LukeaTron

You're right. With that winning attitude I'm sure most things in your life go spectacularly. I see now why you assumed the Acura folks would have been just itching for an opportunity shit all over you. They've probably been begging for the chance.

Cry me a river.

slickrab

LukeaTron, how do you always find a way to get into arguments with so many people on a online forum?

Maybe your better off just reading the threads and not posting. Your negativity isn't necessary on this forum.

FrankO, good luck with this whole deal. I feel for you and never quit. Stick it to the man!

LukeaTron

I'm just not a turn the other cheek type I guess. I find it hard to bite my tongue when I see terrible reasoning being applied to reasonable situations. I see no reason to allow ignorance to fester for the sake of civility.

For what it's worth I was only trying to point out what seems obvious to me but has gone right over the OP's head, that his current predicament could have been much less onerous had he proceeded rationally instead of being completely combative the whole time. That said, I guess his reaction to me is right in line with every thing else he's done so far so I shouldn't be too surprised.

davidspalding

A mod has ALREADY cautioned posters to chill out. Apparently that warning wasn't sufficient. Calm down, or ??

I only had to read page 2 to understand LukeaTron's comment above. The OP has clearly bought his barrel of vinegar at Costco/SAMS. Last few replies are sarcastic and defensive. Gimme a break, we're enthusiasts here, not a pity posse or peanut gallery. If you're not ready for open, unbridled discussion, don't post with your heart on your sleeve.

Reminds me of another emotional thread about the 2008 TSX not playing CD-Rs, when the brochure clearly states that it will. Again, the OP was jousting with Acura, trying to get traction towards a remedy, but making so much chest-beating sound and fury, it was hard to take seriously. Pity, I really do think it's a legit claim in that case and wanted the OP over there to prevail. Nothing heard,... movin' on.

I'd tell Frank the same thing I did then ... get legal counsel, and start talking to the agent for service. All else, likely as not, Game over - Insert coin.

I entirely empathize with this ordeal (I had similarly expensive major repairs needed on my Jeep in 2005, about $2500 or more). But also realize that there's a point at which it's probably at the manufacturer's discretion whether something is a "warranty" issue, design flaw, or just fluke accident. Trying to make an NTSB issue out of something that's happened ONCE ... keep us posted on your progress.

npolite

I will have to tell you yes it does suck what happened to you. This is the first time I have heard of the heater core leaking at such a low mileage. You didn't want to take it to your Acura dealership for the reasons mentioned but you should have had it towed to another one. You knew that there was an electrical problem when you smelled it in the car and knew that something major happened. If you wanted Honda to work with you, you should have taken it to a dealer.

Also you didn't exhaust all possibilities before you started ranting which you shouldn't do until all possibilities are exhausted. It sounds you burned a few of your bridges but you do have some ammo against the dealer with your wire issue so be calm and use that to your advantage

All car manufactures are getting cheaper and quality is going down which is one reason I am terrified about buying a new car (for a month now I don't have a car! but luckily work from home). My sister's 08 Accord is only 6 months old and the carpet has already worn out in one spot! Honda is going to repair it under warranty. I think they have a major issue here as they changed carpet manufactures since the one they were using in previous years went out of business.

All stealerships suck for service. I had my Accord in for an alignment and 4 new tires and those idiots stripped a bolt. Luckily I do my own work on my car and they were the only ones who touched my car beside myself. When I went in asking for the bolt and lug, their SA had the balls to tell me that it occurred from the 130k miles on the car. I told him flat out that he was wrong; he then didn’t want to talk to me even though I kept my cool. Finally the service manager gave it to me as he knew it would have ended up in small claims court. Sure it was only $8 now but if it went to court I would have gone for the repair job as well, and it would cost them at least $700 for their lawyer to show up.

If you don’t get anywhere with them remember you can always go to small claims court without a lawyer; but if they have proof that your aftermarket parts caused the leak you have little chance of winning.

