Edmunds dealer partner, Bayway Leasing, is now offering transparent lease deals via these forums. Click here to see the latest vehicles!

Honda Accord VCM

1323335373851

Comments

  • elroy5elroy5 Member Posts: 3,735
    No, Honda changed their advertising to reduce complaints or maybe even lawsuits (IMO)

    So, if you bought your Accord before Honda changed the wording, you should be able to sue (false advertising). What are you waiting for?
  • jhinscjhinsc Member Posts: 399
    I understand what it's like to have a lemon - I turned in a car I had in the mid-90's back to the manufacturer. They handled it with no questions asked after they reviewed the numerous repair orders, parts replaced, and actually confirmed all the problems I was having with the dealer I was working with. You need to make sure everything is documented and verified by the dealer. If the dealer will confirm the problems you're having, meaning it's not operating safely or as it was designed to, and then escalate it up the ranks, you shouldn't have a problem turning it in. Good luck to you.
  • jhinscjhinsc Member Posts: 399
    I had 6 people drive the car and I told them nothing. The came back and said two things.

    1. The car is very jerky in general. Mostly when coming to a stop.

    2. The car surges/de-surges on the highway like it's trying to shift.


    Based on what you state, you should have no problem in duplicating the problem with the dealer service dept. Do you accompany them on a drive so you can demonstrate what the problems are?
  • golfrskigolfrski Member Posts: 262
    Whatever
  • thegraduatethegraduate Member Posts: 9,731
    To be fair to elroy, I was thinking the same thing when I read it.

    It can't be THAT bad (the advertising) or people would've already sued over it and won, right?

    DISCLAIMER - I'm not discrediting, nor do I intend to discredit your accounts of VCM troubles.
  • golfrskigolfrski Member Posts: 262
    you dont know what people are doing....
  • kegobasskegobass Member Posts: 7
    I did go with them. They said this is "normal operation" of the VCM and that all the V6's do that. They said I just need to get used to it because this is my first VCM car. Bahhhh. Whatever is right.

    I understand the dealership needs to give the company line (There's nothing wrong with your vehicle) and it also may be true that not all V6's act this way. However, since I'm in a 36 month lease, I'm not going to be very satisfied with the car and probably be very bitter towards Honda for not doing anything to help me.
  • kegobasskegobass Member Posts: 7
    Put it this way, it's bad enough for me that when I drive the car, that I think about it constantly. My wife says she could live with it but she's not driving the car to work day in and day out.

    I consider myself an enthusiast as most people on this forum probably do -otherwise why would you be on a car forum ;) So you most likely expect more and are more critical than the average driver whose probably just cares how to get from point A to point B.

    The dealership I bought the car from said he's had 12 or so people complain about the VCM once. They never complained again according to him. So, you might be right, that it's more of an annoyance than a critical issue for 99% of the people who drive them. However, what about the 1% who it drives up the wall? :mad:
  • anthonyyanthonyy Member Posts: 13
    NO REAL QUESTION IS WOULD YOU PURCHASE THE HONDA ACCORD V6 IF THE DEALER DISCLOSE TO YOU WHEN YOU PURCHASE THE CAR THAT THE HONDA ACCORD V6 WILL VIBRATE WHEN YOU DROVE AT 58 TO 62 MILES PER HOUR?
    OF COURSE NO ONE IN THE RIGHT MIND WOULD PURCHASE A NEW CAR WILL VIBRATE.
    WE HAVE DRIVEN HONDA CAR FOR PAST 25 YEARS WE NEVER HAVE A PROBLEM. THIS IS REALLY A DISAPPOINTMENT; ESPECIALLY THE HONDA PEOPLE TRIED THEIR BEST TO LIE TO US.
    THIS IS NOT A HINDA MOTOR CAR WHO MANAGED BY THE OLD MR. HIONDA AND FAMILY , NOW IT IS THE SAME AMERICAN SALESMEN MANAGES THIS CORPROATION
  • jhinscjhinsc Member Posts: 399
    Please - caps off.

