Honda Accord Problems 2000-2005

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  • svalleysvalley Member Posts: 30
    Took delivery of my wife's LX last Monday. With just under 200 miles the car meet it first snow storm 2 days ago. The ABS activated after a brake(as expected with snow covered ground) but the ABS light turned on and stay lited. Once in a while the light went off and turn itself on again within a minute(after making some noise after I just started the car which I believe other people mentioned it is caused ABS self test). My wife took the car back to the dealer today, but mechanic said they found no problem. The Mechanic reset the light and said have a good day. Even the ABS light is off now, I still believe there is something wrong with ABS, I attemped to activiate it to reproduce the problem, but now the pavement is dry and I don't want to do any hard braking yet. Anyone else had or heard anything about the 03 ABS problem? Any advise?
  • jonesok1jonesok1 Member Posts: 97
    I'm new to this board and I posted this on the general board before I realized this thread. Sorry for the double post.

    After about 1000 miles, my new EXV6Nav now makes a popping sound from the front of the vehicle when stopping or starting when the body flexes. The dealer had the car a week, first replaced a strut, which did nothing at all, then had the car 4 more days while they tried everything they could think of. Said it was fixed, and I test drove the car, and it was-for about 30 miles, then it started right back up again.

    Does anyone have a clue what this is, or has anyone else had this problem with a solution?

    Not a happy camper. Nothing worse than having a new car with a defect the dealer can't fix.
  • alkanxalkanx Member Posts: 69
    Hi, I have the same problem with my moonroof/sunroof, it is a rattle of course, when I close the cover, I don't hear it but when I open it, there it goes again & it is only on bumps though. I'll try your method, perhaps that is what it is.... Thanks.

    -AL
    02 Acc V6.
  • anonymouspostsanonymousposts Member Posts: 3,802
    My 01 Accord EX V6 coupe and my 99 EX were the same way alkanx. I just either kept the sunroof open or the shade closed or the stereo loud enough to where it didn't matter either way :)

    But I've heard a few people with the same problem saying that some additional lubrication/sealant around the edge of the moonroof solves the squeak.
  • mikek37mikek37 Member Posts: 411
    ITs kinda hard to explain in detail how I fixed the rattle. First, the hardest part was diagnosing the actual problem. I knew there was a rattle, but I hadnt pinpointed it till a few days ago. The noise was coming from the moonroof itself, I took apart the headliner, which was quite simple ( on the sides there are a few pieces of velcro and the front is tucked into a part of the moonroof, just pull it down). Now the hard part. Where the headliner meets the moonroof, or where you tuck the entire piece into, this is where the noise was coming from ( well thats what I atleast suspected).If I were to pull the metal beam up or down ( its the metal piece that is part of the moonroof) the exact noise would be reproduced, but only on one side of the car, which was the driver side for me. Perfect I knew where the noise was and I was able to replicate it. Next, After listening to the noise for about an hour or so and attempting to fix it ( spraying silcone and what not)I was gaining no ground. Until I final realized the rattling was coming not from the moonroof per se, but from where it atteches on the edge of car. If you take a look at your car, you will see what I am saying. This piece is located right above the driver side door, and you can get to it through the headliner. After arming my self with some weather stripping, I jammed a few pieces inbetween, the moonroof bracket and the car itself. I then attempted to replicate the noise again by pushing down on the metal bar,which caused the rattling; suprise it was gone, no more rattle. This may make no sense whatsoever, but I suppose the moral of the story is, just take a few hours out of your day, putz around , find the rattle(which is the most difficult part of this process) then attempt to fix it.Good luck
  • tunefultuneful Member Posts: 35
    (#4400, 4413, etc.) I have no solution for you, unfortunately--can only tell you that you are not crazy. The very high vibration of the steering wheel on two test-drives of the Accord 4 auto sedan, especially when a/c was on, was enough to knock it off the list for me.
    I hope there is a solution for those of you who are having this, I wish you the best. Honda Motors, what is up with this!
    In the meantime I am reluctantly considering a V6, which is a bigger engine than I need but which did not have much noticeable vibe.
  • alkanxalkanx Member Posts: 69
    Hi gents, I was able to isolate the problem with my moonroof after about 2 months of listening to the annoying rattle sound.

