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2008 Honda Accord Coupe and Sedan

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Comments

  • stephen987stephen987 Member Posts: 1,994
    What's your basis for saying that "there is no fix"? Flickering lights point to one of a handful of very simple problems--unstable current source, faulty ground, defective lamp units themselves. So how can you know for certain that "there is no fix"??????
  • medition3medition3 Member Posts: 2
    I just purchased a 2008 Honda Accord EX-L V6 and for the past couple of months have been hearing a knock or thump coming from what appears to be the left and right side , rear of the vehicle. When I accelerate quickly I can hear a light knock and when I brake I can hear a light knock. I her the knocks when I am on uneven ground or going through speed bumps but I only hear it when I am going under 20mph...

    Has anyone had this issue, and if so , what was the remedy.. I took it to Honda and they thought they fixed it but they did not even come close.

    Thanks.
  • tayl0rdtayl0rd Member Posts: 1,926
    Sounds like suspension bushings to me.
  • st1300st1300 Member Posts: 59
    I know this is going to sound silly but if you go back into the posts on here a guy had the same problem as you are having. He finally put his wife in the trunk and drove around and she found the noise. they went to the dealer and they fixed it. I cant remember what it was but they did fix it. I know you think im joking but its on here somewhere.
  • st1300st1300 Member Posts: 59
    since you dont understand the issue I'll fill you in on it...its a honda engineering problem that is part of the ELD system and Honda has no way to fix it. Believe me I have tried to get it fixed. As they say its a characteristic of the car. it no ground, no bad bulb its the whole car...every exterior light flickers every 20 seconds when the A/C is on..including the license plate light.
  • st1300st1300 Member Posts: 59
    Message #5002 Re: 2008 Honda Accord [stereosucks] by cstiles Mar 20, 2008 (8:38 am) Hey Stereo.....back up about 50 or 100 posts and you will find one from someone who had the same rattling in the trunk issue. I think he had his wife actually lay down in the trunk while he drove the car around and she found the problem back

    Well theres a start for you. Message 5002..see im not nuts.
  • medition3medition3 Member Posts: 2
    st1300, thanks for the reply. At this point I will take your advice rather than a dealership. They just can't comprehend anything to be honest with you. YOu bring in a car for speaker problems and they start to fix your windshield wipers and so on...

    I know it's either coming from the trunk area or the struts. My dealership fixed my door hinges on the b-pillars. Don't ask me why.
  • tlao002tlao002 Member Posts: 1
    hey guys,

    just thought i'd say wassup to all of u.
    i just bought an 08 accord sedan. im looking to start of with some sway bars.
    any suggestions?

    -Teddy
  • jeremyaaronjeremyaaron Member Posts: 21
    I have a sedan but I know a bunch of people with 2008 coupes. Look at the bottom edge of your brake light, right where it meets the bumper all the way around. If you have one of the defective installed bumpers. You will start to see some bubbling and paint chips. They were improperly installed at the factory. I know of a few already, and noticed it on my friends car today. Just trying to help anybody if they have it so they know there are others. I live in Mass.
  • hotdealsniperhotdealsniper Member Posts: 6
    So last year I bought a 2008 Accord 4cyl Sedan EX-L. What a nightmare. I have never heard so many rattles in a car in my whole life. Went to the dealer 3 times for rattles. Every time they fixed 3 another 2 would show up after leaving. Here is a list of the things that needed foam or padding put on them to shut them up.

    1. The stereo instrument bezel.

    2. The Shifter knob.

    3. The left side of seat where leather rubs against airbag. You have to take off leather to see. I fixed this one myself.

    4. Sunglass visor.

    5. Rear deck around speakers.

    6. Little rattling caps around door handles inside.

    7. The lights inside the drivers visor in the mirror.

    I know, I'm still going right?

    8. The right knob for windshield wipers. There is a plastic cap that rattles in there on the very tip.

    9. Something in the left back door.

    10. the right front fendor. Go ahead and bang on it. Jeez.

    11. The power window switches.

    Oh, and the final god aweful noise coming from the trunk. This one nobody could find. This little [non-permissible content removed] made me trade the car in on Saturday for an Odyssey which we got a steal on.

    Honda tech summized the problem is honda's cheap [non-permissible content removed]. Crappy plastic used throughout car with NO padding behind anything is what is going on. He said he could take the whole car apart and pad everything if that was my desire. I was going to go for it but said screw it.

