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Honda Accord Quality Control Issues

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Comments

  • beachnutbeachnut Member Posts: 291
    THANK YOU! That's great news! But I wonder how I go about getting this extended warranty? I have had my Accord into the dealer three times in the last two years complaining about the lockup/slipping problem between 3rd & 4th gear. Will this be enough? I doubt I'll get a letter since my tranny hasn't failed (yet). Any helpful hints on how to proceed?
  • ironmanterpironmanterp Member Posts: 57
    Here is another article from AutoWeek: http://www.autoweek.com
    (Sorry, the link was too long to post. But the article is on the front page under the Car News section)

    Vehicles covered by the extended warranty include:

    2000 - 2001 Honda Accord, Odyssey and Prelude

    2000 - 2002 and some 2003 Acura 3.2 TL

    2001 - 2002 and some 2003 Acura 3.2 CL

    While only two percent of these vehicles have experienced these transmission problems, American Honda will provide extended transmission warranties on all potentially affected vehicles. "Our priorities are making sure our customers are taken care of and reassured they can continue to depend on their Honda or Acura automobile for a long time to come," said Tom Elliott, executive vice president for American Honda."

    Still no word on if this means only V6 transmissions, though. Both of the articles quoted Honda as saying any 2000 - 2001 automatic transmission Accord, Odyssey, and Prelude owner. I imagine that details about whether it transfers or is limited to original buyers, etc. will come out in the letter.

    It is interesting that AutoWeek's version stated that "There is usually plenty of warning to the driver that the transmission is not operating properly, such as slow or erratic shifting, giving them ample time to take the vehicle in for service."

    They finally addressed the relative safety question in my mind - hurray!!!!
  • yrmacyrmac Member Posts: 134
    However, its quite disturbing that 2002 models are not covered by this warranty extension. I just hope that its only a typo or if its not then Honda should explain the technical details regarding the changes that they made with the 2002 transmissions.
  • ghomazghomaz Member Posts: 68
    Does anybody know what happens if one already has a 7yr/100K extended warranty? Will Honda reimburse the "transmission portion" of the price paid for this warranty?
  • isellhondasisellhondas Member Posts: 20,342
    I have only shared my personal opinions and observations in these forums.

    You, on the other hand seem intent in slamming Hondas...that's fine. It is easy to spread fear and panic in a public forum and if that is your intension, you are doing a good job.

    I still maintain...the VAST MAJORITY of the owners of these cars won't have problems. That is my only point.

    It does now appear that Honda has recognized these isolated problems and is taking responsibility. I am very happy to see this happen.

    vrmac...I agree...sharing my personal observations is, indeed, non emperical fact and is based strictly on what I see. I have never denied that there have been transmissions with problems. All transmissions will have an ocassional glitch. I do see now that perhaps these problems were greater than I thought.

    rbruehl, even though your troubled Honda is long gone and has been replaced with a Toyota, you continue to lurk in these forums and take every opportunity to tell and retell your tired story of woe over and over and over. I don't understand your crusade..that's all.
  • beachnutbeachnut Member Posts: 291
    .. for posters like rbruehl, and obviously many others, who have crusaded until Honda has finally decided to do something about this problem. Quote from the USA Today article: "The moves came after angry owners swamped online forums and appealed to the NHSTA for a safety recall ....". Isell, you don't have to understand. It's hard for anyone to understand another's position unless they're in that same postion too. Nobody was asking a salesperson to intercede for them because we all realize that you would probably be powerless to help, even if you agreed with the issue. They were hoping that NA Honda was listening, and apparently they were. What's ironic is that you may have actually helped, at least in this forum, by your constant rebuttals. Without them, some posters here may not have been so vocal, myself included. Listen, I mean you no disrespect and I can somewhat understand your perspective, but not totally because I'm not wearing your shoes either.

    As far as Honda bashing goes, I don't think anyone is here to bash just for the sake of doing it. I suppose I could be wrong, but the vast majority of us are here looking for answers. Personally, I love my Accord - I've stated it several times over. It's halfway paid off and I want to keep it for a good long time. The reason I bought it was for the bulletproof Honda reliability. Aside from a few annoying rattles, it's served me well for 32K miles. My '99 went just over 50K miles before I traded it. They really are fantastic vehicles. But this tranny issue concerned me greatly, and many others as well, whom I'm sure would've loved to have nothing but praise for an otherwise praiseworthy vehicle.
  • mikefm58mikefm58 Member Posts: 2,882
    as I expected, and before it got out of hand like to Toyota oil sludge problem. I do wonder though, why the extended warranty only applies to the year and models listed. Weren't the exact same transmissions used in other model years for the Accord besides 2000 & 2001?
  • bburton1bburton1 Member Posts: 395
    You said the dealer was going to send your accord to a body shop to fix the door that was 1/8" out. If that fix involves new paint-be careful if u plan to keep the vehicle for several years-the durability of body shop paint jobs-particularly those done on "warranty" work tends to be awful-know that only tooo well.

