FaultScore

1998 Honda Accord transmission problems

281 of the 1,429 complaints about the 1998 Honda Accord are about the transmission — 20% of everything reported for this model year. Half of the failures with a mileage on record happened before 86,200 miles.

C

281

Complaints

13

Crashes

0

Fires

4

Injuries

Exactly what failed

Automatic Transmission 204 72.6%
Power Train 28 10.0%
Clutch Assembly 11 3.9%
Manual Transmission 10 3.6%
Park/Neutral Start Interlock Switch 9 3.2%
Gear Position Indication (Prndl) 4 1.4%
Torque Converter 4 1.4%
Column Shift 3 1.1%
Floor Shift 2 0.7%
Pedal/Hand Lever(Motorcycle) 1 0.4%

Transmission & Drivetrain across every Honda Accord year

1988 11 0.3%
1990 16 0.4%
1991 19 0.5%
1992 28 0.7%
1993 18 0.5%
1994 21 0.6%
1995 19 0.5%
1996 28 0.7%
1997 36 0.9%
1998 281 7.4%
1999 251 6.6%
2000 209 5.5%
2001 215 5.6%
2002 480 12.6%
2003 933 24.5%
2004 350 9.2%
2005 114 3.0%
2006 49 1.3%
2007 59 1.5%
2008 71 1.9%
2009 35 0.9%
2010 44 1.2%
2011 21 0.6%
2012 27 0.7%
2013 110 2.9%
2014 64 1.7%
2015 40 1.0%
2016 29 0.8%
2017 33 0.9%
2018 132 3.5%
2019 43 1.1%
2020 16 0.4%
2021 12 0.3%

What owners said

Filed with NHTSA, in their own words.

at 140,000 miles Anaheim, CA

POWER TRAIN

DURING THE NORMAL SPEED ON THE 40 MILE PER HOUR STREET TRANSMISSION SUDDENLY STACK AND THE VEHICLE DID NOT ACCELERATE MORE THAN 30 MILE PER HOUR .AFTER THAT DATE THIS CONDITION CONTINUES ON AND OFF .ON THE OTHER SIDE THE TRANSMISSION CHANGES THE SPEED ONLY IN 1ST AND 2ND GEAR. ALL NESESSARY TRANSMISSION ADJUSTMENTS HAS BEEN DONE. ORAL MECHANICAL ESTIMATE FOR REPAIR COSTS $ 2200

NHTSA complaint #11395039 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 131,000 miles Queens Village, NY

POWER TRAIN

TRANSMISSION IS FAILING. IT IS SLIPPING BETWEEN SHIFTS, WHICH LEADS TO SPIKED RPMS BECAUSE OF THE DELAYED SHIFT. THE SHIFT IS ALSO VERY HARSH, WHERE IT JERKS, SHAKES, AND RUMBLES THE CAR. GEARS ALSO GRIND OCCASIONALLY BETWEEN STOP AND FIRST GEAR.

NHTSA complaint #10969836 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Lynnwood, WA

POWER TRAIN

THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED TO OUR CAR PLEASE SEE BELOW FROM THE OTHER HONDA OWNER'S DESCRIPTION: AT 100,000 MILES MY 1998 HONDA ACCORD BEGAN JERKING AND BUCKING WHEN SHIFTING FROM FIRST TO SECOND GEAR AND ALSO WHEN ACCELERATING IN HIGHER GEAR. I WAS ALMOST KILLED BY A SEMI TRUCK BEHIND ME WHEN THE CAR BUCKED AND DECELERATED RAPIDLY. THESE ARE DANGEROUS CARS! THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND IN THE LOWER GEARS THE CAR WOULD GO INTO "LIMP MODE" AND I WOULD HAVE TO PULL OFF THE ROAD AND RESTART THE ENGINE IN ORDER TO DRIVE IT. I TOOK THE CAR TO A VERY REPUTABLE MECHANIC AND HE DIAGNOSED A COMPLETE FAILURE OF THE TRANSMISSION AND TOLD ME THIS WAS A KNOWN ISSUE WITH THIS YEAR AND MODEL OF HONDA. TO REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION WOULD COST $3,400.00. AFTER RESEARCHING I HAVE COME TO LEARN THAT IT IS A MANUFACTURING DEFECT IN THE TRANSMISSION THAT HONDA HAS BEEN AWARE OF AND HAS DONE NOTHING TO RECTIFY. I CONTACTED HONDA AND WAS TOLD THAT THEY "SYMPATHIZE WITH THE PROBLEM I HAD BUT BECAUSE THEY HAVE NO RECALLS OR ALERTS IN THEIR SYSTEM" THERE WAS NOTHING THEY WOULD DO TO HELP. THERE HAVE BEEN HUNDREDS OF COMPLAINTS ABOUT TRANSMISSION FAILURE IN 1998 HONDA ACCORDS AND IN MY CASE IT ALMOST COST ME MY LIFE. IF YOU HAVE A SIMILAR PROBLEM, PLEASE REPORT IT TO THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY SAFETY ADMINISTRATION.