    If Kegobass statement about VCM being okay for 99% while 1% being annoyed by it, then Honda did their job. No company can please 100% of people 100% of the time. From Honda's perspective, if VCM is operating normally, what can they do to make the 1% happy? Certainly not give them their money back for buyer's remorse - which is what it appears to them. Can I feel the VCM working? Yes. Does it vibrate, shudder, jerk and shake like the few posters here state it does? NO. Believe me, I'm not trying to belittle all your experiences, but based on the some of the descriptions of VCM operation detailed in this forum, you would think the car is flying apart. Broken motor mounts, wheel/tires out of balance or out of round or some other mechanical problem could be the cause, but these are easily found and corrected. I hope you all find resolution for your troubles, but you may have to face the music and decide that the Accord is not for you, nothing more or less.
  • kegobasskegobass Member Posts: 7
    I would agree with that statement Anthonyy. I don't feel that it's affecting the safety of my family or anything like that. However, even if I'm a one-off, I would expect that Honda take care of me and not dismiss the possibility that perhaps my car is having issues. It's very frustrating to go to the dealer time and time again to be told there's nothing wrong. I think you hit the nail on the head with your final sentence. :D
  • golfrskigolfrski Member Posts: 262
    please direct us to any post since Oct 2007 that describes:

    "descriptions of VCM operation detailed in this forum, you would think the car is flying apart. Broken motor mounts, wheel/tires out of balance or out of round or some other mechanical problem could be the cause, but these are easily found and corrected"

    noone has ever described the VCM "shock", surge or shudder to that degree. or even the vibration. this is a simple issue from my experience and perspective.. its a poorly designed suspension compliment OR faulty design overall in how the motor mounts, ANC etc work in concert.. if a car shimmy's, vibrates its typically a bad tire, bad wheel.. if those two compenents are removed from the equation whats left axle and suspension. the fact that "most" drivers can "drive" out of the vibration accelerating to 80mph providing a normal smooth opertation tells me this is a suspension issue.. anyone have any constructive thoughts?
  • nj2pa2ncnj2pa2nc Member Posts: 811
    my mom owns a 08 accord v-6 without nav, bought 3/08. I have driven it numerous times-no problems with it.
  • thegraduatethegraduate Member Posts: 9,731
    Big Lawsuits (especially class-action) against a "reliable car-company" that are actually won would make business news.

    Working for a news station, I've heard nothing about it, even on the AP wire.

    Would love a link to something, by all means. :)
  • elliott2elliott2 Member Posts: 64
    By now it should be obvious to everyone that Honda has figured out that there is a design flaw with the Accord VCM (call it variable mis-firing). I've taken my 2008 Accord in numerous times for the vibration problem. During several of the first service calls the service manager and mechanic test drove the car with me and commented that the vibration in the car would drive them crazy on the highway. During the last service visit, the repair order actually stated that the vibration in ECO mode is a normal characteristic of this model. Please note that there is no such warning in any of the marketing materials provided by the company.

    Given that everyone is now receiving the same response from their service dept, it's clear that Honda has directed the service departments to state that it is a "normal characteristic" of the model.

    To anyone who is considering buying or leasing a V6 Accord with VCM, please seriously consider shopping around for another car until Honda gets its act togther on the newly designed Accord and stops with the subterfuge. For those of you who have an older Accord and are thinking of trading up to a 2008 or 2009, consider yourself warned that this is not the same quality of car that you were accustomed to in the past. (I'm not sure it's the same company; Honda owned up to problems in the past and did not mislead customers as they are now.)

    In addition to the vibration from the variable mis-firing of the engine, there is considerable road noise on the highway and on rough payment so much so that it can be challenging to hear the radio at times.

    If you do decide to get a new Accord, please take it for an extended road test without the salesman so that you can actually pay attention to the car's driving characteristics. See also Edmund's long term test of the 2008 Accord.

