1997 Honda Accord Complaint Log

I TOOK MY VEHICLE IN TO THE DEALERSHIP TO HAVE THE SRS LIGHT CHECKED OUT. I WAS TOLD IT WAS A SYSTEM UNIT FAILURE. I WAS GIVEN A PRICE $852.63 TO GET THIS REPAIRED. BY GETTING THIS REPAIRED/REPLACED I WOULD HAVE A 1 YEAR WARRANTY; BUT NO GUARANTEE THAT IT WON'T HAPPEN AGAIN WITHIN OR AFTER A YEAR. AFTER RESEARCHING YOUR WEBSITE (NHTSA), I SAW A HUGE NUMBER OF COMPLAINTS ON THE SAME MATTER. I THEN DECIDED TO WAIT TO GET IT REPLACED; THIS IS TOO MUCH MONEY TO HAVE IT CONTINUALLY REPLACED. I WANTED TO KNOW IF HONDA WILL BE SENDING OUT A RECALL. OR IS THIS A LOST CAUSE.*AK

HORN STARTS BLOWING WHILE DRIVING, WITHOUT YOU TOUCHING THE HORN BUTTONS. THIS HAPPENS WITHOUT WARNING. THE DEALERS DOES NOT KNOW THE CAUSE. WHEN THE HORN STARTS BLOWING IT DEPROGRAMS THE ALARM AND KEYLESS ALARM REMOTES.*AK

WHILE TRAVELING ABOUT 70MPH ON HIGHWAY BRAKE PEDAL WENT ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR, AND HIT ANOTHER VEHICLE AND FLIPPED OVER. DEALERSHIP WAS AWARE OF PROBLEM.*AK

WHILE DRIVING AIR BAG LIGHT STAYS ON. DEALER NOTIFIED. *AK *YH

VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A COLLISION. UPON IMPACT, REAR LAP BELT UNBUCKLED WHERE AN UNOCCUPIED CHILD RESTRAINT WAS LOCATED. DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. FEEL FREE TO PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK

AFTER STARTING VEHICLE AIR BAG SENSOR LIGHT CAME ON AND STAYED ON. CONTACTED DEALER . HAD TO REPLACE AIR BAG SYSTEM.*AK

CLEARCOAT AND PAINT SEPARATION SYSTEMATIC DEFECT WITH CERTAIN HONDAS PAINTED WITH GREEN PAINT. MY HONDA IS A 1997 HONDA 4-DOOR ACCORD LX WITH APPROXIMATELY 41,800 MILES. THE CLEAR COAT AND PAINT HAVE SEPARATED ON CERTAIN AREAS OF THE HONDA TO INCLUDE THE HOOD AND RIGHT SIDE DOOR. THE HONDA DEALER, ED VOYLES HONDA, MARIETTA, GEORGIA, PAINT MANAGER ACKNOWLEDGES THAT HONDA HAS HAD A PERSISTENT PROBLEM WITH THIS COLOR OF GREEN PAINT WHICH IS WIDESPREAD TO OTHER HONDA VEHICLES ALSO. THERE ARE NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS RESEARCHING THE WEBSITE UNDER "DEFECTIVE HONDA AUTOMOBILE PAINT." HONDA ACKNOWLEDGES THIS WIDESPREAD PROBLEM BUT FAILS TO REMEDY THE PROBLEM BY REPAINTING THE VEHICLES. THEREFORE, HONDA WILL NOT REPAINT THIS SYSTEMATIC DEFECT IN SO MANY HONDAS PAINTED GREEN. *TR

WITH NO WARNING VEHICLE STARTED TO ACCELERATE. AND WAS HARD TO STOP. CAUSE UNKNOWN. DEALER NOTIFIED.*AK

THE AIRBAG CONTROL UNIT FAILED SPONTANEOUSLY (NO ACCIDENT OR TAMPERING) IN A VERY WELL MAINTAINED AND RELATIVELY NEW VEHICLE. FAILED CONTROL UNIT MEANS THE AIRBAG WON'T DEPLOY WHEN NEEDED. MY COMPLAINT CONCERNS HONDA'S PREDATORY PRICING FOR THIS COMPONENT - $580 FOR THE PART, MORE THAN $700 WITH DEALER INSTALLATION. THIS WOULD SEEM TO LEAD MOST OWNERS (POSSIBLY MYSELF INCLUDED) TO IGNORE A PROBLEM IN A CRITICAL SAFETY SYSTEM.*AK

