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:
3 / 1
Injuries / Deaths:
3 / 0
Average Mileage:
84,983 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.
2002 Accord transmission lurches when going into second gear but engine revs up before that happens. 138,000 miles on odometer but this is a flaw that the transmission has been known to have. Happens all the time.
I have a 2002 Honda Accord ex that has continuously been having transmission issues including jerking in and out of gear revving up witout moving and switching gears. Also having noticed I forgot to put car in park and turned off my car taking keys out of gear. Both of these problems are big safety issues and have occurred since owning the car for two years. I am now faced with getting a new transmission on a car that had originally less then 100 thousand miles on it when purchased. I have also had to replace the head lights and brake lights 3 times since owning the car and I have never left lights on for an extended period.
Transmission has been starting to lurch, hesitate, and the check engine light has been coming on and off and nobody has been able to pin point he problem - we have had it checked several times but no one can agree on the problem. This is a major safety issue and needs to be fixed immediately. We have received no communication from Honda on this issue and have heard nothing on T he news - we do not regularly troll the internet and were not aware of problems with the hondatransmission.
Honda has a transmission design flaw in their early 2000 Honda Accord. I own a 2002 Accord with 107,000 miles that requires a new transmission. I was surprised because this brand is known to be reliable. Upon researching Honda transmission problems online, I found several articles and multiple consumer complaints regarding Honda transmission failure. Honda did recall transmissions in certain models from 2003 and 2004. America Honda knows they have a problem and they declined to assist me with the repair because my 2002 Accord was not one of the recall models. I am now stuck with $3,600 repair bill for a new transmission. Almost had a wreck when pulling out into traffic since the car did not engage 2nd gear.
I currently own a 2002 Honda Accord with 12,744 miles on it. My car starts to jerk when I am accelerating. Sometimes when I am at a complete stop it feels like some one has hit my car from the back, and it then jerks before it is able to move.
- North Carolina, NC, USA
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2002 Accord SE sedan transmission is starting to fail at 135,000 miles. Transmission slips from 1 to 2 gear on acceleration and has delayed downshift from 2 to 1 when braking for a stop. Transmission was well maintained and flushed/refilled with correct Honda atf at recommended intervals. Very scary driving the car because behavior of the drivetrain is uncertain.
Our 2002 Honda Accord only has 80000 miles on it and has been regularly maintained and has had the transmission completely failed. We have been quoted $2800 for the repair/replacement. We were on vacation in las vegas when it happened and broke down in a scary part of town. We had to leave it and now have to fly back to get it. We feel very cheated--shouldn't there be an element of safety knowing you're in a well maintained car with only 80,000 miles on it?
Bought car new in 2002 and had a 7 yr extended warranty and since I drive very few miles, the problem didn't get noticed until well into my warranty in 2006 but my car only had 22,000 miles on it! the dealership replaced it under warranty at no cost with a refurbished transmission and I was assured I'd have no problems....well less than 28,000 miles later the technician noticed what I thought I was imagining, a slipping and sloppy shifting transmission!!! in the technicians notes he stated"the transmission has a late shift from 1st -2nd and a sloppy shift from 3rd to 4th" I spoke with the service department and he told me that the warranty was well over (even though I was only at the 50,000 mile mark and was going to need a second transmission all with no guarantee how long that would last.he told me his manager would call me but I took from his demeanor that nothing would get done on that end. I cant truly afford a new car but pouring money into what I consider a lemon will not be satisfactory either...any ideas?
