2003-2007 Accord used car review

[regfootball 358]

http://www.canadiandriver.com/articles/cc/03-07accord.htm

kind of a rip fest........

Edited August 30, 2007 by regfootball

[daves87rs 572]

Strange, I usually hear good things about them...

[Intrepidation 882]

It's not really a rip-fest, unlike US journalists, the Canadian ones are farless bias and more level-headed. The stuff he mentions aren't like taking shots at the car, just informative and a bit surprising.

Nevertheless, I plan to have some fun with this bit on info, as my boss' wife bought one of these without even cross-shopping because it's a Honda, while he complains that the had to replace his WindStar's tranny close to 200,000

Edited September 1, 2007 by Dodgefan

[Dsuupr 12]

Great article.

I don't think any of us are suprised that honda and toyota are starting to have issues with their cars. The 1980s & early 90s accord & camry didn't have much for options or high tech stuff. They also didn't build them in bulk like they do now. As the years go by, I won't be suprised to find both honda and toyota fall in quality. It will take the public 10+ years to catch on though, just like in the case of GM.

[Cory Wolfe 281]

...rear rotors that rust....

Dumbass, all rotors, unless otherwise coated rust if the vehicle is left sitting. It's not an actual problem.

[CARBIZ 1]

Great article.

I don't think any of us are suprised that honda and toyota are starting to have issues with their cars. The 1980s & early 90s accord & camry didn't have much for options or high tech stuff. They also didn't build them in bulk like they do now. As the years go by, I won't be suprised to find both honda and toyota fall in quality. It will take the public 10+ years to catch on though, just like in the case of GM.

Not to mention the fact that rear rotors are a mixed blessing in our weather: the front wheels stir up the slush and salt, coating the rear wheels as you drive. In most cases, Canadians would be better off with drum brakes on the back, considering we live in igloos and have snow 8 months of the year.

[PurdueGuy 72]

To transfer the quality-related part of the article:

Where the hybrid model let down owners in terms of its higher-than-expected fuel consumption, it seems the seventh-generation Accord hasn't quite lived up to Honda's reputation for quality. Browsing the forums at DriveAccord.net, there are a few issues that seem to crop up in an uncharacteristically high number of cars.

One problem that has been well-documented is a problem with the five-speed automatic transmission used in the seventh-gen Accord. The problem stems from a too-small bearing that can overheat and cause catastrophic transmission failure. For more information, check these threads (here and here) at DriveAccord.net, as well as the Transport Canada Recall on the matter.

I also noted what appeared to be a less-common issue of the automatic transmission torque converter not locking up at highway speeds.

A common issue inside the seventh-gen Accord is an HVAC/radio display that stops working; it doesn't affect functionality of the climate control or sound systems, but obviously affects user-friendliness. Honda issued a technical service bulletin in the U.S., but it's not clear if one was issued here too.

The radio head units themselves are apparently troublesome too, with CD changers that stop working and take CDs hostage.

A grunting or grinding noise that occurs as the car is driven away after being parked overnight is apparently normal and is caused by the anti-lock brake system performing a self-check.

There is a more concrete problem with the brakes, with many owners complaining of prematurely warped front rotors and, in cars with rear disc brakes, rear rotors that rust.

Check this thread at DriveAccord.net for a complete list of issues that the administrators there have compiled based on forum posts made by seventh-gen Accord owners.

Any disappointment seems to stem from the car's less-than-Honda-like reliability. Don't get the idea that these are terrible cars: they're not. This seventh-gen Accord simply doesn't live up to Honda's bulletproof reputation.

I agree that Toyota & Honda seem to be having trouble keeping quality up while production increases. Many of their products aren't exciting, but sell well largely due to their reputation for quality. They need to protect that image.

[GXT 11]

Using the internet for this kind of information does not yield consistent results. As the author himself points out in the Venture review, "However, the lack of an enthusiast following for these vans (does any minivan inspire enthusiasm?) means that the Internet doesn't have a lot to offer in terms of really useful reliability information about these vans.". But he was still able to find a couple of issues like the head gasket failure causing potential catastrophic engine damage that is common to a number of GMs.

That he claimed an ABS self-check and rusty rotors as "issues" in the Accord review shows how he was scraping the bottom of the barrel to try to find problems. So before you assume that this is a lot of issues, you should at least have a point of reference.

For comparison, check out their CTS review.

He lists out the following issues:

"a fragile differential that's prone to failure"

"an analog clock in the gauge cluster won't keep time with a digital clock in the dash"

"The steering sensor, which is apparently tied into the Stabilitrak traction and stability control system used in the CTS, is known to go bad"

"crankshaft position sensors might be a weak point, too"

"Many owners report having to replace items like batteries, water pumps and air conditioning compressors at relatively low mileage"

He then links to two web pages with the following issues:

“The a/c squeels when it was turned on”

“the bose stereo was not holding memory and it would change cds by it self”

“I'm in florida and I'm on the 3rd battery after only 51K”

“crank position sensor issues”

“reflash for the rough idle as well”

“So far, I had to replace the battery, steering sensor, a/c compressor, and air bag module and harness.”

“Only a small number have rear end problems. If the rear chatters when you back car up, you have a problem.”

