Honda Accord Problems 2000-2005

dv8er · July 2004

Hello Honda owners!

I've recently looked at a new Honda Accord and CR-V. Having never owned a Honda (yet), I am curious as to the common repair "quirks" that are typical of the brand.

I currently have a 1996 Chevy Monte Carlo (which I hate, I might add) and am tired of poor craftsmanship and expensive minor and major repairs-not to mention crappy styling

i realize that no brand is immune from repair, but I would like to know some of the more common repairs to get a general idea for what I'm really up against.

If you would like, please contact me off-list at: shootvideo@yahoo.com

Thanks in advance!

gregoryc1 · July 2004

Since 1997, my wife and I have owned and/ or leased five Honda vehicles. (1997 Honda Accord, 2000 Honda Accord, 2000 Honda Civic, 2003 Honda Accord, 2004 Honda Civic). All vehicles were 4 cylinder automatics. No problems. The 2003 Accord and the 2004 Civic are purchased vehicles,(with 7 year 100,000 mile, zero deductable, bumper to bumper extended warranties). The other three were leased. (We do not keep our vehicles after 100,000 miles). Basically, the four cylinder line of Honda vehicles are trouble free. Most of the problems that you see on these boards relates to the V6 Accord. The 2003 Accord has about 29,000 miles on the clock. It runs very well. We give our vehicles a high level of preventive maintenance, (oil and filter changes every 3,000 miles by the selling dealer). This is our choice. Prior of owning and leasing Honda vehicles, we leased a Chevrolet Lumina and a Jeep Grand Cherokee. The Chevrolet was a great car, but the Jeep was the vehicle from HELL! The Jeep had drive train problems and electrical problems. It looked great, but it was a piece of garbage. My wife and I would love to own Chrysler vehicles, because we like the design of the product, (Dodge Intrepid. But after the negative experience with the Jeep, there is no way that we would take a chance with these vehicles. When we complained about the quality of the Jeep, and the money we were paying per month, to the Chrysler Rep. the response from the Chrysler Rep. was;---- "I don't care how much money you are paying"! So when the lease was over, we decided to give our money to Honda. Chrysler lost five vehicle sales because of their comments. The four cylinder Honda is a great product. Our dealer in New Jersey is outstanding!

frmo · July 2004

We have a 1996 Honda, bought new. It now has over 140,000 miles on it. It still looks good and drives well. We only have to do scheduled maintenance - which at this point can get expensive. we may have had to replace the alternator. I would recommend a Honda to everyone. We owned a Honda before this and sold it at 150,000 miles. It still was going strong and we sold it only because we wanted a newer car. Got a very decent price for it also.

However, 2 years ago we replaced the front brakes and are needing to do it again. Does this sound normal? We did drive 45,000 miles in those 2 years.

pheebe · July 2004

I have a 2001 Accord. Recently I found that when I made a left turn, there was some continuous noise from the location of the right wheels or between. Did someone herer also encounter this problem before and how did you do with it? Thanks.

sev6 · July 2004

i heard the o3 and 04 accords were recalled for some tranny prob? is this true? and if it is could someone give me an article with the info? my family owns a 2003 accord so i would like to know!

jebinc1 · July 2004

Go to Honda's Owners Link and that will tell you everything you need to know.

talon95 · July 2004

The owners link is a good source, since it tells you if your car is affected, and gives you information about the specific steps to take. If you want to see the news stories, just go to Google and search on Accord transmission recall. You'll get all the news you need and more.

BTW, since you didn't specify, the recall affects the V6 Accords only. That includes all '03 V6 Accords, but only some '04 V6s, since they introduced the fix into production part way through the '04 model year.

dv8er · July 2004

Since you've had so many Honda's, are there any repairs (preventive or scheduled included) that are particulary more expensive than others, or ones that are expensive due to "Honda specific" engineering ?

