Sorry for the crudeness of the image. I am not sure what part this is or how difficult it is to replace. This photo is obviously not of a broken part but is the same part that is rusted through and cracked on a 1999 Honda Accord my daughter wants to purchase. The part is on the passenger side, by the way, not the driver's as this photo shows.

Can anyone tell me what this is and how difficult it is to replace? I have done ball joints, wheel bearings, inner/outer tie rods and so am somewhat Ok with doing this type of work.

Thanks.

 

From my perspective it looks like part of the engine cradle. Does the car in question have a 4-Cylinder motor or a V6?

 

It is a 4 cylinder. When pushing down on the fender, the rusted and cracked piece that I circled makes a very loud clicking sound (easily heard from 20 feet away).

 

shipo, I looked to try to find an exact picture of the part (since it is on the passenger side and not the driver side). The circled part is what is cracked, on the backside of the bracket.

Thanks for the assist.

 

That is the subframe.

Many of the 6th gen Accords have an issue where the subframe will rust thru on the pass side - right about where the ac drain tube is.

 

Thanks, poorman212. I did notice when I looked at it that there was water from the AC dripping off of it. As you mention, it is a known issue and there are a lot of unhappy people on the Internet with this same problem. I read the procedure for replacing it and it is more than I think I can manage in my garage.

 

Sorry I didn't have a better answer for you/her.

 

That is OK. It is what it is. You did help me to know what to look out for and so the 1999 Accord we bought today I was able to make sure the subframe was A-OK. Thanks for your help.

 

Another option would be to have that welded back together. This is for someone that comes across this thread later.

 

That is the sub frame. As far as replacement they are pretty straight forward, suspend the engine/trany, remove the engine and trany mounts, remove connecting rods, power steering lines etc. and remove sub frame. Replace in reverse. Some states will not allow for welding of the frame, but if you contact a reputable auto welding company they should be able to tell you.

On your generation Accord as well as the Acura TL they are known to fail there because the drain tube outlets right on it. After you either get it welded or replaced be sure to have the A/C drain tube re-routed to help prevent future problems. If it makes you feel any better I have a subframe replacement for someone scheduled for the week after next on a 02' TL, albeit the same setup you have and for subframe failure in the same location.