Honda Accord Problems 2000-2005

isellhondas · September 2002

Being called a liar...I honestly have NEVER heard of this before...EVER!

To me it sounds like the tires may be finding a groove in the road or something...?

My EX V-6 coupe doesn't do this.

Do have someone from the dealership drive it.

c182skylane · September 2002

anyone with an Accord ever had a problem with their FM radio when their cell phone is turned on and situated in the center console bin directly under the radio stack? just before the phone rings, the radio buzzes and clicks. it only happens when the phone (standard Nokia type) is turned on.

robr2 · September 2002

I get the same thing from my Nokia 5100 series. The radio will buzz and chatter about 1 second before the phone rings. I have a cradle bolted directly to the radio and have gotten the same sound from when I previously stored the phone in the dash cubby under the radio.

I get the same interference through my PC speakers if my cell phone is too close to it as well as through the radio in my Ody.

I accept as normal since it happens in so many places.

gc1492 · September 2002

Thanks for the reference to the LA Times article, just as I picked up your message the Honda dealer confirmed indeed the transmission is bad. The article is great. Called Honda customer service and now have this repair in the system.

Buy the way, Honda dealer quoted $5300 to replace the transmission.

What luck have you had with Honda picking up the cost of repairs? It is out of warranty.

Thanks again.

longevity · September 2002

Lately when I'm cruising in my 97 Accord with 130,000 miles, with the front window roll down, I heard this metallic screeching noise. All the brakes check out fine. What could it be? I have a hunch it could be a bad wheel bearing. Anyone?

irish24 · September 2002

You might also want to look at the Oct 2002 issue of Consumer Reports...talking about when cars need repairs.....and action you can take..I'd also look at the NHTSA board and look at some of the postings there to see if it will bolster your case...You can get to there from the main Edmunds site. I started using that site when we could never ever get things fixed on our Voyager and discovered that a lot of the stuff that I was in the dealers for...were problems that a lot of others were having too. They quit charging me to have my AC re charged every spring after telling me there was no leak and no problem..knowledge is power. good luck

jrct9454 · September 2002

...especially with a relatively new car, is almost ALWAYS wheel alignment. A good tech with the latest equipment should be able to cure the problem in less than an hour.

We have owned two cars from the previous gen series ['98 4 cyl and '01 V6], and they both tracked like a train on the highway.

I'm also puzzled about a reluctance to ask the dealer to do his job, but whatever...find a good tire place and have them do it.

bburton1 · September 2002

Have experienced this with my 97 i4 accord on highways that have been rather freshly grooved-yeah the front end will follow the grooves a bit. Also what tires do you have. At the risk of making someone angry-I had big problems with the Michelin MXV 4 energy tires-awful traction issues in rain/snow/ice. Went with Michelin X-One's and they are great.

Also Honda does deliver a lot of road feel-that is why I really like Honda's handling characteristics-have to drive in lots of snow/rain/ice and really hate driving in those conditions in cars that completely isolate you from the road-you know you are having problems when the car is sideways and there is damn little you can do to correct the problem.

My guess is that you are accustomed to not getting so much feedback from the road. But have someone check the front end-loosing steering at highway speeds would be a unwanted thrill.

good luck and let us know what u find.

asethi · September 2002

Isellhondas: Honda service departments SUCK! Period. Its unfortunate that Honda makes such good products (well, comparatively) but the dealerships service departments treat the cars and customers like $#IT. I challenge you all satisfied customers to check your tire pressure, oil level, fluid levels, lubrication of specified mechanical joints/etc, e-brake, etc. after getting the car serviced at a Honda dealerships  youll find out.

hbund216: Thats exactly what Im talking about. If it went away for you automatically then Id think its a tire/alignment issue that disappeared once the tires got a little worn. Thanks!

bburton1: Ive owned a 98 prelude in the past and currently own an S2000 so Im quite used to road feedback ;-)

Thank you all!

cokane5227 · September 2002

i have the same car and have been driving it for almost a year and 22k miles, i don't know about your situation but i live on the coast, when i'm driving around my hometown on the freeway, yea, it drifts, not terrible but noticeable, but once i go into the mountains where it's hot as hell with no wind, the drifting stops, so to me, it's not a problem, anywayz, the thing only happens when there's a lot of wind coming from the ocean (the freeway is right by it) AND when i'm driving faster than 70mph. just my experience though.

