You can also try Honda's USA customer service hotline (assuming you're in USA?) Around here anyway, the dealers seem absolutely terrified about bad reports getting back about them.

 

Hi all,

A quick update. Now that summer has arrived in Houston, the shift quality in our Accord has improved. Its still not acceptable, but the up shift quality is greatly improved in the warmer weather. The aggravating 'engine-braking' when slowing is still present. Unfortunately, we now have a new symptom: During the first half-dozen 2nd-3rd shifts in the morning the car shutters for about 1 seconds. This new symptom is even more concerning as I've never known stuttering to-any-degree to be a good thing. Also, just recently while I was tanking-up the car, I popped the hood and checked the engine oil & AT fluid. I was surprised to find metal flakes on the AT dipstick - not sparkles, but actual flakes about 1 mm in size. I'm not sure what that means. I'm been back to the dealer twice more, but with no luck. In the next few weeks I'll try another dealership. We're still not getting any error codes from the car.

Koss02

 

Koss02

I also have the same type of problem as what your describing. I just bought a 2011 Honda Accord EX-L Coupe Automatic Transmission w/o Nav a few months ago and have about 2000miles on it now. I noticed the rough shifts for a while and was hoping since it was a new car it would correct itself later after some breaking in... but of course it never went away so I checked the transmission level via disptick and noticed it was pretty low on fluid.

I bought some Honda DW-1 ATF and poured nearly half a quart to compensate the lacking of fluid. It now does cover the bottom hole and meets to the middle of the dipstick hole, but even then it seems that shifts havent gotten any better. I havent seen any metal flakes that you have described but will check frequently now.

This also upsets me on how a brand new 30k car leaves the factory with low transmission fluid...and how poor the shift quality is. Let me know if you find out anything new. I'm currently in germany so it is a little bit difficult for me to find a easy solution.

See ya.

 

Just giving an update on my car problem. I took i to honda and they had it for ten days. They told me there is nothing wrong with it and they could not see what i was talking about with the rough shifting and the down shifting when stopping. They told me to bring it back when the rep comes in. Thats going to be hard bc they dont know when he is coming back. I have 6000 miles on my car now and its just getting worst. Calling corp today

 

Hi guys,

To Big_ron007:
I received the same response from my dealer as you. I even test drove another similar stocked car from their lot with the technician. The car shifted much better than mine but still with some annoying tightness. However as a true professional, the tech's official report to AH was that my "Car was drivable; and did not display a significant difference in operation quality as compared to a similar vehicle that would warrant further investigation." Its ashame you're not allowed to attach a dissenting report with the official report.

To brutaldawg:
I think the low ATF is interesting. It would seem that the first few hundreds, if not thousands, of miles logged on an auto would be influential on operational quality thereafter. I know that although some ATF was missing, its likely not enough to be detrimental on a "matured" AT, but a virgin AT such as ours? Who's to know if your half a quart or my 1.5 quarts of missing ATF has resulted in irreparable damage to the AT or drive train? As you've said, its hard to see how a new auto can leave the lot with low ATF. I hope you've reported this to Honda.

I still have yet to test my luck at another dealership, free time has been tough to come by lately.

Really the best advise I received here was to contact AH directly. I stated my concerns to them in a letter and over the phone. I even directed them to the NHTSA site (Search for a Complaint | Safercar.gov | NHTSA) and this site to support my claim that others are having similar problems.

It would be interesting to compare our VINs to determine if there is a link with an assembly plant or whatnot. I'll post any developments here.

 

Hey Koss02,

You and I have chatted before way back when you first posted your thread. I also have a 2011 Accord with a very noticible irregularity in the way the car decides to shift. Engine breaking, sometimes in gear far too long, etc. etc.... I've been living with this thinking maybe this is how Honda intended for it to be. I have not had the issues you have posted such as grit and shavings or low oil levels and such. Any way.... long story short, I just came accross something you may be interested in if you haven't already seen it. Click the link and good luck.
Honda to recall over 2m vehicles in US, China - Yahoo! News

 

Thanks ebolbol,

That news report provided a strange problem-solution scenario - fixing a physical problem with a software update. I was able to get the recall form, though I cant attach it to this message because its too large. Try this link (http://www.ahm-ownerlink.com/Documen...se_0000024.pdf). Unfortunately, the recall doesn't appear to include 2011 models or V6 Accords. In the recall they also attribute the problem to shifting too quickly between reverse, neutral and drive....weird.

Thanks for the heads-up. I'll keep and eye on it.

 

hi there...i am having an issue with a click when i brake slowly, when going in reverse and also when coming to a slow stop going forward. The advisor stated that it is due to "a floating brake" that has to adjust everytime on the first brake. ??? never heard of such. Has anyone else

 

What year is yours? "Kind of" sounds like a rear pad issue, this is a long reach without more info.

 

Hello, I am having similar issues to the engine braking / downshifting with my 2011 Honda Accord V6 Coupe w/no navigation. On my daily commutes city driving, I experience a harsh downshift at 1000 shifting from 3rd to second and then again on 1000 rpms 2nd to first. The needle literally hits the 1 and shoots up to 1,500 rpms and that transition creates a slight jerk or pull on the front of the car. Car needs to at-least get up to 35-45mph in order to really feel it once it starts coming down. Driving in the neighborhood or parking lot does not seem to get the effect. Best way to describe the feeling is as if it were a manual transmission and shifting down with no brakes (engine downshift.) Any suggestions would be helpful or links to recalls on this issue I am having. I have taken the car in and they reset the ECM and all the memory of past test drives but didn't seem to make a difference.

Most uncomfortable $30k vehicle I have had to drive and hope it can be fixed!