CarComplaints.com Notes: The 2004 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 ever 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 replaced 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.
6.7
fairly significant
Typical Repair Cost:
$280
Average Mileage:
71,700 miles
Total Complaints:
68 complaints
Most Common Solutions:
not sure (32 reports)
call American Honda (1-800-999-1009), ask for goodwill repair (11 reports)
Honda Radio 03 04 Accord Display Dim Screen Repair Fix - Honda Radio 03 04 Accord Display Dim Screen Repair fix
This problem is very common for this type of vehicle.
It is going to cost you lot of money (aprox. $300+) to replace the radio or to ask the dealership to fix it
Don't waste your money!!
I can bring your radio back to life!!
Your satisfaction is 100% guaranteed!!
The service is as cheap as $70!!
Honda Accord 03 04Dim Display Radio Repair - If you don't fill comfortable doing it yourself, please delegate this job to reliable people who's been doing this since 2005 with 100% money back guarantee. Links: http://jycomputerservices.com/2013/10/honda-radio-03-04-accord-display-dim-screen-repair-fix/
http://www.ebay.com/itm/121171250734?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1558.l2649
I AM A DIE-HARD HONDA FAN, I AM ONLY 25 AND HAVE ALREADY BEEN THE VERY PROUD OWNER OF A 1998 HONDA CIVIC, A 1998 HONDA ACCORD, AND NOW MY USED (NEW TO ME) 2004 HONDA ACCORD, WELL, I BOUGHT IT ABOUT A MONTH AGO AND MY LCD DISPLAY WENT OUT IN THE RADIO, RENDERING THE A/C BUTTONS, THE CLOCK, THE RADIO STATIONS, AND WHICH CD OUT OF THE SIX IS PLAYING IMPOSSIBLE TO SAY, MY CAR ALSO SEEMS MUCH DARKER INSIDE, THIS IS A MAJOR INCONVENIENCE, HOWEVER, HONDA WILL REPLACE THIS SO IF THIS HAPPENS TO YOU DON'T FREAK OUT UNTIL YOU CALL THE DEALERSHIP WHERE YOU PURCHASED YOUR VEHICLE, DON'T LET THEM MAKE YOU PAY FOR IT, INSTEAD, CALL AMERICAN HONDA. BY THE WAY, I READ A GUY'S COMMENT ABOUT ONLY OWNING TOYOTAS AFTER HIS EXPERIENCE WITH THIS, WELL, I WOULD RATHER NOT BE ABLE TO SEE MY RADIO THEN HAVE A TOTAL PIECE OF CRAP. I JUST TRADED IN MY AVALON, WITH ONLY 45,000 MILES THE TRANSMISSION WAS SLIPPING AND THEY ARE NOTORIOUS FOR HAVING SEVERE, I MEAN VERY SEVERE PROBLEMS WITH ENGINE SLUDGE, SO MY ADVICE.... THEY SUCK DO NOT SPEND 30 SOME ODD THOUSAND TO END UP WITH A "VEHICLE" IF YOU CAN CALL IT THAT LIKE MY AVALON, LOVE THE CAR-LOVER CHIC
This is really just a pain in the ass, you can't even see the time or radio station, thank god for preset station. It pisses me off that I can't even see what vents my heat or air is coming out of or how hot or cold the temperature is at.I hate foreign cars, thats why I'm
On May27 my radio/ hvac backlight was working perfectly. On the way home (I always leave the radio on) so I didn't notice until I went to turn on the air I couldn't see anything!!
Googled and found this site - called my dealer the next morning and they told me it might be covered. I again went on line and found other info including the actual service report - my vin was among those included in the extended warranty!! (There are many more than what are listed in this complaint site!!!!!!) Just got back from the dealer (Roberts Honda in Downingtown, PA) First they did a diagnostic test - no charge!! When they get the part it will be fixed absolutely no charge to me!! I am very satisfied!! This site did the ground work for me!!!!
This happened on my way home from work, one minute I can read the display next minute it's black. Definitely a pain in the ASS, can't read the clock to see how late I am, don't know what temperature I have it set on, can tell what track of the CD I am on. My husband did check all of the fuses and could not find anything wrong. So today I was looking for any advice and found this site and am happy I can contribute. Thanks to the one poster about the VIN#s mine is in the range and I will be calling the Honda dealership to get this fixed. Although after reading the other posts I am worried they will give me the run around. I have a suggestion for those of you who are having a problem and being refused or abused by Honda dealerships... can you say CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT? Obviously this is a problem and they (Honda) don't want to do a recall but if enough folks band together Honda would be stupid not to honor their customers rather than fight a class action. Thanks for listening and Thanks to all the posters for the information!
Well this problem just happened to me today. I can't call Honda of America because it is Sunday. I did, however, find the service bulletin 04-027 and I read that for my car to be covered under this problem my vin number has to be between ...4A000001 and ...4A014719. Well my vin number is just a little bit out of that range (I'd rather not give out my exact vin number...). So i guess i will have to call tomorrow to see if they can help me. This had better be covered because it is obviously the same problem. If it isn't covered, i will never buy Honda again.
- Steve T.,
Clarksville, TN, US
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My problem is even worse. The entire stereo system, which includes the radio/CD/clock, goes off automatically and the screen is empty whenever I start the car. It then comes back on after a good 2-3 miles drive. I'm not sure if it's caused by a faulty fuse because I still haven't had a chance to take a look at it. But this problem itself is causing a lot of inconvenience.
