Honda Accord 2007 Maintenance and Repair

csquared1

I just bought a new 2007 SE auto. The car picks up every bump in the road, and the ride is rougher than my previous 95 accord LX. Is this normal on this year's accord? I am living in the north surburb of chicago and the road condition is very poor. Though I have a short commute, I can not image to drive this car more than 2 hours. It just hurts my back.

Besides, the engine feels just like my old 95 accord. It is noisy than I thought for a new car.

Somehow, I feel this is 10 year old car with new paint. I drove my friend 2002 accord and 2003 camry. They both feel much smooth and quite.

Did I get a :lemon: ?

I am even thinking of trading this 1 month new car.

blufz1

My '02V6EXL was very stiff and uncomfortable to me w/ the oem Michelins. Replaced them with Goodyear Assurance Comfort treads. The Goodyears ride much smoother and quieter. Go to a Discount tire and try the Goodyears. I think they offer a 30 day free trial. Cheaper than getting a new car. Hope this helps.

f0rl0rn

I agree with blufz1.

I would think every new Accord would feel the same as what you got unless you have a legitimate issue which you should check at your dealer.

You didn't notice during your test drive?

Replacing to a Tire designed for a smoother ride would be my recommendation. And if you have 16 inch rims then perhaps down sizing to 15 inch rims may help a little also.

csquared1

I will take your suggestion and try a set of new tires.

mrbill1957

You should verify that the tire pressure is adjusted correctly. If the dealer didn't readjust them, then they could be over inflated from the factory.

Mrbill

thegraduate

csquared,

I am very much in your position. I have a 1996 Accord (same as 1995) with 173k miles on it, as well as a 2006 Accord EX (currently 21k miles).

The '96 rides a little softer, and I feel a lot of this is due to the shocks being much older (they are originals). The handling of my new car is MUCH better however.

I have to ask though, why did you buy this car if you feel it rode badly? Insufficient test drive? The Camry has always been a softer-riding and quieter car than the Accord (sort-of Buick-like), with the Accord being much more sporty and fun to drive.

I also second the notion of making sure your tire pressure is 32-35 PSI or so. Much higher, and your car will ride rougher.

tallman1

Wow... I have a 95 EX I4 and an 06 EX-L I4. The newer car is much quieter than the 95. As thegrad said, it is a sportier ride than the Camry but most of us like that just fine. The only thing I noticed at first is that the 95 seemed more stable at higher speeds and in the wind.

blufz1

My 02 V6 is very stable at any legal speed. Think the extra weight/suspension of the 6 helps. 32 psi is noticeably more comfortable than 35psi.

manbeing

I have 07 accord. Recently I hear buzzes from ignition when turn car key to start.
Dealer said that is normal for accord, but I did not hear any buzzes from a 2007 rental accord from enterprise.
any clues?

elroy5

If the ignition switch is between the II position, and start position for any length of time, you will hear a buzzing sound. If the key is turned quickly, you will not hear the buzzing. At least that's how my car works.

olemed

My EX has been rather bumpy too and at times jarring especially on really bad roads though fine on smooth roads. I checked the air pressure on all the tires and it was a whopping 39 psi! I reduced it to 35, ride is better but I plan on reducing it to 32 which I hope should help.

blufz1

My '02 V6 was figuratively "beating" me as the oem Michelins wore down. The Goodyear Comfort treads are much more comfortable and also quieter. 80k warranty.

olemed

Hmm. I have a relatively new set GY CT with 11k from my Acura. When I sold the car I put the old tires back on and kept the ComforTred's. I will reduce the psi to 32 all around and see if that helps. 35 is better than 39 but I bet 32 will be even better. Worse comes to worse I will put the GY's back on.

savegas

I have the same problems with my 07 SE I4 AT sedan.
Both front windows make a grinding noise on the way up. But I could only reproduce this problem when car is parked outside under the sun and outdoor temperature is high enough (above 85 degree fahrenheit).
Any suggestion?

elroy5

I believe there is some type of felt dealers apply to the run channels to cure this situation.

zswx

This car was picked up from a parking lot 15 minutes away from the dealer's and was very dusty, so we only checked the interior carefully.

After we signed all the paperwork, the dealer washed the car and filled the gas. Then we found 2 adjacent small dents (1.5mm in diameter for each) on the hood and they are very visible when you stand by the hood. They feel like dents with hand, and the color is black (the car is silver).

