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Honda Accord Quality Control Issues
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And ALLDATA's Web site has this little popup notice if you request TSBs for Honda:
"The American Honda Motor Company, Inc. has requested ALLDATA restrict access to Acura and Honda repair information by individual consumers. You will unfortunately not be able to register for access to Acura or Honda vehicle repair information, technical service bulletins or recalls."
I'm not sure if this means you can't buy the subscription package from ALLDATA's DIY or professional sites for a Honda or Acura, but it doesn't sound promising.
isellhondas is in constant denial and doesn't acknowledge there is a V-6 transmission failure.
According to him, there isn't a problem.
You do have to remember that isellhondas sells Hondas and even if he knew of frequent V-6 transmission failures, he wouldn't admit it.
Many customers talk about the arrogance of Honda and you can see, this is a prime example. He isn't that cordial when a topic of this nature is discussed.
At times, his brash statements are of the aggressive nature without any feelings for the poster. Isellhondas has something to offer in some discussions but most of the time his immaturity is exhibited.
I also have read his comments on other boards and do not take his posts seriously. His demeanor at times borders on a fine line between politically correct or outright nasty.
For a short period of time in late 99, early 2000, some V-6 transmissions were affected by a problem that would cause a "clunk" while backing up. Another related problem caused a "shudder" at certain speeds.
As I understand it, these problems were caused when a parts vendor decided to change the specs on some internal parts without consulting with Honda. Honda got blindsided by this.
And, although the problem was real, not that many cars were actually affected by this. These cars were repaired under warranty by Honda.
Now...does this mean that ALL Honda transmissions will now be troublefree?
Of course not. An automatic transmission is a complex piece of equipment and occassional glitches will occur...in any make.
Still, there are a couple of posters in these forums that, for whatever reason attempt to cast doubt on V-6 transmissions built by Honda.
I guess when I try to dispel these rumors it comes off as being arrogant or nasty.
I just don't know how else to try to explain that these problems are isolated and not widespread.
I don't hide what I do for a living. I also have NEVER used these forums in an attempt to promote myself or create sales. Far from it.
So, it's easy to dismiss my comments or take them with a grain of salt as someone said.
I'm only stating things as I see them.
paulo3...I would like appreciate it if you could explain to me when I haven't been politically correct. It is NOT my intent to offend anyone.
It has been an "ongoing" problem since 1998 and if it was a supplier problem, why has it not been corrected?
It seems that it is more of an engineering problem since according to you, the supplier problem has been dealt with in 2000 by Honda. My question is, "why is the problem still occurring if it has been corrected?"
Yesterday, I did notice a hesitation when I accelerated around 45-50 mph. It seems the transmission was sticking before it would engage into gear.
Is this normal? It never did it before until now.
Is this the transmission problem that people are talking about? Should I take it back to the dealer that serviced my Accord?
That is a fact. but i'm sure at least one person will deny even that.
I am unaware of any other ongoing problems nor is our Service Department.
I'm sure there will be the occassional transmission that has a problem as with any make and model.
The problem with forums such as this is the problem of expressing ones viewpoint in a conversational manner.
Personally, I can't see any differences between Japan, Canadian and U.S. built Hondas.
Others who frequent these forums feel there are quality differences. I've never been able to see this myself.
And, in six years, I can count the times a customer has mentioned this to me so it must not be that big of a deal.
So, matt333, what do you feel the differences are?
anselmo os right about the EPA paint standards.
frag235---the way Hondas are designed, they are prone to paint chips. In the summer, use a nose mask. There is a protective plastic strip that is transparent that covers the front end of the Accord that protects the paint. Check this out:
http://www.xpel.com/paint/product.asp?make=Honda&image1.x=14&image1.y=9
MAybe that's why the paint jobs look the same to me, even after ten years.
American dark painted Accords seem to have a hazing or over spray on them. Mine has this type of over spray. (1999 Accord EX V-6).
Took the car to a reliable body shop and the collision shop writer told me that Hondas have some of the worst pain problems in the industry.
He recommended that I take it back to Honda since it is a paint defect on their part. Has anyone one else had this problem with paint?
Please email me at gei763@yahoo.com with your advice on how I should deal with this problem.
The number is in the owners manual.
A good wax or polish also helps to maintain paint on your Accord.
Love the post about fit and finish! Been reading Car and Driver for about 20 years. Haven't heard one thing about differences between Japanese and American Assembly.
Knocking GM, Ford and Chrysler is east to do for some on this board.
Hey, if the Japanese are so darn Superior how come they haven't gone to the moon? How come they haven't built a commercial Jet Airliner?
The quality gap closed many years ago. At least state some facts when you bash something!
By the way I own two Fords and I love em. The paint is fine on both of em!
