I agree with tblazer, it's not a good deal. After doing the calculations for myself, to get the payment down to $380, it would have to be financed for a long time. We'd need the financing information to be able to decide if it's a good deal or not.
There is a 57,000 miles '92 Accord (stick shift) that I want to buy for my college son. Can someone give me some ideas who good this model car is. Car is in good shape and condition, the owner want to buy an automatic since his wife has problem with her leg. Thanks
I'm at work so I don't have enough time to read through all of the posts but I want to warn you about CUSH. I just bought a car from POWAY Honda because the salesperson that I had been dealing with at CUSH was dishonest with me (about invoice price, e) NOT to mention pushy. In one day I got 8 calls from 3 different people. I agree with what someone else wrote--if you decide to deal with CUSH you need to find out how much you will be paying for your new car. These are the numbers they game me for the ACCORD EX V6 w/Navi: List Price: 30, 330. Fleet Price: 28,890. If you look it up the MSRP is 28,890 and the invoice is 25,551 for our region. They weren't even remotely giving me a deal AND they wanted me to pay for all of their extras on top of that. Ugh! It upsets me to think about it.
My wife had an Accord LX 92 automatic. Only one problem with the car: the car sometimes didn't restart after a long/short trip. It took two dealers to figure it's the ignition relay. Other than that, the car ran fine. Too bad, it was total last year.
Thanks for everyone's opinion on the pricing. I wound up waiting and will try to sell my Accord on my own, and hopefully get more money. Cush Honda in SD was rude and pushy and seemed like a sketchy place to do business. Also went to Pacific Honda in SD and they were very helpful, professional, informative, and I would buy my car from them when Im ready.
i recently purchased a 2003 ACCORD EX V6 which has persistent rattling problems. The main problems are passenger door window rattling while passing over bumps and constant "road noise" from passenger door.... while driving it is quiet and no noise on my side but i hear constant sounds of the road from over on the passenger side, like the door/window is slightly opened. Also I have had continued rattling and vibration in different parts of the dashboard despite repeated repairs by the dealer. Anyone have simlar problems? any solutions?? Oh yeah, also constant rattling in the back right of car- struts were replaced for this one, and for now it is quieter in the back. My car is a month old!!!!!!1
Yes, it's very frustrating. Never take your car to a dealer for rattles. They create more than they fix. Find a passenger to drive and locate rattles for you. Then fix them yourself. The 04 is less rattle prone, but not rattle free. The XM helps on the 04.
In my opinion 1987-1996 or so seemed to be the heyday of Japanese mid-level sedans. The Galant had the VR-4, the Accords and Camrys were bulletproof, and even the 626 had a powerful turbo engine. They all were very nicely appointed with soft touch surfaces everywhere. They just don't make em lke they used to. My 87 Corrolla makes my 04 Civic seem like a plastic tin can.
But gee, your 03 Civic would make your 87 Corolla look like a plastic tin can in an accident. And didn't you pay about the same for your SI in 03 as you would have for that Corolla in 87?
Car manufacturers have a hard road to travel right now. People want more, more, more but want to pay less, less, less. A 92 Accord EX had ABS, power everything, driver's airbag, and a roof. A 2003 Accord EX now has EBD, ABS, tilt/telescope wheel, side airbags, auto-off lights, CD changer, LED gauges, keyless, etc. And I'm sure if you adjust for inflation you aren't paying that much more, maybe even less, for the 03 Accord.
I test drove an 03 LX 4 cylinder yesterday. It was one of the dealer's demo cars so it had 6,500 miles on it.
The car wanted to race through the parking lot without me having to press the gas. I basically rode the brake for about a minute. I have read here about high-revving Accords. This was one of them.
The brakes made grinding noises for about first minute also. My current car (99 Grand Prix) will also do that if it is sitting for a few days. Once we were out of the lot the brakes were silent and smooth, although *very* touchy.
I was shocked at just how quiet and responsive the 4 is. Since the engine was 'just' a 4, I was expecting it to be a bit under powered. That was not the case at all.
Overall I found the ride very smooth and quiet. The day before I drove an 04 Altima. The Altima's engine was not as smooth and it was much louder, and road noise was much more present on the Altima. The interior of the Accord is also superior to the Alimta, IMO.
Here is my current best quote from online requests: LX Auto no side airbags ($20,100 MSRP): 18282 + $152 in fees. EX Auto no side airbags ($22,000 MSRP): 20533 + $152 in fees.
My 'out the door' cost on both including the fees and taxes and license is $19,530 and $22,173 respectively. None of these figures have my trade-in (which has not been evaluated yet).
I am pretty sure the Accord will be my next car. I am going to test drive the Altima again, but there are so many 'pluses' in Honda's favor at this point I can't see going with the Altima.
Is the difference due to tires? Lot of people complain about tires not have traction. Could be the tires are soft and quiet, but not as sticky; hence road noise is quieter than the other car's tires.
i am confused now. and this should be really simple...
i drive in stop and go rush hour traffic in DC. two people at my dealer service dept have told me NOT to come at 3750 for oil change. they say wait until 7500. my Honda manual says for "severe" driving, an oil change every 3750 is advised. do they mean every 3750, AFTER the initial 7500 service?
