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Comments
For developing a design that has loose enough tolerances to allow minor (very minor, IMHO) "vibrations" that can be felt by a very small number of owners?
No crashes, deaths or injuries resulting from the vibrations. Actually, no damage whatsoever. Just a minor annoyance.
Somehow, I doubt that any lawyer with the intelligence to potentially win such a frivolous lawsuit would take the case.
While I totally agree that these "issues" are annoying, only a few owners seem to suffer from them, with the majority of owners, myself included, cannot feel anything when our VCM system changes modes.
BTW- Believe it or not, the ECO light is not a direct reflection of what mode the VCM is in, although it might seem to be. It only indicates that you are driving in the most economical manner possible at the time.
If you are so irritated with your Accord, simply sell it and move on. Life is too short to get so worked up over an annoyance.
So- by this logic I could have sued General Motors / Saturn Corporation because my 2001 Saturn SL1 had panel gaps so huge between the doors that it was drafty during the winter months and caused me to get a cold.
Give me a break !
Go ahead and sue Honda - I would love to see them wipe the floor with you and make you pay their legal costs for such a frivolous lawsuit.
I am not looking for one penny from Honda or anyone else. I just want a car that works properly and safely. As far as research, I did my research using MSN, Road and Track and Car and Driver. I didn't read blogs.
Can't you guys just be sympathetic to my problem? I am not attacking you in any way. I just want my car fixed. I am very sad and distraught. I thought this was a forum for open discussion on problems and solutions.
accordguy0325: Are you having bad days lately? You were the one loyal Honda guy that could have a great conversation on the positive and the not so positive experiences about Honda vehicles. I do agree with you the unhappy VCM owner ought to flip that sucker and try something new but maybe he can not afford it now or maybe he just wants to vent. Its kind of like at work for me, none of the bosses want any negativity at all 0 tallerance for it but then they wonder why everything is so screwed up? because if you don't talk about what is broke you can't fix it.
You need to work with your dealer (in a positive manner) to get them to fix your problem. Being negative to them will not help your cause (even if it makes you feel better).
If it's just a matter of you not liking the general behavior of VCM, then that is not Honda's fault and you can't sue them for that. My wife's Accord drives great and gets really good mileage. We are super happy with it.
I thank this site for that. I read the reviews and was sold on a V6 honda. When I read the blogs it raised some doubts for me, but I planned to buy one after a test drive. ONE test drive was all it took for me. The constant off and on (like the a/c kicking off and on) was enough for me. I also noticed they hadn't taken care of the wind noise in the a-pillar and the road noise was typical honda. I may have bought had it not been for the VCM. Thank you for tipping me off bloggers! Had I not read these blogs I wouldn't have taken a long test drive.
The VCM just makes the car tougher to do a smooth job driving in the typical bumper to bumper, constantly varying speeds on the highway in a metro area. You add a little gas and it balks, then suddenly it responds. Wash rinse and repeat over and over. If you can't use the cruise control its annoying if focused on.
I now follow the age old fix of cranking up the radio, and driving it like a rental car. F pride in ownership. Dealers of any brand are typically poor at fixing hard to diagnose issues - first hand experience with Chrysler, BMW and now Honda on that front (I've owned eight different brands).
I do agree that when you nitpick the 08 I have, compared to nitpicking older USA built accords, that it has gotten cheaper feeling, and less attention to quality and detail. More paint flaws than my last three vehicles combined. No I did not get much of a chance to check mine out before buying, as the particular model and color had to come from Marysville - no one local had one in stock. Normally that is not a problem (now it appears to be).
If the local toyota dealer hadn't ignored me in the showroom, I might have an Avalon right now instead.
While I understand that you are disappointed in your car, and that it's hard when you spend $30k on a car, and hate to drive it. You should get some enjoyment out of $30k. However, this is in no way a "safety" issue. VCM activity is not going to cause a loss of control. You are just going to have to sell it, and take the loss, and learn from it. Research the next car, and do a thorough test drive (paying close attention to reported issues), before signing on the dotted line. I put up with a piece of crap for 6 years, before I could sell it for no loss. 6 years of learning not to make the same mistake again. People tend to fall in love with a vehicle, and quickly dismiss any issues they notice on a test drive. When they really should be asking themselves, Can I put up with this every day, for hours at a time? We live, and we learn.