For example (and only hypthetical)
Steering column more costly to repair due to a proprietary Honda lube or rack set.

What has been your experience with thrid-party or independent mechanics. In this day and age, I would think that other places (not just the dealer) would be competent...but maybe I am making a big assumption.

rcc8179 · July 2004

There is not really any special maintenance required by Honda that is not required by other manufacturer. I will mention that Honda recommends replacing the fluids that are not regularly replaced (such as brake fluid, power steering fluid, etc.) at 5 years. Over time, these fluids break down, so every few years is a reasonable suggestion.

Replacing power steering fluid and transmission fluid are things for which I would definitely go to the dealership (unless you do it yourself). Honda has their own power steering fluid and transmission fluid. I am not sure about the p.s. fluid, but *NEVER*--I repeat *NEVER*--use anything other than Honda transmission fluid. Most quick-lube places will put in whatever fluid they have. They generally either do not know or do not care that non-Honda trans fluid is *BAD* for your car. Spend the extra few dollars and use the right stuff.

Other than that, there is nothing to worry about. A well-maintained Honda should last 200k+ miles without too many problems. You can use a dealer or a quality independent shop for normal maintenance & repair. An independent will probably be cheaper (though my dealer is pretty competitive on most things), but they may or may not use OEM parts.

richards38 · July 2004

I was amazed to see that my '04 Accord EX-L 4 cyl. is to have the radiator flushed after 10 years or 100,000 miles! Never saw such infrequent cooling system servicing on any water-cooled car......Richard

luvmyaccord5sp · July 2004

Yeah there is a lot of that high mileage fluid changes in there. I'm not too comfortable with the specified oil/radiator/brake fluid life suggested so I have been banking on doing them a little sooner. That said, they are to ones who made the car, and it's in their (and my) best interest to have the thing work well for many years... so I guess I have to trust 'em.

One note worth making: My co-worker has a 1993(+/-) Toyota Tercel and I must say even tho it is a piece of $*%T compared to the 03-04 Accord the build quality seems good. I love (LOVE) my Accord (wash it every 3 days) but I am not as confident it will feel as solid as my friends Tercel in 10+ years. Does anyone know where I can get 5-10 year quality ratings on the Japanese auto makers?

htt · July 2004

The carpet underneath my driver side all-weather floor mat is rusty. My car is a '04 EX V6. Have anyone had that problem with your car ? I'm going to have the dealer look at it on my first oil change.

richards38 · July 2004

"Consumer Reports" Magazine has automobile repair records going back to 1996. See the April, 2004 issue which is a MUST SEE for auto buyers.

It shows that Toyotas and Hondas as well as a few other brands have very good, long-term service records.

Toyotas are probably statistically better, but not by enough to really matter. Honda Accord has been well rated for many years.....Richard

amstel · July 2004

I checked the coolant level of my new 2004 Accord LX, it was low, so I refilled it with some non-Honda coolant. After that I read the manual and found they only recommend Honda Genuine Antifreeze/Coolant Type 2. Although the coolant that I filled in is also protective to aluminum engines, I am still not quite sure whether it will cause any damage to my engine. Anyone has any idea on this issue? or heard any non-Honda coolant really caused any damage?

Thanks a lot......

imidazol97 · July 2004

There will be damage caused by use of nonHonda coolants. It will damage the flow of money to Honda of Japan's bank account from your wallet!!!

I'd have to see proof that there's something missing from other coolants that Honda engines must have!!! LOL

lenix · July 2004

Look. Yes they all do that after about 2000 miles of driving, but they can replaced your seat bottom frame and it will stop. I went trough 4 dealers untill one dealer did it.

richards38 · July 2004

The owner's manual says that the '04 Accord should have coolant replaced after 10 years or 100,000 miles. That's the longest service interval I've ever seen for a water-cooled engine.

