The information we need to know is how old is your Accord and how many miles are on the odometer. If under 3 years or 36K, your car should be covered under warranty. The other option is if it is over 36K, I hope you bought the Honda Care extended warranty.
i am 17 and just bought a 95 with 77,000 miles for 75,000. it has a V6 engine and rides better than the 95 LX accord i had before that did have the V6. but i read that V6 engines on accords are not good. Does anyone know about that? Is there anything else I should know about this year car? thanks
You paid 75,000 DOLLARS for the Accord?? I hope those were at least Canadian dollars!
But regarding the V6, I don't think the V6 of that vintage was bad. If I recall correctly, that V6 was actually recyled from the old Legend V6. What you may have heard was that some car mags didn't particularly liked the way the V6/auto combo performed in the '95 Accord. Or you may have heard that there has been a higher than usual number of cases of automatic tranny failures in '98 - '02 Accord V6 models. If you like the way your car performs, then I wouldn't worry about the V6. But $75,000? Wow!
Thank you all for your response. Model of the car is 1996 Honda Accord EX-V6, 96k miles . I bought the battery from Honda dealer in fall 2000. And i didn't buy Honda Care Extended Warranty.
just happened to be looking up something for my mother on recalls and couldn't resist checking out our cars on the recalls/TSB on the same site. Some of the problems mentioned in earlier posts are most definitely represented in the TSBulletins... The thump on cold start is "normal" which may give some comfort to those who are experiencing that...but there are also references to the sun roof squeaks. I was also surprised to find the only recall on some hondas manufactured in July 02...I bought in mid July so not sure if I need to check or not ..it affects only the V6 engines--it regards the timing belt pretensioner pulley...water pump misaligned/ despite this...seems like the vast majority of problems are relatively minor and I can say that, after owning a Dodge product I'm sure the odds are more in my favor now ....
Are you telling us the Dodge's are not reliable vehicles? (snicker, snicker). I had one Dodge and it was in the shop more than it was on the road. It lasted one summer when I was 18 years old and then was towed off to the junk yard. It was called the Dodge Aspen.
It is hard to compare a Honda product to a Dodge product since it is comparing apples and rotten apples. No comparison---plus the Honda V-6 transmission might have had a series of problems but not compared to the Dodge/Chrysler transmission problems which are infamous.
It is likely that the battery failure caused one or more of the fusible links to burn out. These are current-limiting devices in the vehicle's wiring that are designed to burn out, like fuses, under extreme electrical failure conditions. The battery warranty may or may not cover this damage but I would read the warranty details to be certain.
Had one to explode on an old Oldsmobile wagon-wasn't jumping it or anything else-heard a big bang-left the engine running-popped the hood and there was battery parts all over the place-managed to drive for about 20 miles with exposed plates. Had a bad voltage regulator-yeah if you have been jumping that critter with your head over it when it went booooom-good by eyes-so be careful cause when batteries pop they do it with a vengance. Only jump batteries for close friends and then do it the chicken way-head way outa the way.
don't you just hate it if you happen to park next to a guy with a dead battery and he comes walking over with jumper cables in hand. I mean, how do you say no to him?!
With the new electronics in cars today, a battery jump can do more harm to your car as well as the car that needs to be jumped. I politely tell them to call the AAA.
Watched a good samaritan jump a lady's Taurus cause her battery was dead-watched him hook it up and did not see any problem-when she started the car-saw lots of sparks in her alternator and a bunch of smoke pour out of it-now the guy jumping it did everything correct as far as I could see and still the taurus alternator got toasted-says to me jumping batteries is a risky thing to do.
Any thoughts as to what caused the tauri alternator to get toasted-scarey thing-told the lady to drive directly to her dealer or mechanic cause her tauri was real sick.
I may not be as up to date to the latest battery technology, but what exactly is wrong with jump-starting a car battery other than people being less friendly these days and not willing to use their own personal time to help another person?
From a technical point of view, in theory I don't see anything wrong unless the person accidentally hooks up something wrong. As for electronics in new cars, they shouldn't cause damage in a good car when it jump-starts another.
The way I see it, jump-starting another car draws more current from the good battery for a brief time that it takes to crank-start the the dead car. Something that happens when you turn on the AC in your car anyway, but the high current is compensated by the engine running at a higher RPM because of the computer electronics detect a higher current draw.
