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.

8.0

pretty bad
Typical Repair Cost:
$2,540
Average Mileage:
113,950 miles
Total Complaints:
26 complaints

Most Common Solutions:

  1. not sure (17 reports)
  2. factory replacement (6 reports)
  3. rebuild transmission (3 reports)
2001 Honda Accord transmission problems

transmission problem

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2001 Honda Accord Owner Comments (Page 1 of 2)

problem #26

May 072016

Accord EX 4

  • Automatic transmission
  • 228,000 miles

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

Does anyone else have this problem? my d4 light is flashing then the car stopped moving

- Roderick J., Huntsville, AL, US

problem #25

Mar 012016

Accord EX 2.3L

  • Automatic transmission
  • 162,000 miles

I was going to grocery store (which is a mile away from my house) and the d4 started flashing and the engine light came on. So I slowly drove it over to my mechanic (who is also conveniently close to my house).We looked up the codes. My mechanic replaces a part in the transmission (I forget what it was but it was a switch inside). almost a month later that didn't fix the problem. Car is still broken. I don't know what to do next with it.

- litesouris, Concord, NH, US

problem #24

Nov 302014

Accord EX V6

  • Automatic transmission
  • 172,500 miles

I had the car for 7.5 years and always noticed the car would yank at certain points, even though I was careful accelerating. The car had over 105K miles when I bought it and I did not even drive it for 70K miles when it finally gave in on the transmission. It started yanking even more and the "check engine" light came on and the "D4" started flashing. I took it to get checked by three different mechanics and they gave me the "P0730" and "P0780" codes. They quoted me at $1,600 to $3,700 to rebuild or replace the transmission. The car's value is anywhere from $3,800 to $4,000 so it seems worthless to put in nearly as much money to fin this! I called Honda but they said the car was out of the warranty period, even though they are aware this is a common issue in these models. So the car is now parked until I can figure out what to do with it. This is very frustrating and stressful!

- Elizabeth C., Wilmington, NC, US

problem #23

Sep 052014

Accord EX V6

  • Automatic transmission
  • 90,400 miles

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

I am a very loyal honda customer. My first car was a certified pre-owned 2007 Honda Civic and never had any issues with that vehicle but unfortunately, in an accident last year, it was declared totaled by insurance and since I had to immediately buy a car I bought this 2001 Honda Accord EX Sedan From a Private Party and immediately changed the timer belt & pump. After 2 months I also changed the transmission oil and had regularly done all the maintenance works at an local Auto Body Shop. But for the First time in August i had a sudden jerk or holding up while giving the acceleration and when I checked back after 2 days with my regular auto body shop, they did not see any issues. In Sep 1 week I noticed the engine light and d4 was blinking. When i checked back they had told me that it was a transmission issue and told i had to rebuild the transmission. Though I had all these issues going on , My wife still bough a 2012 Pre-Certified CRV in Sep 2014. I had very high regards for honda but I am completely disappointed now .

I have called up honda care today requesting them for any goodwill , but I was told they are helpless and they can no do anything. I am totally frustrated on how a manufacturing defect ( TSB 02-062) is not being considered by Honda.

- tbrao31, Piscataway, NJ, US

problem #22

Oct 012010

Accord LX V6

  • Automatic transmission
  • 108,000 miles

Had car serviced at Honda dealer, they knew about the recall and did not inform me.

- Loraine S., San Jose, CA, US

problem #21

Aug 242012

Accord EX 3.0V6

  • Automatic transmission
  • 183,000 miles

I bought 2001 honda accord V6 EX at 169000 miles after a year driving 184000 miles blew up transmission and found my D4 flashing and car stalled. dealer quoted for $ 3500 for a transmission and I took to transmission shop and diagnose for a rebuilt transmission for 2100 dollars. with a one year warranty. the car has now 203000 miles.the car after driving twenty to thirty minutes and when at complete stop on red light and begin again stumble or knocking. It happens occasionally. Then after fixing my transmission I had engine light alarm and it diagnosed faulty EGR valve. changed the egr valve cleaned the throttle body

- joypothen, Waterford, MI, US

problem #20

Mar 302012

Accord

  • Automatic transmission
  • 27,000 miles

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

In Feb of 2012 my (now) 90 year old aunt decided to help our family out (and for the safety of others she gave up driving,) She had this vehicle transported from Henderson Nevada to Marysville Ohio (and yes by the way where Honda first came to America). When we received the car it had just about 25,000 miles on it. YES I said 25 thousand miles...It was a go to Walmart, church and Dr. appointments car, so how could we say no....I drove it numerous times when I would go see her a couple times a year, so I knew the car before it was signed over to me.

