8.0
pretty badTypical Repair Cost:
$1,774.00
Average Mileage:
82,877 miles
Number of complaints:
48 complaints
Most common solutions:
- replace transmission (16 reports)
- not sure (15 reports)
- dealer claims there isn't a problem (8 reports)
- honda is replacing the tranny with a rebuilt at no charge (6 reports)
- dealer did a flush and says that was the problem (2 reports)
- dealer replaced with a refurbished transmission (1 reports)
transmission problem
This problem may be covered under warranty. Ask your Honda dealer.
Helpful Websites About 2003 Honda Accord transmission slips out of gear
2009Jun 13
Accord EX V6
- Automatic transmission
- 124,000 miles
So, I really thought I was the only person with this problem. I called American Honda and talked a very soft spoken gentlemen who was very nice and said due to my mileage he could not help but the next best solution would be too contact the Service Manager.
I contacted the service manager and explained to him that if he gave me 2500 as a down payment I would be more than happy to buy another accord. Although I might be regretting this idea as it sits more and more in head. But we shall see. The service manager explained to me that he would call me back with an update since I've been going to the same Honda dealer for 10 years. I had a civic which I took and now my accord.
I don't know if he will want to do the deal but I know I will be contacting the law offices to file a formal complaint. I don't know what it's going to take for someone to die before they realize it's a hazard. I guess most people don't really care only if it's their car.
2009May 29
Accord LX 3.0L V6
- Automatic transmission
- 120,000 miles
Dealer is trying to get some compensation for me on this since I asked, but they're telling me it's $3500 to fix. I'll see what they come back with before I rant too much, but it's very disappointing. File a complaint if you've had problems, too at http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/ivoq/index.cfm , and hopefully we can get something done about this!
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
2009Mar 10
Accord EX 3.0L V6
- Automatic transmission
- 163,530 miles
I was driving home for the weekend from College, I was about 60 miles from home when my car stopped running the RPM shot up and the car just slowed down. I put the brakes on and turn to the shoulder. I turned it off and back on and it went no problem. I continued on my way home and along the way it did it again. I got to a gas station and waited until morning for my mother to get me. So I called Honda and they said its low on Transmission fluid, I put some in and it didn't help. sucks because I'm low income. I haven't got it looked at I hope there a way that Honda can help me so if anybody knows please let me know i need my car badly
2009Apr 21
Accord EX V6
- Automatic transmission
- 64,000 miles
Well, my Honda 2003 EX with 64,000 miles did the same problem with the transmission as others have said on here. I don't know what to do; the dealer quoted me $3,500 to fix.
2009Apr 09
Accord EX 3.2L V6
- Automatic transmission
- 60,524 miles
On 4-15-09 I was driving 45 mph and I thought someone had rear-ended me. The transmission slipped out of gear then slammed back in. I was 2 miles from my house and by the time I got there the car wouldn't go over 25pmh and the tachometer was up at 4,000 rpms. I took the car into the dealer and they kept it all day Friday. They called me and said they couldn't find anything wrong after putting the car on the diagnostic machine and test driving it twice. I suggested letting the car warm up for 15-20 minutes and trying a test drive again. They called back and said they still couldn't find anything wrong. My husband and I picked it up and it happened 8 times on the 4 mile drive home. A new twist here...the TCD light came on as well the the check engine light and the "D" indicator light was flashing and a bonus...no reverse. I took the car back to the dealer and made the service tech drive the car with me in it and "recreate" the problem. At that point he put a scanner device into the fuse box and actually got a service code. He said in case he's not at work when the car gets worked on the code will prove there is something wrong. So, now I had to rent a car for the week and I'm waiting to hear back from the dealer. Also, I called the New York lawyer listed on another post and left my info with them. I tried calling Honda Customer Service but they're closed on the week-end. This is a 2003 Accord with 60, 500 miles on it.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
2009Mar 28
Accord EX 3.0L V6
- Automatic transmission
- 93,000 miles
Please call this lawyer: 1-212-566-4356. It's time we all get together and do something about this. Honda needs to pay big time for their lies. My car is my only means of transportation; living in S. Florida, it's very hard to catch a bus and I have work and school to get to. I thought that buying Honda meant a peace of mind, but so far, it's been nothing but hell. I don't even have 100,000 miles on my car yet and it's acting the same as all of yours. I hope no one gets hurt because Honda is too cheap to fix their own screw up's.
2009Mar 16
Accord EX V6
- Automatic transmission
- 64,500 miles
This transmission was recalled in 2004 at 18000 miles and had an oil injection kit installed.Transmission started slipping at 64000 miles. I contacted the dealer and was told that it would cost approx $3600 to replace and that I would have to bear the total cost since the warranty was over. I called American Honda in CA and requested a, "goodwill repair". Before they got back to me I got a call from the dealer saying they would replace it on a 75%-25% basis. My 25% cost $892.00. I wrote a letter to American Honda requesting they reimburse me for that amount. They will not. So much for Honda quality and integrity.
2009Mar 23
Accord EX V6
- Automatic transmission
- 104,000 miles
This is ridiculous. I thought buying a Honda meant I was buying peace of mind. I've bought anything but...
I heard lately that there have been problems with the Honda transmissions, but I had no idea. I brought it to the dealer when I was having problems with it shifting a few weeks ago. Now the whole thing is shot. I hardly made it home tonight - I pretty much drove in 1st gear with hazards and coasted the 6 miles.
What will it take for us to get a class action law suit like the 2001 owners!!!
2009Feb 13
Accord EX V6
- Automatic transmission
- 104,120 miles
same as above on alot of the complaints just got the price $3360 I had a civic it had 320K on it when traded, clutch and timing belts, nothing too major. this is what i call major. I a call into American Honda we'll see what they will do to help if not have a guy that will fix it much cheaper. not happy with this Honda.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
2009Jan 15
Accord EX Coupe V6
- Automatic transmission
- 123,000 miles
Had transmission recall work done in 2004, when notified of the recall. I've always taken A+ care of this car, with regular servicing done as recommended with Honda, and all work done at dealers with the exception of only one service visit.
In early 2009, at around 123K, transmission started slipping between 20 and 35 mph, with loss of acceleration, engine revving, etc. Took car in to dealer #1 and was told nothing was wrong. Problem continued with more frequency. Was told at dealer #2 today that I need a new transmission that will cost at least $3,500. No offer was made for any kind of good will repair or discount. Dealer #2 says it tried to get some kind of good will service approved, and it was denied due to mileage.
I am very disappointed that Honda isn't doing more to address this with loyal, long-term customers, knowing the transmission problem is a consistent issue with this model, as well as a potentially very dangerous situation. Part of the reason I spent more to get a Honda to begin with (I bought this car new) was to get the reliability, quality, and resale value that are associated with Honda cars. I feel like I got NONE of that in this purchase.
I had bought another new Honda prior to this one and also was consistent with my servicing at the dealers (with no issues at all). Now I'm questioning whether I would ever buy another Honda ever again.
Update from May 26, 2009: The latest update on my earlier report.... Honda has agreed to pay 50% of the costs of a replacement transmission (which I'm thinking is refurbished -- I need to ask). The repair is in progress this week.