Since you are paying to have the car fixed I would keep it. You are going to take a major hit on the car as any dealership is just going to sell it wholesale since it won’t be profitable to take all of your aftermarket stuff off of it.

jlukja

I'm not going to lock or delete this thread. The members here need to be aware of what may happen, even if the possibility is remote. I can certainly empathise with the OP, and understand why he made the choices he did. I'd be pretty upset myself if I was out over 3 Gs. I may not have made the same choices but I can see the logic he followed. So, lets cut him a little slack, he just spent lots of money and he's very frustrated. If nothing else, let this thread serve as an example of how to, or how not to, approach out-of-warranty problems with the dealership.

LuvMyTSX

^ Agreed.

davidspalding

Yep, yep, yep. If nothing else,...

PACman

Curious if there are any up dates on this situation.

Tengu

I am curious as well. My heater core failed ('04 TSX, approx. 100K miles when it happened) and cost me a not-so-cool $4K out of my own pocket. I tried to reason with Acura in a rational matter and it failed (if anybody is willing to listen to my story I'll be glad to elaborate).

I just signed on to this forum for the first time in about 2-3 yrs just so I can express my concern about this issue.

STC

iTrader: (1)

Yes pls explain.

neocrynym

Interesting thread. Don't have anything to add except that I got mist out of my center vents two days ago. Not the sides, just the centers. '04 6MT w/ 75k. It's been hot out lately (mid-90's) and I had been driving around alot that day to job sites, etc. (I work for a homebuilder). It happened when I was slowing down to a stop, car was out of gear and in neutral so I was slowing down just by brake power alone (no engine braking)...just as I always do. While I was slowing down, I turned the A/C on (I always turn it on in N and at low RPM's ever since my A/C compressor sheared off awhile back). A VERY light mist or smoke of some sort (too light to notice much, but it was basically white) came drifitng out the center vents. Fan speed was level 2.

Now, I didn't smell anything at all and it only lasted about 3 seconds, so I didn't think much of it. I DO live in a brand new neighborhood with construction going on around my house constantly and there is dirt/debris floating around. I DO go to job sites once in awhile, but not alot. I have NOT used the "recirculated air" button since probably winter. All of this makes me think it's just dust in my ducting, but now I'm nervous. This is also the first time this has ever happened, and it hasn't happened since.

How easy or hard would it be for me to take apart the plastic around the ECU and just atleast take a look? Are TSX ECU's located lower right passenger side by where your feet rest like in most Honda's?

Tengu

Let me share my story so other people can learn from my experience and not make the same mistakes that I made.

It was a cold winter day and I was just driving down a local road when, suddenly, the heater started to blow out lukewarm, humid air. I thought maybe something went wrong with the temp sensor. I just assumed it was a minor problem and turned off the heat when suddenly my "check engine" light came on. This was when I started to get worried. I was going to call my local Acura Dealer (Rallye Acura, NY) but a minute later the "check engine" light went away. 'That's strange', I thought to myself, so I tried to retrace what I did before the 'check engine' light went on. I couldn't replicate the problem and the engine light didn't come on again for a couple of days. I assumed it was just a glitch, and that my only problem was the heater.

Couple of days later, I turn on my heater, and it was still blowing out tepid, humid air. This was getting annoying so I told myself that I'd go to my mechanic over the weekend to straighten this problem out. A few minutes later, the 'check engine' light went on again, but this time it did not go out. And this time, it got ugly. The car started to run rich; I can smell the fumes everytime I stopped at a stoplight. Occasionally, the engine would be spinning at such low rpm that it would just stall when I'm waiting for the green light. I called Rallye Acura immediately and set up an appointment for the next day.

Fast forward to next morning, and I get in my car, and I can't get the car to turn over. The starter's cranking fine, it just won't turn over. I wait for a couple of minutes and then crank it again, and the car fires right up. I'm scared that the car's going to stall again on my way to the dealership so I make sure that I never put my car in neutral on the way there. But note that I had no idea that my 'check engine' light and the heater problems are connected.

