I've got about 6,000 miles on my hybrid. My driver window is not tracking properly and gets stuck sometimes.

 

700 miles in and the only thing I notice is the transmission seems to "bump" into action from Auto Stop sometimes when I take my foot off the brake. It's not always, but it's not smooth and quiet every time - tried taking my foot off fast and slow, seems to be there no matter what -

other than that, it's been a good ride so far -

EDIT - I've been told this is a normal thing that I'll have to get use to by my buddy who just bought a Prius and noticed the same kind of thing -

 

My O2 sensor died after about 6 months. Took 'em 2 months to get a replacement, and the FE dropped about 10-15% while it was down. Grr

Now that it is replaced, FE is back to stellar! No other issues of substance.

 

I only have 500 miles on mine, but I've spent plenty of time going over the car with a fine-toothed comb. The craftsmanship is flawless inside and out. This is my 7th Honda and the first one that does not have any obvious signs of factory defects. My previous Honda's have all had some minor flaws when new but the HCHII proves that Honda just keeps getting better and better.

The only HCHII defect that I experienced in the first 500 miles was in the left rear window --it squeaked loudly when it was raised. All the other windows were normal. It sounded exactly like rubber sliding directly on the glass. A quick stop at the dealer didn't reveal any obvious fix though they did spray the window channels with silicone spray to no avail (apparently a fix they applied for a different squeak problem on 06 HCHIIs). They recommended I come back the next week to have them determine the real problem. Well, since I was certain that this problem had a simple solution, that weekend I lowered both rear windows and took a peek at the window seals that run just below the sill on each door and compared them. I discovered that the lower inside seal on the left door (there are two inside seals: one that you can see along the bottom edge of the window while sitting in the seat and another one that is hidden below that) was flipped upside down. This put the rubber side of the seal against the window instead of the fuzzy, soft side. A couple gentle minutes with a plastic putty knife was all it took to flip that seal into its proper orientation. Problem solved. It's possible that the seal was inadvertently flipped during build; however, it is also possible that the dealer's window stickers caught on that rubber seal and flipped it upside down. I'm glad the fix was a simple one.

Other than that, I couldn't be more pleased with the HCHII. It stands head and shoulders above the rest and simply does everything right.

 

Clindguini,
Just wondered if the HCHII is the first Honda you have owned which was made in Japan? Mine is perfect after 16 months and 10,000 miles. Love it!
Tulip

 

Tulip,

OK, you asked for it. Here's my Honda history:

1985 Honda CRX Si (mfd Japan) - my first Honda and lots of fun
1988 Acura Integra (mfd Japan) - a benchmark for its time
1992 Honda Accord (mfd USA) - my second favorite Accord
1995 Honda Accord (mfd USA) - my least favorite Accord
1998 Honda Accord (mfd Japan) - competent and agile
2003 Honda Accord (mfd Japan) - the best Accord by far
2007 HCHII (Japan, of course) - brilliant!

I never had serious mechanical problems with any of my Hondas whether made in USA or Japan. My 92 Accord (USA) had no issues at all. However, my 95 Accord (USA) was problematic due to paint defects from the factory which required the entire right side of the car to be repainted (that episode taught me never to take delivery of a car in the early evening when the light is poor). The 98 Accord (Japan) was solid and only had a defective clutch master cylinder replaced. I do know that one of my co-workers experienced a few problems with his 2000 Accord (made in Mexico). My 03 Accord (Japan) was well-built and is by far my favorite Accord in terms of engine refinement, transmission performance, interior design, and materials quality. It did have a few uneven body panel gaps "built-in" that were un-characteristic of Honda, though, and I wouldn't have expected them from the Japanese factory especially in the 21st century. A friend's similar 03 Accord (made in USA) had no such body panel flaws. Go figure!

Clearly, all the Honda factories around the world produce vehicles within very close tolerances of each other in terms of assembly quality and fit-and-finish. An Accord built at the "minimum acceptable" level of production tolerances in Japan may have more sample defects than the same Accord built at the "nominal" production tolerance in Ohio. Either way, it's amazing how tightly Honda is able to control production quality at plants building the same vehicle around the world. The gap in quality, if it really exists at all, is rapidly closing to zero.

That said, my 07 HCHII has rekindled the same Honda excitement I felt with my 85 CRX Si...I just can't wait to drive it every day. And the HCHII quality is the best of any Honda so far. It has no mechanical or cosmetic flaws. Very impressive and exactly what I'd expect from Honda regardless of where the car was built.

Regards,
Chris

 

Clindguini,
Well I did ask for it. Thank you for such an interesting and comprehensive reply. My only previous Honda was the Accord V6 which I had from 2002 until I purchased this HCHII in 2006. It had been mfd USA and was perfect in every way. I agree with you about manufacturing standards being applied worldwide by Honda.
Tulip

 

I have also noticed a decrease in smoothness of my door lock mechanisms on both front doors. This was already noted by
someone else in this forum. I am confident that my dealer can correct this at my next service.

 

I am also experiencing the problem with the sun visors on my 07 HCH-II. I plan to have both defective sun visors replaced at my next service.

 

I just discovered that the door seal on the drivers door is loose on my 06HCH. It appears that there was never any glue applied along the top. As soon as I can, I am going to take it to the dealer.