BTW, there's something else happening to my car recently, when i'm stopped at a red light in D with the headlights on OR the A/C on, the steering wheel vibrates pretty bad, you don't have to put hands on the wheel to feel it, it's actually visible, oh yea, and if the fan is running, it vibrates too, it's like if any additional electricity is required, it vibrates, feels like the engine load is huge and it's choking or something. =P. but without any of those things, it doesn't really vibrates at all, and the vibration doesn't go too much further than the steering wheel so i've just learned to not rest my hands on the wheel when i'm stopped. is there any kind of maintenance that can be done to stop it? everybody? any ideas? thx thx thx thx.

lugwrench · September 2002

For all you doubters, here is the latest article regarding Honda transmission failure:

http://www.buffalonews.com/editorial/20020914/1036070.asp

auburn63 · September 2002

asethi
Ouch, dealers like any repair facility are all differant and not all are like vacuum cleaners.

cokane5227
Those vibs have been with Honda for years and are usally do to the rubber mounts getting older and more broke in than when new. Sometimes we find bad motor maounts also so you may want to check them out. Mostly the front one or the rear one. Sometimes the rear one will slip out of place which when looked at closely you can see the metal edge ontop of its lip. Also check the vacuum hose that goes to it and the linkage.If all looks fine then it is probably a normal amount that can be minimized by adjusting the idle up a bit..

cokane5227 · September 2002

thx auburn, i have the 22.5k maintenance due next week so i'll have them check it out, actually i'll just tell the advisor to put his hands on the wheel with the lights on so he'll feel it himself, of course, i'll give him your notes as well. thx again, you are always a great help. =D

2002exv6 · September 2002

I bought a 2002 EX-V6 in July. I have the exact same wandering problem with my car. I had two Accords before this and had no problems. The 2002 not only wanders, it also has terrible pickup, it runs very roughly when I first start it, the rotors were warped and had to be replaced, and the steering seems to have a mind of its own when I accelerate hard from a complete stop.

The dealer's service department is worthless. They claim they can't find anything wrong with the car. They act like I'm imagining the problems. I spoke to a lawyer about filing a complaint under my state's lemon law. Its alot of time consuming aggravation. I should have bought a Camry.

sutton4 · September 2002

Per that article linked above, Honda has finally acknowledged there is a problem, but they refuse to recall them!!

From the LA Times,

"Mike Spencer, a spokesman for Acura, Honda's sport-luxury division, confirmed that there has been a "higher than normal incidence" of problems with two Honda-built automatic transmissions. "

"The two transmissions are the five-speed used in V-6-equipped Acuras since the 2000 model year and in Honda Odysseys since the 2002 model year; and the four-speed automatic used in V-6 Honda Accords since 2000 and in 2000 and 2001 Odysseys. "

hbund216 · September 2002

My car stopped wondering on the highways after about two tire rotations or so. Not as stable as our Olds but tolerable.

As for the steering having a mind of its own. This could be torque steer. Front wheel drive cars with enough power will do this on hard acceleration. I could get my 89 Hyundai to do it.

iota67 · September 2002

I own a '99 Honda Accord EX V6 and am having problem with the roof closing completely. It will open and slide to the rear (not quite all the way back). Then come forward about 95% but not close completely. The manual references a moonroof wrench and socket to manually close. However, this plug and socket that is referred in the center of the headliner, is not applicable for my model.
Does anyone have knowledge in how to close the moonroof? thanks in advance.

sutton4 · September 2002

I reread the article and noticed that Honda is replacing the defective transmissions with REBUILT transmissions.