    What it was - the rubber around it got hardened over time, when I drove over bumps, it would scratch against the metal part where it is seated, those tiny movements would make a rattle sound. This morning I applied some olive oil on to the rubber seal & it seems like the problem has gone away, I'll keep listening to it, so far so good.

    On the other hand, my wife's car is a 97 Maxima, we got it new & has 150k miles on it, the moonroof on the Max is as good as new. I am starting to wonder if the seal around that one is some better material than Honda's..

    -AL
    02 Acc V6
  • coolhandluke2coolhandluke2 Member Posts: 6
    Dealership just advsd me they found oil in my coolant, 03 LX 5spd 12K on it. We all know these systems are not supposed to mix, sounds like a gasket let go. Any thoughts, any one else know of this problem. The district service manager is there and reports he is aware of one other case.
  • gregoryc1gregoryc1 Member Posts: 764
    What is Honda going to do for you about this problem? Do you also have coolant in the engine oil? If so, you have a contamination problem, and this could cost you an engine down the road. Antifreeze and engine bearings DO NOT mix very well. ----Greg
  • coolhandluke2coolhandluke2 Member Posts: 6
    The dealer is telling me its oil in the coolant, not coolant in the oil. He thinks its either a head gasket or a porous engine block. I would think its not the head gasket since there is not coolant in the oil. Bad engine block means new engine, any thought on whether I could get a new car from Honda since its only 5 month old or would replacing the engine satisfy the warranty.
  • atlantabennyatlantabenny Member Posts: 735
    Sympathize with your problem. Engine replacement may be the simpler solution for Honda so "you won't foot the pro-rated wear & tear on the other parts (tires, brakes, transmission, clutch, etc.) of the car if the whole car was replaced."

    Honda might say, within reason, that defective transmissions are replaced regularly without having to change the entire car and so with engines.

    A cost-free new engine replacement & loaner vehicle would be OK - as in a "satisfactory" or "passed" report card grade. But if Honda wanted a customer for life and the word-of-mouth promotion that goes with it, they'll replace the car.
  • atlantabennyatlantabenny Member Posts: 735
    Over the weekend, I confirmed the source of a dashboard creak, driver's side, that sounds like a watch's steel band rattling at speeds 20 mph and above over normal road irregularities. Pressing down on the sill of the instrument cluster housing, bottom left area, the noise would stop.

    Related to this problem, the dealer said they trimmed plastic parts rubbing against each other about 2 months ago during warranty service, but the noise returned 5 minutes driving out of the dealer.

    Next chance, if I've not fixed it myself yet, I'll let the dealer know my finding so they have a head start, and I'll let everyone know the results.
  • ili2ili2 Member Posts: 1
    2001 Honda Accord Coupe EX-V6 - 52,000 miles - all expressway driving. No extended warranty. A week ago my car was making a loud squeaky noise in the front, which progressively got worse. It sounded like a squeaky bed. Plus, the SRS light was on continuously. I took it in to a Honda Dealer. They told me that the lower front end ball barrings were worn and needed to be replaced for $374.00. Also, the main sensor(OPYS?) for the SRS light needed to be replaced along with some secondary sensor. Cost for that - $621.00. Needless to say, I was upset at the thought of paying $1000.00 in repairs for a 2 year old car. To make a long story short, the dealer called Honda and they covered the $621.00 for the SRS - saying that it was a safety issue, etc.. As for the ball barrings, especially for a HONDA, I find it hard to believe that they could get worn so quickly. Everybody, I spoke to was surprised. Is this common for a Honda with only 52,000 miles on it or has Honda quality gone down?
  • victorsamvictorsam Member Posts: 9
    I've had this light on since I first bought the car in mid-January. The salesperson said it might be because of the gas cap and I should wait till I used up a fuel of gas. In the two months I owned the car I've put on about 550 miles and went to take it in once the light remained on despite emptying the fuel. I took the car to the dealership and they said they couldn't find any problem but the light would not be on. I drove this home but no less than a week later of inactive use, the light is back on? Anyone have any advice for me on this. I read on the internet that despite not noticing anything different in driving the car, this may reduce the vehicle's performance and fuel economy as it has something to do with the emissions control system, I believe.

