Honda Accord Problems 2000-2005

urchin34 · January 2002

Sorry, but when the car does not run and independent shops have verified that the radiator hose is bulging, the muffler is rusted, the CV boots are torn, etc., etc. it is hard to just say no to repairs. Funny how no one wants to buy the car in that shape either isn't it. Jaguar has since given their dealership to the Isuzu dealer, specifically because of charges against the Honda dealer. You represent exactly what I have discovered about Honda - it is the customer's duty to make sure that the dealer is honest and if you get a lousy car or taken advantage of it is the customer's fault. It also seems that there are those who just expect everyone else to have inexhaustable resources to be able to simply dump a car that gives them trouble. Beleive me, I tried to dump it, but because of the problems while it was on warranty, Honda wouldn't even give me low blue book in trade "because there is no way we can resell it". The dealer told me to take it up with American Honda and Honda told me it was the dealer's problem. I'll will stick with a dealer with honesty and integrity are not just "buzz" words, even if the car ends up having problems. The Isuzu dealer has proven themselves with me, and I will assume that there is a reason that Isuzu is one of the best selling cars in town.

jeffman1971 · January 2002

I don't have an Acura, I just happened to see their ad and they advertised themselves as being able to work on Hondas. I am pretty sure that they are honest about the transmission leak, a local Jiffy Lube pointed the problem out to me several months before, the transmission fluid levels never changed, and I never noticed any leaks myself. I assumed that Jiffy Lube was mistaken.

Although the Acura people were cordial enough, they didn't seem to know that much about Hondas. The total visit cost me about $880. It's my first visit to a repair shop and the first time I took it back to a dealership. I bought my Accord new in 1999. I thought that taking it to Honda techs for a check-up after three years would be a good idea. Taking your car to a dealership for routine maintanence is just too much $$$. Does anyone have any tips on how to find a shop you can trust?

isellhondas · January 2002

Slight seepage from the transmission isn't a big deal. Is it dripping on the ground? Probably not. If it were mine, I would jst keep an eye on the fluid level.

Some mechanics think a car has to be PERFECT and few are...

robr2 · January 2002

Finding a good independent shop usually is accomplished through word of mouth. Talk to others who own Honda products and see who they use and recommend.

Personally, I use the same Honda dealer for both my vehicles. I realize their prices may be a bit higher for some services, but I have developed a good relationship with the service department. I know that they will take care of minor issues that come up under a goodwill policy. By maintaining this relationship, I feel comfortable that if I were to have a major out of warranty issue, they would do something (as they have in the past) to take care of it.

Good Luck.

0civic1 · January 2002

I have a 92 auto EX with 110,000 miles. I had brought it in the shop about 5 months ago to repair the transmission. It would not stay in gear and would jerk violently. It had my torque converter replaced. It seemed fine at first but would shift hard into gears, and the engine would seem to rev really high in 2 and 3rd gear like it couldn't find it. I have a 6000mi/6mo. warranty at this place but I feel I got ripped off the first time ($1000 to just replace the torque conv. inc. labor) Should I bring it back? Is it going to be covered, i.e. is it the same issue or part? Or should I burn my bridges, cut my losses and try someplace new? Please reply soon. Thank you.

0civic1 · January 2002

Anyone know of a good Honda repair shop in Ft. Lauderdale area? Thanks

Nathan

inkie · January 2002

I am starting to service my 2000 V6 and was looking for the PCV valve. This engine or my 2002 CRV 4 cyl. does not seem to have one. The owners maint. manuals does'nt mention this service and I don't have any shop manuals to check. If Hondas don't have these valves how does the ventilation occur? Thanks

ssusnick · February 2002

Folks--

Can anyone shed any light on the following?

I had a trim shop install leather seats; they removed the fabric on the seats and installed leather in place of the fabric. Pretty nice looking--contact me if you are interested in source for this aftermarket product.

But here's the problem. To do the job, the shop removed the front seats, disconnecting the wires below the seat. When the passenger seat was out the "SRS" warning light was on as I drove the car(they kept the driver's seat in until I could bring it into the shop). No big deal, I thought.

However, now the seats have been reinstalled and the wires reconnected, but the SRS warning light is still lit all the time. Note--this is an LX without side air bags and there were no sensors showing in the removed front seat fabric. The shop is stumped. I am stumped. Can anyone tell me if SRS is OK and how to get the warning light off? Reset something?

Thanks in advance for any help anyone has.