    In hindsight, I would not have purchased a car that was intentionally designed to mis-fire at certain speeds coupled with a systems that creates noise so that the driver doesn't hear (or is distracted from the sound) of the engine mis-firing along with computer controlled engine mounts designed to re-direct the vibration from the mis-firing.

    At the moment, there are a lot better cars for the price to put up with a car that is annoying to drive.
  • ncjimncjim Member Posts: 3
    Agree 100% with this post. I noticed that the new Pilot commercials are touting the VCM...something about 3-cylinder mode, etc. Wasn't paying much attention to the ad at the time and have not seen it since. I will lay claim to preventing a friend from buying a V6 Accord within the last week, my very small contribution to trying to make Honda hurt.

    Honda needs to take a lesson from Johnson & Johnson when the Tylenol scare erupted in the 70s or 80s: fess up immediately, make it right, and continue to thrive. In the absence of Honda doing this, I'm one of those bigmouths who will make sure that not just 10, but 100, of my friends are aware of Honda's disdain for consumers who have gotten stuck with this vehicle.
  • akt1000akt1000 Member Posts: 15
    I don't have any personal experience with 2009 Honda Accord V-6, but I just want to make a point, which seems to have been missed in the mails I have seen in this forum.

    The cylinders in the Honda V-6 are normally fired at equal intervals (0, 120, 240, 360, 480, 600 , 720 deg and so on). Running the VCM in 3-cylinder mode allows these cylinders to be fired at equal intervals (0, 240, 480, 720 deg and so on). Running the VCM in 4-cylinder mode does not allow these 4 cylinders to be fired at equal intervals (these may be fired at 0, 120, 360, 480, 720 deg and so on), Thus, the engine will potentially run rougher in the 4-cylinder mode than either the 3 or the 6 cylinder mode).

    A Buick engine ran into a (similar) roughness problem when they converted a V-8 engine into a V-6 engine around 1980 without an engine redesign, with the cylinders firing at unequal intervals (0, 90, 180, 360. 450, 540, 720 deg and so on). After couple of years of roughness complaints, they finally went to a crank offset system to allow the engine firing to occur at a constant 120 deg interval.
  • jhinscjhinsc Member Posts: 399
    On the flip side and to provide balance to this discussion, I am really puzzled by this vibration problem you're referring to. I have an 08 V6 and either my ECO light goes on and off but the VCM is not working and it's staying in 6 cyl mode all the time, OR it's actually working as it should and I don't have the vibration "problem". As I have stated before, I can tell when I'm in 3 or 4 cyl mode, but the engine is not vibrating or shaking, or shuddering or acting in any way suspicious that anything is wrong. There are times when the only change I notice is if I have to accelerate around another car, the ECO light goes off and I feel a surge of power as all 6 cyl's kick in. I really think Honda has taken the idea of variable engine displacement to the next level. I love the fact I have a 3 cyl, a 4 cyl, and a 6 cyl engine reside under the hood. My Chev. Avalanche has the 5.3L V8/4, but it only runs in 4 cyl mode when slowing down, going downhill, or on a very flat road. The slightest pressure on the gas pedal and it kicks back to 8 cyl. With my V6, I am able to accelerate modestly without kicking it out of ECO mode. I love that! And the statements of road noise, yes I can agree with you on that. But my previous 06 EXL V6 also had some road noise so it's not uncharacteristic for the new model to be any different.
  • elliott2elliott2 Member Posts: 64
    jhinsc - that's great that your 08 accord does not have the vibration. Consider yourself lucky. The dealership that I purchased my 08 from had the saleman and I take three other 08s for test drives after I complained of the problem. They all very noticeably had the same problem and were asknowledged by the saleman and reluctantly later by the Honda factory rep. I notice that your other vehicle is a truck. To bring balance to the discussion, I might suggest the reason you aren't noticing the vibration is that you're switching from driving a truck to a car. Under such circumstances, you're not likely to notice the vibration as you go from a truck suspension and handling to a car with softer suspension and very different handling.
  • jhinscjhinsc Member Posts: 399
    elliot2, I actually drive the Accord more due to my job, so your premise of switching between car and truck makes me immune to feeling vibrations is not valid. I'm curious - what does he vibration actually feel like? If you can put it into words.... Does it shake the car, steering wheel, pedals, seats...? For example, if a tire is out of round or out of balance, you know something is wrong. If a rotor is warped, you can tell when you apply the brakes. Both situations can be fixed. The reason I ask: I suspect my car runs the same as yours, but I don't see or feel it as vibration. I see it as running in 3 and 4 cyl mode and it's a characteristic of the engine. It's not a vibration, it's the engine running in a different mode. It's not annoying, intrusive or unpleasant. While driving, I'm always trying to coax the VCM to engage as quickly as possible after getting up to speed. Another example: anyone who drives a 4 cyl and V6 (non VCM) of the same make/model will tell you the V6 almost always runs smoother and quieter in almost all situations, especially at idle and low speeds. But it doesn't mean there is something wrong with the 4 cyl because it's not as smooth or quiet.

