter people that either wrecked their cars from not hitting the brakes, or from driving their truck like race cars.

    it really has everything to do with drivers/operators, rather than the vehicle. for every one person that complains that "my Camry just got away from me officer, that is why i rear ended that family in the minivan, i swear!", there are THOUSANDS of Camry drivers that "marvelously" don't have that problem :)
  • five0ninerfive0niner Member Posts: 4
    I would like to know if the 2004 Auto Day/Night Mirror is any different than the 2003...size? shape? anybody know? I read on another website (can't remember which now) that there was a service bulletin issued re: don't install a 03 auto day/night mirror in an 04.... it didn't say why though... I have noticed that the driver's sun visor can't pass the left corner of the rear view mirror... unless you manually move the mirror out of the way...
  • snakehairsnakehair Member Posts: 120
    From other posts it appears the 2003 mirror when installed in a 2004 vehicle causes false indicators on the dash (can't remember if they said the SRS or the ABS). Nothing to do with size, shape or function of the mirror.
  • justinjustin Member Posts: 1,918
    i posted a while ago about the left front fender making a slight "pop" sound when you press on it, at the hood-line.

    i remember one person stating that theirs does the same. anyone else? anyone had that looked at? or is it just "designed in" do ya think?
  • hydra2hydra2 Member Posts: 114
    are incompatible because they don't play nice with the air bag sensor light. You must install an '04 mirror in the '04.
  • asafonovasafonov Member Posts: 401
    03 Accord LX 4dr auto has this problem. Dropped it off at the dealer, they acknowledged the problem, mentioned there were (non safety-critical) Honda DSB's on underbody panels, and promised to fix it by EOB tomorrow.
  • paulcudlippaulcudlip Member Posts: 33
    I am pretty sure that clunk sound has been around since 1998 on Honda Accords. I personally feel that is the year that quality slipped on the Honda Accord and thereafter.
  • bdymentbdyment Member Posts: 573
    I am afraid you may be experiencing the infamous Honda Accord popping noise. This is where the firewall flexes against the floorpan near the left A pillar. Go to search and type in popping noise. i had to sell my 2003 EX V6 because the dealer could not or would not repair this fault correctly. Lots of luck!
  • oldsroyaleoldsroyale Member Posts: 11
    I believe I have the same issue on my 04 EX V6 coupe. It's a creaking/rattling noise emanating from the left A pillar/ dash region. I am scheduling service. We'll see what happens.
  • rcc8179rcc8179 Member Posts: 131
    I think you are having a different problem than the "infamous popping noise." I have both in my 2003 Accord (along with many other noises, some fixed and some not).

    If your noise is what I think it is, you will hear the rattling when going over rough pavement. If you removed the A-pillar trim, the noise would disappear. You can remove it by pulling back the weatherstripping (open door, pull toward center of door opening) and then pulling the top of the A-pillar trim toward the center of the dashboard. Once you have the 2 clips disengaged, pull up and out to remove. There is a TSB out that addresses this problem (it basically involves adding some padding/felt tape).

    The "IPN" also has a TSB out. This noise generally occurs at low speeds when accelerating from, or coming to, a stop. The solution is to add a couple welds to the frame to prevent some body panels from hitting each other. This really gives you confidence in the structure of the vehicle, doesn't it?
  • ssteelmassteelma Member Posts: 15
    Thanks for this post. I've been waiting for evidence of weak welds in the A-pillar. Just what I suspected.

    Maybe they will fly a welder into Santa Fe rather that have to try to sell my car again off the used lot.
  • abromsonabromson Member Posts: 16
    As I posted on the Accord Coupe board, my brand new car's engine (3 weeks and 700 mi.)has a ticking sound. Faster the idle, faster the noise. Dealer says valve(s) may have been set incorrectly (or not set) at the factory. They are correcting this now. What's this all about? Could this have caused damage during the car's first 700 miles? Otherwise, a teriffic car.
  • blaneblane Member Posts: 2,017
    The "popping" that may have affected early 2003's has nothing to do with the A-pillar. It is related to certain sheet metal panels on the underbody of those early vehicles. There are no "weak welds in the A-pillar".

    The only A-pillar issues are those that may sound, intermittantly, like quietly crackling celophane. The sound may or may not be in the A-pillar. It could possibly be coming from the headliner near the A-pillar.

    Anyone considering playing around with the A-pillar should be aware that it the home of some of the side-curtain airbags on vehicles that are so-equipped. You could be risking a dangerous bag deployment if you don't know what you are doing.
  • ssteelmassteelma Member Posts: 15
    My 2004 Accord Coupe was delivered in December 2003, and it has the headliner noises, too. Your description of the sound nailed it, now I will be able to describe it more realistically, thanks!

    With my car the headliner sounds are just an annoyance, my main problem is different. I have digitally recorded a ".wav" file of the offending noise from the front A-pillar windshield glass area and have attempted to place it on my outdated but soon to be re-updated PWP:

    http://home.att.net/~s.a.steelman/id24.htm

    It is 911K in size (2 min 44 sec play) and only those with faster modem speeds are going to be able to put up with the download time. In any event if someone should listen and know the cure............please HELP. This was recorded for the first 1/2 mile out of my house!

    They determined in my first service record that the "left front A-pillar weld was creaking". That doesn't sound too good to me (and I'm a mechanical engineer). Don't think that anyone believes that there is an epidemic of "bad welds" out there but all automated and manual processes have variances and tolerances.

    My car is just "special" - I just have to convince Honda of that.
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