$1000 seems really high. I know we've had one done on a 91 Accord which is more or less the same engine as the 97 and it was $400 for the belt, seals, water pump, etc. Our local Honda/Acura specialist honored a dealer coupon. And I know a local Honda dealer here in Atl will honor any dealers coupon and give you an additional 5% discount.
$1000 is too much for a timing belt job (all belts, seals, & water pump). Get another estimate from another dealer see if you can get it lower. My friend's 01 Accord was quoted for $800. I paid over 400 bucks for my 89 Accord over 1 1/2 yrs ago. At 114K, you're running on borrowed time. This is a job I would not let anyone else do it other than Honda dealer.
Isn't that covered by the warranty because the car is so new? It should be covered if the mirror broke because of a defect and not because it was damaged in some way......Richard
Thanks for all the replies. I just talked to the service department guy at the dealership where I bought my car. He pretty much said the same things you guys said. One piece of extra info is that he said Honda requires the owner keep detailed gas mileage records for the first several thousand miles before they can take a look at the underlying problem. You bet I will be collecting all my gas pump receipts from now on.
The PAint and interior protection plans are nothing more than an underwritten warranty. Some do not believe in them, some do. I recommend them on cars with light colored interiors.
I personally have yet to see a car that isn't affected by acid rain or sunlight etching into the clearcoat, so unless you plan on repainting your car every year, the outside protection is just a simply a glorified wax job once.
The interior however is nice to have as they will cover most all types of damage and something is likely to happen eventually. You make the call. I had a customer spill oil from his mower on the leather of his Bravada after it leaked out on the fold down seats and pooled between them while they were folded down. After two visits and no success at removing the stain, the warranty covered the replacement of his entire rear seat cover. Money well spent. Don't spend more than say $300 or so on them.
I can think about it for $300 but he was asking for $550. So I didn't take it.
After this trip to Chicago I realized that its really hard to remove bugs off the front - even after a car wash those bugs r still there - and I do have a light colored interior ...maybe its worth it... This is one week old car - can I still buy this plan and whats the cheapest way to get it?
It's a brand new '04 Accord with less than 5 miles when delivered. It now has 240 miles on the odometer. I checked the engine oil level and it's only a bit above the "low" mark. I briefly talked to a service department guy about it and he said "it's going to be that way" and didn't elaborate. Was he telling the truth? Also, the owner's manual says in the "Break in" section that you shouldn't change oil during the break-in period. What's the rationale behind that? Can I add oil, then? Thanks.
You can add oil, just not change the original oil. Honda says something about the OEM oil having important additives. If you start loosing lots of oil then there is a problem
Hi I just purchased a 95 accord LX last night. The car seemed to be in pretty good shape, and the car checked out well at my mechanic. After I picked it up from the mechanic I ran it through the carwash and ever since then there is water leaking from the heating system onto the floorboards. It seems to be coming out from by the fan motor and also the vents that blow on the floorboard. I would appreciate any help. Joe
A co-worker used to own a 94 Accord that had the same problem. If mt memory serves me correct, the drains on the roof of the vehicle were clogged and it was allowing water to build up and leak into the car. I could be completely off base though. I know someone else who had a similar problem and the AC line had become clogged.
Has anyone noticed the color of their oil when changing it? Mine is black or dark brown. I am used to my old T-bird (1963) having black oil but a 2003?! Is this normal with all hondas?
I have a 2003 Honda Accord with 30,000 + miles on the clock. I change the oil and filter every 3,000 miles. I presently have 2,000 miles on this oil and filter change. The oil is very clean on the stick. QUESTION: ----How often do you change your oil and filter? Remember oil and filters are cheap. Engines are expensive!
I had the same problem with my '89 Accord when I went through an automatic car wash. I never figured out how to *fix* it, but I could prevent this from happening by turning the RECIRC on before going through the car wash.
I have a 98 honda accord, and I just noticed that the front wheel shakes a little upon stopping. I think it should feel a little smoother when I slow down. Just wondering if I need new front brakes?