Stuart

silvernubira · February 2002

197K miles, about 10K on the new timing belt. Problem: Recently I noticed a rubbing/squeaking noise coming from the timing belt area when the engine is idling. I don't hear any unusual noises at higher RPMs. I am guessing that a pulley or tensioner on the timing belt causing it. Is this a reasonable assumption? Any other ideas? If I don't do anything about this noise, will I be risking a major problem. By the way, the car runs fine on the level roads and milder slopes. Only on the steeper slopes it reminds me that I have been driving it for over 197K miles!

TIA for any responses.

andre1969 · February 2002

Inkie, I had a similar problem finding my PCV valve. Now this is a totally different car, a 2000 Intrepid, but maybe Honda did the same thing? Most PCV valves are in the valve cover. You just pop the old one out and pop the new one in. However, on my Intrepid, it was screwed into the plastic intake on the top of the engine. It wasn't buried, but it doesn't exactly draw attention to itself either! I'm sure your Hondas have got to have them somewhere, maybe just not in the "usual" spots!

elgriton · February 2002

For those who change/flush their own coolants, do y'all drain the engine block also? I have a '93 Accord, and the drain bolt is so inaccessible with just jackstands. Could I get away with just draining and flushing the radiator which is much more feasible w/o having to even jack the car at all.

Thanks.

auburn63 · February 2002

the pcv is located in the back valve cover, under a plastic cover.Hard to see but is there...

kwg1494 · February 2002

I have a 1996 Accord Lx V6, 85,000 miles. It has always had an unsmooth shift transition when driving in traffic at 20-40 MPH. The dealer checked the car at 5,000 miles said it was shifting as designed. Well just recently as I was attempting to pass traffic at about 40 MPH, I stepped on the gas and my trans slipped. Very briefly though and it caught when I let off the gas and stepped down again. I went to the dealer, and they could not recreate my problem (Surprisingly!) said it did not show any DTC codes. So here comes the questions,
Is it the torque converter? How can they tell if it is? I've seen them replaced w/o correcting the problem. I am still under warranty, how can I get them to try replacing the torque converter even when they don't see a problem. I'm not the sharpest tool in the shed, but I know the trans should never slip.
I apologize to those who are tired of seeing the trans posts, I did go through about 600 but my eyes got tired!
Thanks!

inkie · February 2002

Thank you for your quick responses, now that I know Hondas have them. I will look under the valve covers.

auburn63 · February 2002

They arent under the valve cover on the accord it is inserted into it from the outside of the valve cover. It is under a plastic cover. As for the one in the CRV it is alittle harder but is located under the intake manifold and is a metal one that is screwed into the bottom of the manifold. Happy hunting..

bfyerxa · February 2002

I have had my 2002 SE 5spd for 2 weeks now and there is an annoying rattle in the dash (I think). It seems to be coming from the passenger air bag area. It sort of sounds like windshield creaking (if you can imagine that) or a wire bundle rattling against plastic. I have had the rattle since I drove off the lot. It does seem to be worse in the cold (and winter has finally arrived with a vengeance here in Ottawa). It does not seem to be influenced by fan speed, heat-A/C settings, etc. I am leery of taking it to the dealer as I do not like taking panels off since this tends to make things worse. Has anybody had a similar rattle and if so what was the fix (if any)? This is annoying as this is the exact reason I stay away from the domestic crap!

inkie · February 2002

okay thanks, its a pleasure to have someone on this board as devoted as you. You also helped me with the cabin air filter and once I got the first piece of moulding off in front of the shifter it was a breeze.

bburton1 · February 2002

WHen it gets really cold my 97 accord makes a similiar noise-I think it is the windshield creaking caused by stiff/cold rubber gaskets. When it warms up, the creaking goes away. I start out on a trip with the temp around 0F and when it gets above freezing-the creaking stops. Wish I had a solution other than moving out of this freaking cold place.

bfyerxa · February 2002

My rattle does sound exactly like the windshield creaking and does seem to quiet down as it heats up. I have not had a chance to let the wife drive so that I can really get a handle on where the noise is coming from. If it is the windshield creaking I can live with that as it is only a matter of time before it gets cracked anyhow (bleeping winter!)

sandman46 · February 2002

I service my cars at a place called A&R in west Boca off of 441 at Spanish Isles Blvd. These 2 brothers work on all cars, they do my Toyota's and my friends Honda's and they do great work. A little far from Lauderdale but they are really honest and do great work and are very reasonable. I plan to get my timing belt changed there also. Just a suggestion though!

hbund216 · February 2002

Mine makes the cracking noise when I'm driving to work (facing the sun). It is annoying. I've never had a car that has done this. As for moving to warmer climate to solve it... I live in Los Angeles and it still does it.

