CarComplaints.com Notes: The 2005 Honda Accord suffers from transmission failure. It's not a huge widesperad problem like in prior years, but definitely still something to consider.

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 problems have been a huge problem for the Accord & several other Honda models all through the early 2000s model years. Honda eventually extended the transmission warranty to 93 months/109k miles for the 2000-2001 Accords as a class action lawsuit settlement, but owners of other Accord model years with transmission problems are out of luck.

9.0

really awful
Typical Repair Cost:
$3,770
Average Mileage:
95,650 miles
Total Complaints:
67 complaints

Most Common Solutions:

  1. replace transmission (60 reports)
  2. not sure (3 reports)
  3. change torque converter (2 reports)
  4. rebuild transmission (1 reports)
  5. replace torque converter (1 reports)
2005 Honda Accord transmission problems

transmission problem

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2005 Honda Accord Owner Comments (Page 2 of 4)

« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #47

Jan 082014

Accord EX 3.0L V6

  • Automatic transmission
  • 154,000 miles

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

puchased vehicle 7 montha ago from dealer & was a problem from jump where headlights were out, tail light, brake rotors. I also did a power steering flush * o ring replace.now the transmission is worn & torque converter needs to be replaced cost $3200.

- Jonathan M., bronx, NY, US

problem #46

Jun 172013

Accord LX 3.0L

  • Automatic transmission
  • 93,000 miles

I have a 2005 Honda Accord V6 brought it @ 29,000 it was running good and then about 55,000 ( almost 3 years) transmission just shut down no warnings it was under warranty so they had to fix it but now its again (almost 3 years later) and i have the same problem car will not move. I had refinanced and so i didn't put the warranty back on the car because transmission was done previously so i figured it would be no problem but was i so WRONG about that. Tried calling Honda Prime where i brought the car and the lady tells me that there's nothing they can do because i'm no longer under warranty which is BS. they fixed my transmission and now its not their problem but then tells me that there's a recall on the power steering which i put $700 into and i never received any paper work stating that there was a recall. so yes i do want my money back. My question is if all these compliants why in the HELL is nothing happening no one has $4000 laying to around to be fixing problems that have already been fixed. HELP I NEED ANSWERS!!!!!! They knew something was wrong with that transmission the 1st and 2nd time they're really ROBBING people. What do we need to do for them to realize its HONDA'S FAULT.

- Keya G., Boston, MA, US

problem #45

May 272013

Accord EX V6

  • Automatic transmission
  • 93,000 miles

Honda is touted as the most reliable car and to have the transmission go out and need a complete replacement at 93,000 miles and around $3000 is ridiculous. I have had previous cars that were much less expensive where I didn't have to do anything but standard maintenance until well over 125,000 miles. I will not be buying a honda in the future. Buyer beware!!

- Tammy F., Denver, CO, US

problem #44

Apr 102013

Accord EX 3.2L V6

  • Automatic transmission
  • 78,000 miles

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

Just wanted to add to the list of complaints. It's been about a month where the car would delay 5-10 seconds when shifting gears. Suddenly on the highway while going 60 mph, the RPM shot up to 6000 and then my car started slowing down. The car wouldn't accelerate any further and ended getting stuck on the highway during a rainstorm. My mechanic took a look and said the transmission was shot. I called up Honda as the mechanic said it may be under warranty. I gave them a call and was told it's not covered. They recommended I leave my mechanic and have it towed "again" to a Honda dealer as American Honda may be willing to give me a discount. I was a bit wary about the 'may be' so when I asked if that was certain, he said he wouldn't be able to tell me. So I chose to avoid going to the dealer as given my luck, they'd charge me and arm and a leg, not cover any cost as offered, and I'd have to pay for towing service again.

Decided to pay the local mechanic $2,000 to have the transmission rebuilt as I only have 78k miles on it.

- Edward P., Brooklyn, NY, US

problem #43

Feb 232013

Accord ES V6

  • Automatic transmission
  • 102,400 miles

This car was purchased with about 87,000 miles approximately two years ago. It is the top-end w/ leather, heated seats, etc.

