Problems with 1998 Honda Accord ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

When i stop or slow down the car shuts off. i have no steering and no brakes and no hazard lights. car shuts down while driving. *tt

Tl* the contact owns a 1998 honda accord. the contact stated that after adding oil to the vehicle, he noticed oil leaking onto the ground and none appeared on the dipstick. the vehicle was taken to an local mechanic where the contact was advised that the oil seal had fractured from the vehicle. the mechanic replaced the front engine seals and all pumps seals with an upgraded seal retainer as well as the timing belts. the failure and current mileage was 150,000.

The engine fails while driving for no apparent reason. the car is running fine, then at different speeds, the engine fails. all braking and power functions fail. this occurs at different times and dates. there does not seen to be any reason for it. the engine runs fine when it is re-started. *tr

The engine stalls without warning when going at slow speeds. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 1998 honda accord. while driving at 65 mph, the vehicle stalled without warning. the contact was able to restart the vehicle and drove to the dealer. the dealer was unable to duplicate the failure. there were no repairs made to the vehicle. the failure persisted. the vehicle was taken to the dealer four times in regards to the failure yet the dealer was unable, each time, to duplicate the failure. there were no repairs. the failure and current mileages were 140,000.

Engine dies when driving at high speeds. *tr

Honda accord accelerator cable failure. i picked up my son from school. i started to drive away from the school and the accelerator pedal stopped responding. i steered the car back to the curb using the remaining momentum, stopping near the curb at an angle. i opened the engine hood to locate any loose cables going from the engine to the accelerator pedal. when i touched the accelerator cable, the metal cable was loose and fell out of the housing, revealing a broken frayed cable. i called a tow truck to deliver the car to a honda dealer for repair. *tr

My 1998 honda accord 4 door sedan l4 engine stalls and the engine dies while driving in traffic. i am very concerned about this issue as it relates to my safety and the safety of my family. the first time this event happened the car stalled then died. the check engine light came on. after i let the car sit for awhile i attempted to start the car. it took four times. i then sought service or repair. four attempts have been made to correct this problem. none of which are successful. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 1998 honda accord. whenever the contact drove the vehicle at any speed the engine would suddenly stall without warning. the vehicle has not been diagnosed by the dealership and the contact noticed prior that the check engine light had appeared on the dashboard before the stalling begun. the current and failure mileages were 145000.

While driving my 1998 honda accord, the engine suddenly shuts off. i was able to start the car immediately after it stopped. this has happened about five times in four months. the dealer replaced the electrical portion of the ignition switch and it happened again. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 1998 honda accord. while driving 63 mph the check engine light illuminated and the vehicle slowed down to 30 mph on the highway. the decrease in speed almost caused a crash. the vehicle has not been diagnosed by a dealer. the contact is concerned about the safety risk. the vin was not available. the current and failure mileages were 119,000.

I have had 2 honda accords and my girlfriend has a 3rd honda accord. overall the cars are great, but there is an issue that honda refuses to address. the evap system is flawed and especially in new england weather, the canister and shut valve get attacked by road conditions in the winter and something fails. why should we as consumers have to pay for the repair constantly when the issue is simply an over-sight on packaging the unit to protect it. look on the internet and run code p1456 and p1457. if you live in new england you will have this problem or you will be very lucky. you ask, how do i know so much about this? i am batting %100. 3 honda accords 1998-2000 year models and 3 check engine light code p1457. it is pretty ridiculous. they should have done a voluntary recall on this problem ages ago. i just spent money to get it fixed on the 2000 honda accord. wouldn't you know, right around a year after the 1999 honda accord. coincidence? i think not. please take the time and do the research. these are great cars so you probably don't get many complaints, but honda is getting over. they screwed up and they know it. look at the new honda accord, totally redesigned evap control unit. coincidence? i think not. thanks for your time. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 1998 honda accord. the contact stated that the vehicle suddenly shut off while she was driving at approximately 15 mph and occurred several other times. the lights flashed on the instrument panel before the failure. the contact was able to restart the vehicle after more than one attempt and continued to drive. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealership where the contact was informed that the egr valve needed to be replaced. the failure mileage was approximately 208,000. the current mileage was approximately 213,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 1998 honda accord. the contact stated that while driving approximately 35 mph, the vehicle stalled and the front suspension collapsed. as a result, the vehicle crashed into the ground. a police report was not filed, but the contact suffered injuries from the crash. the vehicle was towed to an independent repair shop where the body damage and lower ball joints were repaired. the failure was not diagnosed. the failure mileage was 250,876.

