1998 HONDA ACCORD Complaints

MY 1998 HONDA ACCORD HAS BEEN HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM FOR THE PAST THREE YEARS. IN HOT WEATHER, DURING THE SUMMER MONTHS, MY CAR WILL EITHER NOT START AT ALL, START AND THEN IMMEDIATELY SHUT OFF, OR SHUT OFF WHILE DRIVING. THIS PROBLEM HAS CONTINUED TO WORSEN OVER THE PAST THREE YEARS TO THE POINT I AM AFRAID TO DRIVE MY HONDA. I HAVE TAKEN IT TO NUMEROUS MECHANICS, INCLUDING AN AUTHORIZED HONDA DEALER, AND NO ONE HAS BEEN ABLE TO FIX THIS ISSUE. THE HONDA DEALER REPLACED THE BATTERY AND THE STARTER, WHICH HAS NOT FIXED THE PROBLEM. I DO NOT HAVE ANY OF THE OLD PARTS THAT WERE REPLACED. THIS PROBLEM OCCURS IN HOT OR WARM WEATHER. IT WILL HAPPEN A COUPLE OF TIMES A WEEK, AND THEN WON'T AGAIN FOR A COUPLE OF WEEKS. I AM FEARFUL OF THE CONSEQUENCES ENOUGH THAT I AM NOT DRIVING MY CAR BECAUSE I HAVE NO WAY OF KNOWING WHEN OR WHERE MY CAR WILL RANDOM SHUT OFF. MY CAR HAS SHUT OFF WHILE DRIVING ON A BUSY ROAD, AND MEN IN OTHER CARS HAD TO PUSH MY CAR ACROSS HEAVY TRAFFIC TO GET IT OFF OF THE ROAD. AFTER A FEW MINUTES OF REST, MY CAR STARTED AGAIN. I AM ALSO AFRAID OF WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF MY CAR SHUT OFF WHILE DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE. I AM NOT SURE WHAT TO DO AT THIS POINT BECAUSE AUTHORIZED MECHANICS HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO SOLVE THIS ISSUE. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 HONDA ACCORD. AFTER TURNING THE KEY IN THE IGNITION, THE KEY MUST REMAIN IN THE RUN POSITION TO KEEP THE VEHICLE ON, EVEN WHILE DRIVING. THE KEY IS CURRENTLY STUCK IN THE IGNITION. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A MECHANIC AND THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE IGNITION LOCK ASSEMBLY NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. AFTERWARDS, HE WILL BE ABLE TO TAKE THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER TO REPROGRAM THE KEY. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 176,360.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 HONDA ACCORD. THE CONTACT STATED THAT ON FIVE SEPARATE OCCASIONS, WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH, THE VEHICLE COMPLETELY SHUT OFF WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS RESTARTED AFTER APPROXIMATELY FIVE MINUTES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER, BUT THEY COULD NOT LOCATE THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS THEN TAKEN TO ANOTHER MECHANIC AND THEY STATED THAT THE IGNITION SWITCH NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 02V120000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH). THE CURRENT MILEAGE IS 118,238 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 117,000. UPDATED 07/03/08

MY STEPDAUGHTER'S CAR WOULD SHUT DOWN WITH NO WARNING. BEING AN AIRCRAFT MECHANIC I SPENT A LOT OF TIME TROUBLE SHOOTING THIS INTERMITTENT PROBLEM AND WAS QUITE SURE THIS WAS AN ELECTRICAL PROBLEM WHICH CAN BE THE HARDEST PROBLEM TO NARROW DOWN SO I CHANGE QUITE A FEW OF THE COMMON PART AND TUNED UP THE VEHICLE I CHANGED THE FOLLOWING COMPONENTS: DISTRIBUTOR CAP ROTOR, TIMING BELTS WIRES CLEANED THE FUEL INJECTION AND A FEW OTHER COMPONENTS YET THE VEHICLE WOULD MYSTERIOUSLY SHUT DOWN. GOING IN TO FLORIDA WINTER THE PROBLEM SEEM TO GO AWAY HOWEVER I WAS NOT SURPRISED ONCE IT WARMED-UP THE PROBLEM STARTED AGAIN AND MORE FREQUENTLY. I DID AN INTERNET SEARCH AND FOUND THERE HAD BEEN A RECALL ON THE IGNITION SWITCH FOR THIS EXACT PROBLEM. I CALLED HONDA AMERICA AND THE INFORMED ME THE RECALL HAD BEEN PERFORMED ON THE VEHICLE I WAS LESS THAN CONVINCED. I FINALLY SWITCHED VEHICLE FOR A WEEK TO TROUBLE SHOOT THE PROBLEM. HAVING TO MAIN SUSPECT IN MINE THE IGNITION SWITCH AND THE MAIN RELAY I WENT TO THE LOCAL JUNK YARD TO SEE IF I COULD FIND THESE TWO COMPONENTS WITH OUT SPENDING. FINDING THESE TWO COMPONENTS ON MY WAY HOME THE CAR STALLED ' I QUICKLY CHANGE THE RELAY CAR STILL STALLED THEN CHANGED THE IGNITION SWITCH AND THE PROBLEM HAS AGAIN SEEMED TO GONE AWAY SINCE HONDA SAID THE PERFORMED THE RECALL WORK I CAN ONLY SURMISE THE REPLACEMENT PARTS ARE ALSO FAULTY OR THE RECALL WORK WAS NOT DONE, HOWEVER DOCUMENTED. I HAVE THE SWITCH AS AN EXHIBIT SHOULD ANY ONE WANT TO SEE THE FAULT. I NOTICED THE SOLDER HAS FLOWED OFF TWO OF THE CONTACTS AND THE INNER WORKING LOOK EXCESSIVELY HEAT WORN. *TR