NHTSA complaint #10898023 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 266,000 miles Darby, PA

POWER TRAIN

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 HONDA ACCORD. WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH, THE VEHICLE AUTOMATICALLY DECELERATED TO 25 MPH. THE CONTACT WAS UNABLE TO SHIFT THE GEAR INTO REVERSE AND THE VEHICLE JERKED WHILE DRIVING. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURES. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 266,000.

NHTSA complaint #10725732 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 266,000 miles Darby, PA

POWER TRAIN

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 HONDA ACCORD. WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 55 MPH, THE VEHICLE JERKED AND STALLED. IN ADDITION, THE VEHICLE FAILED TO SHIFT OUT OF REVERSE AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 266,000.

NHTSA complaint #10725734 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 130,000 miles Glendale, AZ

POWER TRAIN

THIS IS MY SECOND HONDA I OWNED AND I HAVE BEEN DEALING WITH MY SECOND HONDA'S TRANSMISSION PROBLEM FOR A ABOUT 6 MONTHS NOW. I FIRST NOTICED A SLIPPING AND A DELAY IN SPEED WHEN I STARTED TO DRIVE IT. AT FIRST I THOUGHT IT WAS A FUEL PUMP ISSUE BUT THEN IT STARTED TO SLIP MORE SEVERELY TO THE POINT I ALMOST WRECKED TRYING TO MAKE A LEFT HAND TURN INTO ONCOMING TRAFFIC. I HAVE SEVERAL INCIDENTS WHERE THIS CAR HAS ALMOST CAUSED AN ACCIDENT. I HAVE TAKEN IT TO A MECHANIC, CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WAS ON. HE SAID IT WAS A SHIFT SOLENOID, $365 DOLLARS LATER JUST FOR THE PART ALONE, NO FIX. THE SAME SLIPPING AND JERKING CONTINUED. I HAVE LOOKED FOR A GOOD PRICE FOR A TRANSMISSION AND IT COST ABOUT $1,800> TO GET A THE TRANSMISSION INSTALLED WITH LABOR. A PRICE THAT I AM NOT WILLING TO PAY. I FEEL HONDA IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS FAULTY CAR. SO MANY OF THE SAME COMPLAINTS IS NOT A COINCIDENCE ITS A FACT. HONDA GET IT TOGETHER OR YOU WILL LOSE MANY LOYAL CUSTOMERS!!

NHTSA complaint #10519649 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 114,000 miles Lufkin, TX

POWER TRAIN

ON THE DATE SPECIFIED ABOVE UP TO THE CURRENT DATE 11/14/2012 I [XXX]HAVE HAD THIS 1998 HONDA ACCORD EX FOR LESS THAN A YEAR AND I HAVE HAD PROBLEMS OUT OF THIS CAR'S TAKE OFF SPEED. TO FURTHER EXPLAIN THE CAR STRUGGLES TO TAKE OFF, AND WHEN IT DOES AND TRIES TO SHIFT, THE SHIFTING IS EITHER DELAYED, AND OR THE VEHICLE SHIFTS VERY ROUGH. IT IS ALMOST AS THOUGHT THE VEHICLE IS LEAPING FORWARD. THERE ARE EVEN TIMES WHEN I TRY TO TAKE OFF AFTER STOPPING IN TRAFFIC, THE CAR BEHAVES AS THOUGH IT IS IN NEUTRAL WHEN TRYING TO SHIFT FROM FIRST GEAR TO SECOND GEAR. MY ENGINE LIGHT DID NOT COME ON UNTIL LATER INDICATING THAT THERE WAS A MALFUNCTION SOMEWHERE. I PULLED OUT MY CODE READER AND HOOKED IT TO THE OBD OUTLET ON MY CAR AND IT INDICATED, LOW TORQUE SHIFT SOLENOID CIRCUIT. I CHECKED THE INTERNET TO SEE IF ANY OTHER HONDA OWNERS HAD THIS SAME ISSUE WITH THEIR HONDA ACCORDS, AND IT APPEARS THAT I AM NOT ALONE WITH HAVING THE SAME SYMPTOMS. IT ALSO APPEARS THAT HONDA HAS HAD THESE PROBLEMS WITH THE CRAFTSMANSHIP OF THEIR TRANSMISSIONS ON THE ACCORDS FROM YEAR MODELS 1998-2002. HOWEVER, SO FAR FROM WHAT I HAVE RESEARCHED ON THE WEB THEIR HAS BEEN NO ACCIDENTS OR FIRES REPORTED YET. I AM URGING THE NHTSA OR SAFERCAR.GOV TO IMMEDIATELY INVESTIGATE THIS ISSUE. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE THAT I BELIEVE NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED. ALTHOUGH MY CAR IS A 1998 MODEL, THEIR HAVE BEEN CUSTOMERS WHOM HAVE HAD THEIR VEHICLES HAVE TRANSMISSION FAILURES WITH MILEAGE AS LOW AS 56000. THIS TYPE OF MILEAGE OF 56000-117000 MILES FOR A TRANSMISSION TO FAIL IS NOT NORMAL. ESPECIALLY IF THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN VERY WELL MAINTAINED, WITH MAINTENANCE RECORDS TO BACK IT UP TO DATE. ANYWAY, PLEASE INVESTIGATE BEFORE SOMEONE GETS SERIOUSLY HURT OR EVEN KILLED. I DON'T WANT ANYONE OR HONDA TO SUFFER LIKE FIRESTONE TIRES DID A FEW YEARS AGO. COME ON HONDA, FIX YOUR PRODUCT THAT YOU HAVE BEEN STANDING BEHIND. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