    Oh did I mention road noise? Good grief!. The lack of padding in this car is criminal.
  • jodar96jodar96 Member Posts: 400
    We have a 2008 EX Auto cloth with 8500 miles It was built 12/07. We have none of these issues except occasional clunk out of the rear suspension. It feels like I went over tree branch or little rock but when I look back, there is nothing on the road.

    I am waiting to hear several more before taking it in. It is my wife's car so I have not experienced enough to describe it to the service guy. I am sure they will listen to me, have me leave the car there, and will say everything is right and tight and could not find anything.

    That is a typical response to build and design flaws.

    Joe
  • dpmeersmandpmeersman Member Posts: 275
    It apparent that Honda's QC has suffered of late as situations like yours appear in these forums every now and then. I have an early build 08 EX-L V6 that shares only one common trait with yours and that is the road noise. Judging by their quality ratings by most major publications that track such things, thankfully yours is the rare exception not the norm. Given their reputation for quality, I'm sure you must have been asking yourself "Why Me"? as I know I would have, not to mention the fact that I would have been brushing up on my diverse knowledge of cuss-words every time I ventured out on my daily commute. You stayed with Honda and went with the Odyssey. How has that worked out for you?
  • noonedoesnoonedoes Member Posts: 3
    I just noticed this after 5 months with my 2008 accord Lx-P...but when I have the front windows closed and the rear windows opened. Around 55-70 mph, it starts to build up a sound pressure in the car and it creates thumping sounds in the car...anyone else notice this or is it just my car? It happens everytime, and as soon as I roll down one of the front windows the sound pressure dissappears.
  • thegraduatethegraduate Member Posts: 9,731
    This type of wind "buffeting" you are experiencing isn't unique to your car; in fact, I've experienced this in several makes and models of cars. Depending on crosswinds, my cars will do it too, not always though.
  • dpmeersmandpmeersman Member Posts: 275
    As thegrad pointed out this seems to be a trait in many modern cars. I've experienced it in my 08 Accord and my wife's 01 Mazda Protege and my inlaws 04 Focus. Speeds at which this occurs can vary but as you realized once other windows are opened it stops.
  • personatechpersonatech Member Posts: 105
    I don't have any of the rattles you've noted although I will say that if something gets bounced around in the wheel well while driving its noise is pronounced. The road noise is rather loud, but my hope is that replacing the OEM Michelins (known to be noisy) will reduce that annoyance.

    I do think perceptions of noise and rattles depends largely on experiences with the previous car owned. Mine was a '99 VW Beetle TDI which was surprisingly quiet for a small car but subject to the occasional rattle and squeak.
  • hotdealsniperhotdealsniper Member Posts: 6
    Yes, I might have indeed just had a bad car. The new odyssey is great. I hear one noise when going over bumps but I think that is the sliding door hinge. Other than that its very quiet and peppy. We used to own a 2007 Odyssey but sold it due to financial reasons, now that money isn't a problem it was nice to get back into the odyssey. Just too much room. The accord was a great car with the exception of the noises. Now my other problem is the rear differential situation with our 08 CRV 4x4. Don't hear any problems with that car at all but will keep an eye out for that issue if it arises.

    I will say one thing though. GOOD THING I GOT THE 8yr 120K warranty. I will never buy a honda without one. Best warranty out there for any car.
  • dpmeersmandpmeersman Member Posts: 275
    Considering all the issues you've dealt with, Honda is fortunate that you remain loyal to the brand.
  • tayl0rdtayl0rd Member Posts: 1,926
    Considering all the issues you've dealt with, Honda is fortunate that you remain loyal to the brand.

    Not really. That is the typical Honda-phile. No matter how bad the experience, they always come back. The Force is strong with Honda. :blush:
  • jodar96jodar96 Member Posts: 400
    What Honda and Toyota got going for them is their resale value. No matter how many issues you have with one of these, when you are ready to sell, you get a lot of interest.

    Have you tried to sell a flawless Taurus or Impala, no matter how great these cars are, since there are tons of them off lease or rental fleet, prices are rock bottom, and no one is wiiling to pay your FAIR asking price.

    Another thing about manufacturer issues, no one out there can crank out 350-450K cars a year at competetive prices and not have issues.