Tl*the contact owns a 1998 honda accord. while driving at any speed, the vehicle suddenly shuts off. the vehicle is able to immediately restart after the failure occurs. the dealer could not duplicate the failure. the current and failure mileages were 124,000. updated 10/20/09 *cn updated 10/22/09.*jb

I smell the gas around tank area with my 98 accord lx with cel on, took vehicle to dealer and found out the code p0420 and need to replace catalytic converter. *tr

The a/c lights wont work, the a/c wont work, the mileage odometer numbers disapeared. *tr

1998 honda accord kept shutting off while driving. the car stopped on a back road around a turn and completely stalled. then when driving the car to a dealership it shut off while driving on interstate. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 1998 honda accord. the vehicle will completely shut off regardless if it is accelerating, decelerating, or at a stop. the failure occurs everytime the vehicle is driven at various speeds. the contact did not notice any differences in the vehicle prior to the failure. the vehicle has not been diagnosed by the dealer. the current mileage was 106,000 and failure mileage was 104,000.

My 1998 honda accord has been having the same problem for the past three years. in hot weather, during the summer months, my car will either not start at all, start and then immediately shut off, or shut off while driving. this problem has continued to worsen over the past three years to the point i am afraid to drive my honda. i have taken it to numerous mechanics, including an authorized honda dealer, and no one has been able to fix this issue. the honda dealer replaced the battery and the starter, which has not fixed the problem. i do not have any of the old parts that were replaced. this problem occurs in hot or warm weather. it will happen a couple of times a week, and then won't again for a couple of weeks. i am fearful of the consequences enough that i am not driving my car because i have no way of knowing when or where my car will random shut off. my car has shut off while driving on a busy road, and men in other cars had to push my car across heavy traffic to get it off of the road. after a few minutes of rest, my car started again. i am also afraid of what would happen if my car shut off while driving on the interstate. i am not sure what to do at this point because authorized mechanics have not been able to solve this issue. *tr

Engine stalls without warning. engine stalls immediately after starting despite multiple attempts to start. problems are random and occur both in traffic and when parked. problem started mid-2007 with momentary loss of engine power (<1 sec) combined with loss of power to instrument cluster. problem is much worse now. engine now stalls and does not restart for 2-3 minutes which is very dangerous in traffic. incident date is the latest date. *tr

Subject: 1998 honda accord 117,000 miles. events that led to complaint: vehicle engine and all electrical completely shuts down leaving no control over vehicle: no lights, no brakes, no steering, no signals, no check engine light. a sudden and complete loss of vehicle control with 2-3 kids in car and 2 adults. we went on line for recall notices and found the following: compliant: recall # 02v120000,may 16th, 2002' & 03v423000 oct 27,2003' "ignition switch contacts worn out causing the engine to stall with out warning". "catastrophic failure!" honda of oxnard replaced part back on may 2002' with same faulty part. registered compliant 4/3/08 without resolution with honda america and honda of oxnard dch: honda america case # n012008-04-0200208 - senior regional case manager:jamahl brown 1-800-999-1009 x118263. jamahl asked that we take the subject car in to dch honda of oxnard for diagnostic to confirm failure. failure was confirmed by clint stremcha-service tech, rose siela - service manager, to be the "ignition switch"! same as recalled part. i brought the results back to jamahl brown at honda america and he said he would not perform any good will because of age of vehicle. i stated to him that this car was still on the round transporting kids to and from school daily. a catastrophic failure of this magnitude could cause great bodily injury or death. he replied that is my problem and that i need to keep the vehicle serviced. i further explained this part is not a serviceable part like brakes and oil are. i also said i have a honda that has 200,000 miles that is still on the road without incident. i asked him why did he ask me to take the car to honda to it get diagnosed to confirm the failed part? with out answering the question he said he would stand by his decision not offer me any financial support or solution to this failure. end of explanation. *tr

Tl*the contact's husband owns a 1998 honda accord. while driving 65 mph, the vehicle completely shut down. there was a total loss of steering and brakes. occasionally, the vehicle would restart itself and other times, the contact would have to pull over and restart it manually. the service engine light illuminated in december of 2007 and then dimmed. there was no code to pinpoint the failure. the contact took the vehicle to two auto shops, but neither could duplicate the failure. the purchase date and powertrain were unknown. the current mileage was approximately 200,000 and failure mileage was approximately 198,000.

