1998 Honda Accord

MY 1998 HONDA ACCORD HAS BEEN HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM FOR THE PAST THREE YEARS. IN HOT WEATHER, DURING THE SUMMER MONTHS, MY CAR WILL EITHER NOT START AT ALL, START AND THEN IMMEDIATELY SHUT OFF, OR SHUT OFF WHILE DRIVING. THIS PROBLEM HAS CONTINUED TO WORSEN OVER THE PAST THREE YEARS TO THE POINT I AM AFRAID TO DRIVE MY HONDA. I HAVE TAKEN IT TO NUMEROUS MECHANICS, INCLUDING AN AUTHORIZED HONDA DEALER, AND NO ONE HAS BEEN ABLE TO FIX THIS ISSUE. THE HONDA DEALER REPLACED THE BATTERY AND THE STARTER, WHICH HAS NOT FIXED THE PROBLEM. I DO NOT HAVE ANY OF THE OLD PARTS THAT WERE REPLACED. THIS PROBLEM OCCURS IN HOT OR WARM WEATHER. IT WILL HAPPEN A COUPLE OF TIMES A WEEK, AND THEN WON'T AGAIN FOR A COUPLE OF WEEKS. I AM FEARFUL OF THE CONSEQUENCES ENOUGH THAT I AM NOT DRIVING MY CAR BECAUSE I HAVE NO WAY OF KNOWING WHEN OR WHERE MY CAR WILL RANDOM SHUT OFF. MY CAR HAS SHUT OFF WHILE DRIVING ON A BUSY ROAD, AND MEN IN OTHER CARS HAD TO PUSH MY CAR ACROSS HEAVY TRAFFIC TO GET IT OFF OF THE ROAD. AFTER A FEW MINUTES OF REST, MY CAR STARTED AGAIN. I AM ALSO AFRAID OF WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF MY CAR SHUT OFF WHILE DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE. I AM NOT SURE WHAT TO DO AT THIS POINT BECAUSE AUTHORIZED MECHANICS HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO SOLVE THIS ISSUE. *TR

SUBJECT: 1998 HONDA ACCORD 117,000 MILES. EVENTS THAT LED TO COMPLAINT: VEHICLE ENGINE AND ALL ELECTRICAL COMPLETELY SHUTS DOWN LEAVING NO CONTROL OVER VEHICLE: NO LIGHTS, NO BRAKES, NO STEERING, NO SIGNALS, NO CHECK ENGINE LIGHT. A SUDDEN AND COMPLETE LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL WITH 2-3 KIDS IN CAR AND 2 ADULTS. WE WENT ON LINE FOR RECALL NOTICES AND FOUND THE FOLLOWING: COMPLIANT: RECALL # 02V120000,MAY 16TH, 2002' & 03V423000 OCT 27,2003' "IGNITION SWITCH CONTACTS WORN OUT CAUSING THE ENGINE TO STALL WITH OUT WARNING". "CATASTROPHIC FAILURE!" HONDA OF OXNARD REPLACED PART BACK ON MAY 2002' WITH SAME FAULTY PART. REGISTERED COMPLIANT 4/3/08 WITHOUT RESOLUTION WITH HONDA AMERICA AND HONDA OF OXNARD DCH: HONDA AMERICA CASE # N012008-04-0200208 - SENIOR REGIONAL CASE MANAGER:JAMAHL BROWN 1-800-999-1009 X118263. JAMAHL ASKED THAT WE TAKE THE SUBJECT CAR IN TO DCH HONDA OF OXNARD FOR DIAGNOSTIC TO CONFIRM FAILURE. FAILURE WAS CONFIRMED BY CLINT STREMCHA-SERVICE TECH, ROSE SIELA - SERVICE MANAGER, TO BE THE "IGNITION SWITCH"! SAME AS RECALLED PART. I BROUGHT THE RESULTS BACK TO JAMAHL BROWN AT HONDA AMERICA AND HE SAID HE WOULD NOT PERFORM ANY GOOD WILL BECAUSE OF AGE OF VEHICLE. I STATED TO HIM THAT THIS CAR WAS STILL ON THE ROUND TRANSPORTING KIDS TO AND FROM SCHOOL DAILY. A CATASTROPHIC FAILURE OF THIS MAGNITUDE COULD CAUSE GREAT BODILY INJURY OR DEATH. HE REPLIED THAT IS MY PROBLEM AND THAT I NEED TO KEEP THE VEHICLE SERVICED. I FURTHER EXPLAINED THIS PART IS NOT A SERVICEABLE PART LIKE BRAKES AND OIL ARE. I ALSO SAID I HAVE A HONDA THAT HAS 200,000 MILES THAT IS STILL ON THE ROAD WITHOUT INCIDENT. I ASKED HIM WHY DID HE ASK ME TO TAKE THE CAR TO HONDA TO IT GET DIAGNOSED TO CONFIRM THE FAILED PART? WITH OUT ANSWERING THE QUESTION HE SAID HE WOULD STAND BY HIS DECISION NOT OFFER ME ANY FINANCIAL SUPPORT OR SOLUTION TO THIS FAILURE. END OF EXPLANATION. *TR