Unless there's an emergency, I wouldn't put anything other than Honda coolant into the system because there must be something special about the stuff Honda uses that makes it last so long. Just my opinion.......Richard

amstel · July 2004

Thanks for the reply. This is for the Genuine Honda coolant question. I just found out the non-Honda coolant that I filled in should be diluted to 50% before adding in, which I didn't do. Will this also cause problem. Now I feel I am a such terrible person on this. Anyone has experience?

Thanks a million.

chucko3 · July 2004

I used Prestone coolant to bring up the level in the reservoir from low to high for my 03EXV6. I diluted 50/50 with distilled water.
Honda sells two types of coolant: pre-mixed (50/50)and concentrated.

If you added unmixed coolant just to fill the level from low to high in the reservoir, I wouldn't worry about it.

hondasee · July 2004

I bought a dealer demo 2004 Accord LX automatic 4-door with 5,000 miles on it a couple thousand miles ago and it has some squeaks that occur from both front doors and the rear view mirror from time to time. I'm guessing it's a plastic expansion/temperature problem. Anybody else experience this? The dealer is trying to figure it out now while I'm driving a big red rental Dodge with a gas guzzling Hemi...Yuck. Help. Brent in Tennessee

luvmyaccord5sp · July 2004

I agree with Chucko3, if you have added only a small amount of undiluted coolant into your system you will be fine. Most manufactures suggest 60-70% coolant and 30-40% water. @ the end of the day you'll be safe if you are +/- that range. For peace of mind just change your coolant in 5 years instead of 10... probably better for it anyhow!

hondasee · July 2004

I've got some of the squeaks with the interior of my new 2004 as well. The dealer has the car and is trying to identify a solution. The service writer says it is probably a plastic expansion problem, but they act like they don't know what to do yet.

kevitra · July 2004

I am bringing my 04 LX 4 cyl in for service this Friday for whinning in 5th gear. It only happens when I accelerate and only in 5th, much like a few others have posted here. I will report what I find out.

twhan · July 2004

I took delivery of a new accord EX-L last Saturday for my wife. It now has 140miles. I feel the brake is too sensitive. When I just slightly press and then release the brake, the car already stops suddenly and jump forward, like choking. Is there anything wrong. Or just the car is so new and the brake needs time to break in? This is the first new car we bought, so I am not sure. Really appeciate your inputs.

blane · July 2004

twhan:

Congratulations on your purchase. You will love your new Accord.

No, the brakes are not too sensitive. No, there is nothing wrong. Your concerns have little to do with the newness of the brakes.

You are just used to the brakes in your old car and will become used to those in your new car in a day or two. It is you, and not the brakes, that have to be acclimated. Enjoy the ride.

twhan · July 2004

Thank you for the reply. I also notice that the fit and finish of some plastic parts are a little bit rough. Under the driver seat, near the seat belt, two plastic parts, which are supposed to be glued together, broke apart. I was given choice to get a Japan-bulit, but opt to america-bulit for the low mileage. Maybe I made a bad choice? Or my expectation is too high for a new car?

draco405 · July 2004

My AC hasn't been blowing cold for some time. I took it to the dealership yesterday to get it fixed. They said both relays were fried and that the evaporator core and Thermostat were leaking freon. I don't mind the relay fix, but I got the evaporator core replaced fall of 2000 by, the same dealership. How long should one of those last? Am I getting hosed here? Thanks in advance

whitecloud1 · July 2004

If U know a shop that specializes in AC, I would take it there. I know from experience that sometimes problems with an AC units should be handled by specialists. Often all mechanics know to do for AC issues is to replace parts. In terms of the future, have U tried helping to maintain the system by running it occasionally during cold months. It matters.