I guess there's no need for safety inspectors since you KNOW the cars are safe. My car definitely surges for no known reason. I also feel a loss of power steering when it vibrates. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE!!!
As viewed by some "THIS IS A SAFETY STRETCH."!!! The Accord is one of the safest cars on the road. If yours is malfunctioning then your dealer really does need to support you. If he will not support you, then that is a dealer issue. No need to smear the entire Accord line.
1) Live with it as is. Obviously you don't want to do this.
2) Work with your dealer to resolve your issues. Hasn't worked out too well for you so far.
3) Sell it and move on. This may be your best and ONLY choice.
If you truly believe your car is unsafe, then call Honda America, or the US Governement to find help. As a last resort, drop off the car & the key at the dealer and tell them you refuse to drive it until it is fixed.
Life's too short to live with this aggravation. All you're doing is making yourself sick over a pile of metal and plastic.
I looked back at my post, and sure enough, I didn't say anything about Toyota, Pinto, or Corvairs etc. :confuse: What do any of these cars have to do with the Accord, or VCM? Sorry, I don't see the connection. They are not even made by the same company. I'm sure these were REAL safety issues, and recalls were issued on those cars. Of all the people who have complained about the VCM vibration/surging, none of them have mentioned loss of power steering. If your car is doing this, you need to do whatever it takes to have the issue resolved, including hiring a lawyer, if that's what it takes. IMO, this is not a safety issue, and there will never be a recall for VCM issues, IMO.
Also, I am glad that I read the posts about VCM vibrations. I've gotten used to the VCM shifting, so that doesn't bother me. However, I had wondered if Honda thought about making it possible to turn it off. Even if they had, I probably wouldn't turn it off often because I am enjoying the gas mileage. However, about 2 weeks ago, as I entered the expressway, I noticed a vibration-feeling as if the tires were not aligned. About three miles down the expressway, the vibration went away, and it has not done it again. Before reading these posts, I had no idea that this may have been a VCM issue. I was wondering if my tires was not balanced, but since I haven't experienced the vibration anymore, I didn't worry about it anymore. Now, if I get that vibration again, then I know that it may be the VCM doing this, and that a vibration from time to time is normal???
Roger
For what, engine vibration?
In single digit or below zero temperatures I've had a few minor instances of vibration which I've attributed to the hydraulic motor mounts being a little stiffer. I'm not saying I'm right about this but it's something that I can rationalize short of any other explanation.
I've had several rides in 2 different '10 Ford Taurus and I'm impressed with the overall fit and finish. What turns me off is that they weigh over 4,000 lbs. That weight seems to help with it's composure over rough roads, but that is part of what I like about my Accord. It's somewhat noisy, mostly tire noise, on interstates but it never feels isolated from the road, very connected.
Almost 30 months of driving my 08 and I think I would make the same purchase again. I have a 3,000 mile / 10 day trip coming up, by far the most time I'll have put in the drivers seat of this car. I'll share my impressions, assuming a safe return.
Anyway, I put a quart of oil in it yesterday, and it brought the level back up to the top mark on the dipstick. I guess one quart in 5,500 miles ain't bad. I'm just used to having a car that burns very very little oil. Right now, I'm not going to worry about it, but I will check it again before it gets to 15%.
Recently we drove the 2010 Accord V6 and saw many things to like...more room..better stereo system Finally the Auto dimming mirror and fog lights standard! Looked good on paper having more horsepower on the 3.5 V6 too.
Driving was a different story! Unfortunately the VCM constantly hunted even on staight open road driving. No comparison to the 2007 in smooth running execution..I kept looking at the gauges and realized Honda had also taken away the electro luminecent lighting on the 2010. They also took away the fabulous LED tailights our 2007s had! Finally the larger 2010 tires 225x50x18 transmited quite a bit of road noise! I admit the the 2007 was not very quiet either..we ended up having sound deadener installed by a local stero shop which made the 07 a much quieter car. I was never a fan of the leather quaility on the 07s but in balance they mights have been some of the best cars we ever had!
