1994 Honda Accord Engine
Owner-reported problems and safety issues filed with NHTSA. Review common failures, severity levels, and complaint trends over time.
Complaint Timeline
Chronological view of owner reports
THE TIMIMG CHAIN BROKE AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. MANUFACTURER AND DEALER HAVE BEEN NOTIFIED. *AK
NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOV EVEHICLE. *AK
BALANCE SHAFT SEAL FELL OUT CAUSING A MAJOR LOSS OF OIL. *SLC
BALANCE SHAFT SEAL BLEW OUT IT CAUSED A OIL SLICK ON THE FREEWAY SOAKED THE TIMING BELTS AND LOST ALL OIL PRESSURE. I HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO THE DEALER FOR REPAIRS THEY CHARGED ME 400.00 FOR THE REPAIR THEY SAID THE HAVE SEEN QUITE A FEW OF THESE PROBLEMS BUT INSIST ITS NOT A SAFTEY CONCERN.CAUSING A OIL SLICK AND POSSIBLY A FIRE IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT ISN'T A CONCERN. AS A MECHANIC I HAVE SEEN THIS PROBLEM IN MY SHOP 6 TIMES IN THE LAST 2 MONTHS. *AK
BALANCE SHAFT SEAL BLOWN, TIMING BELT REPLACED ALSO. NLM
VEHICLES ENGINE BEGAN TO RACE INTERMITTENTLY WHILE STOPPING OR PULLING INTO A PARKING SPACE, DEALER REPLACED THE T/W SENSOR WHICH SEEMED TO FIX THE PROBLEM, ONE YEAR LATER CONSUMER IS EXPERIENCING PROBLEMS AGAIN. NLM
SEAL BLEW CAUSING MASSIVE LOSS OF OIL. HOW MANY OF THESE COMPLAINTS ARE NECESSARY BEFORE A RECALL TAKES PLACE?
THE GASKETS WORE OUT CAUSING THE CRANK AND BALANCE SHAFTS TO BLOW OUT RESULTING IN OIL SPILL FROM THE ENGINE. YH
ENGINE OIL SEAL RETAINER WAS OMITTED BY FACTORY. HONDA SHOULD HAVE ISSUED A RECALL, AS THEREHAVE BEEN NUMEROUS INSTANCES OF DEFECT. SEAL RUPTURED WHILE I WAS DRIVING A SHORT DISTANCE AND I SAW OIL POURING FROM ENGINE WHEN I GOT OUT OF THE CAR. DEFECT COULD HAVE CAUSED ENGINE TO RUN DRY OF OIL AND RESULTED IN A CATASTROPHIC FIRE RESULTING IN INJURY OR DEATH TO OCCUOPANTS. HONDA REDUCED COST OF REPAIR TO $332 , BUT SHOULD HAVE ISSUED A SAFETY RECALL.*AK
BALANCER SEAL FAILER CAUSED OIL LOSS SOAKING TIMING BELT AND BALANCER BELT MUST ALL BE REPLACED AT OWNERS EXPENSE. *AK
ENGINE BALANCE SHAFT SEAL CAME OUT CAUSING MAJOR OIL LEAK. ENGINE WAS SHUT DOWN TO AVOID ENGINE DAMAGE, BUT TIMING BELTS AND WATER PUMP THAT WERE REPLACED FEB.99, HAD TO BE REPLACED AGAIN.