WHILE DRIVING THE ENGINE JUST QUITS.*AK

THE SRS INDICATOR LIGHT APPEARS ON THE DASHBOARD. LIGHT STAYS ON UNTIL VEHICLE IS SHUT OFF. DEALERSHIP IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. *MR WHILE THE CONSUMER WAS DRIVING THE SRS LIGHT CAME ON DUE TO A FAULTY AIR BAG SYSTEM WHICH NEEDED TO BE REPAIRED. THE CONSUMER WANTED THE REPAIR COST TO BE COVERED BY EXTENDED WARRANTY, BUT THE DEALER DENIED REPAIR UNDER WARRANTY. *YH

VEHICLE HAS STALLED 8 TIMES AT 30-65 MPH. DEALER WAS CONTACTED, SAID A RECALL WAS FORTHCOMING ON THIS ISSUE.*AK

PRIOR TO THE RECALL THE IGNITION SWITCH FAILED CAUSING THE ENGINE TO COMPLETELY STOP. *YH

WHILE PARKING INSIDE OF THE PARKING LOT AND WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING VEHICLE WENT FORWARD WITH SPEED AND HIT A POLE.*AK

THE LOCK ACTUATOR ON THE DRIVERS SIDE MAKES A NOISE AND AT TIMES I AM UNABLE TO GET INTO MY VEHICLE. I HAVE 4 FRIENDS WITH ACCORDS BETWEEN THE YEARS OF 1995-1997 AND THEY ALL ARE EXPERIENCING THE SAMPLE PROBLEM. IS THIS RECALLED BY HONDA? *NLM

SRS LIGHT CAME ON TWICE, WITH NO PROBLEM FOUND, NEEDED TO BE RESET BY DEALER AT AT COST OF $60.00 EACH TIME. THIRD TIME LIGHT CAME ON, TAKEN TO DEALER TO HAVE IT RESET, TOLD THE CONTROL UNIT IS BAD REQUIRING REPLACEMENT AT $800 +. TOLD THE AIRBAG MAY NOT DEPLOY IN AN ACCIDENT OR MAY DEPLOY WITHOUT BEING IN AN ACCIDENT. NO RECALL OR SERVICE BULLETINS FOUND DEALING WITH THIS ISSUE.*AK

ON APRIL 9, 2002 AS I WAS PARKING INTO MY APARTMENT COMPLEX DRIVE, GOING ABOUT 5 MPH PARKING IN A SPACE. MY 1997 HONDA ACCORD SE ACCELERATED FORWARD INSTEAD OF STOPPING. THE CAR JUMPED THE PARKING MEDIAN AND I ENDED UP IN SOME BRUSHES AND ON ONE OF THE APARTMENT PATIO BALCONIES. PRAISE GOD, THE BRUSHES WAS THERE WHICH SLOWED THE SPEED AND DID NOT CAUSE MORE DAMAGE THAN IT DID. THE CAR PICKED ACCELERATED AT A HIGH SPEED, I WOULD SAY ABOUT 30-45 OR MORE MPH. IT SOUNDED LOUD LIKE AN ACCELERATOR JUST PICKED UP VERY HIGH SPEED.*AK

WHILE VEHICLE WAS BEING STOLEN, THE ALARM DID NOT SOUND OFF. MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED. *AK *YH

WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY THE CAR STALLED (NO POWER) WITHOUT WARNING. THIS OCCURRED SEVERAL TIMES BETWEEN THREE VISITS TO THE DEALERSHIP BEFORE BEING REPAIRED. I WAS INFORMED THAT MY IGNITION WAS BAD ON THE LAST VISIT (THE MECHANIC HAD TROUBLE STARTING THE CAR). NO PROBLEM EXCEPT THAT I NEVER HAD A PROBLEM STARTING THE CAR, EVEN AFTER HAVING TO START THE CAR AND MOVE IT AT THE DEALERSHIP ON THE DAY OF THE REPAIR. WHEN I INITIALLY DECLINED THE REPAIR SOLUTION (UNBELIEVABLE) I ASKED TO TALK TO THE MANAGER. THE MANAGER NEVER SPOKE TO ME BUT DID ADJUST THE PRICE DOWN BETTER THAN $50 AND MADE THE REPAIR WITHOUT MY CONSENT. I PAID RELUCTANTLY INFORMING THEM THAT IF THIS HAPPENED AGAIN THEY HAVE A SERIOUS PROBLEM ON THEIR HANDS. I THOUGHT ONLY TO USE THE INTERNET TO FIND IF THIS WAS A COMMON PROBLEM WITHOUT HAVING BEEN RECALLED. SOMEONE MAY HAVE LOST LOST THEIR LIFE OR WILL LOOSE THEIR LIFE. MY CAR HAS NOT STALLED SINCE BEING REPAIRED. MY LAST THREE CARS WERE HONDA ACCORDS. I DON'T THINK FUTURE PURCHASES WILL BE.*AK

