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.
It happened when they replaced the airbag. Now my airbags definitely won't work. I called a dealership they referred me to Honda. Honda says I have to drive to and pay to have it diagnosed. I'm not driving with no airbags and you shouldn't have to pay for it Honda caused it. Now I'm trying to sell my car and people want to pay $1000 less for it!
in addition to factory-bad transmission and excessive oil consumption and other serious and nuisance problems. My airbags are on their 3rd recall and the recall letter reached me LONG after it was issued. Also my SRS light is on now and I have just learned that the drivers sensor is a problem.
SRS light constantly stays on. Car has been recalled three times but the SRS light never goes out. I took it in a fourth time and they presented me with an error code and said it wasn't covered under warrenty but that they could fix it after I paid them a $160.00 fee to diagnose the problem and then charge me a fee to fix if. WHAT A BUNCH OF CRAP! Hope this isn't corporate Honda but the local dealership, which I will not return to for service. They are a bunch of overpriced oil changers and nut turners.
It seems from a number of posts this is a running complaint about the Accord. Honda should recall them again and once and for all solve this SRS problem
SRS light was diagnosed as needing a SRS control unit,which would not be covered by any warranty. Then front seat belts were replaced under a HONDA UPDATE program, which i appreciated, but the control unit would not be covered. The SRS light was reset,but came back on within a couple of miles. have not had it fixed and now there is a recall on the air bag inflators. I understand that the air bags will not deploy in an accident if the SRS light is on. Seems like this should be a federally mandated safety recall due to number of complaints. Honda is a great company and is highly concerned about public image. I have worked in a Honda motorcycle dealership since 1965, so i am quite familiar with American Honda Motors.
SRS light lit up and has remained on, no apparent reason for this. Just discovered there is an extended warranty on the OPDS sensor, which might be the cause or might be due to a bad seat belt buckle.
Plan on having Honda look at this and repair, with the goal of this being covered by them. Would be very disappointed if they try to charge anything.
- Chris S.,
Princeton, NJ, US
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SRS light was on for a couple of days I goggled various other sites for any help on what could be the issue but still was left kind of in the dark. I found out how to reset the SRS light but thru other postings, if fault still persist SRS light would return and while light is on air bag will not deploy if in a collision. Since I had to take it in dealer because of the air bag recall I would just have them to diagnose the problem.
what happened is the dealer replaced the faulty DRIVER SEAT BELT BUCKLE free of charge and said seat belt buckles are covered under lifetime warranty. Hope this helps.
Have both 2002 Civic AND Accord, both with SRS light on. Appts scheduled at dealer since mechanic cannot address issue. See that it is a common problem. Is there a class action suit?
Like the transmission problem, it is a joke that this is such a pain and expense to resolve. Ground faults was the word from 3 different diagnostic check ups. I finally went to a friend's auto shop and he worked out all the ground issues. Still the light is on....I wished I had been to this site last year to find that the SRS can be hard reset. Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr......Otherwise love my Accord...Hate Honda.. wont buy another.
I bought this car used at a Toyota dealership. Within 1 week the SRS light came on. I didn't have the money to have a diagnostic test done. I called Honda's customer service line and gave them my VIN. It came back with an extended warranty on the OPDS. Covered until 157,000 miles. The diagnostic test was free of charge. When the Honda dealership did the test it came back as a problem with the driver seat belt buckle. There is a chip in there that needed to be replaced. Honda has a lifetime warranty on seatbelts, so there was no charge for the repair.
Now there is another issue with the airbags. Hello new airbag inflator (free of charge).
I bough this car as new in August, 2002. This car never has any accident, one day I drove it home from work and next morning the SRS light come on and conitnued on untill now (any time the car is run).....I am the Honda Fan, but this incident made me very unconfortable for make a decision on next Honda purchase.
hi
I have a 2002 Honda Accord, I believe it is the model EX - fully loaded, 2 door including the leather, alloy rims, sunroof, etc.