Until this incident we had never experienced any problems with the transmission. However, my wife told me that a few days before when driving the car in city traffic she thought she heard the engine very briefly "race" but she wasn't sure if she was imagining it or not.

Regarding the problem day, about 40 miles into a 60-mile highway trip down the California Central Coast and driving about 75 mph under cruise control the car briefly lost power, the tach went up to 4000-5000 rpm. I turned off cruise control and we continued. After another 15 or so miles the problem reoccurred. By the time we went another 10 miles we found that we could not negotiate even a slightly upward sloping off-ramp. Instead, I had to roll back down the ramp (luckily no vehicles were coming) and turn the engine off.

After having turned the engine off, I noticed that even in Park gear the car was slowly rolling backwards. Fortunately the emergency brake still worked. At this point the "Check Engine" light had not turned on.

After sitting for five minutes or so I found that I was able to get the car moving again and we managed to get to our destination (a dinner house). After dinner I tried the car again. This time the Check Engine light did come on. I found the car to be less and less drivable over the next 10 miles of driving/testing. Ultimately I got it to to a repair shop recommended by a local 76 gas outlet. By then we were smelling overheated automatic transmission fluid.

The diagnosis was that the transmission had completely failed although fluid levels were normal. Metal was found in the fluid and the gears were described as stripped.

The repair shop recommended a Jasper remanufactured transmission which cost about $4,100. It comes with a 3-year parts and labor guarantee. According to the repair shop, Jasper has also made improvements in the transmission which -- judging from the many other similar complaints on this topic for this car -- would be a very good thing.

We didn't buy this car from Honda and it certainly has some miles. Still, it appeared to be well cared for and checked out fine when we purchased it.

I've been driving for nearly 50 years and this is the first time I've experienced a transmission problem other than a couple of clutch replacements on manual transmissioned cars. This experience has certainly has shaken my faith in the bullet-proof reputation of Hondas.

- Todd K., San Luis Obispo, CA, US

problem #42

Jan 022013

Accord EX 3.0L V6

  • Automatic transmission
  • 65,000 miles

My 05 Honda Accord tranny is completely dead. Theres a long delay between Drive, Park, or Reverse and slips like crazy. Now it barely moves and I have to get it towed to get it fixed. The dealer quoted me over $4,400 for a new one plus labor. This car only has 65k miles on it. I don't really drive that much and had the car since 2006 and took good care of it. Now that the warranty had expired they don't want to take responsibility for it. I'm very disappointed in Honda and will never buy another one.

- adama854, Upper Darby, PA, US

problem #41

Aug 012012

Accord EX 3.0L V6

  • Automatic transmission
  • 50,000 miles

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

I am just in utter disbelief after getting the worst news from the Honda dealer. Here's the backstory...

I own a 2005 Honda Accord EX V6. It was bought brand new from the dealer in September 2005 with only 14 miles on it. Ever since then I have babied it and followed the maintenance schedule to a T. I've never driven it hard and ever since the first oil change I've used pure synthetic oil only in the engine because I wanted only the best for my car. I'm in the US Army and have been deployed for a little over 2 years since owning the car. During both deployments the car was put into storage on jack stands, with battery disconnected, fuel stabilizer added, and a cover put over it. Again, I have treated my car with complete care ever since I bought it including those times where I wasn't driving it. After each deployment I took the car out of storage and to the dealer for a fresh oil change. The car has relatively low mileage for its age because of me not driving it for 2 years. I just passed the 50,000 mile mark. I was even overly cautious at times. About 11,000 miles ago after returning from my second deployment I had the transmission fluid, brake fluid, and coolant all changed (in addition to an oil change). I'm mentioning all this just to prove how much I've maintained the car and how much I'm concerned with it running properly.