I get to Rallye Acura, and this guy named Christopher Grant (read: worst service representative ever, you'll find out more later) decides to take care of me. He asks me what's wrong with my car. I told him every symptom I was experiencing (check engine light, low rpm when in neutral, car running rich, engine not turning over). He says that they'll check out the car, and call me when they find out the problem. He calls me back 2 hours later and tells me that my O2 sensor(wtf!) is the problem. I ask him 'are you sure that's the only problem?' He says 'yes' and then proceeds to tell me to come pick up my car because it's going to take them a week to get an O2 sensor shipped to them. I asked him, 'are you sure my car is okay to drive even though I just told you all of my problems?'. He says, 'yes, everything should be fine'. I return my loaner car and drive my car back from the dealership. I tried putting it in neutral, and the car didn't stall out. The engine seemed to stop running rich, and the car's engine turned on perfectly fine. I figured Rallye diagnosed me correctly, since I've been going there for a long time and they've always been nice to me.

Fast forward to couple of days later. I'm in New Jersey, visiting my girlfriend. We go to my car, and my f'in car won't start!!! Now I'm a little bit upset. I'm 30+ miles away from Rallye Acura. They told me that everything should be fine, but it's doing it again. I call Rallye Acura, and tada(!) Christopher Grant picks up the phone. I describe to him my problems and ask Acura if they can help me tow my car. He tells me my car is out of warranty and that I'd have to tow it myself. "Are you serious?" I asked. "I drove my car out of your dealership because you told me everything would be fine, and now it's not. And you're refusing to pick up the tab for towing?" Christopher says, "We looked into the problem and that's what caused the 'check engine' light." I'm getting really heated but I tried to stay calm: "so all those symptoms I told you about the low rpm, engine running rich, car not starting is ALL caused by the O2 sensor?". He says, "you never told me that." Now I'm f'in pissed. I tell him I'll call him back later, and call Park Ave. Acura which was more nearby my gf's house.

So I get my car towed there and tell Scott Gordon (super-friendly btw) of Park Ave. that my car won't start, my check engine light is on, and the car's running rich and stalls randomly when in neutral. Park Ave Acura looks into it and Scott calls me. "Bad news", he says, "it looks to me like your ECU is flooded from the heater core. It's looks like it's been leaking and we're going to have to replace both." Here is the breakdown of the bill:

Job #1
ECM (ecu): $779.16
4 Spark Plugs: $123.20
Labor: $440.00
Job #1 total: $1,342.36

Job #2
Heater Core $232.08
Coolant $33.72
Labor: $2,200.00 (!!!)
Job #2 total: $2,465.80

Misc $39.41 (freight, EPA compliance charge)
Tax $269.33

Total Invoice $4,116.90

I don't want to go into the other details, but let's just say that our good ol' Christopher from Rallye didn't even order the O2 sensor until about a week after he said he would. Not that I needed it anyways. I would go after Christopher but I figured it wouldn't be necessary. He lost my business, my parent's business (they own a '02 TL), and my friends' business by acting shady and unprofessional. If he admitted that it was his fault and paid for my towing, he would've earned his company pretty good $$$ for all that labor I paid for. But in the end, it ended up going to Park Ave. Acura, which has superior service.

I'm surprised that Rallye would hire such a lazy, irresponsible individual. They won like a Platinum Award for service excellence a couple of times and I believe that they're going to go downhill if they have people like Christopher to represent the company.

So, in all, my mistakes were:
1) Assuming my heater problem and engine problems weren't related. If I had known, I would've told Rallye Acura everything and they probably would've figured out what Park Ave figured out.
2) Not going to the dealership immediately after the heater stopped working. I just assumed it was a very minor problem. If I acted more swiftly, maybe I could've saved the ECU and spark plugs, and saved myself a cool $1,300.
3) Trusting Christopher Grant. Because of this douche, I had to pay $200 for towing.

I'm pretty sure there was a better way to handle all this. And maybe I will take further action if I find out that this might be Acura's fault. I paid for the bill in full and just assumed it was the car getting old. I'm real interested if other people had to go through the same problems as I did. Maybe if we have enough people experiencing similar problems, then Acura would take action before they get in trouble.

Sorry for such a long post

LuvMyTSX

^^ Ouch.

