1998 Honda Accord

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 HONDA ACCORD. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE AT THE DEALER FOR A SAFETY INSPECTION, THE TECHNICIAN STATED THAT THE FRONT FRAME WAS CORRODED AND THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE AXLE SHAFT BOOST WAS FRACTURED. AS A RESULT, THE FRAME AND AXLE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE TECHNICIAN ADVISED THE CONTACT THAT THE VEHICLE SHOULD NOT BE DRIVEN. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 200,000.

CAR SUDDENLY SHUTS OFF ON ITS OWN WHILE DRIVING; ALL ELECTRICAL GOES OFF EXCEPT FOR CHECK ENGINE LIGHT, ABS LIGHT, OR NONE AT ALL. HAPPENED 3 OR 4 TIMES, SOMETIMES AT FREEWAY SPEED, CAR RESTARTED FROM NEUTRAL A FEW MINUTES LATER. TAKEN TO HONDA DEALER & DIAGNOSED WITH A FAULTY TRANSMISSION MODULE, REPLACED FOR $450. YET THE PROBLEM JUST RECURRED NOT LONG AFTER THAT REPAIR. THIS CREATES A SERIOUS ROAD HAZARD & POTENTIAL FOR CRASH & SERIOUS INJURY, AS SUDDENLY & WITHOUT WARNING, THE VEHICLE SHUTS DOWN & CANNOT BE CONTROLLED WITH ANY ACCELERATION, POWER STEERING OR NORMAL BRAKING. THIS VEHICLE HAS ALWAYS BEEN MAINTAINED METICULOUSLY, SINCE NEW, PER RECOMMENDED SCHEDULE WITH HONDA DEALERSHIPS. BROWSING THE INTERNET SHOWS THIS TO BE AN UNUSUALLY COMMON, SERIOUS & DIFFICULT TO DIAGNOSE ISSUE WITH HONDAS & ACURAS FROM ~1997-2002. *TR

AT THE APPROX MILES STATED ABOVE, MY HONDA ACCORD BEGAN TO STRUGGLE SHIFTING FROM FIRST TO SECOND GEAR. IT WAS AS THOUGH THE CAR WAS LOSING POWER. ALSO AT TIMES THE CAR NOT ONLY STRUGGLE TO GET INTO FIRST GEAR BUT WHEN IT SHIFTED IT WOULD SHIFT ROUGH, AND THE CAR WOULD PLUNGE OR GALLOP FORWARD. I RESEARCHED SEVERAL WEBSITES AND BLOGS JUST TO SEE IF ANY ONE ELSE HAD EXPERIENCED THIS SAME PROBLEM. AS IT TURNS OUT EVERYONE HAS EXPERIENCED THE PROBLEM ON THE HONDA ACCORD 1998-2002 MODELS. SO SINCE THIS WAS NOT JUST ME, I CONTACTED HONDA HEADQUARTERS ABOUT THIS ISSUE TO SEE IF THEY WOULD BE OR HAD ISSUED A RECALL ON THIS VEHICLE REGARDING THE TRANSMISSION. THEY STATED THEY HAD NOT, HOWEVER, I FEEL THEY NEED TO BECAUSE THIS IS A HAZARD, AND A MAJOR PROBLEM. WHEN THE CAR STRUGGLES TO GET INTO FIRST GEAR WHILE TRYING TO GET INTO TRAFFIC, THE CAR CAN LOSE POWER, WHICH CAN POSSIBLY CAUSE SOMEONE TO LOOSE CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. AND AS A CONSEQUENCE AN ACCIDENT MAY OCCUR, RESULTING IN SERIOUS INJURY OR DEATH. I ASK THAT THE NHTSA PLEASE IMMEDIATELY LOOK INTO THIS ISSUE. I HAVE READ BLOGS AND COMPLAINTS ALL OVER THE WEB REGARDING HONDA AND THIS PROBLEM WITH THE HONDA ACCORD TRANSMISSION SOLENOID, DATING BACK AS FAR AS 1990-2002. HONDA APPARENTLY HAS KNOW ABOUT THIS PROBLEM, AND HAS FAILED TO BE COURTEOUS ABOUT FIXING IT. ALTHOUGH MY CAR IS OLD, I STILL FEEL HONDA SHOULD BE HELD LIABLE FOR A FAULTY PART ON THE TRANSMISSION. TO CONTINUE WHERE I LEFT OFF WITH HONDA, I HAVE TALKED TO THEM 4 DIFFERENT TIMES AND IN DIFFERENT MONTHS REGARDING THIS ISSUE, IT SEEMS THEY ARE NOT INTERESTED IN CORRECTING IT, UNLESS THEY ARE FORCED TO DO SO. THE LADY OVER THE PHONE DID NOT EVEN OFFER ANY TYPE OF COMPENSATION FOR THE REPAIR. SO NOW IT SEEMS IT IS ALL UP TO ME AS THE CONSUMER. NHTSA, AGAIN, PLEASE LOOK INTO THIS IMMEDIATELY. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 HONDA ACCORD. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 55 MPH THE ENGINE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE ENGINE WAS RESTARTED AND THE VEHICLE RESUMED NORMAL OPERATION. THE MALFUNCTION RECURRED FIVE TIMES AFTER A PREVIOUS REPAIR UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 02V120000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH). THE VEHICLE HAD NOT RECENTLY BEEN TAKEN BACK TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSIS OR POSSIBLE REPAIRS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE PROBLEM. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 305,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 HONDA ACCORD EX. THE CONTACT WAS TRAVELING 30 MPH WHEN THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO CONFIRMED THAT THE VEHICLE HAD ALREADY INSPECTED FOR NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER :03V423000(ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH). THE MANUFACTURER WAS ALSO CONTACTED BUT PROVIDED NO ASSISTANCE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 194,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 194,700. UPDATED 8/8/12 *CN THE CONSUMER STATED WHEN THE OUTSIDE AIR IS 95 DEGREES AND ABOVE THE VEHICLE STALLED.A NEW IGNITION SWITCH WAS INSTALLED ON 6-30-2012. THE VEHICLE NO LONGER STALLS. UPDATED 08/14/2012 *JS

