CarComplaints.com Notes: The 1999 Honda Accord suffers from widespread transmission failure, subframe rust, engine shuts off while driving, & peeling paint. 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.

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.

Engine stalling while driving in the 1999 Accord is typically caused by a defective ignition switch -- inexpensive to repair (under $200) but dangerous.

Peeling paint has also been an issue for these Accords. Most of the complaints are with darker paint colors -- especially green & blue.

8.8

pretty bad
Typical Repair Cost:
$320
Average Mileage:
118,500 miles
Total Complaints:
87 complaints

Most Common Solutions:

  1. not sure (67 reports)
  2. new ignition switch (4 reports)
  3. replaced ignition switch (electrical portion only) (3 reports)
  4. dealership replaced ignition switch (2 reports)
  5. i had a problem with my car stalling (2 reports)
  6. it was the bad ignition switch which needs replacement (2 reports)
1999 Honda Accord engine problems

engine problem

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1999 Honda Accord Owner Comments (Page 2 of 5)

« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #67

Aug 292010

Accord LX

  • Manual transmission
  • 135,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

I recently traded in my 96' Mitsubishi Eclipse for a 1999, 2 door Honda Accord because it was my understanding and opinion that Honda was a reliable car that held its value. I realize that a vehicle that is over 10 years old was bound to have problems, but nothing like this. Not but a day after the trade and purchase of this car, it died as I exited off the interstate. Eventually I was able to get it started but it took a few tries, and seems to take me a little longer each this problem occurs. After searching the internet, I realize that this seems to be a common problem. When i initially start the vehicle the "maintenance vehicle" light blinks and then turns off. There might be some other issues that need to be fixed but I have yet to take it to get looked at. Was hoping to get a few ideas what this random stalling

- camillew, Billings, MT, US

problem #66

Jul 162010

Accord 1.8L

  • Manual transmission
  • 114,000 miles

I bought this accord in July2010. It give me tough time since then. The only reason i Bought this car that it was installed with LPG. I thought will fix the problem like i solved with my other Honda Civic I bought and sold before. The car would start stalling randomly. First i Thought problem with lpg and done the lpg serviced. problem still there. change mass air flow sensor. i check over google and come to know that this 1999 honda has been recalled. when contacted honda Europe the book an appointment with my local Honda. I went there and they give me another appointment on 01/09/2010. when i asked them what work has been done on this. they told me oxygen sensor has been changed. its now 2 days now I am facing still the same problem. i would say don't buy even 1999 Honda accord. its really make me think not to use any car.

- Imran K., Bradford, England, UK

problem #65

Aug 102010

Accord EX 2.4L

  • Automatic transmission
  • 164,000 miles

Hello, my name is Tiffany and I stay in chicago. Since I stay in Illinois the summer weather is very hot, and the rest of the year is somewhat ok, but we really do experience every season of the year. My honda only stalls and won't start in the summer, when it is the hottest. During the fall,winter, and spring it's a great car. I took my car to multiple dealerships, and they could not find out what was wrong with it. Because sometimes it won't start...but if you let it sit for a while and come back later it will start up. And when my car stalled at the stop sign, it absolutly took the cake.

I'm the girly girl type, but I made it my business to find out what was wrong with my car. So I started doing research. I looked at different websites that discussed the I was having my honda. After 24 hours of extensive research I figured out that my car needs a MAIN RELAY SWITCH. If you have a honda or acura your main relay switch is supposed to be replaced every 8 years. So, I my dad to go to the honda dealership to buy the main relay switch which cost $73.00, and my dad put it on the next morning. The main relay switch is located behind the dash board for 98-01 honda accord. After installing it my car has been running just fine. It does NOT stall and it cranks up every time. Since I'm a college student, I plan on driving this car until the wheels fall off LOL.. I really do hope this information is helpful to you...

- robinsonil, Aurora, IL, US

problem #64

Jul 132010

Accord LX 2.3L

  • Automatic transmission
  • 136,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

going about 70 mph on H-1 freeway and engine stops running. radio, lights fine but rpm and speed went to zero. put car in neutral, then about a second later everything is back to normal, put car in gear, step on gas, and no problem.afraid to drive car. heard of ignition problem, and will definitely look into it.