    I notice that the car sometimes idles to 1 rpm when in "cold" mode. Is this normal? Also, the only 3 times I've fuel the car resulted in not being able to start the car right away. I had to key it several times (each time) to start the car. This is odd for a new car.

    Do all of these 3 issues have a connection? This is a brand new car and I don't know what to make of this. Any advice is greatly appreciated.
  • habsrule1habsrule1 Member Posts: 4
    I've had them all!
    1) The moonroof rattle was caused by the velcro attachments on the roof, pull the interior roof down a little and the "re-velcro" together by pressing with hand.
    2) Starting problem - my car would take 7-10 seconds to start. After 4 months of begging, I printed off and showed all the messages from Edmund's board and they finally agreed to try something and changed the fuel pump and sensors. Starting problem is gone!
    3) My car is currently vibrating after it has been warmed up for 10-15 minutes. It vibrates like crazy when the car is in drive at a stop light for example. I was just told that there is a problem with the engine mounts and that Honda Engineering is working on this. If any body is experiencing this problem please let me know and especially if it's been fixed.
    Thank You!
  • jrct9454jrct9454 Member Posts: 2,363
    Yes, this problem is all over the Honda Accord boards right now. No, yours is the first indication that Honda has actually acknowledged the problem and is working on it. Up to now, no one seems to have achieved a fix short of a new car. Your response is the first that hints that a factory solution might be in the works.
  • jrock80jrock80 Member Posts: 66
    I have the V6 and have horrible engine vibration as well. Mine is more a rough idle and it occasionally stalls.
  • habsrule1habsrule1 Member Posts: 4
    I was told today that the engine mounts are what Honda feels is causing the vibration noise. They said they are working on it and if they feel that if it is an issue, they would implement a fix! So I asked Honda engineering if they where to deem that it is no issue with the vibration, what would happen next. I was told I would have to live with the problem. I'm fumming!! My suggestion would be to bring the vehicle in and ask the dealership to document the issue and ask for a copy so it is on the Honda service files This hopefully would be recognized as a large problem which may get some resolution.
  • inspector3inspector3 Member Posts: 8
    How about giving out that Honda engineering
    telephone #. I would like to talk to them also.
  • rpm29rpm29 Member Posts: 6
    The vibrations in my 4 cyl Accord became less severe once I got the first oil change at 7000km. I notice that prolonged vibrations occur if the weather is really cold (under -15 C). In warmer weather, the vibrations start up for a couple of seconds at idle when the engine fan is on. I find the windshield popping noise more irratating but it disappears after a hour or so. I aslo ran into the infamous starting problem at the car wash. I noticed that a small amount of water had leaked through the hood. A puddle had formed near the starter motor . If you are having problems starting your car, you should check this out.
  • repoman2repoman2 Member Posts: 1
    I think I have the worst luck in the world. I bought a 03 4dr accord several months ago and have so many problems with it and I'm starting to hate driving my car. The biggest problem for me is the car drifts to the right. I think all of the issues listed for the new accord happend to me at one time or another. I can live with all of those problems but the drifting to the right problem is making my insane. My steering wheel drastically turns to the right by itself after slowly creeping up prior to acceleration (after a stop). I constantly have to hold the steering wheel straight while driving or else I'll go right to the ditch. I've taken it to the dealership and they said all the specifications are right with the alignment and they tried switching my front tires but that didn't work. Please help.
  • habsrule1habsrule1 Member Posts: 4
    Well, I wrote yesterday regarding my 2003 Honda Accord vibration problem and they told me it may be an engine mount issue. Well, this morning I was driving into work and my 2003 Honda Accord became sluggish and the motor gave out on the highway. Luckily, I managed to to make to the side of the road. It has just been towed to the dealership and I am waiting to hear from them. This to me could have been a serious safety issue. I would recommend not to take your car issues lightly. Be the way, you cannot call Honda engineering. It is exclusive to the dealerships.
    I will update as soon as I know!
  • aromasaromas Member Posts: 314
    If you can't get the steering problem fixed, trade it in and buy a Mazda 6. Trust me you won't be disappointed driving that car. No car has a better steering feel.
  • gregoryc1gregoryc1 Member Posts: 764
    Is your 2003 Honda Accord a 4 or a 6 cylinder vehicle? -----Greg
  • gregoryc1gregoryc1 Member Posts: 764
    I don't think that Honda will go for a NEW CAR! If they put in a new engine, and they give you a vehicle to use while the process takes place, I do not see a problem. My wife and I put a 7 year 100,000 mile extended warranty on our 2003 Accord, just in case something like this might occur, after the 3yr / 36,000 mile warranty runs out. You know, ---"bad things have a way of happening to good people"! -----Greg
  • mikek37mikek37 Member Posts: 411
    About a week ago I dropped my accord off at the dealership, the reasoning being I was hearing a rattle from my moonroof, and a creaking noise from the passenger and driver side door areas, seems to be coming from above the passenger and driver side windows.

