04 Accord DX Auto Trans Whine

I heard a faint whine while from the front of the car during a test drive.
There was also some hesitation with downshifting. I am concerned about the
transmission in this vehicle.

Should I pass on this car and look at something else?

tia

 

No, you should buy it, then schedule a trans rebuild the next day.




____________________________________

 

I have an '04 Automatic I4 Accord. One of the things that I liked about the
car when I test drove it was the transmission. It was much smoother than the
one in the Camry, and it seemed to shift at just the right time. Perhaps
there was something wrong with the one you were driving.

On my car, almost everything is made from American produced parts. However,
one exception is the transmission, which was made in Japan.

-Joshua

 

Probably explains the rattle symphony in my 04 Accord.

-Indirecto

 

My '03 Accord also has a slight transmission whine, hopefully nothing to
worry about.

My big complaint with this car is all of the random buzzes and rattles. I
thought that by buying a Honda I was getting first rate design and assembly,
but at least on my car the number of noises which should be there really
makes me mad.

Right now the driver side visor sometimes buzzes, the rear seat creaks where
it rubs on the trunk opening, and there is a plastic on metal click or clunk
under the hood.

The stealership has been useless at fixing these problems.

I have owned and cared well for quite a few vehicles in the 25 years I have
been driving, and this is the worst new car from a rattles point of view I
have ever owned.


John

 

Same here

-Indirecto

 

I don't have transmission whine, but I do have:
- a metal buzz in the drivers door.
- a rubber squeak on the driver's door
- a rattle on the center console (fixed by replacing the center console)
- a rattle coming from inside the right air vent
- a rattle coming from somewhere the right door. Can't identify yet
- a rattle from just above the rear window, when it goes over small bumps.
- sometimes it rattles from underneath the steering wheel.
And it's developing a not quite put together feel. You know, when the car
goes over bad roads, it squeaks like a 10-year old taxi.

The car is 3 months old and it feel like a 10-year older.

I am mad as hell, and will probaby get rid of the car as soon as it turns 1.

Gonna loose a lot of money, but it's better than being upset everytime I
drive anywhere.

-Indirecto

 

Tons of rattles for me too.
* Buzz in the right side tweeter
* Rattle in the visors when I hit bumps
* Creaks a lot
* Click when I hit the brakes (I think it's the interlock that prevents you
from shifting into drive without pressing the brakes)

I could live with them all except for the buzz in the tweeter. Sometimes I
hear it, and sometimes I don't hear it. But when I hear it, it drives me up
the wall.

The 1986 Toyota Van that it replaced didn't rattle this much. (Although it
made enough other noises that I may not have noticed.)

I read that Honda's American OEM suppliers have 10 times the defect rate
of the Japanese suppliers. Honda management feels that this is because the
Americans don't understand what is expected of them, and that this will be
corrected with time. In the meantime, my friend's Japanese built Acura TSX
had a few rattles as well; the dealer took care of them.

-Josh

 

Here's mine: ('04 LX V6 coupe)

* Steering column clicks over every single bump, even small ones
* Constant ticking from the rear-right trunk area
* Buzzing from what seems inside the dash on small bumps at highway speeds
* (cold weather) Creaking from base of the windshield (this one is very
common)
* Buzzing from the door panels where it meets the window
* Tapping from the headliner above the driver's head

 

Might add something useful if the posters would tell us which model
(DX, LX, EX), which engine, where assembled (US, Mexico, Japan).
Otherwise this is just a bitch session and doesn't add anything we
don't already know.

JM

 

My '04 Accord has 560 miles & is solid as a rock.

My '96 I30t has 98,215 miles & is solid as a rock.

I have to admit, you are all scaring me. I am not going to be happy
if the Honda starts rattling; I've been spoiled much too long.

JM

 

I live in Chile, and my 04 I-4 EX AT Accord rattlemaster was made in the US.

-Indirecto

 

Yep and it would also be useful to know which OE supplier made various
parts, such as dash, instrument panel, heater/A-C & housing and blower
assembly. From a look at www.hondaautomotiveparts.com there are several
parts listed for the same item, some with a mfr name - not sure if the
parts vary randomly or according to model and/or trim level. Honda has
certainly been moving away from their traditional suppliers, like Denso and
Toyo Roki for such things. One fairly recent model Civic(?) had an
instrument panel made by Ford.

The "story" about Honda getting the U.S. OE suppliers to lift their quality
has been around for >10years now... and yet things seem to be getting
worse. From what I hear it's being relfected in their sales so hopefully
there'll be a corporate ass-kicking session before much longer.

Rgds, George Macdonald

"Just because they're paranoid doesn't mean you're not psychotic" - Who, me??

 

certainly been moving away from their traditional suppliers, like Denso and

FORD??

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!

 

Interior noises seem to be present in many newer cars by many manufacturers,
including Honda, Toyota and of course, the big 3. Just be thankful that
Honda's mechanical quality (V6 auto tranny issues and a handful of CR-V
fires aside) is still near the top, along with Toyota. Give me a rattly
Honda over a rattle-free Crapsler (if there actually is one) any day.

 

Interior noises seem to be present in many newer cars by many
manufacturers,

Much can be said about looking at other's faults in order to justify your
own. For now, I'm still going back to the dealer once every month to have
them try to correct yet another rattle... and hoping they won't make it
worse.

(And still looking to replace the Accord sooner than the my originally
planned 3-year cycle)

-Indirecto

 

This is true - reasons: 1) with air bags up the wazoo, padded interiors are
no longer a necessity so less foam materials in panel plastics; 2) attempts
to lose ounces of weight for MPGs; 3) the current witchhunt against PVC by
the enviro-nuts... and yes Wank Haxman, that fine upstanding defender of
idiots who can't think for themselves, is leading the charge. The
plastics mfrs have come up with new much harder, (olefinic) polymers which
are thinner for similar strength characteristics. Hmm - I don't recall
being asked if we wanted this but the results are evident and obvious to
all!!

Rgds, George Macdonald

"Just because they're paranoid doesn't mean you're not psychotic" - Who, me??

 

Ford may have made several models, but they certainly made the Accord cluster:
http://makeashorterlink.com/?P22C35AC8
(do a search for the multiple instances of the word "ford" on the page)

-James

 

Hard to believe. At least this doesn't go to 03-04 models, not that I
know of anyway.....

 

I wouldn't assume that an American made part would be any better or worse
because it wasn't made by Ford.