- khawaii, Kapolei, HI, US

problem #63

Jun 222008

Accord EX 2.3L

  • Automatic transmission
  • 150,000 miles

I have a 1999 Honda Accord ex 2.3L, with 154k miles. there was a recall on the ignition switch and the car would just shut off while I was driving it. I took it to the dealer and they put a new ignition switch in it. The car ran well for about 6 months and then began shutting off while I was driving...frequently. Fast-forward, recently my check engine light came on and I would drive my car, reach my destination, shut the car off, and then within an hour or so want to start the car and drive somewhere else the car began having difficulty starting and wouldn't restart until the 4th or 5th try. Even more recently, the car began shutting off if the gas level in the tank gets below an 1/8th of a tank. Because the "check engine light" was on, I had an engine test and it came back code number P1457 meaning: 1) the gas cap may need to be replaced 2) a faulty vent solenoid or 3) a faulty purge solenoid.

A Honda Mechanic told me its 1) an ignition switch issue

2) combined with the 1457 bulletin.There's a recall on the switch.Copy and paste this link. 3) There's a bulletin on this issue. http://www.driveaccord.net/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=1297 Also it could be a fairly main relay which controls the fuel pump or a faulty ignition control module in the distributor that controls spark . If the green key light blinks when it does not start it's an immobilizer issue either key or transponder. These need to be checked next. http://www.tegger.com/hondafaq/tsb/civic/x02-031e.pdf

- James N., Chicago, IL, US

problem #62

Jul 232010

Accord DX 4 cyl

  • Manual transmission
  • 164,000 miles

Have a 99 Accord. Electrical problem occurs randomly. Losses power to dash and ignition. Turning key restores but may need to be done three or four times. Previous owner had ignition switch replaced, still has problem. Tonight it quit four times going down the interstate. Had to hold key half way forward to keep power. After repeatedly turning key, the electrical power finally stayed on. Honda is like Toyota. These problems will not be fixed untill LIVES have been lost (or revenues).

Update from Aug 21, 2010: Replaced ignition switch (electrical portion only). Contacts in old switch were burned. It is not necessary to remove entire switch assembly if you break the lower portion of the plastic cover that is over the electrical part after removing the two screws that hold the switch and cover. Just fold the cover back and pull the wires down from behind it (after unplugging of course) and remove the switch. Be sure to line up the groove on the new switch with the assembly housing. It may also be necessary to rotate the center of the switch to match the orientation of the key cylinder. Replace screws, plug in and you're good to go. I also replaced the main relay since there had been a recall on it as well.

- Tony C., Dyersburg, TN, US

problem #61

Jun 082010

Accord EX 3.0L V6

  • Automatic transmission
  • 180,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

this problem occurred randomly. car would shut off when i was @ a stop sign , when i pressed on the gas pedal. on the freeway the dash board went black, the door locks were going up and down as if i turned off my car. it had turned off for a few seconds on the freeway and somehow came back to life. very dangerous.

i called honda of america & they told me the ignition switch recall was done on my car. i asked if she could tell me if they replaced anything or if she could tell me what they did & she said she didn't have that info. she told me they don't replace the same recall part twice & that i had to take it in & would have to pay for the honda dealership to look at. i just opted to take it to a place where they specialize in steering columns/ignition switches in l.a. on mission dr. i paid $120 & haven't experienced my car shut off on me. i have replaced the starter, main relay, tranny, among other parts.

- Linda M., Los Angeles, CA, US

problem #60

Mar 012010

Accord V6

  • Automatic transmission
  • 68,000 miles

In early March, was driving home when engine stalled. Tried restarting--took 4-6 attempts to restart. Each time the engine would start, then stall. Finally I waited about 2 minutes then retried & engine ran fine. Took to the dealer but they couldn't get it to fail. Has happened probably 15 more times--once at 65 mph. When that happened, all dash lights came on, then the engine restarted & was able to continue. Dealer ran Battery, Starter, and Charging System checks & all were OK. Still haven't found problem. By the way, all recalls have been installed.