PACman

I guess the preventative way is to put a drain hole somewhere. Is there a diagram of the heater core or do I just find the ECU and look up?

JTso

iTrader: (2)

I guess you can use some silicone sealer to seal off the ECU covers, and then put the ECU inside a plastic bag ( to protect the connector side) as a precaution measure.

PACman

Like desktop and laptop computers, there is a fan to help evacuate heat. Does our ECU have such as thing? I was thinking about putting a bag too around the ECU, but I'd steer away from such a thing if this will cause the ECU to melt because it did it to itself.

JTso

iTrader: (2)

There's no fan inside the ECU. If you think about the location of where the factory places ECUs for different cars (under carpet, under heat vents, and other non-air circulatiing areas), I'd say it's fine.

PACman

Thanks for the help & info. I'll give it a try.

dwest1023

The ECU in my 06 Miata is under the hood where the engine is.

neocrynym

In response to Tengu's massive yet very interesting post, and in light of me getting a small burst of mist from my vents a couple days ago, I will 100% be disassembling the area near my ECU and having a look-see this weekend. ::

PACman

If you wouldn't mind taking pics too as you do this. I want to try to figure out where to put a drain hole and/or pipe to help diminish the chances of ECU flooding.

thunder04

iTrader: (1)

Great. Another problem that gets to hang over my head. I've already dealt with the A/C issue numerous times. Now this? Maybe I will trade my TSX in...

LukeaTron

^^ So far two people have reported any problem at all. I would hardly waste my time be anxious about this.

LukeaTron

I'm guessing you haven't much need for the heater in Tennessee during the last few weeks. It's somewhat common to get a brief spritz from the vents when the A/C is cranking away. I've had several cars that do this. I think it's from the condensation that builds up getting sucked into the blower. Most of the water just drains out but there nooks and crannies where small amounts of it get can get stuck then it drains out when you go around or corner or something.

poltergeist

^^^I agree......sounds like condensate^^^

neocrynym

I agree...I strongly think it's either condensation or construction dust, but it's well worth a couple hours on a realtively low-key weekend to have a look-see.

thunder04

iTrader: (1)

Yeah, that's true.

I was quick to post that. I do in fact love my TSX. In reality, I'll probably never trade her in. I was just like "ahh godd not another potential grenade!" Hopefully I've paid my debts to the automobile gremilns by having to deal with the A/C system multiple times! lol

bmwbadboy

I don't blame FrankO a bit for the way he feels and his actions. Everything he said about Acura Customer Service in Cali and the dealers attitude is identical to the same experience that I felt when talking to my dealer and Acura Client Services. I have to say Honda's attitude is horrible. Honda thinks they are god and make no lemons! Dealer and Manufacture play dumb when it comes to problems the TSX is susceptible to. I have a 2006 TSX owned it for 1.5 years and it is the worst car I have ever owned. What a POS. I'm have sued Honda and the dealer since they can't fix my POS,in fact they created problems . This is the last Honda that I will buy. I also own a 2002 Odyssey and it is not perfect. Not the quality that I expect from Honda these days.

Miamicarfan

bmwbadboy:

Why is the 2006 TSX the worst car you have ever owned?

Can you itemize all the problems that you have had?

bmwbadboy

1. Clutch- creak, squeak, click
2. Radio- speakers buzz/vibrate-June 2008, can't take to dealer due to lawsuit
3. A/B pillar- Creaking, at dealer said it was fixed but not.
4. Brakes- Shake and vibrate , at dealer twice, still not fixed
5. Suspension-shake&vibrate-dealer
6. Body/chassis-Rattle when taking off
7. Window pass side-squeals-June 2008
8. Transmission- pops out of gear sometimes
9. Transmission-difficult to get into 3rd gear at times. June 2008
10. Paint-chips easily, scarred- cheap paint job.
11. Front Passenger door frame rubber insulation coming off. July 2008
12. Clutch Replaced.
13. Cheap plastic parts that break easily.

It's been to the dealer 5 times just for the clutch creaking, clicking and squeaking problem. Overall it's been in the shop for over 3 weeks in the first 18 months.