I'd just like to see a more definite proof of this rather than people propogating false information to support their laziness and cold-shoulder towards people who are in need. I am a computer engineer, so feel free to let loose on the technical jargon.
I've owned EX V6 accord for two years now and I am switching cars and not getting a honda. Not to mention the 2003 'redesign' ugly looks, I've had major problems with my Accord which lead me to a conclusion that Honda's 'quality control' might have been great but now it is equivalent to any other AVERAGE car make. Honda reliability is a nice myth on which the company has built it's reputation. Also, level of service from dealers is very poor and they all seem to be under staffed and over worked. Here is a run down of problems I had:
1. 12,000 KM - engine light kept coming on constantly, had to replace sensor
2. 14,000 KM - car started choking and unable to start. turns out computer ignition PCB board was faulty. It took honda 3 days to figure this out , what do you say to honda dealer when they say "gee we now have 3 cars with this problem, but we don't know what it is" >???
3. Clunking noise from both sides of the wheel bearings while turning or going over bumps, I had to take the car to 3 Honda dealers before actually 4th dealer actually admitted that there is a problem and was willing to investigate, well guess what, the whole steering rack had to be replaced among with million of other parts. While I can understand an issue with a part/s being defective I am absolutely furious with the level of service all honda dealers gave me except for the 4th one. (couple of them actually said it was "normal" lol )
4. Lot's of minor issues that I will not even mention that are generally irritating but not neccessary for safe driving.
Anyhow, I dished out $32K CAN for a reliable (or so I thought) car, and all these problems have me running scared to buy a different car before my warranty runs out. Then it's really gonna cost me.
Anyhow, just my two cents from Canada. Good Bye Honda.
Loaned the battery out of my vw van to a friend's whose was dead.
Loaned my battery charger twice.
Driven 3 people to a store to buy a battery and changed it myself
Oh and once at 25 below in mpls changed a drunk girls tire with no gloves-steel burns at that temp.
Oh and also on weekends I work for Habitat for Humanity-built 3 houses so far and for 4 winters worked as a volunteer building a sailing ship for a non profit organization in Milwaukee.
Betcha you hardly ever breaks a sweat for anybody.
Last Honda. 25K miles and the transmission needs to be replaced. No problems with the dealer, service manager is great but I have to question the quality of the product when the transmission needs replacement at 25K miles. Original owner, 4 cyl, garaged, never driven hard, maintained by Honda. Started making noise on acceleration about 500 miles ago. I am not going to blast the car and make a statement that all Hondas are unreliable. I will just say that based on my experience this should not happen and I will not buy another Honda. To make matters worse, I was warned by friends about the questionable reliability of the transmissions and did not listen. I will be selling the car as soon as the repair is completed.
Don't know yet. I am thinking Toyota or Subaru but have to take a few test drives. Had a 94 Toyota truck that was rock solid. I will tell you that it won't be a Honda even though I like the dealer. One has nothing to do with the other.
Sorry to hear about your transmission Brews1. It happens, every now and then even the best quality cars have a few that are significantly worse than average.
I still believe in the quality of Hondas & Toyotas though, based on their statistical quality standards across many models. By going with Toyota, your chances of getting another poorly manufacturerd car is low, but your not guaranteed to not have problems. The same goes if you were to get another Honda (except unless it's a brand new model like the Element). But redesigns like the 2003 Accord should be relatively safe. Good luck.
I went with a Toyota Solara after my Accord transmission woes. The Toyota Solara transmission is as smooth as silk.
My experience is that the Honda Accord was rock solid through the 5th generation. From 1998-2002, I would say the transmission has been a major cause of concern.
Sorry to hear about your transmission problem brews1. I too have a 2001 Accord LX. Just wondering what you'll buy after doing some research. Have you heard of the Toyota "oil sludge" problem? I'm sure you'll agree that all manufacturers do have problems. I don't blame you for getting rid of your Accord though. I also feel Honda's power train warranty is lacking.
His voice is the voice of all mankind, and his sorrow that of all eternity. Never shall Honda make another vehicle worthy of consideration. Humankind has spoken through the voice of rbruehl.
Isn't it ironic that rbruehl bought a Toyota Solara and isellhondas uses a Solara as an analogy? Isellhondas didn't go into details and never mentioned if it was a V-6 or a 4 cylinder Solara.
