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.
8.5
pretty bad
Typical Repair Cost:
$310
Average Mileage:
158,200 miles
Total Complaints:
29 complaints
Most Common Solutions:
not sure (23 reports)
recall on ignition switch (2 reports)
had to replaced the fuel board /relay because it over heated (1 reports)
new ground wires worked (1 reports)
relay main system (1 reports)
replace distributor cap and spark plugs (1 reports)
DETAILED INSTRUCTION ON REPLACE INGNITION SWITCH - The cause for engine stalls and difficult to start is likely due to failed iginition switch. For some of the 1998 Accord, it is covered by the recall. But not all Accord are covered. Mine was not in the recall's VIN list. I bought the ignition switch from Autozone for $52 and followed the instruction to replace it. Now the car is running fine.
Go to this web site:
http://nhthqnwws111.odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/acms/docservlet/Artemis/Public/Recalls/2002/V/RCDNN-02V120-9989.PDF
to see if your VIN is covered by the recall. If it is the case, just go to your local dealer to get fixed for free.
Several times this car simply died on me and set it to neutral while driving. I immediately set it back in gear and it restarted right away but if you had a new driver it could prove disastrous.
Car suddenly stalled while driving. I noticed the speedometer wasn't moving as I stepped on the gas and the RPMs were racing for a couple of seconds before it stalled. There was a loud sound as it stalled. After several minutes, it started up again as usual and I moved to the side of the road. Lucky I wasn't on the freeway. I had it towed to the dealer, but they couldn't find anything wrong. Mileage was a little over 156,000 so it exactly fits with other reports of the engine dying. My fix was to buy a new car.
short question
2001 Honda Accord LX 2.3, 5 speed 200k plus miles. the engine randomly dies as it comes upto a stop, no engine light, no warring, starts right back up usually every few times there might be a sight extended cranking. New recent problems SRS light came on, push button hvac controls don't change the blender motor doors, the lights on each button light up but nothing happens. What are some possible causes and would they be related?
long question
engine occasionally
just stops as I press the clutch to the floor (while coming to a stop).
This is happening about 1 in 20 stops; sometimes two or three times in
a row and then doesn't occur for a few days. In any other state,
behaves perfectly, accerated briskly and cruised without fault.
For example coming up to a stop/light I'm downshifting and compressing
and as it comes to final rest, the RPM just decays right to 0. (Cluth
all the way in). Occasionally, the RPM will go right down to 0 and then
come up to 500 - 750 by itself, but usually the engine stops.
Sometimes the car will idle at 500 instead of the more normal 750-1000
range. During this low idle speed the engine will occasionally
"tremble". Sometimes it will recover to 750 RPM after this, but usually
just sits at 500 unless I give it a little gas.
Car always starts without fault or delay, so sometimes if it stalls even
before a complete halt (say when a light goes green before full stop) I
can re-start it by letting up the clutch in 2nd or 3rd / or simply start
it with the starter while rolling.
98 accord just shut down while driving this not any fun . thank God I live in a small town shifted into neutral it started up. If i had know about this kind of complaint I would not have every purchased any honda new or used.
Pretty much the same exact problem that everyone else is having and I am not part of the recall. My mechanic is at a loss. If there is anyone who has found a fix besides the ones that are on the list, please let me know before I spend way to much money trying to find out what's wrong with the car.
- jarton,
Blue Springs, MO, US
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1998 Accord LX 2.3L 4 cylinder dies on me while driving. It starts just fine but cuts out on me while driving. I replaced spark plugs, wires, distributor, new battery, air filter, map sensor, idle air control valve, cleaned out the throttle body, soldered my main relay B(is their an A relay??? If so where is it located?) cause one of the connections was cracked, new oil, new ignition switch, new interlock for the key....im hopeless now....i can hear the fuel pump turn on when the key is turned on...my problem occurs when its hot...it shuts off on me and its pretty dangerous to drive. Could it be my ignition starter??? something that fires it??? OH, AND I DO NOT HAVE AN ENGINE CHECK LIGHT ON! PLEASE HELP. Im stuck :(
This car stalls when driving and restarts when coasting, drives fine in reverse!! Restarts and runs fine after being parked for a few hours (overnight).For a few hundred kilometers anyway Acts very much like gas problem. Could this be some form of vapour lock?Ignition key/switch seems to be ok. Have changed dis cap & rotor, plugs and wires.Code shows problem with vapour canister.Anyone got any ideas? I had a similar problem with a Civic which turned out to be the ICM getting to hot. Any comments or advice will be very much appreciated.
