Ok...Did I get your attention?

I recall a while back there was a thread about the quality of honda's automobiles degrading with the recent generation(s), specifically once they ceased being made in Japan. I had a 94 Accord which i drove for 9 years and put 200k miles on it. Because of that, I have stayed with Honda (save my herion-like BMW addiction) for the most part.

Last fall, I sold my M3 because I wanted the equity out of it to buy a house (around $200/sf in my neck of the woods). It was a great financial decision, as the value of that vehicle is about 8-9k less now than one year ago due to BMW's new releases, and the luxury car market pretty much taking a dump.

At that point in time, dealers were closing out the 07 Accords for very nice prices. I was able to find a V6 sedan with the manual transmission. Once I drove it, I was sold on it. I think I took delivery just a little over 24hrs after signing the title away on my M3 (I have a small impulse buy problem). This was September, 2007. Since then, I've put 31,000 miles on the vehicle. Here is a list of the issues I have encountered.

Notchiness in the shifter - At about 1700 miles, the dealer overhauled the transmission to deal with the 3rd gear notchiness (there was a TSB on it). This made the problem worse. I brought it back immediately, but they were unable to duplicate it. At 27,000 miles, I took the car to a different dealer. They identified the problem and carried out an updated TSB (second overhaul). The problem has not reappeared since then. It took them 10 days to do this.

Brake shuddering - At about 16,000 miles, I started to get a shudder in the front brakes when slowing from high speeds (above 70). The dealer agreed to do a good will resurface and pad replacement on the front, since this is a wearable part. Actual conversation snippit:
Dealer: Brakes are wearable parts, and are not covered under the new vehicle warranty.
Ed: Does Honda design the brakes to warp and shudder in 16,000 highway miles?
Dealer: I will speak with my manager.
This took care of the problem. I am now at 31,000 miles, and my brakes are doing the same thing. On my 94 accord, my front pads lasted over 90,000 miles.

Window regulators - During one of my many visits, the dealer replaced both rear window regulators under a TSB as the are prone to start rattling. They were silent prior to this work. They now rattle.

Driver's side mirror - Upon delivery, the mirror glass would wiggle a bit at high speed. The dealer said they couldnt replicate it, but the problem went away. Recently, it has started wiggling again. In addition, I can see the EPT tape they stuck behind it to fix the problem they couldn't replicate.

Window rattle - On cold mornings, my drivers side front window and passenger side rear window rattle over bumps.

Front grill - At 27,000 miles, I noticed that the chrome was peeling off the front grill. After a little discussion, the dealer replaced it under warranty.

Window tint - This I cannot blame the factory for, but the dealer, however it has added to my frustration. The vehicle came with tint, done by the dealer. Apparently they are unaware of the tint scratching issue from the window inserts. The windows have been retinted 3x, and they have replaced the inserts 2x, but they are not willing to use felt inserts. They use factory ones. It needs to be done again. I plan to ask for a refund on the tint.

I think that is it. I plan to return to the dealer prior to 36k to address the outstanding issues, but I don't doubt that they will reappear. I really enjoy driving this car, but it is extremely frustrating. I expect to have constant maintenance on the truck and the bmw, but this car is supposed to be trouble free. I had planned to put several hundred thousand miles on this vehicle, but I am having second, third, and fourth thoughts.

My questions:
1) Is this experience typical for late model owners?
2) What would you do in my situation?

Thanks for the input, and allowing me to vent!

 

sell it and get a 5g cause they are the best

 

Im new to Honda and know I plan on this car lasting 15 years minimal. I really hope its not built like a 87 Caddy. Your problems seem like they all can be fixed if they stop replacing everything with the same exact part that failed in the first place. For the most part on every car ive owned the brakes were all ripped out and replaced with better performance pads and rotors. The stock pads and rotors are usually junk. I hope you can resolve most if not all of your problems.

 

i must plead ignorance.

 

Does that help?

 

yes.

and i have seriously considered that. i have been keeping my eyes out for a lower mileage example...if i found one....

here is a photo of my 94 the day i sold it

 

Or get a 6th gen 5 spd... The build quality between my 99 and 95 is nearly identical, with the 99 being more up-to-date design-wise.

 

i am partial to the 5th gen. see above...

 

So was I! I still see 5th gens driving around and miss mine. That car was my baby! But I'll keep the performance and creature comforts of the 6th gen anyday of the week!

 

There is one in tucson that has 90k on it. 97 ex coupe....why am i drooling over an 11 yr old car? haha