1998 Honda Accord

MY 1998 HONDA ACCORD AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION HAS FAILED. THERE ARE 130K ON IT. IN SEPT 2007 THE TRANSMISSION STARTED TO SLIP. WHEN I CAME TO A STOP IT WOULD JUMP. THE MORE THAT I DROVE IT WOULD SHIFT HARD INTO EVERY GEAR. ON OCT 30 2007 THE TRANSMISSION BEGAN TO JUMP FROM 1ST TO 3RD GEAR AND THEN WOULD NOT SHIFT INTO 2ND GEAR AT ALL. THE RPMS WERE AT 3K IN 1ST GEAR AND WOULD BEGIN TO JUMP WILDLY. I HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO DRIVE THE CAR SINCE IT IS A HAZARD ON THE ROAD. IT WILL COST AROUND $1200 FOR A NEW TRANSMISSION WHICH I DO NOT HAVE. *TR

I OWN AND DRIVE A '98 HONDA ACCORD EX 4-CYLINDER WITH AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION. THE TRANSMISSION HAD BEEN HAVING A ROUGH SHIFT IN THE 2ND GEAR FOR ABOUT 1 YEAR WHEN DRIVING THE CAR FROM STATIONARY TO MOVING. BUT THE CAR WAS RUNNING FINE ON THE HIGHER GEARS. I WAS ABLE TO DRIVE ON HIGHWAYS TILL FEW WEEKS AGO. AROUND THE 15TH OF DEC 2007 I SUDDENLY STARTED TO HAVE VIBRATIONS IN THE CAR AND STRANGE HITTING NOISES CAME FROM THE ENGINE WHEN DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY. THE CAR FELT DRAGGING ON THE HIGHWAY (I270S) WHICH PANICKED ME AND I HAVE TO GIVE MORE GAS TO PULL TO SAFETY. THE CAR STILL RUST, BUT I'M NOT USING IT FOR ABOUT A MONTH NOW BECAUSE OF FEAR OF GETTING INTO AN ACCIDENT BECAUSE I HAVE HEARD CASES WITH SIMILAR TRANSMISSION ISSUES WHERE THE CAR DOWN SHIFTS TO 2ND GEAR SUDDENLY ON A HIGHWAY WITHOUT ANY WARNING, WHICH WILL LEAD TO AN ACCIDENT WITH THE CAR COMING BEHIND ME. DEALER SAYS THAT TO FIX THIS PROBLEM, THE TRANSMISSION NEEDS TO BE REPLACED WITH A COST OF AROUND $3200. I REFERRED THE CASE TO AMERICAN HONDA, BUT THEY REFUSED TO DO ANYTHING TO RESOLVE THIS SAFETY ISSUE. THE CURRENT MILEAGE ON MY CAR IS AROUND 105000 BUT THE PROBLEM STARTED WHEN IT HAD AROUND 93000 MILES. THE 90000 MILE SERVICE WAS DONE AT THE RIGHT TIME AND THE TRANSMISSION OIL WAS CHANGED AT THAT TIME USING GENUINE HONDA MANUFACTURED TRANSMISSION OIL. I ALSO HAVE CHANGED ENGINE OIL REGULAR AND DONE ALL MAINTENANCE AS PER THE SCHEDULES PROVIDED IN THE '98 HONDA ACCORD MANUAL. THE CAR HAD BEEN UNDER PROFESSIONAL CARE ALL THROUGH THE TIME I OWNED. THIS TRANSMISSION RELATED ISSUE IS A REAL SAFETY ISSUE WHICH WAS ADDRESSED IN THE 2001, 2002 AND 2003 HONDA ACCORDS BY VOLUNTARY RECALLS BY HONDA MOTOR CORPORATION. HONDA HAD CHANGED THE TRANSMISSIONS ON THESE CARS TO RESOLVE THIS ISSUE. BUT THAT RECALL NEEDS TO BE EXTENDED TO THE 1998 MODEL CARS AS WELL BECAUSE THE ACCORD MODEL HAD BEEN COMPLETELY REDESIGNED IN 1998 WHEN, I BELIEVE, THIS PROBLEM HAD ORIGINALLY STARTED. *TR