2009Jan 15
Accord Coupe V6
- Automatic transmission
- 69,000 miles
after having purchased this 03 Honda accord from private owner in MAy of 2008, i had not experienced any automatic transmission problems, however, I kept getting a TCS light to come on. I took it to Honda Dealer to question, after one day of review and $75 for diagnosing, they found nothing wrong. Now forward 7 mos., I begin to get slipping at 2nd and 3rd gear on V6 automatic transmission. It does not appear all the times, however, it has been occurring much more often now. Took to 2nd Dealer, definitely the recall transmission problem, they will repair for $3100, American Honda will do a goodwill adjustment for 50/50, I pay $1550, I told them , that I saw on internet where most Dealers plus Honda are doing and 80/20, with me paying the 20%. I told them I would want that type of deal, and now I am trying to re-negotiate with them on this amount. I have pulled out all the stops, using a previous independent Honda repair guy/friend to get me in touch with Gen Mgr at local Honda dealer to see if he can convince Honda with reports from other individuals on internet who got their Honda dealer to go 80/20.
2009Feb 11
Accord EX-L 3.0L V6
- Automatic transmission
- 72,000 miles
I bought the car used, sorry, pre-owned and had the car regularly serviced. But on February 10, 2009 I was driving the car to work and it began slipping out of gear. I work for UPS so I had one of the mechanics look it over. He tells me the transmission is "f*cked". He lowered the car from the lift and I started it up. Every light on the dashboard started flashing. I then put the car in reverse and stepped on the gas, it wouldn't move. After cursing at it for around 15 minutes I tried it again. It went into reverse and I drove the car directly to the dealership where I bought it.
3 hours later, the verdict. "You need a new transmission"
Cost~ $3500.00
2009Feb 07
Accord LX 3.2L V6
- Automatic transmission
- 104,000 miles
My Accord would suddenly slip out of gear between 2nd and 3rd. I didn't take it to the dealership because last time I took my car there they messed up. They told me a heat shield was loose, and they replaced it, but it was the up front and it they forgot to put the fan back on the radiator or refill the overflow with any antifreeze or reconnect it back to the radiator.
So I took it to an independent shop, and they test drove it and didn't see anything wrong, but I drove with him, and asked him to try accelerating a little faster, and then he could see the problem. So they said it's a bad solenoid, but that it's done damage to the transmission and it's going to need a transmission overhaul, and that they would get back to me on the price. That's where I'm at now.
2008May 05
Accord ES V6
- Automatic transmission
- 72,000 miles
I called Honda Motors and they covered all but $644.35 of the repair. However, in my opinion they should have done a recall and covered it all.
2008Oct 10
Accord EX 4 cyl
- Automatic transmission
- 133,500 miles
Haven't seen much about people on this site with 4cyl engines having this problem...but i'm sure as hell one of them. Exact same thing is happening to me. Sending my car in to Pohanka Honda (MD) tomorrow morning. Calling American Honda THIS morning to let them know it's going in, and to talk in advance about goodwill repairs. I'm way out of warranty (133,500mi) but they honored a goodwill repair on my junk CD/stereo, so hopefully they'll be good on this one. I followed the posted link and lodged a complaint on NHTSA site (I encourage everyone else to do the same, it doesn't take long). This is what I sent in the narrative:
"Transmission slips violently out of gear once the engine is warmed up, and the RPM's go over 2700. Occurs during acceleration (from a stop or when merging/passing on the highway) and when trying to maintain speed up an incline. The rapid deceleration when the car slips out of gear on the highway and especially on inclines on the highway sends all the surrounding drivers into evasive maneuvers to avoid collision. This event occurs whenever the car gets warmed up (after about 35-40 minutes of driving). Car is being sent to a Honda dealership for repairs, awaiting the final verdict but I believe they will be trying to charge me almost $6000 for a brand new transmission. As far as safety is concerned my car slipped out of gear on my way to work on I 97 Northbound (main Baltimore/Annapolis artery) going up an incline in heavy traffic moving at approx 70mph. Several cars had to dive onto the shoulder and I had to go into the median grass to avoid a massive rear end collision during morning rush hour."
2008Oct 07
Accord EX V6
- Automatic transmission
- 60,000 miles
Hey, thought I would weigh in with my experience with my 2003 EX-V6 Accord's transmission:
I had a 1992 Prelude Si for 10 years, but unfortunately, I did not change the timing belt, and at 104K miles, it broke and blew the engine. It was, obviously not the fault of Honda, but mine, and it cost me an expensive repair. Soon after that, I started looking for a new car. I still wanted to buy another Honda, and really thought the Accord had the best to offer compared to others in its class.
I bought my car new in Nov 2002, at a dealer in Richardson, Texas. Got it for a pretty good deal, and absolutely loved it. The big selling points for me were the responsive engine, the very comfortable seats and ironically, the smooth shifting transmission. At the time, I thought I had made a very wise choice. In 2004, the car was recalled for an inspection of the tranny, and an "oil jet" was added to help with a supposed overheating issue.
The car performed flawlessly up until late 2007, where I noticed that every once in a while the tranny would "slip" between 2nd and 3rd gear. If I let off the gas a bit, it would engage fine. This occured off and on during the winter of that year.I was out of town often earlier this year, so the car did not get a lot of driving. The problem would pop up occasionally, still disturbing, but not a major concern. But, about that time is when I did some web research and found this site and noticed that I was not the only one having this problem.
In July this year, we took a trip to Oklahoma to visit some relatives. It drove fine on the way up there, but the problem showed up again while there with more alarming incidents. We were driving along a small country road, doing about 20mph, and the car was not only having trouble shifting into 3rd, but there also was some metallic, grinding noises coming the tranny. I drove it around a bit more and the noise and slipping stopped. We were able to get back to our destination without any more issues. We came back to Dallas without any more problems.
In August I took the car in for its 60K maintenance, and told the service adviser about the tranny, and he said they would look into it. Of course, it ran fine for them, so they did the service on the car, which included changing the AT fluid. They said it was dark, but otherwise there was nothing else wrong with it.
Which brings me to the last week (10/7). That day, on the way back from a doc appt, the car again was failing to go into 3rd, and letting off the gas did not remedy it this time. I drove the car around the block a few times and it would not go into 3rd hardly at all. I came home and read the blogs on this site again, and got the number for Honda (1-800-999-1009) and called them to see if they would be willing to work with me on a repair. They were very nice and told me that since it hasn't been officially diagnosed by a mechanic, that they could not do anything for me until then. They gave me a reference number and I headed off to Rusty Wallis Honda in east Dallas.
The car gave me a few problems on the 4 mile drive over there, but I pulled into the service bay and explained all the above to them, and they said they'd take a look at it.
After sitting in the lounge for about an hour, the service adviser came in and sat down and said that the tranny was definitely not shifting properly, and that it would need to be replaced.
