CarComplaints.com Notes: The 2001 Honda Accord suffers from widespread transmission failure, subframe rust, & problems with the airbag system (SRS). We recommend avoiding this model year like the plague.
The transmission begins slipping & eventually has to be replaced, typically soon after 100,000 miles & with a repair cost of over $2,000. Transmission failure problems have been a huge problem for Honda Accords & other models all through the early 2000s model years. Honda eventually extended the transmission warranty to 93 months/109k miles for the 2000-2001 Accords as settlement for a class action lawsuit, but that period is over & owners of Accords with transmission problems are out of luck.
Subframe rust near the front passenger side wheel has become a problem recently, due to the poorly positioned A/C drain hose directly above that area. Repair cost to the subframe is over $2,000.
The SRS warning light likes to come on due to a defective seat belt sensor -- typically the driver's side. This sensor is covered under Honda's lifetime seat belt warranty, but some dealers charge a $100+ "diagnostic fee" or tell customers the entire SRS unit ($800) is bad. Also make sure your 2001 Accord has been checked for the airbag recall: excessive pressure may cause metal fragments during airbag deployment.
6.3
fairly significant
Typical Repair Cost:
$740
Average Mileage:
92,700 miles
Total Complaints:
59 complaints
Most Common Solutions:
not sure (41 reports)
honda should recall and replace unit (6 reports)
call NHTSA/small claims court (5 reports)
dealer replaced driver side seat buckle (3 reports)
call honda customer service first, then dealer (2 reports)
honda has issued a repair bulletin to all dealers on the srs (2 reports)
Honda Expands Air-Bag Recall To 833,000 Additional Vehicles - For the 4th time since 2008, Honda is issuing a recall to deal with a problem where air bags deploy so forcefully it could kill or injure the driver; the last thing you'd expect from a "safety device".
SRS light was on, went to Autozone for free diagnostic code check. They were very friendly, no wait (Naperville, IL location). No problem/errors found but told me that the codes are for engine problems only. Advised me to go to dealer. The dealership gave $65 estimate for diagnosis that can be applied towards repair. They called back in couple of hours and told me that it was because of driver side seat belt buckle and that it is fully covered under Honda's life time warranty. So will order and replace it in 3-4 days (1 hour job) for totally free. Yes, no cost to me (probably I got lucky).
Earlier I found instructions (thx to Google) for resetting SRS indicator too but did not try them.
I bought my 2001 Honda Accord in June. It is absolutely a great running car . The lady I bought the vehicle from mother had past away and the did not need another car. I drove it to Tennessee and no problems at all. All of a sudden when I get back the airbag light flicks on and off, and then the rage of terror starts " SRS" light goes on then off and then it stays on. I took it to the honda dealership and they charged me 47.40 plus freakin tax which came to 53 dollars and some change to diagnosis the problem. I was ticked off. Once you don't let them fix the problem that day, they charge you anyway. Well the guy says that your entire SRS unit has failed and it is going to cost you $ 514.82 to repair it. I said are you serious? I said I do not think so. I think it could possibly be something else rather than just the srs unit has failed. If that's the case, then why does my airbag light pop on and off? they do not know a freakin thing at the dealerships except , on how to rip the customer off. I know repairs come as cars get older, but this frequent in many models of hondas. I think there needs to be a recall on the srs units in models 2000- present.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
MySRS light has been on for quite sometime, There is a Recall for the AIR BAG triggering mechanism. I took it to the dealer and they Fix it Free of charge but wouldn't touch the SRS Light complaint. I thought there would be a relation to the Light. They said it was a separate Issue. That I'd have to pay for Diagnosis and repair.!. Sure enough I thought They'd click the light "OFF" and charge me Lots of Money(I don't trust Dealers)
SRS light staying on. If this affects the airbag deployage, this is a HUGE safety issue apart from the fact that we buy our Honda's because they're rated so high on safety.
I had the car worked on for this problem years ago, but since the dealer could not solve the problem, I just ignored it. I learned recently that there was warranty extension for this situation. The Occupant Position Detection System (OPDS) was faulty. The extension was for 10 yrs. and 150,000 miles. My Accord currently has 161,000 miles, and I am in the process of appealing to Honda.
- George B.,
Downingtown, PA, US
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After reading this and other forums, I pretty much knew what to expect. So I went in prepared.
What worked for me for a low/no hassle solution:
1. Called Honda 1-800-999-1009, reported problem, verified diagnosis should be FREE, got ticket number.
2. Called dealer, made appointment, told them Honda said diagnose would be free. They challenged that statement, and I gave them my case number. Outcome, diagnosis was free.
3. Two major causes of this problem are OPDS and seat buckle problems. It turns out both are covered under the extended warranty. I had to pay nothing. For reference, mine particular issue was the seat belt.
code 7-2 was found when diagnosed at my local Honda dealer. I was told this was not covered under warranty and decided we did not want to pay the $700 to have the unit replaced. The only details I was given was that there was an internal failure and the SRS unit needed to be replaced. I will be calling Honda in the morning to discuss some options.