Who wants to buy a new car, then get a rebuilt tranny put in it?

http://www.buffalonews.com/editorial/20020914/1036070.asp

asethi · September 2002

auburn63: I know what you're saying and how it sounds like when I make such a generalized statement. I'm only speaking from my experience. After living in 3 different states and doing business with 7+ honda dealerships, I have yet to find one that respects a customer. Most of the time you go to them with a complaint, they just dismiss it without even bothering to look at the car. I'm sick of them telling me that it's "all in my head" (just what "2002exv6" has mentioned).

iota67: Try this, open the roof all the way (as much as possible), then close it while using your hand to push it forward (or have someone do it from outside the car). It used to work for me with the prelude. It probably just needs some lube (which should have been taken care of by the service people when they last serviced the car).

hbund216 · September 2002

I've had the closing problem with my sunroof before but not the opening. I'll tell you how I fixed the closing problem on mine. Open the sunroof all the way and look into the opening from the outside of the car. About 2 inches back from the front of the sunroof tracks there are these two dull looking metal pieces screwed into the polished sunroof tracks. These metal pieces should be flush with the track. If either one is pointing in the sunroof will jam. If they are pointing in just push them to the outside tighten the screw a bit. I did not tighten mine. Instead I took it to the dealer, moved them to the broken position and let them do it. It happened again twice so I did it myself and it has not happened since. I hope this helps.

talon95 · September 2002

... are all new mechanicals. Only the outer housing is reused. That's a very expensive part and doesn't need to be replaced.

Actually, the correct term is remanufactured, because no parts other than the housing are reused. And I believe the articles states that this is common practice when a transmission is replaced.

minliang_c · September 2002

I have a '90 Accord LX, with about 147K miles on it, no problem until this weekend. 1st the [S] (sports shift) green light starts to and continuously flicker. Then notice the odometer is not moving (milage not increasing). Finally, the [Check Engine] warning light came on once (not all the time). Now I stop driving it 'til I can determine the source of the problem(s).
I check the engine and transmission oil, both look normal. The car drives normal too.
What do you think could be the problem(s)?
Thanks.

scrappy6 · September 2002

I have a 94 accord with an auto tranny and the light came on after 100k . It was doing the same thing your is. It is the speed sensor. I ended up paying a mechanic 300 to replace it when I could have done it myself for like $50 from auto zone. But I didn't have a code scanner and didn't have the time. Good Luck!

sflora · September 2002

I have a 2000 Accord with cruise control. Just realized the indicator light on the cruise on/off button on the dash doesn't light up anymore. Does anyone know if there's an easy way to get at the bulb to check it out? Thanks.

timadams · September 2002

>>Honda service departments SUCK! Period. Its unfortunate that Honda makes such good products (well, comparatively) but the dealerships service departments treat the cars and customers like $#IT. <<

That's a pretty broad brush you paint with, asethi. I actually have been very satisfied with my local Honda dealership's service dept. They have treated me well, did things right as far as I can tell and have not tried to "upsell" me to additional unneeded repairs. And I can certainly not say that about all of the dealerships in my area.

dc_sports_rule · September 2002

How is the service department on transmission repairs? How long a wait to get a rebuilt tranny if mine fails. This article makes me feel like I am waiting for something to happen!:

http://www.buffalonews.com/editorial/20020914/1036070.asp

asethi · September 2002

I'm glad that you found a nice service department. So you wouldn't mind taking my challenge the next time you get a service done? :-) You don't have to know too much about cars to check oil level, tire pressure, etc. There are many items that they should check/lube/adjust that they never do unless you ask for it. Not many people own a shop manual so they don't know what the service dept is supposed to do during a service. A service does not just constitute of oil change, check fluids and tire pressure and even that is asking too much of Honda service depts.