The brakes on my 2003 Honda Accord had to be completely replaced. Pads/Rotors/whole thing. The car began to shake at 5K miles, whenever the brake was applied. Rotors resurfaced x 3 by 20k miles. FINALLY, Honda admitted there was a problem with the pads that led to the shaking problem. It DOES NOT affect ALL HONDA ACCORDS. Only about a dozen of the 2003 Accord's from my town's dealership have been affected so far. However, if you are one of these unlucky ones, you have my sympathy. I am now purchasing new tires at less than 30K miles due to wear from the brake problem. Nobody at Honda, or the dealership, or Michelin will take responsibility, so I am buying my own tires so I can be safe, not sorry. If you have shaking while braking, it's not "ALL IN YOUR HEAD". They are aware of the problem, though some dealers are not willing to spend the $$$ to fix it. If you do not fix the problem, your tires and brakes (rotors and all) will be ruined. PLUS..who wants to drive a car that shakes at 50-70 MPH (a side effect of the brake problem)??? Not me. And not for the price I paid. I have not been able to enjoy this car at all. It has been 10 months, and HOnda just got around to notifying owners that they will replace the brake system on affected cars. I got my brakes fixed a few days ago, after months of misery. That is TOO LONG to drive a brand new car that drives/rides like an ox-cart. If you have this problem, get on it ASAP. Don't wait. And if you buy a new one, make sure this problem has already been addressed.
Also..to the person who wrote about "Rattles" in the new Accord..ABSOLUTELY, there is a rattling- creaking-popping problem in some of these new cars. The dealer denies EVER hearing of this problem before, but I know he's not telling the truth. In my 2003 Accord-EX, I have windshield and passenger door popping/rattling sounds that drive me NUTS. I wish that I had never bought this car during the first introduction period after a "redesign". I bought it last Christmas, and was the first in town to have one for a long time. But I will never buy a first-year redesign again, I assure you. Too many bugs. --brakes, rattles, etc. And too many dumb looks from dealers when you complain about the bugs. They know about these problems, just play dumb.
The race through the parking lot is because the car was cold. This high-revving idle does not linger after the car has warmed up. I go through when I startup and leave immediately on a cold morning, especially because reverse is geared higher and REALLY goes too fast. It has to do with the car trying to get it self up to optimum operating temperature as quickly as possible, which ultimately results in better mileage and better care for the engine (so says my technician.)
My opinion....change the oil. As a condition of my factory Honda extended warranty on my '99 Accord the oil must be changed every 3750 miles or 6 months, whichever comes 1st. Regardless of the warranty, I personally wouldn't let it go more than 5000 miles anytime, even if I was running Mobil 1.
just my 2 cents: a few years ago, i purchased a new 2000 Accord coupe (US made), and then a while later a new 2001 Accord sedan (Japan made). i don't want to engage in Honda-bashing, but i was really disappointed in the persistent rattles and squeaks from various parts of the insides of the cars...... i'd grown up coveting and desiring Hondas, but those experiences sort of took the wind out of my Honda sails, so to speak......
I know exactly what you're saying. Meeee toooo! I was a Camry Queen. Then I converted to a Honda after years of "coveting". I am so disappointed. But who knows? I might feel differently about my new 2003 Accord after I get my new Toyo tires put on & balanced, the front-end aligned, the squeaky dash/door tweaked, the brakes fixed, the exhaust pipe noise smothered, the fog lights replaced, and the carpet glued back down on the passenger's side floor board. Yes, after that, I should be a proud Honda owner for years to come
Decided to check out head-room in the the EX V6 again today. Not as tight as I remembered - so I took a spin while I was there. 6 miles on the odo. Silver/Black. Persistent (even at 30 mph) bad wind-noise from the passenger door - really bad at highway speed. Salesman was embarrased. 'I'm sure not buying this one', I quipped. (rimshot). Other than that, fit and finish looked great - no other interior noises. Quiet highway ride. Bit stiff over nasty expansion joints but that's an OK trade-off for the tight cornering. If I end up with a new Accord, I'll sure take a long test drive before I sign the dotted line...
Camrys have problems too. Squeaks, sludge, etc. Would I hesitate from buying a Camry? No, because even though there are problem-childs, just as with the Accord, chances are most will be problem-free from the get go and even the ones that aren't will be trouble-free after the bugs are fixed.
As a note, I have owned a new 1999 Accord EX sedan, a 2001 Accord EX V6 coupe, a 2003 Accord coupe EX-L, and a 2004 EX-L sedan. All of them have been flawless. Just as the 3 older model Accords we have purchased. Guess we are just lucky.
I have been reading all the hate-posts about the new accord. I just want to reiterate a few things to keep this in perspective;
-I have an 03 exv6, 8 months, 11k mi -yes I have a few rattles -yes the dealers treat you like crap -Yes my accord takes too long to turn over when starting -yes, this is my third honda "first-production year" model. They are better than anyone else. I have first hand experience.
