CarComplaints.com Notes: The 2013-2014 Honda Accord is showing signs of an electrical problem with the starter failing soon after the 36K mile warranty expires. It's compounded by reports that the OEM battery doesn't have sufficient amps to start the V6 reliably after a year or two.
For now we are rating this problem with the "Beware" seal because it's occurring so soon after the 36K mile warranty expires. The upshot is when your Accord won't start, that's never good, but especially bad when it's just a few years old.
Also once again, owners are complaining that the 2013 Honda Accord seats are uncomfortable. Uncomfortable seats has been a significant complaint with the Accord since the 2008 model year.
This issue was noticeable on the drive home from the dealer, but it has become more pronounced lately and encounters with situations where the problem has caused safety and comfort issues have sensitized me to it.
After accelerating to 45 MPH or above, then coasting down, the transmission downshifts at 39, 29, 19 and 9 MPH. It is the same behavior one would expect from an inexperienced driver momentarily over-braking or shifting a manual transmission into lower gears and releasing the clutch without first increasing the engine speed. If the brakes are applied even slightly the effect is magnified dramatically. Everyone in the car at the time lurches forward at every downshift. They ask what is wrong with my car, but I have to tell them that Honda claims it is normal. It is not only extremely annoying, it is dangerous. When coasting in heavy traffic the car suddenly slows down without the brake lights coming on, which on more than one occasion has resulted in closely-following drivers narrowly avoiding a collision. When making a turn across an opposing lane of traffic the car suddenly slows down in the middle of the opposing lane, leaving the car vulnerable to a broadside collision. Compensating for this poor behavior makes driving a task rather than a pleasure.
At the 39 mph downshift the engine speeds up by 200 rpm and the speed drops by about 4 mph in about one second. At the 29 mph downshift the engine speed increases by about 275 rpm and the vehicle sped drops by about 5 mph, again in about a second. The worst behavior is at the 19 mph downshift where the engine speed increases by 300 rpm and the vehicle speed drops by about 4 mph. While that may not seem excessive, it is a sudden 21% drop in vehicle speed, when maneuvering in traffic is the most likely and predictable vehicle speed is critical.
My background is in mechanical and computer engineering. I am the Engineering Manager of a global industrial controls manufacturer. I worked my way through engineering college as a ACE professional dealership auto mechanic. I have overhauled many automatic transmissions. This particular behavior was considered a defect in older transmission designs, typically caused by a frozen overrunning clutch.
To have it occur in my vehicle and being unable to elicit a positive resolution to the problem from Honda is annoying and embarrassing, not to mention uncomfortable for riders. I am sure no one who has ridden in my car would consider buying one. That bad advertising alone should be enough for Honda to pursue a fix.
Basically the test drive at the dealer consisted of the car already being warmed up and straight to the interstate for a few miles and back to the dealership. Didn't really have enough time test driving. It seemed okay and my wife and I felt like "hey its HONDA its got to be a good car."
2nd day I noticed on cold acceleration the shaking or judder feeling. 3rd day same thing. Thought it would go away if we put miles on it so we went on a 300 mile trip. Interstate driving is perfect.
Stop and go traffic is terrible also, transmission bumps into or hunts for a gear causing the car to lunge when coming to a stop light. Not very safe at times. Once I thought the engine was going to quit but it chuggled and kept running.
So Honda won't help, they say its normal for all these CVT problems that everyone else is having.
I've written to BBB,Consumer Affairs, and WAVY TV 10 On your side.
The dealer had my car for a week and said its normal. Before I dropped it off on July 17th I was stuck in 6 mile traffic, stop and go. I was so upset at this Honda, transmission bumping and chugging every time I would come to a stop.
Picked the car up 1 week later. No problem found. That's when I wrote my letters.
I have a case # with Honda, but they don't care, they said the dealer needs to handle this problem. The dealer says there is no problem, its normal. B O L O G N A :)
I just spent 7800 dollars upgrading from a piece of junk CVT thinking my problems were over and now this???!!!!
If only I test drove this thing longer I would have saved ALOT of hard earned money! NEVER again will I buy Honda unless this problem is fixed...
Also, I dont get LED daytime running lights after spending $34 000???!!!!!
Thanks Honda
Update from Aug 20, 2013: I am getting hard downshifts when coasting on flat roads to a stop.The car lunges forward then feels like someone is pulling my parking brake! Very strange. people behind me are tailgaiting and getting irritated. This is my second Accord in the last 3 months. I traded in a 2013 EXL 4 cylinder CVT due to jerking motion when accelerating....Thought the 6 speed automatic would solve my problems but I just traded one problem for another problem...and alot of money.!
There is a problem with the V6 transmission engine braking at 30 mph and 16mph when I coast in city traffic......it's extremely annoying and should be fixed by Honda. I've only the had the car for 5 days. I can only hope that Honda pays attention to this ASAP!
- Rob E.,
Solon, OH, US
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A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
This issue was noticeable on the drive home from the dealer, but it has become more pronounced lately and encounters with situations where the problem has caused safety and comfort issues have sensitized me to it.
After accelerating to 45 MPH or above, then coasting down, the transmission downshifts at 39, 29, 19 and 9 MPH. It is the same behavior one would expect from an inexperienced driver momentarily over-braking or shifting a manual transmission into lower gears and releasing the clutch without first increasing the engine speed. If the brakes are applied even slightly the effect is magnified dramatically. Everyone in the car at the time lurches forward at every downshift. They ask what is wrong with my car, but I have to tell them that Honda claims it is normal. It is not only extremely annoying, it is dangerous. When coasting in heavy traffic the car suddenly slows down without the brake lights coming on, which on more than one occasion has resulted in closely-following drivers narrowly avoiding a collision. When making a turn across an opposing lane of traffic the car suddenly slows down in the middle of the opposing lane, leaving the car vulnerable to a broadside collision. Compensating for this poor behavior makes driving a task rather than a pleasure.
At the 39 mph downshift the engine speeds up by 200 rpm and the speed drops by about 4 mph in about one second. At the 29 mph downshift the engine speed increases by about 275 rpm and the vehicle sped drops by about 5 mph, again in about a second. The worst behavior is at the 19 mph downshift where the engine speed increases by 300 rpm and the vehicle speed drops by about 4 mph. While that may not seem excessive, it is a sudden 21% drop in vehicle speed, when maneuvering in traffic is the most likely and predictable vehicle speed is critical.
My background is in mechanical and computer engineering. I am the Engineering Manager of a global industrial controls manufacturer. I worked my way through engineering college as a ACE professional dealership auto mechanic. I have overhauled many automatic transmissions. This particular behavior was considered a defect in older transmission designs, typically caused by a frozen overrunning clutch.
To have it occur in my vehicle and being unable to elicit a positive resolution to the problem from Honda is annoying and embarrassing, not to mention uncomfortable for riders. I am sure no one who has ridden in my car would consider buying one. That bad advertising alone should be enough for Honda to pursue a fix.
- 1stphilbert, Coral Springs, FL, US