How to Avoid Common Mistakes Found in Honda Cars
Are there common faults that are peculiar to Honda cars? The answer is yes but this takes nothing away from the fact that Honda cars stand out as one of the most embraced car brands in this part of the world.
The question then becomes what are the common faults in Honda cars and how can they be prevented? These are questions that we will provide answers to in this piece.
Interestingly, Honda builds over 14 million combustion engines every year and that’s not all. Honda is also known for its high ecological safety culture and even produces special equipment, various engines, and marine equipment. Now, let’s take a look at common faults in Honda cars and preventive measures that can be taken to avoid these issues.
Meanwhile, if you are interested in buying Honda cars in Nigeria, feel free to visit car listings to check out a wide range of pre-inspected Honda cars.
Ball Joint Failure
Anyone in Nigeria who has a good knowledge of Honda cars would attest to the fact that this is arguably the most notorious fault in Honda cars.
The ball joint failure tops our list of common faults in Honda cars because it is a natural conversation starter for both Honda car owners and those who have a soft spot for Honda cars.
What happens is that worn-out ball joints become insecure in their sockets and shake vigorously as the vehicle is in motion. This is one of the signs you need to look out for because this vibration usually comes from the worn-out ball joint. It could come from either the left side or right of the vehicle. Sometimes, you might even feel this shaking through your steering wheel if you are paying attention to your car.
Another common sign is the noise that comes from -the vehicle’s front suspension. These are the loose ball joints that continuously rattle and strike themselves in the sockets as the suspension goes up and down over the road. This noise gets louder and deeper as the damage to the ball joint worsens until the ball joint eventually fails.
How to Prevent Ball Joint Failure: The easiest way to prevent ball joint failure is to ensure that you take your car for a regular vehicle maintenance check. You should never take anything for granted. Majority of car owners who end up with ball joint failure ignore or postpone the maintenance of their cars until they find themselves stranded in the middle of the road. We should also mention here that this has been corrected in Accord models from 2009 and above.
Oil and Coolant Leaks
Some Honda car owners have complained about experiencing leakage of oil and coolant in their car. Sometimes, the leakage leaks at the surface. In some cases, the coolants make their way into the combustion chamber. This eventually results in the head gasket getting damaged.
How to Prevent Oil and Coolant Leaks: One sure way to fix this is to get a new head gasket and remove the old one. Also, be reminded that a regular vehicle maintenance check can save you the headache of ever experiencing this in your Honda car.
Transmission Failure
This is another common fault in Honda cars. Transmission failure in certain Honda models is a widespread issue with the Honda Accord, Civic and Odyssey. The 2003 Honda Accord, 2001 Honda Civic and 2002 Honda Odyssey appear to be the worst hit by this transmission failure.
It is on record that the automatic transmissions in some 1999-2004 Honda models fail well before 161,000 kilometres. We should mention here that the problem with transmission failure is due to a defect with the torque converter and this can be a material or design defect.
At one point, Honda offered what it called “goodwill” repairs to the owners of these Honda models. However, these vehicles are so old now that transmission expenses are borne by the owner.
How to Prevent Oil and Coolant Leaks: In several cases, you can avoid this by simply getting rid of bad substances. To do this, you flush out the old transmission fluid and put in a fresh supply.
Power Window Switch Failure
In some Honda cars, the default power window switch simply fails and fails. What this does is that it causes the power windows to cease working from time to time.
In 2000, Honda recalled over 268,000 models of the 2002 to 2006 CR-V due to concerns that moisture was capable of causing the power window switch to fail.
In some cases, the problem was triggered by rain getting through an open window or liquid spilling on the driver’s side door.
How to Prevent Power Window Switch Failure: For this problem, you’ll need to have a competent and trusted auto workshop run a thorough diagnosis on the car. It might be due to the aforementioned factor or it could be a problem related to wiring or a plain wear and tear issue.
Final Thoughts on Common Faults in Honda Cars
Whether you drive a Honda model that was manufactured 20 years ago or the latest model, you need to develop a healthy car maintenance culture. The reason is simple. When you regularly have your car serviced, the car becomes less prone to the common faults in Honda cars, which we have discussed in this article.
