Speaking of rattles and squeaks, anyone have a sqeaky armrest? I tightened the bolt and I'm gonna add some Wd-40 but how do you make it "stiff" again? everytime I open it it wants to slam shut again, I want it like new, when I could open it and it stayed open in any position.

 

My armrest squeaks like MAD and doesnt have the same "shape" anymore; feels all twisted....plus, the cup holder lid in the middle console is falling apart....half the time, it wont even open.

 

Now some of you may not agree with me but just my experience...

my first car out of HS was my parents 91 accord, I noticed that it rattled more and had more wind noise than my uncles same year accord with similar miles... its was wierd because his car was never even garaged or maintained on time. When mine was always garaged and maintained on time... his car was just quieter inside overall and felt like it was built solid.

Thats when I started noticing the quality differences between honda's built in the US vs Japan.

Around 1998 I needed to purchase a new vehicle and I liked the new accord so I went to the local dealer and test drove the new accords... I noticed the same problem, the cars built right here in the US (vin# starting with "1") were noisier, than the cars with VIN# beginning with a "J" (built in japan). I purchased the japanese built 1999 model year accord and thats what I currently drive... the same uncle traded in his accord for a newer accord around the same time but this time he purchased the one built here in the US.

Now compared to my car, his has started to rattle and is noticably noisier than my car, not to mention his car has been to the shop more than 3 times for non-scheduled mainentance related problems. My car's paint is still in excellent condition where his has too many chips and the color looks faded. He recently drove my car and told me (eventhough my car is lowered and has low-profile tires on it) that my car was quieter and even felt more powerful than his? (no performance mods here)

Ever since my experience with my 91 accord I have always been just by siting in someone's accord able to just guess where it was built without having to look at the vin# and I have been right all the times I guessed so far.

I have driven my current 99 accord hard (sometimes like a idiot). I am just surprised that its lasted so long (now 60K+ miles). I have driven it WA - CA (and back) several times and most of the time fully loaded with passegers/stuff. It helped me move from CA to WA and was not garaged for a good year and a half, right in the snow.

No problems... still feels the same as the day I bought it.


In my cast its just been a quality difference between vehicles built in different countries. I am not sure if thats the case in your accord though.

 

Could very well be...

 

I have a US built 98 Accord cpe, 5 spd. No noticable issues as of yet, I've had it for 1 yr. Purchased with 50k mi on it from Honda dealer, now at 74000. *Knock on wood*

 

My armrest squeaks when opening slowly. I've been too lazy to oil it yet, but the shape and everything else is perfect.

One thing that pisses me off: My passenger seat is significantly stiffer than the drivers seat. While I know the drivers seat has the most wear, it's NOTICEABLY different.

If possible, I'm swapping the seats around to even out wear soon.

 

unisold quote:
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Originally posted by DJ Scotty

Hmmmmm.....interesting....and what are your driving conditions like? Potholes? Snow? Bumps? --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

no snow in south texas. lots of bumps & potholes in houston. at 100k or so one of my struts started leaking so i replaced them with 4 koni yellow's. but car is smooth as ever. very very happy too, i truly hope to get another 50-75k which equates to 2-3years.

 

people have different expectation of cars... when I drove my wife's accord 96ex coupe; "what a piece of crap" came accross my mind... my wife didn't think so and thought that all cars are suppose to have bad vibration when idle; and suppose to have rattles and suppose to kick down 2 seconds after you mash the paddle. for some people pinto is rock-solid. I have driven BMWs and mercedes that feels really bad after 2 years. Accord is never suppose to be solid or squeak free; you do get what you pay for...

 

I understand that you get what you pay for; but come on....how can you say that "Accord is never supposed to be solid or squeak free"? Thats what the manufacturer is selling these vehicles on----their so-called "solidity" and build quality---how can we buy these vehicles expecting them not to be ridden with rattles and noises? I mean, thats the reason why people choose the "imports" over the General Motors makes...there is supposed to be a more "hushed" driving experience over the road in an import.

Funny you mention your wife's 96 EX coupe; my father has a 97 Special Edition sedan, which is really an LX with added features (the 15" alloys, sunroof, wood dash trim, remote entry, badging), and although he has had this thing since 97, and now has 50k-plus on the odomoter (and has driven this car to Las Vegas from New York when my parents moved out there a year and a half ago), it feels like complete shit, as you say....the car bucks when shifting, the shifts are HARD---I mean to the point the automatic feels like a stick; she vibrates out of control even when idling; the noises from the engine bay are ridiculous; and acceleration? Ha....this thing goes zero to sixty in a week. And funny you mention Mercedes and BMW...my parents' other car is a 97 Benz E320, and it has felt like a vault up until about now, when it has over 70,000 on the clock...they are having alot of problems with the Benz.

 

Okay, Accord owners---time for a new topic to chew on...anyone else with somewhat "older" Accords feel like the mileage, usage, or just the day in/day out grind is beginning to make your car feel like she's seen her day? I have a 99 EX V-6 coupe and she is just turning 40,000 miles, and I feel like she can have 140,000 from her driving feel....loose, unconnected over bumps, shaky...and when she's filthy, I dont even want to drive her---her stock 16" alloys look terribly wimpy and tiny in the wheelwells and under the OEM body kit when the rims are dirty, or even just when the vehicle is dirty; should I feel like 40,000 miles is the end of this car's life? I hear about these people with 200,000-plus miles on their big H's, but does anyone else have any high mileage on their cars, yet still driving them without thoughts of getting rid of them? Should I expect the car to last more than 40,000 miles? I know this sounds silly, but what's the mileage on some of your cars? I wish I could afford a new ride right now----I would dump this coupe in a second in favor of a larger, wider, more stretched four door sedan of some kind; I do believe I have outgrown the 2 door coupe....but I barely have the funds to afford upkeep on this Accord; Im in no position---at my job---to run out and finance a new car, even with this car's trade in value....so I am forced to keep the Accord for however much longer...anyone else plan on keeping their 98-on (or previous perhaps 94/95) Accords for long periods of time, no matter how the mileage pours on?

Any thoughts or analysis is welcomed!