Honda Accord Problems 2000-2005

gatrhumpy · March 2004

I just bought a 2004 Accord EX V6 in mid January, and there is some "surface rust" (as a service manager at a local Honda dealer called it) in one of the water channels on the passenger front door on the metal, just below the front speaker. It seems like it is just starting to rust at a small inlet or opening. I am having this taken care of under warranty by the Honda dealer, but I was wondering if there is anything that I should be aware of before I take it into the dealer tomorrow to have it fixed. I want to fix the rust problem before it envelopes the entire lower half of the door. I hope the Honda repair people aren't as bad as the Pontiac/GM people that I have experienced...

aggie1995 · March 2004

"I hope the Honda repair people aren't as bad as the Pontiac/GM people that I have experienced... "

Unfortunately it will be more of a crapshoot since the quality of the repair is determined by the quality of the dealer and not by Honda.

dust90 · March 2004

You don't say if it is coupe or sedan, but on my coupe, the rear seat had small latches that needed to be pulled forward to release the front of the seat. It also had the 10mm bolt on the driver's side of center(I left mine out, too).

abnerz · March 2004

Thanks for the help, I will give it a shot this weekend.

Thanks

lelandhendrix · March 2004

I REALLY REALLY REALLY hate to hear this, even though this is the first instance I've heard of. Many Mazda6 owners have been horribly cursed with this problem, and treated even worse with service for the issue.

If you could, please elaborate on EXACTLY where on the car you have found this corrosion. Even take a picture and post it somewhere if possible. I want to inspect my car thoroughly and could use the guidance.

By the way, to see what I'm talking about, visit the Mazda6 forum. There you will find a link to a website totally devoted to the topic.

autonuts · March 2004

Anyone out there that could help me with a problem that has currently happened to my '90 Accord? The other night when I was pulling out of my drive, my Accord seemed to start to shimy. I didn't know if it was from the dampness but the car just had a tune-up last summer '03. I slowed to a stop and started again and the same thing but it seems the car almost slips before going. I'm thinking it's the tranny slipping and going out. The car has 140,000mi. I bought it with 137,000mi. for $1250. I don't know the last time the transmission fluid had been changed. Would changing the fluid make a difference? Or, is the tranny going out? How much for a rebuilt tranny? How reliable is a rebuilt tranny for this car? Please help me out if you can! Thanks to all!!

gee35coupe · March 2004

You may have found out why the car was sold.

I have a friend who hit something and cracked her tranny case. She is going to seal the crack with some sort of temporary fix and trade the car in. 1995 EX-L with low miles. Beware.

gregoryc1 · March 2004

You have an interesting problem that requires some thought. At the present time you have a Honda with 140,000 miles on the clock that you purchased for $1,250.00, and this vehicle has a possible transmission problem. Transmissions are not "cheap" whether you take it to the dealer, or an independent aftermarket trans shop. The important thing to consider is the "present condition of the vehicle" outside of the transmission. Ask yourself this question. ----If I invest $1,500 to $3,000 dollars in this vehicle, can I get the use out of this vehicle to repay me for this investment? ----If the answer to this question is "yes", then the next question should be where can I get the vehicle repaired "properly", and get the longest warranty. You need a warranty on this repair because you DO NOT WANT to have to make this repair again a year and one half from now. Some aftermarket transmission repair facilities offer a life time warranty on their repairs. I would imagine that some dealers might offer this too. I hope that I have been helpfull in some small way! -----Greg

bd21 · March 2004

Very good advice and well said Greg!

isellhondas · March 2004

Trying to diagnose a problem over the internet is risky at best. Take it to a good mechanic and have him drive it.

autonuts · March 2004

for the feedback. Yes, the transmission fluid is ok. I haven't had it changed since I owned it, though. I don't know when the last time the previous owner had it changed. Do you think this could be the problem? I'm thinking that this isn't the problem or the answer to my problem. I'll have to take it to a good mechanic and see if it's worth fixing. The car's been mechanically sound till now but has a big rust problem, so I don't know if I want to put a lot of money in it. I don't have a lot of money at the present time so like you said gregoryc1, I'll have to put some thought into this one. Thanks again!