    CREAKING: The noise is more notiecable over bumps, and especially when I turn into my driveway or into a parking lot. If I was making a right turn into my driveway (slight incline) , the passenger side door/window would squeak, then as weight was transfered from the right side to the left the creaking would occur on the driver side.

    I read a previous post on this thread about sticking a few pieces of cardboard between the weather stripping around the windhshield , but unfortunately that didnt work. Im not sure if its due to such cold weather and the causing the rubber to come into contact with the windshield.

    Im hoping, that once I bring the car back for service (third time) ( When I brought the car to the service shop a week ago, they said they could not locate the creaking noise, as for the moonroof, they couldnt find the noise either, but after doing some work on the moonroof I was able to solve that problem WHEEW!!)

    The next time I bring the car in,Im going to tell them to replace the mohawk/a-pillar clips, but Im a bit hesitant , because I had my windshield replaced two weeks ago, and I hope they dont say that the guy who put the windshield in messed it up and that it isnt in their lap anymore.

    Other then that the car is great, but Im quite frustrated . Any ideas ?
  • coolhandluke2coolhandluke2 Member Posts: 6
    Honda did deliever a loaner car, 91 Civic, until they figure out mine. The head was pulled and appears to be fine but it was sent out for further inspection. It appears it may be the block that has failed. It is just makes you uneasy knowing all the work that has to occur to change out the engine and the chance that they mess something up since changing out Honda engines is not a daily routine. Maybe I can talk Honda into a free extended warranty. We'll see! My 93 Accord I traded in had 190K, not one problem, go figure! I wish I could be as lucky with my lottey tickets!
  • jrock80jrock80 Member Posts: 66
    Haha I think its funny. My dealer has been telling me they cant find anything wrong with my EX V6 sedan either and then the other night it died on me on the way home. It just stalled and took 2 hours to get it to start again. But there is nothing wrong with the car. I really enjoy being stuck on the side of the road for 2 hours with no heat in 20 degree temperatures at midnight. Sounds like fun to me!
  • habsrule1habsrule1 Member Posts: 4
    Well,
    I got my car back last night after getting it towed to the dealership. As I said, my engine died on the highway. It was found that my car actually ran out of gas! Before you laugh it was not my fault. The vehicle gauges had said I had 1/2 tank of fuel therefore, screwing up the sensors and gauges. It was found that the "fuel sending unit" was faulty and not reading correctly. They removed the unit and re-installed the same unit back in and it appears to be functioning. My vibration issues is still present however and I still get the rotten egg smell. By the way, my vehicle is a 4 cylinder.
  • according2meaccording2me Member Posts: 236
    starting to be apparent, it would be interesting to know what the first digit of the VIN is for these vehicles. 1,2,3,J ???
  • gregoryc1gregoryc1 Member Posts: 764
    I have a 2003 Honda 4 cylinder Accord. I believe the exhaust odor, and the idle vibration is connected. In all my vehicles,(land & water based), I run an upper cylinder lubricant in the fuel. My lubricant of choice is Marvel Mystery Oil. (4 ounces of MM oil to each 10 gallons of fuel). Pour the oil in the fuel tank, and then pump in the fuel. I also use 92 octane fuel. When we first took delivery of the Accord, it had a slight vibration at idle in gear,and there was a smell coming from the exhaust at times. The vehicle now has 2,000 miles on the engine, and the vibration is occasional and very little, and the smell has all but disappeared. I