I was prepared for the worst regarding my costs, but he proceeded to tell me that he called Honda and they said that since the car only had 60K miles on it, and had the maintenance kept up on it, that they would pay for up to $3K on the repair, and that my part of the bill would be 'only' a $200 deductible. I was in a bit of a shock that they were willing to pay that much of it, and mumbled something to effect of "OK, that's great news..". They said that they'd have to order a refurbished one, and that I could come in in a couple of days. I told them I thought I could get home and come back when the tranny came in.
They called a couple days later and I took the car in and left it and they gave me a ride home as they were out of loaners. Late the next day (10/10), they called and said it was done and they test drove it and it checked out OK on the road. I got my sister to drop me off at the dealer, paid my $200, and drove off. My sister and I drove up to Richardson on the freeway to get some dinner and car drove like it was new, no problems whatsoever.
The service advisor told me that the transmission was a refurbished one from the dealer. Not new, but since it was a refurb, it would carry a 3 year/36K mile warranty good nation-wide. I was thrilled they would pay for most of it, as I was laid off in January of this year, and did not need to pay a lot for an expensive repair. My kudos to Rusty Wallis Honda for them handling the call to corporate and for Honda agreeing to pay that much.
It is disturbing though, to know that this is such a rampant problem with this transmission for this model year, and to a lesser extent other years. Honda makes great engines, but from what I've read, their trannies leave a bit to be desired. I will keep my car as long as I can, and hope the AT and the rest of the car will last me a few more years, as I cannot afford a new one anytime soon. Whether it be another Honda, I don't know, guess I will have to see how this car lasts over the long haul.
Sorry for the long letter, but thought my experience would be of some value to you who may be going through a similar difficulty. Like in my case, and some others on this site, I would strongly advise on callling Honda using the 1-800 number listed above before you take it to a dealer or repair shop to see if they'd be willing to pay for some of, or most of, the cost of repairs.
2008Jun 02
Accord EX Coupe 3.2L V6
- Automatic transmission
- 94,000 miles
Gears started slipping while I was on the freeway. The car revved really high and would go no faster that 30 mph, then would almost come to a stop. After resting, would act normal temporarily, then sometimes jerk forward upon acceleration. When took car in to dealer said I needed to replace 4 motor mounts (this was causing the slipping) and get a transmission flush. After taking a full day to complete the repair, discovered that I needed a new transmission. Had 5K miles left on powertrain warranty, so they replaced for free. But did not call it a recall repair. Then still made me pay for transmission flush on the old tranny. Mind you, I had never taken possession of the car this entire time. It was with them for a full week. This was really messed up. The flush alone cost $150. Still having issues. Since the transmission replacement, my key gets stuck in the ignition and my gear gets stuck in park. Have to take my key out, push it in the gear release lever (by auto gear), put in neutral, take key out, put back in ignition, start car, shift to reverse or drive and then go. Lotta crap huh. They say it's a brake indicator sensor malfunction and that it costs $300 to repair. Didn't have this problem until they replaced tranny. Now 2 months later, car is blowing white smoke from engine. This car is a piece of crap. My TCS light stills comes on for no reason.
2008Jul 22
Accord EX 3.0L
- Automatic transmission
- 81,020 miles
I started having the problem about 3 days ago, right after changing the battery i'm not sure that has anything to do with it though. I'll be driving around 30 to 45 mph and the trans will start slipping going into third gear, also it will down shift on it's on very aggressively. I called Honda incorp and they said there was not an issue," which is bs since you can see all the other complaints on this same car". I guess i will just have to see what I can do and hope this company helps me out.
2008Mar 03
Accord EX V6
- Automatic transmission
- 108,000 miles
I have a 2003 Honda Accord Ex with a V6 engine that the transmission has been missing gears and it completely stall at times. This problem has been a pain in the ass. To replace the transmission it is costing $4000.00 at the Honda dealership. One day I was at a meeting 2 hours away from home, when this mf started acting up. So, I took it to the Honda dealership in this town. I told them that the transmission had a hard shift, missing gears, and would not catch a gear for at least a minute. It took them all day to tell me the problem. I decided to do some research about the transmission, can up with that had replaced some transmission on the 2003 model. So I took it to dealership where I bought it brand new from and ask them about it. They replied that they did the service repair on the transmission. They told me that I needed to contact the Honda Mfg. Company about the transmission. I called this damn place up until today I still have not received a call back. I have a 1996 Honda Accord (bough new) with 286,000 miles on it and it is in better shape than the 2003. Please if anyone know of a lawsuit against this matter please forward the information cndenish@yahoo.com.
2008Jun 10
Accord 3.0L V6
- Automatic transmission
- 80,000 miles
Honda of America is fixing my car under the Goodwill repair issue.
2004Sep 15
Accord EX Vtech V6
- Automatic transmission
- 30,000 miles
Well,I bought a 2003 Honda Accord EX fully loaded with the VTECH engine in 2003 from a friend/Co Worker and shortly after buying the car i started to receive Recall notices from Honda for a Transmission failure on the 2003 Accords. So i brought it in sometime in 2004 with approx 30,000 miles to have them do what they needed fo the recall. They had me leave the car for the day so they could inspect the gears in the transmission and they took a picture of the transmission and ended up installing the cooling line. So now i have 66,000 miles on my Honda and my mechanic has always maintained my car because of course i rely on my car to get to work etc... So i take very good care of it knowing how important it is to keep it maintained. But recently i was having the power steering pump replaced which is a whole other disaster by my mechanic and he took my car for a test drive after he was done replacing that and he said your transmission is not shifting properly and some other terms i can't remember.I have noticed some weird behavior also but since i drive it everyday it's hard to feel or hear the same things so it took him to verify what i had been experiencing from the time i bought the car to now it's got progressively worse so he said you need to bring it to Honda asap. So I did and they are charging me to diagnosis it which i don't agree with since there is a known recall on this transmission. They drained my tranny fluid and there is metal in it and i need a whole new transmission at approx 3400.00. I said no way this should be covered under the Factory Recall and they then said well we did fix ti back at 30,000 miles and put the cooler line on, while obviously it doesn't work. So i said well there is something wrong with it and i want it fixed at Honda's expense. Again they said they did and where did it say that they would fix it again and i said where does it say that you won't. So i then called Honda of America out of Torrance California and opened a case with them and the girl took my complaint and said the same thing as the dealer it was fixed already and i said no it was not. So she gave me my case number and said I need to call back with the cost of repair and a diagnosis which i did not know so i called back spoke to someone else and they added it to the case notes and said it was going to be escalated to the group that handles these kind of complaints. I got a call today from someone in that dept and he asked a few questions and said you have denied our offer to pay 1600.00 of the 3400.00 to fix and i said yes i should not have to pay for a Transmission replacement that is clearly due to the Recall and i explained that i was on the computer searching and finding all sorts of the same issues and others with all Honda's and he was a little quiet then and said he has to call the dealership for more info and will get back to me either today but probably tomorrow so now going into the 2nd day with no car. I explained to him i am not some 16 year old kid racing around and beating on my car i am in my late 30's and rely on my car to get to work and have always babied my cars and done all maintenance when needed. I am so dissatisfied with the way this is being handled it's amazing they are still in business. If you search on Google you will find so many complaints and Class Actions suits going on with Honda you will never buy a Honda again and it's all models and years. I don't know what else to do but wait for hopefully a good phone call form Honda of America that they are going to fix it and put a new tranny in not a used or rebuilt one. Also even if they put a new one in, it seems there is a design flaw and it will happen again so this really is not a good solution but better than nothing.
