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Bad transmission - sell or fix?

34K views 34 replies 16 participants last post by  lovehate 
#1 ·
I have an 04 Honda Accord V6 which has the dreaded bad transmission. It has 115k and i bought it certified used. It is my daily driver and i owe 7800 on my loan.

Is it best to pay 3+k to fix the transmission and hope it doesn't go out again?
Or trade it in for a like a cheap civic? I may just get raped in a trade in.. because of the condition of the tranny... i'll prob be upside down on the car loan....

I drive 120miles a day for work. So need a reliable car i can beat up (as in mileage not abuse)
 
#3 ·
sorry to hear that. With $3000, is it a new transmission or a rebuilt? i would sell it and buy something else if i were you, because $3000 is a lot since the car maybe worth 7-8k with a good condition transmission. try to sell it yourself. now you use the $3000 that you might have spent from the transmission to payoff the balance then i think with $8000 you can buy another honda with lower miles in good condition, Just my .02 cent
 
#4 ·
An 04 with 115K miles? You're not gonna get much for it...I reckon maybe $4-5K if you're really lucky. So $3k and you can drive it for a while and then trade later...or trade it now, pay the $3k difference on loan and don't worry about it.

You can always go ask for a goodwill.
 
#6 ·
If it still drives alright try and trade it in with "no issues". I had an rsx-s with soooo many things wrong with it, but upon tade in they didn't even open a door to sit in it. All the salesman want is to get you in a new car.

Don't feel bad about it, dealerships screw people regularly.
 
#7 ·
I agree. I wouldn't sell yourself and hide the problem because you're just asking for problems.. but if you can get it to the dealer it's worth a shot! But just remember, what goes around, comes around...
 
#8 ·
I was just faced with the same situation. Try to find a reputable transmission shop that specializes in Hondas. Don't go to a chain transmission repair shop. I got mine replaced with a rebuilt unit for $1500 including a new torque converter. Ask the parts guy at the dealship. They usually know of good alternatives.
 
#9 ·
If money is the issue, repairing the transmission seems to be the least expensive choice.

Option 1, repair the transmission on your car, after which you have good condition Accord with 115,000 miles on it. Total cost $2,000 to $3,000.

Option 2, trade in Accord without telling them about transmission. If they give you $4,800 in trade, you must cough up $3,000 out of pocket just to get out of your loan. At that point, you are simply even - no car and no loan. Depending on what you buy, you must then make another down payment ($1,000 minimum) and get a loan for difference. If that car costs $10,000, you will pay another $1,000 for taxes, title , tags. Total cost is $5,000.

Depending on what car you select as a replacement, the cost will vary. But loan payoff, down payment, taxes and tags will be much more than the cost to repair your transmission.
 
#10 ·
I finally got a response, Honda offered to cover 10% and i got a quote of 2800 dollars WITH that 10 percent. They denied to cover anymore because they said failed to do required transmission fluid changes every 40k miles. Next week I plan to call back, unless I read the manual wrong , I don't have to change it til 120k miles. :dunno:
 
#13 ·
Honda corporate can't say that you didn't change the fluid at correct intervals, since "normal" is 120k, and "severe" is 60k. The 40k the dealer came up with is the dealer's schedule.

IMO, the fluid in V6 units, especially, should be changed at 30k maximum. If heavy city use, it should be changed even more often. The 4 cylinder cars, 30k is fine, and the filter is easily accessible.

This is how I present your particular issue to one of my customers. Look at it this way, can you replace the car for that $3k? Even at Honda's "help" can you replace the car for that amount? Do you still like the car?

Is the car in good shape otherwise, as in no major body damage, no rust, no other mechanical issues? Has the 105/110k service been done? (t-belt, pump, valves, plugs, etc?)

If you spend the 3k, along with what you currently owe, is this going to be substantially more than an actual street value for the car?
 
#14 ·
I looked it up in KBB.com, and Private Party value for an 04 V6, with 115k miles, in good condition is $8,765. I think it's worth fixing, even if you plan to sell it afterwards.
 
#15 ·
i say keep the car and do the transmission job. if you take into consideration what FredSVT and BLCKFLSH said about the value of your car and how cost effective this is for you, then the least expensive route is going to be by getting the transmission done.

when i got my 6th gen, it's private party blue book value was $10,000 at the time. Six months after purchasing my car the transmission went out. for me, it was cheaper to just fix the transmission vs. going through the hassle of looking for a new car and use my car as a trade in

if you don't want to get the transmission done through honda directly, get it done at a reputable honda transmission specialist shop. that's what i did. you'll need to do some research for one of those in your area though. when you do find one of those, i'm sure they'll get the job done around the $2,000 price point you mentioned.
 
#19 ·
I've had two Accords since 91. In that time, I've only had my cars at the dealership two times. Neither were good experiences, and one was a total display of incompetence, from start to finish. There is no excuse for lazyness.:headbash: (I will spare you the details, unless you really want to hear it). I have vowed not to have my car there again, unless there is absolutely no alternative. Luckily, both cars have been very reliable, and have needed very few repairs.
 