BUT -I still cant find a feature set/performance/ price that even remotely matches that of the exv6 -I have had much worse dealers to deal with. At least the Honda guys are professional about jerking you around. -I know that my kids will be driving this car because first production year or not it will last that long.
1-Trips to the dealer stink, but the sole reason I bought my first Honda was to avoid trips to the dealer in the first place. After owning 5 new hondas in the last 10 yrs I have only had to go the dealer when I was ready, not when the vehicle needed to. (ie, no killer problems)
I own an '03 EXV6 and an '03 XLE Camry. My wife and I are 30 years old. The Accord is my first Honda and the Camry is my second. I had a '94 that was bulletproof sold with 160k never any major problems. We too have creaks and rattles in our Accord that show up when driving over expansion joints, rough surfaces, etc. Hands down the Camry is a better sedan for carrying passengers and everyday suburban life. Is it sporty? No. I don't think the typical sedan buyer is willing to deal with a rock hard ride like the Accord to get a slight bit of sportiness. Another thing, although the interior dimensions are equivalent to the Accord, the Camry's backseat seems much larger. A co-worker in my office has an '03 Accord LX and agrees. So...the bottom line for me is that I will drive the Camry and my wife drives the Accord. The Accord has too rough of a ride and is worse fully loaded with people and luggage. I grit my teeth over every bounce and watch the road to avoid every bump.
Lucky you. Unfortunately, there are a lot of other new 2003 Accord owners who are having their lemons "squeezed" by dealers as well as by Honda. I'm glad you've had a great experience. But don't expect those of us who are being squeezed to make lemonade out of a $20K + lemon. When you lay down the cash, you have a right to expect a certain level of acceptable quality. Period. For those who are having problems, you are not alone. This is just one example: http://www.carsurvey.org/viewcomments_review_38069.html. Others have the same constellation of problems: steering wheel shake, w/ severe pulling to the right, carpet coming apart, brake pad/rotors warping, noise, exhaust problems. Honda is well aware, yet has done nothing aside from agreeing to replace brakes. I now have to pay for worn out tires myself...caused by the severe pulling and brake problems for 10 months while I patiently waited on Honda to determine the problem and offer a fix. Not very responsive. They know they've made a "whoop-sy" this time. Now it's CYA time.
i guess the accord and camry rides are indeed tuned to different driving tastes. i hope you don't think you're the final arbitrator on a car's ride and handling. why didn't you pick up on that "rock hard" ride during the test drive?
when the new camry first came out it was also plagued with rattles.
ATTENTION FUTURE FLAMERS: Please take the time to read the entire post and realize that owners of problem Accords have as much right to disclose problems with their vehicles as the proud owners have to brag. If you start to take someone's complaint post as a personal affront on your humanity, you might want to think about getting out more often.
Question: why didn't you pick up on that "rock hard" ride during the test drive?
Answer: Not that it makes any difference, but it's because (as the previous post clearly stated) the car didn't start rocking until exactly 5K miles. I bought it with "1" mile on the odometer.
Better question: Who wouldn't expect prompt resolution if they were the one who laid down cash and blissfully drove off in the doomed Accord? Regardless, your question posed to me absolutely reeks of Honda's new "blame the consumer" mantra. Notice I said -new- mantra. I know it didn't used to be that way. But things have changed at Honda. My father owned six Honda's, but his last car was an Avalon. He was sure that bringing "good 'ol American ingenuity" into the mix would eventually spoil and spell the end of Honda's reliability record (please do not bother to flame me. I am a loyal American consumer, but everyone who knows cars also knows that this is the truth). My Accord was made in America. Those made in Japan might be better, as my friend has a Japanese Accord that is perfectly fine. And lastly, this information is posted here to help others who have bought a 2003 lemon Accord and have been told there is nothing wrong with their perfectly "reliable" Hondas. It is not posted to gain approval or accolades from ALL Honda owners. Not everybody has a wonderful Honda story to share. If you do, great! After all, I would love the car if it were not for the serious problems I've had! If didn't like it, I wouldn't have bought it in the first place. Also if you read the complete post, you will see that noise is the least of my problems, none of which could be detected by others who also test drove the car with me on three occasions before purchase. Besides, even if I had bought it on the internet sight-unseen, I still have a right as a consumer to expect the Honda name to mean outstanding quality. After all, isn't that why we all didn't buy a loaded Kia's instead? We bought the name. Admit it! We bought Honda's name and reliability.
It's not the consumer's fault when a company rushes a design through engineering just so they can release it on time. Then they go "whoopsy" and secretly rush to *fix it* for the following year's model, LEAVING the owners of the previous model in a lurch with their problem cars. Oh, if only it were about the rattles! I would be so thankful. But it's not. It's about reliability. What could possibly be more important that the braking system on a car? Certainly if the issues are resolved with my car, I will make sure I post the improvements here. I will be fair about it, and I would just LOVE to be able to write back and tell everyone that all is well with this car. But from the way Honda has handled it so far, it doesn't look good. Only time will tell.