2008Feb 22
Accord EX 3.0L V6
- Automatic transmission
- 122,000 miles
I'm joining the unfortunate club of "Angry Honda Owners". I never thought such a club would exist, but boy am I wrong. I, like everyone else, have been having transmission problems with my Accord. For the record, I loved - I LOVED - this car. I loved owning an Accord; loved the way it looked, smelled, drove, rode, and felt. I bragged about my car and convinced friends and family to also purchase an Accord. I washed her and stroked her like she was my pet.
Let me go back a few more years so you can understand why I loved this hunk of metal like I did.......I made the HUGE mistake of purchasing a 2000 Olds Alero right out of college. I thought it was the sexiest car ever made and soon learned what a hunk of crap it was (for the record I'd drive an El Cameno before I'd drive an Alero again). I decided to trade it in (I took a $3,000 loss on it as I owed $10K and the dealer only gave me $7K for it) but was so excited to have gotten rid of it and purchased a brand-new Honda Accord. I finally felt like a grown-up -- and had a four-door sedan --- and it was an Accord. It was love at first sight. I was a proud driver of a four door sedan that I was going to have forever.
I won't tell you all the obvious because I know I'm preaching to the choir here - but I bought that car thinking to myself "self, this baby is going to last you forever - you are going to be driving it for 20 years! Honda makes the BEST cars and you will never have problems with it - EVER." So, I make all 60 of my payments to the bank and celebrate having a fully-paid-off car. I tossed back a beer and toasted to 10+ years of no car payment! Man, I thought I was going to be rolling in the money because bye-bye were the days of car payments. This lasted exactly 3 weeks. Three weeks to the day after I made my final car payment I began having transmission problems.
Well, five years and a 125,000 miles I am not so happy any longer. I'm now tossing the beers back again, but not in celebration. By the way, my 125,000 miles are ALL highway miles. I began having transmission problems several weeks ago and immediately brought the car into the Honda dealership where (like all of you I was a religious fanatic about the 'recommend service' and happily paid the $110/hour of labor for maintenance) I was told that they couldn't duplicate the problem, thus they couldn't diagnosis it. They flushed my transmission fluid, I coughed up $1200 (new front/back brakes, 120,000 service and pretty new pink transmission fluid) and left thinking "damn, I love this car." I love supporting the Honda dealership and paying them $110/hour and in turn they pay their technicians $20/hour and then roll around naked in my money.
Low and behold, the car is still having transmission problems. So, I drive my car home, say a little prayer to God that it will just 'go away' and drive it again. No such luck, the car continued to have the same problem. After the car was warm - driven on the highway for 30 minutes or so whenever I'd slow significantly and then re-accelerate my car would not go into third gear. Instead, the engine would rev to 5-6000 rpms and not accelerate. Well, this is just not ok! This is clearly a safety issue (it's not like I can put a sign up in the window and say "DON'T APPROACH ME, MY TRANSMISSION IS GARBAGE AND WON'T SHIFT") and I was bound to either get hit or cause a major accident.
So, I take the car back in. Sure enough, they tell me they can't get the car to duplicate the problem. I take my car back, tell the old girl that I still love her, and drive it home thinking again that the problem will just 'poof' vanish. Heck no, that doesn't happen and no amount of beer that I drink makes it go away.
Well, I decide to go for information where the entire world is at my fingertips -- the internet. Wow, I found this site and think "I'm not alone, I have company, I have friends." It's obvious that there is a design flaw in the Honda Accord's transmission (by the way, we're all the luckiest because it's the most prevalent in the 2003 model V6!) and that Honda doesn't take transmissions apart, they take them OUT and say "cough up thousands of dollars but please still love us because we're HONDA and we make everyone feel warm and fuzzy." I might feel warm and fuzzy from my Miller Lite, but not from Honda.
I'd like to think I'm smarter than the average bear and that it's pretty darn clear that Honda's transmission is as good as a Schwinn 10-speed. All of us are having the same problems; I'm not delusional. I'm not crazy and I'm not quiet. So I pick up the phone and call the 1800 Honda number out in California and have a case opened with my transmission issue. Again I'm told that I either need to have the car duplicate the problem or have the check engine light go on. Boy what fun - I can wait as my transmission slips (by the way, by this time the car would sometimes NOT pop back into gear and I would almost get rear-ended) and makes my engine rev to the red-area and run the risk of blowing my engine which is the only piece of equipment more expensive than the transmission but at least it's not a hunk of junk. (In defense of Honda because I'm bashing them a bit - they make a great engine!) Honda tells me that they will "help" with the repairs but won't say how much. Ok, it's time for a guessing game. Will I pay more than a month's earnings or less? Will I be forced to eat Old Roy dog food or will I be able to afford Science Diet?
After almost being hit last weekend (with my 5-year old nephew in the car and my beloved Labrador Retriever) I'd had it. No more "here's your car back...we can't get it to duplicate the problem because we want to hide under a rock and pretend that Honda is awesome and invincible." I call the dealership and tell them that I will take the tech for a ride - he/she can ride along with me because the car has a problem. Wouldn't you know it - the car acts up! The tech (who by the way had an IQ of 43 and grunted a bit) says "yep, that's definitely an internal transmission failure and you need a new tranny." Are you serious? Did I not say that 2 weeks ago when I first brought my car in? Do I look like I pray for my two synapses to rub together to create a spark in my head?
To make a long story short - ok, too late for that......but Honda is paying for the new transmission (and no, I don't think that this one will be better than the old one...it's obvious that the transmission fairy didn't visit the engineer and teach him how to build a decent tranny) and I'm paying the labor at $110/hour. What a bargain! Honda knows their trannies are crap, they are a billion dollar company, and I'm paying a $110/hour for a grunting tech (by the way, I am NOT saying all techs are grunters like this one...but I just happen to get a weird grunter...I've worked with numerous non-grunting-normal techs) to put in a new transmission AND for a rental car. Hey, guess what kind of rental I got? Wait for it....wait for it....it's a 2007 Accord V-6 with only 8,000 miles on it. Guess what? I guarantee you that this car's transmission will fail before it hits 20K! The car is already acting up a bit and showing early signs of upcoming tranny problems - hard shifting between 2-3 gear....not that smooth with all the gears....a bit of a lag when I hit the gas. You just know that this Accord rental from the dealership has been beat on and it's not taking a beating and going to keep on ticking.
The bottom line is, I'm coughing up the cash the for the labor -- driving the car until it's at 35,000 more miles and the new tranny warranty is going to expire and then selling it. My dream of owing this car until it hit 1/2 million miles is crushed. I'm going to have to go to the dark side -- Toyota. I don't like Toyota Camry's or Avalons as much as I like the Accords but I've been burned and won't go near the stove again. I'm gonna do it, and go over to the Toyota dealership and pray I don't get crapped on again. I might even forgo the V6 (but man I love the power and speed) and get a little 4-cylinder "I think I can" sort of engine. It will be my new little engine that could.
