Honda Accord: recent repair questions


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Old 10-07-16, 03:38 AM
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Honda Accord: recent repair questions

Hi. I have a 2007 Honda Accord LX V6, 114,000 miles. The engine was making a weird noise in what seemed to be the area of the accessory belt. A mechanic worked on it recently and I have identified relevant repair history-

4/17/2014, 91297 miles, timing belt changed, timing belt tensioner changed, accessory belt changed, thermostat changed, water pump changed,

10/6/2016, 114000 miles, timing belt replaced, timing belt tensioner replaced, accessory belt tensioner replaced $500. The timing belt appeared to be somewhat degraded due to the damaged timing belt tensioner. The accessory belt tensioner was making an unusual noise when it was spun individually. The weird engine noise that the car was making seems to have stopped.

1. Does the cost of $500, labor and parts, for the most recent timing belt, timing belt tensioner and accessory belt tensioner replacement sound reasonable?

2. The timing belt tensioner was changed in 4/14 at 91297 miles. Does a tensioner break down after 2.5 years? Do I have any recourse against the mechanic who changed the tensioner in 4/14?

3. I drove the car a couple of times since the most recent repair. It sounds like I hear a click noise after I start the car and then make my first movement with the steering wheel. Could that have anything to do with the repair that happened most recently? I did not hear this type of click noise before the repair.

4. In addition to the repairs already identified, in the last couple of years I have had to replace the starter, replace the alternator, replace the cam shaft and crank shaft seals and replace the oil pan. Do you think it is time for me to sell this car and buy another (slightly) used vehicle? Or, based on the work I have already put into it, should I keep the car? I know it’s a personal decision, I just wondered what your thoughts were on that.

Thank you.
 

Last edited by user987; 10-07-16 at 04:16 AM. Reason: typo
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Old 10-07-16, 04:00 AM
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IMHO...you are throwing good money after bad. Get another car.

To answer your first two questions...Yes , it can and No
 
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Old 10-07-16, 04:07 AM
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Your car is a money pit, for a low maintenance car fou have put more money in it in one year than I have in 12 years 140000 miles. Either you need a new mechanic or a different car.
 
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Old 10-07-16, 04:15 AM
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Thanks for throwing salt in the wound lol. What kind of car do you drive pugsl? I want the kind you have!
 
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Old 10-07-16, 08:26 AM
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2004 Ford freeestar. Only big problem I have had was water got into computer box. Rest of the stuff was maintenance. The worst problems are somebody backed into side and a deer ran into the other side within 2 weeks. This just last year. Not worth fixing dents now.
 
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Old 10-07-16, 02:35 PM
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There are good timing belts and not so good timing belts.
There are good tensioners and not so good tensioners.
There are good water pumps and not so good water pumps.
etc .. etc .....etc....
There are good mechanics and not so good mechanics.

I wouldn't buy a car with a timing belt - if I had one I would use OE parts.
 
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Old 10-07-16, 04:00 PM
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If you bought it used,then who knows what else was lacking in the maintenance department. Coolant flushes,
transmission flush,
oil change intervals. Unless your willing to do everything yourself(which obviously saves money)
then it might be a better idea to get a different or new car. Lower mileage would be the better way to go.
Either that or get yourself a really good tech that knows Honda's like the back if his hand.

BTW,timing belts and tensioners as well as water pump should last at least 60k miles.
Most are rated for 100,000 miles.
So that'll tell you a little bit about the first job.

In addition, seals and gaskets eventually need to be replaced on vehicles. All of them wear out over time. Just the nature of rubber . Hence why overhauls exist. The metal components are almost always ok,it is the little things.
 
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Old 10-07-16, 04:57 PM
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I wouldn't buy a car with a timing belt - if I had one I would use OE parts.
True. But it's getting harder to find a regular passenger car without a timing belt. When I bought my first GMC safari van back in '85 I insisted that a shop mechanic prove to me that it had timing chain and not belt. He took me out to the shop and showed me that engine with the chain being work on. I've owned several of that model ever since and never had an engine problem and never had to have timing belt maintenance. Not so with the car.
 
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Old 10-07-16, 07:15 PM
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Norm, I'm talking about this millennium
 
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Old 10-08-16, 03:37 AM
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Lol_____________________________________________
 
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Old 10-08-16, 07:30 AM
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A Honda, aye?
Damn they went down in quality... Ever since outsourced.
OP, no, timing belt and all that NORMALLY runs way longer than suggested replacement period and should not break down in such short period of time. Unless it was inferior materials(cheap) used by mechanic and the job was lousy done.

Yes, do sell the car. get it to good running condition and sell. No need to sell a dud.

What to buy? What is that you MUST have?
Surely none of the domestics, no matter how much they are praised and said "mine runs great". STATISTICALLY speaking, Toyota tops lists of the most reliable cars for years.
I'd list them for you like this:
1. Prius. Ridiculously reliable, top mpg. If not, Corolla.
2. Camry Hybrid. Very reliable, excellent mpg. If not, Regular 4 banger Camry.
3. Highlander Hybrid. Super reliable, excellent mpg. If not, regular Highlander.
4. Subaru Outback. Excellent 4 wheel drive, crappy mpg, great car for winters and muddy roads, very spacious inside. So so reliability but not too bad
5. Honda Ridgeline for truck. Tops reliability lists for trucks. Or. older Ford Ranger. Bulletproof. Because it's a Mazda.
That's it. Any Toyota is MUCH better when made in Japan.
Remember, always look at statistics. Not "mine runs great". exempt only proves the rule and rule is - Lexus and Toyota are the most reliable cars available. Of course, there is a dud in any make. That I can't help.
 
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Old 10-08-16, 09:49 AM
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would probably keep the car you obviously got a bad part that was installed the first time the tensioner should of lasted longer as others mentioned, with crank seal and cam seals the belt may of been removed and installed more than once, possibly by different shops? alternator and starter needing replaced is not that uncommon but see no real reason to get rid of the car anytime soon especially now that you had the timing belt done and out that expense twice in 2 years witch was a little bad luck.
 
 

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