Mokos23

i get #4 too, but it's because of the rotors are crappy. i haven't really gotten any of the others at all, except for the paint job, but just buy touch up paint.

interesting name though, i guess you're a bmw owner too, cause they really are bad boys and jerks whenever i have seen some bmw's they drive like assholes on the road.

nj2pa2nc

sorry to hear of all the problems you have with your 06 tsx. I also own a 06 6MT tsx ,bought new 11/17/06 with 56,000+problem free miles-love it. Previously owned a 05 honda civic ex-se. It was a P.O.S. sold it-great resale value. Our 05 hyundai elantra GT is 100% better than the civic. No problems with it after 77,000 miles.

FrankO

I just stopped posting. NO ONE else had ever had any trouble with their heater cores and currently there are only two cases posted, so it is not a problem. TSXs were the best cars everyone here had ever owned and posting such blasphemy was considered not acceptable on this site. I get it I understand, I stopped.

Here is what finally happened to me. Acura took my car, they charged me an additional $334.39 to fix my vehicle and they told me that they had fixed it and to come pick it up. They will tell you that they didn’t but the evidence is below.

So I was going to go pick up my car and I got another call from Weir that the car failed again and to hold off picking it up. They had washed the vehicle and after they did the same code flashed once again and they did not know what to do. They said that they had to contact Honda America Warranty. I knew I was dead.

But this time I had them right, they fixed the car and told me that it was repaired and told me to pick it up, so their repair warranty would cover this problem now, they fixed it right, I had paid the bill with a credit card over the phone, they had to horror their warranty? NOPE.

Acura Corporate Management told Weir Canyon to stop all work on my vehicle and to refund my money and to tell me to get my vehicle off their lot they would not be working on it any longer. Mr. Wong of Acura told me that they would not be participating in the repair of my vehicle. Not only did they not participate they actually told one of their independent dealers not to continue to work on my vehicle. All of the factual data is below. My service manager at Weir was actually apologetic but he said once corporate is on you’re a** you are dead and there is nothing he could do. I tried to talk to the Weir Canyon General Manager but he would not discuss the matter and I was told to have my vehicle picked up. Again so not only did Acura Corporate Warranty Repair tell me that they would not work on my vehicle they stopped Weir Canyon from working on it also.

Not really part of the story but during this week my Mother-in-law died and we had to travel to Central California attending her in the hospital and after she died then to plan and attend her funeral, and with all of that, I was just a little bit out of the mood for fighting over a stupid piece car, so I just let it go. My wife asked me to let it go. So I did. When a family member has died who cares about something like this, you know? Another reason I just stopped posting.


The Weir Canyon Website postings (they have a web base automated service status posting website) and email that they sent me.

To: Frank O
Thank you for bringing your vehicle in for service at Weir Canyon Acura. To better serve you, we have your repair status available on our web site. Our records show the following information:
Year: 2004
Make: Acura
Model: Tsx
Please click here if you would like to view your repair order information. Your repair order number is 24228.
Thank you for using Weir Canyon Acura for your service needs.
Srdan Despotovic
Service Advisor
Weir Canyon Acura
8375 E La Palma Ave
Anaheim, CA 92807
Phone: (714) 779-3300
Repair Order 24228 - 2004 GRAY ACURA TSX NAVI 4DR SDN

Overall Status: Finished Tag Number: 0357 License Plate: XXXXXX
Service Advisor: SRDAN DESPOTOVIC


Main Email Address:
Alternate Email Address:
Item Pay Type Item Status Concern Correction
51 Customer Pay Done AAMCO DROPPED OFF VEHICLE D LIGHT FLASHING...CHECK.... ADVISE... REPLACED SWITCHES IN SHIFTER , ALSO CHECKED ALL GROUNDS IN VEHICEL FOR SHIFT INDICATOR SYSTEM, SECURED ALL GROUNDS AND RECHECKED WIRE HARNESSES FOR PROPER FIT. D LIGHT DOES NOT FLASH AND DRIVES AS DESIGNED.