    Once watched a guy on an auto production line line up doors-he had a 2x4 with some carpet on it and he just jammed it into the door hinge area and sprung the door against the 2x4 until the fit was right. Now that took some kind of skill-probably would not work on today's value engineered vehicles.
  • beachnutbeachnut Member Posts: 291
    ... what's your take on how these letters will reach us? I'm assuming that this information will be gathered from the dealerships, but I'm wondering if maybe we should all phone our dealers to make sure Honda knows how to find us.
  • ironmanterpironmanterp Member Posts: 57
    ...I'm a regular consumer like everyone else, so I'm afraid that I have no inside information to offer. I, too, am assuming that Honda is going through their databases as we type.

    But I see your point - how will you know if you are left off the list? If you want my opinion, well then...

    I don't think you need a letter like you would with a recall, because Honda isn't scheduling vehicles for repair and isn't loading up on parts. I assume you will be covered like your regular warranty, except longer if the transmission is involved.

    The wording "all potentially affected vehicles" suggests all you have to do drive in with a 2000 - 01 Accord, and if you have a tranny problem before 7 years and 100K on the odometer, you're covered. Now if your dealer service rep can't tell if it's an '00 - '01 Accord, well, head elsewhere!

    In the meantime, let's keep an eye on these boards. I'm betting someone will post the contents of their letter soon after it arrives.

    Sorry I couldn't be of more help. But I don't think you have anything to worry about. Good luck!
  • rbruehlrbruehl Member Posts: 85
    First, I want to address isellhondas stating that I lurk in these forums. It is this type of attitude and arrogance that indicates you have no concern for others and their problems. I posted my transmission problems and the first reply from you was of a very heartless nature. You are always concerned when others imply that you are a liar but you sure like to dispel others actual problems as if they do not exist or are far and in between. Someone termed you the "resident gadfly" of this forum and it fits you to the TEE! Anytime someone posted a problem regarding a transmission, you went on a personal crusade as if it was sponsored by Honda's marketing department to dispel any rumors of transmission problems. In short sir, you are one heartless individual with an ego that is the size of the "Goodyear Blimp". As a car salesman, you chose the right profession.

    To conclude, if I can help anyone with their transmission problems regarding what I experienced first hand, THAT IS WHY I POST IN THIS FORUM!

    Now to answer the other posters problems regarding what I encountered with my first transmission:

    1. I starting to hear a loud "clunk sound" when I would put the car in reverse. This never happened before which I at first though was something else.

    2. When accelerating from 1st to 2nd gear, I noticed hesitation. This hesitation became more pronounced and coincided with the "clunk sound" within days of each other.

    3. About a month later, I noticed hesitation in all gears. I immediately had the transmission fluid changed to see if that would remedy the situation. By the way, I followed the maintenance schedule as indicated in the owners manual regarding transmission fluid changes. This was an extra change I thought would help. Honda transmission fluid was utilized in all changes.

    4.Total failure occurred while I was driving out of my driveway. I put the car in reverse and heard the "clunk sound" which was loud. I shifted to drive and nothing---the engine just raced as if I was in neutral.

    I conclude that there is some part in the transmission that wears out over time which causes failure. Most likely it is a design flaw by Honda that cannot be corrected.

    I suggest that if anyone experiences these problems, to take your car to Honda immediately and have it documented. Honda service does know about the transmission problem from day one!
  • irish24irish24 Member Posts: 43
    beachnut...consumer's report...Oct 2002 has a ref to what to do when your car needs repairs...you might check it out for some pointers...

    Just a guess...maybe they aren't including the 2002's yet bkz they are covered for now under warranty...if there's a problem in the next 2 or 3 years..perhaps they will order a TSB or recall or fix the problem before it becomes one.