MECHANIC TOLD ME THAT THE SRS MODULE REPLACEMENT IS A "KNOWN PROBLEM" AND SHOULD BE RECALLED. *AK

SRS LIGHT APPEAED ON DASHBOARD FOURTH TIME WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING. DEALERSHIP WAS AWARE OF PROBLEM.*AK

OIL SEAL BLOWN OUT AT VERY LOW MILEAGE; GARAGE INFORMS THAT PROBLEM IS OCCURRING AT HIGH FREQUENCY AMONG HONDAS OF SIMILAR AGE, ALTHOUGH NOT MILEAGE, AND THAT HONDA IS AVOIDING OR DELAYING SENDING OUT NOTICES OF DEFECT. *AK

1ST ACCIDENT OF 2 INVOLVING HONDA ACCORD. BOTH ACCIDENTS HAPPENED WITHIN A FEW DAYS OF EACH OTHER IN DIFFERENT TOWNS. BOTH DRIVERS OF THE 97 AND 98 ACCORDS SAID WHEN THEY WERE PASSING A VEHICLE ON THE HIGHWAY, THE STEERING COLUMN LOCKED UP. STEERING LINKAGES AND SUSPENSION PARTS WERE INSPECTED AND CHECKED OUT FINE. UNKNOWN IF STEERING COLUMN HAS A INTERMITTENT PROBLEM OF LOCKING UP. STEERING COLUMN WAS TURNING FINE AT INVESTIGATION. NLM

THE "SRS" SYSTEM WARNING LIGHT CAME ON AND STAYED LIT. I TOOK IT TO MY MECHANIC (A HONDA SPECIALIST) WHOSE COMPUTER TESTING INDICATED THAT THE SRS CONTROL UNIT WAS DEFECTIVE.HE STATED THAT HE HAD SEEN THIS PROBLEM NUMEROUS TIMES AND SUGGESTED I SPEAK TO HONDA HEADQUARTERS, WHICH I DID. PLEASE NOTE THAT A FRIEND WITH THE SAME MODEL CAR HAD THE SAME PROBLEM WITH SRS LIGHT STAYING ON.HAVING EXPLAINED THE PROBLEM AND CONCERNS OVER SAFETY ISSUES, I WAS TOLD THAT MY WARRANTY HAD EXPIRED AND THAT I MUST TAKE IT TO THE DEALER AND PAY FOR THIS VERY COSTLY PART ($600+), AND THAT THEY MUST MAKE DIAGNOSIS THERE FOR HONDA TO CONSIDER "GOOD WILL" REIMBURSEMENT. WHEN I CALLED THE SERVICE DEPT., THE WOMAN ANSWERING THE PHONE SAID SHE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM WITH HER HONDA AND HAD TO HAVE THIS PART REPLACED! UPON BRING CAR INTO DEALERSHIP, THE DIAGNOSIS WAS CONFIRMED THAT THE SRS CONTROL UNIT NEEDED REPLACEMENT,AS THE AIRBAGS WERE NOT FUNCTIONAL. I PRESENTED DOCUMENTATION AS TO MY METICULOUS SERVICE RECORD WITH THIS VEHICLE AND ARGUED THAT THIS PART SHOULD NOT FAIL, NOT HAVING BEEN A REGULAR USE PART AND CERTAINLY SHOULD LAST MORE THAN 50,000 MILES. THEY FINALLY AGREED TO PAY HALF OF THE PART, BUT NOT TAX OR LABOR. MY TOTAL EXPENSE FOR THE DIAGNOSIS AND SERVICE COST $450.00. I WAS QUITE DISSATISFIED AND ATTEMPTED TO PURSUE THIS WITH HONDA AMERICA ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS, EXPRESSING MY CONCERNS THAT THIS SEEMS TO BE A PROBLEMATIC PART IN NUMEROUS HONDA VEHICLES, FROM ANECDOTAL ACCOUNTS, AND THAT I FELT THIS IS A REAL SAFETY ISSUE AND ONE THAT THEY SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR. THEY DID NOT WISH TO PURSUE THE ISSUE WITH MY MECHANIC OR STUDY THE OLD PART TO EVALUATE THE DEFECTIVE MECHANISM. THE REP AT HONDA AMERICA SAID "YOU DIDN'T HAVE ALL YOUR MAINTENANCE AT THE DEALERSHIP" WHICH IN MY VIEW SHOULD NOT AFFECT THIS PARTICULAR PART'S FAILURE AND WHICH DISREGARDS THE CAREFUL AND TIMELY SERVICE THIS CAR HAS GOTTEN. THEY SIMPLY SAID, "IT'S PAST YOUR WARRANTY PERIOD AND IT IS A 5 YEAR OLD CAR!".*

VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED WHEN ABS BRAKES WERE APPLIED. DRIVER USED EMERGENCY BRAKE TO STOP VEHICLE. DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER DETAILS. *AK

CONSUMER WAS HIT FROM BEHIND AND ENDED UP IN BACK SEAT. FIRST SHE WENT FORWARD AND BOUNCED BACK, AND ENDED UP IN REAR OF VEHICLE. CONSUMER HIT STEERING WHEEL, AND SUSTAINED HEAD/ EYE, AND NECK INJURIES. *AK

WHILE BACKING OUT OF THE DRIVEWAY, CONSUMER SAW BLACK SMOKE COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD. CONSUMER STOPPED VEHICLE, LOOKED UNDERNEATH THE CAR AND SAW THAT OIL WAS POURING ONTO THE GROUND. DEALER HAS NOT BEEN CONTACTED. *AK THE BALANCE SHAFT SEAL WAS REPLACED ALONG WITH A NEW RETAINER, BALANCE BELT AND TIMING BELT. *SLC

WHILE DRIVING AT 65 MPH CONSUMER HAD TO APPLY THE BRAKES TO SLOW DOWN, AND WHEN DOING SO, VEHICLE STARTED TO ACCELERATE AND NOT SLOW DOWN AT ALL. CONTACTED DEALER, AND THE DEALER WAS NOT WILLING TO ANYTHING.*AK

FRONT AND REAR SHOULDER BELTS FAIL TO PROPERLY RETRACT, CAUSING INADEQUATE PROTECTION WHEN BELTS ARE NEEDED. CONSUMER HAS YET TO CONTACT DEALER. *AK THE REAR SEAT BELT IS NOT USABLE AT ALL AND THE DRIVER SEAT BELT DOES NOT RETRACT PROPERLY. *YH

ALL WINDOWS WHEN BEING OPERATED EITHER UP OR DOWN CONTINUE TO COME OFF TRACK. DEALER HAS REPLACED POWER WINDOW REGULATOR BUT ALL WINDOWS HAVE FALLEN OFF THE TRACK INSIDE THE DOORS. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER DETAILS.

GASOLINE LEAKS -- SUSPECT THAT IT IS MANUFACTURER'S DEFECTS W/ SUPPORT RESEARCH. *AK

SRS LIGHT ILLUMINATED, DEALER CLEARED THE FAULT CODE, HOWEVER INFORMED THE CONSUMER THAT THE AIR BAGS MAY OR MAY NOT DEPLOY IN AN ACCIDENT, MANUFACTURER DECLINED TO MAKE ANY NECESSARY CORRECTIONS TO INSURE THAT THE AIR BAGS WILL WORK PROPERLY. *SLC

WHILE DRIVING THE CAR (APPROX. 50 MPH) THE BALANCER SHAFT OIL SEAL BACKED OUT. THE ENGINE OIL WAS PUMPED OUT. THE WARNING LIGHTS CAME ON AND MY WIFE PULLED THE CAR OFF THE ROAD. BUT IT WAS TOO LATE THE ENGINE SEIZED. HONDA WAS WILLING TO REPLACE THE SEAL BUT SAID THEY WOULD NOT REPAIR THE ENGINE. HONDA KNOWS THAT THIS SEAL IS A PROBLEM AND HAS SENT A SERVICE BULLETIN OUT TELLING PEOPLE SO. (WE DID NOT RECEIVE A NOTICE FROM HONDA ON THIS) INSTEAD OF RECALLING THE FAULTY PART HONDA HAS FIGURED OUT THAT THEY CAN PUT THE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THEIR DESIGN MISTAKES ON THEIR CUSTOMERS BY SIMPLY SENDING OUT A SERVICE BULLETIN. IF YOU DON'T GET A LETTER FROM HONDA --OH WELL. HONDA SHOULD REPLACE THE SEALS IN ALL OF THE AFFECTED CARS AND HONDA SHOULD BE REQUIRED TO REPAIR/REPLACE ANY ENGINES DESTROYED BY THE FAULTY SEAL. *AK