My advice to anyone having transmission problems is to not take no for an answer and not drive your car until a new transmission is put in. This is a serious safety issue and you, and others on the road, could be seriously hurt or killed. I know I've joked a lot in this posting, because that's how I cope with stress, but in all seriousness don't drive the car if it 'acts up'. Also, I have to say I'm pleased that Honda is standing behind their vehicles in some ways and paying for the new transmission. Because I'm way over my warranty they could tell me to go pound sand and I wouldn't have much recourse, but they willingly agreed to pay for the cost of the parts. We do have to give them credit for that because they truly didn't have to.
2007Jul 24
Accord V6
- Automatic transmission
- 73,000 miles
I have to admit, i am in love with Hondas, but this particular occasion made me want to throw my car in the river. I was driving on the highway going at least 75mph, i noticed that my transmission started slipping very bad. It felt like i was hitting my breaks on and off at 75mph. I had no idea what the problem was. Anyway, had to tow my car back to TN which was well over 200 miles. I took it to the dealership and they told me that the transmission was dead. I was shocked...a Honda transmission DEAD!!!. i had complete trust in my car, after all, it was only 4 years old. They replaced it for free under the warranty...thank god. I could have been killed on the highway because of the bad transmission. It just goes to show that anything can happen...please be careful.
2008Mar 03
Accord ES V6
- Automatic transmission
- 67,000 miles
On a highway, at about 60mph, I accelerated to pass a car and the transmission jumped into 2nd gear, almost causing me to lose control. Got off the highway and realized the car would not shift into reverse, or out of 2nd gear. Dealer said the problem was caused by dirty transmission fluid and a faulty clutch solenoid. Had the solenoid replaced and the transmission fluid replaced. Car worked fine for about 20 miles, and then the exact same problem re-occurred. Taking it back to the dealer today.
2008Feb 05
Accord EX V6
- Automatic transmission
- 40,100 miles
I had my Honda Accord EX to the service dealership about 4 times complaining that my TCS light kept appearing on my dashboard of and on and when it would happen I would hear a grinding sound. Every time I took it to the dealership they said that the light was no longer on and that the computers was showing that there was no problem. They did not document this complaint on my service records until April of 2007. I took my car in because I started having a problem where my car would Jerk in and out of gear. After taking it to the dealership they advised me that it was a solenoid ????? that had went bad that was not allowing me to shift from 1st through 3rd. After complaining back and forth that I kept complaining about the grinding sound that I felt that It should have been a warranty problem. They advised me that, they did not show any records of my complaints until April 2007, therefore they would not cover it. Being a mother of a 16 month old baby, I advised them to go ahead and fix it. They charged me $445.82 to repair the so called problem. Before I hit the interstate which was less than 3/4 of a mile away from the dealership the service engine was now on again. I called the dealership and they assured me that the problem was fixed and that the car now "shifts like a Dream". I thought I was feeling the jerking in the car again, but I was assured that all was fine. The next day I drove approx. 30 miles away to have lunch with my husband, when the car was doing the same thing as before when I took it in for the original problem. After a long back and forth battle with the dealer they advised me that they did not know what was wrong with the car, but they would go ahead and replace the Transmission for me. Wow what a deal. As I complained further they said they would cut me a deal and pay 85%. At this point I am still upset because of the transmission Recall that they had earlier told me that did not pertain to my car was now the source of my problem. However their records showed that I had it repaired due to the recall, when I took it in for the recall they told me that it did not apply to my car. so here I am going of almost 2 weeks with no car and a baby that i can't take to her doctor if their is an emergency. All my cars have always been a Honda, I had one used Honda Accord that I owned for about 10 years that had 325,000 miles on it before I sold it and it is still on the road today, I had a Honda Civic for 2 years before I realized that it did not go in the snow Which had less than 10,000 miles when I traded it in for the2003 Honda Accord I have now that has less than 41,000 miles on it and has been nothing but problems. After the problems that I have had with this Honda I will never own another. In the five years that I have owned this car I have put over $10,000.00 in repairs for things that the dealership said was not broke????? Go figure???
2007Dec 07
Accord EX V6
- Automatic transmission
- 99,000 miles
Ok, this is the fourth honda I have owned, and I have always bragged about how excellent and reliable these cars are. However when the car had only around 47,000 miles my car transmission started slipping and freezing, so in 2005 due to the warranty and the recall in 2004 a new transmission was placed in my car, and I paid $250 out of pocket costs, and had a free rental car. So I thought, wow this is great I just had some bad luck, but this car will last at least 10 years now. WRONG!!! I have had a week out of hell. My car has 99,000 miles on it now, 2 years later, and four days ago my car started slipping and revving up but it wouldn't drive, and I was on the 5 fwy in LA. Thankfully I was able to get over on the side, however it was real scary with all the cars going 70-80 mph around me!! I knew it felt like last time, so I took it to Miller Honda in Van Nuys, where I spent 105.00 for them to tell me I needed a new transmission, which would cost me over $3700. They said I was no longer covered by the warranty for the new transmission!! That warranty is for 12 months or 12,000 miles. I do all the service on my car thru my mechanic and not the honda dealer since they are so costly, and was told I should have all my maintenance through them! I reminded them, that I did have my transmission replaced two years ago by them!! Does anyone know of any class action suit about this? I would like to pursue one, because this is a real safety issue!!! Honda needs to wake up, they can't live off their reputation!
2007Nov 21
Accord EX V6
- Automatic transmission
- 46,000 miles
I sympathize with all the Accord owners out there that are experiencing this problem. I just recently noticed that my transmission was slipping between 2nd and 3rd gear. I took the car in for the 45,000 mile service and told them about the problem. I had previously read many of the complaints posted on this site and was ready for battle and calmly made the service manager aware that I knew about a fairly consistent problem with the 03 Accord transmissions. When the service was complete the service manager called me to let me know a new transmission was needed and that he would order one. Concurrently, he also let me know that this was going to be covered by Honda at no cost to me (outside of a possible rental car due to a 2 day repair). I have always trusted and known Honda to be a great car company willing to stand behind their product. Again, I sympathize with all of you who have had negative experiences. Kudo's to Performance Honda of Fairfield Ohio for stepping up to the plate and going to bat for a long time customer!
