Honda Accord Problems 2000-2005

2002dx · January 2004

Hi, I have a couple of questions and would appreciate any input you could give. I will be moving my 2002dx accord from Puerto Rico to the US (most likely NY). Maybe this is an idiotic question but would a NY dealer honor the warranty on my car? Secondly - I was wondering if would I have to have the thermostat changed or are they all the same no matter the climate? Third - The stupid check engine light has illuminated its ugly head - I read in the discussion that the egr had been recalled on some vehicles - but i haven't received any notice - how would i be able to verify if there were a recall directly through honda? Unfortunately dealerships down here are not always honest. Thanks for any input.

according2me · January 2004

Tranny was checked weekly and had never been low until the boots finally leaked because of the worn bearings (more play in shafts). When I noticed the leak and checked the level it was below the crosshatch, but barely below.

I got to these mileage levels fairly quickly, so I suspect that as others reach the 100K mark more failures will occur. And I doubt most would be as maintenance concious as I was with this tranny.

Just a heads-up to other 6th gen users to have the carrier bearings checked even before any noticable symptoms appear, especially if you're approaching the 100K mark. Like I said earlier, the last replacement before this occurred was at 101K and no symtoms (leaks or tranny shift problems or MIL codes) were evident, but I'll bet if I had jacked up the front and shaken the shafts, they would have had quite a bit of play.

I do most of my maintenance on ramps, but in order to check the play in the half-shafts, both wheels must be off the ground (jackstands). Or better yet, bring it to a shop to have checked.

Like I said I'm disapointed by this failure at this mileage based upon my frequency of maintenance, but I'm delighted that Honda also agrees that their product should not fail this soon. BTW, both Cottman and Honda have seen this type of failure already with earlier 6th Gens in my area.

The reman units supposedly have the harder carrier bearings. We'll see, because I still intend to bring this vehicle to 300K. I may add a tranny cooler though and I'll probably stick with the ATF-Z1.

shin1 · January 2004

I have a 1999 Honda Accord EX-L with 78,000 miles on it. Off and on it makes this low intermittent noice when it is idling, like a "bup" sound. Other than that it drives great. I recently had two oxygen sensors replaced on it. Have any one else had this problem and may know what is causing it?

atlantabenny · January 2004

Have the same on my wife's EX-L. Waiting to turn at the intersection, foot on the brake, front wheels turned and a/c on, car vibrates.

Idling engine is fighting the load of the power steering pump and a/c compressor in that situation. Dealer tried to fix with no success. Normal for Accords, not for the 2.2L/4-cyl Toyota Solara I previously owned.

raimi · January 2004

It's somewhat reassuring to see that my 2003 Accord is not the only one that is experiencing severe engine vibration when idling (what other car do you need to turn off the front-defroster or A/C when stopped at a red light?) and shoddy brake performance.

We bought our LX Coupe in Feb of 2003, had the front pads replaced (at dealer cost thankfully) in April 2003 due to squeeling. Now at our last maintanence they advised us that our front pads were essentially at 0% while the back ones were still @ 95%. They were so low that they needed to repair the rotors as well, and all at our cost. The dealer finally admitted that the pads were sub-par but advised that this was just the way it was for our car! Of course they tried to say that it was due to aggressive driving on a lot of steep hills (I live in Vancouver, Canada)

The brake pads weren't even what I was most concerned with until this point as the engine vibration was my foremost concern. Honda has yet to admit the vibration even exists.

