CarComplaints.com Notes: The 2003 Honda Accord suffers from widespread transmission failure & problems with the stereo backlight failing. 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.
The stereo backlight problem has been an issue since these Accords were only a few years old. Honda eventually issued a recall which covered the repair for 7 years/100k miles, which was nice while it lasted but now that period is over. Honda initially was replacing the entire radio ($800) but eventually began replacing just the PCB which at ~$300 is much cheaper. That sounds like a deal, but keep in mind we're talking about a backlight bulb that costs $2 to fix in most other cars.
10.0
really awful
Crashes / Fires:
5 / 1
Injuries / Deaths:
7 / 0
Average Mileage:
108,851 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.
Torque converter stuck off, P0741, code given. Transmission rebuild/ replacement required for continued use of vehicle. Service records show 2nd gear oil jet addition at 25,500 miles, and all subsequent servicing done at manufacturer suggested intervals, as indicated by printed shop receipts from Honda dealership. After drain and fill done after first code thrown at 106,000 miles, 50 miles later the same P0741 code thrown. Local transmission shop did teardown and said that torque converter shows signs of overheating, metal shavings in fluid, and severely worn and broken clutch materials ( I have pictures of said damage).
Transmission - while driving I'd pulled over and the car slow to a stop while the transmission was in gear, I place the grea lever in park then back into drive and all that happen was a wineing sound from the transmission I turn off the engine and sat there for a while, started the engine was able to go some distance more and the car started to wine again made it home after three stop let the car rest and then go again.had the transmission rebuild, years later tranmission went out again had to replace transmission again.this all happen on city street last repair was 09/23/2016 by brake stop auto repair
Hello I need to submit a near collision incident caused by a transmission lockup on the highway at 65 mph. I don't know your VIN tracking methods, but you have not accounted for all of them, particularly mine. Refer to: NHTSA recall number: 04V-176 mfr campaign id: P38 campaign dscription: 03-04 Accord auto trans recall recall date: 04/13/2014 I've just had this happen to me in my 2003 Accord and can provide proof by submitting my transmission replacement records from the local Honda dealer service shop. I was lucky the vehicles behind me were able to avoid rear ending me.
Transmission was recalled (NHTSA reference #04V176000) in 2004 for over heating problem. There was no follow up to see if repairs specified in the recall were effective over the expected life of the transmission. Symptoms started about two weeks ago. Transmission pauses before going into gear. Then transmission slips and engine revs. After one week, transmission quit pulling as I was attempting to enter the interstate. Car would not get up to speed and transmission quit pulling entirely, leaving me stranded on side of interstate. Transmission fluid black and burnt. Sounds like gear jumping teeth.
Upon slowing, transmission shifts violently from 3 to 2 and 2 to 1. also, under light or steady throttle, will switch back and forth from 1 to 2, again violently (violently defined as like dumping the clutch in a manual transmission). This happens after it warms up. The car has 98.8K miles on it, maintained at Honda the entire life of the car.
The contact owns a 2003 Honda Accord. While driving 55 mph, the transmission failed to shift gears without warning. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 41,000.
Transmission recall- second owner of 2003 Honda Accord. Bought it at 76,000 miles, now at 95,000 miles. I'm night driving at 75mph in the fast lane with a constant flow of traffic including big rigs. Near the end of a construction median which was placed precisely on the left line of the lane, my car jolts backwards as if I slammed on the brakes. Freaked out, I thought maybe I ran something over. Then 2 minutes later my car jolts backwards again like a fast emergency brake. I could feel my body lock against my seatbelt. I safely get to the shoulder and panic as I am an hour from home and I'm in the ghetto. As I pull back on to get off the highway my car is at a constant rev of 5 and making a loud awful machine noise. I try to put it in reverse and it doesn't reverse. I turn it off then try again, it works once then doesn't do anything. I get towed to Honda, I saw how the previous owner had a jet kit installed because of a 2004 recall which states if under 15,000mi install a jet kit, if over, examine the gears and or replace transmission. Replace. Because of this recall which was more so a bandaid of the problem, my mint condition car is all money bags. I do not think Honda will do another recall or pay partially for the repair. 95,000 miles! I read on car complaints how many people had these same issues with Honda America and Honda dealerships. This is not right! if you create and sell a dangerously faulty product, fix and replace them! NHTSA recall #: 04V176000 Honda recall #: P38
I'm the third owner of a 2003 Honda Accord V6 ex coupe. At 151000 miles my transmission began to fail. It would slam it's way from 5th gear to 1st. Luckily nobody was behind me. I was going 60 mph from the shell station.5 miles from my house, and slowed to 30 by the time my car was in 1st in a curve. I almost lost control of the vehicle. Come web to find out this is a wide spread unresolved problem that is endangering everyone in and around these vehicles. I called Honda and they said in 2004 the vehicle already had the recall performed, but much like the thousands of other people who ended up with this cat it did not fix the faulty transmission and Honda knows that the issue still exists and wants people to continue paying to get the same problematic rebuilt transmission. I can not believe every one of these transmissions haven't been recalled, and if needed I will pursue legal action against Honda especially having a 1 year old daughter in a known rolling death trap. Once it gets to first it flashes D on the dash and the check engine comes on. My tcs and ABS is also tripped by this issue causing further risk of endangering other drivers and myself. Every search I have made on this vehicle days the same as I'm saying now, but at varying stages. Please help get this issue resolved not just for myself but for everyone who owns this particular Honda. To make matters worse this is the first year model of the Honda Accord V6 ex coupe. The car is currently parked and won't be moved until a recall or I swap the entire transmission out for a manual transmission that I can't afford, but I definitely can't afford to replace my car or continue to pay to replace the same faulty transmission. This is an outrage.