A SEAL ON A SHAFT NEAR THE TIMING BELT CAME OFF CREATING A MASSIVE OIL LEAK. ALL BELTS AND PARTS WERE SOAKED WITH OIL. I HAD TO HAVE A COMPLETE TIMIMG BELT REPLACEMENT PROCEDURE. I HAD JUST HAD THIS PROCEDURE AT APPROXIMATELY 90,000 MILES AS RECOMMENDED BY THE MANUFACTURER. I UNDERSTAND THAT THE PROBLEM MAY NOW BE RECOGNIZED BY HONDA AS THEY HAVE ISSUED A SEAL RETAINER TO HOLD THE SEAL IN PLACE. *AK
WHILE DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEED, THE BALANCER SHAFT SEAL BROKE AND ALL THE OIL LEAKED OUT OF THE ENGINE. THIS CAUSED THE CAMSHAFT TO CRACK, RESULTING IN MY HAVING TO REPLACE THE ENGINE. HONDA AGREED TO SPLIT THE COST OF THE ENGINE 50/50, BUT I FEEL THEY SHOULD HAVE PAID THE TOTAL BILL, DUE TO THE FACT THAT THEY KNEW OF THIS PROBLEM, AND HAVE SINCE UPDATED THE SEAL, AND ARE NOW PUTTING A GUARD/PLATE ON THE SEAL TO PREVENT THIS FROM HAPPENING AGAIN. PLEASE INFORM AS MANY PEOPLE AS POSSIBLE, BECAUSE THIS PROBLEM PUT MY LIFE IN DANGER AS I WAS ON INTERSTATE 95 IN NEW JERSEY, AND LUCKILY WAS ABLE TO PULL TO THE SHOULDER OF THE HIGHWAY AFTER LOSING CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE WHEN THE CAM BROKE. THIS COULD HAPPEN TO ANYONE, AND IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS. *AK
FRONT BALANCER SEAL/ OIL SHAFT BLEW OUT, CAUSING ALL OIL TO LEAK FROM CAR AND SOAK ALL BELTS. DEALER NOT AWARE OF PROBLEM. REPAIRWORK BEING DONE AT OWNER'S EXPENSE. PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK
AN ENGINE SEAL , WHICH WAS NOT PROPERLY INSTALLED, CAUSED AN OIL LEAK WHICH MAY HAVE STARTED A FIRE AND RUINED THE TIMING BELTS. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK
TIMING BELT HAD BEEN REPLACED AT NORMAL 90,000 MILE CHECKUP. THE BALANCE SHAFT SEAL BROKE WHILE CAR IN DRIVEWAY, ALL OF THE ENGINE OIL WAS DISCHARGED. CAR WAS TOWED TO A HONDA DEALER, WHERE THE SEAL AND ALL TIMING BELTS HAD TO BE REPLACED. DEALER DENIED THAT THE "BLOWING" OF COUNTER SHAFT SEALS IS A PROBLEM WITH ACCORDS. ACCORDING TO COMPLAINTS TO YOUR DEPARTMENT, IT APPEARS THAT ESPECIALLY IN 1999 THERE HAS BEEN A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF SIMILAR COMPLAINTS (POSSIBLY A CONNECTION WITH THE CHANGING OF TIMING BELTS?). THIS IS SUCH A COMMON PROBLEM THAT THERE IS EVEN A "FIX" USED BY SOME (BUT NOT ALL) HONDA DEALERS [SURE SEAL COUNTER BALANCE SHAFT SEAL SHIELD]. I HAVE BEEN UNABLE TO GET THE LOCAL DEALER TO FULLY REIMBURSE ME FOR THE FULL COST OF THIS REPAIR, AND I AM SEEKING YOUR ASSISTANCE. GIVEN YOUR RESEARCH, HOW EXTENSIVE IS THIS PROBLEM? I AM 20 YEAR HONDA OWNER, AND THIS WILL BE MY LAST HONDA IF I AM UNABLE TO RESOLVE THIS REIMBURSEMENT ISSUE. I DON'T EXPECT HONDA'S TO BE PERFECT, BUT I DO EXPECT THEIR SERVICE DEPARTMENTS TO BE HONEST. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE--I HAD RECENTLY RETURNED FROM A "DRIVING VACATION" WITH MY SIXTEEN YEAR OLD SON. HAD EITHER OF US BEEN DRIVING WHEN THE SEAL BROKE, ENGINE LOCKED UP, ETC., THE INJURY AND/OR FATALITY SECTION OF THIS QUESTIONNAIRE WOULD PROBABLY HAVE BEEN ANSWERED VERY DIFFERENTLY.
WAS STOPPED AT RED LIGHT AND IMMEDIATELY PROCEEDED TO STOP AND CHECK OIL LEVEL. OLI DIP STICK SHOWS NO OIL,AND ENGINE IS SMOKING.O
ENGINE LOST ALL OIL ON FREEWAY DUE TO SEAL FAILURE, MECHANIC SAID IT'S COMMON
BALANCE SHAFT SEAL FAILURE LEAD TO CATASTROPHIC OIL LOSS FROM TIMING BELT COVER HOUSING. MAY BE DESIGN DEFECT IN ORIGINAL SEAL BECAUSE DEALER FIXING CAR SAID REPLACEMENT PART WAS 'LARGER' AND HE DID A STEADY BUSINESS IN REPAIRING HONDAS WITH FAILED BALANCE SHAFT SEALS. THE DEALER HAD NOT SEEN ANY FAILURES OF THE DIFFERENTLY DESIGNED REPLACEMENT PART BALANCE SHAFT SEAL. (THIS DEALER WAS IN NEW HAMPSHIRE WHERE THE SEAL FAILED.) FIXING A SHAFT SEAL FAILURE REQUIRES NEW BALANCE BELT AND NEW TIMING BELT IN ADDITION TO NEW SEAL. IF ENGINE DAMAGE HAS OCCURRED DUE TO THE SUDDEN OIL LOSS, YOU MIGHT AS WELL GIVE UP. APPARENTLY THE SEAL FAILS WITHOUT WARNING (OUR SEAL FAILED WITHIN TWO WEEKS AND 700 MILES OF A VERY MAJOR SERVICING BY THE DEALER).