believe that the fuel injectors need some lubricant, and when they do not function smoothly, the engine gets a "rich mixture", and this results in an exhaust odor, and an idle vibration. The upper cylinder lubricant,--- lubricates the pintle in the fuel injector, together with the valves, valve guides and the piston rings. Yes, MM oil is safe for the oxygen sensor and the Cat. Converter. I know this for a fact, because I call the company last year. My wife and I also have a 2000 Honda Civic, and I also use MM oil in its fuel. It has a VERY smooth running engine. I higly recommend this product. -------Greg
  • inspector3inspector3 Member Posts: 8
    Doesn't your car vibrate when the compressor kicks on?
  • mrsfun44mrsfun44 Member Posts: 2
    I have a 2003 Accord LX (purchased in September). The weatherstripping on the driver's side is already worn out. Also, the retraction of the driver's side seat belt is awful. I have had an 89 Accord LX prior to the 2003 and did not have any of these problems. Anyone else have them? I know they are minor compared to some of the problems I've been reading about. Maybe I should just consider myself lucky and stop complaining!
  • mikek37mikek37 Member Posts: 411
    RE:MRSFUN

    What sign/indications have you encountered in regards to the weather-stripping wearing out. If so, does it squeak/creak ?

    RE:INSPECTOR 3

    All cars, especially 4 cylinder engines, will tend to vibrate when the compressor is first activated. I have also read, from many sources, that larger 4 cylinder engines are inherently more prone to vibration.

    RE:GREG
    I have also noticed, that after running 92 oct in my 03 sedan V6, it runs noticeably smoother when compared to 87. Maybe its just my imagination. But I tend to believe that the accord should be run with 93. The accord tends to significantly halt/retard the spark relay when 87 is ran.

    Also, has anyone noticed that the "supposedly" new transmission on the accords, isn't as smooth when driving at lower speeds. For instance when less aggressive throttle ( driving less aggressively) is applied the upshifts/downshifts aren't as smooth when compared to a more aggressive throttle (driving more aggressively). Seems the more aggressive I drive the car, the smoother the shifts become.

    In transition, the only thing as of now, that concerns me are the new transmissions on the 03accords. The rattles/creaks, things like that, are expected. The accord is still going through some growing pains.

    As for the tranny, I am keeping my fingers crossed that Honda actually re-designed them , and didn't attempt to pull the wool over the eyes of 03 honda owners. After reading official Honda documentation they stated the new AV6 tranny is "closely related to" to that of the 3.2TL's tranny, which leads me to believe that the trannys is pretty much the same.

    Furthermore, the two main differences between the 02 transmissions and the 03 (besides just gear ratios) is the addition of Electronic Throttle Control, which has nothing to do with the tranny hardware itself and would only need revisions to the PCM (powertrain control module). I personally don't think this is adequate proof.

    One great thing about the new tranny is in combination with the electronic throttle control which is very smart move by Honda because now the clutch packs don't have to fight against an engine that's roaring along at full blast. That was one of the main problems with the 00-02 tranny's , the clutch packs. These good old clutch pads would wear prematurely, therefore sometimes little chunks would break off and lodge in inconvenient spots in the valve body. This can cause the transmission to malfunction in which can lead to some bad situations, such as suddenly shifting into 2nd gear at 80MPH. Another side affect is that it will cause harsh shifting, sometimes even in light driving situations.