2007Nov 25
Accord EX V6
- Automatic transmission
- 109,000 miles
Funny, this same thing is happening to me right now and Honda has no clue what's going on! Seems pretty elementary to me, as I have done the research and found this board. The car is going to it's 3rd honda service center on Monday to "find" the problem. I have already contacted Honda to report this. It started on Sunday, Nov. 25, I noticed the car having trouble finding a gear. Drove to Columbus and then it's started the jerking. We checked the trans fluid and added some. I drove back to Dayton and bam, while on the highway doing about 70 mph, the car decides to downshift on it's own to 40 mph. There were cars behind me at the time, so it could have been a serious accident. I was able to get off at the nearest exit and drive home. I called my dealership where my car is serviced, but couldn't get in until the next day. I called another dealership that I used with my other Honda. They checked it and couldn't find a thing wrong. I had all of the Level II services done at that time since it was due. I drove it to work the next day, which is in Cincinnati and bam happened again while on the highway. Made it to work safely and then couldn't park my car since it wouldn't go in reverse. After some co-workers pushed my car, someone suggested we unhook the battery. In his opinion, he thought the computer isn't communicating with the trans and maybe needed to be reset. I then took it to the nearest dealership in Cincinnati to look at it. They couldn't duplicate the issue either. They called Honda to talk to some highly skilled techs and were told to flush out the fluid and add new fluid and see if that fixes things. They did that and then drove it 52+ miles since I said it was happening on my commute to Cincy from Dayton. They were not able to see any issues so they said to come pick up my vehicle. Of course, I was paranoid driving home one the highway, but I did. No problems that night. Thursday, I drove to work, again no problems, still paranoid thought. I decided to call Honda to voice my concerns and complaint. It is now on file for 3 years. Anyway, drove home to Dayton with plans to drive to Columbus later that evening. When I made it to Dayton, I thought I felt the trans slipping. I decided not to stop for food and continue driving to see if I was correct. Well what do you know, it was acting up again and started jerking. Good thing I wasn't on the highway this time. Made it home, and immediately called my dealership. I take it in on Monday. We'll see what happens!
2007Nov 21
Accord V6
- Automatic transmission
- 80,000 miles
I have always loved a Honda or Toyota. My idea of maintenance is an oil change and tire rotation. I feel for the people that drive domestics, even though there are a lucky few. So we purchased this 2003 Honda V6 EX at 56K miles. At 80K miles I noticed that the transmission was not up shifting. I let up on the accelerator and the car shifted into third. I new this was going to be bad. 2 days later on a quick family trip 60 miles away the car lurched as if we had slapped the gear shifter into neutral. Then the car began to do this over and over. We arrived to our destination after shifting the car into neutral when the lurching was occurring.
I called the tow truck and had a quick discussion about towing my car to a Honda dealer for an inspection. He commented that this was the first Honda he towed due to mechanical failure. I agreed that this was going to suck!
Apparently there was a recall for an oil line issue to the tranny - my car had that fix at 56K - great - NHTSA Campaign ID Number: 04V176000. and no burned gears - crap.
The tranny had a bad modulator in the bowels of the beast. To get to the modulator the entire tranny had to be dissembled to replace the 26 dollar part. The dealer told me that they may as well put new parts into the tranny as they had to tear it down anyways. SCREAM....but get this, the Honda dealerships will not rebuild a tranny - they will only replace or swap trannys as it is more cost effective for everybody involved I guess.
I let the Honda dealership call Honda MOCO to see if they could get this covered free of charge. 3 days later I was called by the service manager to let me know that the entire thing will be repaired free! WHAT!! Holy cow I did not expect this. I have no loyalty to this dealer...never been there before as Honda's do not really break all that often.
The thing that I was disappointed with was the fact that I buy a Honda expecting it to last forever. I do not have x-ray vision so I do the most research that I can - but its a Honda, come on. If a Honda has a problem like this we all deserve to get angry - welcome to the domestic car arena.
I have discovered that local Honda Medic's can rebuild a tranny for $1200 - $1500. Not $5000!!! This was some comfort as it is close to x-mas and I did not want a new tranny.
So I learned that Honda's do break, and that if I had not started at a Honda Dealership I would have got screwed for sure.
By the way - this issue has scared us so bad that we bought a new 4runner as I have seen that Toyota's are a little less finicky. We are selling the Honda with a new tranny - I will leave that out of the ad however. I feel for you all!! This is a crap tranny I think.
2007Apr 20
(reported on)Accord LX 3.2L V6
- Automatic transmission
- 83,885 miles
like the rest of you, the tranny on my 2003 accord v6 was slipping out of gear and revving up to 5000, I would back off and revs would go down and problem would go away for awhile. I took it to a driveline shop and went on test drive but could not get it to duplicate problem. During the drive the tech put it in neutral at 110km/hr and revved engine until the rev limiter kicked in at around 5500 rpm (this shuts down fuel) after this it has not happened since, my guess is the computer had a"glitch" and causing the rev limiter to kick in may have "reset" the glitch.
2007Aug 27
(reported on)Accord EX V6
- Automatic transmission
- 50,000 miles
Like others on this page, my Honda's gears started slipping. I took it to my mechanic and he said that I have major internal tranny problems. He called Vista Honda In Ventura, CA to see what the warranty is. A Service guy told my mechanice that there is a 80K / 8 year warranty on the tranny. i then call the Service center myself to ask and they said that its not true, all i have is a 3year / 36K mile warranty. They also said that since I do not have my car serviced with them they cant make any special deals with me on a new transmission. I took that as a sign they never want me to buy another Honda again.
At this moment I would like to look into a class action lawsuit. If anyone is interested please let me know.
2007Aug 11
(reported on)Accord EX V6
- Automatic transmission
- 46,000 miles
This is a must read story!
Heres another story for everyone to read about the piece of shi* transmission that honda makes and won't warranty. the story goes like this. We bought the car used from a mitsu dealership with about 30K miles on it, about a year later with 40K miles on the car we started experiencing the dreaded "slipping transmission problem" and finally it got to the point where it was undrivable. so after searching on the internet i found that there were tons of people complaining about faulty transmissions on the automatic accords and that there was service bulletin "recall" issued from honda to fix a broken 2nd gear in the transmission. So after calling the toll free honda usa corporate people, they told me that our car was already taken into a honda dealer and had this 2nd gear replaced by the previous owner. so basically according to honda, they did their part by repairing the 2nd gear, and even tho the trans is now broken less than 20k miles later, there is nothing honda will do to cover the cost of a new trans. So after multiple phone calls, i find a honda dealer about 60 miles away that is willing to goodwill the transmission and give us a new trans. GREAT NEWS! right? well, less than one year later and less than 9000 miles after the "NEW" trans was installed, the car is already showing symptoms like it did before in the beginning stages before the trans completely broke. the car slips out of gear, the TCS light comes on for no reason, etc. So i call up our local honda dealership in schaumburg to make an appointment to bring it in and have them look at it hoping that they will experience the problem and fix it for us. so after talking with the service advisor he tells me that if they can get the trans. to act up , honda will fix the problem since the replacement trans carries a 12month/12,000 mile warranty. SO needless to say, the car never had any trans problems while they had it. I dropped off the car on tuesday and left it with them until friday, making them drive the car multiple times, but of course it never acted up from them. So I went in the service center friday afternoon to pick up the car and try to come to some resolve with the service dept. obviously i didn't bring the car there for an imaginary problem! the car is doing the exact same thing it did a year ago right before the trans broke! so after spending almost an hour talking with the service advisor and service manager at schaumburg honda, this is what they told me. since the car was serviced at 20k miles for the 2nd gear replacement, and since the car was "goodwilled" at 40k miles with a new trans, honda DOESN'T GIVE YOU A 12MONTH/12,000 WARRANTY ON A GOODWILL REPAIR! can you believe that crap?! so even tho honda installed a supposedly new or re-manufactured transmission, they do not honor any kind of warranty on a goodwill repair? wtf is that? so basically they told me that when/if the transmission does completely fail again, that I or they, can TRY to call corporate honda to see if they will honor another goodwill repair on the trans. but they stressed that this decision is solely up to corporate, no honda dealership is going to make the decision on their own to authorize the repair. So here is a brief recap of the timeline of issues. 20k miles the car was serviced for the "recall" of the 2nd gear problem. 40K miles the transmission completely fails and is towed to honda, and a new/re-manufactured trans is installed. 48k miles the trans is starting to act up already. now honda tells us we're basically on our own. they tried to charge me $105 to look at the car, so after asking the service manager how he would feel if i charged him $105 to drive his car around using his gas and sitting in the a/c, and then telling him that there is nothing wrong with the car, he agreed to split the cost with me. and by the way, my girlfriend drives this car, so its not like shes beating the crap out of it when she drives it. and then to top this entire story off, when i walked to the car there was overspray of paint over the entire front end, hood, fenders, windshield, bumper, and even in the engine compartment. so i grabbed the service advisor to show him, after looking at the car for 10 minutes, he offers to drive it back in the shop and have someone clean it up. 5 minutes later he pulls the car back around front to me, and has the audacity to tell me that maybe the paint was on the car when WE brought it to them! he insists that there was no way paint could of gotten on the car since they don't have a body shop on site, so i told him that i wasn't going to be the one to clean this up and that they better figure something out. so now we have to bring the car back to have a detailer wetsand and buff the car out. moral of the story, if you buy a honda accord, make sure you get a manual transmission, because obviously whatever they are doing to fix the problems isn't working.