I have the same SRS light problem. Comes on when I start the car and stays on the whole time. I called American Honda (1-800-999-1009) and gave them my VIN number. Apparently there is a warranty extension: 10 yrs or 157,500 miles, whichever comes first on the OPDS (occupant position detector sensor) unit or OPDS sensor which can cause the SRS light to come on. Going to take it to a Honda dealer next week. If that is the problem then it will be fixed for free. If not I have to pay for the diagnosis fee which is about $100 and then however much it cost to fix the problem.
So i bought this car from a used car lot (CarMax) in March 2005. I have had problems with the SRS light since i drove it off the lot. I have been in 3 accidents (non of which were my fault). Sometimes the light was on and sometimes it wasnt. The airbags didnt deploy during any of the 3 accidents. I used to take itr back to CarMax and they would have it sent to a specialty Import Mechanic. All the had to do was reset the light. Im guessing this is all they did since the airbags never deployed. Like I said it has been a continuous problem for years i just got tired of dealing with it and figured it didnt matter if the light was on or not the airbags still didnt work. Well, when i got pregnant last year i really wanted it to be fixed (AGAIN) and i decided to call Honda directly. They claimed they sent out a letter to me about a sensor saying that it was defective and needed to be replaced for the SRS to work properly. I explained that i never received the letter and they pretty much said too bad and i have to pay for it on my own. I dont see how they can do this legally. It has been a problem since i bought it and drove it off the lot. ANY SUGGESTIONS??
srs light was on, went to dealer, told me it was because of passenger seat belt buckle and that it was not covered under warranty, I get home and see that seat belts are covered under lifetime warranty. waiting to hear back from service mgr regarding my complaint
I can't believe that Honda won't fix a safety issue. Do they want to wait until someone is killed and then sues Honda for a defective part? That's pretty sad and very disappointing, coming from a so-called reputable car manufacturer. This will definitely deter me from purchasing another Honda. I have no other complaints about the car and thought I would re-purchase from Honda, but this sheds another light on the subject!
I just bought a 2001 Honda Accord and in 7 days the SRS light came on. I took it to my mechanic and he cannot get it off. He did say the airbags would not deploy if the light is on. Great, I hope I am not in an accident! I called Honda and they said "There have not been many complaints about that and to bring it in." After just buying this car and trusted the HONDA name that it would be a great car I am really discouraged and frustrated. After reading everyone's complaints, I don't even know if I'll take it in. Ugh.
I bought my car in August of 2004 and since then we have had my car in the shop 3 times.
first time i had to change my head set cost $900dllrs. Later on i had problems with my clutch cost $800dllrs and on 02/23/2008 Im having problems to set of the srs light but non of my friends now how to do that and whats exactly it cost!!!!!
The SRS light came on and stayed on for no apparent reason. I don't know what could have caused this to happen. I only use my car just for work and home. This is very annoying to see this light on. Now I'm afraid to drive my car anywhere. I purchased the car because of the good reputation of Honda. If I'm going to have multiple problems with this vehicle, I might have to try another kind of vehicle. If this is a minor problem of SRS that I can fix. Could someone please provide me with some information.
I HAVE HAD MY SRS LIGHT ON SINCE i PURCHASED MY CAR IN 11/2001. EVERYTIME I GO THE HONDA DEALER THEY ADJUST IT AND IT COMES BACK AFTER A FEW WEEKS. IT IS SEVEN YEARS LATER AND THE SRS LIGHT IS STILL ON
SRS light is constantly on. I called my local dealer who checked my VIN and said my car is not covered under warranty. what? I told them that this is a known problem and an extended warranty was issued to all 2001 Honda Accord ( I wasn't sure about 'all', but that's what i said). She then spoke to the manage who said if the SRS is one due to OPDS then the service/repair should be covered under warranty. If it's something else, I would have to pay $90 for inspection and who-knows-how-much for the repair. This is what someone said on the Yahoo - http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20070619132337AAXTVVi
I want to bring the car in for an inspection, but I don't trust the dealership - what if they say the problem is due to something else other than OPDS and charge an arm and a leg...
This is really awful - almost makes you feel an injustice. It's a very common problem (and a serious one), but Honda is not taking the full responsibility.
SRS light came on while I pulled the drivers seat belt to adjust.
Stays on all the time now when the engine is turned on. The AutoZone checked the computer codes - no errors! This means it is air bag related issue ( not a seat belt). The Dealer tells me it will cost $100 to diagnose only. After reading this web site I'm very apprehensive - seems like a common problem to Hondas which is not cheap/easy to fix.
2001 Honda accord with 30,332 miles on it. The light came out and won't go out. Dealer is going to look at it but from reading other reports, this is a problem of great concern because of safety. I feel I should list my concerns so that the problem maybe get fixed by the Honda company. This has only just started, so I may be back.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
SRS light was on, went to Autozone for free diagnostic code check. They were very friendly, no wait (Naperville, IL location). No problem/errors found but told me that the codes are for engine problems only. Advised me to go to dealer. The dealership gave $65 estimate for diagnosis that can be applied towards repair. They called back in couple of hours and told me that it was because of driver side seat belt buckle and that it is fully covered under Honda's life time warranty. So will order and replace it in 3-4 days (1 hour job) for totally free. Yes, no cost to me (probably I got lucky).
Earlier I found instructions (thx to Google) for resetting SRS indicator too but did not try them.
- bpil, Naperville, IL, US