- tweber, Bloomington, IL, US

problem #59

Apr 102008

Accord LX 4 cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 90,000 miles

Car started cutting off in the middle of driving. Once died while driving >65mph on the freeway, very scary!!! Sometimes it would be difficult to start, especially in hot weather. It turned out to be the ignition switch. Fixed free of charge as recall item. No problems since then.

- Cheryl G., Columbus, OH, US

problem #58

May 012009

Accord 4 cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 48,148 miles

For several years car randomly refused to start every month?, 3 Months?, 6 months? As you can see it varied as did the time it took to restart. Might have been a minute, several minutes or an hour but would always start. No one had an answer. In desperation we replaced the main relay. It has been nearly a year with no further problem. Cost of the relay was $77 and it is an under-the-dash plug-in, although a pain-in-the-ass plug-in.

- Lloyd R., Medford, OR, US

problem #57

Mar 092010

Accord 4 cyl

  • Manual transmission
  • 106,254 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Honda Accord - 1999 - Manual Trans. Stops running while I am driving!! This is not only dangerous but I have NO idea why it is happening!! Can anyone please give me a suggestion?

- christineo, Vernon, BC, Canada

problem #56

Aug 012007

Accord Coupe EX-L

  • Automatic transmission
  • 85,000 miles

starting about 2 years ago, my car failed to start at random times. like the other posts, the car turns over but won't start. sometimes it's in the heat, other times (most recently) it's seemingly at random. the first time i took it to the shop, the mechanic said something is in the pipes blocking it, he cleaned it out and i didn't have that same problem again for almost a year. it happened a couple other times after that but the problem didn't seem to persist until recently. Over the last week, the problem happened 3 times and this time, the same mechanic hasn't been able to figure out the cause because he couldn't replicate it.

I tried pumping on the gas while starting the engine and it seemed to work a few times. Sometimes the engine starts, sputtered and then dies again, other times, the engine threatens to stall when i'm at a stoplight or transitioning between the gas and break pedal. I found in those occurrences, if i were to rev the engine, the problem seems to correct itself. However, these remedies don't seem to work anymore.

I asked my mechanic to check the main relay and he seems doubtful but hopefully, like other owners who posted, replacing this will solve my issue. I didn't know about the ignition recall a few years ago so hopefully, Honda will still honor the fix.

- annew, Santa Clara, CA, US

problem #55

Jun 302009

Accord EX 4 cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 140,000 miles

I bought my Honda accord about 4 months ago and had the random stalling problem as well about a month ago the main relay in my car was replaced and i haven't had a problem since. The main relay controls the gas flow to the engine and it was randomly shutting off the flow causing it to stall. If you have had the stalling problem and haven't found a solution i suggest that you talk to someone about replacing the main relay in your car.

- Elizabeth S., Northglenn, CO, US

problem #54

Sep 142009

Accord LX 4 cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 160,000 miles

I bought my Accord certified pre-owned in 2002 and have had the related recall replacement performed. In July 2009 I finally decided to have my transmission rebuilt, since I was moving out of state and didn't want it to finally give out in the middle of nowhere (I had been driving on a faulty transmission for at least a few years).

Soon after the transmission rebuild, my car started stalling at random times, usually when I was taking off from a complete stop while running the A/C. This was more of an annoyance than anything else, but had the potential to be deadly.

I tried shutting off my A/C for a while when taking off at intersections, and that seemed to help. The stalling stopped. But most recently, in the past week, my engine and electrical system shut off twice with the A/C off. The second time was when I was pulling onto a busy street. Fortunately the approaching car noticed me and had an extra lane in which to pull around me, but who knows if I'll be as lucky next time?

I always heard that Honda made the best, most reliable cars out there, but maybe they took 1999 off. I'm thinking about trying a tuneup, but the reports here don't indicate a lot of success with that. Still, I've never had a tuneup done on it, so it's probably overdue anyway. Here's hoping an actual solution emerges for this problem.