    I think Honda is on the right path with VCM. Once they combine it's use with 6 or 7 speed auto transmissions, I believe they'll be able to extract more mpg gains from larger displacement engines. Honda is well known for their technological advancements for engine and auto design and function. VCM is a concept and technology that although they didn't invent, they have perfected it much further than any other auto company could to date.
  • keitha3keitha3 Member Posts: 124
    My experience with the VCM is the same as yours. If not for the ECO light and the power surge when going into six-cyl mode, I wouldn't even know it existed. I feel nothing.

    That said, I do believe what other posters are saying. That's originally why I took the Accord off of my consideration list and why I insisted on a LONG test drive with a lot of freeway driving prior to purchase.

    I do believe that you and I and many others are lucky. I also believe that it's time for Honda to step up to the plate and address the issue for those not so lucky.

    If I did have this issue, I'm the type with the psychological profile that would shift my focus to the problem area and become increasing annoyed every time I drove. It would ruin my driving experience.
  • elliott2elliott2 Member Posts: 64
    It's not a vibration. It's not a vibration. It's not a vibration. ........ I don't see or feel it as vibration. I see it as running in 3 and 4 cyl mode and it's a characteristic of the engine. It's not a vibration, it's the engine running in a different mode. It's not annoying, intrusive or unpleasant.

    So what Honda location do you work?
  • jhinscjhinsc Member Posts: 399
    I don't work for Honda or a car dealer or anything auto related. Just trying to understand what you mean when you say vibration. If you can't describe it, just say so.
  • maltbiemaltbie Member Posts: 31
    If you are in the market now for an Accord V6 and are scared by the VMC problems, as I was, consider the 08 Acura TL. There is a fire sale on the TLs as they are being replaced with the new 09 model. I leased an 08 TL in August for $40 per month less than the monthly payment on my 06 Accord EX-L-V6. The 06 Accord is a fantastic car and the TL is even better. The TL has better handling, acceleration, and sound system with gas mileage similar to the Accord's. And best of all, it does not have VCM.
  • tvaltval Member Posts: 1
    I would not actually characterize it as a vibration but more as a surging feeling. I notice it greatly at freeway cruising speeds (60 to 75 mph). The car seems to fight between cylinder selection, even if you have cruise control on. The surge feeling can actually make you feel a bit queazy or nauseated after a while. I am very dissapointed in this car and in myself for not researching this car more prior to buying. It is obvious that this is a significant problem as you can read about it everywhere on the internet (e.g. Honda forums, Edmunds Customer Reviews, etc.). Has anyone hear of any fixes or ways to improve?
  • anthonyyanthonyy Member Posts: 13
    So far no reply from Honda Motor Company or their dealer Service Center. Their official respondse is: "This is the normal performance of the Honda Accord V6."