“check for a clunk in the rear end when slowing to a stop”

“I had to bring it to dealer for many issues... Hey, it may be a caddy, but it's still a GM! LOL! Usually after three visits, they fix the problem.”

Finally he links to an FAQ that contains the following issues:

Why did my car make a HUGE banging noise when I drop through a puddle?

How to get a replacement guage cluster (2003 CTS)

WheelHop/AxleTramp explained

Help, my headlamp washers are ALWAYS on or dont work right

Why did the trip A odometer show more miles than the Odometer when I bought the car?

Rear door latch issue during extremely cold weather

Service Vehicle Soon Light comes on after 05 Alarm Activation

Help! My audible alarm does not work on the 2005 V!

Cadillac's response to various "common" issues (including: Rear Axle Hop, Critical Tire Pressure Monitor, Rough Idle

, Brake Lining Bind After Setting, Driveline Clunk on Declutch in Parade Type Driving, etc.)

I have a "singing" noise coming from my dash, what is it?

Oil Temp Gauge Issue

Fuel Gauge Issue

Why does my driveline make a clunking noise?

Edited September 14, 2007 by GXT

[enzl 0]

Using the internet for this kind of information does not yield consistent results. As the author himself points out in the Venture review, "However, the lack of an enthusiast following for these vans (does any minivan inspire enthusiasm?) means that the Internet doesn't have a lot to offer in terms of really useful reliability information about these vans.". But he was still able to find a couple of issues like the head gasket failure causing potential catastrophic engine damage that is common to a number of GMs.

That he claimed an ABS self-check and rusty rotors as "issues" in the Accord review shows how he was scraping the bottom of the barrel to try to find problems. So before you assume that this is a lot of issues, you should at least have a point of reference.

For comparison, check out their CTS review.

He lists out the following issues:

"a fragile differential that's prone to failure"

"an analog clock in the gauge cluster won't keep time with a digital clock in the dash"

"The steering sensor, which is apparently tied into the Stabilitrak traction and stability control system used in the CTS, is known to go bad"

"crankshaft position sensors might be a weak point, too"

"Many owners report having to replace items like batteries, water pumps and air conditioning compressors at relatively low mileage"

He then links to two web pages with the following issues:

“The a/c squeels when it was turned on”

“the bose stereo was not holding memory and it would change cds by it self”

“I'm in florida and I'm on the 3rd battery after only 51K”

“crank position sensor issues”

“reflash for the rough idle as well”

“So far, I had to replace the battery, steering sensor, a/c compressor, and air bag module and harness.”

“Only a small number have rear end problems. If the rear chatters when you back car up, you have a problem.”

“check for a clunk in the rear end when slowing to a stop”

“I had to bring it to dealer for many issues... Hey, it may be a caddy, but it's still a GM! LOL! Usually after three visits, they fix the problem.”

Finally he links to an FAQ that contains the following issues:

Why did my car make a HUGE banging noise when I drop through a puddle?

How to get a replacement guage cluster (2003 CTS)

WheelHop/AxleTramp explained

Help, my headlamp washers are ALWAYS on or dont work right

Why did the trip A odometer show more miles than the Odometer when I bought the car?

Rear door latch issue during extremely cold weather

Service Vehicle Soon Light comes on after 05 Alarm Activation

Help! My audible alarm does not work on the 2005 V!

Cadillac's response to various "common" issues (including: Rear Axle Hop, Critical Tire Pressure Monitor, Rough Idle

, Brake Lining Bind After Setting, Driveline Clunk on Declutch in Parade Type Driving, etc.)

I have a "singing" noise coming from my dash, what is it?

Oil Temp Gauge Issue

Fuel Gauge Issue

Why does my driveline make a clunking noise?

Insert Sarcasm:

GM's products are perfect! Check out the golden standard opinion of guys like CarBiz, that want to bring back the drum brake!

Be careful, printing bad things about GM means a mod warning from Ven...now, racial slurs are OK, as long as they're ignorant and anti-Asian, but that's another story for another day.

Back to topic:

Accord V6 Automatics have been a disaster for Honda, especially on the higher pwered Acuras and AWD applications. I do recommend obsessive maintenence for these units for anyone who has one.

Otherwise, the Accord review seems fair and proves that Honda is human...although it doesn't change the fact that the Accord blows pretty much any GM competitor out of the water during the same time period, so most people with a shred of common sense went Honda (or Toyota or Nissan) regardless.

[Drew Dowdell 6,463]

Rear rotors of nearly every car will rust if left to sit, that really is reaching.

Even when working properly, I've found the 5-speed in the Accord to be a bit rough. It's shift timing is programmed well, however the feel of the shift isn't smooth at all. No joke, I can shift a 5speed manual smoother than the Accord can shift it's own 5-speed auto. This has always been a nagging point for me with the Accord. It's an otherwise pleasant and competent, if unexciting, car. However, I was raised on Hydromatic smooth shifting.

As for GTX's CTS rant. Nearly all of those issues were first year only issues. The engine issues were related to the 3.2 litre engine which has been replaced. Most other issues <with the notable exception of the differential> were addressed by the time the '04s came out. And if the original review is "reaching" about the rotors rusting on the Accord, then the CTS rant is "reaching" with the stupid clock sync issue. My '04 CTS has been nearly flawless, having only a sunroof switch replaced in 3 1/2 years.