CarComplaints.com Notes: The 2002 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 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.
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.
10.0
really awful
Crashes / Fires:
5 / 1
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
89,997 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.
My 2002 Honda Accord engine would shut down randomly while driving. Only the engine would shut down and the lights and radio still works. When I try to restart the car, the engine would crank but no start. It usually starts back up randomly when all the lights on the dash flashes.
The contact owns a 2002 Honda Accord. The contact parked the vehicle on the side of the street and it drifted into another vehicle. He returned to the vehicle and noticed that the gear was in drive instead of park. There was no prior warning to this failure and both vehicles sustained damages. There was property damage related to this incident, but no injuries. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and they stated that the failure was related to the ignition switch. The contact was informed that the ignition key should not release if the vehicle was not in the park position. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 63,000 and current mileage was 65,000.
There's a problem with my 2002 2 door Honda Accord ex. The power cuts off and the car dies while is driving. I have to turn the ignition off and back on while driving. It's been happening since I bought the car. Now, this problem happens 2 or 3 times a month. I bought it back to Honda and they said there's nothing wrong with it, but I continue to get the same problem.
My Honda car sound system has a whining noise from the speakers when passing through certain areas or when the cell phone rings. I have complained to the dealer twice and was told that this was normal. I can understand if it happens to the radio only but it happens also when the cd player is running.
- Piscataway, NJ, USA
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- Bellevue, WA, USA