    You guys are probably asking why I am babbling on, just wanted to get some more input. Take all this for what it is, my 2cents.
  • mrsfun44mrsfun44 Member Posts: 2
    By worn out, that's exactly what I mean. The tubing is worn through, so instead of a tube, its 2 pieces and now those are becoming strings. So far, no water or wind seems to be coming thru - probably a matter of time.
  • mikek37mikek37 Member Posts: 411
    Wow, you purchased the car in september, and the weather stripping is deteriorating. Bring it back to the dealer, thats a bit ridiculous.
  • moolmanmoolman Member Posts: 129
    I'll list my problems in my 2003 EXv6 and see if others are having the same problems.

    1. fingerprints inside the radio led screen. (Swapped out the radio)
    2. Drivers side seat has too much play and moves forward everytime I step on the brakes hard.
    3. Center console rattles and won't open anymore(told that the center console has to be replaced but there is a month and half backorder from Honda because so many cars are having the same problem.
    4.rear drivers sideh handle, the one you hold onto on the roof of the car, does not return to original position.
    5. When starting the engine, the car doesn't seem to always start well, there is a slight hesitation before starting.

    Alex
  • mikek37mikek37 Member Posts: 411
    I think a great many of us exhibit the same starting symptoms. Have you tried, turning the key into position two, waiting till the fuel indicator comes to life (about 2-3 seconds ) then starting the car. It has helped me
  • mdwjcwmdwjcw Member Posts: 8
    I have a 2003 EX V-6 with 1,000 miles. It has a problem I have not seen on the boards. The emergency trunk release (on inside of the trunk lid) sticks in the open position every time I open the trunk with the key or the release by the driver's door. If I use the remote on the key, it does not stick. Since the release is stuck in the open position, the trunk will not latch unless I first move the release to the locked position.

    The dealer replaced the release mechanism. This did not correct the problem. The dealer is ordering another release mechanism. I am concerned that the problem may lie elsewhere as I am not a big believer in coincidences--two bad mechanisms in a row when no one else seems to be having this problem.

    Anyone out there have this problem and get it fixed? I would appreciate any feedback or suggestions.

    P.S. Thanks to everyone on this board and the Honda Board for helping me decide on the Accord. I had been considering the Audi A-4 CVT, but after comparing the problems of each and the dealer response to problems, I settled on the Accord. So far I have not experienced any of the problems mentioned on this board. Things I like about the Accord--too many to list.
  • gregoryc1gregoryc1 Member Posts: 764
    When the compressor comes on there is a slight vibration, but is VERY SLIGHT. I recommend using MM oil and Premium Fuel. Both our 4 cyl 2000 Civic & 4 cyl 2003 Accord run very smooth. Our selling dealer, recommends using a fuel injector cleaner every 15,000 miles to keep the injectors functioning properly. Gasoline today contains alcohol, and alcohol cleans but does not lubricate fuel system parts. This means that metal parts are running dry. This is not good for fuel injectors, valves, valve guides and piston rings. In addition, gasoline today produce carbon, and when this carbon gets behind the piston rings, it locks the rings in the piston grooves and cylinder damage occurs. Carbon also causes the valves to stick in the guides. MM oil desolves this carbon and also lubricates the moving parts.-----Just my opinion. ------Greg
  • lawgirllawgirl Member Posts: 12
    Unfortunately, I am not thrilled with my 2003 V6 EX Coupe. I still own my 1991 Honda Accord. Even that car, with over 140k miles, does not have the issues I am having with the new car.

    My driver side door has a very light hum to it. The passenger side door has a louder rattle or hum, which seems to come from the door speaker. When I close the driver door, I can hear the rattle in the passenger door. Anybody have any similar issues?

    Like a dummy, I used regular gas for three fill-ups due to the price of gas in Seattle. So, my last fill-up was with premium 92. I'm hoping that this will fix the sluggish feeling, although since I have used half the tank, I had assumed it would be better by now. I have to really press the gas peddle to get the car moving. And the engine sound has doubled in volume.