draco405 · July 2004

Thanks for the suggestions. Of course we don't really get "cold months" down here in San Antonio. I'll make sure to keep that in mind, though, when it gets cool enough to not need the A/C

luvmyaccord5sp · July 2004

I had the same feeling about my Accord (2003) brakes. I ended up going back to the dealer and having the pads swapped out for 2004 versions due to a squeal coming from the front. The 04 pads are less "grippy" than the o3's but it's still there. I hope this helps... basically from driving many other newer cars I have come to the conclusion that the 03-04 accords are just grippy and thats the way they were built. I have gotten used to it and don't even notice it anymore

Overall I love this car. Just minor issues, and that's not bad. Most other manufactures are not so lucky!

whitecloud1 · July 2004

Well now, isn't that special. Maybe U just wear your AC units out! (:>)

luvmyaccord5sp · July 2004

I would strongly suggest going to a A/C shop and asking some questions. I did some work on my A/C (damaged it by my own doing and it wasn't covered under warranty) and in the process learned a lot. For starters it's a pretty basic system. If your relays have gone thats fine (it will happen) and your clutch / seals can go... but most of the time thats about it. If you had your condenser replaced 4 years ago I am wondering if they evacuated all of the air and moisture properly. If not then there would be a fair amount of corrosion. That could have caused your problem. Talk to a shop, see what the say and let me know if you can, I'm curious!

austinman7 · July 2004

The transmission in my '04 LX 4 cyl. was just replaced because of a very prominent whining noise in 5th gear at 45 mph. I've made a number of posts over on the Accord Sedan thread if you're interested. I'll be interested to hear what happens with your situation.

hondagirl · July 2004

Does anyone know of any MAJOR problems with Accord 2000 EX V6? I have had this car since it was new, and really like it. However, I am in the market for a new one if the $2800 upgraded paint job is too much to put into this car. It has been in no moving violations, and has only been scraped while parked. It is missing the trim over one wheel well due to the mishap. The brakes are great (just religned), and the interior noise at 80 mph is tolerable. I AM interested in the new hybrid, but don't know if it is practical here (Houston, TX). Interior is flawless. (Have had an offer already from the factory-authorized body shop.) Vehicle has 45K miles on odo. I am hesitant after reading about the brakes, and other issues on newer models. Any thoughtful opinion would be appreciated.

hondagirl

anonymousposts · July 2004

why exactly are you repainting the car if it has not been in any accidents?

hondagirl · July 2004

I am very picky about the cosmetics, as well as the mechanical components. I am still considering keeping this vehicle for at least two more years. Any advice?

luvmyaccord5sp · July 2004

Texas! whhhhhooooaaaaa

While I don't have any info on any major 2000 Accord issues, I can safely say I love my 2003. Friends have said the interior is quieter and some like the styling better on the 03 than the 00's (personal preference i guess). There is a lot'a pep in the 4 cylinder and the V6 is awesome. I absolutely love this car and any issues have been minor!!! Personally I would give Honda some time to work out the kinks on any new hybrids... it took them some time to do that on my 03!!! (still have a few). Plus aside from an environmental standpoint there may be very little else gained in the first Hybrid generation Accord (other than cost!).

Just my .02

hondagirl · July 2004

Would you recommend a good pre-owned '03 over a new '04 or '05?

bsb19 · July 2004

I am in the midst of trying to get this same problem resolved on my '05 EX V-6, and this information is really appreciated. Does anyone know of a contact or address at Honda where we can notify them this is happening on the '05's too? Thanks much to all who have posted, I will hopefully post my fix when it is complete. Unfortunately, this only seems to happen for me at night or on the weekend, so it's been tough for them to duplicate, which is slowing down the process.

hondagirl · July 2004

Additionally, the body shop told me that the new paint on the quarter panel and passender door would not match the original paint. The factory paint is "burned" as they put i, from being outside during the day, although I garage the vehicle at night. So paint matching IS an issue. (At least to me.)

luvmyaccord5sp · July 2004

Wow you're fast at responding!