#20 ·
My honda rep I called on Friday and Today and has not got back to me.

I called a very well reviewed shop near my home that specializes in hondas and they said they did an accord for 2600 dollars, so 2800 is a good deal from a dealership.

I really need to get my car up and running , my s2000 is taking a beating mileage wise as a daily driver.

I'm tempted to pull the trigger to ok the service and keep calling the sales rep and just hope he covers more of the cost.
 
#22 ·
My honda rep failed to get back to me after two days, so I dialed directly to honda customer service and the girl put me on the phone with him,

he said that intervals change from the 120k mile fluid change AFTER the first fluid change. It seemed to be summed up as... if the dealership that certified my car hadn't changed my transmission oil at 30k when i bought it certified used, I would be good with the 120k interval. But since they did change it at 30k... and i haven't changed it since, I failed to change it in required intervals. He also stated the changes on the intervals are in the Honda accord manual. I told him I'd look for it.

he also said that in sept 09 and june 09, the dealership "tested" my transmission oil and recommended it be changed. At no time during my oil changes did they say that.

He also stated a rebuilt transmission from honda is 4000 dollars, so I'm getting a good deal on the work.

i'm faxing him my oil change service papers for those months tomorrow.

hopefully they are just beating around the bush hoping i give up, before they actually give me a decent discount
 
#27 ·
I told him I'd look for it.

he also said that in sept 09 and june 09, the dealership "tested" my transmission oil and recommended it be changed. At no time during my oil changes did they say that.
Don't tell him you will look for it. Always (kindly) ask "where in my manual is that information your referring to located". Have you manual in front of you when talking to them so you can promptly follow along. If they tested the transmission, kindly ask for faxed or email copies of what he is referring to. It appears they are just trying to get you off the phone and hope you wont call back and give up.
 
#23 ·
It says change at 120k then every 90k thereafter. SEVERE service is 60k then every 30k.

He's full of crap, $4000 for a Honda reman, what's that, installed with a 100% markup? The gen 6 autos are now going for around $1800 with no labor. Gen7s are a little more.
 
#24 ·
Unless I missed it, did you determine whether your car was part of the recall? If it was you might have an additional bit of leverage. Was it "fixed" with the 2nd gear oil jet? You can easily find that info at Honda Owner-Link. It might not help, but any issue you can raise is to your benefit. Was it "defective" - did they really "fix" it? You need to mount a good argument (not that you haven't) at this point and you possibly may want to do it in writing (your rep might be worried someone else will find out, or someone will) since you seem to be dealing on the phone with a douche bag. Or as Fredsvt much more kindly says is someone who is full of crap. When my wife's 03 trans failed a couple of summers ago the dealer wanted $2300 for a trans. I actually thought I recalled it was less than that, but I suspect my memory couldn't be correct. Honda did take care of it, but her car only had 62,000 miles and I like to think that my negotiation skills helped. As you can tell I'm very humble - it's one of my best traits. :) I like the idea of faxing the oil change papers that debunk his statements. If you're at an impasse consider the threat (or action) of a report to NHTSA regarding safety. A sudden trans failure can be a safety issue. Almost as bad as Toyota? Honda has known about the potential safety issue for years? Negotiate. Possibly suggest a class action suit? That's what it took for the 6th gen as I understand. It might be reason for them to be concerned? You don't have to necessarily have to threaten - sometimes it's just fine to nicely work things into the conversation. Good luck.
 
#30 ·
How many of you try to get your home appliances or electronics replaced after the 90 day, 1 year, 3 year, etc warranty is expired?

Cars have a warranty and an optional extended warranty. Why would the manufacturer help you after both are expired?

I don't understand why people expect cars to last forever... :dunno:
 
#31 ·
My point exactly

I think the maker of the defective transmission should be responsible, if that defect causes a "safety issue". Isn't that what "Safety Recalls" are all about? It doesn't matter if it is under warranty or not, IMO.
Safety recalls are for manufacturing or design defects that can spontaneously cause a dangerous situation with a potential for injury or death without any prior warning signs, even with proper maintenance and through no fault of the owner. An example would be Honda's airbag recall. A transmission is not a safety recall. If they had to recall failing transmissions because of safety issues from failure at 115K, they would recall every non-runflat-tired car out there, because a flat could leave you stranded in Death Valley and cause actual death. (Yes it has happened)

A transmission can fail any time out of warranty and the manufacturer can say screw you, and often times they do. The fact that they're even willing to listen to you and consider paying something is just going above and beyond. That's not to say that I think Honda shouldn't pay...but there is a line to be drawn between a goodwill gesture and a responsibility to pay because it's a safety issue when it's not.
 
#34 ·
What do you say then about my tranny going out BEFORE powertrain warranty expired? I'm on a second tranny now at 91k miles.
First one started to slip when I was climbing hills at around 50k miles.
I did not abuse my car significantly, the only thing I did on a regular basis is coasting at high speed on the highway. That is possible reason for failure according to this Honda recall: http://dogandlemon.com/site/japanese-vehicle-recalls/?caseno=RJ-1146-1
 
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