When driving home from work the other day I was stuck in stop and go traffic. Upon accelerating to move along with the traffic I felt a noticeable jerk. I was only going about 20 MPH. I didn't think much of it at the time. I actually thought I ran over something in the road. I came to a stop again. After accelerating I felt a jerk again only this time the malfunction indicator light came on as well as the TCS indicator. I immediately pulled over to the side of the road because I knew that something was wrong. I turned the car off, waited a few seconds, then started it again. The malfunction and TCS indicators were still lit on the instrument panel. Once I put the vehicle into drive I noticed the green Drive "D" indicator on the instrument panel was flashing. Once I began to accelerate I noticed that there was definitely something wrong with the transmission. The engine was revving slightly and the transmission wouldn't shift out of 1st gear. My top speed was about 40 MPH when driving down the road. At this point I knew that I shouldn't drive any further thinking that if I did I'd possibly cause more damage. I pulled over into a nearby parking lot and called AAA to come tow my vehicle to the Honda dealer.

While waiting for the tow truck I pulled out my CarMD code reader which I always have handy in my glove box. I connected it to my car's OBD port to download the fault codes that were causing my malfunction indicator light to come on. It came back with three codes, P0974, P0752, and P0747. I looked up the description for these codes and found that P0974 refers to a "Open in Shift Solenoid Valve A Circuit," code P0752 refers to a "Shift Solenoid Valve A Stuck ON," and code P0747 refers to a "A/T Clutch Pressure Control Solenoid Valve A Stuck ON." So I knew that obviously the problem had to do with the transmission. This of course made me fear the worst but I knew that the car only had 50,000 miles on it, was taken care of, that the transmission still had to be good and it was likely just a faulty shift solenoid. So I take it to the dealer for them to further diagnose the problem.

At first the service adviser called me back to inform me that they changed out the shift solenoid that was giving a fault. The cost was going to be around $240 but they had to first give it a road test to see if that cleared the problem. I had my fingers crossed hoping that was going to be the extent of the repair. The service adviser called me back about an hour and half later to deliver some pretty devastating news. He said that after the road test the problem still existed. He told me unfortunately the transmission had to be replaced. My heart sunk and I couldn't believe what I was hearing. I was and still am in complete shock. And this was before he quoted the price for replacing the transmission! He said it could cost $5,400 to replace my transmission for a remanufactured one! I asked him how could this be, I only had 50,000 miles on the car and that I've followed the recommended maintenance verbatim. He couldn't provide much of answer but after talking with a very knowledgeable mechanic at AAMCO he explained why. He said they have several inherent design flaws that can cause them to fail prematurely. He said he was part of some national task force to reverse engineer Honda transmissions to find out why they were failing. The main problem he mentioned in because they are prone to overheating. He said that there are no lines that run to the radiator to allow the transmission fluid to be cooled. Instead Honda stuck some smaller cooler onto the transmission itself which is far inferior. He kept going on and on about their crappy transmissions and the experience he has had with repairing them.

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. I've been a loyal Honda owner for years. I even bought a Honda lawnmower which thankfully doesn't have a transmission. I've always recommended Honda and have talked very highly of the brand. The whole reason I chose Honda is because of their reputation, their rankings, and their outstanding reliability. So how in the hell does a car with 50,000 miles on it need a new transmission!?!? This is completely unacceptable and has made me turn my back on Honda from this point forward. I've done absolutely everything right that I've needed to and this happens? I just don't understand it, I don't. I know that Honda had previous transmission issues with the 2001-2004 Accords but did they not correct the issue for 2005?

The powertrain warranty is 60,000 miles or 5 years, whichever occurs first. Unfortunately this means that I'm out of warranty because of time.

After explaining my deployments which was evident by the low mileage the service adviser spoke with his district rep. He called me back to tell me that the district rep thanked me for my service and that they were going to cover everything but $1,600 for the transmission replacement. I guess this means that I was extended a "good will" replacement. Hopefully this rebuilt transmission doesn't have the same design flaws that my previous one had. I don't want this happening again so soon. Luckily it comes with a 3 year/36,000 mile warranty and I'm strongly considering selling the car within that warranty period before I have to pay out of pocket again.