Well, this car was meant for my husband to drive to work since our 2004 Honda Civic has close to 170,000 miles and has been giving us some trouble. My husband works approx. 37 miles one way from our home. One day he called me and told me to be ready to get him because the transmission was slipping and the D4 light was flashing. He made it home safely thank goodness.

Well we took it to our independent repairman, which by the way we had do a complete inspection of the car when we got it, to see if we needed to do anything or if there was anything that was wrong. We got a clean bill of health and is that really the mileage on that car. Well we set up an appointment and he put it on the computer and it was showing the error sign for the transmission which he felt was odd even though it was 11 years old. He said in no way with that low of mileage should the transmission have any problems. Well we have dealt with this problem until we couldn't take it anymor. We took it up to our local Honda dealership where they charged us 91 bucks to put it on the computer and it showed 2 error codes, PO780 and PO730 and of course gave us the wonderful news of $3900.00 plus tax and shop supplies.

Well needless to say we can't afford it and I just got off the phone with Honda Customer Service and said that the age of the car would prevent them from doing anything even though it has low miles. WTF.....my aunt had no problems because she drove an average of just over 2,000 miles per year, she kept her appointments with her Honda dealership for her routine check-ups. Hello Honda, I can read the internet posts and see there has been a problem with the transmission and you even extended it for the owners.....Really Honda,the car has stayed within the family and has been taken care of.....HOW ABOUT SOME HELP HERE...these are tough times and it seems that this is a defect in YOUR product, you owned up to it so help us out!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

- Noreen H., Marysville, OH, US

problem #19

Nov 012010

Accord EX V4

  • Automatic transmission
  • 105 miles

When we bought our car the agent lied to us and did not give us warranty or even credit for purchasing the car from the dealer, he said we payed to fast? and since my mom bought the car for her originally she didn't really try it out so a couple months passed and my dad used the car once only to find out the reverse was bad and then to realize not only that but the whole transmission was bad since the blinking d only means that it will equal sudden death to the car. my mom decided to not throw it away to the junk yard and gave it to me. but in these hard times its ridiculous to pay 10 k for an outdated car and on top of that its all ready broken to start with and to fix is an estimate of at least 3k easily. money witch we do not have and do not deserve to pay for since this car has so many error codes , and on top of that the honda dealer did not let us know and overcharged us. giving us no warranty no credit and not being honest with us at all. there have been a numerous amount of cars that have been given recall and with this is replacement of the transmission and they provide a loaner vehicle SO I WANT THE SAME in order to still trust in the brand and because we deserve the same rights for every transmission from the qualifying years. please help us trust you again.

- selene ca, Tracy, CA, US

problem #18

Feb 012013

Accord EX V6

  • Automatic transmission
  • 87,300 miles

The D4 light started to flash, and the engine light came on. I just hate to say the with such a low mileage 87300, the AAMCO says that transmission is dead.. What a poor car by Honda..

- hate honda accord, Chicago, IL, US

problem #17

May 022012

Accord LX

  • Automatic transmission
  • 77,000 miles

Extremely slow and delayed engagement. Transmission made a huge noise when I accelerated to take off at traffic light, check engine light was on and D4 indicator on the instrument panel flashed. The mileage of my Honda Accord is 77k, I am first owner.

- S H., Socorro, NM, US

problem #16

Nov 082012

Accord EX 3.0L V6

  • Automatic transmission
  • 130,000 miles

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

My car has been doing this for probably a year and it only happens when i do not warm the car up after leaving it sitting for 6 hours or longer. My transmission is perfect when its warmed up but when its not its a sh*t box. I hope this tranny lasts like this for at least 2 more years never again will i buy a Honda.

- coreyr, Lynn, MA, US

problem #15

Jul 112011

Accord LX

  • Automatic transmission
  • 120,000 miles

The D4light on my 2001 Honda Accord LX is flashing. This may be related to the transmission issue I had the previous year.

- Denise S., Union City, GA, US

problem #14

Apr 192012

Accord V6 EX 3.0L V6

  • Automatic transmission
  • 181,000 miles

I was decelerating and when the car jerked before coming to a stop. Indicator panel lights were flashing, the gear selector light was also flashing, and the check engine light came on. I shut the car off and restarted it; only the check engine light stayed on. I went to O'Reilly Auto Parts to use their free diagnostic tool. The tool showed trouble code P0780; Shift Malfunction. The reported fix is to replace the transmission.

