CarComplaints.com Notes: The 2002 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 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.
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.
10.0
really awful
Crashes / Fires:
0 / 1
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
62,441 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.
I was able to remove my keys from the vehicle while the vehicle was not in park. Other Honda Accord are of the same year have been recalled, except for mine. NHTSA campaign #05V025000 for the other Accord that have been recalled.
SRS light has been on for months. We get recall notices but the VIN # is not included in the recalls. The light is constantly on when driving. Brakes have been replaced. But, the brake light has recently come on when driving.
I was at home went to car. Car would not start. Dashboard showed problem was brake lamp. Had already gone to mechanic who thought he corrected problem but obviously hadn't.
Dashboard shows: Brake lamp problem. Car was at my home and would not start. When checked by mechanic cable under battery frayed and was replaced. Car was then able to be driven however got the same message two days later.
While driving on freeway vehicle accelerated, continue to gain speed. Had to brake real hard, vehicle cont. To accelerate. Exiting freeway at high speed, blow a stop sign could not stop. Continue hard braking caused brakes to catch fire. Finally able to bring vehicle to a complete stop. Unknown what caused veh. To accelerate
- Lancaster, CA, USA
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I recently had new tires put on my Honda Accord, along with a lower control arm replacement and caliper/rotor repair/replace. Upon picking up my car the technician asked me to come out to the garage - my car was on a lift - he showed me something alarming....the sub frame is rusting out - toward the passenger side of the car. There is about a 2" X 3.5" hole in the frame. When I got home I googled this issue and found quite a few comments/complaints on various boards about the same issue on similar year vehicles. Most of the comments also said the complainant found out that in the model years 1998-2002 the design allows the ac condenser outlet drip water on the sub frame at this exact point. This sounds like something Honda needs to ante up to repair. I had planned to keep my Honda until at least 200,000 or more miles, now not so sure that is a wise idea.
During a regular oil change at a Firestone auto care store on 9/12/2009, the store insisted that I needed to have my car brake pads replaced. Then, on my way home from the Firestone store after the oil-change and brake services, my new brakes started having problems. Firestone did not tell me what happened to my new brakes when I returned to the store next day. I later on learned that 1) Firestone had installed incorrect brake pads on my car on 9/12/2009 and 2) their mechanics had kept the incorrect brake pads on my car during my return visit on 9/13/2009. Then, in may of 2012, I started hearing noises from the brakes again. Firestone inspected my brakes and insisted that they did nothing wrong during my September of 2009 visits and that I needed to have 1) my brake caliper system replaced, 2) the rotors replaced, 3) the 2009 Firestone-installed incorrect brake pads replaced with the same incorrect but new brake pads. I took my car to the Honda dealer and learned that there was nothing wrong with the brake caliper system and that the incorrect brake pads had caused damage to the rotor. I reported these issues to Firestone's customer care department and they never responded to my complaint. I have not been able to drive my car for more than a year and the incorrect brake pads Firestone installed in 2009 are still on my car. Since 1600 Firestone auto care stores in us share the same auto parts system, these stores must have installed the incorrect brake pads on many cars between 9/12/2009 and 6/2/2012 and put many motorists at danger. Since their customer-care department has chosen not to investigate and respond to my complaint and not to do a general recall of cars whose brake pads Firestone has replaced during that time period, they have chosen to put their company's profit ahead of motorists' safety and their well beings. Can you help?
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
- San Fernando, CA, USA