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Honda Accord 2013+ Maintenance and Repair

281 messages,  Last post on May 24, 2013 at 12:23 PM

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What is this discussion about? Honda Accord, Sedan

    
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Messages Page 11 of 29

#100 of 281 Re: 2013 Accord 4DR EX-L V6 (no NAVI) ISSUES! [quality4us] by trainingwheels

Jan 24, 2013 (5:40 pm)

Replying to: quality4us (Jan 22, 2013 10:08 pm)
I have also experienced the hesitation/vibration at about 1700 rpm (your item #1) on my 2013 Accord 4DR EX-L V6 (no NAVI). Thank you for posting such clear, factual descriptions of your issues.

#101 of 281 Re: 2013 Accord 4DR EX-L V6 (no NAVI) ISSUES! [rodut] by frogee

Jan 24, 2013 (7:45 pm)

Replying to: rodut (Jan 23, 2013 10:16 am)
I have also noticed a strange vibration/clatter on my V-6 Accord. Buying a 4 is not the answer, if you want the power and smoothness generally associated with a six. I realize that manufacturers are desperate to get fuel economy numbers up, but they should not be so aggressive that drivability suffers. I had planned to bring this to the attention of my dealer and am encouraged by the experience of the original poster.

#103 of 281 Re: 2013 Accord 4DR EX-L V6 (no NAVI) ISSUES! [frogee] by rodut

Jan 25, 2013 (8:15 am)

Replying to: frogee (Jan 24, 2013 7:45 pm)
I wonder if you recently drove a 4 cylinder Accord. Its power and smoothness are incredible. Obviously if you want to shred the asphalt, a V6 is better. But really you can't talk about V6 smoothness when some cylinders are disabled, so the engine becomes asymmetric. It's like a bird flying with one wing only.
 
It would be really entertaining to be able to see the engine block running on half cylinders, under load. I am sure it vibrates like crazy. But you can't see it. When you stop and open the hood, it always fires all 6 cylinders. Allowing the customers to see the 3 cylinder operation would be a marketing disaster.

#104 of 281 Re: 2013 Accord 4DR EX-L V6 (no NAVI) ISSUES! [quality4us] by davee4

Jan 26, 2013 (3:20 pm)

Replying to: quality4us (Jan 22, 2013 10:08 pm)
I also have the same issue with V6 engine vibration as you described. In fact, my experience was identical to yours. I brought the vehicle in to the dealer, they noticed the issue on a test drive and contacted Honda to determine if there were issues. According to them this was not abnormal.
 
Like you, I am concerned that this vibration should not occur and could eventually lead to problems with the engine. Although not described by you, at highway speeds the issues is not evident. If this is the case, my thought was that an eventual software revision to minimize 3 cylinder operation below say 50 MPH would help. I would be curious to see how this would impact MPG.
 
I will continue to pursue this with the dealer until resolved.
 
One final note, aside from this issue, there are absolutely no other problems with the vehicle.

#105 of 281 Re: 2013 Accord 4DR EX-L V6 (no NAVI) ISSUES! [quality4us] by quality4us

Jan 27, 2013 (7:27 pm)

Replying to: quality4us (Jan 22, 2013 10:08 pm)
Here is a quick update.
 
I was contacted by American Honda this past week in response to my letter documenting the vibration about 1700-1800 rpm. I recounted my experience at my local service center in which the technicians confirmed the vibration and noted that it was associated with the VCM (variable cylinder management) system.
 
The customer service representative reiterated that Honda has not reported this as a problem with the vehicle. I asked if any other customers have reported this vibration and he said he did not know. Of course, he is a customer service rep and not necessarily knowledgeable about the technical information or may not have access to customer complaints. I asked if Honda maintains a data base of this information and he just repeated that Honda has not reported this as a problem. (Not much help but understandable.)
 
I mentioned that I did not consider that my vibration problem had been properly recognized or resolved by Honda and that I intend to send another letter by certified mail to document this situation (as required by MD Lemon Law).
 
I agree with other posts that this is probably an issue of poor design and engineering to have three-cylinder engine operation -- an inherently unbalanced and unstable situation-- as a fuel economy measure.
 
This is my first automatic transmission car in which I am the primary driver. I would have purchased a manual transmission V6 w/ leather had it been offered but it wasn't. However, my other automatic transmission cars (e.g., Subaru Outback V6, 10 years old w/ 160,000 miles) do not have this type of vibration. Had I observed the vibration in the Honda Accord during my test drive, I would have purchased a different vehicle. (I find it awfully hard to assess every driving feature and make a judgment on a 10+ year purchase based on 15 minutes of test drive.)
 
Honda is probably in a tough spot. They implement the VCM to claim the high MPG numbers and have probably done what they can with the engine mounts and other methods to minimize vibration. It seems that they could fix the problem but it would be at the expense of the EPA-reported MPG. It will be interesting to see it their engineers (and management) can devise a solution.
 
My approach at this time, and my suggestion to others, is to politely insist that this vibration is not acceptable as normal operation for a vehicle, especially one of this caliber. I will continue to pursue my concern, not as a crusade, but as a reasonable customer expectation for a $30,000+ purchase.

#106 of 281 Re: 2013 Honda Accord Issues [metal1] by jkt4

Jan 27, 2013 (9:19 pm)

Replying to: metal1 (Nov 28, 2012 8:00 pm)
My new car does the same thing. Have you found if this is a defect?

#107 of 281 Re: 2013 Accord 4DR EX-L V6 (no NAVI) ISSUES! [quality4us] by jos999

Jan 28, 2013 (8:15 am)

Replying to: quality4us (Jan 27, 2013 7:27 pm)
I'm experiencing exactly the same vibration when reaching 50 to 55 mph 1800rpm. Took it to the dealer this morning. After test driving with the technician he was able to feel the vibration and replicated it at the shop. He just called and said he contacted American Honda and spoke to one of the engineers and they say "its a normal characteristic of the car. Its a gas saving feature" I am not happy with the answer. Honestly it is very annoying and not expected on a car of that caliber. For what i'ts worth and I am writing to American Honda to document the issue.

#108 of 281 Re: 2013 Accord 4DR EX-L V6 (no NAVI) ISSUES! [quality4us] by rodut

Jan 28, 2013 (2:32 pm)

Replying to: quality4us (Jan 27, 2013 7:27 pm)
Lemon Law ?
 
Lemon Law applies if there is a problem with your particular car, and they can't fix it. Not if all the cars have a certain standard feature (vibration because of 3 cylinder operation of a 6 cylinder engine). VCM was never a secret. They even use it as a marketing tool (it beats me why).
 
Before buying my car, I rented a similar one from a Honda dealer, for a 4 hour test drive. I drove it in the mountains, in the city, on the highway. I even had lunch with my wife, while looking at it in the parking lot. If you keep your car for 10-15 years, like myself, it's worth paying for a rental. It wasn't a new car, but it was the exact trim I later bought. The dealer doesn't care if you put miles on a used car.

#109 of 281 Re: 2013 Accord 4DR EX-L V6 (no NAVI) ISSUES! [davee4] by jkt4

Jan 28, 2013 (5:47 pm)

Replying to: davee4 (Jan 26, 2013 3:20 pm)
The vibration is clearly evident in my car at all gear-changing speeds. Between 55-60 is horrible. If I set my cruise control in this range, the car shifts in and out and causes the vibration to kick in and out. Drives me crazy.

Messages Page 11 of 29

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