Hi All,

Last week I bought a new 2015 Accord after having a 2007 Ridgeline radiator fail.

The failure resulted in antifreeze in the transmission. Several dealers said the transmission was likely fine just flushing the transmission fluid, but no guarantees and that this is a common problem with the Ridgeline. I also called many repair shops and they were less optimistic about the transmission, that the transmission was likely to fail in 3 to 12 months maximum, and that this is a fairly common problem across Honda's and Nissan's in general. Many of the repair shops suggested adding a transmission cooler and bypass the radiator as a long term fix.

When radiators fail on Accords, is it common for it to lead to coolant in the transmission?

 

Anything that is mechanical and has been manufactured can sometimes fail... I have a friend who owns a top-of-the-line Mercedes Benz, he recently had to have the motor mounts replaced.

Honda builds quality automobiles with true value for the price... the bottom line is not to be concerned about something that may never take place. Maintenance is the key to longevity

As a verse in a song says, '... don't worry, be happy..' Enjoy your Accord

 

If this becomes a duplicate post, I apologize, I thought I responded earlier today.

I do think Honda builds great vehicles and the reason I bought another.

While I agree that mechanical items can sometimes fail, I was led to believe that Honda and Nissan radiators are more likely than other manufacturers to fail in a manner that results in antifreeze flowing into the transmission. What I don't know is if this statement is limited to specific models or if it applies across all Honda models.

My reason for asking the question is that if this predisposition applies to the Accord and I'm aware of it, I'll replace the radiator at around year 4 or 5 of ownership before it becomes a major issue. I've already been led to believe this predisposition also applies to the Pilot, our other vehicle, and I plan on having that radiator replaced next week.

Thoughts????

 

Unless there is something specific about the intercooler design of the ATF heat sink in the radiator; there is no way for the "radiator" to fail which would pollute the ATF.

The above said, many folks are not fond of using the radiator for cooling automatic transmissions, especially in trailer towing applications, and as such, they routinely bypass the radiator intercoolers in favor of a discrete ATF radiator.

 

I'm personally "rocking" an 07 Pilot with 158K. No issues to date and won't think about the rad until it starts to leak.

I do have OCD about trans fluid changes - ~20K miles - and rad coolant - ~60K miles. I can get the Honda Blue coolant from work for ~$12 a gallon for the 50/50 pre-mix and the Honda trans fluid for ~5 a quart. When I do these I do the simple drain and fill method.

Anyway, IMHO there is not a "design flaw" with the rad, things do happen.

Good luck with the new Accord

 

Do you know if the coolant was replaced as recommended by Honda? Coolant has anti corrosion chemicals in it. They wear out over time. Things do fail, even in Hondas. Just much less often on Hondas.

 

Not sure when the coolant was flushed/replaced, but I always went along with recommended services.

Over on the Ridgeline Owners Club Forum, there are many threads talking about this issue as a design flaw, here is one to give you an idea:
Radiator blown - ruin transmission - Page 61 - Honda Ridgeline Owners Club Forums

As I mentioned earlier, many of the repair shops I contacted stated that this was common with Honda. While not every radiator will fail in this manner, there are enough of them happening that people are starting to notice a trend.

Thoughts???