    I am so disappointed with this 2008 Honda Accord V6. We took it for granted ,we assumed Honda Motor Car Company was a good car manufacturer , they would never stick you with a lemon. As I mentioned in my earlier message, my family drove Honda Cars for over twenty five years + , we never had a problem with Honda. Never had a vibration problem. This is our first bad experience.

    I just hope people saw your comments and mine before they purchase a 2008 Honda Accord V6. They'd better take the car for a driving test on the highway and not just in city traffic.

    So far no newspaper will accept our letter about Honda Accord V6 problem, They just do not want to offend Honda Motor and their dealers.
  • sky16sky16 Member Posts: 20
    I bought a Honda Accord ex Lv6 manual with navigation and have had problems with shifting smoothly into 3rd gear and was told by the dealer that the problem usually goes away at 10,000 miles but it did not. They replaced the gearbox last week and was given a PT Cruiser Rental Car which was a piece of junk to drive for two days. When I picked up the car after the new gear box was in a day later I had a hard time putting it into first gear getting onto the highway and was afraid someone would rear end me. Then throughout the week that got better until yesterday when it started making a whining sound when I would shift into the different gears finally it started kicking out of 4th gear into neutral on its on. This morning I barely was able to get the car to the dealer and they gave me a better rental a mazda 3 since I asked for a safer car. The dealer told me they are taking the transmission completely apart to look at it and may have the car completed on Friday. Since the dealer does not pay the $18 for the extra insurance in case someone crashes into your car and you have to pay loss of rental which can be $2000 for the month this transmission problem is now costing me $100 out of pocket which I am terribly unhappy about. I honestly don't know if I will buy another Honda after this experience unless they get their act together with this vehicle. :sick: :lemon:
  • thegraduatethegraduate Member Posts: 9,731
    Perhaps the Honda Accord Maintenance Forum would be a better place for this post, since your car isn't equipped with VCM, the topic of this particular forum.

    I'm very sorry to hear about the troubles you're having! I'd be disappointed too, no doubt.
  • sky16sky16 Member Posts: 20
    Thanks for responding and forwarding me to the correct section along with your concern. I believe Honda will straighten this problem out as I believe they like to keep customers for life. Thanks again.
  • anthonyyanthonyy Member Posts: 13
    Has anyone out there experienced problems with shimmying/vibration/ droning when at 45-50 mph?
    Appreciate hearing from you.
    jdy
  • thegraduatethegraduate Member Posts: 9,731
    I assume V6?
  • jam1000jam1000 Member Posts: 182
    I had my car in for its 7500 mile service about 10 days ago, and mentioned my primary issue -- extremely rough trans. shifts, especially downshifts, b/w 2d and 3d and 3d and 4th. The service advisor said she was not aware of any known issues but, at my request, checked for software updates. It turned out there was an update for the PCM (power control module), and it was downloaded (or whatever the correct term is). Since then, the shifts have been considerably smoother, though they are still often somewhat harsher (transmission drags for 2-3 seconds or so through a shift) than what I would like them to be. It is at least bearable at this point, if still not ideal.

    I don't know whether this update affects the vibration and surging issues that others have reported at higher speeds, since I haven't really had it out on the highway since the update was installed. I didn't really experience these issues to begin with, so I probably wouldn't be in the best position to advise on that.