keung · March 2004

My accord has 131 K now, but problem started at 80 K. After driving for a good while, anywhere from 30 minutes or more, and then shutting off the engine. After 20 minutes to 35 minutes when I would start the car, it would crank then immediately shut off. I would just have to repeat this upwards of 10 times or more to get it started, or in combination of immediately giving it gas to pick up the idle, but still doing this, it would still cut off immediately. When I get it started, it will run rough for about 2 minutes and you can feel the idle fighting to stay on. At first this happened only in the summer/ warm weather, but now it seems to happen in mild to cool temperatures. In extreme cold temperatures it has never happened, though the idle may struggle a bit. I been to Honda, they scanned it found eveything ok, had me change the main relay ( mistake), even Honda tech support is no help. Tech support thinks it's a injector problem, I disagree because if this were the case, it would happen all the time. I just had the intake and throttle body cleaned because of a large amount of carbon buildup, ( strange because I do hwy km"s). I'm guessing maybe a lazy temperature sensor, or idle air control problem, but without a code I'd just be throwing away money. Any suggestions ??

chucko3 · March 2004

My guess is a fuel pump.

gregoryc1 · March 2004

I would go with chucko3 and have the fuel delivery system checked. It should be a simple task for the Honda dealer to check the pressure and the volume of the fuel delivery system. When was the last time you changed the fuel filter on this vehicle? You could also have contaminated fuel, (water in the fuel)! You could have a blockage in a fuel delivery line. I noticed on your posting that you have 131,000 miles on the clock. The dealer should treat this problem like a car without a computer system first. Make sure the engine is getting spark, fuel and has compression, then go to the electronics. Take this vehicle to another Honda dealer or a shop that specializes in "hard to fine problems"! An electrical problem will also cause these symptoms. Lots of luck! ---Keep us informed about this issue. ----I hope this information has helped you? -----Greg

c182skylane · March 2004

Has anyone tried to replace the headlight bulbs on their Accord Coupe? Mine has the 6-speed MT and the manual states that I have to remove the plastic wheel well liner to do it on both sides. Sounds difficult. The dealer wants $27 per side in labor costs alone to do it. Comments???

auburn63 · March 2004

autonuts
My first thought with your complaint was the EGR system, more so 2 or 3 clogged ports causing all the gases to dump in 1 cylynder. Pull the vacuum line off the egr and try it to see if it is better. You can power brake the car in the range of 1700 to 2000 rpms and feel the same stumble, then disconnect the hose from the egr and try it again.

keung
My thought on your car is the ignition switch, have you had the recall done or checked on your car?

azguy · March 2004

I bought a 2003 new Accord LX V6 5 months ago and I think it has excessive wind noise on the driver and passenger side and have had the dealer work on it 3 times and they say there is nothing they can do: it's normal wimd noise from the side mirrors. Anyone have this problem? Other than that, I love the car. It gets 32 mpg hiway and it's 240 hp! Thanks...John

c182skylane · March 2004

my EXV6 Coupe makes has very little wind noise, even at 70mph...

sistar · March 2004

98 Accod Lx - at low speed, especially when braking, I am hearing/feeling some thumps/slight vibration from the left front area that are in sync with turning of the wheel. The brakes are about due but could this be from other things?

kareshi · March 2004

I think the wind noise is louder than normal too.. but I think this is subjective and not sure if it's supposed to be like this..

kid21 · March 2004

First thanks tblazer503 for the comment but does anyone has a similiar problem with the Accord V6 when the fan is on while stopped at light, jerks at times?

