1989 Honda Accord Engine Problems

I BOUGHT THE CAR FOR MY SON, WHO IS 18, AND WHEN A FRIEND WAS GOING TO CHANGE THE OIL AND HE HOISTED IT TO WORK UNDERNEATH IT, THE WHOLE UNDERSIDE OF THE CAR IS DAMAGED. THE MUFFLER ISN'T SECURED AS IT IS RUSTED OUT, THE GAS TANK IS SMASHED IN. IT'S RUNNING OFF THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER AND THE CAR DEALER SAID THE CAR MADE SO MUCH NOISE BECAUSE OF A PIECE THEY HAD CONNECTED TO THE EXHAUST PIPE TO MAKE IT THAT WAY. I WAS LIED TO AND I WILL HAVE TO INVEST EVEN MORE MONEY INTO THE CAR BECAUSE OF THE DEALERS INTENTIONAL MISINFORMATION. *TR

NHTSA ID

10195961

Incident

Jun 30, 2007

1989 ACCORD ENGINE COMPARTMENT CAUGHT ON FIRE. *TS THE VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE WHILE THE CONSUMER WAS DRIVING 65 MPH. THE CONSUMER NOTICED THE TEMPERATURE GAUGE IN THE RED PRIOR TO THE FIRE. *NM

NHTSA ID

10163693

Incident

May 20, 2006

(1) EVENT HYBRID DESIGN FLAW: 1989 HONDA ACCORD 2.0L FUEL INJECTION: MANUFACTURED AS A HYBRID, JULY 1989. PROOF OF HYBRIDIZATION: AUTO PART DEALERS SHOW DIFFERENT PARTS FOR THIS MODEL BEFORE, DURING, AND AFTER JULY 1989. ALSO, THE HYBRID FUEL INJECTION IS VISIBLE FROM THE NUMBER OF WIRE AND TUBES FROM THE VALVE COVER FOR THE CARBURETOR AND THE OFFICIAL FUEL-INJECTED MODEL. AN ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT INSTALLED YET UNUSED VALVE-DRIVE COG SITS IDLY UNDER A COVER WHILE A HYBRID TIMING CHAIN SYSTEM RUNS THE VALVES IN PERFECT TIMING. VIN NUMBER: [XXX] THE HYBRID HONDA HAS A DANGEROUS ENGINE AND TRANSMISSION DESIGN-FLAW VIBRATION. AN ORIGINAL DESIGN CAUSES THE VIBRATION. WE REPLACED THE TIRES WITH NEW PERFECTLY BALANCED TIRES AND REPLACED THE BRAKE ROTORS AND BRAKE PADS AND REPLACED THE SUGGESTED ENGINE AND TRANSMISSION MOUNTS. THE HONDA STILL HAS THE DANGEROUS DESIGN FLAW ENGINE AND TRANSMISSION VIBRATION. AUTO-PARTS DEALERS DIFFER ON WHAT ENGINE AND TRANSMISSION MOUNTS TO USE. HONDA WILL NOT PROVIDE A FACTORY MANUAL ON HOW MANY OR WHERE ENGINE MOUNTS AND TRANSMISSION MOUNTS THE HYBRID NEEDS. THE HYBRID DESIGN FLAW VIBRATION CAUSED ME TO SWERVE INTO THE OTHER LANE AND BARELY AVOID A HEAD-ON COLLISION. WHEN THE DRIVER APPLIES AN INITIAL LOAD AS SMALL AS ENGAGEMENT OF THE AIR CONDITIONING, THE STEERING WHEEL ACTUALLY JUMPS UP AND DOWN. THE DESIGN FLAW DANGEROUSLY VIBRATES THE WHOLE AUTOMOBILE. WE REPLACED THE TIRES WITH PERFECTLY BALANCED TIRES, THE MOTOR MOUNTS AND THE TRANSMISSION MOUNTS, AND BRAKE ROTORS AND BRAKE PADS. BRAKING IS SMOOTH. HONDA WILL NOT PROVIDE A FACTORY MANUAL TO DETERMINE WHERE OR HOW MANY PARTS TO USE. CHILTON AND HAYESAUTO REPAIR MANUALS DO NOT HAVE THE HYBRID DETAIL. ALL PART SUPPLIERS HAVE TOO MANY VARIATIONS FOR THE ENGINE AND TRANSMISSION MOUNTS FOR THIS HYBRID. HONDA SHOULD REPAIR THIS DESIGN FLAW IN THIS AUTOMOBILE SINCE IT IS A HYBRID DESIGN FLAW.*AK UPDATED 07/25/2012 *JS INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID

10086374

Incident

Apr 3, 2004

MY PROBLEM CONTINUES. SO I REPAIR, IT CONTINUES. IT IS HARD TO GET A NEW CAR AND AT THE PRESENT TIME FINANCES AREN'T ALLOWING ME TO PURCHASE A NEW VEHICLE. MY HEALTH IS SUFFERING FOR THAT REASON. WHEN I WARM MY CAR UPIN THE MORNINGS, IT REVS VERY HARD, THE CARBON MONOXIDE GETS INTO THE HOUSE...I AM SUFFERING FROM REALLY BAD HEADACHES. I NEED MY CAR TO GT BACK AND FORTH TO WORK. WITHOUT A VEHICLE I HAVE NO JOB. WHAT DO I DO. I AVE COMPLAINED TIL I A BLUE IN THE FACE. THE CAR IS NOW COSTING MORE TO FIX THAN IT IS WORTH.

