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.

10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
0 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
0 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

2003 Honda Accord wheels / hubs problems

wheels / hubs problem

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2003 Honda Accord Owner Comments

problem #1

May 082003

Accord 4-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 0 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Spare tire provided with car is wrong size. Car is equipped with 16 inch tires with alloy rims. Spare tire is size 15 inch. When I called to ask why spare tire does not match permanent tires, I was told the 15 inch spare tire is for emergency use only. When I asked why a 16 inch spare is not provided, I was told that if Honda gave me a 16 inch tire then they would have to give everyone 16 inch spare tires.

- Montclair, NJ, USA

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