- Michael S., Oshkosh, WI, US

problem #13

Jan 162012

Accord LX V4

  • Automatic transmission
  • 123,586 miles

Honda accord transmissions are worthless, d4 light was blinking and check engine light came on , care want move forward

- smart-girl2008, Lancaster, SC, US

problem #12

Sep 252011

Accord V4

  • Automatic transmission
  • 112,654 miles

I just recently bought a Honda Accord since I have always wanted a Honda. So went to get into my car one morning and my car wouldn't move in any gear. So my husband flushed the transmission and we put brand new honda trans fluid and it worked for one day, and I got in to my car then next moring to take my son to school and it wouldnt drive. Only D4 wouldn't drive and is now flashing. But the car will drive in all the other gears. Im not sure why or what it will cost all I know is that I can't afford any big time fixing on this car.

- Darlene I., Swink, CO, US

problem #11

Nov 222011

Accord EXL V6

  • Automatic transmission
  • 48,512 miles

I WAS a Honda owner for life. I own 4 Honda's - yes, FOUR! My last Honda that I purchased would have been the 8th Honda/Acura product I would have owned in my lifetime. I WILL NEVER, EVER AGAIN CONSIDER BUYING A HONDA. My 2001 Accord only has 49K pampered miles on it. Almost all miles were highway miles with few stops and starts. This car was mainly used for road trips (hence the 4,000 miles per year average). Services were performed regularly. My transmission just went out. PO780 code of death. Honda wants to charge me nearly $4000 to fix it. I've called and complained and they will do nothing to help me. Nothing. Here I have been loyal to them and they can't return any of that loyalty. Heck, they can't even build a decent car. I could have bought a Mitsubishi and had better endurance from the transmission. This is ridiculous and I caution anyone who is considering buying a Honda to reconsider. Go buy anything BUT a Honda and you will have made a wise choice.

- Sc H., Houston, TX, US

problem #10

Jun 012011

Accord EX 4 C

  • Automatic transmission
  • 140,000 miles

I have two accords one is a 1996 and the other is a 2001. I have never had any major repairs with either of them until recently. My 2001 accord starting jerking as it was changing gears and then the D4 light started flashing and the check engine light came on. I took it to a repair shop and they informed me that is was in need of a new or rebuilt transmission. I was in shock since our 1996 Accord has over 200,000 miles on it. I found this web site and discovered that this is an ongoing issue with this car. I called Honda @ 1 800 999-1009 and was basically told that they were aware of transmission problems but that they were not going to fix it. Wow! I will no longer suggest anyone I know to purchase a Honda.

- gotitans4000, Chattanooga, TN 3, US

problem #9

May 042011

Accord EX

  • Automatic transmission
  • 194,000 miles

I purchased my Accord from a private party in feb of 2011. I wanted to do a little more research on it first, but the guy was a little insistent about wanting to close the deal (that should have told me something right there) i have not even had the car for 3 months and everything that everyone is saying about, the D4 light flashing and the engine revving but car not moving, is happening!! I totally love Hondas, but this is changing my mind fairly quickly. If Honda knows that they have faulty stuff they need to handle it and stop acting like JERKS!!!

- Latrise H., Stockton, CA, US

problem #8

Aug 122010

Accord EX 3.0L V6

  • Automatic transmission
  • 104,730 miles

I bought the car when it had 94,500 miles on it already, so I've only been driving the car for a little over 10,000 miles. Although the car had always been maintained at a Honda dealership the request for a "goodwill repair" was denied. I understand that the extended warranty is supposed to last for 7 years or 100,000 miles, whichever comes first, but by looking at the number of transmission failure complaints on this type of car and knowing that it has always been maintained at a Certified Honda dealership I expected the "goodwill repair" to be accepted. Anyway I hope this doesn't happen again because it's putting me down close to 4 grand. I bought the car for 8 :) what a joke!!!

- kboostani, Everett, WA, US

problem #7

Feb 152010

(reported on)

Accord LE 4 Cl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 80,000 miles

D4 light comes on; turn off engine;engine check light comes on;had transmission flushed; no result; so I got the light to turn off by removing the # 13 fuse and replacing it back again. the transmission whirrs a little but keeps going.is there a recall for this problem.the dealer wants $3,500.00 for a new transmission.I am going to ride it out till it does work anymore.

- Richard S., New Haven, CT, US

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