NHTSA ID

10069015

Incident

Aug 15, 2001

I WISH I HAD KNOWN EARLIER THAT THIS COMPLAINT TO THE NHTSA WAS POSSIBLE. FOR YEARS, I DID NOT KNOW WHAT TO DO ABOUT A SERIOUS PROBLEM WITH MY 1989 HONDA ACCORD. SINCE THE FIRST YEAR OF OWNERSHIP THE CAR OVERHEATED AND REVVED VERY HIGH WHENEVER I HAD TO WAIT IN TRAFFIC FOR MORE THAN 15 MINUTES ON A 70 DEGREE OR HIGHER DAYS. I'VE TAKEN THE CAR TO SEVERAL REPAIR FACILITIES AND DESPITE MY SPENDING NEARLY $3,000 ON "REPAIR-WORK", THE PROBLEM CAUSED THE CAR'S DEMISE AT 116,000 MILES ON JUNE 11, 2003. THE GEAR WOULD NOT ENGAGE DESPITE CLUTCH REPLACEMENTS IN JAN OR FEB. 2003 AND IN 1999. I HAD TO HAVE IT TOWED HOME. I HAVE TAKEN VERY GOOD CARE OF MY CAR, WITH REGULAR OIL CHANGES EVERY 3 TO 6 MONTHS HOPING TO KEEP IT TILL AN ODOMETER READING OF AT LEAST 160,000 MILES. THIS PROBLEM STARTED WITHIN A YEAR OF OWNERSHIP AND I FELT THAT I HAD NO RECOURSE BUT TO TRY TO GET IT REPAIRED. I DID NOT TAKE IT TO MY HONDA DEALER BECAUSE I FELT THAT THEIR CHARGES FOR OIL CHANGES WERE EXCESSIVE COMPARED TO REGULAR GAS STATIONS CHARGES AND TO MY MIND, DELIVERED INEFFECTUAL REPAIRS AND SUSPECT SUGGESTIONS FOR REPAIR AS WAS THE PRACTICE IN OTHER DEALERSHIPS IN THE EARLY 90'S. MY HONDA EXPERIENCE WAS NOT A GOOD ONE AND HAS COST ME HALF THE PRICE OF THE CAR IN REPAIRS. I DON'T KNOW IF YOU CAN SEEK ANY REDRESS FOR ME SINCE I PURCHASED THE CAR SO LONG AGO BUT I THINK I'VE BEEN DEALT A BAD DEAL. THINKING BACK ON IT ALL, I BELIEVE I WAS SOLD A LEMON. I DIDN'T THINK THIS WAS POSSIBLE IN A HONDA BUT WHEN I READ THE COMPLAINTS SECTION OF THIS WEBSITE, MANY OF THEN TO DO WITH ENGINE COOLING PROBLEMS, MY FAITH IN HONDA IS QUESTIONABLE. I HAD INTENDED TO BUY A HONDA THE SECOND TIME AROUND BUT I WILL THINK TWICE NOW AND CONSIDER INSTEAD THE HIGHLY-RATED VW PASSAT OR A TOYOTA. *NLM

NHTSA ID

10023058

Incident

Jun 11, 2003

Mileage

116,000 mi

UNKNOWN CAUSE FOR FIRE. MELTED ENTIRE ENGINE AND HOOD AREA, HOOD HAD TO BE CUT OPEN. CAR IS TOTALED.

NHTSA ID

734683

Incident

Oct 13, 2000

ENGINE WAS LEAKING OIL. WAS NOT SMOKING. TOOK TO DEALER & WAS INFORMED TO KEEP OIL IN ENGINE. TOOK TO ANOTHER DEALER & INFORMED THE ENGINE NEEDED TO BE OVERHAULED. FINALLY, HAD THE VALVE COVER GASKET REPLACED.*AK

NHTSA ID

865504

VEHICLE WAS OVERHEATING, AND DEALER REPLACED HEAD GASKETS. AFTER DEALER REPLACED HEAD GASKETS VEHICLE LEAKED. OWNER HAS TAKEN VEHICLE IN FOR SERVICE SEVERAL TIMES, AND PROBLEM STILL EXISTS. *AK

NHTSA ID

837486

Incident

Apr 30, 1999

THE THERMOSTAT GOT STUCK, CAUSING WATER NOT TO GO INTO THE ENGINE. ENGINE OVERHEATED AND CAUSED A FIRE. *AK

NHTSA ID

820518

Incident

Jan 1, 1998

VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE, CAUSE STILL UNKNOWN. *AK

NHTSA ID

811699

Incident

Mar 25, 1997

REPLACED BRAKES. *AK

NHTSA ID

505698

Incident

Jun 26, 1996

CONSUMER IS HAVING A SMALL OIL LEAK . TT

NHTSA ID

971533