I suggest you buy a few issues of Consumer Reports which takes into account fit and finish flaws. You won't see any Honda, Ford, Toyota or GM ads in their magazine!
If memory serves me well, Ford has always had a paint and fit and finish problem since they discontinued the Model T. In my neck of the woods, Ford has a terrible problem regarding rust.
1993 Ford Tauruses look like Kraft Swiss cheese advertisements.
I am glad the paint is great on both your Fords but how is the engine, exhaust, wheel bearings, tie rods, shocks and transmission?
Now compare a Taurus to an Accord. At 90k you need to do a timing belt on the Accord. Most reasonable folks would recommend the water pump at the same time. It's cheap insurance. That's a four to five hundred dollar job. The Taurus has a metal timing chain so this maintenance is not necessary. I'll also tell you that I checked out an Accord before I bought my Taurus. It cost 300 dollars more a year to insure an Accord. I've saved a grand over the last three and one half years.We also pay a car tax in Rhode Island. My tax is 33 dollars per thousand on the value of the car. I'm actually glad that the Taurus loses it value. If I owned an Accord I'd pay higher taxes.
As far as your comments to engine, exhaust wheel bearings, tie rods (wear item and cheap), schocks (wear item) and transmission - well I haven't experienced those problems. 1993 Escort Wagon - 141,000. Original Exhaust, Shocks and tranny (5 speed manual). 97 Taurus GL - 63,000. Have replaced one door switch. Escort never used a drop of oil and runs like new. My Vulcan Taurus uses approximately 1/2 quart in 3 thousand miles.
Played golf with a Gentleman two weeks ago. He had a 93 Civic with 170,000. Paid 2,000 to fix a head gasket and other problems and had a computer failure which cost big bucks and took the dealer a week to find. How about that? If you listen to some people Hondas never break.
My brother has a 2000 Accord. He likes the car. I think they're good also, just don't try to sell to me the superiority thing, I'm not buying.
As far as body integrity - I'll take my chances with a Taurus over an Accord everytime. Nothing scientific - just an observation.
Ford has had a rust problem since the 1970's. In the Northeast, you driving a rust bucket after 7 years. As far as body integrity, Honda has it all over Ford.
Where is isellhondas when I need him. He can fill you in on Fords that are traded in for Accords.
You have documentation and studies that Fords rust out before Hondas? I wouldn't get to emotional over an Accord.Their all over the place and not exactly a good looking car!
I have not seen a Ford last 10 years without multiple problems that had to be fixed. The Taurus styling is outright ugly. In retrospect, Ford probably has had more recalls than any other manufacturer.
Ford resale value outside of the F-150 truck is the biggest joke of all. Buy a Ford, you loose money right away by depreciation and later by numerous car repairs.
My observations posted can be verified by numerous collision and automotive repair shops throughout North America.
The primary reason for the Ford Taurus dropping out of first place was the result of an ultra ugly styling change, recalls, and quality control problems in its components.
Ford's fit and finish was average to below average at best. Paint quality was sub par and FORDS DO RUST more prematurely than the vast majority of the vehicles made available in the United States.
The Honda Accord is a far better built vehicle than the Ford Taurus. Hondas resale value is one of the best in the industry.
The comment about keeping a Ford Taurus for 10 years is more a dream than an actual reality.
Again, what is resale if you plan on keeping the car. Put it this way, a Taurus bought for $4,000 less than an Accord, invested at 10% over 9 years equals 8 grand. Read Consumer Reports and fell nice and fuzzy. Seems to me there is more activity in the Maintenance and Repair Board for the Accord verse the Taurus Board. No problems with Hondas. Gee, this board is about people bitching about quality gone south.And I do enjoy some of the complaining because it is ridiculous. Guess having a Honda meams you have a short memory.If your going to attack another brand have some facts.
Asking a Honda salesman to support your cause is great too! What do you expect him to say, Hondas suck? Why don't you check the long term report on the Odyssey minivan in Car and Driver. Not exactly trouble free.
I bet most of you carry cell phones in case you breakdown. Then you brag to your friends how reliable Accords are?
You don't get the point. Your spending more for very little more reliability. Or your all in denial.
isellhondas is our resident expert here. Of course he is going to support statements regarding the Honda Accord since that is his livelihood. As far as a course in how to invest money, I took micro and macro economics in college and don't need lessons on how to invest money when you are talking about car depreciation.
The Ford Windstar has a 5 star crash rating but is one of the most unreliable min-vans on the road. Ford should change its name to Recall-Star. The Honda Odyssey is heads above Fords Recall-Star.
As far a cell phone use, I bet more cell phone calls have been made from Fords to AAA than from Honda Accords. I am surprised that Ford hasn't made a cell phone standard equipment in all its vehicles.
