CarComplaints.com Notes: The 1998 Honda Accord suffers from widespread transmission failure, peeling paint, & subframe rust. We recommend avoiding this model year like the plague.
The transmission begins slipping & eventually has to be replaced, typically soon after 100,000 miles & with a repair cost of over $2,000.
Peeling paint has also been a huge issue for these Accords. Most of the complaints are with darker paint colors -- especially green & blue.
Subframe rust near the front passenger side wheel has become a problem recently, due to the poorly positioned A/C drain hose directly above that area. Repair cost to the subframe is over $2,000.
At 100,000 miles the car would very intermittently have a very hard shift into 1st while stopped but in Drive. I'd be at a light, in Drive, and there would be a big thud that felt like someone rear-ended the car. I finally figured out it was the transmission just doing shift into 1st. It was only happening once every 3 months in the beginning. Dealer (whom I have had the car thoroughly and frequently serviced) changed the transmission oil. After that it started happening slightly more frequently.
At 120,000+ car would miss the shift from 1st to 2nd when under a load and cold. Engine would rev to 4,000, or more, then shudder a little and drop into a taller gear and be OK. It felt like the wheels were spinning on ice for 1-2 seconds. Generally only happens once per trip when the car was cooled down and accelerating under a load. I complained to the dealer, but after the usuall transmission oil change had no effect, I just lived with it for 3-4 years.
At 180,000 miles, I left the car sitting in Winter for about 3 weeks. When I drove the car for the first time it missed that first shift up (as expected), but this time it never dropped into the taller gear. I was doing about 25 miles an hour and the car just coasted in Drive. I could rev the engine from 2,000 to 4,000 RPM as if it was in neutral. After it coasted to about 15 miles an hour there was a big thump and it got back in 1st gear again. Stepping on the gas the car speeds up to 25-35 miles an hour and misses the next shift again. Repeats this process until the temperature guage starts to warm and then finally catches the next gear. The transmission oil is full (slightly over full if anything), and smells slightly burned. Dealer changed transmission oil again, and now it has gotten even worse.
At 186,500 miles, it is now on its last legs. It takes longer to "warm up" and get into the taller gears. Sometimes it never shifts into 1st while sitting at a light, and it's stuck in 2nd or 3rd. So it accelerates at a snails pace with the engine straining, and then sometimes at 25-35 it finds 2nd gear and accelerates quickly, only to get confused again and drop it into the wrong gear again. Symptoms seem to go away above 50mph but if it's cold it will once it a while shift to a different higher gear for a few seconds (with no change in load or drive conditions) then drop back to where it was before. Dealer willing to keep changing transmission oil, but wants $2500 minimum to put in another used transmission with a 90 day 3,000 mile warrantee. This is about 50% of the value of the car with no real guarantee it wont happen again. Still thinking about what to do with this car.
Bought my 1998 V6 Accord EX new. Only driven carefully by me and my wife. Always received factory service. Took it to local Honda dealer for 90,000 mile service (at 90,500 mi) and also mentioned that the last few months the transmission has been shifting roughly from time-to-time and sometimes clunking into gear and slipping, especially when cold. Dealer called back this afternoon to say my car needed a new transmission. Did not admit this was a common problem. I'm trying to determine how pervasive this problem is and what Honda is prepared to do about it. This website has been helpful and informative.
i had the same problem and i got my transmission rebuilt and it doesn't seem to help at all. my RPMs rev up to about 4-5 until it gets past 40 mph then it is fine.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
At 100,000 miles the car would very intermittently have a very hard shift into 1st while stopped but in Drive. I'd be at a light, in Drive, and there would be a big thud that felt like someone rear-ended the car. I finally figured out it was the transmission just doing shift into 1st. It was only happening once every 3 months in the beginning. Dealer (whom I have had the car thoroughly and frequently serviced) changed the transmission oil. After that it started happening slightly more frequently.
At 120,000+ car would miss the shift from 1st to 2nd when under a load and cold. Engine would rev to 4,000, or more, then shudder a little and drop into a taller gear and be OK. It felt like the wheels were spinning on ice for 1-2 seconds. Generally only happens once per trip when the car was cooled down and accelerating under a load. I complained to the dealer, but after the usuall transmission oil change had no effect, I just lived with it for 3-4 years.
At 180,000 miles, I left the car sitting in Winter for about 3 weeks. When I drove the car for the first time it missed that first shift up (as expected), but this time it never dropped into the taller gear. I was doing about 25 miles an hour and the car just coasted in Drive. I could rev the engine from 2,000 to 4,000 RPM as if it was in neutral. After it coasted to about 15 miles an hour there was a big thump and it got back in 1st gear again. Stepping on the gas the car speeds up to 25-35 miles an hour and misses the next shift again. Repeats this process until the temperature guage starts to warm and then finally catches the next gear. The transmission oil is full (slightly over full if anything), and smells slightly burned. Dealer changed transmission oil again, and now it has gotten even worse.
At 186,500 miles, it is now on its last legs. It takes longer to "warm up" and get into the taller gears. Sometimes it never shifts into 1st while sitting at a light, and it's stuck in 2nd or 3rd. So it accelerates at a snails pace with the engine straining, and then sometimes at 25-35 it finds 2nd gear and accelerates quickly, only to get confused again and drop it into the wrong gear again. Symptoms seem to go away above 50mph but if it's cold it will once it a while shift to a different higher gear for a few seconds (with no change in load or drive conditions) then drop back to where it was before. Dealer willing to keep changing transmission oil, but wants $2500 minimum to put in another used transmission with a 90 day 3,000 mile warrantee. This is about 50% of the value of the car with no real guarantee it wont happen again. Still thinking about what to do with this car.
- Trevor W., Sudbury, MA, US