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.
I took my Honda in because the check engine light had come one. Apparently my gas tank is leaking and needs to be replaced. The cost is almost $1600 for diagnosis, parts and labor. Of course this is not covered at all by warranty and this is just the icing on the cake to the problems I have had in the past 1 1/2 years with this 2003 model. After two transmissions, replacing the radio because the back light went out and this I am done with Honda. Of course each time I take my car in to the dealership I am told "this is not typical of Honda" "I haven't seen this in the past 8 years I have worked here" That does very little to soften the blow to my pocket book each time these things come up.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
I took my Honda in because the check engine light had come one. Apparently my gas tank is leaking and needs to be replaced. The cost is almost $1600 for diagnosis, parts and labor. Of course this is not covered at all by warranty and this is just the icing on the cake to the problems I have had in the past 1 1/2 years with this 2003 model. After two transmissions, replacing the radio because the back light went out and this I am done with Honda. Of course each time I take my car in to the dealership I am told "this is not typical of Honda" "I haven't seen this in the past 8 years I have worked here" That does very little to soften the blow to my pocket book each time these things come up.
- nhunt, Hanford, CA, US