NHTSA complaint #10484583 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 215,000 miles Smyrna, GA 1 injured

POWER TRAIN

I BOUGHT THE CAR FROM A DEALERSHIP. AND IT WAS OK AT FIRST THAN CHECK ENGINES LIGHT CAME ON AND I GOT IT CHECKED OUT LONG STORY SHORT THE DEALER REPLACED IT. BUT I MESSED UP MY WRIST BC OF THE JERK FROM THE VEHICLE. AND NOW A YEAR AND A HALF LATER MY TORQUE CONVERTER GOES OUT AGAIN AT 245,000 MILES WHICH MEANS YOUR TRANSMISSION IS OUT TOO. I BEEN ALL OVER THE WEB WHY HASN'T NHTSA MADE HONDA RECALL THEIR TRANSMISSION WHEN ITS EFFECTING SO MANY PEOPLE. I'M NOW ABOUT TO BE OUT OF A JOB, AND HOME. I'M BEGGING NHTSA DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS 2000-2003 WEREN'T THE ONLY YEAR TO HAVE A DEFECTIVE TRANSMISSION PROBLEM 1999 ARE TO. I THINK THERE IS NO BETTER PROOF THAN RESEARCH. IF U GOOGLE TRANSMISSION PROBLEM HONDA ACCORD/ODYSSEY 1998-2002 HAVE BAD ISSUES WITH THE TORQUE CONVERTER CODE P0740. PLEASE RESOLVE THIS ISSUE TRANSMISSION SHOULDN'T GO OUT AFTER 50,000 MILES. SAFETY WISE: THIS PAST WEEK I ALMOST HIT TO SEMI TRUCK BC IT JERKED FORWARD I COULD'VE DIED. AND BEING ON THE HIGHWAY N THE MIDDLE IS A DANGEROUS SITUATION WHEN IT YOU AND YOUR FAMILY. ANOTHER ISSUE IS THAT PEOPLE WANTED TO KNOW THE ISSUES WITH THE CAR THEY ARE BUYING CARFAX ONLY STATS RECALL. I PREFER A RECALL LIKE A THOUSANDS OF OTHER PEOPLE BUT IF YOU CAN'T, AT LEAST MAKE HONDA COME UP WITH A BETTER SOLUTION A BETTER TRANSMISSION HAVE THEM ADD A TRANSMISSION FILTER.

NHTSA complaint #10482434 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 2,450 miles Bronx, NY

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:PARK/NEUTRAL START INTERLOCK SWITCH

PLEASE BE ADVISED THAT THIS HAS HAPPENED ON MULTIPLE DATES RANGING FROM 1999-2012. I THOUGHT IT WAS COVERED THROUGH NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID #: 98V018000 BUT I DID NOT USE THE CAR ENOUGH TO RECOGNIZE A PATTERN UNTIL 2002. I THINK AT THAT TIME, THERE MAY HAVE BEEN SEVERAL THOUSAND MILES IN 2002 WHEN I BEGAN TO USE THE CAR ON MORE ROUTINE BASES. THERE ARE TWO OCCASIONS THAT CAUSE THE ISSUE TO ARISE. WHILE I AM DRIVING, THE STEERING COLUMN WILL LOCK UP CAUSING AN ISSUE TO SHIFT FROM GEAR TO GEAR AND THE MOBILITY OF THE CAR. AS THE STEERING COLUMN WOULD LOCK AND CAUSE THE HORN TO MALFUNCTION AND NOT MAKE A SOUND AND THE LIMIT MY MOBILITY TO PARK THE CAR. MOST STREETS THAT I DRIVE ARE NOT ON AN INCLINE BUT THERE HAVE BEEN FEW OCCASIONS, WHERE IF THE CAR WAS ON A SLIGHT INCLINE, IT WOULD BEGIN TO ROLL. I WOULD USE THE GEAR BRAKES TO PREVENT AN ACCIDENT. ANOTHER ISSUE INVOLVES ANOTHER PATH (OCCASION) WHICH CAUSES THE STEERING WHEEL TO LOCK WHICH CAUSES MALFUNCTIONS IN THE HORN AND THE INTERLOCKING INCIDENT. IF I AM DRIVING AND IN THE STAGES OF PARKING MY CAR, THE STEERING COLUMN WILL LOCK AFFECTING THE ABILITY FOR ME TO CHANGE GEAR AND MY ABILITY TO ADEQUATELY MOBILITY WHEN PARK. THIS HAS OCCURRED MORE FREQUENTLY NOW BUT IT HAS OCCURRED IN 1999. WHEN I WAS ADVISED OF THE INTERLOCK RECALL, I THOUGHT THIS WAS ADDRESSED. ONCE THIS OCCURS, THE CAR CAN ONLY BE UNLOCKED WHEN I DRIVE WHEN I PRESS DOWN OF THE HEAR CHARGER, PUT THE KEY IN THE SLIGHT COVERING THE GEAR CHANGER AND MOVE THE STEERING WHEEL. BETWEEN NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID #: 03V423000 AND NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID #: 02V120000, I THOUGHT THESE ISSUE WAS ADDRESSED. WHEN I CALLED HONDA TODAY AND SPOKE TO [XXX] 800-999-1099 EXT [XXX], THE RECALL IS ASSOCIATED WITH THE VIN SOI WANTED TO MAKE SURE THIS WAS ACKNOWLEDGED FOR INCIDENTS FOR MY CAR MODEL & VIN. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