    FINALLY, I'm not sure what Honda was thinking when they decided not to put rubber moulding around the back window. Has anybody noticed that exterior noise is extremely loud, especially in the rain. Even when I have on my rock CDs at the volume of 18 or 19 (which might be why I'm losing my hearing...haha) I can still hear the exterior sound. Is it me, or are any of you having this problem?

    Like I said, I am very unhappy with this car, and seriously considering getting rid of it. I don't believe that my issues will be fixed because the dealer loves to say "we don't hear anything." Aside from these issues, I would be much more thrilled about owning this car.

    Any help would be great. Sorry for such a long post.
  • mikek37mikek37 Member Posts: 411
    Dont get down on the car, I know its frustrating to own a car that exhibits the problems you are describing. But you have to realize, this is a brand new model, hence you will have to deal with a few ratles and squeaks, but only for a short time. They will be fixed by the dealers. I have heard of past issues with door speakers that were out of place or not installed correctly, so that mght solve the problem with the humming. I am annoyed at times with my new 03 V6 sedan too. My moonroof rattles and squeaks, starting problems occassionally, but once all the noises go away, I will love the accord once again. When I fixed the rattle in my moonroof a few weeks ago I felt much better about my purchase.
    Dont let the little things get you down. Bring it to the dealer.

    You want to hear interior noise, drive an altima or maxima, then tell what you think about your accord coupe. As for the moulding on the back windshield, there is no reason for it , the comon misconception is that, without, road noise is incerased, which is false. If you really wanted less road noise, you should have gone with the camry, but try to understand that you are driving a performance/sport oriented vehicle.
  • lawgirllawgirl Member Posts: 12
    Thanks for the post. Sounds like I was one of those who wrongly assume that rubber molding in a window lessened exterior noise.
  • pwjone1pwjone1 Member Posts: 8
    I have a 92 Accord, just under 100K miles, and seem to have a weird problem. It was running fine yesterday. This morning, I went to start it up, and there were no lights when I put in the key. The starter motor kicked the engine over normally, and it seemed to fire a bit, but then as soon as I got off of the start setting, the car would quit. Got out, popped the hood, looked around. Saw some bird seed sitting on top of the battery and in a couple of indents on top of the valve cover. I figure it must have been mice getting warm or something, but no sign of a mouse. Kind of played with the electrical connectors a bit, couldn't see anything wrong there. Checked the battery voltage with a DVM, looked OK. Went back, fastened seat belt. Noticed rear defroster was maybe on, so I switched that off, turned the key, had dashboard lights this time, went over to start and the car fired, had some difficulty, but finally ran OK. Not sure what it was, but drove the car into work, and it was fine the whole way. At the end of the day, got in, and it fired up fine, thought OK, I'm home free, but then on the way out of the parking lot, basically car sitting at idle, it stopped again. Lights still on and everything, but the engine just stopped. Started it up again, and then everything ran fine the rest to the way home. Let it idle at home, no problems. Stopped/Started, no problems. Seems fine. But I guess there's something wrong, and I'm not sure what to look for.

