So here's my sob story:

Bought a 2000 Accord SE in August 07, 99k on the engine, and after my '89 teg bondo beast it was a sweetheart of a car. In April 08 i rolled 105k and had the timing belt, bal shaft belt, timing component kit and water pump (all Delco, I know, but I'm poor) replaced by a qualified mechanic. (This guy I trust, known him over ten years, and besides, I couldn't get the crankshaft pully off by myself).

I started hearing an intermittent noise about three weeks later and took the car back to the mechanic. As soon as i pulled her in, the noise stopped. We tried to get it to come back for almost two hours, to no avail. Occasionally the noise would return again as I was driving, then go away. Two weeks later, with no warning, the engine died. After towing the car back to the mechanic the guilty party was revealed. The timing belt tensioner pully had completely failed, the belt had slipped and the timing was way off. Joy.

Tookseveral pictures and went to my 'friends' at Advance Auto. After all the song and dance the policy is: send in the part, Delco will 'examine' it and determine whether the failure was their fault, after which they will reimburse me if the failure was their fault and repair any damage done. Pull the other one, but what choice did I have?

Long story a little shorter, Delco claims the failure was not their fault, for a number of, quite frankly, rediculous reasons, which leaves me at my current predicament. My options are:

1) Find a corporate lawyer, someone I can't possibly afford to retain.
2) Continue paying for a car I can't drive and try to find a replacement engine and the thousands it will cost me to do this
3) Go out and buy another car, then default on my current car payments and say to Wells Fargo "Suck it, i got screwed, now so do you".A prospect my honest heart doesn't want to do, but that my practical and treacherous mind finds all too tempting
4) Keep writing letters to Delco that they ignore, because I can't afford a lawyer and they know it.

Meantime I'm still driving the reliable but smelly bondo-beast and getting 31 mpg, which isn't all that bad really.

My question to this community of Accord owners from all walks of life is: What would you do?

 

I'd pick up a used engine for ~$500 and have your buddy mechanic swap it in and give you a deal on it since you've known him so long.

It's sad to hear this happen, but when it comes to timing belt we only recommend Honda parts because this is what can happen.

 

pull the head and replace the bent valves 6 hr job. 1/2 the cost of a motor swap or less.
I can't believe the numbers of people that swap motors, to avoid a simple job.

 

^^ I bet it is simply because many people would prefer a newer motor with fewer miles on it.
ty: if I were you, I wouldfind the cheapest route to repair the Accord (whether it be replace the motor or pull the head and replace the valves). You do not want to default on that loan. It will mess up your credit for a long, long time.