CarComplaints.com Notes: The 2004 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 ever 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 replaced 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.
9.0
really awful
Typical Repair Cost:
$1,390
Average Mileage:
75,350 miles
Total Complaints:
4 complaints
Most Common Solutions:
replace steering rack (and other related items) (3 reports)
I went to price the parts of my vehicle at autozone on 2/27/13 and the clerk stated that this should not be a problem on this vehicle and she told me to check the recalls. I noticed that others are having the same problem, so I called Honda and they indicated that this vin # does not have recalls for this problem. I see that they are not wanting to take responsibility, so if you can tell me what options I have, please do so. Thanks
3 year old Honda accord, high mileage (80k), but mostly highway miles. Never had a major problem with the thing, although the brake rotors tend to wear prematurely, on the 3rd set up front already! Over the weekend, power steering fluid started to leak. We'd been topping it off Sunday into Monday, waiting to get it to the shop when the car started smoking after one particular start. Immediately shut the car down and had AAA tow to Honda. Apparently they need to replace the steering rack! $1200! I asked what could have caused this on a 3 year old vehicle, and a Honda to boot, and receive an answer that goes something like: "We have no idea..." The ironic part of this whole thing is that I was planning to trade the vehicle in, and my wife talked me out of it! Regardless, I'm wondering what might cause the rack to start leaking like that? Bad design, lousy build quality or environmental / driving habit issues? We live in upstate NY, so plenty of salt and snow in the winter. Car has never been in any kind of accident, except for a curb scrape at parking speeds, nothing that would affect the steering. My 1998 accord went 150k miles before we traded it in last year, and the only major problem it ever had was the alternator blew at 130k, and that only cost about $300 to replace. So naturally, we didn't buy the extended warranty with this car. Will definitely do that for all future Honda purchases. I'm wondering if maybe Honda reliability is going down hill?
- piredon11,
Syracuse, NY, US
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I went to price the parts of my vehicle at autozone on 2/27/13 and the clerk stated that this should not be a problem on this vehicle and she told me to check the recalls. I noticed that others are having the same problem, so I called Honda and they indicated that this vin # does not have recalls for this problem. I see that they are not wanting to take responsibility, so if you can tell me what options I have, please do so. Thanks
- Anthoinette A., Arlington, TX, US