1997 HONDA ACCORD Complaints

I HAVE HAD MY 1997 HONDA ACCORD LX 4CYL FOR ABOUT 4 YEARS. I HAVE SEARCHED THIS PROBLEM JUST ABOUT EVERYWHERE, AND WHILE I'VE SEEN THE PROBLEM REPORTED IN HUNDREDS OF HONDA OWNERS, I HAVE YET TO SEE A SOLID SOLUTION. PROBLEM: CAR SHUTTING OFF WHILE DRIVING, STRONG FUEL/GAS SMELL WHEN THIS HAPPENS, DASH LIGHTS SHUTTING OFF AND GOING BLACK, DOOR LOCKS JUMPING UP AND DOWN MY CAR IS SHUTTING OFF WHILE DRIVING - WHETHER I'M ON A RESIDENTIAL STREET, OR GOING 75 MPH ON THE HIGHWAY. I HAVE BEEN BLESSED NOT TO BE HIT BY ANOTHER CAR WHEN THIS HAPPENS. IT SOMETIMES STARTS RIGHT BACK UP, BUT AFTER A FEW TIMES, IT TAKES ABOUT 20 MINUTES TO BE ABLE TO START. THE ENGINE WILL STIR AROUND, BUT IT WON'T FIRE UP AND ACTUALLY START. TWENTY MINUTES LATER OR SO, IT STARTS.. AND THEN WE MAY MAKE IT TO OUR DESTINATION WITHOUT STALLING AGAIN. OH, AND I CAN'T FORGET THE STRONG SCENT OF FUEL IN THE AIR WHEN THIS HAPPENS. IT STARTED AS A SPORADIC THING THAT HAPPENED WHENEVER I DROVE LONG DISTANCE (AN HOUR OR MORE) OR WHENEVER I WAS AT 1/4 OF A TANK. MORE RECENTLY, I CAN HARDLY DRIVE AT ALL. I TRIED TO LEAVE TODAY, AND I DIDN'T MAKE IT DOWN THE STREET WITHOUT THE CAR SHUTTING OFF TWICE. THE CAR IS NOT OVERHEATING, THERE'S PLENTY OF GAS IN THE TANK... YET WHEN I DRIVE, THE DASH LIGHTS GO OUT, THE RPM JUMPS ALL OVER THE PLACE AND FINALLY TO 0. THE CAR WORKS FINE WHEN THE ENGINE IS COLD (FIRST THING IN THE MORNING), BUT AS SOON AS THE ENGINE WARMS TO A NORMAL LEVEL, THIS HAPPENS. I'VE BEEN STRANDED ON THE HIGHWAY MORE TIMES THEN I CARE TO ADMIT... BY MYSELF, WITH MY CHILDREN, IN 101 DEGREE HEAT.. ETC. WHAT WE'VE DONE (UNSUCCESSFULLY): * I ALREADY CALLED THE DEALERSHIP, THEY RAN MY VIN AND SAID THAT THE RECALLS HAVE ALL BEEN TAKEN CARE OF AND REPLACED ON MY CAR PRIOR TO ME PURCHASING THE VEHICLE. * REPLACED SPARK PLUGS AND WIRES * MAJOR TUNE-UP * REPLACED RELAY SWITCH * REPLACED FUEL FILTER. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNED A 1997 HONDA ACCORD. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE KEY SHOULD NOT BE REMOVED FROM THE VEHICLE UNLESS THE GEAR SHIFT SELECTOR WAS IN PARK. HE STATED THAT THE KEY CAME OUT OF THE IGNITION WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS MOVING WHICH CAUSED UNSAFE CONDITIONS. UPDATED 08/24/10. *LJ UPDATED 08/25/10*JB

HONDA RECOMMENDS REPLACING TIMING BELT, BALANCER BELT AND WATER PUMP AT 7 YEARS OR 105,000 MILES ON THE 1997 HONDA ACCORD. I HAD THE DEALER REPLACE THEM ALL AT 7 YEARS AND 36,139 MILES, IN 2004. THE REPLACEMENT WATER PUMP FAILED PREMATURELY IN JUST OVER FIVE YEARS AND 39,618 MILES LATER. EARLIER THIS YEAR I KEPT SEEING COOLANT UNDER THE CAR. I HAD THE DEALER INSTALL NEW BELTS AND A NEW WATER PUMP. THE NEW PUMP FAILED RIGHT OUT OF THE BOX SPILLING COOLANT ON THE NEW BELTS. SO, THE DEALER REMOVED THE NEW BELTS, INSTALLED ANOTHER NEW WATER PUMP AND THEN REINSTALLED THE SAME BELTS. I DON'T KNOW HOW THIS WILL AFFECT TO THE LONGEVITY OF THE NEW BELTS. ALSO, MY MAIN CONCERN IS THAT THE TIMING BELT IS DRIVING THE WATER PUMP, AND THE WHOLE ASSEMBLY IS HIDDEN UNDER A COVER. IF THE WATER PUMPS STARTS FAILING, HOT COOLANT WILL SPILL ON THE TIMING AND THE BALANCER BELTS CAUSING THEM TO WEAKEN OVER TIME, AND THEY CAN EITHER SLIP OR BREAK CAUSING CATASTROPHIC ENGINE FAILURE AND AN ACCIDENT. PLEASE SEE RELATED PHOTOS: HTTP://WWW.HONDA-TECH.COM/SHOWTHREAD.PHP?T=1908944 I BELIEVE THIS IS A POOR DESIGN THAT CAN CAUSE THE ENGINE TO FAIL SUDDENLY. IT SEEMS THAT HONDAS FROM 1992 TO 2002 USE THE SAME BASIC CONCEALED PUMP DESIGN. NOTE: THE WATER PUMP WAS REPLACED AT 36,139 (PREVENTIVE MEASURE) AND IT FAILED AT 75,757 OR LESS THAN 40,00 LATER!!! UPDATED 05/11/10.8JB