In conclusion, this board is intended to discuss quality control issues regarding Honda Accords. If there was a Ford Taurus Quality Control Issues topic---it would probably have over 4000 posts by now.
I refuse to knock the Accord. You insist on posting with the intellect of a teenager. Post some facts.
Bottom line is the Accord is a good car that is over rated by many people. Dollars rule, what can I say. People spend more money up front on Hondas and Toyotas in hopes their repair bills will be lower. What they fail to take into condsideration is insurance cost and the cost for repairs when they do happen. I just don't appreciate the Superiority Complex!Of course you have no answer for investing the dollars saved; you can't knock it because it is a fact.
I do not have a great deal of confidence that the transmission is the real problem. Has anyone encounter a similar problem?
As far as you posting facts, I haven't seen any. My conclusion is that you just wanted to cause trouble by your posts. I suggest you post over at the Ford board buddy!
Just my two cents folks.
Funny when you don't agree with someone you tell em to leave. What the hell do any of you know about paint quality? Specifically if the Japanese paint is superior to American! Zip is the answer.
Face it pal, you pay more for your precious Accords than they are worth in my humble opinion.
So I'm going for awhile.But I'll be back. Grab a copy of the latest Consumer Reports Annual Car issue and tell yourself how smart you are.Then pay 500 bills to change your timing belt every 90k and look forward to muffler replacement on a regular basis. Hopefully your radio will last because they used some crap radios in the late 80s and early 90s.
This makes two of you attacking my responses. Where is your data on rusting manufacters? Doesn't exist, does it. If you can't have an adult response don't bother.
But he did come into a Honda forum stating Accords are over rated and he should expect a backlash of comments. That's called brand loyalty. There's brand loyalty with all manufacturers.
We don't need to get personal and call each other's posts "childish".
Now my experiences. I've owned two Dodge vehicles, replaced rack and pinion steering in both at 88000 miles and a transmission in one of them, won't buy a Chrysler product again. My Ford Tempo was equally as bad and rusted out in 3 years. Two GM vans and an Olds Cutlass, entire brake jobs and mufflers every two years. The Olds was the worst, repairs (not maintenance) was over $3000 in two years. A Honda Odyssey, three misc. recalls, several attempts at fixing wheel vibrations and a couple times to adjust the brakes, not impressed with Odyssey quality but it was a first model year. A Honda CRV, the best vehicle I've owned, 2 1/2 years and 45K miles, not one repair and still going strong. Traded the Odyssey in for an Accord 4 months ago, so far so good. I paid $23600 for the Odyssey in Nov. 1999 and after 2 1/2 years and 26K miles, the dealer still gave me $19500 for a trade, not bad huh?
There's a chance any vehicle we buy could be a lemon or could be great. For my money, I'd stick with a Honda though.
Just my humble opinion.
Thanks to the efforts of the Center for Auto Safety, we are able to provide you with the vehicle complaints on file with the National Highway for Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Each year, thousands of Americans call their government to register complaints about their vehicles. The federal government collects this information but has never released it to the general public. The complaint index is based on a ratio of the number of complaints for each vehicle to the sales of that vehicle.
MODEL COMPLAINT INDEX RATIO
Audi A6 23,183
Mercury Cougar 20,829
Honda Passport 18,049
Lexus SC300/400 16,671
Kia Sportage 14,100
Mitsubishi Galant 13,808
Isuzu Rodeo 13,692
Chrysler LHS 12,459
Honda Odyssey 12,032
Jeep Grand Cherokee 11,881
Volkswagen Passat 10,458
Mazda Miata 10,091
Mercury Villager 9,113
Volkswagen Golf 7,971
Pontiac Montana 7,957
Pontiac Grand Am 7,916
Cadillac Catera 7,735
Chevrolet Tracker 7,572
Ford Windstar 7,533
Saab 9-3 7,365
Chevrolet Venture 7,147
Chrysler 300M 7,131
Oldsmobile Intrigue 7,060
Lincoln Navigator 6,962
Oldsmobile Alero 6,952
Here's the link:
http://www.lemonlaw.com/lemonlist.html
Yep, the Accord isn't there but it is interesting what is.
Riswami, you mention that you subscribe to the magazine also and like the way they review vehicles. I like the way they review vehicles also but they are hardly bias. They rely on what is known as "ADVERTISING" supplement their publication. So when they review a Chrysler product, they are going to give them glowing reviews since they don't want to bite the hand that feeds their revenue dollars. Not once have I ever seen where Car and Driver goes into detail about a cars reliability or discuss rust!
Keep it civil and discuss the facts. As far as paint on Japanese and American Honda Accords, Japan has different EPA standards when it comes to painting vehicles. They do not adhere to US paint standards that are dictated by the government.
JD Powers survey mentions Fords in detail regarding quality assurance issues and let me tell you Riswani, they are not in the same league as the Accord.