CarComplaints.com Notes: The 2001 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 100,000 miles & with a repair cost of over $2,000. Transmission failure problems have been a huge problem for Honda Accords & other 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 settlement for a class action lawsuit, but that period is over & owners of Accords 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. Also make sure your 2001 Accord has been checked for the airbag recall: excessive pressure may cause metal fragments during airbag deployment.

8.8

pretty bad
Typical Repair Cost:
$3,350
Average Mileage:
102,550 miles
Total Complaints:
143 complaints

Most Common Solutions:

  1. replace with a rebuilt transmission (60 reports)
  2. not sure (35 reports)
  3. replace with new transmission (33 reports)
  4. replace/rebuild transmission (8 reports)
  5. dealer fixed under 109k mile warranty extension / goodwill repair (4 reports)
  6. replace with aftermarket transmission (2 reports)
2001 Honda Accord transmission problems

transmission problem

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2001 Honda Accord Owner Comments (Page 5 of 8)

« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #63

Jan 152010

Accord EX 2.3L V4

  • Automatic transmission
  • 162,000 miles

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

Honda replaced the transmission in my 2001 honda accord in 2006. It was covered by both the extended warranty that I purchased when I bought the car and the voluntary recall by honda( the voluntary recall was offered in 2001. So honda was well aware of the problem in 2003 when I bought the car. Wow!) Anyway, here we are in 2010 and guess what? You got it! I need another transmission! I don't know why this surprises me. If they installed one B.S transmission, what the hell made me think they wouldn't install another?

Update from Jan 31, 2010: After Honda replaced my transmission in 2006, I needed another one in 2010. My invoice from the work done by Honda listed the old transmission identification number and the "new" identification number. When I took the car to Aamco to have it repaired, I asked to see the transmission as soon as it was taken out. The only part of the product I.d number left was BAXA. The numerical portion had been scratched off. The other i.d had been removed completely. Honda hadn't replaced the transmission. They simply replaced the parts that were broken and re-installed the same faulty transmission. I'm writing a letter to the Attorney General in my state. Someone needs to do something about Honda's deceptive practices!

- mcwhorter, Richton Park, IL, US

problem #62

Sep 202009

Accord EX 2.3L 4 cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 98,500 miles

This is my second transmission in this car. The first one was covered under warranty. The second one Honda paid for 3/4 of the cost after fighting with for a month. I thought Hondas were good vechiles, but there junk. Gone through two transmissions in under 100k miles. GOOD RIDDANCE!!!!!

- mickeyr, Commerce City, CO, US

problem #61

Sep 162009

Accord DX 4 cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 140,000 miles

I bought my 2001 Honda Accord 8 years ago because of its reputation. It worked fine until I had transmission problem. I know that I put a lot of mileage on my car but this should not happen. I am very disappointed and I don't think that I will ever buy another Honda again.

- Erica H., San Diego, CA, US

problem #60

Oct 012003

Accord EX 3.2L

  • Automatic transmission
  • 125,000 miles

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

just sorry we had to experience this problem......

- alskinner, Loris, SC, US

problem #59

Oct 012009

Accord ES V4

  • Automatic transmission
  • 71,800 miles

I bought the car pretty much brand new in 2003 with only 1000 miles on it. The car has 71,800 miles on it, most of which are highway miles. The car started slipping out of gear and jerking out of stops. I took it to the shop just to find that I needed a brand new transmission. I have had my car routinely serviced and couldn't believe what I was hearing and about to pay. I am a 24 yr. old post grad, and $2,600 is definitely not in my budget! After taking apart the transmission they came to the conclusion that honda just uses sh*tty parts. Everything was completely warn down and ruined at no fault of mine. And just to prove my point, not even a day later, my girlfriends 2003 honda accord needed a brand new transmition!

- Erin E., San Diego, CA, US

problem #58

Aug 232005

Accord 1.5L V4

  • Automatic transmission
  • 14,000 miles

Purchased the Accord back in 2001 based on friend's recommendation. I lost total faith in Honda after only 2 years of light driving. The Transmission would jerk and hesitate. Finally received the recall notice and had it replaced.

Even though i did not pay for anything i definitely lost faith in Honda.