I am aware that not all Hondas have faulty transmissions but this experience has tarnished Honda's image forever with me. No longer will I consider them first when purchasing a car. While Honda might make rock solid engines they could certainly use some help in the transmission department.

Honda you've lost a loyal customer and after reading several other similar complaints on this website I know I'm not the only one that you've lost.

- Justin S., Grovetown, GA, US

problem #40

Aug 112012

Accord

  • Automatic transmission
  • 130,000 miles

Suddenly, while on the freeway, my transmission went out. I had my car towed 200+ miles back to where I live. The mechanic who looked at my car said that he has seen this same problem time and time again with Honda's. Apparently the transmission commonly overheats and Honda is aware of it as they have sent bulletins regarding the problem to repair shops. Why wasn't I, as a Honda owner, made aware of the problem? Why didn't Honda offer to have something put in the car that would prevent the transmission from overheating? I contacted Honda and they said it's not covered and they are not willing to help.

- danyelh, Brea, CA, US

problem #39

May 162011

Accord EX V6

  • Automatic transmission
  • 24,370 miles

Honda Accord 2005 V6 under 25,000 miles suddenly started having problems with the automatic transmission which finally failed on May 2011 while driving on the highway. A complete automatic transmission overhaul and torque converter change were performed at a Honda dealer at a cost of over $2600. New transmission felt great during the first 3 months (even though either the transmission or the torque converter started leaking oil and I had to take it to the dealer for repair) but recently I have notice abrupt delays (slow down) while shifting gears, like its is pulling you back and strange kicks while shifting. Car accelerates slower as well and does not react as quickly or smoothly as new. I took the car to the same Honda dealer and they say nothing is wrong with the transmission.

Update from Oct 2, 2012: trasmssion doesnt shift well or smoothly. Honda dealer always says its ok.

- Guillermo R., Guaynabo, PR, US

problem #38

Feb 232012

Accord EX 6 cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 120,000 miles

I just got off the phone with American Honda “customer service” chick Marshawn who gave me education on how to talk and listen on the phone and then “told” me that is an independent transmission repair shop does not replace with official Honda parts there is absolutely nothing available from Honda. I then called Quality Transmissions and found out the replaced transmission is a Jasper not a Honda. If they had used a Honda tran it would have cost 6000 for the transmission alone. Quality stated will be done some time tomorrow. THIS IS FROM 2/29/12 Honda Customer Service basically told me there is no recall on my Honda, it is out of warrenity and even though I was stuck on the Pennsylvania turnpike outside of my area knowledge I should have taken it to a Honda dealer, used Honda parts and maybe Ithey "could do SOMETHING The transmission place that completed the repair told me that place has had a "lot" of 2005 v-6 transmiddion failures. I thought I had found my favorite auto manufacturer----I am on the look again for a company that has customer service and product back up. Can anyone let me know.

- Marge B., Heidelberg, PA, US

problem #37

Sep 032009

Accord EX-L

  • Automatic transmission
  • 31,000 miles

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

Bought the Honda because of how reliable they are supposed to be. Transmission completely failed and had to be replaced in September of 2009 while on vacation!

Okay, maybe something was wonky. Honda would not cover it. Replaced with a Honda transmission.

Second transmission just failed with only 72k miles on it. There were no problems found with the fluid or any reason for this either time.

As I have read through the internet there are a lot of complaints against the V6 transmission failing on the '05 Accord.

This has ruined my view of Honda and I will never buy another Honda again.

- fnjgarcia, Terrytown, LA, US

problem #36

Dec 132011

Accord

  • Automatic transmission
  • 83,000 miles

This car NEVER sounded right and seemed to make a slight grinding sound on the initial movement in DRIVE. Brought it in a number of times. I thought maybe it was the torque converter or something like that but was told everything was ok. Most recently since it has gotten cold here in NJ, the car would not engage from Reverse to drive for about 5 seconds. Brought it in, (ALWAYS TO THE DEALER...for everything since new for that matter) and told everything is fine, fluid was fine, etc.