Maybe isellhondas left his glasses (or contacts) off that day and it was really a V-6 Accord? The man sells Hondas for a living and that is his world. The "real world" tells us all something different regarding Accords.
Per that article linked above, Honda refuses to recall them!!
From the LA Times,
"Mike Spencer, a spokesman for Acura, Honda's sport-luxury division, confirmed that there has been a "higher than normal incidence" of problems with two Honda-built automatic transmissions. "
"The two transmissions are the five-speed used in V-6-equipped Acuras since the 2000 model year and in Honda Odysseys since the 2002 model year; and the four-speed automatic used in V-6 Honda Accords since 2000 and in 2000 and 2001 Odysseys. "
"Of 1 million vehicles sold in the United States with those transmissions, Spencer said, Honda has replaced the transmissions in about 16,000, or 1.6 percent. "
Let's see, now, 98.4 percent of the are good....
but the world must avoid them at all costs.
Com'on guys... get a life.
Go pick the wings off flys or something. This has gotten stupid.
These guys are doing us a favor-they may help us get a better deal when new accord times comes at say 200-300K miles. Maybe they have nothing else to do-they should buy a DC product if they really want to have fun with trannies, electrical and so forth.
Hey fellas! Relax and take an ex-lax. If you are bitchin about what these peeps are saying about these transmission problems, then maybe you should take both of your heads and bury them in the Afghan beach. These tranny problems exist and like it or not, u will hear them every now and then. Honda Accord is not a perfect car and so what if there is only 1.6% of them have tranny problems. It is still a figure and to compliment this number, it is only for one single problem. I s this significant, hey, How many cents in a dollar? Not 99 and definitely not 98.4. So no matter what the stats is, the problem do exist. I have A 2002 Accord V6 and sometimes I hear these so called tranny "clunk". Am I worried, heck yes! and please don't say that this has gotten "stupid". Hope this never happen to both of you.
Remember, Honda only divulges figures and percentages that makes them look good. They keep all their car problems very secretive from the consumer. How would you like to be 27th in line at the Acura dealership waiting on a new transmission? It sorta blows a hole through isellhondas numbers!
The one thing that should be pointed out, it necessitated a change in the new 7th generation Honda Accord transmission! It took them four years to do something about the transmission which doesn't help anyone with a 6th generation Accord.
I agree with the consumer, there should be a recall so each Accord 6th generation owner can drive with peace of mind. A transmission time bomb is just as worse as a Firestone Wildness Tire!
I got a 2002 EX-V6 to replace my 93 accord about 3 months ago. This transmission problem got me very worried because I also have a 2000 Odyssey that is also in the problematic group (so I have two cars to worry about). I have a short daily commute, I am afraid that this tranny problem may show up after the 3 year warranty expires. Honda should have a recall now just to build consumer confidence. 1.6% defective rate is really considered high because tranny is a very important/expensive component of the car. I might stop buying Honda vehicles altogether if they do not provide consumers a satisfactory solution to this.
How about all those transmissions that could fail at any moment? I agree, Honda has never shared its figures with the general buying public. 1.6% is the portion reported to date of defective transmissions. How about all the transmissions that are on the road waiting to blow causing serious damage or even physical harm!
I agree, the Quality Issue regarding Honda transmissions makes me feel very uncomfortable driving to and from work at 60 mph plus. HONDA DEFINITELY NEEDS TO ISSUE A RECALL!
I agree, the article says they "fixed" the problem only a couple months ago.
That seems to mean that there are probably still unsold cars on the lots that have the defective transmissions in them. Some poor unsuspecting buyer is going to get stuck with buying a car with a known defect. That doesn't sound too fair to me.
As for the poeople who bought a defective Honda before the defect was finally acknowledged by Honda, it sounds like they are out of luck too. They just have to wait until there tranny fails too, and hope its still under warranty when it does, and then they get to wait in line without their car while Honda rebuilds more trannys and sticks a REBUILT tranny in your new Honda. Honda doesn't seem to care much about customer satisfaction.
Honda, this is not cool! Do the right thing and just recall them.
lokki, 16,000? I bet you HOnda is lying out their [non-permissible content removed] on this one. I'm sure that number is a wild underestimate of the true number of trannys rebuilt or replaced. And it's not counting the people who lost their transmission after the warranty ended and got shafted with the repair bill.