    On another note...tho I have mixed feelings about having a brand new car and wondering if I have to worry about the big ticket items..I think we might see how Honda will handles this problem.
    I think that some of these boards are becoming too personal and critical when many of us just want a forum to exchange ideas or see where the problems lie. That's not to say problems don't exist, but seems like it would be more effective if there is a real problem for those people to write or email the NHTSA board.
  • pbagratpbagrat Member Posts: 25
    Honda to extend warranty on some vehicles' transmissions

    By Earle Eldridge, USA TODAY

    Honda said Thursday that it will extend the warranty on vehicles with a problem transmission to seven years/100,000 miles.

    The company also said it will reimburse those owners who paid to have transmissions replaced.

    The moves came after angry owners swamped online forums and appealed to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration for a safety recall because of a transmission that could slip out of gear, not go into gear, abruptly downshift or refuse to shift.

    The extended warranty applies to 2000-01 Honda Odyssey minivans; 2000-01 Honda Accord cars with automatic transmissions; 2000-01 Prelude; and 2000-03 Acura CL and TL cars.

    Kudos go to Honda! I think this is only fair and shows they have faith in their cars. I am glad they did this because I have one of the afforementioned V6 trannys that IS giving me problems, but they insist nothing is wrong.
  • dash400mdash400m Member Posts: 55
    Even I have to admit that this transmission problem is more serious than I wanted to believe. Honda of Japan really goofed when they hired on those dead-beat Chrysler engineers. Oh, what a mistake that was.

    Don't worry about it. Just hit the pavement and move on with the sales of the 03 Accords. Take a deep breath, and be thankful that your credibility isn't like a fart in a wind storm.
  • badgerfanbadgerfan Member Posts: 1,565
    Now I see, even when Honda has a problem, it is Chryslers fault. Gimmee a break!!!!
  • dash400mdash400m Member Posts: 55
    If you're a Bucky Badger, then don't be caught dead driving a Honda in the southeast corner of the state. Unionized labor in Kenosha and Racine is still whining about the good old days of their AMC crapola production. At least Milwaukee folks can purchase a decent car at Wilde Honda.
  • badgerfanbadgerfan Member Posts: 1,565
    Yes, I am a Badger fan living in the Milwaukee area, but I drive a Taurus and my wife's is a Caravan. Note I do not want to get into a rag on Honda-they are by and large good cars but no vehicle make is ever perfect. Just don't blame ex-Chrysler engineers for Honda's problems. I hope you were joking. (by the way our Caravan came from Wilde Dodge, and the Taurus from Best Ford/Mazda- they really price their Tauri low in this area).

    So long. I peruse this site for entertainment purposes only.
  • pyhsiehpyhsieh Member Posts: 7
    I am glad that Honda finally decided to extend the warranty to 7 years/100,000 miles. I will not have to worry about my 2000 Odyssey now. How about 2002 V6s? I also have a 2002 EX-V6 Accord. I will assume that it is EXACTLY the same as the 2000/2001 V6 accords and why it is not part of the warranty extension? Hopefully Honda can shed some light on this!
  • mikegold_1966mikegold_1966 Member Posts: 138
    What credibility? "Take a deep breath, and be thankful that your credibility isn't like a fart in a wind storm." It isn't---it is more like a fart in a hurricane. I just couldn't resist! Hope you are a good sport about this all isellhondas! You are also the "resident mark"!
  • ext25ext25 Member Posts: 32
    Too bad Honda didn't choose to fix the defect in the transmission.

    Instead they are giving a warranty that is less than Hyundai or Kia's standard warranty and hoping people will accept it.

    People are still going to be playing Russian roulette driving around in a Honda with these defective parts in the transmission, which by Honda's own admission are failing due to a defect.

    Warranties don't solve defects.