Also, did anyone ever install Piaa ultra white headlight bulbs to their car? Any comments on that? Thanks

c182skylane · March 2004

kid21: I installed the PIAA xtreme white bulbs in my Pathfinder. They were great until they burned out after 6 months. Will never buy again especially at their price. Silverstars are cheaper and last longer. Now, if I can only get some help with installing my Silverstars on my Accord Coupe - the headlamp access is through the wheel well on both sides...

keung · March 2004

Thanks for the suggestions so far, keep them coming. Recently I did get an EGR code, but it was only due to some carbon build up, which was cleaned and nothing has happened since. I did go for the ignition switch recall, but they only needed to replace the linkage. As for the fuel filter, I believe it is a lifetime filter because it sits in the fuel tank. I have changed the plugs, wires, rotor, so it is tuned. The problem is fairly specific because it only happens after being driven and allowed to sit for a bit and in warm/mild/cool temperatures. Of course it is more prone to happen in warm temperatures. Like I said , once I start it and give it throttle immediately a couple of times and the idle fights to stay on, right after it will idle nice and steady. I'm at a loss and so is Honda, because without a code they can't do anything.

auburn63 · March 2004

On the ignition switch they are supposed to put in a new electrical portion of the switch for the Service Bulletin I was refering to. It sounds as if you also got the notice for the interlock and probably got the kit A. The original update for the ignition switch was for stalling and no starts that hapen more often after the car is warm or the inside temp is hot. Usally on cars with failing switches when the problem happens you can slowly return it from the start position and keep it running by not letting it return fully(therefore changing the normal/worn spot that it rest in). Sometimes you can even make the car stall by moving/wiggling the key around as the car is running..But if not that then a good guess would be the EACV(electronic air control valve) which we have seen a few of these go bad as of late..Good luck

azguy · March 2004

Thx, c182.....I dunno, maybe I'll push the mirrors against the sides and see what the noise is like then, but there is definitely a lot of wind noise on driver and passenger sides, esp. when windy out and/or high speeds. The dealer added some"foam" along the window bottm and frame inside the door based on a "service bulletin" from Honda. I am gonna try the other dealer in Tucson and then call Honda national help line, I guess. I am nothing if not persistent. lol Thanks..there's also a rattle on the driver's door they cna't seem to fix. Otherwise, great car! Buying wife a new Camry LE tomorrow!

azguy · March 2004

Thx, c182.....I dunno, maybe I'll push the mirrors against the sides and see what the noise is like then, but there is definitely a lot of wind noise on driver and passenger sides, esp. when windy out and/or high speeds. The dealer added some"foam" along the window bottom and frame inside the door based on a "service bulletin" from Honda. I am gonna try the other dealer in Tucson and then call Honda national help line, I guess. I am nothing if not persistent. lol Thanks..there's also a rattle on the driver's door they cna't seem to fix. Otherwise, great car! Buying wife a new Camry LE tomorrow!

sistar · March 2004

actually my tire pressures were too low, after parking the car for 2 months.

w62 · March 2004

I have a 01 Accord EX with 42,000 miles, excellent condition. I need to replace my brake pads. Since i am already out of warranty, where would you suggest me to go? Dealers or other shops? I know dealers usually do better jobs, but much more expensive. Could those of you who have experience give me some advice for the general maintenance after warranty?
Thanks very much

sockpuppet1969 · March 2004

I don't believe that dealers usually do better jobs. It all depends on the actual mechanic that works on your car. Ask around and find a mechanic that does good work. Continue to follow the maintenance recommendations in your owner's manual.

In my opinion, if you can find a good mechanic who is NOT a dealer you will save an enormous amount of money over the life span of your car. Try the Mechan-X-Files at cartalk.com to search for a good mechanic in your area.

mikefm58 · March 2004

Brake pads won't be covered on warranty. Find a GOOD private mechanic you know and trust. They're invaluable. At least you'll feel comfortable knowing the work that was done was necessary.

inkie · March 2004

If your friendly with your local tire and brake shop or mechanic ask him if you buy the pads from Honda {do it on line they are cheaper} Will he install? Get price than check with dealer. I like the Honda Pads because they tend to give you less trouble after installation. Don't turn the rotors unless they are warped. Finally always check lugnuts after someone removes tires . Make sure they are torqued to specs. to prevent rotor warpage.

