1997 Honda Accord

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 HONDA ACCORD. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER BECAUSE THE AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEM WAS INOPERATIVE. A TECHNICIAN STATED THAT THERE WAS A SHORT CIRCUIT THAT CAUSED THE FUSE TO BLOW AND THE AIR COMPRESSOR TO FAIL. SECONDLY, A REPRESENTATIVE STATED THAT HIS VEHICLE WAS PREVIOUSLY REPAIRED ACCORDING TO NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 98V231000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FRONT UNDERHOOD); THEREFORE, THE CONTACT WOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE REPAIR COSTS. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT ABLE TO ASSIST. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 98,000.

I HAD TO SPLIT UP MY COMPLAINT BECAUSE OF THE SIZE RESTRICTION ON THE DESCRIPTION FIELD. IN ADDITION TO THE IGNITION COIL PROBLEM DESCRIBED BELOW I HAVE ALSO HAD PROBLEMS WITH THE SRS SYSTEM, ABS SYSTEM, WIRELESS ENTRY SYSTEM, AIR CONDITIONER, AND THE AUTO DOOR LOCKS (ALL OF WHICH ARE DESCRIBED IN ANOTHER COMPLAINT). FOR A LONG TIME THE TACHOMETER BEHAVED RANDOMLY. IT WOULD SURGE THEN FALL TO ZERO. FOR PERIODS OF TIME IT BEHAVED NORMALLY. THERE WAS NO PATTERN TO THE BEHAVIOR. INITIALLY THE ENGINE PERFORMANCE WAS NOMINAL. OVER TIME THE ENGINE BEGAN SURGING AND STALLING, NOT NECESSARILY IN RHYTHM WITH THE TACHOMETER, NOR EXHIBITING SUCH BEHAVIOR WHEN THE TACH WAS ACTING UP. AGAIN THERE WAS NO OBVIOUS PATTERN. FINALLY THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON REFERENCING A TRANSMISSION CODE THAT REFERRED TO THE IGNITION COIL. INTERESTINGLY ONCE THE CODE WAS CLEARED THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WHEN OUT AND DID NOT ILLUMINATE FOR SOME TIME. THE NEXT TIME IT ILLUMINATED IT EVENTUALLY TURNED ITSELF OUT. I FINALLY TOOK THE CAR TO THE DETAILER. THE DEALER SAID THAT THE IGNITION COIL WAS NOT TALKING TO THE TACH AND THE COMPUTER COULD NOT READ THE ENGINE IDLE SPEED. CONSEQUENTLY IT WAS RECOMMENDED TO REPLACE THE IGNITION COIL AS IT EVIDENTLY HAD AN ELECTRICAL FAILURE. I AM STILL RESEARCHING THIS PROBLEM, BUT IT APPEARS THAT OTHER OWNERS HAVE HAD EXPERIENCES WITH THEIR 1997 HONDA ACCORDS' ENGINES SURGING AND STALLING AND IN SOME CASES CAUSING ACCIDENTS. THIS IS DEFINITELY NOT SAFE AND DEFINITELY UNACCEPTABLE. AS I MENTIONED BEFORE, I AM THROUGH WITH HONDA!!!!! *TR

MY 1997 ACCORD HAS HAD REPEATED PROBLEMS WITH THE AIR CONDITIONER EVERY YEAR ATLEAST TWO TIMES, I NEED TO HAVE SOME PART OF THE AC REPAIRED OR REPLACED, CONTACTED HONDA USA AND ALL I GOT WAS A SORRY, THIS IS THE 7TH HONDA/ACURA VEHICLE I HAVE OWNED AND NEVER HAD THIS TYPE OF ISSUE W/ ANY OTHER ONE. HAVE A SPENT WELL OVER 3,000 DOLLORS SINCE I PURCHASED THE CAR ON AC ISSUES ALONE. *AK

I AM THE ORIGINAL OWNER OF SUBJECT VEHICLE. THE BRAKE SWITCH FAILED WITHOUT WARNING THRICE ON MY 1997 HONDA ACCORD EX WAGON [XXX] WITH 31000 MILES; THE VEHICLE HAS NO BRAKE LIGHTS AFTER BRAKE SWITCH FAILS. PREVIOUS IDENTICAL FAILURES WERE AT 22000 MILES ON 06/18/2002 AND 164K MILES ON 09/29/2000. MY DEALER SAYS THAT SUCH A FAILURE IS TYPICAL AFTER EACH 100-150K MILES ON THESE VEHICLES. WHEN THE BRAKE SWITCH FAILS, THE OPERATOR MUST USE THE "SHIFT LOCK RELEASE" (SLR) TO PUT THE CAR IN GEAR FROM THE PARK POSITION. PAGE 105 OF THE OWNS MANUAL MERELY STATES "IF YOU NEED TO USE THE SHIFT LOCK RELEASE, IT COULD MEAN YOUR CAR IS DEVELOPING A PROBLEM. HAVE THE CAR CHECKED BY YOUR HONDA DEALER." THERE IS NO MENTION THAT THE CAR MAY NOT HAVE BRAKE LIGHTS. THERE NO DASH INDICATOR NOTIFYING THE DRIVER THAT THERE ARE NO BRAKE LIGHTS: THERE IS NO WARNING OF ANY SORT THAT ALL BRAKE LIGHTS ARE OUT. (THE "BRAKE LAMP" FAILURE DASH LAMP ONLY TELLS IF A BULB IS OUT IF THE BRAKE SWITCH IS WORKING.) THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS CONDITION THAT COULD RESULT IN FATAL ACCIDENTS. IN THIS LASTEST BRAKE SWITCH FAILURE, I WAS 500 MILES FROM HOME AND OPERATED THE CAR FOR THE NEXT DAY UNAWARE OF THIS CONDITION UNTIL I RETURNED HOME AND WENT TO MY LOCAL DEALER TO HAVE THE PROBLEM FIXED BY REPLACING THE BRAKE SWITCH AT A COST OF ABOUT $127. I HAVE MY SERVICE RECEIPTS FROM ALL THREE REPAIRS. *AK UPDATED 07/24/2012 *JS INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

SRS AIRBAG LIGHT CAME ON PANEL. CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALERSHIP. SHE NEEDS A SRS CONTROL UNIT, AND DEALERSHIP DOESN'T HAVE THEM IN STOCK. WATER HAS GOOTEN INSIDE OF RADIO. DRAINAGE COMING FROM AIR CONDITIONER LEAKAGE. DEALERSHIP IS AWARE OF PROBLEM. *AK THE CONSUMER BELIEVES POSSIBLY THE WATER CORRODED SRS COMPUTER MODULE AS THE RESULT OF FAULTY WATER DRAINAGE WHICH SHOULD HAVE BEEN THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE DEALER OR MANUFACTURER. *YH