WHILE OPERATING VEHICLE AIRBAG LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON DASHBOARD, IT HAS BEEN A REOCCURRING PROBLEM. CONSUMER HAS CONTACTED DEALER. *AK DEALER PERFORMED DIAGNOSTIC TESTING, BUT COULD NOT REMEDY PROBLEM. MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED. *TT

I WANT TO KNOW WHY AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. *AK

AFTER COMING TO A STOP AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT, THE CAR WOULD NOT MOVE WHEN PRESSED ON THE GAS PEDAL. DEALER SAID THAT THE CAR NEEDS A NEW TRANSMISSION. THIS CAR HAS ONLY 35,000 MILES WHEN THIS TRANSMISSION FAILED AND THE COST IS NOT COVER UNDER WARRANTY..

THE VEHICLE POWER STEERING FAILED.

THE POWER STEERING FAILURE.

WHILE DRIVING AT 75MPH VEHICLE STALLED. CONSUMER PULLED OFF, PUT VEHICLE IN PARK, AND RESTARTED VEHICLE. TOOK TO DEALER ON TWO OCCASIONS AND DEALER STILL COULDN'T CORRECT THE PROBLEM. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK

PASSENGER'S FRONT SEAT BELT BUCKLE WILL NOT STAY FASTENED. BELT WILL LOCK BUT CAN EASILY BECOME UNDONE. DEALER WILL BE CONTACTED.*AK

VEHICLE LOST ALL ELECTRICAL POWER THEN CAR BECAME INOPERABLE. ALSO, CAR WAS STEAMING. DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER DETAILS. *AK

NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK

THE MUFFLER FAILED AT 33,695 MILES. DEALER SAID ORIGINAL MUFFLER IS NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY.*AK

VEHICLE WILL SHUT DOWN WITHOUT ANY NOTICE. PROBLEM CAN HAPPEN AT ANY SPEED, AND IS ALSO INTERMITTENT. PLEASE PROVIDE MORE INFORMATION.*AK

CONSUMER STATES THE TRUNK SPRING SPLIT.*JB

WHILE DRIVING DOWN HIGHWAY AIR BAGS DEPLOYED WITHOUT WARNING. AS A RESULT CONSUMER HIT A WALL. *AK CONSUMER STATES WHILE DRIVING, HE HAD CHANGED LANES AND THEN WENT BACK TO THE RIGHT LANE AND THAT IS WHEN THE AIRBAG DEPLOYED, CONSUMER WAS INJURED IN ACCIDENT. *SLC

ACCELERATOR GOT STUCK FOR THE SECOND TIME, FIRST WHILE PULLING IN TO PARK ENGINE REVVED AND BRAKE WAS APPLIED, VEHICLE RAN INTO LARGE BOULDER, CAUSING $ 4000.00 DAMAGE. ALSO, ON 5 APRIL 2002 AT SLOW SPEED ENGINE REVVED, BRAKE WAS APPLIED, AND CONSUMER WAS NOT ABLE TO STOP VEHICLE. VEHICLE HIT A CEMENT POST, CAUSING $ 6100.00 DAMAGE. VEHICLE AT DEALERSHIP AT THIS TIME.*AK

VEHICLE FAILED TO STOP AT AND INTERSECTION. LEG WAS FULLY EXTENDED, AND PEDAL WENT ALMOST TO FLOOR. HALF OF VEHICLE LANDED IN INTERSECTION. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK

SRS LIGHT ON DASHBOARD CAME ON AND STAYED ON.VEHICLE IS ONLY 4 YEARS OLD. CONSUMER HAS NOT YET CONTACTED DEALER. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK

THERE IS A RECALL FOR A 97 HONDA ACCORD THAT MATCHES THE PROBLEM WITH MY VEHICLE. I CONTACTED HONDA MOTOR COMPANY AND THEY GAVE ME THE RUN AROUND AND SAID THAT MY VIN DOES NOT MATCH ANY RECALLS FOR THIS PROBLEM. I ALSO WANTED TO KNOW THE BUILD DATE OF MY VEHICLE, YOU WOULD THINK THEY WOULD KNOW THAT SINCE THEY BUILT IT, NO INFORMATION WAS GIVEN, THEY DON'T KNOW. NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID #99V069000. *NLM