NHTSA complaint #10475839 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 91,150 miles Marietta, GA

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

1998 HONDA ACCORD COMPLETE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION FAILURE AT 91,150 MILES. INCIDENT BELOW RESULTED IN NEAR COLLISION WHEN MY VEHICLE PULLED OUT TO MERGE INTO TRAFFIC AND VEHICLE WOULD NOT ACCELERATE MORE THAN APPROXIMATELY 15 MPH. OTHER VEHICLE HAD TO SLAM ON BRAKES TO AVOID SIDE COLLISION. I HAVE A 1998 HONDA ACCORD LX, 4- DOOR, 4 CYLINDER, AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION. AT APPROXIMATELY 91,000 MILES, I NOTICED THAT THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION STARTED TO "SLIP" SHIFTING FROM FIRST GEAR INTO SECOND GEAR, ESPECIALLY RIGHT AFTER THE VEHICLE WAS JUST STARTED. THIS ISSUE WOULD GET WORSE UNDER MEDIUM TO HEAVY ACCELERATION. HAVING HAD ANOTHER 1997 HONDA ACCORD LX, 2 DOOR, AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION, THAT FAILED AT 66,000 MILES, I SUSPECTED THAT THE TRANSMISSION WAS FAILING ON THIS 1998 HONDA ACCORD LX. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO COTTMAN TRANSMISSION FOR EVALUATION, AND THE TECHNICIAN TEST DROVE THE VEHICLE IMMEDIATELY AFTER STARTING UP THE VEHICLE IN THE MORNING. THE TECHNICIAN CONFIRMED THE SEVERE "SLIPPAGE" FROM FIRST INTO SECOND GEAR AND RAN DIAGNOSTIC TESTS ON ALL THE ELECTRIC COMPONENTS, INCLUDING AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION SOLENOIDS. UPON COMPLETION AND ADDITIONAL EXAMINATION OF THE PROBLEM, THE TECHNICIAN STATED THAT THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION WAS FAILING, AND REQUIRED A TOTAL REBUILD. ONCE THE HONDA ACCORD AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION WAS REMOVED FROM THE HONDA ACCORD AND TAKEN APART, IT WAS NOTED THAT THE INTERNAL METAL FILTER WAS PLUGGED WITH METAL SAVINGS, THE CLUTCH BANDS WERE BURNED, AND AN INTERNAL ELECTRIC SWITCH WAS DEFECTIVE. EXPECT NO HELP AND/OR COMPENSATION FROM HONDA CORPORATION AS PURSING THAT ROUTE HAS BEEN FUTILE. IT WOULD SEEM THAT HONDA CORPORATION HAD BEEN OVER CONFIDENT IN THE SALE OF HONDAS IN THE UNITED STATES, THAT THE "QUALITY" OF THEIR PRODUCT NOW SUFFERS.