    Ideas/Suggestions?
  • fritz1224fritz1224 Member Posts: 398
    Although the fact that this Accord is a new model could be used to explain the many and varied issues, I would dare say many of them were also present in the previous generation Accord. Let me name a few:
  • gregoryc1gregoryc1 Member Posts: 764
    Check the battery connections. Make sure they are clean and tight. If the battery drops below 9 volts, while you are trying to start the engine, most Computer Command Control Systems will not fire the ignition. This is the case on American cars. If the battery is more than three (3) years old, it might be the time to consider getting a replacement. -----Just my opinion. ----Greg
  • fritz1224fritz1224 Member Posts: 398
    Although the fact that this Accord is a new model could be used to explain the many and varied issues, I would dare say many of them were also present in the previous generation Accord. To name a few:
    1. Rattles, particularly around the sunroof.
    2. Occassional hard starting in the V6.
    3. Driver's side seatbelt has poor retraction design(easily gets bunched up and ends up with slack on the floor)
    4. Questionable accuracy of fuel gauge.
    I had every one of them in my 2k V6(except sunroof)
    It would seem to me Honda should have gotten these things right by now. But they may not really think it's worth bothering with.
    The relatively few who would have the tenacity to have such a minor or occassional problem accurately diagnosed and properly fixed can easily be handled at the dealer end. No sense in redesigning or modifying at the factory-too expensive.
    Take the hard starting of the V6. It was known about in 98, but even with my 2k, the dealer had to special order parts to modify the fuel system and the computer had to be replaced. Why hadn't this known fix been done at the factory by 2000? Too expensive. I'm sure there's plenty of V6 owners who just live with it since it's only occassional or the dealer "couldn't find a problem" or the warranty ran out.
    I'm betting the issues with the 03 will be just as frequent two, three, four years down the road. Honda would rather we spend our time(at the dealer) than they spend their money.
    Now, I'm happy to say that I have gotten all these bugs worked out under warranty. But it did take quite a few dealer visits resulting in, all total, at least a week (hour here, three hours there)without my car. And, did I forget to mention I do have Honda's generous tranny warranty extension, another issue which they also didn't bother to fix at the factory level.
  • anonymouspostsanonymousposts Member Posts: 3,802
    Just wanted to say that we have 4700 miles on our 03 Coupe and have no rattles, no erratic fuel gauge, no seat belt "bunching problem", etc.
     
    Neither did my 99 EX 5-speed sedan or my 2001 Accord EX V6 coupe. Seatbelt always retracted, no problems with transmissions (didn't like the way the computer adjusted to our different driving styles though) or gas gauges, and although there was a slight squeak from the roof if the sunshade was open it was not constant and far from what I would consider a problem.

    In fact, now that I think about it more, I can't think of a Honda we have ever owned (this includes 15 or more) has ever had a problem with the seatbelt retracting, rattles, hard starting, transmission, or erratic fuel gauges.

    I don't feel this board represents the average Accord owner. Most people are on here to post some kind of question or some kind of complaint. Others are here to defend their brand's honor. And others are here to troll around. In the end, what are you going to buy that will be better? Show me any midsize car offered for $25000 or less that has NO complaints about some kind of weird noise, rattle, electrical problem, etc.

    The Accord and Camry together have sold 4,000,000 combined and manage to have the most consistent reliability rating of almost any other car yet there will always be someone who insists that their quality is deteriorating and they are one step away from the junkyard. So maybe you know where the perfect car is but in my opinion that car doesn't exist. Might as well stick to "almost" perfect.
  • pwjone1pwjone1 Member Posts: 8
    Thanks for the suggestions on the battery. The battery is a couple of years old, but seems to have some life left in it. And the engine does turn over (and fire). So I'll give the voltage drop thing a try.

    One thing I did try, which was interesting, was to pull the air cleaner, and the box was maybe about 1/3rd full of bird seed. The filter was a little clogged, too. I guess the mouse or whatever it was must have hidden away the bird seed in the air cleaner box, maybe walking in the front. Not sure how/why it kept doing that - there was a lot of seed. So I vacuumed it out. Still, I'm not sure how that would cause what appeared to me to be non-starting and maybe electrical problems. I visually checked all of the fuses, and those looked good. I suppose the clogged air filter could have stopped the car. Whole thing's a little weird. Car does fire up fine now, but I think I'll have to drive it a bit before knowing that was it. Hopefully I won't stall out again somewhere inconvenient.
  • alcjewalcjew Member Posts: 173
    Seems like some of the '03 Accord owners are having some quality and reliability issues. Mazda6 owners have reporting little, sticking/noisy sunglass storage door & one or so AT leaks, both easily fixed. Not bad for a first year car even though were not a mass quantity like the Accord. I'm glad that I decided to purchase the Mazda6s MT instead of the Accord.
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