Amounts Due
Customer Pay: $ 334.39


________________________________________
Last updated at: 04/11/08, 10:35p

To: Frank O
Thank you for bringing your vehicle in for service at Weir Canyon Acura. To better serve you, we have your repair status available on our web site. Our records show the following information:
Year: 2004
Make: Acura
Model: Tsx
Please click here if you would like to view your repair order information. Your repair order number is 24460.
Thank you for using Weir Canyon Acura for your service needs.
Srdan Despotovic
Service Advisor

Weir Canyon Acura
8375 E La Palma Ave
Anaheim, CA 92807
Phone: (714) 779-3300
Repair Order 24460 - 2004 GRAY ACURA TSX NAVI 4DR SDN

Overall Status: Finished Tag Number: 9999 License Plate: XXXXXX
Service Advisor: SRDAN DESPOTOVIC


Main Email Address:

Alternate Email Address:


Item Pay Type Item Status Concern Correction
51 Customer Pay Done VEHICLE HAS FLASHING "D" LIGHT REPLACED ONE SWITCH AND A SELINOID ON VEHICLE WHICH STOPPED THE FICKERING NUTRAL LIGHT AND VSA LIGHT. REFUNDED CUSTOMER FOR LAST REPAIR PER JAMES WONG REQUEST. UNABLE TO SOLVE VEHICLES ISSUE WITH FLASHING "D" LIGHT. NO FURTHER REPAIRS WILL BE DONE ON THIS VEHICLE.

________________________________________
Last updated at: 04/11/08, 10:36p

This is Wong’s contact information; he is the one who Black Listed Me and My Vehicle with Acura, he also is apparently so well thought of by other Acura employees that they just handed over his unpublished contact information to me so that I could fight this if I wanted to, they actually told me that they hoped that I would and that I won, they said that I was being royally screwed by Acura. They also gave me his bosses’ information, but none of it really did any good. Corporations win and I really don’t care anymore, screw this car and screw Acura. It is only transportation.

James P Wong
x15297
Phone: (310) 781 5297
Email: james_wong@ahm.honda.com

And here is his boss too:

Kurt E Anderson
x13409
Phone: (310) 783 3409
Email:kurt_anderson@ahm.honda.com
Location: 500-2N-191
Company:American Honda Motor Co., Inc.
Mail Stop:500-2N-7E
Division:Parts & Service Operations (09SV)
Cost Center:Auto Warranty Administration (6580)

After all of this had happened and in the spirit of customer service Weir Canyon then called to tell me that they would not let me pick up my own vehicle. As a matter of fact they told me that I could not! They said that AAMCO would be the only one that they would release my vehicle to even though I had paid for the repairs.

I was still in Central California (at the Funeral) so it almost didn’t matter to me, they could have kept the car. At this point AAMCO did me a great service. I called them and asked if they would pick up the car, store it until I was back in town and that I would pay them for all of their services. AAMCO of Fullerton California went and picked up the vehicle. They took it to their shop. They spent the next two weeks working on the vehicle “without charging me another dime”. They took out the wiring harness. They cleaned every contact male and female and reinstalled the harness. They checked every wire, they checked every connector. And at the end of that process they called me and told me to pick up my vehicle. It was working and they have no clear idea why. It tested clear with no codes and they were very happy that they could help me out. I picked up the TSX, and again they did not charge me another dime. That company did me a great service and I will always go back there for all of my transmission related needs.

The AAMCO shop that I went to is this one and I would HIGHLY RECOMMEND THEM.

617 W Valencia Dr
Fullerton, CA 92832
(714) 992-0987

I am still driving the TSX but I will not have it for long, I am trying to decide what car to purchase next. I cannot buy another Honda USA product. After dealing with their representative’s one-on-one, I would never. I don’t trust anyone in their warranty department. I am not telling anyone else what to do. Do what makes you feel comfortable but after this I am over dealing with Honda.