NHTSA complaint #10475460 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 91,150 miles Marietta, GA

POWER TRAIN

1998 HONDA ACCORD COMPLETE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION FAILURE AT 91,150 MILES. INCIDENT BELOW RESULTED IN NEAR COLLISION WHEN MY VEHICLE PULLED OUT TO MERGE INTO TRAFFIC AND VEHICLE WOULD NOT ACCELERATE MORE THAN APPROXIMATELY 15 MPH. OTHER VEHICLE HAD TO SLAM ON BRAKES TO AVOID SIDE COLLISION. I HAVE A 1998 HONDA ACCORD LX, 4- DOOR, 4 CYLINDER, AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION. AT APPROXIMATELY 91,000 MILES, I NOTICED THAT THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION STARTED TO "SLIP" SHIFTING FROM FIRST GEAR INTO SECOND GEAR, ESPECIALLY RIGHT AFTER THE VEHICLE WAS JUST STARTED. THIS ISSUE WOULD GET WORSE UNDER MEDIUM TO HEAVY ACCELERATION. HAVING HAD ANOTHER 1997 HONDA ACCORD LX, 2 DOOR, AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION, THAT FAILED AT 66,000 MILES, I SUSPECTED THAT THE TRANSMISSION WAS FAILING ON THIS 1998 HONDA ACCORD LX. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO COTTMAN TRANSMISSION FOR EVALUATION, AND THE TECHNICIAN TEST DROVE THE VEHICLE IMMEDIATELY AFTER STARTING UP THE VEHICLE IN THE MORNING. THE TECHNICIAN CONFIRMED THE SEVERE "SLIPPAGE" FROM FIRST INTO SECOND GEAR AND RAN DIAGNOSTIC TESTS ON ALL THE ELECTRIC COMPONENTS, INCLUDING AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION SOLENOIDS. UPON COMPLETION AND ADDITIONAL EXAMINATION OF THE PROBLEM, THE TECHNICIAN STATED THAT THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION WAS FAILING, AND REQUIRED A TOTAL REBUILD. ONCE THE HONDA ACCORD AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION WAS REMOVED FROM THE HONDA ACCORD AND TAKEN APART, IT WAS NOTED THAT THE INTERNAL METAL FILTER WAS PLUGGED WITH METAL SAVINGS, THE CLUTCH BANDS WERE BURNED, AND AN INTERNAL ELECTRIC SWITCH WAS DEFECTIVE. EXPECT NO HELP AND/OR COMPENSATION FROM HONDA CORPORATION AS PURSING THAT ROUTE HAS BEEN FUTILE. IT WOULD SEEM THAT HONDA CORPORATION HAD BEEN OVER CONFIDENT IN THE SALE OF HONDAS IN THE UNITED STATES, THAT THE "QUALITY" OF THEIR PRODUCT NOW SUFFERS.

NHTSA complaint #10475460 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 100,000 miles Lufkin, TX

POWER TRAIN

AT THE APPROX MILES STATED ABOVE, MY HONDA ACCORD BEGAN TO STRUGGLE SHIFTING FROM FIRST TO SECOND GEAR. IT WAS AS THOUGH THE CAR WAS LOSING POWER. ALSO AT TIMES THE CAR NOT ONLY STRUGGLE TO GET INTO FIRST GEAR BUT WHEN IT SHIFTED IT WOULD SHIFT ROUGH, AND THE CAR WOULD PLUNGE OR GALLOP FORWARD. I RESEARCHED SEVERAL WEBSITES AND BLOGS JUST TO SEE IF ANY ONE ELSE HAD EXPERIENCED THIS SAME PROBLEM. AS IT TURNS OUT EVERYONE HAS EXPERIENCED THE PROBLEM ON THE HONDA ACCORD 1998-2002 MODELS. SO SINCE THIS WAS NOT JUST ME, I CONTACTED HONDA HEADQUARTERS ABOUT THIS ISSUE TO SEE IF THEY WOULD BE OR HAD ISSUED A RECALL ON THIS VEHICLE REGARDING THE TRANSMISSION. THEY STATED THEY HAD NOT, HOWEVER, I FEEL THEY NEED TO BECAUSE THIS IS A HAZARD, AND A MAJOR PROBLEM. WHEN THE CAR STRUGGLES TO GET INTO FIRST GEAR WHILE TRYING TO GET INTO TRAFFIC, THE CAR CAN LOSE POWER, WHICH CAN POSSIBLY CAUSE SOMEONE TO LOOSE CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. AND AS A CONSEQUENCE AN ACCIDENT MAY OCCUR, RESULTING IN SERIOUS INJURY OR DEATH. I ASK THAT THE NHTSA PLEASE IMMEDIATELY LOOK INTO THIS ISSUE. I HAVE READ BLOGS AND COMPLAINTS ALL OVER THE WEB REGARDING HONDA AND THIS PROBLEM WITH THE HONDA ACCORD TRANSMISSION SOLENOID, DATING BACK AS FAR AS 1990-2002. HONDA APPARENTLY HAS KNOW ABOUT THIS PROBLEM, AND HAS FAILED TO BE COURTEOUS ABOUT FIXING IT. ALTHOUGH MY CAR IS OLD, I STILL FEEL HONDA SHOULD BE HELD LIABLE FOR A FAULTY PART ON THE TRANSMISSION. TO CONTINUE WHERE I LEFT OFF WITH HONDA, I HAVE TALKED TO THEM 4 DIFFERENT TIMES AND IN DIFFERENT MONTHS REGARDING THIS ISSUE, IT SEEMS THEY ARE NOT INTERESTED IN CORRECTING IT, UNLESS THEY ARE FORCED TO DO SO. THE LADY OVER THE PHONE DID NOT EVEN OFFER ANY TYPE OF COMPENSATION FOR THE REPAIR. SO NOW IT SEEMS IT IS ALL UP TO ME AS THE CONSUMER. NHTSA, AGAIN, PLEASE LOOK INTO THIS IMMEDIATELY.