My 1998 honda accord lx is randomly turning off while i am stopped, or while i am driving. it never occurs at any certain time or speed. i have many things replaced in the car and nothing has fixed it. i had a recall done on the ignition switch and it still did it. i talked with a service representative at a honda dealership and he told me that the main relay system are notorious for going out, so i took a chance since it was only 65 dollars and replaced it and it appears the problem has been fixed. i had read on many forums from tons of people who have had the same problem and no one can figure it out. this is a huge safety concern because my car could be driving along the freeway going 65 and it would just shut off for no reason. sometimes it would not start back up and i had to force my car on the side of the road. this could cause a serious wreck which could lead to fatalities if it was during rush hour. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 1998 honda accord ex. there was a safety recall on the egr valve. the honda dealer stated that because the vehicle exceeded 85,000 miles and was over 8 years old it was no longer eligible for safety recall repairs. the gas mileage on the vehicle was poor, and fumes entered the vehicle, the engine light constantly illuminated, and the vehicle underwent three or four diagnostic tests. the tests verified the failure to be the egr valve. the current and failure mileage were 120,000. ak

Tl*- the contact owns a 1998 honda accord, and stated that while driving on the highway or in the city the vehicle sometimes lost power. neither the weather nor the speed were a factor at the time of the failure. the first failure was at 90,000 miles, and has experienced the failure sometimes twice a day. the vehicle experience the failure around 5-15 times a month. before any of the incidents there has been no prior indication. the contact took vehiclet to the dealer, and they stated that they could not diagnose any failure in the vehicle. the manufacturer stated that next time the contact had the same failure to have the vehicle towed to the dealership after it stalled.*ak

Check engine light came on. had it scanned and produced code p0401 - egr insufficient airflow. told by honda that this was a recognized problem and a warranty extension had been issued, but since my car has 113k miles, it won't fall under the extension (80k) and it will cost me $370 to fix. i have not fixed it due to money and it cannot pass emissions, therefore, i am driving on an expired tag (cannot get tag without passing emissions). *jb

Tl*the contact owns a 1998 honda accord. the contact stated that the engine light was illuminated, but eventually dimmed. the service dealer stated that they would charge her just to inspect the vehicle. the dealer advised her to return when the failure recurred. the engine light illuminated again one year later. the contact returned to the service dealer who stated that the vehicle was only guaranteed for 80,000 miles. the codes issued by the maintenance technician regarding the failure were p0420, p0505, and p1456. the purchase date and powertrain were unknown. the current mileage is 97,596 and failure mileage was 80,000.

The "check engine" light lit up on a sunday, but the service dealer who looked at the car on monday could not determine why. a diagnostic device indicated a problem around the carburetor so the technician turned off the "check engine" light and i was told to drive around for awhile and see what happened. the vehicle suddenly started to overheat while driving within the city. there had been no problems before this incident and all regular maintenance was done on the vehicle. when the car overheated, it could not even be driven for a mile without stopping to let it cool down. this would've been a serious problem if it had occurred on the highway because there was no warning and the vehicle was immediately incapacitated. the service dealer determined that the engine block had cracked and the only remedy was to replace the engine. the car only had 63,000 miles on it, but the cost of a rebuilt engine (with 120,000 miles on it) was almost as much as the blue book value. suddenly, our car was worthless when we expected it to last for several more years. the dealership saw no reason to provide any compensation. an employee at the dealership bought the car for $1000 for parts. *nm

Dt*: the contact stated while driving at various speeds the engine stalls without warning and intermittently the vehicle does not start. there is a nhtsa recall, # 02v120000 regarding the electrical system: ignition: switch. the vehicle has the same problems as indicated in the recall; however it is not included in the recall due to the vin. the dealership has been alerted. the interlock switch has been replaced due to bulletin #03-088 however; this did not correct the problem.