ENGINE STALLS WITHOUT WARNING. ENGINE STALLS IMMEDIATELY AFTER STARTING DESPITE MULTIPLE ATTEMPTS TO START. PROBLEMS ARE RANDOM AND OCCUR BOTH IN TRAFFIC AND WHEN PARKED. PROBLEM STARTED MID-2007 WITH MOMENTARY LOSS OF ENGINE POWER (<1 SEC) COMBINED WITH LOSS OF POWER TO INSTRUMENT CLUSTER. PROBLEM IS MUCH WORSE NOW. ENGINE NOW STALLS AND DOES NOT RESTART FOR 2-3 MINUTES WHICH IS VERY DANGEROUS IN TRAFFIC. INCIDENT DATE IS THE LATEST DATE. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT'S HUSBAND OWNS A 1998 HONDA ACCORD. WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH, THE VEHICLE COMPLETELY SHUT DOWN. THERE WAS A TOTAL LOSS OF STEERING AND BRAKES. OCCASIONALLY, THE VEHICLE WOULD RESTART ITSELF AND OTHER TIMES, THE CONTACT WOULD HAVE TO PULL OVER AND RESTART IT MANUALLY. THE SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED IN DECEMBER OF 2007 AND THEN DIMMED. THERE WAS NO CODE TO PINPOINT THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO TWO AUTO SHOPS, BUT NEITHER COULD DUPLICATE THE FAILURE. THE PURCHASE DATE AND POWERTRAIN WERE UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 200,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 198,000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 HONDA ACCORD. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE ENGINE LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED, BUT EVENTUALLY DIMMED. THE SERVICE DEALER STATED THAT THEY WOULD CHARGE HER JUST TO INSPECT THE VEHICLE. THE DEALER ADVISED HER TO RETURN WHEN THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED AGAIN ONE YEAR LATER. THE CONTACT RETURNED TO THE SERVICE DEALER WHO STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS ONLY GUARANTEED FOR 80,000 MILES. THE CODES ISSUED BY THE MAINTENANCE TECHNICIAN REGARDING THE FAILURE WERE P0420, P0505, AND P1456. THE PURCHASE DATE AND POWERTRAIN WERE UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT MILEAGE IS 97,596 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 80,000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 HONDA ACCORD EX. THERE WAS A SAFETY RECALL ON THE EGR VALVE. THE HONDA DEALER STATED THAT BECAUSE THE VEHICLE EXCEEDED 85,000 MILES AND WAS OVER 8 YEARS OLD IT WAS NO LONGER ELIGIBLE FOR SAFETY RECALL REPAIRS. THE GAS MILEAGE ON THE VEHICLE WAS POOR, AND FUMES ENTERED THE VEHICLE, THE ENGINE LIGHT CONSTANTLY ILLUMINATED, AND THE VEHICLE UNDERWENT THREE OR FOUR DIAGNOSTIC TESTS. THE TESTS VERIFIED THE FAILURE TO BE THE EGR VALVE. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGE WERE 120,000. AK