Honda has had some great cars but the dealers have been regularly finishing in the bottom 1/2 in customer service surveys the last few years. Sad but true.
"Question: why didn't you pick up on that "rock hard" ride during the test drive?"
"Answer: Not that it makes any difference, but it's because (as the previous post clearly stated) the car didn't start rocking until exactly 5K miles. I bought it with "1" mile on the odometer."
It's clear that the perception that was addressed by the question is unrelated to your brake pad problems. Blackexv6 hasn't reported anything "wrong" with his Accord (at least not in his recent post)... he just prefers a softer ride.
I've been reading the consumer reviews of this site along with the posts in this forum. It's amazing the difference in opinion between the two. Any prospective buyer will get a totally different view of the Accord depending on what area of this site he or she reads. The consumer review area reflects scores of 9's and 10's primarily, a truly glowing tally with comments that this is the best car ever made. Then you read this forum where everything from rattles, transmissions and brakes are plainly depicted as faulty or just poorly manufactured. I'm not saying anyone's opinion is wrong, but how can there be such a huge disparity between the two? Maybe those reviews are posted within their first week of ownership.
Hi. I just got my 04 Accord with Navi. I have the display mode set to "auto" which should switch it between "day" and "night" mode when i turn my headlights on. But this hasn't happened yet. Admittedly, i have driven more than 10 minutes in the dark with headlights on in one stretch, but that should be enough? Does this work for anyone? ideas? thanks.
The Honda has high maintenance expense and has its problems just like others cars. What it also has is a large following who bash anyone pointing out that the honda line has regressed to the norm. Some are honda-related in their occupation; some are just cheerleaders.
The benefactor of the regression to the norm is that many people "upgrade" to the Acura line, ending up benefiting Honda for their regression. An irony indeed. As i read many posts through the topics here on hondas, the Acura is often mention as the alternate, better choice. Seems backwards to me.
As for the consumer reviews on Edmunds, they can be written by anyone. I read one about a GM product bashing it because they had rented one for a couple of days. People having trouble with their honda should add to the consumer reviews here on Edmunds.
Yeah... I'm sure that's a thorough representation of the Accord's 300,000 unit output. As I've said before, any problem that runs through the Accord line would generate more posts than Edmunds could handle. It would also be caught by the consumer rags and other automotive pubs. It ain't happnin'.
Another thing.. "No. I don't think the typical sedan buyer is willing to deal with a rock hard ride like the Accord to get a slight bit of sportiness"
Actually, more Camrys are sold to fleets than Accords and the difference usually leaves the Accord as the #1 car sold to actual people.
Sites like Edmunds and especially the Town Hall forums represent primarily 2 factions of car owners... enthusiasts and owners with problems who are looking for advice and/or confirmation that others are experiencing the same problems.
Very much underrepresented are the vast majority of generally satisfied non-enthusiast owners. They have no problems to investigate and they're not "into" their cars enough to post on a forum like Town Hall.
So the low representation of these satisfied owners and the relatively high representation of owners with complaints make the complaints seem more common and prominent than they actually are.
A better representation of the experience of the "average" Accord owner comes from Consumer Reports. Don't get me wrong... there's no denying that there have been some "first year of production" problems with the 2003 Accord, yet based on CR's latest survey, the Accord's reliability is still ranked as better than average... lower than the 2002 model, but still quite good. If the majority (or even a sizeable minority) of owners were experiencing the problems reported here, there's no way that such a score could be achieved.
So if you're interested in the Accord, I'd be more concerned with the reputation of the dealer and less concerned with the overall quality of the car. Because if you happen to be unlucky enough to get one of the small percentage of problematic Accords, the dealer's willingness to stand behind you will make all the difference in the world.
And I speak from experience, having had my "Honda bubble" burst when my new 2000 Accord EX V6 (my first Honda) was one with the transmission problem. My dealer took quick action and had the transmission replaced. From that point on, that Accord provided the ownership experience that I expected based on Honda's reputation... enough so that I decided to go with another Accord for my next car. My 2003 Accord EX V6 has, so far, exhibited none of the problems that some have reported here (knock on wood). No rattles, no pulsating brakes, outstanding balance of ride and handling. This is after 7 months and 9000 miles.
No flames from those reporting problems, please... I'm not denying that they exist, and I hope that you can get them corrected. I just thought it would be fair to represent another perspective.
The bashing that a handful of people do on this Accord board. All makes and models have problems and we're all here to discuss our love of the automobile. But people, let's converse in an adult way and quit the bashing of others. And let's leave the sarcasim (?) out of our posts. Just my opinion...so let me have it.
Edmunds consumer reviews: I assumed the previous mention of consumer reviews was referencing the ones I had browsed for 03 models, which have been out long enough for people to comment there after owning their cars longer than the trip home from the dealer! I find _850_ posts there. And I just rebrowsed the first few pages. I find people very satisfied with their purchase, some after many miles and months of driving, others after short times. But I also found mention, even in satisfied reviews, of harsh tires, ride, leads, dealer lack of interest, brakes, rattles. The ones I see reflect the same comments here on the groups by "enthusiasts" and "computer users" who post their improvements to be made.