Yesterday my wife was driving light to light on Rt 70 in Cherry Hill (for the locals) and experiencing high revs, erratic shifting and down shifting was lagging when gassed to speed up. Completely erratic behavior. She made it to the dealer in Vineland and today we were told it was going to be $3800 to repair. I AM NOT HAPPY. A 2005 Accord with 83,000 miles' transmission dies??? This is completely unacceptable. I called Aamco and was told $1800 to repair it. Then the Honda dealer called me back and told me the "regional office" would allow it to be fixed (replaced with a Honda rebuilt tranny with a 3 yr/ 36,000 warranty which will probably be useless anyway) for $1600.

Either way I plan to get it fixed and trade it in on a Toyota.

This is coming from an owner of 87 CRX, 92 Civic EX, 79 XR250, Honda Lawnmower and snowblower.

I am highly disappointed all the way around.

- robevans, Marmora, NJ, US

problem #35

Jul 182011

Accord LX 2.4L 4 cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 62,500 miles

As a was driving home from work, the engine felt like it was going to stall. Finally it did at a stop light in busy rush hour traffic. I was able to re-start the car in neutral, but it stalled a few more times on the way home. I took the car to the dealer and they said it needed a new transmission to the tune of $3900! I wasn't that confident in their appraisal since they are probably more interested in selling new cars, so I brought it to an independent mechanic for a 2nd opinion. They confirmed the diagnosis and said most places do not rebuild Honda transmissions, and they would have to order a new one. Their estimate was around $3500.

I am working with Honda to see if they will cover all or most of the repair. If they don't I guarantee I won't be buying any more Hondas!

- mallery7, Highlands Ranch, CO, US

problem #34

Aug 152011

Accord EX-L 3.0L V6

  • Automatic transmission
  • 57,000 miles

2005 Accord EX-L V6 - Transmission first failed in 2007 w/ only 18,000 miles, warranty covered a new transmission. Aug, 2011 w/ only 57,000 miles transmission failed again but this time no warranty. I called Honda and said it would cost over $4,000. I went to AAmco, I was told a minimum of $2,300, in addition to that I needed to rent a car for a week ($350). Needless to say this was an unexpected and huge expense, which I was extremely upset about. My spouse decided to call Geico to see if there was anything they could do, lucky for us when we bought the car we added to our insurance policy a major mechanical breakdown clause which essentially protected our car from major breakdown for up to 7 years or 70,000 miles whichever came first. My final bill from AAmco was $3,100 but I only had to pay a deductible of $250 plus car rental of $350. Geico covered the rest. I WILL NEVER BUY A HONDA AGAIN!!!

- a rod 13, Brooklyn, NY, US

problem #33

Oct 192011

Accord LX 3.2L V

  • Automatic transmission
  • 160,000 miles

In 2007 the transmission was replaced by Honda Service (Honda of Nanuet, NY) and we were given a 3 years warranty on the new transmission. Last week the transmission that was put in died as well. We called Honda and were basically told "Tough luck!". Our next attempt was to see if we can trade it in but were told "No way! The car doesn't run, it is worth nothing to us!" We still have one more payment to make on the car and now, over $30,000 later, the car is junk because we cannot afford to rebuild it. How can that be???

- cicindela, Bronx, NY, US

problem #32

Nov 012007

Accord LX 3.2L V

  • Automatic transmission
  • 60,000 miles

The transmission just died! Honda replaced it as it was under warranty. New car, bad transmission.

- cicindela, Bronx, NY, US

problem #31

Oct 172011

Accord EX 3.0L V6

  • Automatic transmission
  • 86,000 miles

ALL cars in our family are Hondas - 2005 Accord EX V6, 2002 CR-V, and 2001 Accord EX. You used to buy a Honda because if you did basic preventive maintenance they just ran. Not anymore. The transmission of my 2005 Accord failed at 86k. It was never smooth from day 1, but lately there has been a whining sound from the transmission pump and the car took its sweet time engaging from neutral into drive (neutral to reverse is OK). The repair shop told me that it will cost up to $3500 to replace or rebuild the transmission. They did state that this is a problem they see A LOT with 2005 Accord's. Unbelievable! I have had other problems with the other Hondas, usually around the $1000 mark to repair. I found them annoying and was wondering if Honda quality is not what it used to be. The next car in my family will definitely NOT be a Honda.