1997 HONDA ACCORD EX FAILED ABS MODULATOR. IT SEEMS THERE ARE SEVERAL COMPLAINTS OF THIS PART BEING A HIGH FAILURE ITEM. HONDA JUST SITS BACK AND CHARGES 1300 DOLLARS TO REPLACE A SAFETY ITEM. PLEASE HONDA MAKE THIS A RECALL AND START TAKING CARE OF YOUR CUSTOMERS. *TR

THE SRS (AIRBAGS) LIGHT HAS BEEN ON FOR OVER 2 YEARS. IT INDICATES THE AIRBAGS ARE MALFUNCTION. INITIALLY, I ATTEMPTED TO RE-SET THE LIGHT TWICE, BUT IT CAME BACK SHORTLY AFTER RESETTING. AFTER SEARCHING THROUGH INTERNET AND NHTSA WEBSITE HERE, I REALIZE THAT THIS IS A WIDESPREAD PROBLEM WITH 1997 HONDA ACCORD MODEL. SINCE THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE AND IS NOT DRIVERS FAULT, HONDA SHOULD HOLD THE RESPONSIBILITY AND ISSUE A RECALL TO REPAIR IT. *TR

TWICE DURING REGULAR DRIVING - ONCE ON THE HIGHWAY AT 55MPH AND ONCE WHILE PULLING OUT OF DRIVEWAY - THE CAR ENGINE ACCELERATED ON ITS OWN - BRAKING DID NOT HELP. HAD TO PUT IN NEUTRAL AND TAP BRAKES 3-4 TIMES. NO INJURIES/ACCIDENTS BUT IT IS WORRISOME. AND I WAS NOT EVEN PUSHING THE GAS PEDAL DOWN MORE - OTHER THAN MAINTAINING SPEED. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 HONDA ACCORD. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH, THE DRIVE SHAFT DISENGAGED BECAUSE THE LEFT BALL JOINTS FAILED. THIS CONDITION CAUSED THE ENGINE TO STALL. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED, AND HE WAS ADVISED THAT HIS VEHICLE IDENTIFICATION NUMBER WAS EXCLUDED FROM RECALL # 99V069000 (SUSPENSION:FRONT:CONTROL ARM:LOWER BALL JOINT). THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 155,000. THE VEHICLE IDENTIFICATION NUMBER WAS UNAVAILABLE.

AS WITH THE OTHERS SRS LIGHT CAME ON IN 2004 WHEN I PURCHASED THE CAR FROM A PRIVATE OWNER. BEFORE I PURCHASED THE CAR HE TOOK IT TO A HONDA DEALER FOR A COMPLETE INSPECTION AND NOTHING WAS NOTED THAT THE SRS LIGHT WAS ON. I TOOK IT INTO A HONDA DEALER AND THEY DIDN'T RUN ANY CHECKS THEY JUST TOLD ME THAT IT WAS GOING TO COST $1200.00 TO FIX. THEY TOOK THE CAR TO DO SOME OTHER MINOR REPAIRS AND WHEN I PICKED IT UP THE LIGHT WAS OFF. IT CAME BACK ON WITHIN MONTHS OF BEING OFF. IT HAS BEEN ON TO THIS DAY. IT SOUNDS FISHY TO ME THAT THEY CAN DIAGNOSE BY THE LAMP ON WHEN I READ THAT IT COULD BE A NUMBER OF LESS EXPENSIVE FIXES. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 HONDA ACCORD. WHILE ATTEMPTING TO OPEN OR CLOSE THE DRIVER SIDE POWER WINDOW IT FAILED TO OPEN OR CLOSE COMPLETELY. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN DIAGNOSED BY THE DEALER. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 89000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 HONDA ACCORD. WHILE DRIVING ABOVE 40MPH, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY TEMPORARILY SHUT OFF AND THEN BACK ON. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN DIAGNOSED BY THE DEALER. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 118000.