BALANCE SHAFT OIL SEAL BLOWN RESULTING IN OIL TO BE EXPELLED FROM THE VEHICLE AND CAUSING DAMAGE TO OTHER COMPONENTS. NLM
MY VEHICLE HAD THE OIL PUMP SEAL "FALL OUT," CAUSING A LARGE VOLUME OF OIL TO BE PUMPED OUT OF THE ENGINE. FORTUNATELY THE ENGINE WAS NOT DAMAGED AS THE VEHICLE WAS BEING USED FOR A TRIP OF ABOUT THREE MILES, AND WAS TURNED OFF BEFORE DAMAGE WAS CAUSED. MY AUTO TECHNICIAN TOLD ME THAT THIS SEAL WAS LAYING INSIDE THE TIMING BELT COVER. HE TOLD ME THAT HE HAS REPAIRED A NUMBER OF VEHICLES WITH THIS SAME PROBLEM. HE ALSO TOLD ME HONDA IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM, AND HAS DESIGNED A RETAINER TO INSTALL TO KEEP THE SEAL FROM FALLING OUT. THIS RETAINER WAS INSTALLED BY HIM, PLUS A BUNCH OF OTHER BELTS THAT HAD BEEN SOAKED BY OIL AND RENDERED UNUSABLE. I HAVE NOT CONTACTED THE DEALER OR THE MANUFACTURER, BUT MY TECHNICIAN HAS TOLD ME THAT HONDA IS NOT OFFERING ANY FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE IN COVERING THIS REPAIR, WHICH JUST COST ME $390.00. THIS PROBLEM COULD HAVE EASILY CAUSED A COMPLETE LOSS OF OIL (IT LOST THREE QUARTS OF OIL OVER A DISTANCE OF A MILE OR LESS; IT ONLY HOLDS FOUR QUARTS!), POTENTIALLY CAUSING ENGINE LOCKUP AND THE REPLACEMENT OF AN ENGINE, PLUS OUR INCONVENIENCE. THIS IS APPARENTLY A DESIGN FLAW, AS HONDA HAS IMPLICITLY ACKNOWLEDGED BY DESIGNING AND MANUFACTURING THIS RETAINER FOR THE OIL PUMP SEAL. I THINK HONDA OWES ME SOME MONEY, AND I THINK THERE SHOULD BE A VOLUNTARY RECALL FROM HONDA TO CORRECT THIS PROBLEM. THAT IS MY OPINION. I KNOW THE VEHICLE HAS 90000 MILES, BUT THIS WASN'T A PART THAT WORE OUT - IT FELL OUT! THAT IS PRIMARILY WHAT MY OPINION IS BASED ON. INCIDENTALLY, THIS VEHICLE HAS RECEIVED REGULAR MAINTENANCE FROM ME AND MY TECHNICIAN. I WILL BE CONTACTING THE DEALER AND THE MANUFACTURER ABOUT THIS AS WELL. THANK YOU. *AK
FAULTY OILS SEAL CAUSED VEHICLE TO LEAK OIL. NLM
WHILE DRIVING, THE OIL PRESSURE LIGHT STARTED BLINKING. PULLING OVER THE THE SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY, I FOUND THE ENGINE TO HAVE NO OIL AS DETERMINED BY THE DIP STICK. INSPECTION OF THE ENGINE REVEALED THAT THE BALANCE SHAFT OIL SEAL HAD FALLEN OUT AND WAS HANGING ON THE BALANCE SHAFT. THIS SUDDEN LOSE OF ALL OIL IN THE ENGINE IN HIGHWAY TRAFFIC COULD HAVE RESULTED IN A MAJOR ACCIDENT.
OIL LEAKED FROM THE ENGINE CAUSING IT TO COMPLETELY LOSE POWER. ENGINE HAS TO BE REPLACED. CAR HAS LESS THAN 60,000 MILES
NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR THIS VEHICLE. *AK
Trend Over Time
Complaints by year
Other Issues
Common problems reported
Quick Summary
The 1994 Honda Accord has 71 Engine complaints on file. 1 crashes have been reported. Review the timeline above for detailed owner experiences.