1998 HONDA ACCORD Complaints

I AM A FIRST HAND OWNER OF A 1998 HONDA ACCORD EX COUPE, THE CAR HAS EXHIBITED FAILURE OF THE IGNITION SWITCH SINCE 2 MONTHS (MARCH 2006) AGO. ONE TIME I WAS DRIVING ABOUT 65 MILES AT FREEWAY 15, ALL THE SUDDEN THE CAR JUST STALL AND LOST ALL POWER; NO DASHBOARD LIGHTS, NO AIR-CONDITIONING AND CAR ENGINE STALL. FORTUNATELY, THERE WAS NOT MUCH TRAFFIC AND I WAS ON A DOWNHILL SLOPE, SO THE CAR GAINED SOME MOMENTUM AND I WAS ABLE TO PULL IT TO THE RIGHT SHOULDER. THE SAME THING HAPPENED 3 TIMES ON LOCAL STREETS. WHEN I TOOK THE CAR TO MY MECHANIC, HE SAID THE IGNITION SWITCH FAILED. HE TOLD ME THAT THERE WAS A RECALL ON ACCORD IGNITION SWITCH AND SUGGESTED THAT I CALL HONDA TO FIND OUT THE DETAILS. I DIDN'T RECEIVED ANY NOTICE OF RECALL REGARDING IGNITION SWITCH FAILURE. I DID RECEIVED ONE REGARDING IGNITION SWITCH INTERLOCK OPERATION (CAMPAIGN ID# 03V423000) WHICH I HAD FIXED. I CALL HONDA CUSTOMER SERVICE TODAY AND THEY SAID THAT MY VIN# WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL OF THE IGNITION SWITCH FAILURE (CAMPAIGN ID# 02V120000), THEY WILL NOT PAY FOR THE COST OF REPAIR. BUT MY CAR IS EXHIBITING THE EXACT BEHAVIOR AS DESCRIBE IN THE RECALL (IGNITION SWITCH FAILURE CAUSED CAR ENGINE STALL WITHOUT WARNING WHILE DRIVING) THE CAR WAS RUNNING FINE BEFORE THE INCIDENT HAPPENED, I BELIEVE THIS IS A FAILURE CAUSED BY MANUFACTURING DEFECT OF THE CAR AND MY CAR(VIN#) SHOULD BE INCLUDED IN THE RECALL! *NM

THE "CHECK ENGINE" LIGHT LIT UP ON A SUNDAY, BUT THE SERVICE DEALER WHO LOOKED AT THE CAR ON MONDAY COULD NOT DETERMINE WHY. A DIAGNOSTIC DEVICE INDICATED A PROBLEM AROUND THE CARBURETOR SO THE TECHNICIAN TURNED OFF THE "CHECK ENGINE" LIGHT AND I WAS TOLD TO DRIVE AROUND FOR AWHILE AND SEE WHAT HAPPENED. THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY STARTED TO OVERHEAT WHILE DRIVING WITHIN THE CITY. THERE HAD BEEN NO PROBLEMS BEFORE THIS INCIDENT AND ALL REGULAR MAINTENANCE WAS DONE ON THE VEHICLE. WHEN THE CAR OVERHEATED, IT COULD NOT EVEN BE DRIVEN FOR A MILE WITHOUT STOPPING TO LET IT COOL DOWN. THIS WOULD'VE BEEN A SERIOUS PROBLEM IF IT HAD OCCURRED ON THE HIGHWAY BECAUSE THERE WAS NO WARNING AND THE VEHICLE WAS IMMEDIATELY INCAPACITATED. THE SERVICE DEALER DETERMINED THAT THE ENGINE BLOCK HAD CRACKED AND THE ONLY REMEDY WAS TO REPLACE THE ENGINE. THE CAR ONLY HAD 63,000 MILES ON IT, BUT THE COST OF A REBUILT ENGINE (WITH 120,000 MILES ON IT) WAS ALMOST AS MUCH AS THE BLUE BOOK VALUE. SUDDENLY, OUR CAR WAS WORTHLESS WHEN WE EXPECTED IT TO LAST FOR SEVERAL MORE YEARS. THE DEALERSHIP SAW NO REASON TO PROVIDE ANY COMPENSATION. AN EMPLOYEE AT THE DEALERSHIP BOUGHT THE CAR FOR $1000 FOR PARTS. *NM

98' HONDA ACCORD SEDAN- WE PURCHASED IN NOVEMBER OF 2004 AND VEHICLE HAD 44,000 MILES. AFTER A FEW WEEKS OF DRIVING, TRANSMISSION WAS BEGINNING TO SLIP BETWEEN FIRST AND SECOND GEARS. TOOK TO DEALERSHIP AND THEY STATED WE NEEDED A NEW TRANSMISSION. I CALLED AMERICAN HONDA AND THEY AGREED TO PUT IN A REBUILT TRANSMISSION EVEN THOUGH IT WAS A FEW THOUSAND MILES OUT OF WARRANTY. WE PAID FOR THE LABOR. VEHICLE IS NOW AT 88,000 MILES AND NEEDS ANOTHER NEW TRANSMISSION. SAME PROBLEMS AS BEFORE. CONTACTED AMERICAN HONDA AGAIN AND THEY REFUSE TO HELP. *JB