In summary, the 2010 Accord is OK but it pales in comparison to the 2007 Accords. They took away any reasons we had to buy Accords again
I kept looking at the gauges and realized Honda had also taken away the electro luminecent lighting on the 2010. They also took away the fabulous LED tailights our 2007s had! Finally the larger 2010 tires 225x50x18 transmited quite a bit of road noise! I admit the the 2007 was not very quiet either..we ended up having sound deadener installed by a local stero shop which made the 07 a much quieter car.
My belief is that Honda has totally perfected the art of "Giving (adding features) with one hand while taking-away (removing features) with the other hand."
Granted, some of the new(er) features are nice, but not all are useful to all people, like Bluetooth and RDS, which are totally useless to me. OTOH, some of the "taken-away" features were useful to lots of people too (like the glove box and ambient lights).
I think Honda engineers have found Toyota's supply of "cost-cutting" Kool-Aid and have drunk a bunch of it. Too bad as Honda could have pointed to their standard features as a value differentiator had they kept them.
It could be worse.
BTW- I had to install Dynamat under the rear seat and in the trunk of our 2010 sedan to quiet it down on the highway.
Sounds like it may be time to give it up and find another car. That sucks!
I'm glad you were able to quiet things down with the Dyna Mat! I had the doors done too on my 07 and the difference was dramatic.
Yeah, the TPMS system is sort of a joke. When the light comes on, you have to find a compressor & a tire gauge (gas station for $.50??) and check/fill all four tires. THEN, it may take 3-4 cycles (on-off) of the engine before the light goes out. I guess that 's what we get with a government mandated "feature." Sheesh!
Take your payment x 34 and add your residual value (should be on your truth in lending form that you signed) and thats what you will need to sell it for. Chances are you will not be able to get close to that amount so you will have to be willing to pay the difference. I am not sure about the tax on your 34 payments so you might save that amount. If you trade it in at the dealer you will be going in "upside down" and you will leave even further upside down. There is a company called Swapalease that will list your car and someone might want to take your lease over but they are looking for a good deal so that will cost you too.
Those lights on other peoples cars are a real pain on my eyes. I don't trust gadgets so I keep up with my tire pressure by checking them occasionally. Not a bad idea for anyone actually. The more gadgets a car has the more likely it is to malfunction. (May still be a low occurrence rate though). The more we expect out of these cars (all makes) the more disappointed we are bound to be. Maybe that's why so many on the forums (camera too) are unhappy when, really, it should be a happy time (sort of
Blue boy: Have you considered taking some happy pills?
I also agree that most of the aftermarket add-ons are likely installed incorrectly, resulting in the headlights that nearly blind oncoming traffic.
Maybe if I only drove at night? Nah.
All true & then some here in Colorado. The smoggiest counties around Denver have some sort of smog inspection, but only every few years on older cars. No other type of inspection is done in the state. Lots of visible violations driving around, but they simply don't get pulled over because the poor cops are very understaffed. Unlikely to get any better in the forseeable future. :sick:
Well, so says Honda anyway. Accord drivers and drivers of other Honda models such as the Odyssey using this technology seem to think differently based on the number of comments in this thread and in forums on other Honda models.
After he drove a while I asked him specifically if he could feel the vcm (he noticed the eco mode light). He said he could not and paid particular attention trying to feel it the rest of the way home. I have never felt it nor can she. I guess some of the cars do better than others. My wife got a "keeper".
So, I guess people should not make generalizations based on their own experience. We can only speak for our own car. The actual statistical data would be nice here. Honda probably has it and appears not too worried.
I've driven 1,465 miles since Friday March 19 and I'm looking forward to another 680 miles tomorrow. Worst tank MPG on this trip was 28 MPG and best was 33, no complaints here on it's fuel economy.
It's roomy, feels connected to the road, good visability. Type of road surface drastically influences road noise. New black top and it's reasonably quiet, broken pavement can be real noisy. I knew going in that it wasn't the quietest car on the road, not by a long shot. After 31,000 miles and given the current crop of vehicles available I think I would buy the Accord again.