Ok regrading my 2000 Honda Accord EX 4 cyl. My tranny is on its death bed (P0700) and (P740) after the check engine light came on. The car slips when it goes from gear to gear (I had 2 tranny shops tell me this and the dealer). I need an opinion from you guys. So Honda America told me that they would pay for a re-manufactured auto transmission and a torque converter clutch with a 3 year/36K mile warranty on the power train for $1650 after taxes. My friend says just trade in the car for a brand new Kia (Great warranty and prices) or a Mazda (Great prices). I bought the vehicle in 12/07 with around 47K miles for $8,800, the car now has 56K miles. I had to replace the ECU ($900) spring this year, the transmission fluid ($65 special) in late spring this year, I needed new tires ($280), new brakes and brake discs ($280). The timing belt was replaced (at least it says so on the car fax at 40K miles). It might need a tune up. I can get a brand new car for around $11-$18K + tax, my insurance would only go up from like $380 to $850 a period. Is there anything else that can go wrong with this car? Should I just trade it in or sell it and use the $1650 towards a new car? I really don't wanna spend $1650 and then a year down the road something not related to the powertrain goes bad? What are your thoughts?

 

wth, how can an immaculate low mileage meticulously maintained car have the tranny go out like that? even when people never, ever touch their tranny fluid i've never seen those tranny's in for a rebuild earlier than 85k or so. we used to rebuild them all the damn time.

something is fishy about that. replacing a honda ecu is also very suspicious. i've changed one in my 8 years of honda work. and that was a 92 DA that wouldn't enable the egr.

where are you? i wonder if it was in water at some point.

 

Honda is not going to just give you $1650.............it is applied directly towards the transmission due to a known fault.

The transmission is under warranty, why don't you go get it fixed for free while the offer still stands? This seems like a no brainer.

*You got ripped off on the ECU btw - probably wasn't anything wrong with it to begin with

 

Stop whining.

Most of the stuff you're listening is just regular maintenance (tires, brakes, tune-up, etc.). There's absolutely no need to change the timing belt at 47k miles, it doesn't need to be touched until 80-90k. I've never seen a stock OEM ECU just crap out - so my bet is that that wasn't the problem, and even if it was, a replacement ECU doesn't even cost 1/2 of $900.

You keep getting screwed due to your lack of knowledge of cars. With ANY car, you will have to do regular maintenance.

As for the trans, I've also never seen a Honda trans (even an auto trans) go so soon, that's due to somebody beating the **** out of it, sorry to say, whether it was you or the previous owner doesn't matter, the point is it's not normal wear and tear, even for an automatic transmission, which doesn't have 1/2 the durability of a manual.

Also, it's ironic how NOT willing to spend money on your car you are. ALL cars cost money to maintain unless under warranty, plain and simple - Fact.

$1650 for a rebuild trans and a 36k warranty is pretty good, it'll most likely last a lot longer than that unless you drive it like an ***. Drop the money on it and move on with your life. Honda engines are second to none.

As far as your friend goes: He's an idiot, Kias are crap. I've never actually seen nor heard of anybody recommending a Kia...but I suppose there's a first for everything.

Also, you're getting HORRIBLY bent over at the shops you go to (that's probably where you got your ECU replaced, b/c an OEM ECU from Honda is 900-1.5k). Stop going to shops, shops bend you over any ways they can, no matter how nicely they apply the astroglide.

So get your nuts together, get your transmission rebuilt, and enjoy a good, solid, car. Reciting bills that you've paid (most of which for regular standard maintenance) because you're not competent at all when it comes to cars is not going to help us any to help you.

Yeah, I realize this post seems a bit mean, but get with the program, it's the rude awakening you oh-so-badly need.

 

I don't believe either of you two are aware of the TSB's out for the automatic transmission for those year vehicles.

They are bad, they do die early, and some are covered by an extended warranty through Honda....

The timing belt SHOULD have been done due to age, irregardless of the mileage on the car.

Don't randomly post misguiding information please.

 

the belt, if was changed, would be for age. is 90k or 10 years. so taking a combination of 6-7 years and 40k i can understand the belt.

also, i should have pointed out in my first post that when we rebuild the trans, it is runs ~1800 and a 1 year warranty. you are coming out well with their price. i think they are trying to work with you.

on the other hand:

you almost argue for a goodwill on your car, but it isn't easy. especially with such a large expensive job and not the original owner.

 

i knew i shoulda typed faster. i was in the middle of doing the above when you posted this.
i still have never seen an auto go that early.

 

Yea you are getting a hell of a deal from Honda on that rebuilt trans, take it! Can't beat free. And if you decide not to take it they are not going to give you cash value, this isn't a game show. Even if you decide to get a new car, get the trans replaced. The car isn't worth squat with a bad trans.

Count on this replacement trans to last a long time tho, Honda has fixed the design flaw that cause these trans to burn out quickly.

 

Unless I'm mistaken they are?

I read that as he's getting a reman tranny for free per the TSB?

 

no, i dont think so. he worded it odd.
he is technically out of the warranty, but after rereading it maybe they are giving him a 1650 'credit' and he would cover the rest?
but then he says "use the $1650 towards a new car".

he needs to clarify. maybe 1650 is the covered part and he pays labor? i'm confused.

i work at one of those evil independents so i dunno what a dealer could come up with.