I feel the 04 consumer review list is still too new to be meaningful. Adjusted for the demographics of those who are here on Edmunds, the comments in consumer reviews 03 do pretty much reflect same problems when read carefully (consumers don't write harsh criticism of their new baby), but they reflect people happy with the car their purchased.
Talon95 has the point that CR doesn't drop evaluations quickly on models, assuming past history will continue after adjustments by company. OTH they don't upgrade models quickly for the same reason.
Hmm, change my own oil every 4 to 5K, filter is around a buck, oil less than a buck a quart- $5 so it is about $1 per thousand miles. Had to change front brake pads at a little over 110K, cost $15 and then every 30K change the ATF-that is a bit less than 3 quarts at a cost of around $12. Brakes cost 14 cents per thousand miles and ATF is about 40 cents. Had to replace a couple of tranny sensors at around 150K-cost $110 so that is 73 cents per K. Then at 115K was timing belt replacement at $300 or $2.61/K Total of around $4.88 per thousand for maintenance.
Course if you are like to help dealers make their boat payments and go to them-your maintenance cost will go thru the roof. Additionally even if the dealer was down the street from me-would save loads of time.
Current accord has @166K on it and expect it to make at least 250K before buying another. Oh and the new accords have a chain driven timing belt for the I4's-so it will cut maintenace cost in half-to about $2.27/K-almost affordable.
Every time I start my car, the navigation screen comes up with the "safety and warning" screen, telling you to enter your destination information before you leave, check your owner's manual, etc. It's 2 screens of information. Then you have to press OK before the map comes up. Is there any way to bypass this "safety" screen so that it automatically comes up with the map guide, audio screen or anything besides the "safety" screen? I've read this screen dozens of times so I know what I have to do. I love the navigation system and if I have to put up with this little annoyance, then so be it. But I thought I'd check to see if there was a way around it. Thanks.
#6147 of 6157 first oil change by lelandhendrix Nov 07, 2003 (9:01 pm) khager is very right... It's better for you car to observe this, during the break-in period.
Also, my manual details a different maintenance schedule than does Honda's OwnerLink.
I plan to take meticulous care of my car, but something buggs me.
I happened on a big display in my dealer that showed intellipoint's award of cheapest car to the Accord, citing it's low maintenance costs. It even showed the actual dollar costs.
HOWEVER, if I follow the flyer that the maintenance dept gave me (which also doesn't agree with the manual) then you will spend much more than the intellipoint's projected costs. In my opinion, they shouldn't show that in the dealership becaue it gives you a false sense of ownership costs vs. what the service department says after you purchase the car.
as with every other vehicle are typically highlighted on forums such as these. As was stated earlier, satisfied customers rarely go out of their way to advertise the company or manufacturer that they purchased, they generally just enjoy their purchase.
I think that one of the biggest things is the unsatisfied people with problems. there are generally two types of quotes. 1> I have had problem x, y, z, a, c, q... dealer says couldn't duplicate.... etc. Anyone have ideas?
2> This Accord(trailblazer, camry, passaat, etc) is the worst car I have had!! The brakes suck, the electronics go out, the engine falls off at highway speeds, the headlights flash morse code....
So there are two extremes, but in general, if you go and look through most of the boards, you either have the extremely angry people who (maybe in their right) have made up their mind on the one vehicle because of some problems which may or may not be normal.
Personally, I try not to flame people unless they are making suggestions that are completely out of line(sue co for low gas mileage, etc) Many of the people are here to help out users, myself being one of them, but I will admit that at times things get out of control.
gdot - try turning the dim control a little to the left. If you have the dim knob (the same knob as the trip odometer reset) turned all the way up it will stay in "daytime" lighting mode even with the lights on. I use this feature when driving with my headlights on in the daytime (rain, fog, etc.).
Related question: does anyone know how to install daytime running lights in a 2003 Accord? I am surprised Honda does not offer this as an option as it has been proven to reduce accidents and is VERY cheap.
I've had my accord for 6 months now. I still consider it the best car I could have ever bought for $20K and certainly seems to have aspirations of a much more expensive car.
I haven't had any major problems, and my small complaints were resolved in the first few weeks of ownership with speed and courtesy of my dealer.
Had my new Accord Coupe for 3 days and just noticed a rattle coming from sunroof area while driving today! Man, am I upset - ready to buy a Chrysler or VW!! Got home and checked to make sure it wasn't causing excessive tire wear. Then I remembered that I had put my sunglasses in the sunglasses holder and it was the sunglasses that were rattling! Thank goodness it was Sunday and I couldn't trade it today or I might have given up the best car I have ever owned for $25K.
PS: The sunglasses rattle is true - the rest is a joke!
