Busted transmission on 2000 Honda Accord, should I fix or sell?

[highland145]

It's at 111,000 miles.

That's not a lot of miles for a Honda.

If it's been ( and continues to be ) properly maintained ( and it doesn't rust out ) , it should be able to go another 111,000 IMO.

btw - was the transmission service ( change of fluid ) done on the car at the recommended intervals

There was an extended warranty up to 100K, instead of a recall, because there was a problem. Really pissed me off because if there's a problem, they should fix it. Period.

Up side for me, wife's went out at 99K and got replaced for free. At 150K started making the same initial noises. Traded.

Sorry for your trouble.

 

[lurk3r]

Thanks everyone for the advice so far.




The car used to be my dad's and I'm sure he didn't take very good care of it. He maybe got the oil changed every once in a while and that's it. He didn't believe in doing any other servicing. It has also been in several accidents and it is starting to rust on one of the rear doors. Needless to say the condition in the car isn't great, that's why I would rate it "fair" on the KBB guide.

I'll probably call a dedicated trans shop or two on Monday to see what their prices are, hopefully it will be cheaper. The problem is that I live in a small town and just moved here last month so IDK which shops are good. I'll probably ask some co-workers on Monday for some suggestions. I'll probably also call a couple of salvage yards and see what I can get for it as is.

Really, since the car was never in good shape and not properly maintained, I'm kind of looking for an excuse to buy another car. If have to spend money, I'd rather do it on a car that I enjoy to own and drive. I don't like the Accord at all, I am young and single and don't like driving around in a boring family car. I just need to justify the expense.

"been in a few accidents" is not fair, its trashed. Sounds like its time to walk away, yes the honda may have made 200k miles by now, but it definately does not have another 100k in it.

 

[Chuvalo]

It ain't the 90's anymore.

That said I would get the car checked out and make sure the problem is as bad as you think it is.

Decide if you want to deal with it and maybe more issues or if you have the scratch to upgrade to a newer used car. It will likely still make sense to get a local shop to fix the tranny or install a rebuilt one, much easier to sell that way.

Perhaps, but if any car is properly maintained - which in my opinion may involve exceeding the service schedule recommended by the manufacturer - it should last at least to 200,000 miles ........IMO.

 

[thomsbrain]

The calculation you need to do is not what you're spending versus what the car is worth.

It's what you're spending versus the cost of purchasing another car that would give you the same value as your fixed car. I can almost guarantee that fixing it is the more economical choice, especially since this car is a write-off unless the transmission is fixed.

However, if you're looking for an excuse to get a different car, this might be a good time to do it.

 

[KIAman]

Contact Honda North America and complain about your transmission. My co-worker did just this on his 2001 Accord Coupe and got them to agree to pay half the cost even though it was out of warranty.

If I were you, I'd just fix the transmission. It is still a great commuter car and 111,000 miles is nothing for your car.

 

[RU482]

buy a used trans from car-part.com
find a local shop to swap it out

Did this with a 99 Camry in 03, only cost about $600 total

 

[Eli]

buy a used trans from car-part.com
find a local shop to swap it out

Did this with a 99 Camry in 03, only cost about $600 total

The problem with a used transmission from these model years is that they're defective from the factory. Anything less than a fresh transmission is just asking for trouble. A used one might last 10k miles, it might last 80k, and if you're really lucky it might last 100k.

Also, where are you finding them for only ~$600? When we were researching for my girlfriends '01 Civic, the cheapest we found was 900$ and it had over 100k miles on it.

Maybe the Accord autos are cheaper? Shrug.

 

[Vette73]

The problem with a used transmission from these model years is that they're defective from the factory. Anything less than a fresh transmission is just asking for trouble. A used one might last 10k miles, it might last 80k, and if you're really lucky it might last 100k.

Also, where are you finding them for only ~$600? When we were researching for my girlfriends '01 Civic, the cheapest we found was 900$ and it had over 100k miles on it.

Maybe the Accord autos are cheaper? Shrug.

When I looked at eBay you could find some for over 1k and some in the $300 range. Just depends on the area and what they, seller, want.

 

[schneiderguy]

Now wait a minute. I thought it was 2001+ Hondas that had the faulty automatic transmissions? I think 2000 MY is okay. Almost positive.

