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Honda Accord (1998-2002) Maintenance and Repair

2254 messages,  Last post on Jan 23, 2013 at 7:44 AM

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What is this discussion about? Honda Accord, Electrical, Engine, Coupe, Sedan

Messages Page 212 of 226

#2104 of 2254 Re: Reliability of Honda Accord after 120K miles usage [isellhondas] by thegraduate

Oct 15, 2010 (6:14 am)

Replying to: isellhondas (Oct 14, 2010 7:21 am)
Minivans tend to get overloaded and abused and this was the cause of much of this. Still, for Honda, it was unacceptable.
 
Sorry; I'm a Honda guy but I'm not buying the "overloaded" bit. Vans have heavier payload ratings and should have heavier-duty transmissions to match. Cars get overloaded too. Ever put 5 men in an Accord? I have, the front seat had 575 pounds alone. Guess what, it was overloaded while still being within seating capacity. I never had a problem (even climbing mountains in Chattanooga), but it was still technically overloaded.
 
Honda had a period of transmission problems, now they've left that behind and started a new trend of braking problems. Affecting everyone? No; but it's a very un-Honda thing.
 
Speaking of "un-Honda," my 2006 Accord was fun to drive, but in the end, all the warranty work I had done while I had the car spooked me right out of it once the warranty expired at 63,000 miles.
 
Fuel economy had dropped by an average of over 10 MPG very suddenly, dealer said no Check Engine Light, so nothing they could do
CD changer
Major unfindable suspension rattle
Auto-off headlamps not working properly (dead battery anyone?)
Center console came apart
Rear-view mirror glass literally fell out of housing
Gas-flap malfunction
Horn broken at 50k miles
Misaligned airbag cover on steering wheel preventing horn operation without pushing REALLY hard -- seperate from the actual horn that broke.
 
That said, I sold the Accord, got an 09 V6 Sonata with lower miles and more equipment than my EX Accord 4-cylinder, and left without a car payment.
 
Honda needs to focus on quality once again. I still have my 1996 Accord with 217k miles and it is a tighter vehicle than my 2006 ever was.

#2105 of 2254 Re: Reliability of Honda Accord after 120K miles usage [thegraduate] by isellhondas

Oct 15, 2010 (6:21 am)

Replying to: thegraduate (Oct 15, 2010 6:14 am)
Oh, I beg to differ. Minivans often have a very hard life.
 
We would get Odysseys in our shop that had Class 3 hitches on them, along with roof racks. Interiors looked like they had been lived in and after 100,000 miles, the transmission fluid looked like it had never been changed.
 
Of course, severe usage is going to contribute to early failure of a transmission.
 
Yes, they did have some failures areat were well above the norm for Honda but Honda stepped up to the plate and replaced transmissions that were well beyond the warranty period. People don't talk about that much.
 
I started selling Hondas in 1995 and did this until I retired in May. I can honestly say I never noticed any decline in quality during that time. Our 2007 Accord has been flawless without one warranty repair.
 
Having said this, Honda is faced with a lot of tough competition. More than they ever had in the past. The Korean cars that we scoffed at have improved markedly and others are breathing down Honda's back.
 
People have short memories and being loyal to one brand is a thing of the past.
 
Honda can't let quality slip. They have to maintain their edge.

#2106 of 2254 Re: Reliability of Honda Accord after 120K miles usage [isellhondas] by marvin6

Oct 15, 2010 (8:25 am)

Replying to: isellhondas (Oct 14, 2010 7:21 am)
The AT problems were mostly on Odysseys and they weren't nearly as widespread as the internet forums would have you believe. Some of the V-6 Accords were affected too but not the 4 cylinders.
 
Really? Honda has long been known for transmission problems and not just in the odyssey. They had a class action lawsuit against them on the accords in the late 90s and early 2000s. My 2000 4 cyl accord had FOUR automatic transmissions in it.
In fact, honda's class action lawsuits (plural) have mostly been for transmissions - including the odyssey class action lawsuit(s).
 
One other thing you want to be aware of on the accords is the motor mounts. The accord also has a history of front motor mount problems.

#2107 of 2254 Re: Reliability of Honda Accord after 120K miles usage [marvin6] by isellhondas

Oct 15, 2010 (8:26 am)

Replying to: marvin6 (Oct 15, 2010 8:25 am)
First of all, please realize that I'm retired now and I no longer have a "dog in the fight".
 
I never heard of a class action suit on Accords and I never, once heard of an early transmission failure on a 4 cyl Accord. Maybe after 200,000 miles.
 
Most of the problems were limited to Odysseys and a few V-6 Accords.
 
Four transmissions in a 4 cyl? Even I couldn't go through that amny when I was a reckless teenager!

#2108 of 2254 Re: Reliability of Honda Accord after 120K miles usage [isellhondas] by thegraduate

Oct 15, 2010 (9:27 am)

Replying to: isellhondas (Oct 15, 2010 6:21 am)
We would get Odysseys in our shop that had Class 3 hitches on them, along with roof racks. Interiors looked like they had been lived in and after 100,000 miles, the transmission fluid looked like it had never been changed.
  
Of course, severe usage is going to contribute to early failure of a transmission.
 
All usage situations that I can relate to cars (A '93 Civic, a Subaru Legacy with a loaded roof-rack and a used U-Haul frequently behind it, and a friend's Pontiac Grand Prix all come to mind).
 
