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.
2.5
hardly worth mentioning
Crashes / Fires:
0 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
60,446 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.
The contact owns a 2003 Honda Accord. While attempting to pull out of a driveway, the contact depressed the accelerator pedal, but the vehicle failed to move. Suddenly, the vehicle shot backwards into the street at 45 mph. She then attempted to place the vehicle into drive once again, but it would not move. Suddenly, the vehicle sped forward. She heard a loud noise, but did not know the origin. The contact attempted to drive home, but the vehicle failed again on a main road with moderate to heavy traffic. She aimed the vehicle toward the nearest curb and restarted the vehicle. Pointed in the direction of a curb, she was able to move the vehicle towards the curb with one jerk. The previous week, the contact noticed the transmission banging into gear when shifting. The VIN was not included in NHTSA campaign id number 04V176000 (power train:automatic transmission), although the failures were similar. Other failures include the ABS sensor light, cd player, air compressor leakage, trunk release not functioning, and the catalytic converter. The vehicle was towed to the dealer as instructed by the manufacturer and a local mechanic also inspected the vehicle. The vehicle has not been repaired. The failure and current mileages were 60,446. Updated 07/29/08. Updated 08/05/08.
- Fairfield , CT, USA
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- Fairfield , CT, USA