    Joe
  • dpmeersmandpmeersman Member Posts: 275
    On the subject of resale value, neither Edmunds or Kelly Blue Book are listing any value for the 08 Accords. Any opinions on this?
  • elroy5elroy5 Member Posts: 3,735
    That is the typical Honda-phile. No matter how bad the experience, they always come back. The Force is strong with Honda.

    Many times, it's more about the car, than it's reliability. As an example. My wife was rear ended in my 03 Accord. It was in the shop for 2 weeks. We got lucky and received a brand new 06 Chevy Impala as a free rental, because all the older or smaller cars were already rented out. There was nothing wrong with the Impala, but I still wanted my 3 year old Accord back as soon as possible. Other cars are just not as solid, and don't give you that connected feeling you get from an Accord. Drive an Accord for 3 years, and then get stuck with a Chevy for 2 weeks, and you'll probably see what I mean. ;)
  • tayl0rdtayl0rd Member Posts: 1,926
    I actually did own an Accord some years ago. It was just an okay car. Would I own another Honda? Sure. But it's not the only thing that I would ever consider owning (obviously.) I've driven many generations of Accords and none of them felt "connected" in much of any way or handled all that well. As I recall from my experiences, they all understeered like mad when pushed even a little bit. I just don't get the locked-in-for-life attraction. :confuse:
  • jodar96jodar96 Member Posts: 400
    Well, I had a new 1994 Accord LX 5 speed. I felt it was very connecting car It was a great handling car. I think Accord lost some of that in 98-2002 generation. I loved that car, got 37mpg on one trip doing 65. paid $15,500 ( list was $17,700) . After two years and 29K miles, sold it for $14,500.

    Right now anyone considering an Accord should test drive Nissan Altima and Mazda 6. Mazda6 manual is impressively quiet. I find both of these cars quieter than our current 08 Accord EX. Both are very competetive cars. I still feel Accord (and Camry) generates more interest when it is time to sell.
  • accordman2accordman2 Member Posts: 3
    Hey guys! You said you wanted feedback on the v6 models...here it is...
    i have a brand new 2008 accord EX-L V6 that i got last week. It is one of the most amazing cars that i have ever driven. The pick up is amazing and not to mention the exterior features! I love this car. It is running at 268 hp with 248 lbs/cu ft. The price tag said 30k for it but i managed to bring it down to 26k. the leg room in the front and back is plentiful and also the cabin is ultra quiet! i did get a mesh grill for my car to make it look nicer than it already was! I also put 20 percent tints on it to protect my leather. My car is dark grey with grey leather. If anyone wants to see pics of it, email me!
  • ming2ming2 Member Posts: 17
    Does anyone know the brand of windshield wipers that are on the '08 Accord V6 Coupe?
  • elroy5elroy5 Member Posts: 3,735
    The wiper blades on the car are Honda blades. You would have to replace the whole blade, if going aftermarket. I would just get the wiper inserts from a dealership, or HandAaccessories.com. It's much cheaper than buying an entire blade, and they last quite a while.
    http://www.handa-accessories.com/accord.html
  • mrswheezermrswheezer Member Posts: 2
    I have an 08 4 cyl Accord with 3k miles on it. Forgive me, I know precious, precious little about cars, and I don't trust my dealership. However, the car is still under warranty, so I'm pretty stuck.

    So far, I've noticed the driver's side door handle seems to require extra pull in order to get the unlatch mechanism to 'pop'. This isn't 100% of the time and the door does open. It worries me that this is eventually going to be a problem. I noticed others have posted about this but haven't seen where it morphed into being unable to open the door at all.

    Two other things have me quite concerned.

    1. My oil light has started flickering on from time to time. Tends to happen if I brake hard or park on an incline. Should I have lost oil during the first 3,000 miles? Is it normal for the light to flicker on and off? I am considering putting cardboard under the car tonight to see if there are any drips in the morning.

    2. I am getting some pretty strong vibration/squealing sounds right when the gears change. This has been getting progressively worse since around 2K miles. This isn't normal, is it?

    I appreciate any help/comments. I bought a new car in the hopes I would not have to deal with issues for awhile. Silly me. :(
  • kiawahkiawah Member Posts: 3,666
    Wheezie,

    Get the oil level checked immediately. There is a dipstick, which allows you (or someone else on your behalf), check to make sure there is enough oil in the vehicle. See your owners manual for instructions. Your oil could be low, without it dripping out of the engine.

