CarComplaints.com Notes: The 2003 Honda Accord suffers from widespread transmission failure & problems with the stereo backlight failing. 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. Transmission failure has been a huge problem for the Accord & several other Honda models all through the early 2000s model years. Honda extended the transmission warranty to 93 months/109k miles for the 2000-2001 Accord as a class action lawsuit settlement, but owners of other Accord model years with transmission problems are out of luck.
The stereo backlight problem has been an issue since these Accords were only a few years old. Honda eventually issued a recall which covered the repair for 7 years/100k miles, which was nice while it lasted but now that period is over. Honda initially was replacing the entire radio ($800) but eventually began replacing just the PCB which at ~$300 is much cheaper. That sounds like a deal, but keep in mind we're talking about a backlight bulb that costs $2 to fix in most other cars.
RIght after I purchased the car in 2016, I thought I'd throw in a CD to test out the CD player and after it played for about 10minutes it just cutoff and the CD ejected by itself. I Inserted the CD again but this time it never was able to eject. I tried checking fuses and a few ingenious "How to Video's on ejecting a stuck CD" but I was never able to have the CD ejected. I just thought it was too much of a hassle for me to take apart the Dash and remove the unit and the dealer would have probable charged an arm and a leg to get this done. If anyone has had this problem, and I know I am not alone with this issue - has a solution, by all means reach out to me.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
RIght after I purchased the car in 2016, I thought I'd throw in a CD to test out the CD player and after it played for about 10minutes it just cutoff and the CD ejected by itself. I Inserted the CD again but this time it never was able to eject. I tried checking fuses and a few ingenious "How to Video's on ejecting a stuck CD" but I was never able to have the CD ejected. I just thought it was too much of a hassle for me to take apart the Dash and remove the unit and the dealer would have probable charged an arm and a leg to get this done. If anyone has had this problem, and I know I am not alone with this issue - has a solution, by all means reach out to me.
- Angel B., Perth Amboy, NJ, US