On our 2000 and 2003 Accords and on our 2002 CRV I can hardly see the oil on the dipstick .... even 5000 miles after changing the oil. I would suggest using a product called Auto-RX that is widely discussed and endorsed at www.bobistheoilguy.com. Those guys at that website live and breathe oil.
Let's not beat this dead horse again. You change your oil every 3K miles, other prefer to change it less frequently (I change every 5K, Honda recommends every 10K on the 4cyl, normal conditions). At some interval you will reach a point of diminishing returns. Obviously every 1K is too much, 15K is too little. Pick somewhere between 3 and 10 and be happy. Some people use additives (although I have never seen evidence that they do anything other than lighten your wallet). To each his own, live and let live, etc.
Please review the old posts rather than going through this again.
Many thanks for the responses. I should have been more specific in my post (sorry).
It's a 2003 Accord 4 cylinder. I currently change my oil+filter about every 4000 miles. I use a good grade 100% synthetic and average filter (may switch to a better filter). Some oil changes I have done in as little as 3000 miles, once as far apart as 10000 miles. In all cases the oil seems dark brown (10,000 miles it was black, very stupid I know!).
Generally on the dip stick it is clean but when it comes time to change, it looks very dark.
I guess I was thinking new engine, clean oil but I must be off base.
sockpuppet1969 says: "Please review the old posts rather than going through this again. "
If this was directed @ me then my apologies. I tend to read as many posts as possible before asking the question (I reviewed EVERY Kia Sorento post when I was considering that vehicle). But this time I did not. If it is a dead subject then so be it.
Anyone who purchases new every three years doesn't keep a car long enough to know about maintenance. By the way, I thought it was every two years from reading your posts.
I realize that this topic may have been discussed but I need advice on when to change the belt on a 92 Accord. The first time it was changed around 70 or 75 K miles. Now the car has around 145 K. Should the timing belt be changed --along with the water pump. Many thanks.
I purchased this car in 2000. At that time it had a slight vibration when accelerating. This happens while accelerating, probable within the 1000- 1200 RPM range. I have not checked the exact range. If I decreased or increased the RPM of the engine, the vibration stopped. The noise has steadily increased slowly over the past four years. My wife is embarrassed to drive it. I have been told, by a dealer, that this was common in the 97 models and the only way to fix it is to replace the complete exhaust system.
I'm currently abiding by the owners manual & changing oil and filter every 5k miles on my 04 EX 4cyl. However, I am converting to Amsoil (American made) synthetic oil & Mobil One filters once my warranty is over. I will extend my oil changes to at least 10k miles & keep filter changes at 5k to keep the oil well filtered. It is true that oil & filters are cheap moneywise, but I'm also concerned about both the environmental aspect & giving extra dollars for foreign oil. If Honda says it is safe to go 5k miles between oil changes (for severe schedule), then I see no sense in giving extra money to the oil companies & trashing extra filters in our landfills. 5k mile changes vs. 3k mile changes equal almost half the oilchanges over 60k miles. Multiply that by the number of cars out there & it really adds up. P.S. Sorry to sound like a tree hugger.
Amsoil is a GREAT product. Most used oil is recycled, so I am not concerned about what happens to the used oil. Dirty oil is dirty oil, even with a synthetic oil. I would not push the oil and filter drain intervals to 5,000 miles, even with a synthetic oil. But it is your vehicle, so you make that decision. I have 30,000 + miles on the clock of our 2003 4 cyl. Honda Accord. I just took it into the dealer for a transmission fluid change. (Just part of my preventive maintenance program). At the rate that we are using this vehicle, we will have at least 60,000 miles on the clock, when it turns 3 years old. We do a lot of highway driving and idling, so frequent oil and filter changes are the way to go, based on our use of the vehicle.
Honda recommends replacing the timing belt every 90K miles. So you have another 20K miles to go. I had the timing belt replaced on my 89 Accord at 94K and 185K. Both times, the belts still looked good.