    Good customer service would.
  • dsalfreddsalfred Member Posts: 4
    The defect has probably been found with the bearing and clutchpack and merely needs more time to ensure this was definitely it. This is part of why the 2002 model probably is not included in the warranty extension. I have a feeling that the bad bearings were gone by the time the 2002 platform had taken shape. Either that or there are not enough failures on the 2002 yet to warrant any widespread failures. Time will tell the story. I have not heard of hardly any 2002 Accord EX-V6's like mine having problems yet. And since there are over a million Accords out there, how do expect a company to recall the transmission in every one and foot the bill for a model that is probably only showing a defect of 1.0%. That's right, the Acura is a much higher number I believe compared to the others so the Accord's percentage should be lower. Only one out of a hundred have this problem and a few of those would have some isolated problem anyway. Very few, but maybe the percentage is now 0.8 or 0.9%. Multiply 1 million cars times a couple thousand dollars at a minimum and you have billions of dollars. No way could anyone ever do this. The warranty is the proper response and once they completely and statistically have solved defect(which they probably have but just want to make sure before more people hang them for not being certain about the problem) the warranty won't be necessary. Right now, customers with affected models are not going to pay out of pocket. If for some reason the transmissions continue to go bad in the 2002 models, I'm sure they will extend warranty coverage and the engineers will have to scurry to find the problem. They won't let their reputation take a beating so in the end I have confidence in them. Hell, once the LA Times article came out on Sep. 11th and the internet lit them up for 9 days, they extended the warranty immediately. I would love to see any of the Big 3 do that. Chryslers have had tranny problems for years.
  • anselmo1anselmo1 Member Posts: 163
    I think Honda had to institute the special warranty otherwise it would have received a very harsh consumer backlash. I agree with dsalfred, warranties do not solve defects but good customer service does.

    Right from the beginning, Honda knew it had a problem with the design of the V-6 transmission. It could have taken the appropriate steeps at that time to correct the problem. Today, each driver is sitting on a time bomb waiting for it to explode. Sort of Russian roulette on wheels. This should not be and Honda has to reassure the customers even more. A good steep would be a free rental car if the transmission needs to be repaired for the customer as a "goodwill gesture".

    As far as the personal assaults in this forum, some of them are merited but I do not condone this type of interaction. I believe we should discuss issues in an intelligent manner. Everyone and I mean everyone has the right to post in this forum.

    I believe that the transmission issue in the V-6 is trying to be corrected by Honda. Honda just needs to reassure its customers that they back their automobiles 100% and the customer should not worry.

    I have to compliment rbruehl for really bringing this topic to light before the L.A. Times article. Unfortunately, the poor soul had to have two transmissions replaced and suffer the various indignities bestowed on him. Thanks for sticking in there with us.
  • talon95talon95 Member Posts: 1,110
    "Today, each driver is sitting on a time bomb waiting for it to explode."

    With reckless, misleading and over-dramatized statements like that, is it any wonder that some Honda fans react as they do? That sort of statement is highly provocative and totally unwarranted.

    Look at the description of the symptoms above... when it happens, for most people it's hardly like a time bomb, and more like a slow leak in a tire. Yes, it's not a pleasant experience, but it's hardly the life-changing experience that you imply.

    I agree that it's not productive to try to minimize the severity of the transmission problem, but it's equally non-productive to make it sound like every V-6 Accord is likely to self-destruct in an instant.

    You say that we should discuss issues in an intelligent manner... well, over-the-top statements like the one I quoted do not contribute to such an effort. Rather, they contribute to FUD among those who have limited understanding of the details of this issue.

    Finally, in case anyone has the impression that I'm just some kind of mindlessly devoted Honda fan with no basis for my statements, let me reassure you. I have a 2000 Accord EX V-6 and I *have* had the transmission replaced. My dealer was terrific... they provided me with a free rental car for 2 days, and the inconvenience was minimal. It wasn't even close to a life-altering experience, and I'm certain that the vast majority of owners of the cars affected, assuming they even experience a failure in the first place, will find their experience to be the same.
  • accordexv6accordexv6 Member Posts: 3
    I am gratified by Honda's extended transmission warranty program but, I too, wonder why the 2002 Accord is not included. I recently bought a 2002 EXV6 coupe. It would be nice if American Honda explained instead of making us guess. Was the design/bearing problem actually resolved by the 2002 model year? Or are they,indeed, just waiting for more reports of failures in 2002's? I agree with the "Russian Roulette" analogy. Until I get a satisfactory explanation from Honda as to why 2002s are not included in the warranty program, I cannot trust the safety and quality of my new car. I also agree that it was only exposure by the press and all the discussion in forums like these that forced Honda to finally take some action on this issue. Btw, the Honda customer relations number is 1-800-999-1009. I suggest all of us 2002 Accord owners call and insist on an explanation as to why we are not included in the warranty program. I just want to be sure my vehicle is safe to drive.
  • pyhsiehpyhsieh Member Posts: 7
    Well said accordexv6 (post #1624)! I got my Accord EX-V6 about 3 months ago. I am hoping that Honda can offer me some peace of mind (explanation, extended warranty...) soon.