I had a Pt. Cruiser that was bought back on the lemon law several years ago and in my opinion I received better customer service & more ethical treatment from Chrysler Warranty Representatives while we were dealing with that matter than I ever did from Honda. Honda simply just did not care. Chrysler actually wanted to help and eventually bought the car back from me after they realized what the situation was and how bad the vehicle was performing. Honda was elitist and rude, Chrysler was fair and respectful. No more dealing with Honda for me. It just isn't worth it, life is to short.

Both Service Representatives of Acura and of AAMCO confirmed to me that if you see poof’s of mist coming out of your air conditioning vent your heater core is probably leaking and that you should pull over and turn off the vehicle and disconnect the battery as soon as possible. Have it towed straight to service. If it does leak, it can spill over onto your ECU. Remember that is only considered secondary damage and would not be taken into consideration in the design of a Honda vehicle according to Honda USA management. Good Luck.

Oh and it takes about 11 hours to replace a heater core in a TSX. I have read the proceedure and I have seen the proceedure perfomed. The entire dash must be removed. I personally would not attempt it on my own.

All of this is my personal opinion and the information posted was obtained from Weir Canyon and Honda USA either though emails or posted on public websites.

And if anyone wants to take addtional shots at me for being an idiot during this entire situation please go right ahead, but I hate to dissapoint you I wont be reading them. I was just surprized to see that anyone had posted to this thread and thought that I should finish this once and for all. I am out of here

davidspalding

Wow. I mean WOW. I'm not sure how much of this I can swallow with suspension of disbelief, but I can freely imagine the horrendous experience and my own frustration and anger in the midst of it. I just ... can't understand why the OP doesn't get a lawyer's advice. Some of the corporation's actions and the dealership's actions after the OP has paid for services.... I just don't get it. There must be a consumer affairs attorney who can right this wrong.

These are the kinds of stories that convince me with the greatest possible degree of paranoia to document EVERYTHING when dealing with corporations and service industry professionals. (I just had a similar experience with my firm's HR department and our health insurance administrator. The plan reps were insisting that I had to pay a deductible for a CAT scan performed during an ER visit as "advanced radiology" until my HR superstars pointed out that it was "part of the emergency" (treatment).

npolite

Not to get too off topic but I too am very frustrated at Honda as well. My sister has an 08 Accord and the amount of minor problems with it are just too much for a high quality car such as the Accord.

So far she has had:

1) The carpet replaced from a worn out spot after 6 month of use.
2) a TSB where the door handle sticks and won't open the door during hot days.
3) Has to press the gas release multiple times to get the door open
4) Seat driver's belt buckle won't lock -- on order for another one
And the biggest problem
5) Squeaking brakes - Yes I would not recommend anyone buy an Accord as this is a common problem on it. I just replaced the pads myself and the noise still persists. I'm guessing either Honda changed the pad material or something is wrong with the rotors.

She is so disappointed with her car that she is thinking about trading it in and I sure as heck won't buy one. I'm looking at either a Sonata or Altima at this point.

Mokos23

the quality of honda vs. acura i don't know you really do pay for what you get. my 99 accord had more problems mechanically than my 04 TSX.

npolite

I guess it is more of bad luck not hitting you. So far knock on wood our 99 Accord has been flawless. I could be the exception to the rule since I do all of the maintenance myself though.

LuvMyTSX

First year model FTL! I bet the 2010 Accord will be better.

Mokos23

99 Accord in my 94,023 miles of ownership from Apr. 1999-Dec 2003, I had these problems:

1. Plastic door sill fell off when I got out of the car, had to reattach it myself.
2. Ignition switch failure, got stalled on the road a few times and the Accord once turned itself off while I was driving, luckily I was able to steer the car onto a parking lot. This is a widespread problem on all 6th gen Accords.
3. Catalytic converter failed at 86K miles, never got it fixed because it cost about 900 bucks
4. Heater was starting to have problems.
5. Door lock failed to close at 60K miles, well this is also an Acura TSX problem with the door actuator.

The funniest part is that the 99 Accord sedan Ex I had was Made in Japan.

I guess it wasn't that bad, the only scary part was the ignition switch failure and luckily I had the 4 cyl because it didn't have the tranny problems the V6 Accords had.