NHTSA complaint #10470078 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 128,823 miles Medley, FL

POWER TRAIN

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 HONDA ACCORD. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 45 MPH, THE TRANSMISSION SLIPPED AND THE VEHICLE HESITATED TO ACCELERATE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL REPAIR SHOP, WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND DID NOT OFFER ANY ASSISTANCE SINCE THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN ANY RECALLS. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 128,823 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 132,000.

NHTSA complaint #10459122 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 18,000 miles Roselle, IL

POWER TRAIN

TRANSMISSION STARTED TO SLIP AT 18000 MILES GRADUALLY GOT WORSE ,HONDA AND DEALER REFUSED TO FIX.

NHTSA complaint #10447339 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 150,000 miles Kansas City, KS

POWER TRAIN

TL- THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 HONDA ACCORD. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD STALL INTERMITTENTLY WITHOUT WARNING. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 150,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 170,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE. KMJ

NHTSA complaint #10441544 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 149,000 miles Columbus, GA

POWER TRAIN

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 HONDA ACCORD. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 20 MPH, THE CONTACT NOTICED AN EXCESSIVE VIBRATION IN THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTICS WHERE THE TECHNICIAN STATED THAT THE TRANSMISSION WOULD HAVE TO BE REPLACED. AFTER THE REPAIR THE FAILURE CONTINUED. THE TRANSMISSION WAS REPLACED SEVEN TIMES TO NO AVAIL. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 149,000. UPDATED 11/22/11*LJ UPDATED 06/13/2012

NHTSA complaint #10427248 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 64,350 miles Whittier, CA

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

I HAVE A 1998 HONDA ACCORD. I HAVE RECENTLY BEEN NOTICING THAT IT HAS BEEN SHIFTING ROUGH OR LIKE IT HAS LOST POWER. I HAVE BEEN DRIVING AND AFTER STOPS OR ATTEMPTING TO MERGE INTO TRAFFIC THE VEHICLE FEELS LIKE IT'S LOST POWER AND THEN LUNGES FORWARD. O ALSO JUST GOT A CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WITH THE ERROR CODE FOR THE TORQUE CONVERTER. I HAVE READ THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM AND COULD CAUSE SOMEONE TO GIVE THE VEHICLE TOO MUCH THROTTLE DO TO THE LACK OF POWER WHEN THE ACCELERATOR IS DEPRESSED. AND DUE TO THE DELAY IN ACCELERATION A PERSON WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO TELL. I HAVE NOT REPAIRED MY VEHICLE BUT THE DEALER IS SAYING TO CHANGE THE TRANSMISSION. $3000.00.

NHTSA complaint #10361875 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 87,000 miles Houston, TX

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

1998 HONDA ACCORD EX-V6. TRANSMISSION FAILURE. 1. I WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AND SUDDENLY THE TRANSMISSION STARTED TO DISENGAGE AND RE-ENGAGE BY ITSELF AND THEN LOCKED THE TRANSMISSION. 2. BEFORE THE FAILURE, I STARTED TO NOTICE THE TRANSMISSION SLIPPAGE AROUND 55,000 MILES. I BROUGHT IT TO HONDA DEALERSHIP AT AROUND 60,000 MILES AND THEY JUST REPLACED THE TRANSMISSION OIL. HOWEVER, THE PROBLEM WAS JUST GETTING WORSE. 3. AFTER THE TRANSMISSION LOCKED UP, I ALMOST LOST CONTROL, I HAVE TO PUT THE TRANSMISSION TO NEUTRAL AND HAD IT TOWED TO HONDA DEALERSHIP. I WAS TOLD THAT TRANSMISSION WAS OUT AND NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE REPLACEMENT TRANSMISSION COST WAS ABOUT $3000 4. I JUST NOTICED THAT THERE WERE SIMILAR RECALL FOR HONDA AND ACURA TRANSMISSION.