I too have this SRS problem light coming on again. Last time it happened the dealer also tried to charge me a 'diagnostic' fee to check it out and I had read somewhere just pull the battery cables for about 5 minutes and then hook them back up and it'd reset.
Sure enough, it did. NOTE: make sure you have your radio anti theft code. You'll need this to make your radio work after you've put the battery cables back. (mine is noted in the front of my owner's manual, otherwise, I guess you can get it from your dealer or Honda 800 number?)
I have the same problem again, don't know if I should do the same thing, or it's a bigger issue.
It's probably been now 2 years since this last happened, 2nd time now it's come on.
If there is in fact a recall letter or notice for dealers to fix this once and for all, can someone please let me know where I can find this notice to show the dealer?
I am located in Canada
The SRS light comes own, I go to Honda and speak to the auto service guy. I ask him if he knows what could cause the light to come on and if there are any recalls for the problem. He tells me it could be a number of problems (typical) and there are no recalls. Then he says if I pay $60.00 and wait several hours he could hook it up to the computer. Mind you I have been here for the transmission with no resolution, unless I wanted to spend 3G's out of pocket and wait for a possible reimbursement. Again I ask have there been any complaints on this issue, the guy finally admits there has been an issue with the SRS system, I then ask why should I have to pay when you guys already have a good idea what it is. He then gives me his typical answer. Now Honda issues a recall!!!!
I hate Honda! My dumb mechanic Rick's Japanese in Thousand Oaks Ca said buy a Honda because he thinks they are great and he used to work at Thousand Oaks Honda who are total crooks! I would never buy a car there again. I would never buy a Honda again.
The SRS unit shows a 07-2 code and it is not covered under the extended warranty. I called Honda for goodwill consideration which is a joke and they said NO! They gave me a case number and said I might get my money back if a class action suit is filed like one was filed for OPDS which is all they cover! I need to have part number77960s84a94 replaced for $580 bucks. I am totally mad and now that I have looked at how many transmission go out on 2002 Hondas I wish I could sell it before that happens to me!
dealer says srs is not communicating with testing computer, need to replace the srs unit, not covered under warranty... $900 + repair.... Honda should cover any SRS repair, No accident to car this means SRS is never used, How can a product fails if is not used...... Honda is slumpy in quality they will learn the lesson for Ford and GM..... Honda can not be ignorant to customers.... we are the one who make it successful, If we are not happy then Honda should know what is their future...
Yeah my airbag sensor (SRS unit) also went bad and had to be replaced. Between that, my paint, and two transmissions, this car is defiantly an overpriced piece o' crap. DO NOT BUY HONDA!
I took it to a dealership. They said that the seat belt needed to be replaced--$320--and it was not covered by warranty. On other sites, they have talked about Service Bulletin 06-099. Does anyone know where I can find this on the web?
the light came on as i was leaving Chili's restaurant i forgot exactly when but it is truly annoying at my auto class i pulled codes and it was a drivers side buckle switch its been on ever since Honda wanted me to schedule an appointment leave it for a day and charge me money when its under an extended warranty i don't need to spend money on it ill take it somewhere else that will honor the extended warranty
Update from Sep 30, 2009: Informed by a different dealer that Honda has a lifetime warranty on their vehicle's seatbelts, and the Drivers side buckle switch was replaced at absolutley no charge.
I was driving my 02 Honda Accord when the SRS light came on. We contacted our Honda dealer and they told us to bring it down. The service manager said it was a problem with the seat belt that set off the light. It was also covered under warranty even though we are the 3rd owners of the vehicle. This is much more recent that previous complaints so maybe they updated the fact that they will repair it.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
It happened when they replaced the airbag. Now my airbags definitely won't work. I called a dealership they referred me to Honda. Honda says I have to drive to and pay to have it diagnosed. I'm not driving with no airbags and you shouldn't have to pay for it Honda caused it. Now I'm trying to sell my car and people want to pay $1000 less for it!
- Linnea K M., Buckeye, AZ, US