My ongoing adventure with my 2003 Accord EX V6 Coupe MT

Purchased from Number 7 Honda in Woodbridge, Ontario.

Aug 27 - Ordered car. They don't know where they can get one yet. Placed
$1000 deposit.

Sep 3 - Called dealership - have they found it yet? No.

Sep 5 - Called dealership - have they found it yet? Yes, they're trailering
it in from London (4 hours away), it will be ready on Tuesday Sep 9.

Sep 9 - Picked up car. Car has 35 km on it.

Sep 11 - Called Shawn (salesperson) about annoying continual creak/rattle in
left C-pillar. Said he would get Dawn Morris (post sales rep) to call.

Sep 18 - No call from Dawn. Called service department for service
appointment.

Sep 19 - Dawn Morris called. Told her about C-pillar creak and transmission
problem where it consistently pops violently out of first gear when
decelerating. Set up appointment for 23rd.

Sep 23 - Took car in. Demonstrated C-pillar creak and transmission problem
to Joe, shop foreman. Joe said he would order parts to replace 1st gear in
transmission.

Oct 2 - Call Dawn Morris to find out status of parts. Parts not in yet. They
now want to do more testing before replacing 1st gear. Set appoinment for
Oct. 8.

Oct 8 - Take car in for the day. Take shuttle back to work. Joe tests
transmission linkage, determines problem is in transmission, not in linkage.
Says he will order parts to replace 1st gear in transmission.

Oct 17 - Call Dawn Morris - parts not in yet.

Oct 24 - Dawn Morris calls, parts not in yet, doesn't know when they will be
in.

Oct 28 - Dawn Morris calls, parts are in, set up two-day appointment for Nov
3, 4 to replace transmission parts and locate/fix C pillar creak.

Nov 3 - Take car in at 7:30 am, get rental car. Tell them about new loud
creak at base of windshield on driver's side when car is cold.

Nov 4 - Service adviser calls at 4:30 pm, says "the car is apart, still
waiting for transmission parts - bearings and stuff - to arrive." When I ask
why I was told the parts were in before I brought the car in, he says,
"well, we didn't really know what we would need to replace until we opened
it up."

My car:

http://www.nerocam.com/Pics/Cars/Accord.jpg

 

Sounds just like the way they do it in the U.S......

 

Today's update:

Nov 5 - Service adviser calls at 4:10 pm, says transmission is almost
finished, waiting for a clutch fork. Estimates transmission will be done by
tomorrow morning, they will then start looking at the rattles. (I was
promised the car would be finished yesterday).

In the meantime, I am enjoying the propensity of my loaner Civic (base model
with NO options, you have to crank the windows by hand) to slide sideways
when the handbrake is pulled at speed.

 

Yep - same old thing with Honda.-they just know how to sell them - Had
problems with dealership pertaining to my Honda as well

 

Hi,
Sounds like the car is a lemon. Bad sign. Maybe fell off car transporter?
Good luck,
Tony

 

Maybe you need to find a new dealer. I Bought a used 2001 V6 coupe w/ 38000
on it and the tranny has started to act up on it. I called them. madean
appointment for 2 days after the call (complaint: check engine light was on
and car seems to fart around in D3.) They take it in look at it and call
me back telling me "Your car is ready - parts are on order should be in, 1
week from today" that was on a wednesday. They called me the next monday
and had the parts in and were ready to serve. I didn't even buy the car
from them and they have given me great service.

TB

 

I've noticed this too. It didn't start happening until the car was cold
either.

 

#1. You ordered a rare vehicle (coupe and a 5spd) you should've expected a
delay when ordering it.
#2. You purchased the first of the new model year. You should expect that
you may be a "ginuea pig" as the problems with the vehicle are going to be
as new to the Honda service personnel as it is to you. (drivers side lower
left pillar creak is known to Honda. Have the service advisor look up the
bulletin or service news on this subject.
#3 With the way you presented yourself here i can just imagine how the
service and parts personnel must want to go out of their way to help you.
Ever heard of "bad car karma"? Well bud, I think you have it.

 

Nov 4 - Service adviser calls at 4:30 pm, says "the car is apart, still

This was a reasonable statement by the service advisor as it would be
nearly impossible to know exactly which parts had failed prior to
inspection. Their only mistake, albeit a big one, was not informing
you of this upfront.

You could always try the psychic mechanic hotline...

 

I know that, and understand it. Not complaining about it, just documenting
it.

Actually, I expected that I would buy a new car that would not have
problems. That's why I bought a new one instead of a used one. It's also why
I bought a Honda instead of a Chrysler.

A pillar or C pillar creak? I have both.

Again - this is straight documentation. I'm not saying it's good or bad. If
someone else is having a similar experience and can offer advice, or if I
can do the same to someone else, then great.

 

True. I was told, "we've ordered a new first gear set and first gear
synchros for your transmission. It should take one day to fix." I was not
told, "we've ordered some parts that we think might fix it, but we won't
know for sure until we open it up and look. It might take five days (and
counting) to fix it."

 

Hi,
In this case, the car being new, no repair attempt. Just whole tranny
should be replaced. When my daughter's Subaru Impreza developed a tranny
problem, they told to wait until new tranny is ordered/received.(car was
still driveable but it was barely moving guzzling lots of gas).
Within a a week, she got a call from the dealer and they put in brand
new tranny out of wooden crate. End of story. Mechanic told her the old
tranny left factory without enough fluid and no sense trying to fixing
for him. This is servide. I give all the credit to the delaership.
Tony

 

Update:

Nov 6 - Dawn Morris calls at 4 pm, says they have finished with
transmission, and have confirmed noise coming from windshield, will be
looking at that and the C-pillar creak tomorrow.
Nov 7 - Nobody calls. At 5 pm, I call Dawn Morris. she says, "oh, yeah, I
meant to call you." No news on my car other than "it's not finished" and
that they "hope to have it finished early next week." She doesn't know the
status, doesn't know the progress, doesn't know when it will be ready. Two
day estimate has now stretched to seven days.