About two years ago a friend of mine convinced me to switch over to amsoil in my cars. Amsoil recommends going 25,000 miles or one year on their oil with an oil filter change every 12,500 miles or 6 months. To me that sounded like an aweful long time on an oil change with me being someone who changed my oil religiously every 2500 miles. Driving about 30,000 miles a year I was constantly changing oil. Since I started using the product I also became a dealer of the product and use it in all of my vehicles. I just bought a new dodge with a cummins diesel and will be switching it to amsoil and I also just purchased a 95 accord and I will be switching it over also. Amsoil warrants their product against causing any oil related failure to your motor, and their product will not void your warranty, if your dealer told you that please let me know, and amsoil will contact that dealer, because their product does exceed every car manufacturer specification. I am not trying to sell the product, I just believe very strongly in the product. If everyone would use amsoil our dependence on foreign oil would go down. If you have any questions please respond I will try and answer them to the best of my knowledge. Just in case you are wondering I change my oil and filter every 10,000 miles mainly because the cost equals out with my old routine of 2,500 mile oil changes. And you might also want to look into the amsoil SDF oil filters they are a great product. Joe
I have 99 Accord with V6 with 68k miles. I noticed some fluid on the underside of the car and took it to the dealership. Was told that the trans was leaking around the differential seal and a new trans was the only solution. Has anyone else had this kind of problem with transmission ?
99 Accord, transmission? All you've done is seen a leak, and everythings working? Solution offered sounds fishy at best. I guess that's why AMMCO can still make money, but I would go to another shop at least.
I've been 9000 miles in my 03 SI and our first couple of 03/04 Accords. No black oil or anything. It's a little browner than when new and I find I have to add a quart at about the 5000-6000 mark. I trust Honda in telling me when to change my oil. I run Mobile1 0W-20 from the first change at 10,000 miles-ish.
Lets see who can give me the correct answer on this one. It stumped me and the dealer for a while til one day i figured it out on my own. Someone here will probably get it much faster). Here goes:
Occasionally when opening the driver side door of my 2003 EX V6, I will hear a brief chime noise (like when you leave headlights on) but only for 1/2 a second. It always goes away even before i close the door and get in. The dealer could not figure out my "complaint" but there is a logical explanation for this.
You have a major problem and your tranny will fail. Hope this is not news to every one here but the Accord transmions are failing at an unprecadented rate! Check the following web site http://www.thecomplaintstation.com/cgi-bin/datacgi/database.cgi?f- ile=Forum&report=Subtopic&SubtopicID=00048992&firstre- cord=0&finalrecord=14 I took the car in yesterday about the transmission problem. Last weekend it really started acting up and then at one point quit on me all together. The dealer told me it would cost $3,800 to get it fixed. I spent the rest of the day and half the night on the internet finding out if I was alone in this. I am not and it is a major problem. Make sure any of your friends that own Honda Accords or Acura's call in thier car to NHTSA and file a complaint @ 1 (888) 327 4236 if she even thinks she has a hint of a problem (you will need your vehicle VIN #.) Also report it to the dealer ASAP if there is a problem. There have been over 250 complaints called in already to this number and this is only for the people that know about it. Because Honda will not tell you anything other then "oh there is no problem and if you have one it is just you and you will have to pay for it." In the same time Toyota had only 9 problems in 1999 and then zero ever since. I am waiting for 9:00AM to call the Honda Customer number now that I have more information. Regardless I would recommend that anyone who owns an Accord sell it or trade it in now, before it has a problem and is too late to unload it. A great site for a complete list go to http://www.mycarstats.com/auto_Complaints/HONDA_Complaints.asp The Accord transmission complaints are: for 1998 are 173, for 1999 are 117, for 2000 are 54, 2001 are 36, 2002 are 15. From the numbers you can see that the problem nearly doubles every year, but get this, for 2003 there are ALREADY 18 complaints! Keep in mind that these are only the most severe complaints that have yet to make it to the Federal Highway and Safety Dept, not the ones that Honda has covered up to date. I would also recommend that no one buy a Honda in the future. I made that mistake in 1999 after trading in my Camry and switching to Honda just because the Honda in their effort to gain market share over Toyota was discounting and $2,000 cheaper at the time. 4 years and 3 transmissions later I now realize my mistake. Tell your friends to be careful if they own one because there are some real stories out there of how these things have failed at the wrong time like mine did. You don't want to find out you have no power just after you pull out onto the highway knowing you have plenty of time and then realize not so, because there is no power coming from a defective transmission. I was just lucky to get it off the road in time. Caution: Do not to buy a Honda Accord.