- fobulous, Missouri City, TX, US

problem #57

Jul 302009

Accord LX 2.2L

  • Automatic transmission
  • 88,600 miles

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

2001 honda accord transmission failure (engine code 1705) went to honda dealer asked if covered under class action (7 yrs 9 mo/ 100,000) of course not 6 mo over extended period. after fighting with honda corp. of amer. on the phone was left to fend for myself at the local honda dealer.had my trans. rebuild and 3000.00 later was on my way. after a long fight with the service manager, who assured me honda had fixed the problem with the trans, i left on aug 5 2009, a lot lighter in the pocket, but at least my car was moving. witch brings me to today, aug 18 2009. yesterday while my wife was leaving work she placed the shifter in r and bang, she thought the engine blew up, scared she placed in p, and the car was still running, so she moved the shifter in r and BANG, there it is again, so she back out ( yes thank god it moved ) and started home. the car never shifted out of second gear and at highway speed ( less than 55 ) 3800 rpms on the tach,and the check eng. light on( code 1705 )! now the toll that takes on the engine we'll never know, but after just having the trans replaced and the costs with that she was not about to call a tow truck, we have only had the car back 12 days ( less than 300 mi ) this is the 3rd transmission, yet there is no recall, and honda just keeps replacing them with another, till your out of warranty, then its not their problem anymore. i would like other honda owners to stick with me on this, and maybe we can stop this from happening. its not just this year, honda has had trans. issues as far back as 1996, with all different models. when will it stop, with the death of my wife and kids or yours ??? i know its hard to give up your time, but when you pay for repairs on an item that has been faulty from the beginning, you are throwing away your money, that you spent time making. maybe we can flood the service bays with our cars, at our local dealers, on a day we choose, with our wife and kids in tow, and stop their ability to keep ignoring their problems. just a thought, anyone????

- Brian P., Mesa, AZ, US

problem #56

Jan 012009

Accord EXL 2.3L

  • Automatic transmission
  • 57,000 miles

I am currently fighting with Honda to fix my trasmission that went out under 60,000 miles. I am too tired to go into it all now but my story basically sounds like all the rest. What I am looking for is some information on my legal rights. Any lawyers familiar with Honda transmission suits and willing to hear me, please contact me. Any pissed off Honda customers who feel they have been shafted by Honda and who know where to start a class action or who have already started one, please contact me... I will definitely join or help to start it up. We all need to stand up to the injustice and it has to start somewhere. Let's get the ball rolling. Thanks for your time.

missymaryjane at sbcglobal dot net

- Missy M., Stockton, CA, US

problem #55

Aug 122009

Accord LX 2.3L 4 cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 74,924 miles

My 2001 Honda Accord lx transmission failed and only had 74,924 miles on it. I took it into the Honda Dealership and they want to charge me $3377.15 for parts and labor. I asked if this is covered under the extended warranty and they told me that it expired last year and does not apply to my car. I never thought I would have these problems with my Accord this early with only 74,924 miles on it. I believe that Honda should replace my transmission at no charge because it's under 80,000 miles and it should still be under warranty.

- am_wa, Kirkland, WA, US

problem #54

Jul 312009

Accord LX 4 cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 63,000 miles

2001 accord - I committed to buying from my dad's estate for 8k. Before I signed the title, the transmission blew. Wish I had known to check the internet before I committed to buying. Car sat in my dad's garage for a year - the 7 year warranty expired while in the garage. Honda wants $3500 to replace trans! I asked the dealer to plead my case to Honda, after all, car is in mint condition with only 63k miles. What options do I have?

- kcleirbaut, Flanders, NJ, US

problem #53

Oct 312006

Accord EX

  • Automatic transmission
  • 70,000 miles

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

The transmission went out in my 2001 Honda Accord a couple of years ago. I took it to the dealership and they immediately put me in a rental and said Honda was paying for me a new transmission due to a recall. I was pleased I didn't have to pay anything but I would have appreciated a recall notice....didn't get one then and still waiting.

- tosha711, Macon, GA, US

problem #52

Feb 012009

Accord LX

  • Automatic transmission
  • 34,000 miles

Honda sucks! At 33,000 miles, the engine light is on and the transmission starts slipping. I took it to the dealer; they said it's the ECM with error code P1607 and recommended replacing with a new one for $1,500. I replaced it with a used ECM for $100 that I got from a junk yard +$145 reprogramming cost at the dealer. I thought the problem went away. After test driving it with a new ECM, the car seems like it's losing power when accelerating or driving up a hill and it sometimes stalls at 65 mph on the freeway. It will not go above that limit even stepping hard on the gas pedal. Is this a sign of needing a new transmission?

Please advise, anyone?

Cory

- Cory J., San Francisco, CA, US

problem #51

Mar 052009

Accord

  • Automatic transmission
  • 60,000 miles

I am very disappointed in the 2001 Honda Accord. I had a 1996 Civic, a 1997 Civic both new and never a problem with the transmission. I had a 1986 Chevrolet Nova(Toyota) purchased new that had 140,000 miles with no problem with the transmission. I always liked the Kay Honda dealership in Eatontown, NJ but they should have alerted me to this problem. I purchased it new. Apparently many others have experienced this problem. I suspect that Consumer Reports never picked up on this and they are usually on the mark. This is a black eye for Honda. I treated the car carefully and maintained it well.