Has anyone had any luck with Honda US or Honda Canada on this issue? I'm in the process of drafting letters to our dealer and Honda Canada but am expecting it's going to be a fight.

lookrx330 · January 2004

Repair shop said not a speed sensor problem and need to replace the whole dash board @$450. Any possible cheap solution given it is a 95 Accord with not much value on it?

bd21 · January 2004

Yes your warranty will be honored at least until you reach 36 months or 36,000 miles in the states. No you don't need to change the thermostat, it's designed for engine temperature, not for the local climate. Your engine check light illuminating can be a number of things (simple as a gas cap), just take it to the dealer to have it looked at. You can also look up all recalls and service bulletins on your car by pulling it up on Edmunds under OWNERSHIP. I just checked, you don't have any recalls that pertain, but there are 73 service bulletins that may have some useful information in them. Welcome to the states.

bd21 · January 2004

That is the only drawback to most 4 cylinder engines. Yes at idle in gear with the brake applied, you wheel feel some vibration in the steering wheel. it will be even more prominent with a load i.e. wheels turned or A/C on. That is typical Honda and is normal on most 4 cylinder cars. Yes there are a few exception out there, but not many. Relax and enjoy your car.

ebart1 · January 2004

You're not alone---by looks of the postings. My '03 LX-G 4i was bought in Oct. '02---and I reported this condition to the service dept. at 13,500 km.---and it was linked to the brakes on account of my experience after braking to a full stop---some attention was given to it via a 'brake service' at that time. When the vehicle was brought in for a 'product update' a month later I raised the same 'vibration' issue---and this time a technician accompanied me for a demonstration drive---but alas---the 'demonstration effect' occurred and the condition did not show. On Dec. '03 I submitted the vehicle (along with full documentation) for the third time re' this condition (as well as my concern over the rapid front-brake wear)---and to the credit to my dealer---they kept the vehicle overnight in order to diagnose the problem (even gave me a loaner)---and after a 'lengthy diagnosis' found that one of the exhaust mounts was 'damaged', 'broken' etc.---the repair did silence the system enough---however after 3 weeks or so---the condition is back. This suggests to me that there is an inherrent problem with the engine---that conceivably is dampened via the exhaust system---but it's only a 'hunch' that I have. My take on this is that I never expected that from Honda---given their acknowledged engine 'expertise' and quality reputation! I will document this issue again (along with my brakes concern) for the next 'oil-change' date! From what I have read on the various postings re. these issues---it's a widespread concern, that hopefully, will be addressed by Honda---before I get 'soured' on my first-ever Accord ownership experience.

bojo2 · January 2004

You bet! It is going to be a fight.
Which dealership did you buy your car at in Vancouver?
I assume you already know that but when you deal with Honda Canada be aware that they do not sell cars! They are selling it to various dealerships, therefore they will do everything to return your concerns to authorized services or dealerships. Smart combination so that you cant get them.! They will fix the problem eventually as long as it is covered by warranty. The fact that after they have fixed it you may not get the same product you bought or hoped for is different story.
Good luck and keep us informed.
P.S. Do you work at YVR by chance?

autonuts · January 2004

Accord EX has just started doing this. When I went to use my turn signal the other day, the speed to which it was flashing was much faster than normal. It is the left directional signal doing this but the right signal flashes normal. I checked to see if the signal was actually flashing from the front and the rear and it was, but just flashing very quickly. This is an old car with 140,000 miles on it, so I can live with this but was just wondering if there was anything I could do to fix it? Thanks to everyone!

ral2167 · January 2004

this was a question on NPR Car Talk just a while ago.. their answer was-- you have a bulb burned out someplace-- on the left side-- turn your left turn signal on then get out of car and see if there's a bulb burned out.

here's a site that also might help
http://www.countrybynet.com/forums/showflat.php/Cat/0/Board/vehic- les/Number/2710/page/6/view/collapsed/sb/5/o/all/fpart/1

catelad · January 2004

To tljean -

The rear of my car (2004 Accord EX) is swaying on the freeway. Although I'm not sure if it is due to a particular stretch of road, I was wondering if you had that experience at higher speeds (70 mph or so).

jtrujillo86 · January 2004

I just read a bit on everyone's transmission complaints that were posted around October. I agree that if my transmission failed on a new vehicle, I would be pretty peeved. I don't understand though, why people are suing Honda because they want to put in remanufactured transmissions in. It sates right in the warranty pamphlet of the owners manual that they (Honda) has the right and option to replace any defective part with a rebuilt, remanufatured, or brand new part. Honestly, I don't see any support behind this lawsuit because everything Honda has done is stated in clear English in the warranty booklet.