    I was considering replacing my 96 I-30 with a 2003/2004 accord EX-V6 next year. But, now I have doubt.
  • paulo3paulo3 Member Posts: 113
    I have to disagree with your assessment of the transmission as a slow leak. I think it is a defective part that just breaks down in an instant. I keep reading about the Acura driver that was driving 80 mph on the highway went the transmission blew. That has to be a very horrifying experience to say the least.

    The issue that bothers me is when the new re manufactured transmission fails as in rbruehl's
    discussion. He had his replaced twice so you have to ask yourself, "How good is the replacement"?

    Maybe its me but I have lost a lot of faith in Honda since this transmission issue came to light especially in this forum.
  • talon95talon95 Member Posts: 1,110
    I wouldn't lose sleep over the concerns with the safety part of this issue. Other than the LA Times reports of the 2 Acuras with the sudden downshift (the only thing that made this issue newsworthy), it seems that most others (myself included) who have experienced the transmission failure find symptoms that appear gradually and obviously over a period of weeks.

    Although I don't own a 2002 myself, I also hope that Honda provides details on their reasoning about excluding 2002's from the extended warranty. IMO, they'd be crazy to "wait for more reports of failures in 2002's" if the faulty components are shared, so I really doubt that this is the case.
  • talon95talon95 Member Posts: 1,110
    I stand by my statement. See my above post... the Acura reports are by far the exceptions, not the rule. You reference rbruehl's situation, and he didn't experience a sudden dramatic failure. Neither did I. And I've looked around for any reports that I can find, and everything I've been able to uncover describes the failure as a gradual thing, with the sole exception of the 2 incidents described in the LA Times article.

    Somehow if there was a rash of such dramatic failures, I can't help but expect that the NHTSA site would include them... yet there are no such reports there. There ARE reports of transmission failures, but all such reports there describe gradual failures as well. So I still maintain that all of this hysteria about sudden dramatic failures at 70 mph is just not justified by the available facts, including facts from reliable sources OUTSIDE of Honda, such as NHTSA.

    I don't know about his second transmission... I've had mine for well over a year and it's working just fine.

    Again, I'm not trying to minimize the problem. I know it exists... I'm a "victim". My only point is that these "ohmigod, my car is going to kill me" reactions are just totally irrational.
  • bodydoublebodydouble Member Posts: 801
    I think you will invariably read about a few isolated cases of near-death experiences due to mechanical failure for almost ANY make of car. Honda does, or did, have an acknowledged problem with the tranny. But I think almost all of the failures have had some form of signs or symptoms leading up to the failure. Now mind you, part of the problem is that some drivers are just not that attentive to warning signs about things going wrong. Take my wife, please (bad joke!). There's been many instances when I've used her car and noticed something not quite right. I would ask her and almost always her response would be: "Nope, I didn't notice it. Drives fine to me".
  • sutton4sutton4 Member Posts: 34
    Its hard to believe that every month 1000 new Hondas have transmission failures, but thats the figure that Honda has provided. 24,000 transmission failures in 24 months.

    Every single day 33 more transmissions fail on practically new Hondas. I can't see how anyone can defend those numbers.
  • ironmanterpironmanterp Member Posts: 57
    There have been many reports on line of customer frustration when attempting to get Honda to replace transmissions exhibiting the symptoms described in Honda's extended warranty statement. Some of the posters here noted that improved customer service would have to be part of the solution for them to be satisfied. The extended warranty terms wouldn't relieve safety concerns if replacement is denied until the point of failure.

    As long as Honda "errs on the side of caution" when it comes time to administer the warranty terms to replace a questionable transmission, I agree there shouldn't be a problem. But if a Honda customer rep sticks to the approach where the transmission has to fail (as in some incidents reported here), then there is a definite safety issue still associated.

    I don't necessarily agree that just because there haven't been any accidents reported to NHTSA, the press, etc., there haven't been any safety issues or accidents associated with all of this. For example, had RBruehl been pulling onto a busy road rather than backing out of the driveway when his transmission failed, there would have been a serious risk of injury. And this was a customer who was much more diligent and conscientious about the condition of his vehicle than the average consumer. If his story wasn't in the NHTSA database, it easily could have been. The only thing keeping it from being a reported accident was where it happened. In my mind, that's not much different than the admittedly extreme situations reported in the LA Times - in all 3 instances, an accident did not occur, but easily could have.

