By accessing this website, you acknowledge that Edmunds and its third party business partners may use cookies, pixels, and similar technologies to collect information about you and your interactions with the website as described in our
Privacy Statement, and you agree that your use of the website is subject to our
Visitor Agreement.
Comments
I bet a month's subscription to Earthlink that the cam timing is off by 1 tooth. The car will be driveable but it will ping, and will have less power and poor gas mileage. Take it back and get it corrected.
Back to your question, and it's an interesting one, here's my .02 - with everything premised on you not suffering any financial or material disadvantage resulting from the accident:
1) You've probably heard of resale loss compensation provided by the insurance company. It's supposed to offset any loss at resale with the buyer knowing the car's been in an accident.
2) If your car was intended as a keeper, the car checks out good as new after repair, and the resale loss compensation BETTERS the estimated resale loss (more on this below), I'd say keep the car.
3) If any condition in 2) fails, sell it but consider this before doing so: A settlement attempt by the insurance company doesn't let the offender off the hook. If after appealing an unfair settlement offer the insurer refuses to add compensation, you still have recourse against the offender for any shortage. I'm not sure how signing a quit claim with the insurer in exchange for a first-part settlement plays into this; I'd ask a lawyer before signing.
Approximate resale loss due to a major wreck: 30% of a wreck-free fair market value ($17 k will fetch $12k). This is based on personal experience.
Hope this helps.
I'm now dealing with a loose rattle in the passenger door (I believe its the cable that runs from the door handle to the lock mechanism - out of its plastic guide) but trying the get the door to reproduce this intermittent noise on a test drive is very frustrating. Also still have the windshield "ice cracking" thing and am now getting a vibration at around 60-65 mph in the wheel (slight grinding type of thrum in the wheel) which I think may have more to do with the curb I hit parking the other day than anything else (I hate aluminum wheels - they more round until you dent 'em and they dent so damn easily + once they're dented, they never seem to balance right after that).
Have to try the WD-40 thing on the door rubber (see post below your last), but I suspect it won't cure the problem. The rubbing sound I'm getting is a wet rubbing sound. I think its more b/c water is not draining properly from the channel, as it seems to happen more often when its rained or its damp outside.
Anyway...good luck - hope it all works out for you. I'm shoppin' bimmer next time round.
-FS
Will let you know what Honda will do, after I meet with the district rep.
I have a 1995 accord V6-L with only 73K. The bulk of that milage is from the past 3 years since i switched to driving to work. I change the oil every 3-5K, and service at least 2x per year (filter, tune up if neeeded)In the past 2 years my rock solid reliable car is now showing signs it wants to be traded in or sold.
1. The biggest chunk out of my wallet was the $1200 i just dropped at the dealer to replace the ABS modulator. I was told no service advisories on this existed, and i needed to get this fixed to pass inspection. Now i see some comments on this forum that have me belive this is a more widespread problem than just me.
2. On the subject of brakes, i have had the brakes fixed/repaired several times due to rotor warping. after a few thousand miles, the car feels like the steering wheel willl vibrate right out of my hands under moderate braking from 60-65mph. I have had the rotors cut, replaced, etc and still comes back.
3. stupid little things like the coin holder broke (dealer wants $35..crazy) and a bolt came out of the power seat motor...at least i was able to fix that so i wasnt on a rocking chair.
4. the exhaust system how seems to be disintegrating all in pieces..the muffler 6 months ago and now the Y pipe.
5. The power windows are S-L-O-W and the drivers side even gets shut off by the auto up/down in the cold weather.
After thinking i would drive this into the ground, or save it for my 5-year old, it may be time to let it go. anyone have any ideas on the brakes and if you have any solid details to go to the dealer please let me know.
thanks!
Recently, I heard grinding sound when i applied the brake. In general, it just happened when I run the car and applied brakes for the first and second time. Then I cannot hear the sound, and
the brake is smooth. However, everytime when the car was leftoff for several hours, i can hear the grinding sound again in the beginning. Dealer told me that it is due to rust buildup. I still have the problem even after they clean the brake. Doessomebody has experienced the problem? thanks.
Rust just makes a very soft noise on the brakes, but mine made a very extreme grinding sound. It got more and more frequent, so that it made the noise every time the car sat for more than 30 minutes or so. This started when there were only about 400 miles on the car.
The dealer had to replace the pads to make the sound go away.
I had rattling noises in the passenger door (loose cable guide) and glove box (replaced), ticking of driver window (lubricated window channel guide). Another annoying rattling noise comes from the door of the compartment under the radio.
Don't get me started on the various interior trim pieces that came loose or were missing.
I would drown out the noises with the radio if it didn't carry so much static on all stations.
My best gas mileage is about 26mpg at 65mph with 95% uninterrupted freeway.
I've visited the dealer six times over thr last two months.
Got the feeling that you are right on target. I'll keep you post it.
With the brakes, I had a '91 Accord EX-4 cyl. that had a similar problem - after a second set of rotors started to warp and wobble inside of 20k, I went to a different repair shop. The second guy advised me that my calipers had been set too tight, so that the brakes were always very slightly applied and therefore would get hot on anything more than a local trip. Heat+Time=Warped Rotors.
As for the coin holder - that's what a junkyard is for - you should be able to get a replacement for about $5.
Slow power windows could be a motor regulator - or it could just be that the tracks need adjustment and lubrication (again, not something the dealer will necessarily do - although if you're handy, taking off the door panel ain't that hard).
Consider trying another dealer or an aftermarket repair facility that focuses on Japanese car repairs (we're rumored to have a Honda Speed Shop here in Orange Co. NY that is a private facility but also an authorized factory repair shop - look for something like that if you can find it).
Good luck!