Jeremy

jonzzz_99 · January 2004

I have a 2000 accord coupe EX V6 at 35k miles and started to have engine problem recently. It always happens at restarting after a "long" local drive when the engine is still hot. When starting, the idle speed is very low and the engine speed is very unstable, shifting to drive the engine would die, sometimes the engines dies while in Park anyways. If the engine doesn't die, it takes roughly 30 seconds for the engine speed to go to normal. The oil temperature isn't even half way, but, I guess it's temperature related, because usually when the engine can't stay on what I do is open up the engine bay lid for 2-3 minutes and then the restarting will be fine.
Has anyone else had this problem? Any suggestions of what the problem might be?
Thanks.

autonuts · January 2004

Thanks for the information! I'll try that. Hopefully this is all that's wrong.

raimi · January 2004

I purchased the car at Carter Honda. I'm hoping Honda Canada, in conjunction with the dealers will be a little concerned with their image and customer satisfaction with what is basically design and engineering defects on their bread&butter car. This is my first Honda and I was expecting a much better car. No domestic that I have ever owned has had this kind of trouble this early on, and I've never been in a car that vibrates like the Accord does, much less a car that's less than 1yr old with 14,000 kms on it.

I had been planning on keeping this car long-term, but if it doesn't get any better I don't see that happening anymore. The dealer basically told me that the pads will continue to wear out at an accelerated rate (because, apparently, the Accord is a heavy car!?! - I guess they gave us the brakes designed for an Echo or something), but Honda keeps making slight adjustments to them, so each time they should last a little longer!! They also told me that on the previous Accord and all prior models to that, the pads lasted until around 60,000 kms.

az2chicago · January 2004

I've had my 2004 Accord Sedan for about a month now and am not sure about the gas gauge. The tank is listed at 17 gallons. When the fuel light goes on (just about at the E), I can only fill about 12.5 to 13 gallons in the tank when the gas pump clicks off.

My question: Is the tank not full when the pump clicks off, OR, is there still 4 gallons of gas left when the fuel light comes on?

I don't want to run out of gas trying to find out my answer. (Although I'm thinking about 1 time trying a full 1 gallon plastic tank in the trunk when I get to E.)

bburton3 · January 2004

Sounds like it is not calibrated properly. Do not top off your tank-according to some people this will wreck your emissions system-used to top off and my emissions system had to be replaced. Also do not carry around gas in your trunk-bad idea-any spill and you have a good possibility of a fire/explosion or both. A small amount of gas vaporized in a trunk makes a perfect bomb.

nw1997 · January 2004

az2chicago,

We ran our 04 V6 until the gauge needle was on top of the red mark on the "E" side. Most car manufactures do this typr of calibration. When I filled up the pump said I put in almost 15 gals. into the tank, which meant that we had approx. 2 gals. remaining in the tank. This is more a safety than anything else. My dad wintnessed this same experience with his CRV and we noted it also on our RX300. Your gauage is not defective, it is working correctly.

aggie1995 · January 2004

You have 4 gallons left when your light goes on. Don't top off the gas.

On my 4 cyl Accord I regulary drive 360 miles on a tank before filling up. That is only about 12 gallons so i have about 5 gallons remaining even though my light is on.

The furthest I've gone on a tank is 450 miles. I have to admit I was a little nervous and was searching for the nearest gas station. Even then I only filled up 14.5 gallons.

schwab2 · January 2004

2004 EXV6 Sedan - I took the car in on January 6th to have them fix a problem w/ my TCS and ABS, but they were unable to fins a problem with it(Post 6606). I took the car in again the other day to have a wheel speed sensor replaced, whicg they thought may have been the problem; I was assured by my service writer this would fix the problem, but it didn't. My ABS and TCS STILL don't work when the car is cold. I'm giving them another opportunity tomorrow to fix my defective Accord. I've explained to my service writer and to the GM of my dealership that I fully expect them to replace my car with another new one if they are unable to fix it the third time around (Pennsylvania Lemon Law)

My Question: Has anyone had the misfortune of going through this? How likely is it that my dealer will stand behind me? Anyone know a good lemon law lawyer in PA to work with? Thanks in advance!