The dealer promised to fix it for free but we were still quite upset. It seemed we spent hours to buy a brand new car that need to be fixed.

Now my question is: if the dealer's body shop fix the problem so that the dents are no longer visible for now, will the paint in the fixed area last as well as the other non-touched area? How can I protect myself from problems rising from the repainting area for the next 10 years? (that's how long I'm planning to keep the car) Thank you so much for your inputs!

elroy5

A paint less dent removal shop should be able to get the dents out without having to repaint the hood. I would check into that. Is the black on top of the paint, or has paint been removed/damaged?

zswx

Thanks for your reply!

Paint is missing (damaged) over the two dents, and that's why they are black. So for me, it doesn't look like something hit the hood, but only defects in painting.

The dealer wrote "fix scratch on right side hood" on a form called "get-ready authorization", but didn't indicate how the body shop will fix it.

blufz1

I think the car is Hail damaged. The dealer will have filed an insurance claim on it. Suggest fraud in the inducement and see if you can get a perfect unit.

zswx

This is getting serious!

It was a really big Honda dealer (maybe the biggest in N. CA), so I tend to believe that they didn't cheat on purpose.

Since the dents are small and we had signed everything before we found out, we didn't expected to get another car. But maybe I can try.

Any suggestion is appreciated!

savegas

Thank you, elroy5.
Does dealer have to tear apart the doors to fix this problem? How difficult will be?

elroy5

I read about it on another forum. It was also mentioned that the Accord coupes required the felt if the owner were to have window tint installed. Without the felt, the tint would get scratched. Made me wonder what was different between sedan and coupe. The inside door panel may have to be removed, but that's no big deal. Removing the panel may not be necessary. You would have to confirm this with your dealer, I guess. Hope you get the situation resolved. Happy Hondaing.

savegas

Thank you again, elroy5.
I will make appointment with my dealer to correct this problem.
Once the problem is fixed, I will report the status here.

elroy5

Once the problem is fixed, I will report the status here.

That would be nice.

savegas

Ive recently been hearing some sort of rattling noise when im sitting in my 2007 Accord I4 SE sedan idling. Ive checked this noise with my friend's I4 SE sedan and the noise doesn't seem to be as loud as mine. I went to the dealer and asked about this problem and this was the part that the dealer's mechanic said was the source of the problem and that it was normal.

However the sound coming from this part is considerably louder in my car than in my friend's car, to the point where I am afraid that there is something wrong with this part in MY car.

fnamowicz

Dealer body shops are not the best place for body work,lots of them don't even have body shops so they sub out the cars to other shops.
Take it to an independent shop and have the dealer pay for it.

zswx

Then can you recommend some reputable body shops in CA? Thanks!

elroy5

Dealer body shops are not the best place for body work,lots of them don't even have body shops so they sub out the cars to other shops.

It depends on the dealership. My local dealer's body shop has been around for a long time. They are as good as any other shop in the area.

zswx

Then how can I tell whether the dealer's body shop is good? Ask them how long they have been in business?

elroy5

All I can say is ask around (friends, relatives) or ask for references (people who have had work done at shops in your area).

zswx

It's so upsetting that we have to go through all these troubel because we paid for a brand new car.

Thanks for your inputs!

blufz1

You paid for a new car,not a damaged unit. Call your lawyer. Next time carefully inspect the car before you buy it.

zswx

I guess we just don't have the time and energy to go that far. Besides, the dealer agreed to fix it w/o charge. If the result is good and lasting, I would take the lesson and move on.

blufz1

Everybody has to learn and it doesn't affect the service life of the car. Best of luck.

adamr1

Savegas,

Let me know how you make out with the grinding noise problem. I was going to wait until the 1st oil change to have mine looked into, but may bring it in before then. Since it is both my rear windows, I rarely ever use them. But might was well get this fixed.

benderofbows

I think I may be hearing the same "rattling" noise. It is more like something is lightly tapping a little more frequently than once per second. I don't hear it when I'm at a drive through and have the window down... it's not loud enough to be heard echoing back off the walls. I only hear it with the radio off, and all the windows up.

What is that peice? That looks like a rubber hose...