The point is, when the cars are new you can get away with poor service but it will show later as they start to get older (and the factory warranty expires :-) ). Most dealerships have nice smiley faces sitting behind the service counters, it's what goes on behind the "wall" that i'm talking about. Also, you won't know how good a service department is till you take your car to them with a problem that needs serious diagnostics skills.

ironmanterp · September 2002

Try this link for some background on out of service transmission service information: http://www.acura-cl.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?s=3ed9e22475c1ce085c892d221d449c29&forumid=126

While I didn't see much that would help you directly, it may give you some resources on where to go within Honda corporate. The guys at this web site have WAAYYY more experience than what I've seen in this forum.

Good luck!

bburton1 · September 2002

Having moved around the country more than I care to think about, I have found the service and sales departments in small town dealerships a whole lot better to work with than the big city dealers. Saw outright fraud practiced by a couple of big city service departments-one never changed the oil filter on a customer's accord who had purchased the car from the dealer and had at least 8 oil changes. Wow was that filter stuck on-had to use a filter wrench to get it off.

Bottom line is this-sales and service departments depend upon the people running them. But I must admit it is fun to encounter some of the less than honest sales/service people out there and then ram their noses in their offal. Still would like to encounter the honda service dept that charges $60+ to reset the service lights-now that one takes the cake.

Probably more fun to refer people to good sales and service people.

iota67 · September 2002

Thanks hbund216. One piece was not flush with the track. I aligned it and the moonroof opened and closed completely.

hbund216 · September 2002

glad it worked. Make sure to tighten the screw a bit so it does not happen again.

ext25 · September 2002

Ironmanterp - Thanks for posting that link, it has lots of info on the Honda transmission problem. The more you hear, the worse it sounds.

http://www.acura-cl.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?s=3ed9e22475c1ce085c892d221d449c29&forumid=126

ironmanterp · September 2002

You may find Copland007's conversation with the Acura Client Services rep insightful. Navigate through the LA Times: Honda's Unexpected Gear Shift topic to the Copland007's "Quick update on my findings" entry on the 4th page (sorry I couldn't post the link - it's too long for the board to accept).

gc1492 should really look at item 4. The Acura rep refunded the cost of the extended warranty and guaranteed the replacement transmission in writing. I hope gc1492 runs into someone like this or that offers like this aren't limited to Acura owners.

Item 3 was very interesting - read and draw your own conclusion. It's long, but worth it.

jar1945 · September 2002

My catalytic converter is starting to give off a rotten egg smell on my new 2003 ex 4 cylinder accord. Anyone know what might be going on?

thanks!

beachnut · September 2002

Well, there's a problem I haven't heard yet with the Accord ;-) What's interesting is that this problem seems to be quite prolific on the Mazda MPV (my other vehicle). I've not had the problem on my MPV, nor the two Accords I own/owned. Most people on the MPV thread have solved their sulphur smell simply by switching fuel brands or using a higher octane fuel, but a few have had their converters replaced under warranty.

bburton1 · September 2002

When I use gas with ethanol in it-smells like somebody passed gas-aka rotten eggs-when I can fill up with non ethanol contaminated gasoline-nada gas passing smell.

Just thank your pols for that one-move is afoot per the 2002 $170 billion farm bill to increase the ethanol content to 25%. If that happens will be lots of really bad smells out there-something rotten in Wash.

bburton1 · September 2002

One suggestion-remember a long time ago when had front end lined up and the guy lined it up with no tow in-as a result the car really wandered all over the road-constant fight-front end was sloppy anyway. Took it back-he put it to the correct tow in and big improvement. Hope your problem is that simple-handling is what I really like about Honda-if u don't get that-might as well buy a Camry-quieter.

good luck to people with wandering hondas-let us know if you solve the problem.

pblevine · September 2002

Thanks guys. Sorry I've been away on a large system conversion effort and did not check in until now.