    Let's hope Honda service everywhere uses the standard established by Talon95's dealer.
  • sutton4sutton4 Member Posts: 34
    Its hard to believe that every month 1000 practically new Hondas have transmission failures, but thats the figure that Honda has provided. 24,000 transmission failures in 24 months.

    Every single day 33 more transmissions fail on practically brand new Hondas. I rememer when Honda used to stand for quality.
  • sutton4sutton4 Member Posts: 34
    Actually there are lots of complaints on the NHTSA web site because of Hondas transmission failures including people who reported injuries. There are a lot of different databases and you have to sort through them all to get the full picture of how widespread the problem is.
  • talon95talon95 Member Posts: 1,110
    You can speculate all you want... but to assume that "safety issues and accidents" that we haven't heard about have occurred doesn't really add anything useful to this discussion. It mystifies me that people have to obsess about worst case scenarios all the time, especially when available facts don't warrant it.

    As for bruehl's situation, remember that the symptoms of this failure are much better known now, so there's no reason for anyone to get to the point of complete failure after experiencing symptoms for some weeks prior. My dealer replaced my transmission when the first symptoms appeared.
  • talon95talon95 Member Posts: 1,110
    I've searched the NHTSA databases extensively, and have found no references to any failures for Accords like those reported for the Acuras in the LA Times report. None of the Accord reports include any mention of sudden dramatic failure, nor do they list accidents or injuries.

    There are 2 reports of accidents and 1 report of injury for Acura 3.2 TLs. That would be potentially consistent with the LA Times report.

    With the dramatically larger number of Accords sold vs. Acura TLs, I can't imagine that if such failures were common or even likely with Accords, that you wouldn't see some reference to them, and that they wouldn't somehow end up in the consumer complaints as did the Acura incidents. Did you find something referencing Accords that I missed?
  • ironmanterpironmanterp Member Posts: 57
    I guess there are two ways of looking at this - your position is based on the assumption that all the facts are present and available, and that all Honda dealers are like yours, so all defective transmissions will be replaced before they fail. I was merely trying to explain that I can reasonably understand the other positions taken in this forum that may be different than yours.

    It doesn't follow that because no accidents have been reported to NHTSA or LA Times, they haven't occurred or guarantee the possibility they won't happen should a transmission fail. In fact, as you have noted, what has fueled everyone's concern recently was not actually an accident, but frightening situations reported that COULD have resulted in an accident. And some folks here have experienced difficulty getting their transmissions replaced under warranty before they failed, so I can understand why they don't share your confidence in their Honda dealer's service.

    I don't want to drag this out and belabor this, but Honda extended the warranty in an effort to regain customer confidence and quell concerns (or speculations as you referred to them earlier) expressed such as these, not because of accidents reported. However, as long as Honda replaces the questionable transmissions before they fail, I agree with you that there should be no problem.

    Respectfully yours - no attempt to flame, disrespect, insult, invalidate or be difficult intended . Thanks.
  • lokkilokki Member Posts: 1,200
    The limited number of complaints from various sources had nothing to do with Honda's decision to issue the warranty. There were 42 reports for 2000 Accord that I found. Not hundreds.

    Perhaps dealer reports of 16,000 transmissions led Honda to decide to do the right thing, as they historically have.

    I know that someone will quote that single reporter that said that complaints were the reason it was done, but you now have my quote to counter that. My speculation is as good as the reporters.

    I still can't understand the hyperbole that we see from some people there.

    "Too bad Honda didn't choose to fix the defect in the transmission. "

    Didn't they?

    "Instead they are giving a warranty that is less than Hyundai or Kia's standard warranty and hoping people will accept it."

    Who else gives that kind of warranty? Know why Hyundai and Kia give that warranty?

    "People are still going to be playing Russian roulette driving around in a Honda with these defective parts in the transmission, which by Honda's own admission are failing due to a defect."

    Russian roulette? I like that. So dramatic. 4 gears in the transmission.. which one will be the one that kills me?

    I applaud those who are handling this rationally.

    Good luck to those who still aren't satisfied with Honda's response.

    Perhaps you'll be more comfortable in your Hyundais and Kia's - at least they have that long warranty.
  • irish24irish24 Member Posts: 43
    I think if you find yourself in a car where your safety has been jeopardized...or nearly jeop. that you ought to report it to that board anyway. Then you know that the complaint is going where it needs to go and may prevent further accidents.

