1998 HONDA ACCORD Complaints

MY 1998 HONDA ACCORD (AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION) HAS A MILEAGE OF ONLY ABOUT 50,000 MILES. OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF MONTHS I NOTICED THAT THE ENGINE CHECK LIGHT HAD COME ON AND I WAS HAVING A PROBLEM WITH DELAYED AND HARD SHIFTING OF GEARS ESPECIALLY AT LOWER SPEEDS . THE ENGINE CHECK CAME UP WITH A DIAGNOSIS CODE OF P740. THE SERVICE ADVISOR ALSO DETECTED LEAKING TRANSMISSION FLUID AND HE RECOMMENDED THAT I FIX THE SEALS AND DRIVE IT AROUND FOR SOME TIME. EVEN AFTER THE SEALS WERE REPLACED I STILL FOUND THAT THE VEHICLE WAS LUNGING FORWARD WHENEVER IT CAME TO A STOP AND IT WOULD HAVE A TROUBLE CHANGING GEARS (ESPECIALLY THE SECOND GEAR). THOUGH THE VEHICLE IS IN DRIVABLE CONDITION IT SEEMS LIKE A BIG SAFETY HAZARD AND A DISASTER WAITING TO HAPPEN. I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A HONDA DEALER WHO RECOMMENDED THAT I REPLACE THE ENTIRE TRANSMISSION AT A COST OF ABOUT $4000. GIVEN THE LOW MILEAGE AND OTHERWISE GOOD CONDITION OF MY VEHICLE I CAN ONLY ATTRIBUTE THIS PROBLEM TO A MANUFACTURING DEFECT. WHEN I DID SOME RESEARCH I FOUND OUT THAT THERE ARE A NUMBER OF 98 ACCORD OWNERS WHO HAVE BEEN FACING SIMILAR PROBLEMS WITH THEIR TRANSMISSION. I HAVE SENT A FAX TO HONDA OF AMERICA WITH A DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THIS PROBLEM ABOUT A MONTH AGO BUT HAVE NOT HEARD ANY RESPONSE. I AM EXPECTING HONDA TO TAKE A GREATER RESPONSIBILITY IN UNDERSTANDING AND RECTIFYING CUSTOMER COMPLAINTS WITH SUCH SERIOUS SAFETY IMPLICATIONS. HOWEVER THAT HAS NOT HAPPENED SO FAR. I AM CURRENTLY NOT USING THIS VEHICLE MUCH GIVEN THE OBVIOUS SAFETY ISSUES. *LA

ONSEVERAL OCCASIONS CAR WOULD NOT START WHEN PARKED ON INCLINE. AFTER A FEW HOURS CAR WOULD START. CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WAS LIT AT THIS TIME. TOOK TO DEALER AND HE INDICATED TO ME THAT IT WAS A CATALYTIC CONVERTER PROBLEM. DEALER REFERRED TO EMISSION SPECIALIST. I HAD THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER REPLACED AND RESET CHECK ENGINE LIGHT. CHECK ENGINE LIGHT TURNED BACK ON AFTER A FEW DAYS, CAR WOULD NOT START AFTER A COUPLE OF WEEKS. I TOOK THE CAR TO A LOCAL MECHANIC, HE COULD NOT FIND THE PROBLEM. NOW CAR STALLS WHILE AT LEAST ONCE A WEEK WHILE IN USE. I HAVE BEEN PARKING MY CAR DOWNHILL AND IT STARTS WITHOUT A PROBLEM. TODAY, ON TWO DIFFERENT OCCASIONS CAR STALLED ON THE ROAD. FOR SOME REASON I DID NOT RECEIVE NOTICE OF IGNITION SWITCH ISSUES AND DID NOT HAVE IT REPLACED.*AK

MY 98 HONDA ACCORD TRANSMISSION SLIPS AFTER 76,000 MILES, IT WILL JERK WHEN I TRY TO GO FROM LOW GEAR TO HIGH GEAR, IT ALSO LEAK TRANSMISSION OIL, I TOOK IT TO HONDA DEALERSHIP AND TOLD I NEED A NEW TRANSMISSION.*AK I OPEN A CASE WITH HONDA AMERICAN AND MADE A DEAL WITH THEM TO REPIRE MY TRANY.