    I took delivery of my car in Dec. 2007, so the update presumably came out sometime after that. I'm a little disappointed that I had raised this issue, repeatedly, with the dealer's service department and with Honda's customer service operation in Torrance, CA, and nobody bothered to apprise me of the availability of this update. I recognize that the left hand often doesn't know what the right is doing, but where people actually complain to corporate and there is a potential fix that is released, it doesn't seem that hard to come up with a system to get the message out to the affected people.
  • elroy5elroy5 Member Posts: 3,735
    Honda does communicate with it's technicians. The problem is, warranty work pays less than maintenance/non-warranty work. So if the service department has plenty of non-warranty/maintenance work, they are reluctant to take a job that involves warranty and or diagnostic. For example, they can do a complete brake job on a car in less than an hour, with no diagnostic time needed. Your car may take more than an hour (or two or three), just to diagnose. Which job do you think they want? The trick is to find a dealership/service manager that is honest, or actually needs work (warranty or not).
  • jam1000jam1000 Member Posts: 182
    That's one way of looking at it. But the flip side of that coin is that Honda is paying the providers that do its warranty work less than market, and so is not entirely living up to its warranty commitments (or maybe, more precisely, is saying that it will provide warranty service to the customer but it won't be as good, thorough, quick as "regular" service work). Isn't Honda at least as much to blame as its dealers for incenting them to do non-warranty work over warranty work. (I'm not necessarily singling Honda out here, since I assume most if not all mfrs. do the same thing.)
  • elroy5elroy5 Member Posts: 3,735
    Honda is only going to pay a reasonable amount for warranty work. They know how long a job should take. Some person off the street, who wants maintenance work done, (most times) has no idea how much work is actually involved, or how long it should take. Should Honda mandate how much each dealer can charge for maintenance work? I think there would be a lot less Honda dealerships if they did that. I don't think there is any way Honda can dictate to dealerships what they can charge a paying customer. I do think you can find Honest dealerships, but it may not be the closest dealership to where you live. luckily, none of my vehicles has been to a dealership (except for minor recall work) for at least 15 years. :D
  • jam1000jam1000 Member Posts: 182
    I guess I'm not following. Honda corporate knew of my problem with the transmission, since I had made a complaint directly to it, and also knew that it had had a pcm update, but did not tell me about the potential fix. (So did the dealer, but frankly I would expect Honda to be better able to track the issue than the dealer.) I'm not sure how one could characterize the dealer as being dishonest or slow -- in my view, they essentially did their job.
  • elroy5elroy5 Member Posts: 3,735
    I was only stating why dealerships don't like warranty work (it doesn't pay). The person you talked to at corporate, sounds like he/she was just too lazy to help you out, and look for the information. The information was obviously there, because someone found it. It seems people are getting lazier and lazier. It's a shame. :(
  • jam1000jam1000 Member Posts: 182
    You're absolutely correct about the person at corporate -- it was clear from my 2-3 discussions with him that he was interested only in listing the matter as "closed" on his records. What I don't know is whether it was this person or whether it is or has become Honda's approach generally. Many of the posts on this and the maintenance and repair boards suggest it's the latter, but I don't know for sure.

    The people at the dealership were actually quite pleasant and offered no resistance, especially when I asked about the possibility of a quick fix such a software update. I also combined the request with a request for non-warranty work (routine oil/filter/tire rotation).
  • dpsportsdpsports Member Posts: 23
    Hey again, haven't posted since early this year, EX-V6 stuttering issues continue. I would not classify it as a vibration - more a stuttering as if you have a bad tank of gas. Problem being, at 18,000 miles I have had a lot of tanks of gas and many visits to the dealer (who acknowledges the condition) but no fix yet.

    Third Honda in five years, but dare I say the last if the fix doesn't come soon. Last week the HVAC unit started blowing little bits of white crap out of the dash vents all over the black leather interior. At least it has taken my mind off the crappy drive while I figure out if this white debris is toxic. Anyone else yet? Oh yeah, did I mention the warped rear brake rotors at 12,000 miles (dealer did repair at no charge). Good dealer .... now fix the rest of the problem!

    LEMON! LEMON! LEMON! LEMON!!!!!!!!!!
  • dpsportsdpsports Member Posts: 23
    After spending the last few hours reviewing a lot of what I have missed here since Spring I have two thoughts/questions.

    A) Has anyone road tested a 2009 V6 yet? (sorry, but test needs to have been done by someone who has condition on their 2008 model).

    B) I am amazed at the number of posters here who do not have this issue with their vehicle. You are fortunate and I would trade shoes/cars with you if I could. Is this something most people just do in their spare time? I found this site only because I Googled 2008 Accord VCM Problems because I was experiencing the condition and was getting no where with my dealer. Not something I would have Googled in my spare time unless of course i worked........