At this stage, I'm skeptical that they'll be able to fix it the third time around. If they couldn't locate any problem the first two times its been in, the chances are about nill that they'll find anything now.

rbr · January 2004

Not exactly on point to your question, but a key element in any lemon law proceeding will be to acurately document the complaint to the service writer, and to do so consistently over your service visits -- you want to consistently state what the defect is, and the failure to address the issue. That will be your written record that will be part of any lemon law proceeding. If your complaints dont read consistently they may not start to toll the requirements of the law, depending on what state you're in.

Hope this helps a little - sorry to hear about your issues, and hopefully its something simple they just haven't figured out yet.

Karen_S · January 2004

I don't recall if I've posted this article here before, but just in case I haven't...

Getting Some Lemon-Aid From Your Lemon Maker

schwab2 · January 2004

Thanks for your quick reply. I'll make sure to properly document my problem each and every time I'm in for service. Hopefully Honda will want to work with me to keep me a happy camper
-Jim

rda27ne · January 2004

My heated seats in my 2003 Accord seam to be slow to warm (5-8 minutes) and was wondering if other owners experience this. I asked the dealer and he told me that this was a commonly asked question and honda heated seats take longer then most car makes.

geoshill · January 2004

The throttle stuck on my Y2K V6 this morning. I have sprayed solvent into the intake manifold like the dealer did but it is hard to take the hose off. Is there a permanet fix?

az2chicago · January 2004

Thanks for all the replies!

I'll just assume that I have 4 gallons of gas left when the E goes on and let it run down another gallon or so. At least until I get nervous enough and have to fill up.

sunangela · January 2004

Except driver's side window, the two door locks and other three windows are not working. This is 98 Accord Lx with 80 k mile, and first problem ever. Any clue, you guys? Thanks much.

according2me · January 2004

auburn63s reply #5861. This looks similar to your problem.

I searched on "windows and locks" and it popped right up.

chucko3 · January 2004

Do you have a main switch for your power windows?
If yes, check if it is set to OFF.

sunangela · January 2004

I did site search and found you had the exact same problem couple months ago. Fuses in mine are fine too. ?????

sunangela · January 2004

that was the first thing I checked before the fuses.

sunangela · January 2004

simply AMAZED. No problem now.

tblazer503 · January 2004

I've heard many explanations for the fuel guage to show E w/ a couple(or 4) gallons left in the tank, one is that the fuel in the tank actually cools the fuel pump motor, another that if your car actually runs out of fuel, these new emissions systems will go whacko(not really, but they don't like it) and on and on... all are plausible, and all make sense to a certain extent... it's peace of mind for me that when the light goes off I have more than enough gas to get to a gas station =o)

whitecloud · January 2004

You may live in a really cold place. I'm in Wash. DC metro. My 2003 Accord is my first car with heat-n-the-seats. I was first impressed with the speed at which I first felt heat (couple minutes), If you have doubts though, take the car in, right away. Honda doesn't tell people about every issue.

justin · January 2004

the Honda seats do take a bit longer to heat up. but maybe only 120 seconds or so longer than my previous VW's.

ral2167 · January 2004

this heated seat concern kinda makes me wonder the allure of having leather seats... to me they should charge extra to have cloth seats... leather seats are hot in summer and cold in winter.... i say, hooray for cloth seats, and down with leather seats... i had leather seats in a car twice-- the first time and the last time. am i nuts?

bburton3 · January 2004

Nice to look at but in terms of functinality-sweat your tail off in the summer-freeze it off in the winter-yeah if cloth was an upcharge over leather-would buy it-never have been able to figure out why people like leather seats in a car or home. Buddy spent a small fortune on a leather Eames chair-sweat city in a very few minutes.

