hey everyone,

haven't posted in a while after moving from NJ to MD with my new accord. i've been totally loving the car so far (only about 3 months old), especially once i passed the break-in period. just a blast to drive.

anyway-- there is something that's bothering me: interior noise. a couple of weeks after i got the car, i started to hear a faint clicking/popping sound from the A-pillars above my head. as the weeks went by, the sound got worse, would be prevalent on almost all small bumps while driving slowly. i also started hearing it from the passenger side. i finally took the car to a dealer here in baltimore to diagnose the problem. luckily, they did find the source of the sound, along with a TSB: 04-055 OP 857016 DEFECT 03217 429. (sorry, i'm not sure about what each number means, so i copied it directly from my invoice).

basically, the fix was to put foam tape on the A-pillar panels to help insulate them more, so as to prevent them from making noise. this definitely helped, and i no longer hear the clicking from those locations. however, i am now noticing a loud clicking on bumps directly above my head, seemingly coming from the moonroof area. i am guessing this could either be the moonroof cover, or the roof area directly behind the moonroof opening (if i push up on that, i hear this weird binding/unbinding kind of clicking noise). honda rep says there are no TSBs about that, so he couldn't guarantee me a warranty repair (and for that reason, a reimbursed rental car) if i were to bring my car in again.

so, sorry for the long post, but i wanted to put this issue out onto the forum and hear if anyone had any input. thanks in advance for your help.

 

UPDATE: went back to another dealer. their fix: lubricate around sunroof and adjust headliner. results: the noise is diminished, for sure, but still evident. if i press up on the roof directly behind the sunroof to push the fabric up, it makes a really loud clicking sound, as if something is binding and unbinding. do other people's accords do the same?

in addition, i've began to notice another sound. when initially beginning to accelerate in 1st gear, i hear a pop somewhere from the rear. i can recreate this pretty consistently.

i know this may sound like i'm being hypercritical, but after paying close to 30K for a brand new car, i don't think i should have to deal with cheap interior design flaws, especially with honda's reputation for excellent build quality.

any input appreciated.

-mike

 

I'd agree that you shouldn't have to deal with it... Unfortunatly since it's an 06 I'm not going to be much help, try giving honda of america a call and let them know what's going on, perhaps they've heard of it before and can help you pinpoint the issue, also, ask the dealer if you can drive another 06 ex and listen for the same noises, if they aren't there then really get on the dealership and tell them that you want your car to sound and feel like that one or trade you, you're paying for it so it should work

 

if the car has lessa than 36k miles on it which being a 2006 i would have to assume that......

anyho if less than 36k........and the HONDA REP SAYS THAT THERE IS NO BULLETIN AND He could not guarantee any warranty,,,,,,,,,He is FULL of CRAP.......if less than 3 yrs and 36k miles . the car IS FULLY under warranty except maybe wear items such as brakes, tires or driver's abuse ..
but any squeaks, rattles, noises, water leaks, wind noises ,, it is Fully warrantied...
I should know i did planty of those crap jobs when i was working at dealer . i cannot believe that especially the HONDA REP would make such a statement,, I can see the dealer manager doing that so they can get money from customer but a Honda rep ???

So,, the short of it,,,,,,,till 36k or 3 years are up,, it is warranty ,, take it back and have it fixed to your satisfaction

 

some people have had problems with the tabs breaking uo around the mirror on the headliner. Man I am glad that I did not buy a used accord because it seems like QC still has not improved much.............

 

UPDATE.

Hey guys, thanks for your support. I have now been back and forth at the dealer 3 times. Here's what's up.

First trip: insulation tape on A-pillars
Result: did muffle the popping from that area. Moonroof cracking/popping persists.

Second trip: adjusted headliner and lubricated moonroof
Result: No improvement in noise whatsoever. It's like they didnt' do anything at all. Mind you, if you push up on my headliner behind the glass, it makes a very loud crack/popping noise, like it's binding to something. Then you let go of it, and a few seconds later, it unbinds, with the same loud crack. This is an exaggerated version of the noise the car makes over bumps.

Third trip: noise coming from rear? honda keeps the car for 2 days, says they are taking stuff out, driving it, taking stuff out, re driving it, trying to isolate the noise. fine. they say they found the rear noise coming from the rear seatbelt assembly. tightened bolts-- good to go? i ask about the moonroof. no one was able to hear any noise coming from the moonroof, and the rep drove the car for 10 miles herself. 10 miles? no noise?? i doubted that, and surely enough, as soon as i start to drive it home i hear the noise. the rear noise, however, seems to be gone. are we making progress?

alas no. i drive the car around some more and realize the rear noise is still there. whenever i make a jerky acceleration, or now even when deceleratnig, it sounds like there's some kind of knocking coming from the rear... from some hollow space. that rear seatbelt would be a perfect candidate. in addition, my interior is scuffed up completely and there is some kind of crease in my leather seat that won't come out. it looks as though they left a heavy metal object with sharp edges jabbing into my rear seat back. great.

so that is where this stands now. i am going back to honda tomorrow morning to drive w/ a tech rep and make sure he hears all the noises that i'm talking about. frankly though, i'm getting fed up. i don't know if other people are just not as sensitive as i am to these things, don't care enough to report them, or if i got a shoddily constructed car, but i don't feel like dealing with it anymore. can anyone suggest a course of action if honda is unable to make these repairs to my satisfaction? what am i legally entitled to?

thanks guy-- sorry for the vent!

best,

mike

 

i would call around to several dealers and talk to them and see what each one says. HOA will tell you to take the car to another dealer for repairs.

 

I would honestly ask a rep to let you drive a car that is identical to yours and if that car doesn't make those noises tell them to either fix it and not screw up your interior (take pictures before you take it in again) or to trade you STRAIGHT ACCROSS for your car

 

everyone-- thank you for your replies.

sir_nasty-- i would love to try driving a new car, and i'm almost certain it would not make the same noises. do you really think that honda would do an even trade like that? i doubt that rattles qualify a car for lemon status...

i just dropped my accord at the dealer for the 4th time. this time, i drove with the mechanic, who insisted that 4 people drove my car and no one heard anything. but he conceded to drive with me anyway (should i have to convince this guy??) Not surprisingly, he did hear both sounds (from the moonroof and the rear deck). He said that they fixed the rear deck (rear seatbelt assembly fix from visit #3) and if the problem is in the seam somewhere, he can't get to it. i said that i don't know where the problem is, and that if he can't get to it, to find someone who can, or to resolve the problem in some other way. he said, and i quote: "you should hear the rattles in my new truck." i asked him what he does about them. he said he tried to find them, couldn't, and you just gotta live with it. i told him that i was not going to just live with it.

then i said-- why don't we go for a drive in a new accord, i bet it won't make these noises. and he said, well, maybe the roads are bumpier where you live. so you wouldn't hear it on a new car that hasn't driven on those roads. so is he basically saying that honda cars start rattling after brief exposure to slightly bumpy roads? doesn't sound like good PR.

anyway-- they gave me a rental this time, since the mechanic has more important stuff to do until 4 or 5pm today. i think they are starting to get tired of me, but that doesn't really concern me. if they slip up and say something inappropriate, that will just make my follow up letter to HOA that more heated.

as always-- comments are welcome. thanks again for your support.

 

stay on top of it..........and the comment the tech made (you got to live with it is a bunch of bulls,,,,,,,,have them fix it to your satisfaction,, if they cannot,, write to HOA and ask them to give you a different car ,, 1 that is known for Honda quality ,,( no noises )

whatever you do never gat upset , keep a calm voice