John Horner <jthorner@yahoo.com> wrote:

> "Ldmessages" <ldmessages@aol.com> wrote in message
> news:20040709062209.16712.00000927@mb-m22.aol.com...
>> I heard a faint whine while from the front of the car during a test drive.
>> There was also some hesitation with downshifting. I am concerned about
> the
>> transmission in this vehicle.
>>
>> Should I pass on this car and look at something else?
>>
>> tia

> My '03 Accord also has a slight transmission whine, hopefully nothing to
> worry about.

> My big complaint with this car is all of the random buzzes and rattles. I
> thought that by buying a Honda I was getting first rate design and assembly,
> but at least on my car the number of noises which should be there really
> makes me mad.

> Right now the driver side visor sometimes buzzes, the rear seat creaks where
> it rubs on the trunk opening, and there is a plastic on metal click or clunk
> under the hood.

> The stealership has been useless at fixing these problems.

> I have owned and cared well for quite a few vehicles in the 25 years I have
> been driving, and this is the worst new car from a rattles point of view I
> have ever owned.

Tons of rattles for me too.
* Buzz in the right side tweeter
* Rattle in the visors when I hit bumps
* Creaks a lot
* Click when I hit the brakes (I think it's the interlock that prevents you
from shifting into drive without pressing the brakes)

I could live with them all except for the buzz in the tweeter. Sometimes I
hear it, and sometimes I don't hear it. But when I hear it, it drives me up
the wall.

The 1986 Toyota Van that it replaced didn't rattle this much. (Although it
made enough other noises that I may not have noticed.)

I read that Honda's American OEM suppliers have 10 times the defect rate
of the Japanese suppliers. Honda management feels that this is because the
Americans don't understand what is expected of them, and that this will be
corrected with time. In the meantime, my friend's Japanese built Acura TSX
had a few rattles as well; the dealer took care of them.

-Josh
--
-Joshua Belsky
Email: At yahoo dot com, I am jjbelsky
http://belsky.net