gc1492 · September 2002

Thanks ironmanterp.
I went to Honda dealer in Manchester, NH to pick up my unrepaired Accord. At this point Honda USA was offering 1/2 discount on part only. I escalated call to supervisor who contacted me while I stood in the Showroom among all the nice new Honda Accords and potential customers. Supervisor informed me that Honda would do nothing more.....SHE is the person etc. I asked for HER boss, she was crushed and refused to give me the name.
Being a very dissatified customer I walked into the General Managers office, cell phone in hand and asked her to repeat.. Got the names! SHE called this morning with a new offer from HONDA. I am still writing to President and HONDA dealer owner, etc.

So anyone who has this problem please contact me on this forum... I will add your case to my file, and lets see what we can do. Honda says this is small % of cars. I think it's bigger than they are admitting, and it's 100% of my car. Tell your friends and neighbors folks and keep those posts coming.

Thanks again and any links to more information are greatly appreciated.

jw12345 · September 2002

Need some advice/help/anything to stop me from going mental.

Did a front disc brake job on my 91 Accord. No problems at all - I thought. I drove it the following day, made about 7 or 8 stops no problem. Then, I needed to brake again, and the pedal went right to the floor. Pumping did nothing to build pressure. Limped home, checked all the wheel cylinders....no leaks. Was recommended to replace master cylinder, as it may have been damaged when I backed up the piston on the caliper. Replaced/bleed entire system. Pedal feels exactly the same.

Any ideas what to look at next? I'm wondering if the brake booster may have bit it, or if I have a vacuum leak somewhere, though I don't really hear a hissing sound when the engine runs. The only thing I did notice, while bleeding the brakes, engine turned off, was that just as I hit bottom, I would hear a whining sound. I don't know if that is just the brake pedal rubbing under the dash or what.

Other question is could the issue be the ABS? HELP!!!!

gc1492 · September 2002

Thanks ironmanterp. I went to Honda dealer in Manchester, NH to pick up my unrepaired Accord. At this point Honda USA was offering 1/2 discount on part only. I escalated call to supervisor who contacted me while I stood in the Showroom among all the nice new Honda Accords and potential customers. Supervisor informed me that Honda would do nothing more.....SHE is the person etc. I asked for HER boss, she was crushed and refused to give me the name. Being a very dissatified customer I walked into the General Managers office, cell phone in hand and asked her to repeat.. Got the names! SHE called this morning with a new offer from HONDA. I am still writing to President and HONDA dealer owner, etc.

So anyone who has this problem please contact me on this forum... I will add your case to my file, and lets see what we can do. Honda says this is small % of cars. I think it's bigger than they are admitting, and it's 100% of my car. Tell your friends and neighbors folks and keep those posts coming.

Thanks again and any links to more information are greatly appreciated.

th83 · September 2002

Upon returning from the gas station last night, I was immediately hit with a strong, sweet, burning smell coming from my car. I've smelled burnt brakes and burnt tires before(oh yea!) but this smell was new to me. I don't remember seeing any warning lights but something tells me that I left my e-brake partially engaged(like 1-2 clicks) on the way home. I'm confused by the fact that the car wasn't struggling to accelerate which would have been a dead giveaway. My '91 Legend would struggle to move with the brake on just a few clicks. Anyway, I'm assuming that is what happened.

Is there anything I could have seriously damaged by doing something so incredibly stupid? Thanks. Your input will either make me feel worse or relieve my tension somewhat, but don't let that affect your answers. Be honest!

ironmanterp · September 2002

We are all pulling for you. And thanks for sharing your experience with others who may have the misfortune of having the warranty run out just before a big $$$ repair hits them.

I can't believe the supervisor fell on her sword with that stance. Your request was very reasonable - why should a customer pick up full price for labor for a transmission problem that might have started while the product was still under warranty? But while the customer and rep are negotiating, no one knows if a defect is involved because of Honda's current "return the transmission to HQ" in-warranty centric policy. It really seems like Honda hasn't considered the beyond-the-warranty ramifications at all in this case.

