CarComplaints.com Notes: The 2003 Honda Accord suffers from widespread transmission failure & problems with the stereo backlight failing. 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.
The stereo backlight problem has been an issue since these Accords were only a few years old. Honda eventually issued a recall which covered the repair for 7 years/100k miles, which was nice while it lasted but now that period is over. Honda initially was replacing the entire radio ($800) but eventually began replacing just the PCB which at ~$300 is much cheaper. That sounds like a deal, but keep in mind we're talking about a backlight bulb that costs $2 to fix in most other cars.
6.0
fairly significant
Typical Repair Cost:
$550
Average Mileage:
65,050 miles
Total Complaints:
25 complaints
Most Common Solutions:
not sure (16 reports)
take it in, it is covered under 100k (8 reports)
recall 2003s b4 a child stuck in a carseat burns to death (1 reports)
Dashboard lights (speedometer area, radio, warning flashers) started to strobe one night. No other lights (headlights, map lights, dome light) seem to be affected. I thought it was because my battery was going bad. But after I replaced the battery, problem has only gotten worse. During a 15 mile trip, the lights went from bright to dim 31 times. It is annoying, distracting at night, and I'm concerned about the whole electrical system going out when I'm on the road. Has anyone contacted Honda?
I turned on my car one day and the center dash LCD screen, where it displays my radio and heat/AC settings was off. I thought it may be a blown fuse so I replaced the fuse, but the problem wasn't fixed. I have an appt. scheduled at the dealership, but was hoping to get a better idea what the problem was before I went in. Does anyone know what the problem could be? If so, what action should be taken to fix it??
Same deal! The central console light was going off randomly lately and one morning it just did not come back up. Looked up the owner's manual - there is no reference of it. Dealer wants to charge $200 just to diagnose the problem. If anyone came up with solution to it, please update everyone.
My "required maintenance" light came on and in a split second the light of the center counsel blew. (this displays clock, radio, AC, heat, ect. I am sure that that the "maintenance required" light stressed the electrical system and caused it to blow out my audioboard (eventhough the raidio itself works!) The car is only six months out of warranty ~ funny how that happens! What do you think I should do and/or say to the dealer?
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
Dashboard lights (speedometer area, radio, warning flashers) started to strobe one night. No other lights (headlights, map lights, dome light) seem to be affected. I thought it was because my battery was going bad. But after I replaced the battery, problem has only gotten worse. During a 15 mile trip, the lights went from bright to dim 31 times. It is annoying, distracting at night, and I'm concerned about the whole electrical system going out when I'm on the road. Has anyone contacted Honda?
- Linda N., Stone Mountain, GA, US