Every time I start my car, the navigation screen comes up with the "safety and warning" screen, telling you to enter your destination information before you leave, check your owner's manual, etc. It's 2 screens of information. Then you have to press OK before the map comes up. Is there any way to bypass this "safety" screen so that it automatically comes up with the map guide, audio screen or anything besides the "safety" screen? I've read this screen dozens of times so I know what I have to do. I love the navigation system and if I have to put up with this little annoyance, then so be it. But I thought I'd check to see if there was a way around it. Thanks.
have had a problem with the first screen locking up,the disclaimer screen, and it won't go to the menu when you touch the OK button. I think I will pull the fuse and let the system reset itself. Has anyone else run into this? Thanks
I have found that the problem is low temperature. When the screen is cold,35 degrees or less,it will not respond. Hair blower over the surface for a minute,and it comes to life.Let the screen cool again and it locks up. Did not experience this last winter. Will go by the dealer to see what they say. Will advise. Tom King
Comments
You're right, I'm not sure what I was thinking.
I'm at work so I don't have enough time to read through all of the posts but I want to warn you about CUSH. I just bought a car from POWAY Honda because the salesperson that I had been dealing with at CUSH was dishonest with me (about invoice price, e) NOT to mention pushy. In one day I got 8 calls from 3 different people. I agree with what someone else wrote--if you decide to deal with CUSH you need to find out how much you will be paying for your new car. These are the numbers they game me for the ACCORD EX V6 w/Navi: List Price: 30, 330. Fleet Price: 28,890. If you look it up the MSRP is 28,890 and the invoice is 25,551 for our region. They weren't even remotely giving me a deal AND they wanted me to pay for all of their extras on top of that. Ugh! It upsets me to think about it.
Anyway, if you haven't read this series of articles I recommend it. I think CUSH is like the first dealership. http://www.edmunds.com/advice/buying/articles/42962/article.html?- tid=edmunds.a.landing.buying..4.*
Only one problem with the car: the car sometimes
didn't restart after a long/short trip.
It took two dealers to figure it's the ignition relay.
Other than that, the car ran fine. Too bad, it was total last year.
We have two in my driveway. A 1991 EX and a 1992 DX.
The 1992 DX has almost 240K miles on it and it has been an excellent car.
The 1991 EX has almost 200K miles on it and it has done well overall. It has had more problems than the 1992.
The cars run fine and have never broken down on us. I would recommend that generation Accord (along with any generation)
What is fishy is the fact that the particular Accord you want to buy for your son only has 57,000 miles. The owner must have driven very little.
Car manufacturers have a hard road to travel right now. People want more, more, more but want to pay less, less, less. A 92 Accord EX had ABS, power everything, driver's airbag, and a roof. A 2003 Accord EX now has EBD, ABS, tilt/telescope wheel, side airbags, auto-off lights, CD changer, LED gauges, keyless, etc. And I'm sure if you adjust for inflation you aren't paying that much more, maybe even less, for the 03 Accord.
The car wanted to race through the parking lot without me having to press the gas. I basically rode the brake for about a minute. I have read here about high-revving Accords. This was one of them.
The brakes made grinding noises for about first minute also. My current car (99 Grand Prix) will also do that if it is sitting for a few days. Once we were out of the lot the brakes were silent and smooth, although *very* touchy.
I was shocked at just how quiet and responsive the 4 is. Since the engine was 'just' a 4, I was expecting it to be a bit under powered. That was not the case at all.
Overall I found the ride very smooth and quiet. The day before I drove an 04 Altima. The Altima's engine was not as smooth and it was much louder, and road noise was much more present on the Altima. The interior of the Accord is also superior to the Alimta, IMO.
Here is my current best quote from online requests:
LX Auto no side airbags ($20,100 MSRP): 18282 + $152 in fees.
EX Auto no side airbags ($22,000 MSRP): 20533 + $152 in fees.
My 'out the door' cost on both including the fees and taxes and license is $19,530 and $22,173 respectively. None of these figures have my trade-in (which has not been evaluated yet).
I am pretty sure the Accord will be my next car. I am going to test drive the Altima again, but there are so many 'pluses' in Honda's favor at this point I can't see going with the Altima.
complain about tires not have traction. Could be the tires are soft and quiet, but not as sticky; hence road noise is quieter than the other car's tires.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
i drive in stop and go rush hour traffic in DC. two people at my dealer service dept have told me NOT to come at 3750 for oil change. they say wait until 7500. my Honda manual says for "severe" driving, an oil change every 3750 is advised. do they mean every 3750, AFTER the initial 7500 service?
anyone been in this predicament?
And too many dumb looks from dealers when you complain about the bugs. They know about these problems, just play dumb.
just my 2 cents: a few years ago, i purchased a new 2000 Accord coupe (US made), and then a while later a new 2001 Accord sedan (Japan made). i don't want to engage in Honda-bashing, but i was really disappointed in the persistent rattles and squeaks from various parts of the insides of the cars...... i'd grown up coveting and desiring Hondas, but those experiences sort of took the wind out of my Honda sails, so to speak......
I was a Camry Queen. Then I converted to a Honda after years of "coveting". I am so disappointed. But who knows? I might feel differently about my new 2003 Accord after I get my new Toyo tires put on & balanced, the front-end aligned, the squeaky dash/door tweaked, the brakes fixed, the exhaust pipe noise smothered, the fog lights replaced, and the carpet glued back down on the passenger's side floor board. Yes, after that, I should be a proud Honda owner for years to come
Other than that, fit and finish looked great - no other interior noises. Quiet highway ride. Bit stiff over nasty expansion joints but that's an OK trade-off for the tight cornering.