TL*- THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 HONDA ACCORD, AND STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY OR IN THE CITY THE VEHICLE SOMETIMES LOST POWER. NEITHER THE WEATHER NOR THE SPEED WERE A FACTOR AT THE TIME OF THE FAILURE. THE FIRST FAILURE WAS AT 90,000 MILES, AND HAS EXPERIENCED THE FAILURE SOMETIMES TWICE A DAY. THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCE THE FAILURE AROUND 5-15 TIMES A MONTH. BEFORE ANY OF THE INCIDENTS THERE HAS BEEN NO PRIOR INDICATION. THE CONTACT TOOK VEHICLET TO THE DEALER, AND THEY STATED THAT THEY COULD NOT DIAGNOSE ANY FAILURE IN THE VEHICLE. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT NEXT TIME THE CONTACT HAD THE SAME FAILURE TO HAVE THE VEHICLE TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP AFTER IT STALLED.*AK

DECEMBER 2004: REC'D A LETTER FROM HONDA, INC. STATING: CERTAIN 1998-99 ACCORDS DO NOT MEET STATE AND FEDERAL EMISSIONS REGULATIONS. DURING SOME DRIVING CONDITIONS, YOUR VEHICLE MAY EMIT A LEVEL OF EMISSIONS ABOVE STANDARDS SET BY THE EPA AND CARB. TO CORRECT THIS PROBLEM, YOUR HONDA DEALER WILL ADJUST THE AIR BLEED SCREW ON YOUR VEHICLE'S THROTTLE BODY. THIS WORK WILL BE DONE FREE OF CHARGE". <P> APRIL 2005: TOOK CAR TO ADDRESS THE RECALL/ISSUE. DURING THIS TIME THEY INFORMED ME THAT THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER WAS DETERIORATED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE COST FOR THIS WOULD BE APPROXIMATELY $900. THE CAR HAD AN 80,000 MILE WARRANTY, BUT THEY DETECTED THE PROBLEM WITH THE ODOMETER STANDING AT 81,181. <P> I TOOK MY CAR TO MY NORMAL MECHANIC AND HE TOLD ME I SHOULD ASK THE DEALER TO HONOR THE WARRANTY, BECAUSE HE KNEW FOR A FACT THAT A LOT OF HONDA ACCORDS ARE NOTORIOUS FOR HAVING FAULTY CATALYTIC CONVERTERS. I DID AS HE SAID, AND THE DEALER REFUSED TO HONOR THE WARRANTY RETROACTIVELY. <P> JANUARY 2006: I AM INFORMED THAT IN 1998 AN AGREEMENT WAS ENTERED BY HONDA, THE EPA AND THE CARB. THEY ADMIT THAT THE CARS HAVE ISSUES WITH THE EMISSIONS AND OFFER CAR OWNERS AND EXTENDED WARRANTY, FREE INSPECTIONS AND FREE REPAIRS, INCLUDING ALL PARTS AND LABOR. UNFORTUNATELY ALL HONDA OWNERS ARE NOT TREATED ALIKE, SINCE THE COSTS THEY COVER ARE ONLY FOR CERTAIN 1995, 1996 AND 1997 MODELS. THIS IS COMPLETELY UNACCEPTABLE TO ME SINCE THERE HAVE BEEN NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS OF CATALYTIC CONVERTER FAILURE FROM HONDA ACCORD OWNERS. <P> I AM SEEKING A REPLACEMENT OF THE FAULTY CATALYTIC CONVERTER PLUS ALL LABOR. THE RECALL OF THE THROTTLE BODY AIR BLEED SCREW COULD VERY WELL HAVE BEEN THE CAUSE OF THE CONVERTER TO EXPIRE PREMATURELY, AMONG OTHER UNKNOWNS. I AM OF THE OPINION THAT HONDA INC. SHOULD RETROACTIVELY HONOR THE EMISSIONS WARRANTY ON MY 1998 ACCORD. *NM

CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. HAD IT SCANNED AND PRODUCED CODE P0401 - EGR INSUFFICIENT AIRFLOW. TOLD BY HONDA THAT THIS WAS A RECOGNIZED PROBLEM AND A WARRANTY EXTENSION HAD BEEN ISSUED, BUT SINCE MY CAR HAS 113K MILES, IT WON'T FALL UNDER THE EXTENSION (80K) AND IT WILL COST ME $370 TO FIX. I HAVE NOT FIXED IT DUE TO MONEY AND IT CANNOT PASS EMISSIONS, THEREFORE, I AM DRIVING ON AN EXPIRED TAG (CANNOT GET TAG WITHOUT PASSING EMISSIONS). *JB

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