I AM NOT SURE OF WHAT I SHOULD SAY EXCEPT THAT I WAITED TOO LONG TO CHECK ON LINE TO FIGURE OUT IF I WAS THE ONLY PERSON WITH THIS PROBLEM. I WAS SURPRISED TO SEE THAT THERE WERE MANY MORE PEOPLE WITH THE SAME EXPERIENCE. THE RADIO LIGHT WENT OUT A COLD MORNING BUT CAME ON 4 DAYS LATER FOR A FEW SECONDS AND WENT OUT FOR GOOD. I CAN ONLY SAY THAT " I AM DISAPPOINTED WITH HONDA.
The backlight to the radio/AC went out a few weeks ago on my '04 Accord and after reading the posts here on carcomplaints.com I figured it was going to cost me a bundle to get it fixed. However, to my delight I went to the local dealer in Frederick, MD and experienced no problems. They immediately knew what my problem was and told me it wouldn't cost anything to replace, but they would have to order the part to fix it. A week later they received the part, I dropped my car off and 2 hours later it was fixed, for free. Kudos to Shockley Honda in Frederick, MD for taking care of their customers! My car is not under warranty and I do not have an extended warranty -- this problem was fixed by Honda for free. If your local dealer won't do it, seek out another dealer and file a complaint with Honda about the dealer that refused to do the required service.
The audio-hvac display goes dark so that you can barely see the readout during the day. Everything still works but you can't see which station you're listening to, the heat temp, mode, etc.
I was surprised to find so many other with the same backlight problem on the stereo/HVAC. This just happened to me and I will be contacting the dealer to see if they will cover the fix. I thought this might be a wiring problem because I unlocked my car today today and all 4 windows came down without me touching a button. Anyone else have a similar problem in addition to the lighting problem?
This is not a complaint. After I found out I had a backlighting problem on my radio inadvertently, I called Autowest Honda located in Fremont, Ca. I was pleasantly surprised that the lady from the service department acknowledged there was a recall on the radio first, and the repair cost would be covered by an extended warranty. I took my car in for a diagnostic check after calling the dealer. I returned to the same dealer for the repair two days later after the radio printed circuit board had arrived. It took the technician two hours to fix the backlighting problem.
Unbelievable that Honda has not recalled this problem part. How many of us are driving around in the dark without being able to see our stereo/HVAC controls? What Honda quality?
The clock/Stereo lights went dark. As described elsewhere this is not a problem with the fuses. Call the dealer and the warranty for this item has been extended to 100K. Scheduled an appoint so hope all is well and thank you to those that blazes these trails.
I was driving home from work tonight and my display flashed, then went dark! Like others have mentioned, the radio, cd & ac/heat still work. I also thought it may be a fuse problem & even tried (as stupid as it seems) turning the car off and starting it again. No luck. So when I got home, I decided to "google" the problem and was shocked to find this many complaints. It makes me so mad they haven't issued a recall! I plan on calling Honda customer service tomorrow. I will keep you all posted as to what happens with my problem! Thanks to everyone for sharing what happened to them!
Dealer has checked the problem out and said it was covered by an extended warranty by Honda 7years and 100,000 miles. Will repair at no cost to me. Call Honda to see if your vin number is covered. they have been very helpful.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
I AM A DIE-HARD HONDA FAN, I AM ONLY 25 AND HAVE ALREADY BEEN THE VERY PROUD OWNER OF A 1998 HONDA CIVIC, A 1998 HONDA ACCORD, AND NOW MY USED (NEW TO ME) 2004 HONDA ACCORD, WELL, I BOUGHT IT ABOUT A MONTH AGO AND MY LCD DISPLAY WENT OUT IN THE RADIO, RENDERING THE A/C BUTTONS, THE CLOCK, THE RADIO STATIONS, AND WHICH CD OUT OF THE SIX IS PLAYING IMPOSSIBLE TO SAY, MY CAR ALSO SEEMS MUCH DARKER INSIDE, THIS IS A MAJOR INCONVENIENCE, HOWEVER, HONDA WILL REPLACE THIS SO IF THIS HAPPENS TO YOU DON'T FREAK OUT UNTIL YOU CALL THE DEALERSHIP WHERE YOU PURCHASED YOUR VEHICLE, DON'T LET THEM MAKE YOU PAY FOR IT, INSTEAD, CALL AMERICAN HONDA. BY THE WAY, I READ A GUY'S COMMENT ABOUT ONLY OWNING TOYOTAS AFTER HIS EXPERIENCE WITH THIS, WELL, I WOULD RATHER NOT BE ABLE TO SEE MY RADIO THEN HAVE A TOTAL PIECE OF CRAP. I JUST TRADED IN MY AVALON, WITH ONLY 45,000 MILES THE TRANSMISSION WAS SLIPPING AND THEY ARE NOTORIOUS FOR HAVING SEVERE, I MEAN VERY SEVERE PROBLEMS WITH ENGINE SLUDGE, SO MY ADVICE.... THEY SUCK DO NOT SPEND 30 SOME ODD THOUSAND TO END UP WITH A "VEHICLE" IF YOU CAN CALL IT THAT LIKE MY AVALON, LOVE THE CAR-LOVER CHIC
- missyal, Birmingham, AL, US