P
Pete
Yesterday the "Check Engine" light came on in my wife's 1999 Accord EX V6.
We bought this car new. It is out of warranty with 48,000 miles. She had
recently noticed what she described as the engine "missing" occasionally,
but nothing serious. I assumed it was the well-known EGR problem, for which
there is an extended warranty, so we made an appointment with the dealer to
take care of it.
Imagine my surprise when the code came up a PO740 which the tech described
as a "transmission system failure". What!!! This is my third new Honda. My
first was a 1982 Accord. It's still in the driveway with 300,000 miles,
being recycled through each of my kids as they get their driver's licenses.
The only major work necessary on it has been the timing belt and the clutch.
And they didn't fail, it was just time. Now I'm facing a several thousand
dollar bill on a practically brand-new car?????
The first thing the dealer wanted to do was a pressurized transmission flush
for $210. This on top of the $80 I now have to pay (which I'm really pissed
about because I can get OBD II scans for free) because the problem isn't
under warranty. I recalled hearing about some problems associated with
pressure flushing, but couldn't remember exactly what they were. So before
giving the go-ahead, I called an independent transmission shop that I use
for business (I'm the fleet manager for an electric utility) to pick his
brain a little.
He recommended that I pass on the pressure flush. He has seen catastrophic
failures occur to transmissions immediately following a pressure flush. He
recommended a drain and fill, running the car a few days and then another
drain and fill. So I had the dealer do a $42 drain and fill and arranged for
another appointment next Tuesday. They were really disappointed I wouldn't
let them do the pressure flush.
I voiced my displeasure (politely) with this entire turn of events with the
poor kid at the service desk and eventually he got the service manager to
talk to me. He seemed sympathetic, but insisted he couldn't do anything for
me because the car is out of warranty. I told him that I have been a Honda
true-believer for years and am shocked that something like this could happen
with a car of this vintage. I told him I am even more shocked at the
prospect of being hung-out-to-dry by Honda in this way.
Then it got kind of interesting. He seemed to get a little uncomfortable. He
admitted that Honda had experienced some transmission problems with many of
their V6 models. He said there were warranty extensions on some of them due
to these acknowledged problems. He asked the warranty manager if there was
an extension on mine and she replied there was not. He then suggested we
wait and see what happens with the drain and fill routine, and then contact
Honda. He had a pretty good attitude about the whole thing, so I left
feeling, not exactly ok, but calmed down a little. When we started the car
the "check engine" light was off. We left the dealer. At about 10 miles the
light came on again. It's about 50 miles home and we didn't experience any
symptoms.
My interest piqued by the service manager's comments about known problems,
I've spent the afternoon google searching. What I've discovered so far is
that there is indeed a common problem with these transmissions from 1998 to
2002 model years. Honda has granted warranty extensions for the 2000 and
2001 models, but inexplicably not the others, although they cannot or will
not explain the design differences between them that would legitimize the
exclusions. The 2003 models are a new design. Can anyone relate any recent
similar experiences? And the outcome, positive or negative? And any advice
on the direction I should take with this?
Honda needs to step up and take care of their customers. I have been a proud
Honda owner for over twenty years and have loudly announced my loyalty for
that entire time. Resolution of this situation will either confirm my faith
in Honda or destroy it. If Honda doesn't take care of me, I won't let it
rest. I think there are enough owners that have experienced this, and not
received satisfaction, to put together a formidable group to take Honda on.
I hope it doesn't come to that.
Pete
We bought this car new. It is out of warranty with 48,000 miles. She had
recently noticed what she described as the engine "missing" occasionally,
but nothing serious. I assumed it was the well-known EGR problem, for which
there is an extended warranty, so we made an appointment with the dealer to
take care of it.
Imagine my surprise when the code came up a PO740 which the tech described
as a "transmission system failure". What!!! This is my third new Honda. My
first was a 1982 Accord. It's still in the driveway with 300,000 miles,
being recycled through each of my kids as they get their driver's licenses.
The only major work necessary on it has been the timing belt and the clutch.
And they didn't fail, it was just time. Now I'm facing a several thousand
dollar bill on a practically brand-new car?????
The first thing the dealer wanted to do was a pressurized transmission flush
for $210. This on top of the $80 I now have to pay (which I'm really pissed
about because I can get OBD II scans for free) because the problem isn't
under warranty. I recalled hearing about some problems associated with
pressure flushing, but couldn't remember exactly what they were. So before
giving the go-ahead, I called an independent transmission shop that I use
for business (I'm the fleet manager for an electric utility) to pick his
brain a little.
He recommended that I pass on the pressure flush. He has seen catastrophic
failures occur to transmissions immediately following a pressure flush. He
recommended a drain and fill, running the car a few days and then another
drain and fill. So I had the dealer do a $42 drain and fill and arranged for
another appointment next Tuesday. They were really disappointed I wouldn't
let them do the pressure flush.
I voiced my displeasure (politely) with this entire turn of events with the
poor kid at the service desk and eventually he got the service manager to
talk to me. He seemed sympathetic, but insisted he couldn't do anything for
me because the car is out of warranty. I told him that I have been a Honda
true-believer for years and am shocked that something like this could happen
with a car of this vintage. I told him I am even more shocked at the
prospect of being hung-out-to-dry by Honda in this way.
Then it got kind of interesting. He seemed to get a little uncomfortable. He
admitted that Honda had experienced some transmission problems with many of
their V6 models. He said there were warranty extensions on some of them due
to these acknowledged problems. He asked the warranty manager if there was
an extension on mine and she replied there was not. He then suggested we
wait and see what happens with the drain and fill routine, and then contact
Honda. He had a pretty good attitude about the whole thing, so I left
feeling, not exactly ok, but calmed down a little. When we started the car
the "check engine" light was off. We left the dealer. At about 10 miles the
light came on again. It's about 50 miles home and we didn't experience any
symptoms.
My interest piqued by the service manager's comments about known problems,
I've spent the afternoon google searching. What I've discovered so far is
that there is indeed a common problem with these transmissions from 1998 to
2002 model years. Honda has granted warranty extensions for the 2000 and
2001 models, but inexplicably not the others, although they cannot or will
not explain the design differences between them that would legitimize the
exclusions. The 2003 models are a new design. Can anyone relate any recent
similar experiences? And the outcome, positive or negative? And any advice
on the direction I should take with this?
Honda needs to step up and take care of their customers. I have been a proud
Honda owner for over twenty years and have loudly announced my loyalty for
that entire time. Resolution of this situation will either confirm my faith
in Honda or destroy it. If Honda doesn't take care of me, I won't let it
rest. I think there are enough owners that have experienced this, and not
received satisfaction, to put together a formidable group to take Honda on.
I hope it doesn't come to that.
Pete