- rosenj, Eatontown, NJ, US

problem #50

Feb 252009

Accord DX

  • Automatic transmission
  • 116,000 miles

I bought my 2001 Honda Accord in 2003. Since then I have had to fix the tranny 3 times. It seems that every 1 1/2 years this problem occurs. It is not covered under the extended warranty so now it is going to cost me over $3,600. They won't admit that it is a recall its called "EXTENDED WARRANTY". This is the third time in about 5 1/2 years. I always spoke well about Honda Accords but I WILL NEVER PURCHASE ANOTHER VEHICLE LIKE THIS AGAIN. American Honda will not fix this problem so what the dealer is telling me is that AMERICAN HONDA WILL SELL ME ANOTHER ONE OF THERE F_ KED UP TRANNY'S FOR OVER $3,600 AND GIVE ME 36,000 OR 3 YEARS IF I PURCHASE THE TRANNY FROM THEM. Hell No!!!!! So they sell me a car with a messed up tranny then they want to jerk me again NO THANKS!!!!. I hope American Honda sees this because I told them that from now on I will not encourage people to purchase this f _ked up car. ( by the way the dealer also said if I wanted to complaint about it to American Honda since I have not been getting my services done there that I would have to proof that I have been getting my maintenance done on a regular basis.) I did not want to get my services done there because I would go to a Honda Specialist Mechanic and would do the same job and same parts (Honda Parts Only) for a much less price than what Honda Dealers try to charge. Thanks for listening people.

- Angie A., Rialto, CA, US

problem #49

Dec 182008

Accord EX-L V4

  • Automatic transmission
  • 99,200 miles

Went shopping for Christmas and parked in the shopping center came back out a hour or so later and my car barely made it out of the parking spot (no incline).... It slowly reversed out of the parking spot. I had my 90,000 check up about a few months earlier and a recent oil change... I had plenty of transmission fluid in the vehicle , no leaks..

Took it to the dealer and he couldn't replicate the problem.. Got it home again backed up out of the drive (not incline) and it did it again.. This time I was late to work trying to get my car out of the driveway.

- Marissa C., La Mesa, CA, US

problem #48

Nov 092008

Accord LX V4

  • Automatic transmission
  • 103,000 miles

The transmission has failed and been replaced with a new transmission at 45,000 and 90,000, and failed again at 103,000 miles. I will not pay to get it fixed again. I plan on buying a 2009 BMW 328i Sedan.

- enigma031, Artesia, CA, US

problem #47

Sep 122008

Accord LX 2.4L V4

  • Automatic transmission
  • 59,400 miles

I am really wondering why there are still many Honda on the street? Friends, if you buying your next car on Honda, think again and doing research of hard lessons from other drivers. Pay attention on Honda transmission design problem and how many failures been discovered. After I spent $4,100 to replace the transmission, I learned Honda had recall on 2003 Accord V6 model to replace the transmission, too bad it didn't cover my 2001 V4 Accord but you can think about how bad of such design! Their designers should get back to the design board and don't come out until you have solid solution, don't trade us as your alpha test bed!

- jackhsieh98, Pleasanton, CA, US

problem #46

Jul 152007

Accord EX 2.3L I4

  • Automatic transmission
  • 125,000 miles

In 2003, when the car had 34,000 miles, the transmission went out and was replaced under warranty. Then, in 2007, the transmission began to slip, becoming hesitant in 1st gear and shifting hard from 1st to 2nd, and 2nd to 3rd. Took the car to Roper Honda in Joplin, MO, who drove the vehicle and claimed they did not feel the problem. Now the car has 145,000 miles and still slips and is hesitant on takeoff. I should have taken the car to another dealership, as they recently had the same attitude concerning the SRS light staying on.

- eric03gt, Somewhere In, MO, US

problem #45

May 152007

Accord Value Pack 4 cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 119,000 miles

This is the second time this transmission has failed! I had a very reputable transmission specialist rebuild the original unit completely at 60500 and this one also failed at 119k! What a hunk of junk! I bought a BMW.

- Kirt C., Santa Rosa Beach, FL, US

problem #44

Apr 032004

Accord Value Pack 4 cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 60,500 miles

I had always had Toyotas before and had heard Honda was so great. Everything else was as expected on car. My complaint is that it had JUST gone out of warranty and I had that trans rebuilt....but it happened again at 119k miles. I am so frustrated I just parked the piece of crap!! I bought a BMW.I am going to see if I can get this one fixed and a refund on the first repair! I love my BMW 750LI!!!

- Kirt C., Santa Rosa Beach, FL, US

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