I have taken my 1998 honda accord lx to the dealership to have my oil changed. (my check engine light was on) i was told by the dealer that my engine was leaking oil, oil had leaked through out the cars entire system so they flushed out as much oil as they could. i was skeptical so i went to get a 2nd and third opinion and it was the same consensus- i needed a new engine. my vehicle has 134,000 miles. for a used engine it will cost about 3,000 for a new engine 5,000.00 . i was told to that i either had to replace the engine or purchase a new car. since the system was drained, the car has leaked oil again this time the oil was all over the drive way and it is almost april. *jb

Dt: the contact stated the vehicle will cut out while driving or at a stop. a recall for the ignition switch was issued, but the dealership could not determine what was wrong with the vehicle. also, this vehicle was not included in the recall due to vin. this has been happening for one to two months. she stated it happened almost on a daily basis. the vehicle will start after sitting for a couple of minutes. *ak

I have owned this car for two years and have had two axles replaced, as well as rotors and breaks replaced twice. the brakes wear, the rotors had to be replaced, the horn does not function properly when pushed. recently i went to get an inspection sticker and failed because of the emissions part. my check engine light does not work because a bulb is malfunctioning which means there is no sensor, my three way catalytic converter needs to be replaced and there is supposedly a problem with my fuel tank evaporative emission valve. recently my car has shut off while i was in drive and continued to roll. it has also turned off while i was driving up a hill and would not start for ten minutes. i have invested almost 1500 dollars in repairs for this car and i would like honda to repair and hopefully reimburse me for past repairs. *nm

December 2004: rec'd a letter from honda, inc. stating: certain 1998-99 accords do not meet state and federal emissions regulations. during some driving conditions, your vehicle may emit a level of emissions above standards set by the epa and carb. to correct this problem, your honda dealer will adjust the air bleed screw on your vehicle's throttle body. this work will be done free of charge". <p> april 2005: took car to address the recall/issue. during this time they informed me that the catalytic converter was deteriorated and needed to be replaced. the cost for this would be approximately $900. the car had an 80,000 mile warranty, but they detected the problem with the odometer standing at 81,181. <p> i took my car to my normal mechanic and he told me i should ask the dealer to honor the warranty, because he knew for a fact that a lot of honda accords are notorious for having faulty catalytic converters. i did as he said, and the dealer refused to honor the warranty retroactively. <p> january 2006: i am informed that in 1998 an agreement was entered by honda, the epa and the carb. they admit that the cars have issues with the emissions and offer car owners and extended warranty, free inspections and free repairs, including all parts and labor. unfortunately all honda owners are not treated alike, since the costs they cover are only for certain 1995, 1996 and 1997 models. this is completely unacceptable to me since there have been numerous complaints of catalytic converter failure from honda accord owners. <p> i am seeking a replacement of the faulty catalytic converter plus all labor. the recall of the throttle body air bleed screw could very well have been the cause of the converter to expire prematurely, among other unknowns. i am of the opinion that honda inc. should retroactively honor the emissions warranty on my 1998 accord. *nm

Consumer is having problems with starting his car. when taken to get serviced, they could not determine the problem.

Check engine light came on in july 03 at 110k miles, code p0420. to pass emissions, after talking to several sources, i replaced the catalytic converter with an oem replacement ($250 instead of $800 from the dealership). the c.e. light has now come back on with the same code as before, p0420. obviously there is a problem with the car's emission system or it's sensors. the light stayed off for 11 months with the new c.c.. i find it hard to believe i have burned through another c. converter in 25k miles. i see the court ruling in 1998 that honda had left misfiring monitoring device in the on board diagnostics (obd) for pre-1998 models disabled. if this problem is not detected it can lead to increased exhaust emissions of hydrocarbons and damage to the vehicle_x0019_s catalyst. i will not pay $250 per year to continually replace converters. *jb

while driving, the vehicle cut off and the steering became stiff. the consumer stated that at this time he can no longer steer the vehicle. he stated that there was no warning sound. he stated that this has happened at least 8 times. he has taken this vehicle to the dealer and was told that there was nothing wrong. *jb

Check engine light came on about 2 months ago. it went off without anything being done. since then the cel has gone on and off for 4-5 times. i took the car in okimoto's for service and they found po420, catalytic converter inefficiency. this is on a 1998 honda accord, that has been well-maintained. took the car to norm reeves and the got the same code po420. cost of repair $1000. many people are having problems with the cel and the catalytic converter. *ak

Dt*: the contact stated while driving the vehicle lost power without warning. the vehicle was towed to an independent repair shop. upon inspection the mechanic determined the harmonic balancer bolt and key way had came loose. the bolt, pulley, key way and two power belts were replaced. the problem has not reoccurred.

