CarComplaints.com Notes: The 2000 Honda Accord suffers from widespread transmission failure, subframe rust, & problems with the airbag system (SRS). We recommend avoiding this model year like the plague.
The transmission begins slipping & eventually has to be replaced, typically soon after 90,000 miles & with a repair cost of over $2,000.
Subframe rust near the front passenger side wheel has become a problem recently, due to the poorly positioned A/C drain hose directly above that area. Repair cost to the subframe is over $2,000.
The SRS warning light likes to come on due to a defective seat belt sensor -- typically the driver's side. This sensor is covered under Honda's lifetime seat belt warranty, but some dealers charge a $100+ "diagnostic fee" or tell customers the entire SRS unit ($800) is bad.
When I test drove this Accord as a used car at 133,000 miles, the digital odometer wasn't showing the digits properly. I bought it and have had it for 1.5 years and 35,000 miles.
There appears to be some sort of temperature-dependent slight electrical short behind my odometer. All other electric stuff in the Accord is fine.
On a, say, 50 degree day, when I start up the car, 0% of the time I can read the odometer.
If, on the other hand, it's below freezing, there's >50% chance that a perfectly visible odometer reading shows up when I start the car up (and the digits gradually get scrambled and worse as I drive and it heats up).
If it is a very hot day and I start the car, there's a >50% chance that I have a perfect or near-perfect reading right on start-up.
And on the average temperature day, if I drive about 100 miles continuously, the odometer usually gradually gets more and more legible from the bottom of the digits up to the tops of the digits.
Sometimes, even after just 20-40 miles, enough of the digits are legible for me to pretty much read the odometer since I know approximately what it is. I usually get a perfect odometer reading at least every 1,000 miles, so I know my odometer reading at least to the nearest 200 miles at any given time.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
When I test drove this Accord as a used car at 133,000 miles, the digital odometer wasn't showing the digits properly. I bought it and have had it for 1.5 years and 35,000 miles. There appears to be some sort of temperature-dependent slight electrical short behind my odometer. All other electric stuff in the Accord is fine. On a, say, 50 degree day, when I start up the car, 0% of the time I can read the odometer. If, on the other hand, it's below freezing, there's >50% chance that a perfectly visible odometer reading shows up when I start the car up (and the digits gradually get scrambled and worse as I drive and it heats up). If it is a very hot day and I start the car, there's a >50% chance that I have a perfect or near-perfect reading right on start-up. And on the average temperature day, if I drive about 100 miles continuously, the odometer usually gradually gets more and more legible from the bottom of the digits up to the tops of the digits. Sometimes, even after just 20-40 miles, enough of the digits are legible for me to pretty much read the odometer since I know approximately what it is. I usually get a perfect odometer reading at least every 1,000 miles, so I know my odometer reading at least to the nearest 200 miles at any given time.
- lexilexi, Princeton, NJ, US