- Boyan B., Portland, OR, US

problem #30

Oct 222011

Accord

  • Automatic transmission
  • 80,000 miles

I'm driving to New York on the Verazano bridge and all a sudden my car starts popping in and out of gear. It felt like it was in neutral and then popped back into drive, etc. MY car would rev up but it wasn't going anywhere. It finally stopped moving on the bridge and had to get it towed all the way back to New Jersey. Honda said it was the transmission. I am thinking to myself this a fairly new car, I only had it for a year, why is my transmission failing? I googled recalls for Honda Accords, long behold there was a recall placed August 27th 2011 for Honda Accords 2005-2010 for the transmission. Everything they described about what the car would be doing is exactly what happened with mine; the abnormal noises, shifting in and out of gear, etc. I called Honda, the women automatically said my car wasn't apart of the recall without giving her the VIN number. We called back again and another person pretended to not know what we were talking about. Either Honda is going to fix my car or their will be a whole bunch of news cameras will be at their door. Over a million cars affected from this recall and you mean to tell me my car isn't one? That's BS. Just the thought that if I would got into an accident on that bridge, thank God I didn't.

- Danille H., Lawnside, NJ, US

problem #29

Oct 172011

Accord V6

  • Automatic transmission
  • 68,000 miles

My Honda is a total failure. It totally let me down. All of a sudden it made a loud banging noise. It also rolled backwards after putting it in park. The airbag light came on earlier. Anyway i looked up recalls and called and was given a case number for review. I was told by the dealer that it was not under recall. Only 4 cylinder honda's. That is crazy. My car is doing the same thing. The transmission is completely gone. I also noticed a lot of Honda's have had the same problems since 2001. I saw 13 recalls on different parts on Honda's. From now own. I will only buy a USA made car!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I PLAN TO PUT IT ON THE NEWS AND CONTACT THE BETTER BUSINESS BUREAU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! MY HONDA IS A 2005 AND HAS 68,000.00 MILES ON IT AND HAS FALLEN APART!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

- Wanda S., Thomasville, GA, US

problem #28

Oct 102010

Accord EX V6

  • Automatic transmission
  • 85,000 miles

I purchased my 6th Honda from Kay Honda, Eatontown, NJ in January 2005. I currently have approximately 85,000 miles. In or about October or November 2010, I am driving along and suddenly the vehicle comes to a roll then a dead stop on a main road. The steering locked up immediately. The car was still on however it wouldn't move. I waited then tried again. Complete shut down again.

I had to call Triple A to tow the vehicle to DCH Academy Honda in Oldbridge, NJ. My brother is the parts manager there, I figured it was my best option to have the car towed there so that it would get the attention it needed. Well it is September 2011 and my car is still there. Why you may ask? Because I could not afford to replace the F@#$ing transmission. A friend of mine told me there were problems with the Honda transmissions and that I should research it on the Internet.

HOLY CR@#!!!!!!!!! I refuse to pay for the replacement of the transmission. I am planning to call Honda Corporation and make a formal complaint. I am extremely disappointed with DCH Academy Honda's Service department and their handling or their lack with informing me of the issue. My situation with the transmission is obviously NOT an isolated incident and Honda needs to step-up to the plate. I have been forced to take my mother's car from her to get around in and that is a 1991 Honda CIVIC with 128,000 miles and no major problems yet knock on wood.

Honda's a great cars but this issue I having with the 2005 Accord is just plain unacceptable. Anyone out there that has had help from the Honda Corporation? Please respond.

Thank You

Mark

- Mark L., Oakhurst, NJ, US

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