For a manual for just that reason. However...I wouldn't exactly go all gloom and doom since there are 2,000,000 total previous generation Accords ou there. The NHTSA sampling is kinda paltry even if Honda has "covered up" ten times that many.
The chiming is because when you unlock the door with the remote it flashes the parking lights. You are opening the door while the lights are still flashing causing the "lights are on" chime to sound.
After researching I was aware of the transmission issue with Accords, but I had not seen anyone with a problem of leaking fluid. The common problem seemed to be shift quality. I have a call into Honda to see if they'll cover a transmission swap. Hope to hear some good news next week.
Yes there are a lot of Accords out here to be sure just like the Camry. I have owned both Hondas and Toyotas. When the problem happens to you it does take on a special interest. The number of reports is just the tip of the iceberg. Once you start to look into the incidents of complaints that make it to that level of reporting on both the Accord and the Camry, it is clear that the Toyota is a far better car with a more committed customer support over the long term. 3 transmissions in 96,000 miles? This is my last Honda.
Yes, Toyota showed its stellar commitment to customer support when my Toyota Tercel left me stranded on vacation because they decided to "fix" a disabling ignition problem on an "as they fail" basis rather than recalling them. They showed their stellar commitment when the transmission on my cousin's Corolla failed while under warranty, and they refused to pay, only to be forced to do so after they lost in arbitration. As for "far better quality", tell that to my friend who's on her third AC compressor on her Camry.
As for recalls, Toyota is currently recalling about 120,000 current gen Camrys for defective side air bags, and Lexus is facing a transmission recall on some LS430s.
I'm not trying to claim that Honda doesn't have its share of problems... we all know that's not true. But to characterize Toyota as being a markedly higher quality or problem free solution is nothing more than an opinion that can easily be challenged. You can crucify any make or model based on anecdotal evidence.
Recent recalls notwithstanding, I still think that most people would place the quality of the typical Honda and Toyota on a par.
I have about 7,700 miles on a 2003 Honda Accord EX V6. The tail pipes have a lot of rust in them as if the water that drips out is dirty. My previous 1996 Honda Accord LX did not have that problem neither does the 2004 Toyota Sienna. What is the reason and should I be concerned?
Comments
At 114K, you're running on borrowed time.
This is a job I would not let anyone else do it other than Honda dealer.
My dealer offered me a warranty that they will remove all the stains (if any) from inside and will maintain the paint/polish of the vehicle...
How much such a warranty cost?
I personally have yet to see a car that isn't affected by acid rain or sunlight etching into the clearcoat, so unless you plan on repainting your car every year, the outside protection is just a simply a glorified wax job once.
The interior however is nice to have as they will cover most all types of damage and something is likely to happen eventually. You make the call. I had a customer spill oil from his mower on the leather of his Bravada after it leaked out on the fold down seats and pooled between them while they were folded down. After two visits and no success at removing the stain, the warranty covered the replacement of his entire rear seat cover. Money well spent. Don't spend more than say $300 or so on them.
After this trip to Chicago I realized that its really hard to remove bugs off the front - even after a car wash those bugs r still there - and I do have a light colored interior
Thanks!
Also, the owner's manual says in the "Break in" section that you shouldn't change oil during the break-in period. What's the rationale behind that? Can I add oil, then? Thanks.
Have a shop use a rubber tipped blow gun with compressed air and blow them out.
Please review the old posts rather than going through this again.
It's a 2003 Accord 4 cylinder. I currently change my oil+filter about every 4000 miles. I use a good grade 100% synthetic and average filter (may switch to a better filter). Some oil changes I have done in as little as 3000 miles, once as far apart as 10000 miles. In all cases the oil seems dark brown (10,000 miles it was black, very stupid I know!).
Generally on the dip stick it is clean but when it comes time to change, it looks very dark.