I paid 200.00 to have the main relay switch replaced. It still dies. I won't drvie my Honda Accord on the freeway now. I will take it to a new mechanic and see if they are familiar with the problem. I am afraid to drive my Honda now and stay on the streets. It's scary to take your Honda in for repair and technicians cannot accurately determine the correct fix for a serious problem.
Ok, I was driving down the road & all of a sudden I noticed the motor had died & the immobilizer light was blinking. The first time it done it when I was going at least 45-55 MPH, it started right back up. The second time it done it when I was almost stopped & the motor started right back up but the third time it done it at a red light when I was stopped about to take off & it took a few tries to get it started back. In the owners manual it says that if the immobilizer light is blinking then the car doesn't recognize the key in the switch but I have been using the key that came with the car. I have no idea what might be causing this, any ideas?
My mom has a 98 honda accord. It started dying while she was driving down the road. At first we thought she had a bad batch of gas because it was acting like she wasn't getting a good fuel pick up before it died. My husband and I dropped the tank, cleaned it out filled it with new gas and put a fuel injection cleaner in it. It started doing it more often. We had a lot of things replaced on that car and nothing worked. It just got worse. We finally changed the spark plugs, and the distributor cap and it has never died again.
While Driving, the Engine got SHUT, steering got completely locked (can't do any left-right). The KEY light got ON. All other lights were OFF. Luckily there was no CAR behind my car. else I would have met severe Accident. I stopped the car, restarted it, and reached HOME safely.
I have brought my Honda in to two separate mechanics about this stalling/non starting problem. They can't figure it out. I already had the ignition switch worked on in 2006 (free, it was a recall thing). But I'm thinking of going back to a Honda dealer to see if they'll fix it again. Right now, the car's not really driveable because sometimes it just won't start, other times it stalls while I'm driving.
I HAVE A 1998 HONDA ACCORD..IT DIES WHILE IM DRIVING..THE RADIO STAYS ON(ALTHOUGH IT HAS CUT OFF B4)...I CANT PRESS THE GAS..I HAVE TO PUT THE CAR IN PARK AND TRY TO RESTART IT...THE GREEN KEY LIGHT BLINKS..WHAT COULD BE THE PROBLEM...THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS BC IM ON THE ROAD TO SCHOOL ALOT..ND I HAVE A NEWBORN BABY RIDING WITH ME..THANKS IN ADVANCE FOR ANY ANSWERS..(I CANT AFFORD HONDA DEALERSHIP PRICES)
Really scary to have your reliable vehicle die on the interstate at 70 mph....this is happening way too often for the Dealer to "not know" what it is....HELP!
We inherited this car from my mom when she passed in 2006 she kept this car and hardly ever drove it, I depend on this car to take my kids and I places and me to work and now it is dying on the freeway and it is scary. It stops everything goes out I coast to wherever I can and restart the car which sometimes does not start for a while.
I am so scared to drive it that I take my husband everywhere with me in case I brake down somewhere in the middle of nowhere.
I cant afford to get it fixed right now and I am so furious cause it has only 30k on it.
can anyone tell me for sure what is wrong, I need help...
Well ive had this car about 4 years now. Started off with 110k now with 182k. So far ive had the catalytic converter changed, the O2 sensors changed 3 times, the ignition switch, radiator, alternator, and had the transmission rebuilt. The worst of these problems would have to be the ignition switch since my car kept shutting off on me on the highway while i was going 70-80 or on the main road. The transmission was also a bother and cost the most about 1800. But overall this is a great car and i love it but had to deal with many many costly problems.
same as all the others, car dies while driving down the road sometimes it starts back while going down the road (i throw it in neutral and start it back) now it's getting to where it doesn't even wanna crank back i have to pull over and try to crank it over and over, i called honda they said the recall had already been done on my car, i replaced the distributor cap, main relay, and fuel pump i just don't know what to do anymore, some people having been telling me it could be the computer of the car..............anyone have an idea? PLEASE HELP!!!
Update from Aug 29, 2009: car was dying and i took it to Honda dealership and they replaced a bunch of ground wires and it works perfect now
This has happened twice already and it is really scary. If this is a manufacture problem I only hope Honda will look into it to find out why this is happening to all these Honda owners.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
Several times this car simply died on me and set it to neutral while driving. I immediately set it back in gear and it restarted right away but if you had a new driver it could prove disastrous.
- charski, Kingston, ON, canada