1998 Honda Accord EX V6 with previous transmission problem - buy? - READ ONLY

16 messages, Last post on Dec 13, 2004 at 9:23 PM

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What is this discussion about? Honda Accord, Transmission, Sedan

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#8 of 16 re;isellhondas by tlcman Dec 07, 2004 (10:16 am)
I know they dont warp. their solid what i mean and should have used different words was they can be angled awkardly causeing unusual wear on components. I have seen it happen.
#9 of 16 by mobius Dec 07, 2004 (10:42 am)
Thank you for everyone's input. Much appreciated. I saw the work invoice for the tranmission repair. It was done by a Honda service shop. A couple of the lines on the invoive reads: Transmission and/or torque converter Exchange. Use only with A/T rebuild program. The owner also took the car back to Honda to verify that the transmission was okay. This was done yesterday. The owner was afraid that when I go to get the car checked out at a mechanic, that they would find a problem with the transmission. I saw the work order for this recent check as well. They say no defects were found. The car has extended warranty that is still good until 8/7/05 or 100K miles. The transmission replacement has a warranty of 1 year or 12K miles. I'm planning on bringing the car into a different Honda service shop to inspect the car. What should I make sure they check besides the transmission? I think if everything checks out, I will purchase the car. Atlantabenny, you said carfax was 1 of 3 major purchase references. What are the other two? Thank you all again.
#10 of 16 mobius / Checkpoints by atlantabenny Dec 07, 2004 (11:28 am)
mobius, glad to be of help up to this point. The 2 other checkpoints are: 1) VIN stickers on all body parts and panels like doors, trunklid, hood, and front fenders. 2) Even if 1) checks out, look for taped-over signs in inner body areas (like door openings) that suggest repainting. Also, check for paint overspray. On the tranny, other consumer forums have indicated something like 50% or higher chance of problems recurring in rebuilt units. I'd really bargain hard for $8k knowing this, and the fact that you only have 8 months of warranty left.
#11 of 16 Totally disagree with those numbers! by isellhondas Dec 07, 2004 (2:51 pm)
As I understand it, around 2% of those cars were affected. Yes, a reman transmission CAN cause problems but nowhere near the "50% of higher" you stated. Also, minor body repairs when done correctly do not diminish the value or desirability of a car. Lastly, do not depend on a CAR FAX for 100% accurate information.
#12 of 16 isellhondas / Failure Rate by atlantabenny Dec 07, 2004 (5:03 pm)
The "50%" or higher is a non-scientific sampling of posts in another forum. The actual % would be hard to pin down. Point is, if we were buying the car for ourselves or family members, wouldn't an established new-unit failure rate of 2% (8,000 cars yearly based on recents years' Accord sales), limited or no warranty, and reports of recurring problems in remans give pause ? Minor repars, unfortunately, do affect resale. If Carfax showed a damage claim even if minor, chances are the buyer would leverage this information to negotiate, saying that "another car I'm looking at has no accident history."
#13 of 16 by mobius Dec 07, 2004 (5:54 pm)
Thanks for everyone's input on this. I think if the mechanic give's it a good report, then I will buy the car. If anything is found, I'll re-negotiate or move on to a different car. I am not sure what to make of Carfax. It gives me some useful information. But, I have yet to see any reports showing major or minor accidents. I saw on car that I am pretty sure was in a minor accident (front bumper is slightly displaced). But, carfax did not show anything. Carfax provides me with some information but not as much as I had hoped.
#14 of 16 by tlcman Dec 08, 2004 (6:33 am)
Carfax knows what you tell the world, if its a small acident usualy on the front (usualy meaning they rear-ended someone) they are not going to claim it on insurance and watch their rates skyrocket, they will normaly just pay out of pocket. So carfax will not know about these.
#15 of 16 That's correct... by isellhondas Dec 08, 2004 (6:44 am)
I have mixed feelings about Car Faxes. A car could have been in a pretty bad accident without it hitting the Car Fax.. " No Accident Indicators" does not mean that car has never been in an accident! By the same token, someone can bump into your rear bumper at a light causing next to zero damage. A cop shows up, writes a report, and suddenly, according to Car Fax, the car has "Accident Reported!" And, atlantabenny, that Accord wouldn't give me any kind of "pause". Compared to most makes and models it is VERY reliable. Replies to this message: keithj (Dec 13, 2004 9:23 pm)
#16 of 16 Re: That's correct... [isellhondas] by keithj Dec 13, 2004 (9:23 pm)
Replying to: isellhondas (Dec 08, 2004 6:44 am) For what this is worth... I have a '99 V6 Accord and had the tranny replaced at 68k miles. I am now at 93k miles and the tranny is so much better then it ever was. I suggest you try testing in the 45-55 mph range to see if there is hesitant or hard shifting going into D4 (overdrive). Mine sometimes is a little funny at that range, though not consistently so. good luck