(1) NORMAL 1 HOUR COMMUTE TO AND FROM WORK. (2) AS I PULL AWAY FROM A STOP, THE TRANSMISSION EITHER FAILS TO GO INTO 2ND GEAR OR REVS TO ABOUT 5000 RPM THEN LURCHES INTO SECOND GEAR. FREQUENT DROPS WILL OCCUR. ONCE CAR IS INTO THIRD GEAR THERE ARE NO PROBLEMS. THIS HAPPENS ON A DAILY BASIS NOW, AND I HAVE HAD ABOUT FIVE TIMES WHERE I HAVE BEEN IN FENDER BENDERS BECAUSE OF THE VIOLENT TRANSITION THE TRANSMISSION WILL MAKE WHEN THROWING THE CAR FROM SECOND TO FIRST. (3) HAVE TRIED REPLACING TRANSMISSION FLUID/FILTER TO NO AVAIL. CALLED HONDA DEALER FOR POSSIBLE RECALL. WHILE HONDA ACKNOWLEDGES THERE IS A PROBLEM, THEY WILL DO NOTHING ABOUT IT. NEW TRANNY TO COST AROUND $3000. CAR HAS ABOUT 140K MILES. *TR

(1) MY 1998 HONDA ACCORD (V6 COUPE) BEGAN JERKING AND FAILING TO ACCELERATE. AFTER REPEATED OCCURRENCE OF THIS, I TOOK MY CAR TO THE HONDA DEALERSHIP TO IDENTIFY THE PROBLEM (2) IT WAS DETERMINED THAT TRANSMISSION, SPECIFICALLY, THE TORQUE CONVERTER FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. (3) THE TRANSMISSION WAS REPLACED WITH A REFURBISHED TRANSMISSION. *TR

1998 HONDA ACCORD WITH TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS CUSTOMER STATES THAT SHE WANTS A RESPONSE**CC THE CONSUMER STATED THAT SHE WAS HAVING PROBLEMS WITH HER VEHICLE SO SHE TOOK IT TO THE DEALER. WHEN SHE TOOK THE CAR IN, THE DEALER INFORMED HER THAT SHE NEEDED HER TRANSMISSION REBUILT. THE CONSUMER STATED IT WAS A SHOCK BEING AS THOUGH THE VEHICLE ONLY HAD 72,714 MILES ON IT. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE SHOP AND THE TRANSMISSION WAS REBUILT FOR $2700. THE CONSUMER STATED A COUPLE OF MONTHS LATER SHE WAS IN FACT HAVING THE SAME ISSUES AS BEFORE AND RETURNED TO THE VEHICLE FOR SERVICE. THE CONSUMER STATED THE DEALER STATED THE PROBLEM COULD NOT BE DUPLICATED. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 HONDA ACCORD. WHILE DRIVING 15 MPH, THE CONTACT HEARD A FAINT KNOCKING SOUND AND EXPERIENCED DIFFICULTY SWITCHING FROM FIRST TO SECOND GEAR. THE MECHANIC DIAGNOSED THE CAUSE OF FAILURE AS THE TRANSMISSION. THE CONTACT CAN DRIVE THE VEHICLE, BUT WITH DIFFICULTY. THE FAILURE ONLY OCCURS WHEN THE ENGINE IS COLD. THE FAILURE HAS BEEN ONGOING EVER SINCE IT WAS PURCHASED ON SEPTEMBER 11, 2002. THE CURRENT MILEAGE IS 152,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 128,000.