    Two years ago we went to look at and test drive a new 2000 outback. Ironically enough, on the drive home, we were on Rte. 2 East.(CT)..a somewhat remote road on an april evening w no street lights and probably about 10 miles from the test tracks that Consumer Reports uses to test all the cars. Ahead of us was the very car we had just looked at. It was dusk. The car is equipped w daytime running lights. And the driver mustn't have realized that he had no taillights on. We were right on him before we saw the minor glow from the dash...but if there were people sitting in the back seat we could have easily not seen him at all. So I wrote to CR and told them what I thought was a potential hazard and they promptly wrote back advising to make a post to the NHSTA. We still bought the car, but I have never forgotten that night. And as our kids have gotten behind the wheel I have stared them in the face and told them...this is something you have to remember to do.....

    That being said...potential problems probably are better addressed to Honda customer service as a first line of action. If transmission problems aren't handled very well and customers aren't happy, competing vehicles will win on the next round of car hunting. It's a lot easier to keep the customer base you have than trying to win them back. Transmission problems w Chrysler didn't hurt them THAT much when the competition wasn't really there. Now that's changed and many of those people..(including me) not only aren't going to buy another of their vans...I prob. wouldn't even buy one of their CARS.
  • beachnutbeachnut Member Posts: 291
    I suppose if/when someone is either killed or seriously injured as a direct result of a transmission failure, some of you may change your line of thinking. What is so implausible about this possibility? I'm not trying to cause flames here either, but how can anyone possibly say that it will never happen, or even probably won't happen (not trying to put words in people's mouths)? I'm sensing that same old "don't worry about it" theme again. What exactly is wrong with Honda fixing a transmission that shows distinct signs of impending failure? Even if my life, or the lives of my wife or children, is never put in jeopardy, I'd rather have the problem fixed before I get stuck on the side of the road in the middle of the Everglades.
  • ironmanterpironmanterp Member Posts: 57
    "Our priorities are making sure our customers are taken care of and reassured they can continue to depend on their Honda or Acura automobile for a long time to come," said Tom Elliott, executive vice president for American Honda.

    I'm not knocking Honda for the actions they took, but I believe that they realized they had disgruntled customers on their hands and wanted to avoid a PR nightmare. They may have stepped up in time, but I think there will be much bitterness on the behalf of some customers who have been fighting and complaining for a couple of years now.

    Goodwill can be a fragile thing, and only time will tell if Honda managed to succeed.
  • rbruehlrbruehl Member Posts: 85
    I have posted my story here and I still have a bit of concern regarding the Honda re manufactured transmission. After my first transmission was replaced, the second transmission only lasted 9 weeks before it failed. It also went through the same scenario as listed in my recent post. It all starts with that loud "clunk" sound and it is downhill from there.

    When the second transmission failed, I had to question what Honda was trying to accomplish. Replace my first transmission with another one that also failed? That is when I decided to trade the car in!

    Honda's were synomous with the word reliability at one time but that is no more. I personally will never buy another Honda product again after getting stung twice with a bad transmission. I was a loyal Honda customer but no more.

    I just hope for everyone's sake, you do not have to go through the same problems that I encountered. The only advice I can give you is, "when you hear the loud clunk, you know your transmission isn't working the way it should". Yes, it is like Russian roulette when driving because you never know when the tranny will fail.
  • talon95talon95 Member Posts: 1,110
    While there is no guarantee that all of the facts are available, I don't agree that that situation justifies the approach of assuming that there ARE serious incidents that haven't been reported. How can it possibly make more sense to speculate that more dire consequences will occur, when there are no indications of this with the Accords so far? The LA Times article may have lit the fuse that resulted in the extended warranty, but they also created a media event with the descriptions of the Acura failures, and it appears that many people are fixated on that, whether or not it's likely to happen.

    I'm assuming nothing about other dealers, but do you think it's unreasonable to expect that dealers would cooperate with replacing a transmission that's exhibiting the early symptoms of this problem, now that the problem has been highly publicized as it has? Things have certainly changed since my transmission failure... I was just lucky to have a cooperative dealer then, but it shouldn't take an act of God to get a replacement now. If it does, I'd be on the horn to Honda Regional Service or a lawyer in a heartbeat.

    Anyway, I'm not trying to tell anyone else what to think. I'm simply expressing my opinion, and I feel that this whole issue has been fraught with conjecture and overreaction. I just don't understand where anybody's benefitting from these unwarranted predictions of doom and gloom. Yes, we should be concerned, but concern doesn't and shouldn't equate to panic. However, if people want to whip themselves into a frenzy by obsessing over a worst case scenario, be my guest. However, I will continue to try to keep some perspective about this thing when people come up with these dire predictions... my viewpoint is every bit as valid as theirs, and at least is far more defensible at this point based on available information.