According to the LA Times quote of Acura/Honda's Mike Spencer, the Honda engineers isolated the problems to a bad bearing and premature wear of the clutch pack. This indicates defective parts, perhaps limited to a run of transmissions. So long as they know what batch the defective parts were and which vehicles they were used in, Honda can make good with the customer with the repair in short order, no problem. Except that normally a recall requiring an inspection of the suspect transmissions would be made now that Honda has a fix.
However, Honda's solution was to reengineer the transmission, not to recall vehicles with the parts in question and replace the parts, which really leaves me uneasy. This course of action suggests that the design is at fault, which indicates all transmissions are vulnerable. This means the 1.6% number is just the number caught and repaired so far, not a valid measure of the true extent of the problem. In this scenario, I would expect that a recall like that with the timing belt seal would be in order. At the very least, an advisory to their service departments for inspection hints and an offer to repay owners for out of warranty repair work should be in order. The article suggests that no one outside of Honda engineering and HQ really knows what's going on or what to look for - not good for the consumer, dealer, or repair shop.
Whatever the case, Honda should be given the opportunity to explain and clear up any uncertainties, but a news investigation or consumer revolt shouldn't be the motivation. Honda should do it now, especially if they are confident they have a handle on the problem and its resolution. Let the customers, dealers and service advisors know what to look out for. Protection of their good name and consumer goodwill is what drives their sales. '80s style silent recalls are not the way to go.
The sooner Honda provides a complete explaination to the dealers, service advisors and consumers, the better.
I am also starting to get a bit concerned about the transmission problems. I have a 2000 EXV6, and only drive about 7500 miles/year. I have 9 months of warranty left, and have about 15K miles right now. Even if my tranny is one of the ones that is going to fail, it would probably happen after my 3 years is up. While I think Honda would probably step up and replace it even after the 3 years are over, I'd certainly prefer to see them make a commitment to their customers who have the potentially failure-prone transmissions. I doubt that a full-blown recall is going to happen, but I do think they should provide everyone with the 4-speed or 5-speed auto a warranty extension like Toyota did for the sludge issue to protect their reputation.
Perhaps we should start a Honda Transmission Failure topic on the Maintenance/Repair board here, and help apply some pressure to Honda corporate. It appears to have helped Toyota see the light about the sludge issue.
And Honda, if you're reading this - it's time to join the other manufacturers in providing an extended powertrain warranty in addition to the standard warranty.
If traveling on the highway at 65 and the engine revs unexpectedly startling the driver or rev limiter unexpectedly shuts the engine off, the vehicle and others around it on the road are at risk. The situation could leave the driver with compromised or loss of control from a lack of traction, power steering, power brakes, or engine power. This safety impact is no different than the motivation the US government used in pressing for numerous recalls, so I would expect an investigation from NHTSA if Honda doesn't take corrective action.
The owners in the LA Times article had it right - Honda should be more proactive and aggressive, if not just for the consumer's pocket book, but for their peace of mind while driving their product and the public's safety. Imagine driving at highway speeds and the car ahead of you suddenly slamming on brakes unexpectedly and with no indication to those following. On wet roads, a multi-car pileup is virtually guaranteed, even if the driver manages to control the vehicle.
When I posted the link to the article, it proved that there was an ongoing problem with the Accord transmission. Just at the dealership I go to, the service advisor was telling me that they get around two per week. I couldn't imagine being 27th in line.
This forum alone produced numerous incidents regarding Honda's faulty transmission design. Most likely, you will notice Consumer Reports doing an article on the topic.
Honda owes the public a recall on this dangerous defect. Like someone else posted here, Honda doesn't share its numbers with the public so it makes me wonder what the real status of the defect is in its cars?
I suggest Honda offers all owners an extended Power Train Warranty such as a 7 year 100K on all 6th generation Accords etc.
Simply put, Honda needs a recall to correct the defective transmissions asap. It is a safety issue that needs to be addressed.
I never doubted all the posts regarding defective transmissions here at Edmunds. At the dealership where I bought my Accord, they have indicated that there is a transmission issue that isn't normal.
If anyone from Honda America is reading this post, reassure the public by having a recall!
