1998 HONDA ACCORD Complaints

WHILE DRIVING CONSUMER APPLIED THE BRAKES AND PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR. CONSUMER WAS UNABLE TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE, AND IT COLLIDED INTO ANOTHER VEHICLE FROM THE DRIVER'S SIDE. UPON IMPACT, BOTH FRONTAL AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. DRIVER SUSTAINED HEAD AND BACK INJURIES, AND WAS TRANSPORTED BY AMBULANCE TO A HOSPITAL. VEHICLE WAS TOWED, AND TOTALED BY THE INSURANCE COMPANY.*AK THE CONSUMER STATED THAT BRAKES FAILED TO STOP THE VEHICLE. *TC

CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON IN JULY 03 AT 110K MILES, CODE P0420. TO PASS EMISSIONS, AFTER TALKING TO SEVERAL SOURCES, I REPLACED THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER WITH AN OEM REPLACEMENT ($250 INSTEAD OF $800 FROM THE DEALERSHIP). THE C.E. LIGHT HAS NOW COME BACK ON WITH THE SAME CODE AS BEFORE, P0420. OBVIOUSLY THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH THE CAR'S EMISSION SYSTEM OR IT'S SENSORS. THE LIGHT STAYED OFF FOR 11 MONTHS WITH THE NEW C.C.. I FIND IT HARD TO BELIEVE I HAVE BURNED THROUGH ANOTHER C. CONVERTER IN 25K MILES. I SEE THE COURT RULING IN 1998 THAT HONDA HAD LEFT MISFIRING MONITORING DEVICE IN THE ON BOARD DIAGNOSTICS (OBD) FOR PRE-1998 MODELS DISABLED. IF THIS PROBLEM IS NOT DETECTED IT CAN LEAD TO INCREASED EXHAUST EMISSIONS OF HYDROCARBONS AND DAMAGE TO THE VEHICLES CATALYST. I WILL NOT PAY $250 PER YEAR TO CONTINUALLY REPLACE CONVERTERS. *JB

WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE STOPPED. CONSUMER RESTARTED THE VEHICLE , HOWEVER IT WOULD ONLY GO 20 MILES PER HOUR. DEALER STATED THE TRANSMISSION GEAR WAS DEFECTIVE THE MANUFACTURER STATED THEY WILL LOOK INTO THE PROBLEM. *AK

HEARD "THUMPING" TYPE NOISE IN 1998 HONDA ACCORD WITH APPROXIMATELY 58,000 MILES. TOOK VEHICLE TO HONDA DEALER WHERE ALL ROUTINE MAINTENANCE HAD BEEN PERFORMED. ORIGINALLY TOLD THAT WHEEL BEARING HAD FAILED BUT THEN INFORMED THAT BEARING IN TRANSMISSION HAD FAILED AND THAT TRANSMISSION WOULD HAVE TO BE REPLACED AT OWNER'S EXPENSE DESPITE THE VEHICLE'S IMPECCABLE SERVICE RECORDS, LOW MILES, AND EXCELLENT CONDITION. REMANUFACTURED HONDA TRANSMISSION WAS INSTALLED AT OWNER'S EXPENSE, BUT THE PREMATURE TRANSMISSION FAILURE RATE ASSOCIATED WITH THIS VEHICLE NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED AND THOSE OWNERS AFFECTED BY THIS FAILURE DESERVE FULL REIMBURSEMENT FROM HONDA.

WHILE DRIVING, THE VEHICLE CUT OFF AND THE STEERING BECAME STIFF. THE CONSUMER STATED THAT AT THIS TIME HE CAN NO LONGER STEER THE VEHICLE. HE STATED THAT THERE WAS NO WARNING SOUND. HE STATED THAT THIS HAS HAPPENED AT LEAST 8 TIMES. HE HAS TAKEN THIS VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AND WAS TOLD THAT THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG. *JB

CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON ABOUT 2 MONTHS AGO. IT WENT OFF WITHOUT ANYTHING BEING DONE. SINCE THEN THE CEL HAS GONE ON AND OFF FOR 4-5 TIMES. I TOOK THE CAR IN OKIMOTO'S FOR SERVICE AND THEY FOUND PO420, CATALYTIC CONVERTER INEFFICIENCY. THIS IS ON A 1998 HONDA ACCORD, THAT HAS BEEN WELL-MAINTAINED. TOOK THE CAR TO NORM REEVES AND THE GOT THE SAME CODE PO420. COST OF REPAIR $1000. MANY PEOPLE ARE HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THE CEL AND THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER. *AK

LAST SPRING (4/25/03) , I TOOK MY 1998 HONDA ACCORD IN TO THE DEALER FOR BRAKES AND WHILE THERE, THEY FIXED THE IGNITION SWITCH WHICH HAD BEEN RECALLED. NTIL THEN, I HAD NEVER HAD A PROBLEM STARTING MY CAR. AFTER THE RECALL REPLACEMENT, I NOW HAVE STARTING PROBLEMS! IT SEEMS THAT MY CAR WILL CRANK NORMALLY BUT NOT TURN OVER. IT APPEARS NOT TO BE GETTING FUEL. THE CAR WILL THEN START NORMALLY AFTER AN HOUR. I HAVE HAD THE CAR BACK TO THE DEALER AND THEY CAN NOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG. I HAVE HAD THE BATTERY AND THE ALTERNATOR REPLACED BUT I STILL HAVE THIS PROBLEM. STRANGELY ENOUGH, IT DOES NOT SEEM TO HAPPEN IN THE COLD WEATHER, ONLY ON HOT DAYS. I AM TOLD BY THE DEALER AND PRIVATE MECHANICS THAT THEY NEED TO SEE IT WHEN IT WILL NOT START IN ORDER TO DIAGNOSE & FIX THE PROBLEM. AS I HAVE STATED ABOVE, IT WILL START AFTER AN HOUR OR SO, IT WILL START BEFORE I CAN HAVE IIT TOWED TO THE DEALER. I HAVE 39,963 MILES ON THIS CAR AND I AM THE ORIGINAL OWNER. I HAVE NEVER HAD ANY OTHER PROBLEMS WITH THIS CAR. MY DAUGHTER'S FRIEND HAD THE SAME YEAR & MODEL CAR AND HAD THE SAME STARTING PROBLEMS. SHE GOT RID OF THE CAR. I DO NOT WANT TO DO THIS.*AK

THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ON MY 1998 HONDA ACCORD CAME ON AGAIN AFTER 101000 MILES. THE DEALERSHIP SAYS THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER WILL HAVE TO BE REPLACED. IT SEEMS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH 1998 HONDA ACCORD, BUT THE COMPANY HAS NOT COMMENCED ANY RECALL TO FIX THIS ISSUE. *JB

TRANSMISSION FLUID LEAK AND LURCHING WHEN SHIFTING GEARS. DIAGNOSED AS A BEARING FAILURE DUE TO POSSIBLE GROUND STRAP FAILURE. TRANSMISSION REBUILT AND TORQUE CONVERTER REBUILT. GROUND STRAP, 1 SET OF DIFFERENTIAL CARRIER BEARINGS REPLACED. *JB

UNABLE TO REMOVE KEY FROM IGNITION AFTER TURNING OFF CAR IN THE "PARK" POSITION. *AK