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 HONDA ACCORD. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 15 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT EVERY LIGHT ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT COASTED THE VEHICLE TO A COMPLETE STOP. UPON RESTART, THE VEHICLE OPERATED AS NORMAL. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FAILURE RECURRED SEVERAL TIMES. THE CONTACT WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR AN INSPECTION AND THEY STATED THAT THE IGNITION SWITCH NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED AND STATED THAT THERE WAS NOTHING TO BE DONE UNDER A RECALL BECAUSE THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 140,000.

ON MY WAY TO WORK I WAS DRIVING AT 45MPH AND THE CAR BEGAN TO SLOW DOWN AND SHUT OFF IN THE MIDDLE OF TRAFFIC. I NOTICED AS IT SLOWED DOWN THE IGNITION KEY LIGHT WAS FLASHED. FIVE MINS LATER THE CAR CAME BACK ON AND I TOOK IT TO SEVERAL AUTO SHOPS AND THEY COULDN'T DETERMINE WHAT WAS WRONG WITH MY CAR. FOR A MONTH THIS PROBLEM SEEMED TO STOP ALL TOGETHER. RECENTLY IT DID THIS STOPPING WHILE I WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY BUT DIDN'T COME BACK ON. I HAD THE CAR TOWED TO GOODYEAR VESPIA AUTO SHOP. HERE THEY DETERMINED THAT SOMETHING MIGHT BE WRONG WITH THE CAR'S COMPUTER. DURING A TEST DRIVE THE CAR SHUT OFF ON THE MECHANIC HE PLACE THE CODE INDICATOR TO DETERMINE WHAT WAS WRONG WITH THE CAR AND HERE HE DISCOVERED THAT CAR'S COMPUTER WAS DEAD AGAIN HE WAITING 10MINS AND THE CAR CAME BACK ON WITHOUT ANY INDICATION FOR ITS SHUTTING OFF. *JS

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 HONDA ACCORD. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 45 MPH, THE TRANSMISSION SLIPPED AND THE VEHICLE HESITATED TO ACCELERATE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL REPAIR SHOP, WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND DID NOT OFFER ANY ASSISTANCE SINCE THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN ANY RECALLS. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 128,823 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 132,000.

MY CAR EXPERIENCED STALLING AT BOTH HIGHWAY SPEEDS AND SLOW SPEED OPERATION. THIS OF COURSE LED TO A LOSS OF THROTTLE RESPONSE AND POWER STEERING, JEOPARDIZING THE SAFETY OF THE VEHICLE. THE SMELL OF BURNING PLASTIC AND LIGHT SMOKE WERE ALSO EVIDENT COMING FROM THE STEERING COLUMN DURING THESE EVENTS. THIS STALLING HAD THE EXACT SAME SYMPTOMS AS IF THE KEY HAD BEEN SWITCHED TO THE ACCESSORY POSITION (I.E. POWER WAS LOST TO THE DASH AND THE ENGINE SHUT OFF, BUT RADIO AND OTHER ACCESSORIES STAYED POWERED), INDICATING AN ELECTRICAL FAILURE. THE ENGINE WOULD TURN OVER AND CATCH WHEN THE KEY WAS PUT IN THE "START" POSITION, BUT IT WOULD STALL WHEN THE KEY RETURNED TO THE "ON" POSITION. RESEARCH INDICATED THAT THESE SYMPTOMS MATCHED RECALL 02V120000 EXACTLY. THIS RECALL CALLED FOR THE REPLACEMENT OF A FAULTY IGNITION SWITCH. HONDA DEALER AND HONDA AMERICA BOTH SAID THE CAR HAD ALREADY BEEN SERVICED UNDER THIS RECALL AND THAT THEY WOULD ONLY HONOR THE RECALL IF IT WAS INSPECTED AT A DEALER AT OWNER EXPENSE. WHEN THE OWNER REPLACED THE IGNITION SWITCH THE PROBLEM WAS RECTIFIED. THE REPLACED PART SHOWED MELTED SOLDER (THAT HAD MELTED OFF OF THE CONTACT AND INTO THE OUTER CASING OF THE SWITCH) AND MELTED PLASTIC AT THE "1G1" TERMINAL OF THE IGNITION SWITCH, EXPLAINING THE SMOKE EVENT. A MULTI-METER ALSO SHOWED INCONSISTENT CONTINUITY BETWEEN THE "1G1" TERMINAL AND THE WIRING HARNESS WHEN THE SWITCH WAS IN THE "ON" POSITION, MATCHING THE DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR RECALL AND EXPLAINING THE STALLING. UPON SEARCHING ONLINE FORUMS AND THE NHTSA SAFETY COMPLAINTS DATABASE, IT IS EVIDENT THAT THIS PROBLEM IS WIDESPREAD IN CARS THAT HAVE ALREADY BEEN SERVICED UNDER THE RECALL. PLEASE INVESTIGATE. *JS