CATALYTIC CONVERTER HAS A PREMATURE LIFE SPAN ACCORDING TO A NUMBER OF MECHANICS THAT I HAVE TALKED TO. THE "CHECK ENGINE" LIGHT CAME ON AROUND 80,000 MILES, AND THE MECHANIC SAID THE COMPUTER SENSED A FAILURE IN THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER. WE HAD THE HONDA EXTENDED WARRANTY BUT THEY STATED THAT IT DID NOT COVER THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER *AK

WHILE TRAVELING 25 MPH THE FRONT DRIVER'S SIDE WHEEL SEPARATED FROM THE AXLE (BALL JOINT FAILURE), CAUSING SUDDEN DECELERATION AND STEERING LOST. ALSO THE IGNITION KEY WAS ABLE TO BE TURNED TO THE OFF POSITION AND REMOVED EVEN THOUGH THE TRANSMISSION WAS NOT SET TO PARK. THE CONSUMER STATED THAT HONDA ISSUED A RECALL FOR BOTH PROBLEMS THAT HIS VEHICLE EXPERIENCED, HOWEVER THE CONSUMER WAS TOLD HIS VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED. *CB (RECALLS 03V423000 & 99V069000) *JB

LETTER REGARDING 1998 HONDA ACCORD IGNITION RECALL.*MR WHEN THE RECALL WAS ISSUED, THE CONSUMER WENT TO HAVE THE DEFECTIVE WORK DONE AND WAS ASKED TO PAY A $105.00 TO DISCONNECT AND RECONNECT THE ALARM SYSTEM. THE CONSUMER REJECTED TO PAY THE COST AND FELT THAT IT WAS HONDA'S RESPONSIBILITY IN THE FIRST PLACE TO MAKE IT A SAFE VEHICLE. *CB *JB

CONSUMER STATED THE VEHICLE DIED OUT AND HAD DIFFICULTY IN STARTING. *LA THIS PROBLEM WAS INTERMITTENT. *SC THE CONSUMER RECEIVED A RECALL AFTER THE REPAIR WERE MADE, THE CONSUMER REQUESTED REMIMBURSEMENT. RECALL 02V120000. *JB

CONSUMER REMOVED KEY FROM IGNITION AT ANY POSITION WITHOUT CUTTING THE VEHICLE OFF. ALSO, CONSUMER LEFT KEY IN THE IGNITION WHILE VEHICLE WAS IN THE DRIVEWAY, AND VEHICLE ROLLED BACK. CONSUMER WOULD TAKE VEHICLE TO THE HONDA DEALER TO HAVE IT REPAIRED ONCE HE CHECKED WITH THE MANUFACTURER TO SEE IF VEHICLE WAS INCLUDED IN THE HONDA RECALL.*AK

I OWN A 1998 HONDA ACCORD. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT IS ALWAYS ON. I HAVE TRIED THE GAS CAP TRICK BUT IT NO LONGER WORKS. THERE IS AN ENTIRE WEBSITE OF PEOPLE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM. LET ME KNOW IF YOU WANT THE ADDRESS. *AK

WHILE DRIVING, THE CONSUMER HEARD A NOISE AND THERE WAS VIBRATION FROM THE FRONT END OF THE VEHICLE. THE NOISE INCREASED AT 40 MPH AND HIGHER. THE CONSUMER HAD THE TIRES REPLACED, BUT THE PROBLEM WORSENED. THE PROBLEM WAS CAUSED BY A DEFECTIVE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION CARRIER NEEDED REPLACEMENT.*AK *JB *NM