2007Jun 30
(reported on)Accord
- Automatic transmission
- 71,000 miles
We have around 71000 miles on our '03 Accord. My wife mainly drives this vehicle but, whenever I drive it I notice that the tranny is acting up. Going up hills it fails to shift unless I let up off the accelerator then it will engage. We used to have a '97 CR-V that started doing the same thing. I just don't want to be on the highway going 65mph and have the tranny act up. Reading some of the other posts I understand what you're going through. Several years ago, while driving the CR-V we were on the interstate when ALL OF A SUDDEN the engine REVed really high but we weren't going anywhere. I had to get off on the shoulder with my flashers on going about 40mph. Needless, to say, when we did take it to the dealer they could NEVER replicate the problem.... This may have been my last Honda purchase.
2007Aug 05
(reported on)Accord EXL-V6 V6
- Automatic transmission
- 90,000 miles
I just noticed this forum and see we are not alone. I just experienced the dreaded "slip" this past Thursday. I took it in and had the tranny flushed hoping it would cure this problem. Wrong! It is intermittent and it will even do it in first gear from time to time. It seems to really occur when shifting from 2nd to 3rd. Has anyone checked to see if there was a official recall on this as I do not recall getting one. Not good. I had a 1993 Accord and had 180k miles on it without a problem. I have been religious about changing fluids as well as tranny fluid ever 30k miles.
2007Jul 05
(reported on)Accord LX 3.0L V6
- Automatic transmission
- 79,000 miles
I'm having the same problem everyone else is having with the transmission slipping at around 30 MPH (RPM would shoot up to 5000-6000 before I could back off on the accelerator). This happened intermittently during a recent trip from San Diego to Napa over the course of 5 days. On the fifth day the problem seemed to go away. I took the car in to a reputable, independent Honda shop, and they could not recreate the problem. So far, so good (less than a week has passed). From what I'm reading, I should contact Honda about this, since it seems to be a known problem (even if they don't readily admit to it). Thank you to the other postings. The info helps.
2007Jun 19
(reported on)Accord EX V6
- Automatic transmission
- 65,865 miles
I noticed earlier in the day that my car starting revving really high and I was only going 40 km/hr and I wondered what the heck?!!! This happened a couple of times for 10 secs each time. I knew something wasn't right but I never thought that I could have lost my life from my car's failures! That evening, I was on the Deerfoot highway, going about 120 km when all of a sudden it felt like someone smashed into us from behind. My passengers and I all went flying forward and I was shocked but still in control of the vehicle. I slowed down to 90 when I realized no one hit my car, suddenly right after my car lurched on it's own again. It felt like I was slamming on my car brakes but I wasn't. Just over the 100,000 km mark, I wondered what could be wrong with my car?? I prayed to god it wasn't the tranny because the warranty only lasts up to 100,000km. I got it towed to Honda and they are doing a flush stating my fluid was black and smelled like armpit, and that they have never seen that before. I am starting to wonder if they sold me a lemon to begin with! I hope to god this problem is fixed because I cannot and will not pay $5000 for a new transmission! If anyone else went through this and Honda admitted to a transmission recall on 2003 please let me know using the comment link below.
2007Mar 04
(reported on)Accord EX V6
- Automatic transmission
- 85,000 miles
85K! Transmission is slipping everytime I drive the car - Fortunately, all my service work completed on time and the at same Honda service center/dealer. I have been assured that the transmission will be replaced under the warranty at no charge to me. What about resale - does anyone know how it's affected - I owe $5k on the loan. Does anyone know what the public/dealers think about replaced transmissions.
And to all of you other 03 Exers out there - thanks for taking time post. It's somewhat comforting to know I'm not alone in enduring this critical car issue. And this will be my last Honda purchase and I have driven a Honda for 20yrs.
2006Nov 01
(reported on)Accord EX 4-CYL
- Automatic transmission
- 90,000 miles
At 60K+ miles my Accord started to slip in/out of gear. This happened while accelerating through 30-40 MPH. When this happened I took it to an independent shop, and they couldn't find anything wrong with it. They just did a Transmission flush/fluid change, and it has been fine since.
Now I've got ~ 90K miles and am having similar problems. I took it to a local shop and they mentioned there is a design defect in these Accords. There is some fiberglass part that is getting some friction on it and the particles are clogging up a filter. Other customers have had to fight with Honda to get this covered under Warranty by calling up Honda North America.
Currently I just dropped it off at the dealership and they are diagnosing it. I don't really want to spend $$$ to fix a car that was bought with a known defect. It's due for a transmission flush/fluid change anyway... so we may just have to be vigilante about making sure to get this work done every 30K miles.
2006Nov 19
(reported on)Accord EXL 3.0 V6
- Automatic transmission
- 114,000 miles
Usually after the transmisson is warm, the transmission will fail to engage in 3rd gear and the engine (RPMs) will race. Letting off the gas and allowing the speed to slightly decrease helps in "feathering" the gas pedal and the 3rd gear then kicks in. This transmission has been "over-maintained" and it still did this. Very disapointed even with 114,000 miles. Transmisson fluid changed every 12,000 miles. NOT GOOD. Why can't Honda make a good transmission? It's been failing since 1997 and they still are.