Just to clear a few things up for me, this transmission problem is only on the V6 transmissions correct? The honda accord has been a midsize sedan that was built on efficiency, and since most of its sales come from the I4 engine and drivetrain, it probably received more thorough testing and design than the V6 which was to answer the enthusiast commuter who wanted to be a bit more sporty in their family sedans.
If they just stuck in a V6 with the same tranmission used for the I4, then I can see how the greater torque demanded by the V6 can wear our parts in the transmission prematurely.
I never said that the Honda Transmission dragon did not exist.
I just said that it seems to be a very, very small dragon.
It may yet turn out to be the evil thing that you claim.
You can go ahead and worry about it if you want.
I don't mind.
I am amused that you take the fact that the transmission has been redesigned to indicate that there was indeed a real problem with the old design. That logic would suggest that we should all be using Model T Ford Planetary transmissions, since they worked OK. Things get redesigned for other reasons, especially in Japan where they still have engineers on the payroll.
But still the dragon exists.... guard your children and don't let them buy a Honda. The dragon might bite them. Any other car will be perfect... like Hondas are SUPPOSED to be, but aren't.
The problem is that Honda has not addressed the issue in a clear manner. The following statement is the source of confusion for me:
"...Spencer said Honda engineers identified the root of the problems a few months ago and have redesigned the transmissions."
The statement implies that the redesign got to the root of the problem. Further bolstering the perception that a redesign was needed was the fact that replacement transmissions didn't solve the problem for some owners.
"Several on an Internet forum for Acura owners have complained of having to replace transmissions several times before getting one that did not self-destruct."
That is consistent with the uneasy feeling that maybe, just maybe this isn't a freak happenstance, maybe there is a design flaw. I don't know what the odds of two bad transmissions for the same owner are, but a rate of 1.6% would suggest the odds against are astronomical - unless of course, one were to purchase 100 V-6 Accords for their personal fleet.
Yet it has happened to a couple of users here and were cited in the LA Times article. As you said, 16,000 should be an insignificant number out of 1 million. Put another way, if you were given 1.6% odds of winning the Super Lotto and a neighbor won twice in a row buying only two tickets, we would all figure something's not quite right. So what is so ridiculous about posters here asking the same question about Honda transmissions?
Bad luck or something more? Honda needs to clarify - unfortunately, their non-public approach so far has only served to confuse. Some owners here have legitimate concerns whether there is an unexpected $5,000 expense, or worse, an accident in their future. To paraphrase the TV golden age philosopher Desi Arnaz, Honda, you got some 'splainin' to do.
YOu know what, Toyota offered people with engine sludge problems some extra coverage, Honda should do the same for the 6th generation Accord models affected by this transmission problem, as well as the TL/CL & Odyessey. Because if at 37K Miles, my tranny blows up and Honda refuses to fix it, I can guarantee I will never step into a Honda showroom again. ANd I would not recommend a Honda to anyone else either.
Personally, I don't believe Honda either. I think they neglected the problem for 5 years. I find it hard to believe how it took them 5 years from the time the transmission was originally designed to figure out what was wrong with them. Especially considering the 98, 99, and 2000 models also had transmission failures.
First, let me say that my family has two vehicles at risk -- '02 Accord V6 and '01 Cl-S, so I take this problem very seriously. But all you guys advocating a complete recall please think about it for a minute. If Honda recalls your vehicle, they will be replacing your tranny with a REBUILT one. If your car shows no symptom of failure, would you really want them to stick in a REBUILT?? I've had a rebuilt tranny in a Civic before and the thing did not perform as well as the original. It's a crapshoot. You may get a good one, but you may not. So, if I'm one of the 98.4% that currently have no problem, I don't think I would want to swap for a rebuilt. However, a free extended warranty on the tranny is appropriate and would serve to give ALL owners of the "at risk" vehicles peace-of-mind.
You may not have any ulterior motive but you gotta ease up on the fear-mongering. You're jumping all over different forums trying to add fuel to the fire. Do you own a Honda with the "at risk" tranny? Just curious.
You're also contradicting yourself. On the one hand you're saying Honda has got to face the music and recall ALL affected vehicles. But at the same time you're telling everyone how they are getting shafted since Honda is giving them a REBUILT. Well, as I said in the previous post, what do you think people are getting as a replacement if their vehicles are recalled?? Unless you're lobbying for Honda to replace all the "at risk" trannies with a BRAND NEW unit. But as far as I know, the practice of replacing with a rebuilt tranny is an industry norm.
