So I‘m planning on purchasing a 99 accord v6 ex-l with 100k, the only thing I‘m not too sure about is if those cars have any mechanical problems with the automatic transmissions. When I went to test drive it I felt it kick only on 3rd gear and around 3000 rpm, also when I put the key in the ignition onto 2nd position the P and the D4 on the dash were on but the D4 went off once I turned it on, is that normal? And when I put it in d4 the indicator lights up like normal, could this car have a transmission problem and about how much is the estimated cost for a transmission rebuild?
Don't bother. You are talking in the range of $2000 on any automatic transmission. I would pass on this or ask the owner to fix it first. I have always hated the buy the car it only has this that can be fixed for $XXX.XX. If he is serious about selling it, he/she needs to fix it. Hondas over all are very reliable. There are hundreds out there without problems like this.
The experiences you had when you turned the car were perfectly normal. What you want to look for is if the D4 light ever blinks on and off. Besides that, these transmissions are known to fail. I own a 1998 Honda Accord 4cyl EX, and I had to fix the transmission on it last year. However, I got it rebuilt for *$700 (minus labour), and now it is great. You should test drive the car at least once more to listen and feel for harsh clunks or a significant delay when moving out of, or into, Park, Reverse and D4. Also, accelerating very briskly through all the gears is a good idea to see if the transmission slips through the gear changes. My car also had 257,000km on it when the transmission finally went sour. Some Accord transmissions die with only 60,000km though. Not all cars are affected to the same extent.