Honda hasn't provided a service bulletin to advise dealers and service reps on what to look for, so your dealer can't tell if your problem is defect related. So gc1492's customer rep is negotiating in the dark as much as the gc1492 is.

You can't get a refund if you paid for the repair and Honda later figures out it was defect related. According to what the Acura Customer Service rep told Copland007, Honda has no way of keeping track of the transmissions that are returned.

Honda's policy is really putting everyone concerned in a box. They are forcing the consumer to take the adversarial stance that Honda's product was flawed, just in case. While I don't want to rip Honda off, I sure don't want to pay for a repair due to what they acknowledge was a design problem.

ironmanterp · September 2002

Leaving your e-brake engaged would have given you the burnt brake smell, so as you noted, that probably isn't your issue. You may have a leak near the engine, and your description of a "sweet smell" sounds like coolant may be involved. That's exactly the way I would have described my leaking heater core. Monitoring your fluid levels and keeping an eye on the ground under the engine for any leaks may help isolate the cause.

While at the gas station, did you happen to add any fluids that may have spilled onto the engine? That also would emit a strong smell as the engine heated up.

Good luck!

th83 · September 2002

I didn't add any fluids to the engine and I haven't smelled anything since I drove it that one time. I've driven it twice since and it seems fine. Maybe it was the smell of burning brakes. What kind of parking brake does the '98-'02 Accord have? Does it utilize the rear brakes or does it use a seperate system(like my Legend did)? Thanks.

Tom

jrct9454 · September 2002

...and yes, you probably cooked off a few hundred miles of normal wear, and no, you probably haven't done any real damage, absent any symptoms like pedal pulsing or abnormal stopping once it had a chance to cool down.

keriblitz · September 2002

Hi guys -- Just bought a 2002 Accord SE. On the third day, the car sounded funny starting up... very slow, stuttering, struggling. It even WOULDN'T start a few times -- like a dead battery. Took it back to the dealership, they tried 43x and couldn't replicate, so gave me a new battery. 3 weeks later I've just received my 3rd battery from a different dealership, but the problem still exists. This only happens on a COLD start (at the dealer they're WARM starting it). Any ideas? I hate that we paid so much and the thing is already having such problems. Dealer is stumped.

altair4 · September 2002

Looks to me like you will need to leave the car at the dealer overnight, so they have the opportunity to recreate the circumstances when you have the starting problem. Is it a constant or intermittent problem?

If it's constant, then it should do it the morning after you leave the car at the dealer.

maltbie · September 2002

I leased a 2003 Honda Accord EX-V6 two days ago and have discovered two defects since I acquired the car. One defect is on the right rear door. When shut, the bottom half of the door, closest to the rear tire, is not flush with the car. It sticks out about 1/8 inch. The left rear door is perfectly flush. My dealer could not fix the problem and is sending me to a body shop at an affiliate next week to try to fix it.

The other, more serious, problem is a defective steering wheel/column. It appears that the whole steering column is a few degrees off-kilter. The result is that when holding the wheel at the 3 and 9 o'clock position, the left side of the steering wheel is further out from the dash board than the right side. My dealer acknowledged the problem this morning but said there was nothing they could do. They said they compared it with other 2003 Accords on the lot and that all of the them were the same way.

As you can imagine, I am not happy about this and will be pursuing a resolution to the problem with Honda.

Potential 2003 Accord buyers should be especially vigilant in examining their cars for these and other defects prior to signing any purchase or lease contracts.

hbund216 · September 2002

We had a car that if we left sitting for a day the battery would get drained. We finally figured out it was the trunk light that was always staying on and draining the battery. I'm pretty sure the accord has battery run down protection but it is worth looking into. In the end I think you're better off taking altair4's advice.

Honda Accord Problems 2000-2005

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