w62 · March 2004

Thank you very much for your valuable advice. I ageee with the idea of finding a good mechanics to do the maintenance. I have been drivening for years, but still new in maintenance and technical. I am interested in learning all of these stuff. This is a great place to learn about cars and get help. Hi sockpuppet1969, i checked cartalk.com and didn't find the Mechan-X-Files. I will try to ask around to find a good guy.
Thanks again for the help

raymond · March 2004

Dealer showed me a page from Honda Service News dated Dec 2002 that says 'It just might be the purge control solenoid (PCS) at work. This ticking or clicking is a normal characteristic of the PCS when it purges the EVAP canister. You can check if the noise is coming from the PCS by pinching off the vacuum hose. If the noise changes or goes away, it's coming from the PCS, and replacing it won't fix this characteristics problem.' What's your opinion? I noticed the problem right after driving the car home from the dealer which is 45 miles away. If Honda refuse to replace or fix it, what actions can I take? I live in Calif San Fran bay area. I think it has a 'Lemon Law' that if the car problem can't be fixed after several times, I can claim it as a lemon. What does it mean to me as a consumer?

snarks · March 2004

Typically dealers are more expensive than independants. But if you are comfortable and happy with service/price from dealer stay. Honda does give a 1yr/12,000 mile warranty on labor/parts.

Brakes are a good thing to try somewhere else though and check and see if you like an independant. Accords are so common that most any independant has worked on them previously anyway. Personally I would seek out a person you already trust or try a Honda specialized import shop. A Honda specialized shop will be very current and if really honest (in my case) will direct you to the Honda dealer if a repair is covered by any secret extended warranties. (In my case $1500 repair performed by dealer for free on Civic-New Cat and two O2 sensors on a 96 Civic 141,000 miles).

sandwiches · March 2004

I have the headliner creaking in my 04 V6 Coupe. I've noticed there is a fair amount of free play/sag where the headliner meets the windshield. I can push it up freely about 1/4". Thusly it taps a little when going over a rough road.

I want to avoid taking it to the dealer. Through searching I've come to the conclusion that I can insulate the area with padding. I can probably just jam some foam in, but I was wondering if anyone had details on how to take down the headliner so I can apply foam EVERYWHERE. Possibly Dynamat in the future. Thanks.

c182skylane · March 2004

why not just take it to the dealer? there shouldn't be any cost since it's a 2004, right?

whitecloud1 · March 2004

I'm with skylane.. Why would you want to fool around with that when you have a chance to get it fixed under warrenty?

nw1997 · March 2004

Sandwiches,

In my opinion I would never take my car to the dealer unless there was a major malfunction and the vehicle was under warranty. Otherwise a dealer is only good as the tech's that work their. Many of them are fresh out of a six months training course that makes them certified. We have a personal mechanic that's unbeatable in our opinion.

whitecloud1 · March 2004

I can agree with you too, but we are talking about a car that is probably under warrenty. I have an '03 and a '98 Honda and havn't seen the kind of problem we're talking about with san---hes '04 except in a 7 year old Dodge. So what about all the money he has spent or promised to pay already?

nw1997 · March 2004

whitecloud1,

If the dealership can some how secure the insulation without ripping it all off that would be great. The down side is, once the headliner comes off, it's really never the same again. Minor things like that, I would first attempt to fix myself, maybe taking some silicone sealant and trying to have it stick to the liner and the roof. It's such a shame that the quality/craftsmanship of these cars have dropped in the past years. It goes for the Camry's also. A person spending close to 30K for a vehicle does not and should not have to deal with these problems.

skiatl · March 2004

I also have an '04 coupe with a noisy headliner. This tends to rattle when it is cold...below 35 or so. I thought the problem was with the sunroof deflector vibrating so I put some foam underneath it and it did help. I considered taking it to the dealer, but thought they would make things worse, and since I live in the Atlanta area, I drive in more hot weather than cold, so I am playing it by ear.

whitecloud1 · March 2004

Good response. I see your point. I still have that now 16 year old Dodge too because I liked the car; and there is a cottage industry to replace those headliners, at least in cars that don't have a lot of "things" in the ceiling. I just don't want the headliner problem to be a hint of other issues that maybe should be considered before it is too late.

sandwiches · March 2004

Thanks for the comments here. My philosophy follows that of nw1997... the headliner is "minor" and "cosmetic" so that doesn't warrant a visit to the dealer who in all actuality might make it worse. Since the tech doesn't really have a vested interest in the minor repair -- i.e. he doesn't have to listen to the headliner tap -- he is probably going to give it minimal attention.