SUBJECT: 1998 HONDA ACCORD 117,000 MILES. EVENTS THAT LED TO COMPLAINT: VEHICLE ENGINE AND ALL ELECTRICAL COMPLETELY SHUTS DOWN LEAVING NO CONTROL OVER VEHICLE: NO LIGHTS, NO BRAKES, NO STEERING, NO SIGNALS, NO CHECK ENGINE LIGHT. A SUDDEN AND COMPLETE LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL WITH 2-3 KIDS IN CAR AND 2 ADULTS. WE WENT ON LINE FOR RECALL NOTICES AND FOUND THE FOLLOWING: COMPLIANT: RECALL # 02V120000,MAY 16TH, 2002' & 03V423000 OCT 27,2003' "IGNITION SWITCH CONTACTS WORN OUT CAUSING THE ENGINE TO STALL WITH OUT WARNING". "CATASTROPHIC FAILURE!" HONDA OF OXNARD REPLACED PART BACK ON MAY 2002' WITH SAME FAULTY PART. REGISTERED COMPLIANT 4/3/08 WITHOUT RESOLUTION WITH HONDA AMERICA AND HONDA OF OXNARD DCH: HONDA AMERICA CASE # N012008-04-0200208 - SENIOR REGIONAL CASE MANAGER:JAMAHL BROWN 1-800-999-1009 X118263. JAMAHL ASKED THAT WE TAKE THE SUBJECT CAR IN TO DCH HONDA OF OXNARD FOR DIAGNOSTIC TO CONFIRM FAILURE. FAILURE WAS CONFIRMED BY CLINT STREMCHA-SERVICE TECH, ROSE SIELA - SERVICE MANAGER, TO BE THE "IGNITION SWITCH"! SAME AS RECALLED PART. I BROUGHT THE RESULTS BACK TO JAMAHL BROWN AT HONDA AMERICA AND HE SAID HE WOULD NOT PERFORM ANY GOOD WILL BECAUSE OF AGE OF VEHICLE. I STATED TO HIM THAT THIS CAR WAS STILL ON THE ROUND TRANSPORTING KIDS TO AND FROM SCHOOL DAILY. A CATASTROPHIC FAILURE OF THIS MAGNITUDE COULD CAUSE GREAT BODILY INJURY OR DEATH. HE REPLIED THAT IS MY PROBLEM AND THAT I NEED TO KEEP THE VEHICLE SERVICED. I FURTHER EXPLAINED THIS PART IS NOT A SERVICEABLE PART LIKE BRAKES AND OIL ARE. I ALSO SAID I HAVE A HONDA THAT HAS 200,000 MILES THAT IS STILL ON THE ROAD WITHOUT INCIDENT. I ASKED HIM WHY DID HE ASK ME TO TAKE THE CAR TO HONDA TO IT GET DIAGNOSED TO CONFIRM THE FAILED PART? WITH OUT ANSWERING THE QUESTION HE SAID HE WOULD STAND BY HIS DECISION NOT OFFER ME ANY FINANCIAL SUPPORT OR SOLUTION TO THIS FAILURE. END OF EXPLANATION. *TR

TL*- THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 HONDA ACCORD. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE TRUNK ON THE VEHICLE KEPT OPENING AT ANY TIME. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE SHOP FOR REPAIR; THEY FOUND THAT THE GIST OF THE FRAME WAS BROKEN. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGE, AND THE DEALER INFORMATION WASN'T AVAILABLE.

ENGINE STALLS WITHOUT WARNING. ENGINE STALLS IMMEDIATELY AFTER STARTING DESPITE MULTIPLE ATTEMPTS TO START. PROBLEMS ARE RANDOM AND OCCUR BOTH IN TRAFFIC AND WHEN PARKED. PROBLEM STARTED MID-2007 WITH MOMENTARY LOSS OF ENGINE POWER (<1 SEC) COMBINED WITH LOSS OF POWER TO INSTRUMENT CLUSTER. PROBLEM IS MUCH WORSE NOW. ENGINE NOW STALLS AND DOES NOT RESTART FOR 2-3 MINUTES WHICH IS VERY DANGEROUS IN TRAFFIC. INCIDENT DATE IS THE LATEST DATE. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 HONDA ACCORD. AFTER FOUR YEARS AND 49,278 MILES, A NEW TRANSMISSION WAS INSTALLED IN JULY OF 2002. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE NEW TRANSMISSIONS WERE MALFUNCTIONING; THEREFORE, THEY ONLY CHARGED THE CONTACT $1,000 FOR LABOR. IN MARCH OF 2008, THE VEHICLE NEEDS ANOTHER NEW TRANSMISSION. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 49,278 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 102,658.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 HONDA ACCORD. WHILE SHIFTING INTO FOURTH GEAR, THE TRANSMISSION FAILS TO SHIFT PROPERLY. AFTER THE VEHICLE HAS ACCELERATED OVER 10 MPH, THE TRANSMISSION OPERATES NORMALLY. THE FAILURE OCCURRED IN MAY OF 2005. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 270,000.

TL*THE CONTACT'S HUSBAND OWNS A 1998 HONDA ACCORD. WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH, THE VEHICLE COMPLETELY SHUT DOWN. THERE WAS A TOTAL LOSS OF STEERING AND BRAKES. OCCASIONALLY, THE VEHICLE WOULD RESTART ITSELF AND OTHER TIMES, THE CONTACT WOULD HAVE TO PULL OVER AND RESTART IT MANUALLY. THE SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED IN DECEMBER OF 2007 AND THEN DIMMED. THERE WAS NO CODE TO PINPOINT THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO TWO AUTO SHOPS, BUT NEITHER COULD DUPLICATE THE FAILURE. THE PURCHASE DATE AND POWERTRAIN WERE UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 200,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 198,000.