I bought mine with 12,000 km's (6,000 miles?) on it and it still had that new car smell! Saved a bunch over new and it was mint. That said, the 03's had some kinks in them. The 04's have a lot less. Honda has TSB's out on most of them and they are not major, just annoyances. If I could do it all over again I would still buy the 03 or 04 (rather have the 04) used and save the $$. Please keep in mind that these issues are not major. My 03 pads were squeaking, so i put 12,000 miles (?!) on 'em and then had Honda swap them for the 04's (took 45 min). Any first year of production on a new car has kinks, that's why I would suggest waiting on the hybrid but it looks darn cool and I want one too!!

anonymousposts · July 2004

Repainting a whole car over a fender isn't a smart idea. A quality repaint will cost more than $2800 and even then, regardless of how good the repaint is, it will never meet factory paint quality. And even if you do find a paint job that does meet factory quality it will cost you more than the car is worth. Also, a car that is a total repaint is devalued... Period.

kevitra · July 2004

I was just old by my Honda dealer that there is nothing wrong with my transmission. The whine in 5th gear is fine according to them. Odd how the whine did not occur until I had about 5000 miles on the car.

I think I may be taking my car to another shop to be looked at.

luvmyaccord5sp · July 2004

Kinda like how a tire shop told me my after market rims I bought from them had "normal wobble" !?!?! hahaha they all say that 'eh!

Good luck, give'em hell

kevitra · July 2004

I should mention that I have not talked to the mechanic yet. The woman said their manager with 20 years of experience found nothing wrong with my car vs a new car.

If they are available I will take them out and 'demonstrate' the whine. It happens all the time and is loud enough that passengers ask what it is. That is not acceptable.

auburn63 · July 2004

depending on how loud the noise is there is a possiblity that it could be normal. Some of the transmissions make a final gear wine that is only there in final gear, you do not or cannot hear anything in 1st,2nd or 3rd.The noise is only heard most of the time wwhen listening closely or when it is very quiet in the car. The noise does not get any louder and does not cause any future problems..

gregoryc1 · July 2004

We had a 2000 4 cylinder Accord, and now we presently have a 2003 4 cylinder Accord, (both vehicles with Automatic transmissions). The 2000 Accord was a lease, and we had it for 36,000 trouble free miles. Our present 2003 Accord is a purchase, and it has almost 30,000 miles on the clock, and it is also trouble free. While we like the interior of the 2003 Accord, there are certain things about the new body style that we do not like, and I have expressed these concerns on this board. There are two blind spots on this 4 door vehicle. One is in the driver's outside mirror, and the other is in the support of the front windshield on the passenger side of the vehicle. When approaching an intersection with "stop signs", on coming vehicles from the right can be hidden from view by this slanted support pillar. Our 2000 Accord did not have this problem. A friend of ours, who owns a Ford Taurus, told us that she has a similar problem with this vehicle, so I guess it could be a problem with the aerodynamic designs of these new vehicles. Should we decide to turn this vehicle in at the end of three years, we are going to test drive a Chevrolet Impala, Pontiac, Buick, Toyota and a Honda Accord, and we are going to pay close attention to "blind spots". These "blind spots", can make this vehicle VERY uncomfortable to drive, especially in city driving situations. Mechanically, both vehicles are great! ------Just my opinion. ----Greg

justin · July 2004

got the car back. they resurfaced the rotors on the front AND back.

third resurfacing on the rotors in 7 months and less than 10k miles.

looking into lemon laws and/or arbitration i think.

gee35coupe · July 2004

I'd be willing to bet you rotors aren't any good any more. I'd get them micro'd at another brake shop to see if they are still in spec.

justin · July 2004

i opened a case with Honda. i have a case number and a case manager should call within 3-5 business days. heard all this before.

but i told them i expect to have new rotors and pads on this car within two weeks. otherwise i have to explore other options. i also told them within the last 10 years i have purchased 4 brand new Honda/Acura products, and that if they don't do right by me, i will never buy another one again.

Honda Accord Problems 2000-2005

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