I started selling Hondas in 1995 and did this until I retired in May. I can honestly say I never noticed any decline in quality during that time. Our 2007 Accord has been flawless without one warranty repair. -Congrats; my dad's '07 Civic with the rear-suspension/tire-eating problem and my '06 Accord are 2-for-2 in being noticeably lower in quality than their counterparts of 10 years ago. I'm done with Honda for awhile.
  
Having said this, Honda is faced with a lot of tough competition. More than they ever had in the past. The Korean cars that we scoffed at have improved markedly and others are breathing down Honda's back. Good. Maybe this will help Honda turn things around from their odd exteriors and their quickly-becoming-dated feature and powertrain options. 5-speed Auto + 162 lb-ft of torque at 4,400 RPM + 3,400 lbs = Underwhelming around town performance by today's standards. And come on, $24,905 and no USB/iPod integrated hookup? They're kissing their younger buyers goodbye with that.
  
People have short memories and being loyal to one brand is a thing of the past. True. Too many good options out there now to limit one's self to a specific make.
  
Honda can't let quality slip. They have to maintain their edge. They've already slipped back into "decent" from "exceptional." I hope they quit slipping further and start climbing, learning a thing or two from *gasp* Ford and Hyundai.
 
I apologise for veering somewhat off-topic here. Would you like to continue the conversation elsewhere? I'll gladly follow.

#2109 of 2254 Re: Reliability of Honda Accord after 120K miles usage [thegraduate] by bajajoes

Oct 15, 2010 (10:32 am)

Replying to: thegraduate (Oct 15, 2010 9:27 am)
I really like Honda Accord & Civics but I too think quality has suffered when compared with earlier years. My brother has an '01 Accura and has needed to replace
 2 automatic transmissions thru the years....yet he still loves it.
Styling on the '98-02 Accords seem better than current models but I like the new Civics.
Maybe the key is to find a way to make an automatic from a "good" years model work in
a model thats prone to failure. It can be done but I don't know about cost$?
I am glad I like sticks as I've had no problems.

#2110 of 2254 Re: Reliability of Honda Accord after 120K miles usage [thegraduate] by isellhondas

Oct 15, 2010 (10:50 am)

Replying to: thegraduate (Oct 15, 2010 9:27 am)
Sure, you pick the place.
 
Rear suspension problems on Civics is something else I've never heard of.

#2111 of 2254 Re: Reliability of Honda Accord after 120K miles usage [isellhondas] by thegraduate

Oct 15, 2010 (10:56 am)

Replying to: isellhondas (Oct 15, 2010 10:50 am)
How about here, the Quality Control forum?

#2112 of 2254 Re: Reliability of Honda Accord after 120K miles usage [thegraduate] by isellhondas

Oct 15, 2010 (10:56 am)

Replying to: thegraduate (Oct 15, 2010 10:56 am)
Good idea. See you there!

#2113 of 2254 Re: Reliability of Honda Accord after 120K miles usage [isellhondas] by marvin6

Oct 15, 2010 (6:25 pm)

Replying to: isellhondas (Oct 15, 2010 8:26 am)
First of all, please realize that I'm retired now and I no longer have a "dog in the fight".
  
I never heard of a class action suit on Accords and I never, once heard of an early transmission failure on a 4 cyl Accord. Maybe after 200,000 miles.
  
Most of the problems were limited to Odysseys and a few V-6 Accords.
  
Four transmissions in a 4 cyl? Even I couldn't go through that many when I was a reckless teenager!
 
I am in my 50s and have owned quite a few cars - to include some real crap when I was a young soldier and when I was a college student. I have NEVER abused anything I owned and I have never been ticketed for anything. To this day, the accord is the only car I have ever had a transmission problem with - FOUR of them in less than 100k miles. I know others with 4 cylinder accords with the same issue. I realize you're retired and not interested in a dogfight. Neither am I. But I can't imagine you working for honda and not knowing about the class action lawsuits on accord transmissions in the late 90s and early 00s (for 4 and 6 cyl accords) or the current class action lawsuits (I believe they have started) on the latest generation accord brakes. Honda has historically made very good cars, but their transmissions have been their weakness and I believe it is the case to this very day.
 
We bought a new car this year and the first car we considered was the accord - primarily for reliability and resale value. We did not want another 4 cylinder so my wife and I drove the 6 cyl and we did not like the constant on and off of the VCM. It felt like the a/c constantly switching off and on even though the a/c was turned off. Between two dealerships, we drove three of them and they were all the same. Both salesman said they had no idea what we were talking about and had never heard of that issue. At the second dealership, I spoke with the service manager and he was very aware of what I was talking about. He said it bothered some people and others it did not. My son has recently purchased a 6 cyl accord and he feels the VCM switching off and on, but it doesn't bother him as his chevy pickup does the same thing and he is used to it.
 
I think honda has historically made excellent cars, but I think other manufacturers have caught and/or surpassed honda. Although I did not buy a sonata, I believe the hyundai sonata is a better car than the accord. I never thought I would say that and I never thought I would buy a hyundai before a honda, but if it was narrowed to those two cars I would have bought the sonata! Different strokes for different folks.. that's why they make chocolate and vanilla.

Messages Page 212 of 226

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