dkrab · February 2002

My 98 Accord made a similar noise when it was new. Dealer could not find it, but I did. In my case anyway, it was the duct that runs across the forward edge of the dashboard, just below the windshield, that feeds air to the defrost vents up there. The duct is a long, two piece affair that also has pegs molded into it that mate with sockets on the bulkhead under the windshield. This makes it a load-bearing member and when it was cold, the two pieces would creak against each other as the dash would move ever so slightly. To fix, I removed the dashboard, removed the duct, placed a tacky material called strip caulking between the two pieces and put the whole mess back together. It was a big job. Maybe there is a way to spray something into the vents that would work it's way in and stop the noise.

maq4463 · February 2002

Here's a question for tire experts. Whats better..
- Two new tires in front with one being different brand but exact same size (185/70 R14) OR
- One new and one old (35% tred left) in front, both same manuf./ size ?

Any suggestion? I am doing the first option..
Thanks

albatros43 · February 2002

My girlfriend's Accord needs the key to "unlock" the car from park almost everytime we get in the car. A co-workers car is now having the same problem? Does anyone know what the problem could be? Thanks....

crissy1 · February 2002

I'm looking at Accords, Altimas and Camrys as possible purchase. Does anybody know what year models of the Accord have timing belts as opposed to chains? Also, does anyone know of a good dealership in So. California where the sales staff doesn't pounce on you the moment you walk in? Thanks for any input.

jeffreygent · February 2002

Dear stuart, your light is on due to the seat belt pre-tensioners being disconnected. there is a small wiring harness and electrical connector under each seat for these. As soon as the ignition is turned on without them plugged in it sets off an error code. You will have to go to the dealer to fix the problem.

jeffreygent · February 2002

all accords with the 4 cylinder have the timing belt. It is not a problem as long as it is changed every 90,000 miles at the honda dealer. They also change the water pump and cam shaft seals at the same time. This usually runs about $700. Its definately neccessary though. I would reccommend you buy a 1994 or newer though. In particular the 1995 and 1996 were particularly reliable.

fritz1224 · February 2002

What year is the car? I understand there is some type of solenoid that is connected to brake pedal that needs to activate in order to shift the shift lever. I have one that is clicking, so I'm thinking this is a prelude to the problem you are now having. Let me know if you ever noticed a clicking sound coming from around the shift lever when you put your foot on the brake while car is running and lever is in neutral.

isellhondas · February 2002

On 1997 and newer Accords, it's 105,000 miles for the timing belt. Some folks tend to make a big deal out of this and I can't understand why.

I'm from So. California and can't really give you any encouraging advise. That is a miserable, cutthroat marketplace. Maybe you know someone who can give you a referral.

You might try Scott Robinson in Torrance. I've met the owner and he seemed like a great guy.

And there are no bad years. Good luck!

wdoran · February 2002

I'm pretty sure your problem with the shift lever is in the key switch. My Honda is a 90 and a friends 90 accord has the same problem. Only bothers me in the cold, seems to work well in the summer

hbund216 · February 2002

Try Valencia Honda's internet sales devision. Ask for Greg. He is a great guy.

Isell:
I agree with you on the chain vs belt issue. I prefer the belt vs chain. With the belt you replace it before it breaks. With a chain it just breaks some time after 100,000 miles.

urchin34 · February 2002

In my 90 Accord, the problem was as mentioned by fritz1224 - something connected to the brake pedal. This was one of the repairs that the dealer handled "off the record" so I never knew exactly what was done or replaced.

albatros43 · February 2002

My co-worker had the problem repaired today. Her vehicle is a 2000 Accord EX-V6. They had to replace the brake switch. My girlfriend's has stopped doing it since having her brakes worked on a few months ago, though before that work was done the key had to be used to shift from park every time. This seems to be a chronic problem with Accords....weird problem...though my girlfriend mentioned the problem is intensified or manifests itself mostly in the cold. Thanks for the responses!

scarter7719 · February 2002

Hi all, I'm new to this board...in fact, I didn't even know it existed! Honda Accords with problems? Who heard of such a thing (lol)? Anyway, I have a '00 SE with 21K miles. No complaints so far, but I do have this noise that sounds like a vacuum pop coming though the air cleaner housing. It happens every time I start the car and is more pronounced on the first start of the day or when the engine hadn't run for a while. Sometimes it also starts rough like it wants to die. I plan on taking it the dealer, but thought I would see if anyone else has encountered this problem. The popping has occurred since it was new, although the rough idling issue is fairly recent and only occurs when I don't drive it for a week or more. I also had a '99 LX, but it never had this problem.

