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.

1.7

hardly worth mentioning
Crashes / Fires:
0 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
97,778 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 lights problems

lights problem

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2002 Honda Accord Owner Comments

problem #10

Jan 022018

Accord

  • 180,000 miles

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

When I utilize my mirror lights when I have the headlights on.. the head circuit will short out, and I will not be able to see how fast I am driving in the night which is a serious safety risk problem.

- Lancaster, CA, USA

problem #9

Jan 112018

Accord

  • 121,430 miles
The contact owns a 2002 Honda Accord. Upon inspection of the liftgate, the contact noticed that the vehicle retained excessive water from the tail lamp assembly. The dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was notified and provided case number: 06603477. The contact was informed that recalls were administered and enforced by NHTSA and was advised to call NHTSA. The failure mileage was approximately 121,430.

- Lakeside, CA, USA

problem #8

Nov 012005

Accord 6-cyl

  • 20,000 miles
I am on my second Honda - the first one was a 1987 Honda Accord that I had for 15 years. I loved that car and had no issues at all with its performance. The car listed with this complaint I bought new in 2002 and still have it today. I am not sure of the dates but within three to four years of having this Honda, the dash board lights stopped working and the driver side airbag returned an error light. I faithfully service this vehicle ( kirkwood auto center wilmington de) and when they investigated the issue, I was told that each of the repairs was not covered by warranty and would be several hundred dollars to repair. I was a single parent at the time and learned to live with no dashboard lighting at night and had the air bags disabled. I have also taken the car to a certified Honda dealer (union park Honda wilmington de) and they also confirmed that neither of those repairs was covered or the product of a recall. I always thought I would buy Honda forever but I am quite disappointed in the performance of this 2002 Accord and how it failed so soon after I purchased it with no recourse but to pay a huge amount of money to fix the issues. Equally upsetting is all of the issues with airbags that are being replaced yet my car, with the failed airbag, would have to be paid by me to be functional. What can Honda do for me to keep me in your Honda family?

- Hockessin, DE, USA

problem #7

Oct 052012

Accord 6-cyl

  • 190,000 miles

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

Low beams have stopped working" high beams works fine... I replaced with a new bulb, but it still doesn't work (something electrical"). this defect has similar symptoms to the electrical issues I have read about for the 2003-2007 models.

- Wink, TX, USA

problem #6

May 162011

Accord

  • 85,000 miles
The contact owns a 2002 Honda Accord. The contact stated the headlights on her vehicle were cloudy, which made it very difficult to see at night when illuminated. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and stated the failure will be investigated. This is the second time that the headlights were covered with a cloudy substance. The vehicle was not inspected by a dealer. The VIN was not available. The failure mileage was 85,000 and the current mileage was 93,000.

- Crestville, FL, USA

problem #5

Mar 032010

Accord

  • 73,350 miles
When we purchased this 2002 Honda Accord ex in March of 2010 the clock backlight did not work. About 2 months ago the gear shift console backlight went out. The only way we know at night what gear we are in is to view it on the dash. Now the backlighting for the climate controls has gone out. We understand that this has been a problem for many years now and there has been very little positive help from Honda. To get this fixed I understand that the whole radio must be replaced because of the interlocking electrical systems at a cost somewhere around $1000.

- Westport, OR, USA

problem #4

Sep 182009

Accord 4-cyl

  • 97,000 miles

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

I have a 2002 Honda Accord ex that has continuously been having transmission issues including jerking in and out of gear revving up witout moving and switching gears. Also having noticed I forgot to put car in park and turned off my car taking keys out of gear. Both of these problems are big safety issues and have occurred since owning the car for two years. I am now faced with getting a new transmission on a car that had originally less then 100 thousand miles on it when purchased. I have also had to replace the head lights and brake lights 3 times since owning the car and I have never left lights on for an extended period.

- Oakland, CA, USA

problem #3

Nov 012009

Accord

  • 90,000 miles
The headlight covers became highly scratched by normal driving, to the point that the headlight covers significantly prevented the headlights from doing their job. They had to be replaced.

- Cedar Rapids, IA, USA

problem #2

Jan 012010

Accord 6-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 36,000 miles
While not crashes or injuries have been related to the Honda vehicle I own, there are a number of engineering and manufacturing defects on the vehicle which are a cause of serious safety concerns. I have a 2002 Honda Accord with about 131,000 miles which has had the following issues: 1. the transmission went out around 60,000 miles and was replaced by Honda. At around 100,000 miles the transmission started to exhibit same symptoms. I took the car in, but, of course, Honda dealer said there is nothing wrong. Then around 116,000 miles a Honda mechanic said that my model of a car has an issue with transmissions and that it would need to be replaced. The transmission issue is bad enough to have a website dedicated to it. While a transmission failing is not necessarily a safety issue, loosing vehicle control and drivable on the highway could be. 2. now the vehicle starts to vibrate at highway speeds despite having new and balanced tires on it. I took the car in to get new struts. Since then I took the car to a mechanic of very high integrity (not the Honda dealer) and they said that unfortunately, the problem may simply be "impossible" to fix since everything they could see indicated that car should behave normally, I.e. the tires were fine, the alignment was fine, and the cv joints were fine. This is becoming more and more of the issue and indicates a possible design flaw with the vehicle. 3. the lights on the vehicle are horrible. This is a safety issue as it seriously impairs the vehicle drivability. 4. the rails for the driver's seat had to be replaced around 32,000 miles and now (at around 130,000 miles) the seat seems to wobble again. This could be a potential safety issue as it seems that the seat could simply detach in the case of an accident. Updated 05/07/10.

- Denver, CO, USA

problem #1

Jan 232009

Accord

  • 85,000 miles
Headlight has discolored and frosted over.

- Reno, NV, USA

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