Guess it is a yuppy thing. But way back when I bought my first car-the first thing you did when buying a new car with cloth seats was to buy seat covers-cloth did not last at all-now the stuff is really something. Oh well different strokes for different folks-am certain people will continue to pay extra for leather till the cows come home. wierd.

justin · January 2004

leather is more durable. easier to clean too. you also don't get lint and fuzzies on your clothes from cloth seats. and your clothes don't stick to leather like they do to cloth. the "ouch leather gets too cold or too hot" whining must be from people that drive naked!

ral2167 · January 2004

i guess heated seats are for people who drive naked in winter eh?...

imidazol97 · January 2004

I have had cloth in all my cars until this last one. The cars I've had
didn't stick to clothes and didn't ball up, etc., etc. The leather
is cold in Ohio winter and hot in summer. But car wasn't available
any other way. I would have happily had a quality cloth substitued
at an equal price just to have cloth...

justin · January 2004

heated seats are for people that like heat to come from the seats. oh wait, they must be yuppies if they enjoy a little heat on their backs/butts.

still confused about the cold in the winter, hot in the summer issue. if i touch the OUTSIDE of my car in the winter, it will most likely be cold. in the summer, i am willing to bet it would be hot, or at least warm. how the heck do leather seats get a bad rap for being cold in the winter and hot in the summer? i must be missing a point that someone made a post awhile back...

i love my leather and heated Honda seats.

imidazol97 · January 2004

When you sit down on seats that are 10 degrees in winter, they feel cold longer if they are leather, or vinyl. Cloth warms up quickly because of its lower specific heat.

When you sit on 125 degree leather in summer, especially in shorts, it feels hotter on your skin and the hot sensation lasts longer because it its higher specific heat than cloth has.

To take this to an extreme, if you put your tongue on a cold, 15 degree faucet outdoors in winter, the high specific heat of the metal freezes the liquid on your tongue and you're stuck; if you put your tongue on a piece of plastic at 15 degrees, your tongue will not be frozen to it. Vice-versa for HOT.

serendip · January 2004

If leather were an option, this discussion would make sense. But since the only way to get other options (for me, fully adjustable drivers seat thanks to a bad back) means getting what ever is tied into it, there is no choice. I wouldn't have *chosen* a sun roof, or leather for that matter. (Actually, if they put more "extras" into the Civic, I would have gotten that over the Accord.)

As for the seat heaters - this is my first car with them, and especially with this sub-zero winter, I wouldn't give them up for anything!!

jebinc1 · January 2004

Same delay...seems like it takes 5 minutes or so. Picked up 2004 V6 EX w/Navi in September. A friend picked one up in Nov. and his seats heat up right away. When did you buy your car? Perhaps they made a change in the fall??

serendip · January 2004

My 03 EX V6 is from August, and the seats heat up immediately - how quickly I feel it depends on how many layers I'm wearing!

auburn63 · January 2004

yeah isnt that real cool..the first time I heard of that as a reset, I was like "do I need to stand on one foot at the same time?%@#" but then when it worked I was like "wow". However if the problem continues the long term repair will be the multiplexer..

whitecloud · January 2004

You're right of course. I wondered why heated seats, and if not for the other stuff I would'nt
have chosen leather either. Now that I've got the heated seats I LOVE them. I'm impressed at feeling that heat through the leather and the clothes I have on. It allows me to drive in comfort until the car heats up. I think the quality of leather in the Accord is really good too. Friends more familiar with leather seats compliment mine after sitting in the car.

porknbeans · January 2004

Our Accord is the first car that we've owned with leather and, for that matter, heated seats. I really like both, especially the heated seats (-2 here this morning). Ours heats up quick too, no delay.

Honda Accord Problems 2000-2005

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