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Stereo Backlight Blew
2003 Honda Accord (Page 2 of 5)
This problem may be covered under warranty. Ask your Honda dealer.
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.
6.5
fairly significant- Typical Repair Cost:
- $480
- Average Mileage:
- 72,800 miles
- Total Complaints:
- 87 complaints
Most Common Solutions:
- not sure (34 reports)
- Honda issued a recall - covered 100% for 7 years/100k miles (28 reports)
- replace the entire CD player radio (13 reports)
- call American Honda (1-800-999-1009), ask for goodwill repair (4 reports)
- call local honda dealer and mention service bulletin 04-027 (4 reports)
- radio removed, LCD replaced, radio re-installed (3 reports)
accessories - interior problem
Helpful websites
- Service Bulletin 04-027 (updated, 2004-08 - As a result of a class action law suit, Honda extended the warranty for the Audio/HVAC display to 7 years or 100K miles whichever occurs first. The original 04-027 Service Bulletin required the complete replacement of the entire control head. The Service Bulletin was progressively updated however to reflect only the replacement of a defective Printed Circuit Board (PCB) within the control head with a new updated and modified PCB. Flat rate time as specified by Honda via the Service Bulletin is 0.8 hours labor. Part number listed in Bulletin; PCB cost with core exchange unknown.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
I have the same problem with the audio/climate controls backlight just stopped illuminating. I received the extended letter notice from Honda in 2007, but I have such a short commute to work, I don't rack up a lot of miles. So, the problem finally occurred in July of 2010. I remembered the letter, went to my local Honda dealership. I had only 95K miles but the warranty had expired in February. I was told there was nothing they could do but they told me to call Honda's customer service line. No luck! Ray, who is also the manager, was NO HELP! He basically told me Honda has done all they are going to do and they are aware of the problem. I even offered to pay half and he was still unwilling to budge. The repair cost about $650. At first I was going to just live with it but after two months, it's kind of annoying. Honda knows about the problem, they should definitely recall the item and fix it. They are doing nothing but losing customers!
- John A., Lynn, MA, US