NHTSA complaint #10308380 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 89,000 miles Savannah, GA

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

HAVE A 1998 HONDA ACCORD. WAS DRIVING SLOWLY UP A HILL IN CONGESTED TRAFFIC AND THE CAR ACTED LIKE I HAD PUT IT IN NEUTRAL. AT THIS TIME THE CAR RPMS JUMPED UP AND THE CAR STARTED ROLLING BACKWARDS ALMOST ROLLING INTO A CAR BEHIND ME. THE CAR THEN JUMPED INTO GEAR AND LURCHED FORWARD ALMOST HITTING THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME. THE CAR STARTED TO RUN FINE AFTER THAT BUT SINCE IT HAD FIRST HAPPENED IT HAS RE-OCCURRED A NUMBER OF TIME, JUST NOT ON A HILL. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT HAS COME ON AND A READING OF THE CODE WAS A PO740 WHICH IS A FAILURE OF THE TORQUE CONVERTER. I'VE CHECKED ON THE WEB TO SEE IF ANYONE ELSE HAS HAD THIS PROBLEM AND I'M SURPRISED TO SEE THAT IT SEEMS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM WITH ACCORD MODELS FROM 98 TO ABOUT 2002. THERE WAS NO ONE HURT OR DAMAGE TO ANYTHING BUT I CAN SEE WHERE IT COULD REALLY BE A SAFETY ISSUE AROUND UNEVEN ROADS WITH SLOW MOVING TRAFFIC OR, AROUND MALL TYPE PARKING LOTS WHERE THERE ARE USUALLY A NUMBER OF PERSONS WALKING AROUND AND THRU TRAFFIC.

NHTSA complaint #10301760 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 142,000 miles Fishers, IN

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

I DRIVE A 1998 HONDA ACCORD EX V6 WITH 140,000 MILES. AS OF THE END OF DECEMBER, 2009; THE VEHICLE'S GEARS WOULD NOT ENGAGE WHEN PUTTING IT INTO 'DRIVE'. THE CAR WOULD ROLL FORWARD FOR ABOUT 100-200 YDS; IF YOU TRIED TO PUSH ON THE ACCELERATOR IT ACTED AS IF YOU WERE IN NEUTRAL AND THE ENGINE WOULD JUST REV. AFTER THAT, IT WOULD JUMP/JERK AND KICK INTO GEAR. I HAVE 2 CHILDREN, AGES 2 & 7 THAT ARE IN THE CAR DAILY. I HAVE BEEN TOLD BY A HONDA DEALER THAT W/O AT $3,500 REPLACEMENT OF MY TRANSMISSION THE VEHICLE WILL LIKELY LEAVE ME STRANDED ON THE ROAD. I AM ALSO SCARED TO DEATH WHEN PULLING OUT ON A MAJOR ROAD AND MY CAR WON'T GO OVER 3-5 MPH. I'M SITTING CROSSWAYS IN TRAFFIC HOPING THAT IT WILL EVENTUALLY KICK INTO GEAR. I HAVE COME CLOSE TO CAUSING A FEW ACCIDENTS B/C MY CAR WON'T MOVE. THE HONDA TRANSMISSION HAS A DESIGN FLAW; YET HONDA WON'T COVER ANY OF THE REPAIRS AND THERE IS NO RECALL. THIS IS ABSOLUTELY A SAFETY ISSUE AND MY CAR SHOULD NOT BE ON THE ROAD.

NHTSA complaint #10298442 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 160,000 miles Indianapolis, IN

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

CAR BEGAN TO SHIFT ROUGHLY OCCASIONALLY SEVERAL WEEKS AGO. CAR IS NOW SLIPPING GEARS ESPECIALLY WHEN ENGINE IS WARM. TRANSMISSION WAS REPLACED AT ~143000 MILES 16 MONTHS AGO BECAUSE OF SLIPPING GEARS. THIS WOULD BE THE SECOND REPLACEMENT IF I AM TOLD THIS IS BECAUSE OF TRANSMISSION FAILURE. THE CAR HAS ~160000 MILES ON IT.

NHTSA complaint #10280498 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 97,000 miles Calhan, CO

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

MY 1998 HONDA ACCORD IS HAVING TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS. I HAVE HAD IT WORKED ON NUMEROUS TIME WITH NOTHING ACTUALLY FIXING THE PROBLEM. IT WAS A HUGE WASTE OF MONEY AND TIME. IT HAS A HARD TIME SHIFTING. I WAS PULLING OUT ON TO A ROAD THAT WENT UP HILL AND ON COMING TRAFFIC ALMOST HIT ME BECAUSE MY CAR WOULDN'T GO INTO GEAR. JUST IN TIME IT JERKED INTO GEAR AND I FLOORED IT GETTING OUT OF THE WAY JUST IN TIME. THE ON COMING CAR WAS EXTREMELY UP SET WITH ME AND I PULLED OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD TO GATHER MYSELF. I HAD MY TRANSMISSION FLUID CHANGED AT JIFFY LUBE AND ABOUT 2 WEEKS LATER THE TRANSMISSION BEGAN SLIPPING. THAT EVENT IS WHAT STARTED IT ALL. FOR ALL OF THE COMPLAINS ABOUT THE 1998 TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS I CANT BELIEVE THEY DON'T SEE A SAFETY ISSUE. I COULD HAVE EASILY CAUSE A WRECK THAT DAY.