I went to high school with one of the mechanics at my local Honda dealer, and he's given me objective advice so far. I'll ask him what he thinks, if we do indeed have the same noise. It doesn't sound like something to worry about to me, but I'd still like to know... you know?

adamr1

I have the '07 SE V6 and notice that the engine is constantly louder when the A/C is on, almost like a constant humming sound. As soon as I shut the A/C off, the noise goes away. My previous Hondas made noise as the compressor popped on and off. This one is a constant noise. It may be normal, was wondering if anyone else has noticed this.

ricardohead

"However the sound coming from this part is considerably louder in my car than in my friend's car, to the point where I am afraid that there is something wrong with this part in MY car."

Not 100% sure why a sound coming from a little hose would be louder in your car than your friend's, but it should be easy enough to pop off that hose and make sure it is clean inside. It looks to be in clean and good shape but could also be the hose has a pinhole or something, because other than a hole or a crack a hose is not going to make a whole lot of noise.

If you're not talking about the hose, but the part underneath it, please identify the part. What did your dealer say it is? If you don't know, can you check it out for a part number and post it here? Then maybe we can advise. Also please describe the noise a little.

savegas

The part that I am talking about is that hose. The dealer's mechanic told me to feel the hose while the engine was idling. The hose was in a matter of speaking, beating. This beating matched exactly the frequency of the tapping noise that I heard in the cabin of my car. This tapping sound can only be heard when you are idling in a quiet area with all the windows rolled up.

The hose has the following number printed on top: AGE-ECO-6X03.

blufz1

Beating? It's alive! It's alive!

thegraduate

Muahahahahaha (online-speak for sinister laughter).

It's Frankenhonda's monster.

blufz1

Too many horror movies as a child. Lol.

thegraduate

I wonder if they call the car "Christine?"

blufz1

Smokin'. Lol.

bnstoln

I recently purchased a 07 EXL MT (1064 mi). Last night the key would not go in the ignition (it would go in about 1/4 inch then stop). I tried the spare key which i know worked and the valet key. The valet key would work but the other two would not. Both ignition keys would unlock the doors and trunk. The dealership said that the keys were cut wrong and made new keys. Guess my question is has this happened to anyone else and should i keep the tow truck number handy?

Thanks :confuse:

ricardohead

Thanks savegas. I can't even find that part number online to see what it is associated with so it is a bit hard to be helpful with you. That part it is connected to ... you know what it is? Maybe it has a number? Something about the set-up in your pic and this issue reminds me of an issue a GF had with a Honda a few years back. Turned out to be something in a suction device below the hose but nothing major ... the suction was to aid some form of emissions control, but didn't do a whole lot else and was not life threatening so she decided to let it ride (I wanted to dig in further but we were on the skids). The "ECO" in the part number seems to fit that emissions bill, and maybe the unit it is connected to a part that is generating irregular suction at idle which is reverberating thru. Still, if you can get any info on the part below, please post it.

savegas

Thank you, ricardohead.
I am going to see other dealer this Friday to find out what is going on with this noise. Hopefully, I could meet a more skillful mechanic. Once the problem is corrected, I will post here.

robr2

You paid for a new car,not a damaged unit. Call your lawyer. Next time carefully inspect the car before you buy it.

Minor damage like this is repaired all the time before a vehicle is delivered. Vehicles do get damaged in transit and they do get repaired without disclosure. Every state has a threshold amount that must be exceeded before it has to be disclosed.

If these small dents on the hood had been repaired before delivery, you probably would never had known about the repair. Repair techniques are so good today you'll probably never notice it.

Good luck with your new car.

zswx

Thanks a lot for your comfort! I think you had a good point, but we were upset because we could have prevented this by insisting that they wash the car before we sign the paperwork. Besides, we only spent only 15 minutes for the price but stayed at the dealer's for 5 hours! And the result is worse than if we just randomly picked a car and drove it home.

We are going to drop the car to the dealer, and according to them, it will be repaired somewhere else. I'm not sure whether that indicates we won't have top-notch 3rd-party body shop to do the repair for us.

robr2

I guess that's why living in a place where spot deliveries are uncommon is a good thing. The dealership would've had 2-3 days to prep it and take care of any little issues and I'd be blissfully unaware.

We are going to drop the car to the dealer, and according to them, it will be repaired somewhere else. I'm not sure whether that indicates we won't have top-notch 3rd-party body shop to do the repair for us.

It probably means that they don't have a bodyshop and they send it off site.