LAST AUGUST GOT CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CHECKED; CAR SLIPPE D FROM 1ST TO 2ND GEAR AND ACCELERATE D BADLY. DEALERSHIP DIDN?T FIND THE PROBLEM. I HAD THEM DO A TRANSMISSION FLUSH ANYWAY . CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WENT AWAY BUT CAME BACK ON LATER. *AK AROUND MARCH 31, CHECK ENGINE LIGHT AGAIN, HAD ME PAY $600 SOMETHING AND STILL ORIGINAL PROBLEM NOT FIXED OR DIAGNOSED APRIL 7, 2007 WENT BACK SPENT CLOSE TO $900, ORIGINAL PROBLEM STILL NOT SOLVED A COUPLE OF DAYS LATER, AFTER ALMOST GETTING IN AN ACCIDENT TWICE BECAUSE THE CAR DECIDES TO NOT RESPOND TO ACCELERATION AND INSTEAD DECELERATE ON THE MAJOR HIGHWAY. FEARFUL OF MY LIFE AND THAT THIS WASN?T A SAFE CAR I TOOK IT BACK IN TO HONDA AGAIN AND FINALLY THIS TIME THEY DIAGNOSE THE TRANSMISSION PROBLEM AND SAY I NEED A NEW ONE AFTER I HAD ALMOST GOTTEN SERIOUSLY INJURED AND SPENT CLOSE TO $1500 ON REPAIR THAT WEREN?T REALLY THE MAIN ISSUE. I AM A COLLEGE STUDENT, I HAD TO BORROW PART OF THE MONEY FROM FAMILY TO MEET UP TO THAT $1500 AND NOW I DON?T HAVE $4000 WHICH IS THE QUOTE FOR THE TRANSMISSION. I?VE ALWAYS HEARD GOOD THINGS FROM HONDA ABOUT SERVICE AND RELIABILITY. RESEARCHING MY PROBLEM ON THE INTERNET I COME ACROSS COUNTLESS ISSUES WITH THE SAME 1998 HONDA TRANSMISSIONS. SEEMS LIKE A DEFECT IN THE DESIGN OF THESE TRANSMISSIONS AND HONDA SHOULD TAKE FULL RESPONSIBILITY IN POOR WORKMANSHIP AND RECALL THESE TRANSMISSIONS. I SHOULDN'T HAVE TO PAY CLOSE TO $4000 FOR SOMETHING THAT SHOULDN'T HAPPEN IN THE FIRST PLACE SEEING THAT IT IS A VERY COMMON AND WIDESPREAD ISSUE WITH THIS MODEL YEAR TRANSMISSION. THEY SHOULD REPLACE THEM FREE OF CHARGE BECAUSE IT IS VERY UNSAFE TO DRIVE.

I BOUGHT MY 1998 HONDA AT THE SAN FRANCISCO HONDA DEALERSHIP IN SAN FRANCISCO AND DID ALL OF MY MAINTENANCE WORK AT THEIR SHOP. IT HAS 70,000 MILES ON IT AND HAS HAD NO SERIOUS PROBLEMS. ON SUNDAY I WAS CROSSING THE BAY BRIDGE FROM OAKLAND INTO THE CITY AND THE ENGINE LIGHT WENT ON AND THE ENGINE REVVED LIKE I WAS IN A DRAG CAR RACE AND LURCHED FORWARD AND LOST POWER AND THEN ACCELERATED VIOLENTLY ALL THE WAY ACROSS THE BRIDGE. I LITERALLY ALMOST GOT REAR ENDED A FEW TIMES AND I AM LUCKY TO BE ALIVE! I WAS ABLE TO GET MY CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY TOLD ME THEY HAD TO CHARGE ME A $140 NON-REFUNDABLE "DIAGNOSTIC FEE" TO DETERMINE WHAT WAS WRONG BUT THEY SUSPECTED IT WAS THE TRANSMISSION. I GOT A CALL THE NEXT DAY LETTING ME KNOW THE TRANSMISSION WAS SLIPPING AND THAT IT WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED AT A COST OF $5,000 PARTS AND LABOR AND THEY WOULD HAVE TO ORDER THE TRANSMISSION AND WOULD PROBABLY TAKE 2 WEEKS TO EVEN GET IT? THE WARRANTY I HAD PURCHASED HAD,OF COURSE, EXPIRED AND NO MATTER HOW MUCH I TRIED TO GET A REASON FOR THIS HAPPENING THEY JUST SAID "IT HAPPENS". SO AFTER SPENDING $17,000+ ON A CAR AND MAINTAINING IT I NOW HAVE A DANGEROUS AND EXPENSIVE LEMON. I PAID MY $140 BLOOD MONEY AND GOT MY CAR OUT OF THERE AND DECIDING WHAT TO DO NEXT? *JB