And yes, we're all paying a lot of money for our cars, but the fact of the matter is , you know you have a good car when the only thing you can complain about is a little tapping when you have the radio down and you're reallly listening for it.

Nw1997, thank you for the comment about the headliner not looking the same after taking it down... I'm encouraged just to wedge some craft foam in from the gap between the headliner and the windshield. I'll let you know how it goes. A lot of these things are DIY jobs that don't require a tech, just a little information.

htt · March 2004

I had a minor problem with my '04 EX V6 too. About 2 inches of the rubber around the rear passenger window was pushed out of its position by the window glass. I didn't know when that happened but I discovered the problem 2-3 weeks after I bought the car. I think it was there the whole time but I just didn't see it. I was thinking about taking it in for the dealer to fix it under warranty. But then I thought I might try to fix it first. If I couldn't then I'd take it in. So I used a piece of a flat plastic board to pull the rubber out and superglued it back. It worked. I'm still very happy with my fix. I never had this kind of problem with my previous cars. I hope the engine assembly lines don't have this kind of quality problem. What do you guys think ? Should I take it in or fix it myself ?

auburn63 · March 2004

I have always said that as long as you are using Honda(OEM) parts you dont have to have a dealer tech put them on. However being that a dealer tech has less car lines to work there is a better chance that they will be able to fix your car better. In this area private shops get about the same dollar per flat rate that the dealers do. The savings is usally in the parts end and as I have said, the OEM parts are unbeatable in quality and fit. Why people put aftermarket cheap parts on their investments I will never understand.
In the years that I have been on this board I cant tell you how many times I have known what the problem was just by the description, while the poster has spent alot of money and many trips to privates and still not been fixed. You will not hear of many stories where a private fixed something a dealer could not..

imidazol97 · March 2004

You're right on your point 99.9% of the time. But I think back to the GM rack wear in the 85-92? era. The replacements racks were designed not to wear; they weren't aluminum, I believe.

But most of the time I go back to the dealer for a thermostat, fuel filter, etc.,rather than buying aftermarket to put on myself. They know me by name at the parts counter, not just in the service department.

The service manager helps me with questions about what's possibly wrong. Then when I repair, I use their parts. When I have to have it repaired, I don't shop the other repair shops; I just pay the dealer what they charge. It's fair trade for the excellent tips they give me when I can do it myself-- or they say don't bother, it won't get worse by 175K when you'll have traded the car.

mikefm58 · March 2004

Excellent points by the last two posters. I think alot of the decision making boils down to trust. My experience with Honda dealers in my area has not been good. My experience with the one private mechanic I've been using has been excellent, but I have been fortunate, nothing but basic maintenance work so far with my '01 Accord and '99 CRV. The CRV will be due for a timing belt (along with access. belts & water pump) next year and I will shop the Honda dealers for the work.

imidazol97 · March 2004

My neighbor is on his 6th Acura, currently has 4. Range up to 300K.

He has always had a specialty mechanic who only solicits Honda/Acura business. The guy charges a little more than a corner mechanic who does all cars would, but this guy is always checking for needed items that go bad and checking on regular scheduled items that need replacement. He anticipates and saves money. But the guy doesn't replace something that can go longer safely.

talon95 · March 2004

I use a local shop that similarly specializes in Hondas and Acuras, although they do work on other imports. Your description of your neighbor's mechanic describes this shop perfectly as well.

I would readily trust these guys for any work other than warranty work... of course, they could do the warranty work, but coverage would be an issue.

maxpower02 · March 2004

If your car is under warranty, its the dealers responsibility to fix whatever is wrong with your car. You paid for that service when you bought the car. I bring my 03'EXV6 Sedan in for anything that I feel needs to be taken care of. As far as fixing it yourself, if you screw it up somehow, the dealer will use that against you. Don't touch anything while the car is under warranty, and I agree with Auburn, the dealer will have a better grasp on how to fix the problem, then yourself, or some mechanic who has to remember every detail about a lot of different cars My $.02.

Honda Accord Problems 2000-2005

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