Comments
thanks
But regarding the V6, I don't think the V6 of that vintage was bad. If I recall correctly, that V6 was actually recyled from the old Legend V6. What you may have heard was that some car mags didn't particularly liked the way the V6/auto combo performed in the '95 Accord. Or you may have heard that there has been a higher than usual number of cases of automatic tranny failures in '98 - '02 Accord V6 models. If you like the way your car performs, then I wouldn't worry about the V6. But $75,000? Wow!
It is hard to compare a Honda product to a Dodge product since it is comparing apples and rotten apples. No comparison---plus the Honda V-6 transmission might have had a series of problems but not compared to the Dodge/Chrysler transmission problems which are infamous.
What a mess! Loud too! Dangerous if your head is under the hood!
Any thoughts as to what caused the tauri alternator to get toasted-scarey thing-told the lady to drive directly to her dealer or mechanic cause her tauri was real sick.
From a technical point of view, in theory I don't see anything wrong unless the person accidentally hooks up something wrong. As for electronics in new cars, they shouldn't cause damage in a good car when it jump-starts another.
The way I see it, jump-starting another car draws more current from the good battery for a brief time that it takes to crank-start the the dead car. Something that happens when you turn on the AC in your car anyway, but the high current is compensated by the engine running at a higher RPM because of the computer electronics detect a higher current draw.
I'd just like to see a more definite proof of this rather than people propogating false information to support their laziness and cold-shoulder towards people who are in need. I am a computer engineer, so feel free to let loose on the technical jargon.
1. 12,000 KM - engine light kept coming on constantly, had to replace sensor
2. 14,000 KM - car started choking and unable to start. turns out computer ignition PCB board was faulty. It took honda 3 days to figure this out , what do you say to honda dealer when they say "gee we now have 3 cars with this problem, but we don't know what it is" >???
3. Clunking noise from both sides of the wheel bearings while turning or going over bumps, I had to take the car to 3 Honda dealers before actually 4th dealer actually admitted that there is a problem and was willing to investigate, well guess what, the whole steering rack had to be replaced among with million of other parts. While I can understand an issue with a part/s being defective I am absolutely furious with the level of service all honda dealers gave me except for the 4th one. (couple of them actually said it was "normal" lol )
4. Lot's of minor issues that I will not even mention that are generally irritating but not neccessary for safe driving.
Anyhow, I dished out $32K CAN for a reliable (or so I thought) car, and all these problems have me running scared to buy a different car before my warranty runs out. Then it's really gonna cost me.
Anyhow, just my two cents from Canada. Good Bye Honda.
Cheerio.
Loaned the battery out of my vw van to a friend's whose was dead.
Loaned my battery charger twice.
Driven 3 people to a store to buy a battery and changed it myself
Oh and once at 25 below in mpls changed a drunk girls tire with no gloves-steel burns at that temp.
Oh and also on weekends I work for Habitat for Humanity-built 3 houses so far and for 4 winters worked as a volunteer building a sailing ship for a non profit organization in Milwaukee.
Betcha you hardly ever breaks a sweat for anybody.
I'm just curious, that's all.
I still believe in the quality of Hondas & Toyotas though, based on their statistical quality standards across many models. By going with Toyota, your chances of getting another poorly manufacturerd car is low, but your not guaranteed to not have problems. The same goes if you were to get another Honda (except unless it's a brand new model like the Element). But redesigns like the 2003 Accord should be relatively safe. Good luck.
My experience is that the Honda Accord was rock solid through the 5th generation. From 1998-2002, I would say the transmission has been a major cause of concern.
Trouble is, the "something differents" can and do have problems too. If we visit the forums of Subaru and Toyota we will read similar tales of woe.
These forums attract these stories.
We recently took in a 2001 Solara. Everthing seemed fine. Something like 20,000 miles.
A couple of days later someone drove it and thought there was a knock in the engine. I went out to listen to it.
Sure enough, it did have a knock!
Three weeks later we got the Solara back from the Toyota dealer with a new engine installed nder warranty.
Strange? you bet! Isolated problem? Of course!
Should this event make a person shy away from Toyota products? I sure don't think so. Toyota makes great cars.