    Just wondering....
  • thegraduatethegraduate Member Posts: 9,731
    I am amazed at the number of posters here who do not have this issue with their vehicle. You are fortunate and I would trade shoes/cars with you if I could. Is this something most people just do in their spare time? I found this site only because I Googled 2008 Accord VCM Problems because I was experiencing the condition and was getting no where with my dealer. Not something I would have Googled in my spare time unless of course i worked........

    Absolutely it is something I do in my spare time. I'm a car nut, and like talking about cars in general. This is something of a community here, with excellent moderators who keep things in line and keep the conversations relevant to the topic under which they are listed.

    Since I joined the site over 3 years ago I've learned an awful lot about maintenance, as well as gotten advice on the right price for car A or car B when bargaining with a dealer. Some of the most popular boards are the "prices paid" forums, but my favorites tend to be the comparison. They typically don't turn into "arguments" but rather informative discussion. Another fun bit of info you can get here is insight into future models. People in the know will often link you to photos of a new car coming out, as well as pertinent info about it. This helps you know "Do I buy now or wait for the new one?" etc...

    Either way, welcome (back) to Edmunds! :D

    TheGraduate
  • sunnfunsunnfun Member Posts: 168
    Hey again, haven't posted since early this year, EX-V6 stuttering issues continue. I would not classify it as a vibration - more a stuttering as if you have a bad tank of gas. Problem being, at 18,000 miles I have had a lot of tanks of gas and many visits to the dealer (who acknowledges the condition) but no fix yet.

    - You're not the only one. Would you say this happens when it is idlying or when you are driving? My car had the valve tapping noise so I had them do the SB for the valve ticking. Since then it has been idlying very rough - feeling like the car is rocking almost. I have taken it back twice but off course they can't feel it. We did a comparison with an 09 and there was a world of difference in the two they way they idled. I thought maybe they tightened one of the valves to much but after reading your post, maybe there is something more.
  • dpsportsdpsports Member Posts: 23
    It's fine idling, atually kinda nice. Cruising at a constant speed is another matter. 50MPH on flat road is probably the worst, hunts constantly - 65MPH is no charm either but it is better (read - hunts less). My car has never displayed this condition under load - meaning climbing a hill or under acceleration - only when cruising. I spoke to my dealer's service rep again last Friday, who said he would make a few calls and get back to me on Monday. Since today is Friday again, I guess I should have asked which Monday??????
  • hondaacc09hondaacc09 Member Posts: 3
    I bought my Accord 2009 V6 EX-L about 5 weeks ago. It's love at first sight when I first saw it on the freeway, love the appearance and interior. Currently it has only about 1,500 miles on it.

    It ran great for first 3 weeks, after that it's surging and hesitating all the time on the freeway at around 60-80 mph. I'm curtain that it's not a shifting, because I don't see the rpm bounces when it happens.
    How often does it surges? From my home to my office, it's about 23 miles. This car surges anywhere from 3-20 times. Twice/day, 5 days/wk - It's driving me crazy!!

    Not only that, very often it shudders before a completed stop.
    I owned many Honda vehicles in the past (Accord'85, Legend'92, Accord'95) very please with them, never expected to have this kind of problem with Honda car.

    Last weekend I took 2 of my friends for a ride (I didn't mentions anything about surging), one of them asked me "Why your car hiccups?" LOL.

    I'm heading to the dealer this weekend, but after reading lot of postings in many forums, I know what to expect to hear from them. LOL.

    Can Honda Motor categorizes what many many people consider a problem as a "characteristic of the car" and get away with these type of answers?

    It's so irresponsible if Honda Motor tells those who have this problem that surging/shuddering is a characteristic of this car.

