A few days ago we bought a one-owner 2003 EX with 51K. During my test drive I noticed a vibration in the steering wheel/floor whenever I was at idle. When I wasn't paying attention to the other doo-dads in the car it was very noticeable even as the passenger.
The small, independent dealer assured me that all 4 cylinder engines vibrate at idle, and Hondas more than most. Totally normal, he said. My last car was a V8 and our other car is a V6 Sienna and I haven't driven a 4 cyl in 15 years so I had nothing to compare it to and I chose (perhaps unwisely given the amount of Accords to choose from) to believe him.
So, I ended up here in my subsequent research and basically what I learned on these forums and elsewhere:
1. Yes, there is likely to be some level of vibration in most 4 cyls, and especially Hondas.
2. Yes, some cars seem to have this problem much worse than others. Mine is one of em'.
3. You can try a variety of things to fix: new engine mounts, idle adjustments, etc. Some people blame transmission problems or other more exotic and expensive computer-related problems. Gulp.
4. Officially, there was a TSB from Honda that recommends replacing the front engine mounts due to insufficient engine dampening.
5. This does not always fix the problem -- many people report getting them replaced to no avail.
Alas, the one question I have not found an answer to and the reason for this lengthy post:
Is this engine vibration something that has or will cause long-term damage that NEEDS to be fixed, or is it merely an annoyance?
I don't want my otherwise sweet car sounding like a diesel engine at idle. But if it's not hurting anything I will wait until warmer weather (currently in the 0-20 range around here) to see if it is as bad. The car came with a 3/36mo warranty from a third-party warranty company, but my experience with the auto industry is that they will tell me to go jump in a lake if I tell them that my car is "vibrating" lol and I want them to replace the engine mounts.