NHTSA complaint #10272443 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 105,000 miles Birmingham, AL

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

1998 HONDA ACCORD V6 AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION FAILURE. THE TRANSMISSION SLIPS WHEN SHIFTING FROM 1ST TO 2ND GEAR. THE VEHICLE WILL NOT BE REPAIRED SINCE THE COSTS IS APPROXIMATELY $3500 FOR A REMANUFACTURED TRANSMISSION.

NHTSA complaint #10263527 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 139,000 miles Clayton, NC

POWER TRAIN

SECOND AND THIRD GEARS ARE DEFECTIVE IN MY 1998 AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION ACCORD, EVERYTIME I HAVE A PROBLEM WHEN I STOP THEN MOVE AT A STOP LIGHT.

NHTSA complaint #10251773 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 132,000 miles Cheshire, CT

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

CHANGED MY OIL PUMP, TIMING BELT, SPARK PLUGS, AND SPARK PLUG WIRES. ALSO FIXED THE ENGINE MOUNT PROBLEM. NOW I GET CODE P0740 ON MY CAR. HONDA ACCORD, 1998, V6. THE CODE TRANSLATE TO TRANSMISSION PROBLEM WHICH IS VERY COMMON ON HONDA.

NHTSA complaint #10248463 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 124,000 miles Gastonia, NC

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

ENGINE CODE P0740 TCC MALFUNCTION.

NHTSA complaint #10246963 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 11,000 miles Venice, CA

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

I HAVE A '98 ACCORD V6 AUTOMATIC, AT SLIGHTLY OVER 100K MILES THE\ TRANSMISSION STARTED FAILING - SLIPPING, THEN SUDDENLY SHIFTING INTO 1ST AT 50MPH, THEN SHIFTING INTO NEUTRAL (ALL OF THIS HAPPENED WHILE DRIVING AT STEADY SPEEDS ON HIGHWAYS, NO REASON FOR THE TRANS TO DO ANY SHIFT, MUCH LESS 2 OR 3 GEARS SUDDENLY.) $3K TO REPLACE, NOW THE REPLACEMENT IS STARTING TO FAIL WITH 40K ON IT. JUST FOUND OUT IT'S A KNOWN DEFECT WITH ACCORDS FROM '97 -'02, "ESPECIALLY THE V6" (CHECK MSNAUTOS.COM OR EDMUNDS.COM FOR MORE INFO.) A MECHANIC SHOWED ME A HONDA SERVICE BULLETIN ON IT, BUT HONDA HAS NEVER STEPPED UP TO THE PLATE. MY 3RD ACCORD AND LAST HONDA, NEXT CAR IS TOYOTA AFTER YEARS AWAY.

NHTSA complaint #10245133 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 118,000 miles Raleigh, NC

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

I HAVE HONDA 1998 ACCORD EX WITH A KNOW TRANSMISSION PROBLEM. I HAVE THE P0740 TORQUE CONVERTER CLUTCH CIRCUIT MALFUNCTION. I WOULD LIKE TO VOICE MY COMPLAINT AT HONDA AND LET YOU KNOW MY CAR IS HAVING THE SAME ISSUES.

NHTSA complaint #10240946 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 67,000 miles Alexandria, VA

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

MY HONDA COUPE V6 HAD 67,000 MILES ON IT WHEN THE TRANSMISSION STARTED SLIPPING. AS A CONSEQUENCE OF THIS, I CANNOT SAFELY MAKE LEFT TURNS AS THE CAR WON'T ACCELERATE IMMEDIATELY AND PASSING IS NOT SAFELY DONE EITHER. I DO NOT DRIVE IT NOW EXCEPT TO WORK, 2 MILES AWAY, AND LOCALLY. THE REPAIR SHOP SAID I NEED A NEW TRANSMISSION AND THE COST WILL BE BETWEEN $2,500 TO $3,000. I HAVE NOT HAD IT FIXED YET.

NHTSA complaint #10233114 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 154,112 miles Lynchburg, VA

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 HONDA ACCORD. AFTER PLACING FUEL IN THE VEHICLE AND SHIFTING IT INTO GEAR, THE VEHICLE COLLAPSED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A LOCAL MECHANIC'S SHOP. THE MECHANIC INSTALLED A TEMPORARY LOWER BALL JOINT SO THAT THE CONTACT COULD DRIVE TO A LOCAL DEALER. ONCE AT THE DEALER, THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE BALL JOINT SEPARATED FROM THE FRAME. A RECALL RELATED TO THE FAILURE WAS FOUND, BUT THE DEALER STATED THAT THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED. THE DEALER REPAIRED THE BALL JOINTS ON THE PASSENGER SIDE OF THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 154,112. UPDATED 07/29/08. *LJ RECALL # 99V069000. THE CONSUMER ALSO STATED THE TRANSMISSION MADE A GRINDING NOISE WHEN IT WAS IN GEAR. THE TRANSMISSION HAD A LEAK AS WELL. UPDATED 07/29/08

NHTSA complaint #10231815 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Other 1998 Honda Accord problems

← Full 1998 Honda Accord report