2002 Honda Accord ex V6 3.0L my ABS brakes went on when they shouldn't...in light traffic (thank god), I was about to enter route 53...D4 light blinking on dash, check engine light on. Turned off engine, waited few minutes...turned on...managed to get into repair friendly Ford in roselle, il. Received error code P0780...transmission failure. This is dangerous...I found many complaints online...I only have 44,000 miles on my car...problems were building at about 41,000 miles...Honda did not diagnose. They didn't recall my vehicle (VIN number). I am seeing many Honda' with tranny failure - my car needs to be on the recall list. They strung me along until my warranty ended....I am very very displeased and angry. There needs to be something done with a large recall....I should not have to be stuck paying for many transmissions like everybody else, where they keep failing time and time again. Had I made it onto route 53...I would have been rear-ended in a bad way. I am writing letters to Honda Corp and Honda dealer where I previously brought in my Honda - where they brushed me off charging couple of thousand for unnecessary rusted tiny bolthole on subframe. Approx 2,000$$$. this is the car where my gas pedal stuck 4 times...in which they replaced air valve? that was three replacement on value (2 times Firestone and once at Honda) Honda dealer in schaumburg, il. [xxx]. I bought this car as an investment...now I cannot sell with the check engine light on...not that I would sell to somebody for fear of killing them when brakes lockup with bad tranny. Please do something to protect up Honda Accord owners. This was my first Honda. Rebuilt tranny warranty 2 or 3 years...then they fail...and people have to pay again and again. Not fair or right. Thank you. Information redacted pursuant to the Freedom Of Information Act (foe), 5 552(B)(6).
The contact owns a 2002 Honda Accord. The contact was driving 25 mph when the check engine warning light was illuminated and the transmission began slipping in second gear. The contact took the vehicle to a local mechanic for a diagnostic testing and that located the failure in the transmission and the transmission was rebuilt. The contact called manufacturer regarding NHTSA campaign id number: 04V176000 (power train: Automatic transmission) but was informed that the VIN was not included in the recall. The failure mileage was 122,000.
For the last 4 this car has jumped and shifted hard at stops when cold. The dealer told me this was normal and never made record of it on a service slip (roughly 70K). The dealer made me service the transmission ever 15-20K after the car had 35K miles. My Honda dealer has now told me that the car has an odometer discrepancy, which I had never been informed off, and that the car probably has closer to 98K on it. The transmission now slips and stalls in the middle of intersections and you have to brake hard at stops to keep the car from lunging forward when cold. I feel Honda is charging the customer with extra maintenance to keep the transmission from going out while it is in warranty to keep them from being responsible. I also feel the surging and slipping is a safety hazard caused by making a defective transmission.
My car did not show any warning signs of failure until I was driving on the highway then the transmission started slamming into gear as I accelerated causing lurching. I had to send my Honda Accord 2002 to the repair shop for a new transmission at only 85000 miles. All the transmission dealers I communicated with stated that they have never heard of a transmission breaking at such low mileage.
I have taken my Accord into the dealer for transmission leaks and problems three times and have to take it in again. The car jerks and slips out of gears and I have had a few close calls in intersections because of this problem.
I start my car and when I put it into gear, it greatly jerks! it's awful! I can let the car sit for 25 minutes and then it won't jerk on me later on, but that sure is a lot of gas being wasted. I've gone to all these other websites where people complain about this Honda and they all say the same. Bad jerking! staling on changing gears! dangerous if you pull out into traffic and it stalls on you! very bad!
I bought a new 2002 Honda Accord 4 cylinder le automatic in September 2002. I had it serviced regularly at a sunoco station near my house that does Honda-consistent service. They advised me to change the transmission oil at 50,000 miles servicing, which I did in 2008. Several weeks alter I noticed the transmission slipping going around corners. I went to county transmissions to ask them to look at it, but they said it is sealed and I should drive it til it breaks. It now has 75,000 mi and is still slipping, particularly going around corners - a safety issue, since the transmission could fail in traffic. I have given the car to my son, who drives it on a daily basis. I think Honda should issue a recall on the 2002 Accord and replace the transmissions S it did for other model years with a similar problem.
The contact owns a 2002 Honda Accord. While driving approximately 5 mph, the vehicle started to jerk. The D4 light was flashing on the instrument panel. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who stated that the failure was a leak inside the transmission. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The VIN was not available. The approximate failure mileage was 100,000. Updated 03/15/11 updated 03/21/11
Car's transmission needs to be replaced. Upon searching the internet the model year of 2000 and 2001 were recalled for their transmissions, although 2002 model year is also known for the transmission failures. There have been numerous occasions where I have almost been in car accidents because of the faulty transmission. I have placed calls with Honda of America to address the issue and have been told they would not cover anything.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
- Newburyport, MA, USA