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.

1.5

hardly worth mentioning
Crashes / Fires:
0 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
110,500 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.

2002 Honda Accord fuel system problems

fuel system problem

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2002 Honda Accord Owner Comments

problem #2

Jan 132014

Accord 4-cyl

  • 131,000 miles

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

I have Honda Accord 2002 which has been regularly serviced by Honda dealers. I recently got my 120K service done and spend about $1000 on service and parts. At that time everything was diagnosed ok. After couple of months driving the engine light came on. I went to the dealer and was told that my car needs transmission replacement with a cost of $4000 upward. I researched on the web and came to know that the 2002 Accord have transmission issues. A recall was done in 2004 for transmission. I didn't receive any recall notice from Honda in 2004. Since Honda knows about the issue I think Honda should be liable to pay for the cost of fixing the transmission. Could anyone let me know what is my rights in this situation considering it is a known issue and Honda did nothing about it. It is a potential safety hazard since faulty transmission can lock the engine resulting in crash. Please advise.

- Santa Clara, CA, USA

problem #1

Feb 012010

Accord 4-cyl

  • 90,000 miles
Purchased the 2002 Honda Accord SE coupe in March 2008 with 64K miles. After a few months of driving I began to feel a slight jerk when I placed my feet on the accelerator. Took my car to a local Honda dealership only to be told that I needed a transmission flush. After driving car I began to feel the slight jerk and over a year I recieved 2 transmission flushes. Jerking has gotten so bad that I am not able to trade because it is basically a lemon. Honda dealership has told me now that I need a new transmission. Over 3K to replace and after calling american Honda they refused to help with the cost. This is a known problem with the 2002 Accord but yet they wont own up to it. I will never purchase a Honda ever again.

- Jacksonville, FL, USA

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