Must get warranty?

DaCoupe

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So I'm new to the Honda family and really like the 6th gen coupe. All I see are dire warnings about the time bomb that is the Honda tranny. It's not a question of "if" it will fail, but "when". However one is more likely to voice their opinion when something goes wrong than when it goes right. I imagine there are millions of these cars driving around with no problems at all. Are the tranny issues the result of a vocal minority or is it something I should truly be concerned about? If so, is it possible to get powertrain warranties on a car this old? I really dont want to buy into a car saving for an inevitable 2-4k repair bill every few years.
 

Rusty Accord

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So I'm new to the Honda family and really like the 6th gen coupe. All I see are dire warnings about the time bomb that is the Honda tranny. It's not a question of "if" it will fail, but "when". However one is more likely to voice their opinion when something goes wrong than when it goes right. I imagine there are millions of these cars driving around with no problems at all. Are the tranny issues the result of a vocal minority or is it something I should truly be concerned about? If so, is it possible to get powertrain warranties on a car this old? I really dont want to buy into a car saving for an inevitable 2-4k repair bill every few years.

You raise some valid points about the Automatic Trans. The 5 speed manual however doesn't have any issues. As far as hearing about those that have failed, yes you're right. My wife's 2000 Accord sedan has 235,000+ miles on it, and as far as I know it's never been out. In fact it's still going strong. On another forum, myself and another member theorized that the main cause of AT failure could be traced back to not using Honda ATF. WE both figured that at some point someone used Dextron trans fluid in it, and didn't drain it all back out like the owners manual states. It just seemed odd that those transmissions that lived the longest only got Honda fluid put in them.
You can take it or leave it, but I've been reseaching AT failures for the last 6 months in 98 to 02 models. And yes, some do fail earlier, and some seem to go forever. It really depends on how it was taken care of (whether it got dealership ATF changes every 30K, or just got fluid changes when something started going wrong (solenoids screens getting clogged). At this point you're dealing with a 15 to19 year old car, and most likely high mileage at that. Someone on here (forum member) got over 400K on their trans, and sold it while it was still working to a mechanic. The MT cars are known to go at least 300K easily, and there are some on here that are close to that (my own 99 Accord Sedan has 232K miles on it). So it really depends on how it was taken care of.
 
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Accordx

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I have an automatic coupe and yes, it is known that the auto tranny on the 6th gens isn't the most reliable. My car you can definitely feel it, shifts are rough and laggy when I get around 35 mph in my car specifically. I always keep in mind that the transmission could fail at any time. It's possible that other vehicles aren't going to show any warning signs but if you can drive the car before you buy it, you'll be able to tell if you get around 4K rpms whether or not the transmission is in rough shape based on the shifts. Now keep in mind that these cars in particular are getting to the point where a lot of parts could potentially need replacing (belts, hoses, etc.) so buying a car that is at this point in its lifetime is risky in general, accord or not, and you have to either be willing to do the work/maintenance or be willing to pay in case something goes wrong. My advice is go for it if you like this model so much, but don't get impatient and throw your money at one that isn't in good condition. If you do get to test drive it, let it warm up and hit some higher revs, that should help you notice any rough/laggy shifts.
*also my accord has around 160k miles if that helps for reference
 
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Sketch o5

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the automatics are genuine garbage. it's not just the accords, but most automatics in hondas and acuras from that time period are junk. the minority are the people who haven't had problems.
 

604ACCORD

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the automatics are genuine garbage. it's not just the accords, but most automatics in hondas and acuras from that time period are junk. the minority are the people who haven't had problems.

Yup exactly my vans on its 3rd my Bros boss went threw 6 trans on his odyssey in its life
 

Connie

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Yeah the majority definitely had problems.
My first transmission went at 344k km, but it was "not quite right" since about 250k. Laggy shifts, having to let off the gas to get it do go into second at times, etc. At 344k it finally started slipping and wouldn't go uphill anymore.
The second transmission that's in there now is laggy and unpredictable unless you are at wot, and even then it's still pretty sluggish. It was used when it went in, and probably has around 400k km on it now. It was pretty decent when installed, and gradually deteriorated as I beat on it. It will inevitably start slipping soon.

I just bought a parts car that recently had the transmission rebuilt, so hopefully I get another few hundred thousand km out of this next one. But transmissions are definitely an issue. Especially if you are hard on the gas (I am, which explains some of why I'm almost on transmission #3).
 
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RedRyder

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Yeah trouble free automatics are the minority, but they are out there. You just never know. Best to save a few grand for a rebuild or a manual swap. In the meantime just don't beat on the car, there is a stickied thread with people's various suggestions on how to prolong the life of the auto transmission.
 

WHEEELMAN

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Bought my 01 Accord in 2003, still have it and now has a J35A3 with 07 Accord 5 speed auto, still love it.




Since it is hit or miss on the trannies, you will need to save for a tranny....just to be sure. Don't mess with those car warranty companies, not really worth it.

might also need general repairs to bring everything to factory fresh condition......due to the age of the car

i.e: suspension, brakes, tranny cooler to reduce heat and possibly slow down or prevent failure (heat kills automatic transmissions)


their old, but I will tell ya..If you find one that has been taken care of with proper maintenance then Both the 4 cylinder and V6 are good daily's man.


best of luck sir.
 

trident

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When all goes well with the 2000 Accord auto we are looking at, we will going with the manual tranny route. Thought about warranty but seems better to replace the tranny.
 

Connie

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Maybe, but it might be fine.
My 2000 V6 coupe Midnight has 200k km on the original transmission, and it works perfectly. It was always only old lady driven, and I think that has a lot to do with it. And Connie does have over 400k km on the transmission that's in her now, and it doesn't slip yet, just shifts kinda rough sometimes. And the last 150k of that 400k were HARD kilometres.
 
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