If I end up with a new Accord, I'll sure take a long test drive before I sign the dotted line...
-srp
As a note, I have owned a new 1999 Accord EX sedan, a 2001 Accord EX V6 coupe, a 2003 Accord coupe EX-L, and a 2004 EX-L sedan. All of them have been flawless. Just as the 3 older model Accords we have purchased. Guess we are just lucky.
-I have an 03 exv6, 8 months, 11k mi
-yes I have a few rattles
-yes the dealers treat you like crap
-Yes my accord takes too long to turn over when starting
-yes, this is my third honda "first-production year" model. They are better than anyone else. I have first hand experience.
BUT
-I still cant find a feature set/performance/ price that even remotely matches that of the exv6
-I have had much worse dealers to deal with. At least the Honda guys are professional about jerking you around.
-I know that my kids will be driving this car because first production year or not it will last that long.
ok, off my soapbox.
1-Trips to the dealer stink, but the sole reason I bought my first Honda was to avoid trips to the dealer in the first place. After owning 5 new hondas in the last 10 yrs I have only had to go the dealer when I was ready, not when the vehicle needed to. (ie, no killer problems)
2-The car is flat out fun to drive.
when the new camry first came out it was also plagued with rattles.
Question: why didn't you pick up on that "rock hard" ride during the test drive?
Answer: Not that it makes any difference, but it's because (as the previous post clearly stated) the car didn't start rocking until exactly 5K miles. I bought it with "1" mile on the odometer.
Better question: Who wouldn't expect prompt resolution if they were the one who laid down cash and blissfully drove off in the doomed Accord? Regardless, your question posed to me absolutely reeks of Honda's new "blame the consumer" mantra. Notice I said -new- mantra. I know it didn't used to be that way. But things have changed at Honda. My father owned six Honda's, but his last car was an Avalon. He was sure that bringing "good 'ol American ingenuity" into the mix would eventually spoil and spell the end of Honda's reliability record (please do not bother to flame me. I am a loyal American consumer, but everyone who knows cars also knows that this is the truth). My Accord was made in America. Those made in Japan might be better, as my friend has a Japanese Accord that is perfectly fine. And lastly, this information is posted here to help others who have bought a 2003 lemon Accord and have been told there is nothing wrong with their perfectly "reliable" Hondas. It is not posted to gain approval or accolades from ALL Honda owners. Not everybody has a wonderful Honda story to share. If you do, great! After all, I would love the car if it were not for the serious problems I've had! If didn't like it, I wouldn't have bought it in the first place. Also if you read the complete post, you will see that noise is the least of my problems, none of which could be detected by others who also test drove the car with me on three occasions before purchase. Besides, even if I had bought it on the internet sight-unseen, I still have a right as a consumer to expect the Honda name to mean outstanding quality. After all, isn't that why we all didn't buy a loaded Kia's instead? We bought the name. Admit it! We bought Honda's name and reliability.
It's not the consumer's fault when a company rushes a design through engineering just so they can release it on time. Then they go "whoopsy" and secretly rush to *fix it* for the following year's model, LEAVING the owners of the previous model in a lurch with their problem cars. Oh, if only it were about the rattles! I would be so thankful. But it's not. It's about reliability. What could possibly be more important that the braking system on a car? Certainly if the issues are resolved with my car, I will make sure I post the improvements here. I will be fair about it, and I would just LOVE to be able to write back and tell everyone that all is well with this car. But from the way Honda has handled it so far, it doesn't look good. Only time will tell.
"Answer: Not that it makes any difference, but it's because (as the previous post clearly stated) the car didn't start rocking until exactly 5K miles. I bought it with "1" mile on the odometer."
It's clear that the perception that was addressed by the question is unrelated to your brake pad problems. Blackexv6 hasn't reported anything "wrong" with his Accord (at least not in his recent post)... he just prefers a softer ride.
The benefactor of the regression to the norm is that many people "upgrade" to the Acura line, ending up benefiting Honda for their regression. An irony indeed. As i read many posts through the topics here on hondas, the Acura is often mention as the alternate, better choice. Seems backwards to me.
As for the consumer reviews on Edmunds, they can be written by anyone. I read one about a GM product bashing it because they had rented one for a couple of days. People having trouble with their honda should add to the consumer reviews here on Edmunds.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
Another thing..
"No. I don't think the typical sedan buyer is willing to deal with a rock hard ride like the Accord to get a slight bit of sportiness"
Actually, more Camrys are sold to fleets than Accords and the difference usually leaves the Accord as the #1 car sold to actual people.
Very much underrepresented are the vast majority of generally satisfied non-enthusiast owners. They have no problems to investigate and they're not "into" their cars enough to post on a forum like Town Hall.
So the low representation of these satisfied owners and the relatively high representation of owners with complaints make the complaints seem more common and prominent than they actually are.