Sic Transit Honda Mundi.
Maybe isellhondas left his glasses (or contacts) off that day and it was really a V-6 Accord? The man sells Hondas for a living and that is his world. The "real world" tells us all something different regarding Accords.
http://www.buffalonews.com/editorial/20020914/1036070.asp
From the LA Times,
"Mike Spencer, a spokesman for Acura, Honda's sport-luxury division, confirmed that there has been a "higher than normal incidence" of problems with two Honda-built automatic transmissions. "
"The two transmissions are the five-speed used in V-6-equipped Acuras since the 2000 model year and in Honda Odysseys since the 2002 model year; and the four-speed automatic used in V-6 Honda Accords since 2000 and in 2000 and 2001 Odysseys. "
Let's see, now, 98.4 percent of the are good....
but the world must avoid them at all costs.
Com'on guys... get a life.
Go pick the wings off flys or something. This has gotten stupid.
Relax and take an ex-lax. If you are bitchin about what these peeps are saying about these transmission problems, then maybe you should take both of your heads and bury them in the Afghan beach. These tranny problems exist and like it or not, u will hear them every now and then. Honda Accord is not a perfect car and so what if there is only 1.6% of them have tranny problems. It is still a figure and to compliment this number, it is only for one single problem. I s this significant, hey, How many cents in a dollar? Not 99 and definitely not 98.4. So no matter what the stats is, the problem do exist. I have A 2002 Accord V6 and sometimes I hear these so called tranny "clunk". Am I worried, heck yes! and please don't say that this has gotten "stupid". Hope this never happen to both of you.
The one thing that should be pointed out, it necessitated a change in the new 7th generation Honda Accord transmission! It took them four years to do something about the transmission which doesn't help anyone with a 6th generation Accord.
I agree with the consumer, there should be a recall so each Accord 6th generation owner can drive with peace of mind. A transmission time bomb is just as worse as a Firestone Wildness Tire!
I agree, the Quality Issue regarding Honda transmissions makes me feel very uncomfortable driving to and from work at 60 mph plus. HONDA DEFINITELY NEEDS TO ISSUE A RECALL!
That seems to mean that there are probably still unsold cars on the lots that have the defective transmissions in them. Some poor unsuspecting buyer is going to get stuck with buying a car with a known defect. That doesn't sound too fair to me.
As for the poeople who bought a defective Honda before the defect was finally acknowledged by Honda, it sounds like they are out of luck too. They just have to wait until there tranny fails too, and hope its still under warranty when it does, and then they get to wait in line without their car while Honda rebuilds more trannys and sticks a REBUILT tranny in your new Honda. Honda doesn't seem to care much about customer satisfaction.
Honda, this is not cool! Do the right thing and just recall them.
16,000? I bet you HOnda is lying out their [non-permissible content removed] on this one. I'm sure that number is a wild underestimate of the true number of trannys rebuilt or replaced. And it's not counting the people who lost their transmission after the warranty ended and got shafted with the repair bill.
However, Honda's solution was to reengineer the transmission, not to recall vehicles with the parts in question and replace the parts, which really leaves me uneasy. This course of action suggests that the design is at fault, which indicates all transmissions are vulnerable. This means the 1.6% number is just the number caught and repaired so far, not a valid measure of the true extent of the problem. In this scenario, I would expect that a recall like that with the timing belt seal would be in order. At the very least, an advisory to their service departments for inspection hints and an offer to repay owners for out of warranty repair work should be in order. The article suggests that no one outside of Honda engineering and HQ really knows what's going on or what to look for - not good for the consumer, dealer, or repair shop.
Whatever the case, Honda should be given the opportunity to explain and clear up any uncertainties, but a news investigation or consumer revolt shouldn't be the motivation. Honda should do it now, especially if they are confident they have a handle on the problem and its resolution. Let the customers, dealers and service advisors know what to look out for. Protection of their good name and consumer goodwill is what drives their sales. '80s style silent recalls are not the way to go.
The sooner Honda provides a complete explaination to the dealers, service advisors and consumers, the better.
Perhaps we should start a Honda Transmission Failure topic on the Maintenance/Repair board here, and help apply some pressure to Honda corporate. It appears to have helped Toyota see the light about the sludge issue.
And Honda, if you're reading this - it's time to join the other manufacturers in providing an extended powertrain warranty in addition to the standard warranty.