    I've got the feeling this will be my last Honda vehicle.
  • fslaugtsfslaugts Member Posts: 36
    I am in the market for a new car. Thanks all for posting about the VCM problem. I would now think twice and probably not buy the Accord. I don't care if it test drove prefect. I don't like this 6-4-3 stuff. I think there are better ways to improve gas mileage.

    Fred
  • thegraduatethegraduate Member Posts: 9,731
    Just remember, if there's a problem, people are likely to voice their opinion. If your car drives just fine, you likely aren't going to go out of your way to find a forum like this just to say "I don't have a problem, my car is great."

    Don't write off an entire car-line because a few people had problems; trust me, every car make out there will produce models with inherent problems. Extensively test drive your car; other posters feel free to correct me if I'm wrong, but nobody's car has developed this issue after driving for a certain period of time; its been right from the start if they do happen to have an issue.

    I'm not discounting the problems here, but there has been much debate over this issue here, and for every person with this problem, there are more who do not have it, or it'd be a very public issue (a' la Toyota sludge a decade ago).

    Just take everyone here (myself included) with a grain of salt. Let's be honest, when there is a problem with something I own, I make a bigger deal out of it than most would because it is MINE. Others likely do the same.
  • robotaz2robotaz2 Member Posts: 7
    I made the very foolish mistake of buying an Accord with VCM and am furious at Honda and of course myself. THE PROBLEMS THAT MANY DESCRIBE WITH SURGING, VIBRATION, AND HUMMING SOUNDS ARE REAL!!!! The fact that some do not notice it concerns me for the wellbeing. It does not take a savvy individual to notice it. On a recent road trip with 200 miles on the car my girlfriend and I were both driven nuts by the jerking and vibration, not to mention the irritating sound when it runs on four cylinders. Why 3 cylinder operation doesn't cause the same problems I cannot tell you. What I can tell you is that I drove two other cars in the town that I went to visit and both did the same thing. This is not something that some do and some don't. Consider yourself warned. This car is the most fundamentally flawed and idiotic design that I have seen in 30 years of buying new cars. It is very hard to believe that Honda would knowingly do this, but I'm sure it boils down to getting something for CAFE standards being met or something that benefits Honda and not the consumer because there is no way on earth that they think people want this. DO NOT BUY THIS CAR OR YOU WILL BE MAD AT YOURSELF AND UNLESS YOU ARE RICH YOU WILL LOSE YOUR BEHIND ON IT!
  • robotaz2robotaz2 Member Posts: 7
    Sounds like you are noticing the prominent vibration and humming that the car makes when it runs on four cylinders. It is not just your car. It's according to Honda "operating normally". I notice it around 45 mph also. You will also notice it when you get on the interstate and begin to go up a hill. As the grade increases it switches from 3 to 4 cylinders, that's where the irritating humming and vibrating kicks in. Unless the grade increases to the point that all 6 cylinders are activated, it will vibrate and moan all the way up the hill. Then when you go over the hill and it starts kicking down to fewer cylinders the torque converter locks/unlocks back and forth causing the car to surge, which many complain about.

    My girlfriend wants to kill me now for buying this car. So in addition to automotive problems I can also thank Honda for domestic problems, not to mention the financial one caused by having to sell a brand new car. Lesson learned. Honda stinks.
  • thegraduatethegraduate Member Posts: 9,731
    It is very hard to believe that Honda would knowingly do this, but I'm sure it boils down to getting something for CAFE standards being met or something that benefits Honda and not the consumer because there is no way on earth that they think people want this.

    Since all cars aren't saddled with the issue, its obvious to me that they did something right. It can be done and implemented beautifully. Some have issues, a sign that they have also done something wrong. The trouble is actually figuring out the component(s) causing the problem. It can't simply be by "chance" that the technology works in some cars and not in others; there must be a specific difference or set of differences.

    I'm sorry your car is one with the troubles. All I can say is raise as much of a stink as you can with your dealer, as well as with Honda Corporate. Open a case with them. I'm sure someone will be happy to post the number of Honda's 1-800 number to call the corporate office.
Sign In or Register to comment.