AFAIK it's all of the 6th gen accords, from 98 to 02 that have defective transmissions.

I've got a 98, just hit about 95k miles. Transmission should die any day now

 

[Eli]

AFAIK it's all of the 6th gen accords, from 98 to 02 that have defective transmissions.

I've got a 98, just hit about 95k miles. Transmission should die any day now

Hmm. That isn't what I remember based on my research. It may go back to 98, but it definitely extends further than 02. I believe it is the 04-06 units that are improved, but can still have problems prematurely.

Hell, let's face it - Honda's automatic transmissions have always left something to be desired. D:

 

[HardcoreRobot]

my 98 died. same numbers quoted. traded it to the dealer when i bought my new car. dont even remember what they gave me now.

 

[BoberFett]

$3700 seems incredibly high. I paid $1700 for a full transmission swap for a PT Cruiser last year (damn Chryslers) parts and labor. Even accounting for higher costs for foreign makes, no way should it be more than twice as much.

 

[Gibson486]

AFAIK it's all of the 6th gen accords, from 98 to 02 that have defective transmissions.

I've got a 98, just hit about 95k miles. Transmission should die any day now

what exactly is defective with the transmission?

 

[thomsbrain]

AFAIK it's all of the 6th gen accords, from 98 to 02 that have defective transmissions.

I've got a 98, just hit about 95k miles. Transmission should die any day now

On the other hand, I have a co-worker who drove her 98 auto to 350,000 miles before trading it in for an Altima.

 

[bruceb]

It cost me $1800 for a rebuilt GM tranny and $700 for labor to swap it in (in NJ)

 

[Eli]

what exactly is defective with the transmission?

Just poor design in general. Small clutches, soft shifts, and an "unserviceable" filter all conspire to potentially drastically reduce the life of the transmission.

The method of failure is generally this: The soft shifts(particularly 2nd) cause clutch pack wear, which begins clogging the filter. As the filter becomes clogged, hydraulic pressure is reduced and the shifts become even softer. This leads to accelerated wear and even more clogging. The pump begins to whine as it struggles to maintain pressure. Shifts become erratic, delayed, or don't happen at all. Enter transmission rebuild and wallet rape.

IIRC, Honda's "fix" in the later model years was to firm up shifts.

Apparently the best thing you can do for these transmissions is install an aftermarket bypass filter, which is exactly what we'll be doing with my girlfriends Civic when the rebuilt transmission warranty expires. Cheap insurance.

 

[JCH13]

Don't fix it, part it out if you can, otherwise trade it in on a new car.


Pssst: skip the VW GTI and get a Mazdaspeed3

 

[BlahBlahYouToo]

this is why you never buy automatic hondas.

 

[japerkins]

I sooooo feel your pain. Just found out yesterday my 2000 Honda Accord, properly serviced every time at the dealership, now has 52,000 miles on it, needs a transmission. Called American Honda and asked for a "good will" repair. The lady was not so nice...said "I'm sorry for your failure"...I explained it wasn't MY failure...it was Honda's! I've owned 6 Hondas and this is MY LAST!!!!! So, I'm trying to figure out what to do myself now. Good luck to all of us who have dealt with this!

 

[highland145]

I sooooo feel your pain. Just found out yesterday my 2000 Honda Accord, perfectly serviced at the dealership, with 52,000 miles on it, needs a transmission. Called American Honda and asked for a "good will" repair. The lady was not so nice...said "I'm sorry for your failure"...I explained it wasn't MY failure...it was Honda's! I've owned 6 Hondas and this is MY LAST!!!!! So, I'm trying to figure out what to do myself now. Good luck to all of us who have dealt with this!

Look at #26. Most likely, a date as well as the 100K.

Don't say last until you find a manufacturer that's better. Good luck. If my toyo f*cks up again, going with Hyundai.

 

[ShawnD1]

I was just thinking..I can get the entire engine/trans assembly (including turbo) for my MR2 for less than that...granted that's not with installation (and it's a manual trans), but $4k is ridiculous.

remember that thread I started about my corolla tranny? the warranty claim sent away was something like $4200. The transmission itself (new) was $3800 and the rest of it was labor cost.

 

[Azndude51]

Since this thread got bumped back, I updated the original post.