    Get the vehicle to the dealership for all those other issues, they are all warranty coverage items. If your oil is indeed low, your dealership should know about that as well to investigate the cause. I would also tell them your oil light is flickering.
  • dpmeersmandpmeersman Member Posts: 275
    Message 5410 offers good advice regarding your oil and it's easy enough to look into. My 08 V6 had the hard pull requirement to open the drivers side door and I was ready to try various lubricants to see if it would improve, but it seemed to be happening a lot less often and I haven't had the issue in 2-3 months. The vibration/squealing issue I haven't encountered.
  • mrswheezermrswheezer Member Posts: 2
    Thanks. Feeling a bit stupid for not having checked that earlier. Oil was inded very low. Adding oil leak to the list of issues. Dealership declined to return my call, but I did finally catch someone and now have a Friday appointment.

    Any ideas what the oil leak source could be?

    Edited: I added oil according to the manual directions and have a good level now.
  • holly696holly696 Member Posts: 1
    send me a picture of your mesh grill, i'm thinking about getting one for my car
  • accordman2accordman2 Member Posts: 3
    just give me your email or you can just email me at nyankee08@yahoo.com
  • levtomlevtom Member Posts: 12
    Does anyone know the cost of replacing lost transponder keys for 2008 Accord and if they can be obtained from a locksmith instead of a dealer?
    Heard replacements can be very expensive.
    Would also consider adding a valet key if these are cheaper.
    thx
  • ljgbjgljgbjg Member Posts: 374
    May not be a leak at all - the break in oil is VERY thin and you may even get blow by. The point is, it is not that unusual for a new car to use break in oil. I hope you followed the manual when adding oil - should not use a different viscosity than what was in there.
  • nj2pa2ncnj2pa2nc Member Posts: 811
    My mom owns a 08 honda accord v-6, bought new 3/31/08. It has about 4,000 miles (mostly short distance trips) The car has not started 3 times-luckily the neighbors give it a jump-start. She has brought it back to the dealer-they tested the battery-full charge. I told her to turn off the DRL's and do it the old fashion way. Do you think that would be the problem or another solution would be appreciated. The car will be getting a workout when I visit her next week.
  • st1300st1300 Member Posts: 59
    THE STATE OF GEORGIA HAS DECLARED THAT 2008 HONDA ACCORD FOUR CYLINDER CARS HAVE A BUILT IN SAFETY DEFECT CONCERNING FLICKERING HEADLIGHTS. BEFORE YOU DECIDE TO BUY ONE OF THESE CARS CHECK THE HEADLIGHTS AT NIGHT WITH THE AIR CONDITIONING CYCLING. THE FIRST CASE AGAINST HONDA WAS RESOLVED IN THE CUSTOMER'S FAVOR.
  • thegraduatethegraduate Member Posts: 9,731
    WHY THE SCREAMING? ;)

    That aside, would you mind linking us to the info about this? I'm sure it'd be most appreciated by those with the issue!

    Thanks,

    TheGrad :D
  • st1300st1300 Member Posts: 59
    The frustration with honda is overwhelming...another person on one of these forums named KATANA PILOT won his case against honda in the state of Georgia in October. I have tried since dec 7 2007 to get honda either to fix this car or repurchase it...they have as of yesterday forced me to go arbritration knowing they lost their first case on exactly the same car and model. Fortunately for me I bought the car in Georgia so I have a precedent set by the board.

    Go to NHTSA.GOV and read the complaint base about 2008 accords..there are 178 complaints filed about the car (Accord only) and only 39 filed againt the 2008 Camry. Amazing!.

    Sorry about the shouting but this has got to come to an end with a govt. recall of these vehicles. This is a built in safety defect that honda has no fix for, and to put the icing on the cake the 2009 Accords are doing the same thing and people are already complaining to NHTSA.GOV about them.

    Hopefully the results from the state of Georgia will help get the ball rolling. Stay tuned, I will be going to arbritration soon in Georgia.
  • bvdj84bvdj84 Member Posts: 1,724
    I know it is frustrating, but the Accord has been having this issue for years. but, unfortunately more so on the 08 Accords. I don't believe everyone is having this issue. Just like the VCM issue, not everyone is having the issue. We would love to hear about what the real issue is. What exactly is causing the problem. I believe Honda will take care of this, and well they will have to now. Since, many are speaking up about it. My 06 Accord had a similar issue, someone stated their 99 Accord did this as well. Bummer that the 08 shows this problem more.