SC

bobgordon · February 2002

Opening the trunk, using the remote, the alarm started to sound. No matter what button I pushed on the remote, the alarm would not shut off.
Finally it quit and everything seemed fine.
I called the dealer and asked why the alarm would sound by opening the trunk and he said "try opening the doors first, then open the trunk."
Anybody ever heard of this?
Thanks.

jrct9454 · February 2002

There is a TSB for a problem with the motor mount [the one that is vacuum controlled] not behaving properly on startup. This may or may not be the source of your noise - it has been described as sounding like a mallet striking the front of the car - but it is worth asking about at your friendly dealer as a place to start.

jrct9454 · February 2002

If it is a one-time occurrence, I wouldn't worry. If it happens repeatedly, I must say that we often use the remote to open the trunk while the alarm is armed, and it has never gone off. That makes it sound to me like there is a sensor being tripped that shouldn't be...

mikemw1 · February 2002

you need a brake light switch. part about $45.00

will4271 · February 2002

I have a 96' Ex Accord V-4 with 128K on it. No real major problems (not covered by warranty or costly). The driver door seems to have gotten misaligned. When I switch the window down with the automatic window switch, the window seems to tilt forward causing the window to jam on the plastic weatherstriping.

Any ideas on alignment or what can be done?

I know that I can bring it to the dealer but they can charge quite a few dollars for it.

thanks.

auburn63 · February 2002

Sounds as if your window is out of its track. Check and see if the front corner is on the outside of the run channel gasket or if the gasket is torn. If so, then you probably have a bent window regulator which will need replacement...

johnny_h · February 2002

Hi folks, I just bought my very first car, 2002, Accord V6, EX a week lil over a week ago. Love the V6.

I apologize if this was already addressed, but I couldn't go thru the 2000 messages to look for wht I needed.

It rained this past weekend and I found a slight leak in the sunroof. I'd like to know if this is a regular occurance with the new cars or if it's simply a one-time fluke cuz I'm shocked that I have to take the car to a dealer 8 days after purchase.

Please let me know.

Thanks.

hbund216 · February 2002

Mine leaked a few drops sitting out under heavy rain. There are rain channels inside the car that take the water and dump it out. Did yours not do this?

will4271 · February 2002

I have '96 Accord but I haven't had any leaks. There are water on the drain lines.

I was told to clean the debris or leaves otherwise with excessive clogging it will leak.

hondaaccordguy · February 2002

I have 55k miles on it and my tranny's giving out. It clunks and it slips and it revs high. It also takes about 6 seconds for it to catch from reverse to drive. What do i do? SOrry if too short, i'm tired of typing SOOO many posts on SOOOO many message boards

maq2 · February 2002

I have a 2002 Accord. Someone warned me that a friend had their 2002 Accord suddenly accelerate up to 80mph and they had an accident. This hasn't happened to me, but it has me worried. Has anyone else heard of this happening? Other than this, it's anice car, handles very good.

dslacl · February 2002

98 V6 49K miles on it shifts with slip\jerk when going from 3-4th gear. Before I raise hell with the service techs. at Honda, does anyone have any knowledge of what might be causing this harsh shift. 1-2-3 gears shift effortlessly. Tranny fluid checked out fine. Tech rode with me once already and said that Honda trannies are suppose to shift somewhat abruptly. The service tech said that Honda builds their trannies that way so that they will last longer! Then why in the hell does my car shift smoothly going from 1-2-3? Any help here would be appreciated.

marshiedad · February 2002

My daughter's 2001 Accord EX with manual trans happens to have a malfunction brake lights problem. No brake lights what so ever. The fuse tested good and I suspect the culprit might be with the brake switch. The switch I have has 4 terminals and I tested and found resistance between only 1 pair of terminals, not sure what the other two terminals are for. I noticed other threads mentioned brake switch had to be replaced due to shift lock problems with the auto tranny. Does anyone know if Honda uses the same brake switch for both manual and auto trans? any info on how to test this switch is greatly appreciated.

will4271 · February 2002

I have a 96' Accord EX. When I first go the car, it was hard to shift too. So I check the ATF (Automatic Transmission Fluid). I found it almost null.
After reading the owners manual, I got the right ATF fluid and filled it to the dipstick spec and it now smooth ever since. It's still chucking at 128K miles.

will4271 · February 2002

Check out this link if your car has a problem:

http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/problems/tsb/service1.cfm?SearchTopic=Vehicle

More is listed

http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov

auburn63 · February 2002

The switch should have continuity on two terminals in the closed position(plunger in) this is for the cruise control signal and the other two on open for the brake lights(plunger out).I will try and remember to check a schematic on it tomorrow to be sure..

Honda Accord Problems 2000-2005

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