The owners in the LA Times article had it right - Honda should be more proactive and aggressive, if not just for the consumer's pocket book, but for their peace of mind while driving their product and the public's safety. Imagine driving at highway speeds and the car ahead of you suddenly slamming on brakes unexpectedly and with no indication to those following. On wet roads, a multi-car pileup is virtually guaranteed, even if the driver manages to control the vehicle.
This forum alone produced numerous incidents regarding Honda's faulty transmission design. Most likely, you will notice Consumer Reports doing an article on the topic.
Honda owes the public a recall on this dangerous defect. Like someone else posted here, Honda doesn't share its numbers with the public so it makes me wonder what the real status of the defect is in its cars?
I suggest Honda offers all owners an extended Power Train Warranty such as a 7 year 100K on all 6th generation Accords etc.
I never doubted all the posts regarding defective transmissions here at Edmunds. At the dealership where I bought my Accord, they have indicated that there is a transmission issue that isn't normal.
If anyone from Honda America is reading this post, reassure the public by having a recall!
Surprising since Toyota builds great cars but it did happen.
And the 1.6 number didn't come from me. someone else posted that.
I guess to put that number in perspective it would be necessary to compare a 1.6 percent failure rate with that of other makes and models.
I'm sure no car would have a zero percent failure rate and some would be much higher.
What is acceptable before this could be called a "problem"?
Of course for the owners of the affected cars the problem is right in their faces.
If they just stuck in a V6 with the same tranmission used for the I4, then I can see how the greater torque demanded by the V6 can wear our parts in the transmission prematurely.
I never said that the Honda Transmission dragon did not exist.
I just said that it seems to be a very, very small dragon.
It may yet turn out to be the evil thing that you claim.
You can go ahead and worry about it if you want.
I don't mind.
I am amused that you take the fact that the transmission has been redesigned to indicate that there was indeed a real problem with the old design. That logic would suggest that we should all be using Model T Ford Planetary transmissions, since they worked OK. Things get redesigned for other reasons, especially in Japan where they still have engineers on the payroll.
But still the dragon exists.... guard your children and don't let them buy a Honda. The dragon might bite them. Any other car will be perfect... like Hondas are SUPPOSED to be, but aren't.
"...Spencer said Honda engineers identified the root of the problems a few months ago and have redesigned the transmissions."
The statement implies that the redesign got to the root of the problem. Further bolstering the perception that a redesign was needed was the fact that replacement transmissions didn't solve the problem for some owners.
"Several on an Internet forum for Acura owners have complained of having to replace transmissions several times before getting one that did not self-destruct."
That is consistent with the uneasy feeling that maybe, just maybe this isn't a freak happenstance, maybe there is a design flaw. I don't know what the odds of two bad transmissions for the same owner are, but a rate of 1.6% would suggest the odds against are astronomical - unless of course, one were to purchase 100 V-6 Accords for their personal fleet.
Yet it has happened to a couple of users here and were cited in the LA Times article. As you said, 16,000 should be an insignificant number out of 1 million. Put another way, if you were given 1.6% odds of winning the Super Lotto and a neighbor won twice in a row buying only two tickets, we would all figure something's not quite right. So what is so ridiculous about posters here asking the same question about Honda transmissions?
Bad luck or something more? Honda needs to clarify - unfortunately, their non-public approach so far has only served to confuse. Some owners here have legitimate concerns whether there is an unexpected $5,000 expense, or worse, an accident in their future. To paraphrase the TV golden age philosopher Desi Arnaz, Honda, you got some 'splainin' to do.
Personally, I don't believe Honda either. I think they neglected the problem for 5 years. I find it hard to believe how it took them 5 years from the time the transmission was originally designed to figure out what was wrong with them. Especially considering the 98, 99, and 2000 models also had transmission failures.
You're also contradicting yourself. On the one hand you're saying Honda has got to face the music and recall ALL affected vehicles. But at the same time you're telling everyone how they are getting shafted since Honda is giving them a REBUILT. Well, as I said in the previous post, what do you think people are getting as a replacement if their vehicles are recalled?? Unless you're lobbying for Honda to replace all the "at risk" trannies with a BRAND NEW unit. But as far as I know, the practice of replacing with a rebuilt tranny is an industry norm.