The contact owns a 2003 Honda Accord. The contact stated that while driving the vehicle at 70 mph and when attempting to pass another vehicle, the transmission seemed to lock, causing the vehicle to stop on the freeway. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic were it was diagnosed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 133,000.
My 2003 Honda Accord LX crashed on 10/01/2016 about 18 months after I had my airbag serviced at a local Honda dealer 4/7/2015. When I got my car back from the dealer, the driver door had no power and could not be opened remotely or with the power lock control on the driver door. More importantly, no safety signals came on when the car started. I called the dealer and they told me I had to pay $80 to have it checked; I then called american Honda customer service, who only documented the complaint and took no action to remedy mechanical mistake by Honda dealer. I was driving on a downhill curve on a wet road after a rain. When I saw a slower car ahead of me, I gently applied the brake to maintain a constant following distance. The car drifted to the left toward oncoming traffic. But when I tried steer to get back to the right lane and tried to press on the brake, it locked up, then the car went into neutral and I had no brake and steering resistance was completely lax. My car went off road and crashed into the woods. The airbag did not deploy. I was confined in bed with pain one whole day. My transmission had locked up, then went into neutral, twice before on 1/14/2015 in the middle of traffic, and on 9/15/2016 in my driveway. We never received a letter from Honda for the transmission recall; however, we did receive letters regarding the airbag recall, the ignition switch recall, and the wiper motor recall. A year ago, the recalls came up using my VIN#. the database now shows no recall for my vehicle at all. After my car crash, I had it towed to Honda dealership on 10/4/2016 for repair estimate. I left my car and title with dealership; less than 48 hours later I called to get car back for crash investigation and lawsuit, the car had been destroyed by Honda dealer closing all further inquiries. American Honda took no responsibility when I contacted them.
The 3rd gear in my automatic transmission had almost completely given out. The first incident of failure was when accelerating from a stop. When my vehicle tried to shift to 3rd gear the gear wouldn't catch and the engine revved freely without increasing the speed of the vehicle. I did research on this problem specifically associated with this make, model, and year and discovered the issue to be consistent with other reports.
Randomly car will down shift and up shift. Sometime yes when I left off gas. Sometimes when it hits a certain RPM. The RPM will shoot really high and go back to normal. Only occurs while warm.
Was driving on the highway at 70 miles an hour and the transmission violently stopped. I almost got in a car accident. These transmission are an issue and Honda refues to recall the cars. Someone is going to get killed.
Complete transmission failure requiring replacement or rebuilding of the automatic transmission. Note, this is a 2003 Honda Accord V6 automatic transmission. The failure occurred while driving on the highway under normal conditions.
Hi! as you can see, I am an owner of a Honda Accord 2003. I have recently taken it for a replacement of the passenger airbag. While I was doing some research, I found that this specific year and model, had some other issues or recalls too. For example, the transmission system. His caught my attention since I think I do have a problem probably related to it. I bought this car in may last year, from an acquaintance, and soon after, I noticed a shaking in the gas pedal, every time I was accelerating between 25 to 35 mph (city and highway). The shaking always go away when I stop speeding it for a second, and then continue to accelerate. It happens again and again. It first, and because the check engine turn on, I took it to the mechanic, and I was told that I needed to replace the catalytic. Well, I did it and...the problem persisted. Am I in danger here?. ok, I will wait for your response. In the meantime, as might understand, I will document this request, just in case something happens. Thank you for your time and attention!!!
November 30, 2016 the transmission started jerking and slipping. On December 1, I had the car towed to a repair facility and a repair was done. The next day. December 2 the problem recurred and the diagnosis was the transmission failed. The failure of this class of transmissions is documented through recalls. My transmission at the time of recall had new cooling lines and kits installed. No inspection was done by camera.
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