2006Nov 16
(reported on)Accord EX V6
- Automatic transmission
- 58,000 miles
Car is only 3 years old... Transmission started slipping from 2nd-3rd gear... Got fluid changed and new filter.... Still slipping... Contacted Honda and they said that this is normal for any car to have possible problems that are unpredictable. Car only had 3 year/36,000 mi warranty.
2006Nov 22
(reported on)Accord EX V6
- Automatic transmission
- 93,000 miles
Well, the transmission flush didn't work --and it had been less than 100 miles since the flush -- and the gear slipping continued. I checked the transmission fluid, and it was not even registering on the dip stick-- once again, where did it go. So I took it back to the dealer, popped the hood, had them check the fluid... they saw the same - and the slipping was now intermittent. I am happy to report though, that Honda, since I had the recall work done when I was notified (or close to it) is replacing the tranny with a rebuilt one at no cost to me . (except the $300 for the original diagnosis, and tranny flush and the need to rent a car for a weekend trip for $100). Obviously this model year tranny is an issue, and growing - kudos to Honda for stepping up to fix -- there was no yelling, threatening to go to the arbitration board, or ranting (not to say that there wasn't going to be if they didn't replace) ... but I have all my work done through the same dealer so they have a history of everything done to the car. With that said... a poorly engineered transmission, or quality problems with this batch of tranny's is inexcusable for any car.
2006Nov 15
(reported on)Accord EX
- Automatic transmission
- 93,000 miles
While driving on the highway (70mph) at night, in the passing lane, 40 miles from home - the transmission clunks and drops to a lower gear and the engine revs to 5000+ RPMS and drops speed as if I slammed on the brakes. Besides almost being rear ended, I pull over, and the car will not shift to a higher gear - forcing me to go 35- 40 mph on the freeway, at night with the emergency flashers on. We get home, reverse no longer works and I take the car to the Honda dealer. Now this car had the recall done (they did not replace the tranny, did the other fix) and has 93000 highway miles on it. Dealer now states that the tranny is fine, there was very little transmission fluid in it. I ask "where did it go" , I just had the oil changed there 3000 miles ago, and you are supposed to check all that... they see no leaks, I have seen no fluid... and they have no answer - just that it is shifting and working fine now. This car also had a rear main seal leak a year ago that required the transmission to be removed - that Honda split the cost on repair 50-50. Based on other reports here, I think that there is an issue with the 2003 Accord transmission, or just a surprise at 80-90K miles for others as they approach what should be the half life of a Honda product. I have lost confidence in this car -- if you can't get the transmission right all the other things are pretty minor- I think its time for a return to the American car companies... they have taken their lumps, it now could be Honda's turn.
2006Sep 24
(reported on)Accord EX
- 98,000 miles
My wife is trying to make her way back home from Fresno and the car is slipping out of gear bad enough to make her pull to side and drive down the shoulder, We took the car last week to the local Honda fix it shop and they just flushed the transmission fluid and sent me on my way. Needless to say It didn't work. Does anyone have any ideas.... If she makes it home tonight.
2006Sep 21
(reported on)Accord EX
- 91,000 miles
My Accord has been slipping out of gear for about 6 months. When it first started happening, it was rare and I took it to the dealership. They said they couldn't look at it unless I could recreate it. In the last few weeks, it has been happening much more often so I took it to a local transmission shop (I really didn't think it would be a serious problem). They told me the 3rd gear was almost completely shot and I needed a new transmission. I'm hoping Honda will cover it, I am taking it back to the dealership next week. The first time I had it at the dealership I had 80,200 miles on the car and they said the transmission warranty covered up to 80,000 miles.
2006Aug 13
(reported on)Accord EX
- 55,000 miles
From time to time slips out and back in to third gear.
2005Nov 16
(reported on)Accord
- 50 miles
car had problems from day one, slips out of gear, gear shift sticking, riding rough. Dealer claims this is how it is supposed to work and won't even put it on the lift to examine the transmission.
2005Feb 16
(reported on)Accord EX
- 70,000 miles
at low speed and in low torque situations the automatic transmission seems to slips out of gear. I have been able to get it back in gear by putting it in 1st to continue my trip. . So far the dealer can not find any problem. Has this happened to anyone else ? Honda did not indicate that this is a reported or known problem.
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A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
2009May 25
Accord EX 3.0L V6
I bougt an extended warranty from Consumer Direct Warrantee Service last November which went into effect December it cost me $1798. Covers the ransmission foor a max of $2500.00. I hhad a problem with the trans slip on the highway and bang into gear a few times but then seemed to stop. Then it lost third gear completely so i called CDWS who told me to bring it to a mechanic or a transmission shop. i asked them if the local Aamco was ok they said yes. Aamco called CDWS to report the claim because they said there was internal transmission failure. It took a week for them to come down and a few more days to tell us that they are not paying the claim because it was a piston seal that caused the problem with a spring broken and a cracked clutch drum. The reason they would not pay was because the drum was not leaking according to their test. Aamco told me that the inspector was on a mission to discredit the claim and to have another inspector come out. CDWS initially refused to send out another inspector but they finally said that the expense was on us and they sent out another inspector a week and a half later. The second inspector seemed to agree with Aamco but again they discredit the claim saying that the drum had a slight crack and the internal part of the drum had a broken spring and piston seal and again they discredited the claim. Originally Aamco wanted an excess of $4000 plus tax to repair the transmission. Since i had to pay for it and they charged me $700 to take the transmission down and put it back together i was already out that and i tried to get a better price elsewhere. The outside prices ranged from $2200 to $3100 plus tax and they would have paid the tow to their shop plus the $700 I was already out. I haggled with Aamco and after a few more days got the price to $3000 including the $700 so begrudgingly I allowed them to do the repair they told me 2 days but I just got the car back last Saturday which is a month after the trans failure. I have called Honda and they told me that there was no recall and i did not have a Honda extended warranty and since it was already in another shop the point was moot. A rebuilt trans from Honda according to Aamco cost them $2100 which they would charge $3100 PLUS $700 labor plus tax.and would cost beyond $4000 and I did not have that kind of money in fact $3000 tapped me out. It is strange to note that the TCS light was flashing 3 or 4 months prior to failure and I did bring it into Ray Price Honda in East Stroudsburg who I paid to fix the TCS problem and they claimed it was because of the aftermarket wheels that were on the car when I bought it which made no sense because those wheels were on the car at least 2 years without any TCS light problem. It seems evident that this problem was an earlier indication of transmission failure but was not diagnosed by Honda. I am amazed that there are now 180 complaints on this exact vehicle from Honda and the fact that in 2004 Honda updated the drum to a newer design. Aamco said that the old drum design which I had has a bad weld on it that caused the failure and developed the crack. The drum which Aamco initially said cost about $200 caused this failure but no one is listening and I believe that Honda should be the subject of a Class Action Lawsuit because of all of these failures with cars with the old drum design. I have had great luck with my 1998 Honda Accord 6cyk which has over 250,000 miles and the original transmission, exhaust, and engine. The engine runs quiet tick free and flawlessly with full power. The 2003 has had electrical problems with the door locks, dashboard error lights and now the complete transmission failure of the 3rd gear the problem everyone else has gotten.
Neil J.
Bloomfield, NJ, USA
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