    With this issue, this will not keep me from leasing an Accord. I would still go and lease one today! I think other company's have worse problems than an annoying flickering problem. Thank god your with Honda, not with a few other "brands" out there. They have got more work to do. I would be upset about it too, especially if I felt I was ignored, because I expect good service from a new car. Heck, I don't even like rattles. So, I could imagine how you guys feel. I am glad that Honda is taking the first step, but only after many are speaking up. I am still a Honda fan, and will be.
  • tayl0rdtayl0rd Member Posts: 1,926
    Four thousand miles in 8 months and short trips only? She's draining the battery everytime she drives it. Tell her she needs to drive it for farther distances when she drives it, and to take a walk (if possible) when she needs to go for those short jaunts. Her short trips aren't giving the alternator enough time to replenish the charge she uses just starting the car and running the accessories.
  • vaterpvaterp Member Posts: 29
    Hi all, I'm a heavy user of a tomtom portable gps unit that I've been rather happy with. I find myself on the market for a new car now and the accord has made the final round ;).

    Anyway, I've sat in and played with the integrated nav system a bit and I just can't decide. I love the functionality of a GPS, and I think i'd really like the integration to the car, but I just cant decide if its worth 2 grand for it, when the standalone ones are soooo much cheaper and work pretty good.

    So my question to any nav owners out there, is how do they like their integrated nav system? I'd especially love to hear from anyone that has used both the integrated unit and a 3rd party one (garmin or tomtom for instance) - and aside from the nicety of integration -- how does the functionality compare?

    Thanks !
  • nj2pa2ncnj2pa2nc Member Posts: 811
    My mom previously owned a 98 accord, bought new, with less than 70,000 miles. She gave it to my daughter (her granddaughter) when she purchased the new accord. The battery was replaced once. She is in her 80's, in good health, still bowls but for grocery shopping she needs to go by car. (it is about 4 miles to the store). She will not drive when it gets dark and basically is starting to lose interest in driving.
  • tallman1tallman1 Member Posts: 1,874
    There is an Accord Navi forum and a generic navi forum here where you will find lots of opinions. I love the Honda system in my 06 Accord but don't want to repeat myself here... I've said it all before in those other forums. ;)
  • st1300st1300 Member Posts: 59
    To start the new model year off the 09 accord has already racked up 5 official complaints on NHTSA.GOV. 4 out of the 5 or 80% are complaints about flickering headlights. Good luck honda the word is spreading..we are all eagerly awaiting the recall notice.
  • bvdj84bvdj84 Member Posts: 1,724
    Exactly, just fix the problem, make the customer happy. It would not be that expensive to fix those who that the problem, if they can come up with the source of the problem. You would think they would by now, considering the Accord has done this for years. What are they afraid of, cars have recalls all the time, doesn't mean a bad thing, just a recognized correction. Some have more than others, but just fix it already.
  • iwantoneiwantone Member Posts: 52
    Does Honda and Acura use the same paint on their cars ? I noticed that some of the color trims are the same, so I was wondering is it the same paint. Is the polished metal metallic the same color on both cars?
  • bvdj84bvdj84 Member Posts: 1,724
    I would imagine they use the same colors. I have noticed the same thing, with the same color names on both brands. Just a few added colors overall depending on the brand/model of the car.
  • st1300st1300 Member Posts: 59
    Okay folks after a long delay here it is a video of my headlights

    go to

    youtube.com

    type in honda headlights

    there will be a 9 minute 13 second video on there from honeygge2

    that is my car and now you know why its going back!

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wWfYIIG8tC0
  • thegraduatethegraduate Member Posts: 9,731
    Wow, I've heard so much about this that it is good to finally see the severity that you're talking about.

    I'll be really honest here... that doesn't strike me as much of an issue. I can't recall driving a vehicle (except a family friend's Silverado 2500 Duramax Diesel) that didn't do that, including both my 1996 Accord and 2006 Accord, as well as my grandmother's 2002 Accord which I drive regularly (at least once a week). They have all done this, and continue to do so. No problems because of it (after a combined 320,000 miles on those three cars).

    It's sort of the same thing a house does when the A/C kicks on. Not a drastic flickering.
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