-FS
I only involved the dealer for the ABS setup since i didnt want to get taken for a ride by a local shop on that...not that the dealers are crooks too sometimes.
Whats the best way to get the door panels off and back on without spending the whole day on it?
i consider myself somewhat handy in general.
thanks
>>Slow power windows could be a motor regulator - or it could just be that the tracks need adjustment and lubrication (again, not something the dealer will necessarily do - although if you're handy, taking off the door panel ain't that hard).<<
The driver's window on our '97 Accord is pretty slow. What do you recommend as a lubricant for the tracks?
From my experience as a private owner of multiple
Honda's ( Accords and Civic), for the most part when I had these problems with the windows, I opened the door panel ( not hard but kind of tricky), and removed the window and used silicone spray to grease the tracks and white lithium grease to lub the actual mechanism that the motor actuates, and tried worked it several times before putting the window back on and the rest of the stuff. I'm not saying that the regulator couldn't be bad, but I'm sure if you keep rolling those windows by force or continuously while they are slow, then most likely you will make these regulators go bad. A dealer will not go in their and do what I just mentioned to you because it is not much profit for him. He would rather tell you that the regulator needed to be replaced to fix the problem. And I bet that 90% of the folks that replaced the regulators based on these symptoms, still had these problems surface again.
I bought the car expecting to get the rotors turned and the front pads replaced under warranty before 15,000 miles. That seems fairly common. The last three Mitsubishi cars I’ve owned had to go to the dealer multiple times each for brake work under warranty. I’m a little surprised to be having this problem between zero miles and now on my '05 Honda though.
The dealership offered to take care of the brakes and the airbag recall in the same service visit so that I don’t have to be without a car for more than a day.
Anybody else having early brake problems?
As a side note, I wonder if the LX model with drum rear brakes puts more of a braking load on the disk front brakes and perhaps thus has a higher incidence of warped rotors. Anybody have any thoughts on that possibility?
I had your problem about every 3K on my 03 Accord (which I eventually got rid of), starting at very low mileage. The dealer replaced the pads several times and the rotors once, but the problem came back each time.
Perhaps the caliper adjustment is the answer.
It’s certainly possible that a caliper isn’t floating properly due to dirt, rust, lack of grease, and/or a defective part. Alternatively, an overly stiff seal might not bend when the brakes are applied and then retract the piston afterward. However, in either case, that would be dead easy to check for just by spinning the wheel – you’d hear and feel the pads dragging. The only “adjustment” I can imagine would be if the caliper were way out of parallel with the rotor (unlikely) and that would damage the pads more than the rotor.
One common cause of warped rotors on some models is improperly tightened lug nuts. Too tight or very uneven tightening can play hell on the rotor when it gets very hot. I meant to check all mine with a torque wrench but haven’t yet.
As expensive as these brake problems are for many manufacturers, I can’t imagine that they’re just unwilling to use slightly higher-quality parts. I honestly don’t know what the deal is.
Some of the newer Hondas (Odessey, Pilot) have a little sticker there that shows the radio code.
Thanks for your comments!
I sprayed some WD-40 on the weather stripping around the passenger-side doors and that seems to have stopped some very slight creaking in that area.
The 2004 is a tight car--the 2005 is likely to be better.....Richard
any other opinions for late 04 early 05 owners?
I have a Honda Accord DX 1990. It has a peculiar problem. When I drive it and stop it, I can change the gear from Drive to Parking but the parking light on the dashboard(showing that I Parked) does not come up. Till the parking light comes up I cannot come out of the car as the keys are stuck. After about 2-5 minutes the parking light comes up and then only I can leave the car.
Do all Accords have this problem over time? If so why doesn't Honda include this in the periodic maintenance chart?
If it is only some, does anyone know what causes this? Is it the local gasoline mixture? Or perhaps driving habits?
Note to isellhondas: While warranty thankfully covered this potentially expensive job, we all know that Honda earned its reputation with cars that didn't seem to need time-robbing warranty work in the first place. Given that I had to bring the car a number of times to the dealer for diagnostics, part-ordering (they didn't have the part) and finally installation, this warranty work took at least 3 hours of my personal time and the hassle of arranging alternate transportation (no courtesy car) while the car was in the shop.
I noticed the check engine light was on in all those 3 cars. What happened? Does Honda make all their cars like that?
Even the car needs to get oil change it should not doing that, except the engine oil is lower than minimum request.
If this is the function that Honda makes the car and this is only the business strategy which scare customers and charge them more just for oil change. Is there a way I can turn this light off myself? Otherwise, I don’t think I’ll buy any Honda in my life.
The "check engine" light is telling you that something is actually amiss. It's often as simple as not tightening the gas cap enough. When it happened to me on my 2000 Accord, it turned out that there was an alternator problem.
So the "check engine" light isn't a business strategy... it's there for a real tangible purpose of benefit to the owner.
By College Hills Honda Service
Newer Model Honda Vehicles:
Push and hold the trip/reset button, turn the ignition switch ON (II), and continue to hold the button for more than 10 seconds or until the indicator goes out.
Older Model Honda Vehicles:
Insert the ignition key into the maintenance indicator slot. Press inward to depress the reset button and remove your key.
Did you get yours fixed?
Houston, TX
this morning, took my accord out of the garage,
found oil leak stain on the garage floor,
not sure whether the stain is from accord or my previous chevy: so park the car in the other side of the garage( i have 2 car garage) which has no stain ,put newspaper underneath the accord
hopefully, i will see no stain tonight, otherwise, I have to ask the dealer to fix it or switch to another accord.
any suggestions?
thx
I gather that the important part there is to have the trip/reset held down BEFORE you turn on the ignition. Hold it down after the car is already on and you'll be adjusting the outside temperature sensor up to plus or minus 5 degrees F (if so equipped).