 

the problem was the lock up clutch shreds and clog the valve body.
we have not seen a single mechanical problem with the 2003+.
had only one electrical one with some serious strangeness that looked to be the ecu, but with immobilizer on everything now we had to send her to the dealer. hope they didn't fck her over on that fix. haven't heard back from her yet.

 

Yeah, my impression is he thought Honda would just randomly give him a check for the transmission (like insurance companies will do) and rather than use it to fix the car he'd sell it and use the check for a down payment on some other one.

 

I was told out of my pocket it would cost $1650 after taxes, for the job. the 1999-2001 models had a 7 year or 100K warranty extension. This car seems to have a lot of problems. My friend told me get rid of it because it is turning out to be a money pit. Where as I could have had a brand new car for a few thousand dollars more. So most you are recommending that I get it fixed then sell it or trade it in before the 3 year warranty is up? There is no other expensive repairs to the car left that could happen?

 

It shouldn't cost you anything out of pocket to my knowledge for the transmission replacement. Hopefully some 6th gen owners will chime in who have had the service done.

The resale value for the car will obviously be greater if it is in better working condition. However you selling the car and taking on an additional $5000+ worth of debt (car loan) doesn't seem logical.

I don't consider it a money pit, I think you got the run around for the ECU replacement (probably wasn't necessary and definitely shouldn't have been $900) and save for that it's regular maintenance stuff you'll have on ANY car. The fact the major service was done before your purchase only strengthens reasons for keeping it.

 

well then lets just assume really bad luck.
i just find it hard to believe the original owner put money into a tbelt at 40k, but didn't change the tranny fluid.
i cannot give a solid answer for something like this without seeing the car. i would say though that given the mileage and the maintenance done fix the tranny and you will be good to go for 40k+ without touching the car.

the only things i can guarantee you will have a problem with is an O2 heater death at 95k or so and the cat at around 105-110.
but those are parts that wear out. same for any car.
if you want a cheap to maintain car then but an obd1 honda.

oh, and don't fill you gas tank up beyond when the pump clicks itself off.

 

https://honda-tech.com/forums/honda-accord-1990-2002-2/inside-v6-automatic-transmission-2209707/

Good read there (it's in the Accord FAQ)

 

dammit you beat me again.

 

Transmission replacement for the 2000 Honda Accord went out of warranty in 2007. I even told the rep, that on the AHM Ownerlink it says my case is still in open status and she argued it is open because I didn't have any problems with the Tranny till now. They love to nickel and dime their customers, it's really sad. They should have just issued a recall on their tranny not a warranty extension like most major car companies. Muffinman the link you posted is the problem with the v6, I guess Honda had the problem on both the 4 and v6 then.

 

Great minds think alike

 

http://www.aboutautomobile.com/TSB/2000/Honda/Accord

I'm sure it's listed there somewhere, I don't have the time to look through it though

 

muffinman is right, not surprising haha

the 6th gen auto trans were bad. that is what it is. usually the v6's more often than the 4cyl, but that is what it is. With a combination of driver abuse on the poor design on these tranny's it is very possible this could have gone up this quickly.

Chris is right though, Kia.....what a joke, Mazda is not much better.

You might as well get the new trans in and be nice to it. Do not abuse it either. But, if you can keep that trans from going up, that thing is going to out live either one of those brands' car's you may have bought.

 

Either way I'm trading it in either now or before the 3 year warranty is up. Based on reading customer reviews on recalls and problems Toyotas and Subarus have the least amount of problems, Mazda has some problems, Nissan has a little bit of engine problems, but Honda has a huge amount of Tranny problems. I hear nothing but good things with the Kias and Hyundai manufactured from 2006 on plus their warranty is amazing.

 

recalls are about money. as much as we love honda, well us anyway, not you apparently, that is business.
if something just breaks... ummm they can pay for it.
if there is a class action pending... ok.. we'll cover it longer, under stricter conditions.
if people could die that would cost them more money in suits. that is a recall.



or learn to drive standard.




toyotas are good cars but their quality has taken a dive since they've expanded too fast. and they are honestly harder to work on than honda.
scoobys are very solid cars in my experience, but few around here in the south.
nissans are... good cars for fewer miles. historically they have more off the wall problems (like drive by wire TB's) and terrible wiring harnesses. i would dare you to find any nissan from the 90's without green connectors.

 

More or less it was a bad batch of transmissions in the 98-02 range or so. Odysseys had it, Accords had it, CL's had it, etc.

Since that time though I really have not heard of any issues with transmissions. My family is completely Honda (Pilot, Odyssey, Civic, my Accord, my S2k) and they're all fine.

You're going to find issues with ANY car brand. I'm going to assume the car is paid off - why would you want to sell it and then take on all that debt for a new car?

 

I would rather pay a few thousand dollars more for a brand new car then have to deal with any more payments on fixes for this one. I can always trade in the car, half the time they don't test the car out enough to realize something like the tranny is bad. Unless you guys tell me that the fixes I made on this car is normal and I will keep this car until before the warranty is up.