    No flaming intended, either.
  • irish24irish24 Member Posts: 43
    i bought my first accord an LX 6 in July...I bought it bkz it met the criteria I wanted and I had done my homework....so when I found out by chance 6 weeks later there's a recall on some models manufactured in July of 02 for the timing gear or something ..and now I wonder if there might be a problem w the V 6 transmission....you can guess that I just might be disappointed...to even have to wonder...esp. since it's basically the same transmission....I did wonder why their power train coverage was so short considering toyota's and others at the time. But I blew it off bkz transmission problems weren't showing up in consumer's reports as a big issue...

    So what should Honda do to relieve these concerns?

    #1. if it was something that has previously been a problem and now been fixed...then send a letter to
    02 (03 w different trans.)owners saying this issue
    has been corrected....putting this under the rug won't solve anything...better to address it upfront

    #2. if the problem hasn't been solved..immediately extend the powertrain warranty to 7 yr 100K miles.
    And work toward finding an acceptable solution. If they think that is going to be a problem or public relations nightmare...I'd think about what all the present honda owners are going to say when asked if they like their car.....they are the real salesman.
  • talon95talon95 Member Posts: 1,110
    Sorry, but you ARE putting words in people's mouths. You say "What exactly is wrong with Honda fixing a transmission that shows distinct signs of impending failure?" There is absolutely nothing wrong with that, and I've never said otherwise... in fact, that's what prevented me from experiencing total failure like rbruehl.

    You also say "I'm not trying to cause flames here either, but how can anyone possibly say that it will never happen, or even probably won't happen (not trying to put words in people's mouths)? I'm sensing that same old "don't worry about it" theme again. "

    There's a distinct difference between saying "don't worry about it" and "don't panic about it". I'm simply trying to make the case that the latter makes more sense.

    The problem exists. I know that from personal experience. I've never tried to claim otherwise. However, at this point, there are no reports of sudden dramatic failure of Accords in the fashion as described in the LA Times article. So this whole "Russian roulette" stance makes no sense to me, since the reports of transmission failure (my own included, and many, many more) are nearly unanimous in that there were symptoms of failure for quite some time before total failure. The Russian roulette analogy only makes sense if sudden dramatic failure without ANY warning is likely to happen, and the reported incidences of failures with Accords just don't show that happening.

    You also say "I suppose if/when someone is either killed or seriously injured as a direct result of a transmission failure, some of you may change your line of thinking. What is so implausible about this possibility?" Well, anything can happen, but I guess the answer depends on your perspective. I've looked at lots of available information, and there's nothing that suggests this will happen with Accords. I'm satisfied with this available information, and as a result, I've decided that there's no need to panic. If you feel compelled to expect the worst even though the available information suggests otherwise, that's your call.

    But just to be perfectly clear:

    - I am NOT apologizing for Honda
    - I am NOT suggesting the transmission problem does not exist
    - I am NOT suggesting that the transmission problem is "no big deal"
    - I am NOT suggesting that Honda has anything less than full responsibility in the matter
    - I AGREE that Honda should replace any transmission that shows any signs of such failure, even the earliest signs
    - I AGREE that Accord owners SHOULD be concerned about this issue and vigilant for any signs of transmission failure
    - I maintain that losing sleep over the likelihood of this issue resulting in injury or death makes no sense at this time.
  • bodydoublebodydouble Member Posts: 801
    Where are you coming up with these numbers?!
  • talon95talon95 Member Posts: 1,110
    Please tell me where I'm being disrespectful... it's certainly not intentional.
  • bodydoublebodydouble Member Posts: 801
    I don't see where talon is being disrespectful. You want to see disrespectful? Go to the Accord v. Mazda6 threads!
  • beachnutbeachnut Member Posts: 291
    Thanks for clearing that up .... I'll probably sleep better tonight now!
  • talon95talon95 Member Posts: 1,110
    Thanks for the reply... sorry for getting so intense, but I get way too wrapped up in these things... ;)
  • ironmanterpironmanterp Member Posts: 57
    I apologize. I misunderstood and honestly thought your position was that there should be no safety concerns. I'm glad you took the time to make your statements and look forword to sharing opinions with you soon!
This discussion has been closed.