THE VEHICLE IN QUESTION HAS SERIOUS PROBLEMS AND DEALERSHIP IS DOUBTING THE SAFETY OF IT. IT HAS BEEN "CLIPPED" I HAD IT FULLY INSPECTED BY A MECHANIC THAT I TRUSTED. WE TOOK IT BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP AND TODAY IT WILL BE CHECKED BY THERE MECHANIC HOWEVER THE MAN WAS NOT PROFESSIONAL IN DEALING WITH ME. THE CAR I WAS TOLD WAS UNSAFE AND SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN SOLD IN THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA?. *NM

THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION IN MY CAR STARTED WITH HESITATION DURING COLD STARTS AS DESCRIBED BY NUMEROUS OTHER HONDA 98 ACCORDS. IT WOULD GET OUT OF PARK AND INTO 1ST GEAR JUST FINE, BUT WHEN GETTING OUT OF 1ST AND INTO 2ND, THE RPMS WOULD JUST SHOOT UP AND THE TRANSMISSION WOULD CATCH THE 2ND GEAR 2-5 SECONDS LATER. IN THOSE 2-5 SECONDS, THERE WOULD BE NO POWER TRANSFERRED TO THE FRONT WHEELS. THE CAR IS SO JERKY THAT SOMETIMES I SPIN OUT ON MY FRONT TIRES. THE PROBLEM HAD BEEN LOOKED AT BY HONDA, BUT THEY WANTED $5,000 FOR THE REPAIR; THE ENTIRE VALUE OF THE CAR. WE TOOK IT TO AAMCO AND THEY DID THE REPAIR FOR 2,200. WE'VE BEEN INTO THEIR SHOP TWICE NOW IN THEIR 1 YEAR WARRANTY, BUT THE HESITATION HAS COME BACK. THE CAR HAS ONLY 82,000 MILES ON IT AND I DON'T DRIVE IT HARD AT ALL. SOMETHING IS DEFINITELY WRONG WITH THESE UNITS AND SOMETHING HAS TO BE DONE. *NM

98 HONDA ACCORD TRANSMISSION FAILURE. CAR LUNGES, MISSES GEARS AND NEEDS A REPLACEMENT. CAR HAS LESS THEN 100000 MILES AND IT NEEDS A REBUILD. KNOW OF OTHER PEOPLE WITH EXACT SAME PROBLEM. HONDA KNOWS ITS A PROBLEM AND WILL OFFER TO HELP PAY SOME OF PART COST BUT THAT'S IT. THE TRANSMISSION IS A FLOP AND HONDA SHOULD PAY FOR IT ALL. I WAS LIED TO AND DECEIVED BY HONDA. DEFINITELY FRAUDULENT. *NM

SRS LIGHT IS ON; THEREFORE, IS NOT WORKING. LIGHT HAS BEEN ON SINCE 5/01 PULLED A CODE 06-3. COST OVER $600 TO REAIR, OWNER (FRIEND) DECLINED. BOUGHT THE CAR USED (FRIEND), DEALERSHIP RESET THE LIGHT BUT IT CAME BACK ON. I HAVE READ NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS ONLINE OF OTHERS WITH THE SAME SITUATION. THIS IS A MAJOR ISSUE WITH HONDA, NEEDS TO BE A RECALL AS THIS IS SUCH A KEY SAFETY FEATURE. *NM

I HAVE TAKEN MY 1998 HONDA ACCORD LX TO THE DEALERSHIP TO HAVE MY OIL CHANGED. (MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WAS ON) I WAS TOLD BY THE DEALER THAT MY ENGINE WAS LEAKING OIL, OIL HAD LEAKED THROUGH OUT THE CARS ENTIRE SYSTEM SO THEY FLUSHED OUT AS MUCH OIL AS THEY COULD. I WAS SKEPTICAL SO I WENT TO GET A 2ND AND THIRD OPINION AND IT WAS THE SAME CONSENSUS- I NEEDED A NEW ENGINE. MY VEHICLE HAS 134,000 MILES. FOR A USED ENGINE IT WILL COST ABOUT 3,000 FOR A NEW ENGINE 5,000.00 . I WAS TOLD TO THAT I EITHER HAD TO REPLACE THE ENGINE OR PURCHASE A NEW CAR. SINCE THE SYSTEM WAS DRAINED, THE CAR HAS LEAKED OIL AGAIN THIS TIME THE OIL WAS ALL OVER THE DRIVE WAY AND IT IS ALMOST APRIL. *JB

IGNITION SWITCH FAILURE FOR THE SECOND TIME OVER FIVE YEARS. HONDA RECALLED THIS ITEM ONCE AND NOW THEY ARE CHARGING ME FOR A SECOND REPLACEMENT. $154.00. *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS THE ENGINE STALLS WITHOUT WARNING AND INTERMITTENTLY THE VEHICLE DOES NOT START. THERE IS A NHTSA RECALL, # 02V120000 REGARDING THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: IGNITION: SWITCH. THE VEHICLE HAS THE SAME PROBLEMS AS INDICATED IN THE RECALL; HOWEVER IT IS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL DUE TO THE VIN. THE DEALERSHIP HAS BEEN ALERTED. THE INTERLOCK SWITCH HAS BEEN REPLACED DUE TO BULLETIN #03-088 HOWEVER; THIS DID NOT CORRECT THE PROBLEM.