A better representation of the experience of the "average" Accord owner comes from Consumer Reports. Don't get me wrong... there's no denying that there have been some "first year of production" problems with the 2003 Accord, yet based on CR's latest survey, the Accord's reliability is still ranked as better than average... lower than the 2002 model, but still quite good. If the majority (or even a sizeable minority) of owners were experiencing the problems reported here, there's no way that such a score could be achieved.
So if you're interested in the Accord, I'd be more concerned with the reputation of the dealer and less concerned with the overall quality of the car. Because if you happen to be unlucky enough to get one of the small percentage of problematic Accords, the dealer's willingness to stand behind you will make all the difference in the world.
And I speak from experience, having had my "Honda bubble" burst when my new 2000 Accord EX V6 (my first Honda) was one with the transmission problem. My dealer took quick action and had the transmission replaced. From that point on, that Accord provided the ownership experience that I expected based on Honda's reputation... enough so that I decided to go with another Accord for my next car. My 2003 Accord EX V6 has, so far, exhibited none of the problems that some have reported here (knock on wood). No rattles, no pulsating brakes, outstanding balance of ride and handling. This is after 7 months and 9000 miles.
No flames from those reporting problems, please... I'm not denying that they exist, and I hope that you can get them corrected. I just thought it would be fair to represent another perspective.
Just my opinion...so let me have it.
The Sandman :-)
I assumed the previous mention of consumer reviews was referencing the ones I had browsed for 03 models, which have been out long enough for people to comment there after owning their cars longer than the trip home from the dealer!
I find _850_ posts there. And I just rebrowsed the first few pages. I find people very satisfied with their purchase, some after many miles and months of driving, others after short times. But I also found mention, even in satisfied reviews, of harsh tires, ride, leads, dealer lack of interest, brakes, rattles. The ones I see reflect the same comments here on the groups by "enthusiasts" and "computer users" who post their improvements to be made.
I feel the 04 consumer review list is still too new to be meaningful. Adjusted for the demographics of those who are here on Edmunds, the comments in consumer reviews 03 do pretty much reflect same problems when read carefully (consumers don't write harsh criticism of their new baby), but they reflect people happy with the car their purchased.
Talon95 has the point that CR doesn't drop evaluations quickly on models, assuming past history will continue after adjustments by company. OTH they don't upgrade models quickly for the same reason.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
Course if you are like to help dealers make their boat payments and go to them-your maintenance cost will go thru the roof. Additionally even if the dealer was down the street from me-would save loads of time.
Current accord has @166K on it and expect it to make at least 250K before buying another. Oh and the new accords have a chain driven timing belt for the I4's-so it will cut maintenace cost in half-to about $2.27/K-almost affordable.
I love the navigation system and if I have to put up with this little annoyance, then so be it. But I thought I'd check to see if there was a way around it.
Thanks.
khager is very right... It's better for you car to observe this, during the break-in period.
Also, my manual details a different maintenance schedule than does Honda's OwnerLink.
I plan to take meticulous care of my car, but something buggs me.
I happened on a big display in my dealer that showed intellipoint's award of cheapest car to the Accord, citing it's low maintenance costs. It even showed the actual dollar costs.
HOWEVER, if I follow the flyer that the maintenance dept gave me (which also doesn't agree with the manual) then you will spend much more than the intellipoint's projected costs. In my opinion, they shouldn't show that in the dealership becaue it gives you a false sense of ownership costs vs. what the service department says after you purchase the car.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
I think that one of the biggest things is the unsatisfied people with problems. there are generally two types of quotes.
1> I have had problem x, y, z, a, c, q... dealer says couldn't duplicate.... etc. Anyone have ideas?
2> This Accord(trailblazer, camry, passaat, etc) is the worst car I have had!! The brakes suck, the electronics go out, the engine falls off at highway speeds, the headlights flash morse code....
So there are two extremes, but in general, if you go and look through most of the boards, you either have the extremely angry people who (maybe in their right) have made up their mind on the one vehicle because of some problems which may or may not be normal.
Personally, I try not to flame people unless they are making suggestions that are completely out of line(sue co for low gas mileage, etc) Many of the people are here to help out users, myself being one of them, but I will admit that at times things get out of control.
Related question: does anyone know how to install daytime running lights in a 2003 Accord? I am surprised Honda does not offer this as an option as it has been proven to reduce accidents and is VERY cheap.
I haven't had any major problems, and my small complaints were resolved in the first few weeks of ownership with speed and courtesy of my dealer.
Overall experience--very satisfied.
PS: The sunglasses rattle is true - the rest is a joke!
I love the navigation system and if I have to put up with this little annoyance, then so be it. But I thought I'd check to see if there was a way around it.
Thanks.
Thanks
I have found that the problem is low temperature. When the screen is cold,35 degrees or less,it will not respond. Hair blower over the surface for a minute,and it comes to life.Let the screen cool again and it locks up. Did not experience this last winter. Will go by the dealer to see what they say. Will advise.
Tom King
car performs flawlessly. 3700 miles, two months of ownership, 2003 EX V6 sedan.