I have experienced the _x001c_check engine light_x001d_ problem several times starting the very first year that i bought my 1998 accord. i have received error code p0401 insufficient egr flow detected and p1456 evap system leak. this seems to be a very common problem with these models. i have tried the "gas cap not being tight enough trick", i have had the car test for diagnostics and recieves no errors. i only use mid grade gasoline but have recently tried premimium. i have used fuel cleaners and have had the egr replaced. this light still comes on.*ak

Vehicle failed california state inspection due to catalytic converter failure. honda stopped manufacturing the 1998 catalytic converter. *ak

I have a 1998 honda accord lx v4. i have repeatedly had problems with the check engine light comming on. i have already replaced the o2 sensors and had the code cleared at least 4 times within the last year. my mechanic has noted that he can not find anything wrong with the car. i have recently found this website, http://www.cartrackers.com/forums/live/honda/33.html and it has become apparent to me that this is not an uncommon problem with these models. because i currently have 87,000 miles on my car honda has said that it is no longer under warrenty. my car does not drive roughly and i have driven for miles with the light on. it generally stays on for about 1,000 miles or so, then resets itself for a few more thousand miles. after worrying about the light repeated comming on after it had reset itself i brought it into my mechanic again, only to find out that when an emissions check is ran on the car that nothing is wrong. since i live in california, having this light on means that my car will fail a smog check, even though the emissions are well under the limit. because so many people are complaining of an odbii code issue and other emissions related problems, i feel compelled to file a complaint. honda was forced to do something about this problem on their 95,96,and 97 vehicles and i believe that they will not recognize these problems until they are forced to. this problem has caused me to give less importance to the check engine light, cost me over $200 without solving the problem, and hinders my ability to sell or even smog the vehicle. recently, i was advised to replace the catalytic converter, even though the two o2 sensors are not giving the same output, thus showing that the cat. is in fact doing its job. this would cost at least $400, $1100 at honda. i feel that a recall is neccessary on the emissions components, and that those of us who have tried tirelessly to fix the problems should be recompensated for trying to fix a significant design flaw.

I have a 1998 accord ex with 113,000miles and have had the same check engine light problem 2 times. each time the dealership told me i have to replce catalytic converter and gave me an estimate of about $1,000. i took it to have it check ed by a muffeler shop and they said nothing wrong with my catalytic converter. they also said catalytic converter on honda never goes bad. not sure waht to do?*ak

While driving dashboard lit up and vehicle stalled. *ak

The catalytic converter on my honda accord was replaced in 2002. now, february 2004, the honda dealer tells me that it needs to be replaced again.*ak

Vehicle stalled, and all the warning lights illuminated on the dashboard. consumer had started the vehicle ,and drove it for 15 minutes when this occurred.*ak

I have been experiencing a 'check engine' light on intermittently in my 1998 honda accord ex-l 4 cylinder for the last couple of thousand miles. i have been doing some reading up on it and there are so many others with the same problem and i have reached the conclusion that honda should be doing something about it. i would like to see some sort of investigation into what the problem is and what they can do to fix it.*ak

Dt: 1998 honda accord. the contact states the horn does not blow while the vehicle is being driven. when the vehicle stops the horn will blow. this has been happening for over a year. the contact took the vehicle to the dealership, and they stated it will cost $800 to fix it. the contact stated the vehicle kept stalling and there was a heat at her feet . took the vehicle to the dealership. this has been happening for almost two years. the dealership told her the catalytic converter was blocked . neither of these problems have been fixed. *ak

check engine light has been on & off intermitantly since purchasing the car in 2002. the light has now been on for over 3 months. i have had the dealer check this numerous times, and got error codes ranging from o2 sensor failure, which was replaced, to catalytic converter failure. twice the dealer stated there was no problem and reset the computer. the most recent tests revealed a catalyticconverter problem, which was diagnosed by another honda dealer last spring. the cost of replacing this item was estimated to be over $1000. as a gesture of good faith, honda offered to goodwill the parts. i set up an appointment 2 days after the test, but the light went off & stayed off for several months,. in january the light came on and stayed on for more than a week. i had the test ran by an independent service department, and they had the same conclusion. the light is still on to this date (april 28, 2005). i have researched this condition and many other owners of this make & model have experienced this situation, repaired their vehicles at great expense, only to have the emmisions light come back on and the car being diagnosed with the initial problem after only a short period of time. i would like honda to repair the condition and guarantee the vehicle will pass emmisions tests, which are mandatory by the end of may. my main concern is that in the future, when the light comes on, i will not be able to trust it to tell me there is a real problem or not.

98 honda accord with a check engine light caused by a clogged egr valve: i've had multiple occurrences. this is a well known design problem for honda for 10+ years.*ak