- James B., Tampa, FL, US

problem #53

Jul 162009

Accord EX V$

  • Automatic transmission
  • 105,576 miles

This time the engine disengaged while I was in the middle of a long bridge over Ft. Loudon Lake while on my way to work. I was cruising, so I shifted into neutral and restarted the engine.

While at work, the NHTSA investigator called to see if I had been contacted by American Honda as they had promised. He sounded upset that they had not called, although he admitted that they had called him saying they had made a mistake about the recall on my ignition. They said my model vehicle had never been recalled. I told the investigator that I probably still had the recall letter and that I would look for it. I was unable to find the recall letter, but I was able to find the invoice from the dealer where they installed an ignition repair kit under the recall back in 2004. I sent a copy to the investigator the following day, but did not hear from him because he said he was going on vacation for a week and a half. He said before he left he was going to ask American Honda to call me to explain why they weren't taking any action. They called me on 7/17 and said their legal department had reviewed my case and that the answer was the same (i.e. that identification and repair of my problem was my responsibility, not theirs). I notified the investigator and encouraged him to do something on the grounds that either the safety recall was not effective or that the ignition was not the issue. Either way there is still a potential hazardous condition that Honda refuses to admit and their dealers do not know how to correct. Again, I would encourage everyone with this problem to file a formal NHTSA complaint via this website or on the NHTSA website. It's easy to do, and they won't likely act until they have enough complaints to warrant attention or until you ask your congressman to have them investigate.

- Ken W., Louisville, TN, US

problem #52

Jun 012009

Accord EX 4 cyl Vtec

  • Automatic transmission
  • 163,000 miles

Just hoping to help someone out, not really ranting or griping.

- prandersoniii, Ernul, NC, US

problem #51

May 012009

Accord LX

  • Automatic transmission
  • 100,000 miles

For the past 2-3 months, this problem has increased. The car stalls out while going down the interstate at 70 mph, not a great feeling when you have a HUGE semi-truck about to rear end you. It has stalled out, at a red light, going around a corner, middle of pulling out into traffic. I thought MAYBE it was the battery because after awhile, the battery wasnt holding a charge. After getting a new battery it seemed ok for a week then problems started again. Its getting to the point, I'm afraid to drive it but Honda dealership has no idea whats wrong with it. After looking around on here, i see im not alone on this issue. I also noticed after pulling key out its hot to touch. I get the jolt when it shuts off, no warning of any kind and the steering wheel locks up, everything shuts down, ac, radio etc.

- Allen O., Hope, AR, US

problem #50

Jul 152009

Accord EX V$

  • Automatic transmission
  • 105,505 miles

The car in front of me on the freeway slowed to 60 mph, so I started to pass. When I pressed the accelerator, the engine disengaged with a jolt and the key light came on. Needless to say, instead of speeding up I started slowing down. Fortunately this occurred before I entered the fast lane in front of oncoming cars. Since I didn't have the opportunity to change lanes, I was able to shift into neutral and restart the car while coasting. As is becoming the norm, the engine did not die this time but merely disengaged. Still no call from American Honda as they promised NHTSA.

- Ken W., Louisville, TN, US

problem #49

Jul 142009

Accord EX V$

  • Automatic transmission
  • 105,478 miles

This time the engine disengaged at 65 mph on the freeway and the "key light" came on. I did the usual, shifting into neutral and restarting the car while coasting. Still no call from American Honda as promised to NHTSA.

- Ken W., Louisville, TN, US

problem #48

Jun 252009

Accord EX 2.7L

  • Automatic transmission
  • 141,000 miles

I bought a 1999 Honda Accord ex for my daughter from a used car dealer. The car stalled on the way home that night. I took it to the Honda dealership to have it checked out, they said it was fine. It has continued to stall randomly since. I have changed the spark plug cables, and the ignition contact switch, and the ignition switch. It still stalls.

I have been to the dealer twice, and they say that there is no problem they can find. If anyone has been able to fix this problem I would love to know what you did.

- Gary S., Northglenn, CO, US

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