I guess I was thinking new engine, clean oil but I must be off base.
If this was directed @ me then my apologies. I tend to read as many posts as possible before asking the question (I reviewed EVERY Kia Sorento post when I was considering that vehicle). But this time I did not. If it is a dead subject then so be it.
The first time it was changed around 70 or 75 K miles. Now the car has around 145 K. Should the timing belt be changed --along with the water pump. Many thanks.
It is true that oil & filters are cheap moneywise, but I'm also concerned about both the environmental aspect & giving extra dollars for foreign oil. If Honda says it is safe to go 5k miles between oil changes (for severe schedule), then I see no sense in giving extra money to the oil companies & trashing extra filters in our landfills. 5k mile changes vs. 3k mile changes equal almost half the oilchanges over 60k miles. Multiply that by the number of cars out there & it really adds up.
P.S. Sorry to sound like a tree hugger.
I had the timing belt replaced on my 89 Accord at 94K and 185K. Both times, the belts still looked good.
Thanks
Thanks for your cooperation!
Occasionally when opening the driver side door of my 2003 EX V6, I will hear a brief chime noise (like when you leave headlights on) but only for 1/2 a second. It always goes away even before i close the door and get in. The dealer could not figure out my "complaint" but there is a logical explanation for this.
Anybody care to guess?
http://www.thecomplaintstation.com/cgi-bin/datacgi/database.cgi?f- ile=Forum&report=Subtopic&SubtopicID=00048992&firstre- cord=0&finalrecord=14
I took the car in yesterday about the transmission problem. Last weekend it really started acting up and then at one point quit on me all together. The dealer told me it would cost $3,800 to get it fixed. I spent the rest of the day and half the night on the internet finding out if I was alone in this. I am not and it is a major problem. Make sure any of your friends that own Honda Accords or Acura's call in thier car to NHTSA and file a complaint @ 1 (888) 327 4236 if she even thinks she has a hint of a problem (you will need your vehicle VIN #.) Also report it to the dealer ASAP if there is a problem. There have been over 250 complaints called in already to this number and this is only for the people that know about it. Because Honda will not tell you anything other then "oh there is no problem and if you have one it is just you and you will have to pay for it." In the same time Toyota had only 9 problems in 1999 and then zero ever since. I am waiting for 9:00AM to call the Honda Customer number now that I have more information. Regardless I would recommend that anyone who owns an Accord sell it or trade it in now, before it has a problem and is too late to unload it.
A great site for a complete list go to http://www.mycarstats.com/auto_Complaints/HONDA_Complaints.asp
The Accord transmission complaints are: for 1998 are 173, for 1999 are 117, for 2000 are 54, 2001 are 36, 2002 are 15. From the numbers you can see that the problem nearly doubles every year, but get this, for 2003 there are ALREADY 18 complaints! Keep in mind that these are only the most severe complaints that have yet to make it to the Federal Highway and Safety Dept, not the ones that Honda has covered up to date. I would also recommend that no one buy a Honda in the future. I made that mistake in 1999 after trading in my Camry and switching to Honda just because the Honda in their effort to gain market share over Toyota was discounting and $2,000 cheaper at the time. 4 years and 3 transmissions later I now realize my mistake. Tell your friends to be careful if they own one because there are some real stories out there of how these things have failed at the wrong time like mine did. You don't want to find out you have no power just after you pull out onto the highway knowing you have plenty of time and then realize not so, because there is no power coming from a defective transmission. I was just lucky to get it off the road in time.
Caution: Do not to buy a Honda Accord.
Thanks
As for recalls, Toyota is currently recalling about 120,000 current gen Camrys for defective side air bags, and Lexus is facing a transmission recall on some LS430s.
I'm not trying to claim that Honda doesn't have its share of problems... we all know that's not true. But to characterize Toyota as being a markedly higher quality or problem free solution is nothing more than an opinion that can easily be challenged. You can crucify any make or model based on anecdotal evidence.
Recent recalls notwithstanding, I still think that most people would place the quality of the typical Honda and Toyota on a par.
Thanks.