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 $2 to fix in most other cars.
I drove my half hour to work and then went to use it after it sat for 30 minutes at which time my remote did not work and the radio was looking for the unlock code. The car started up strong and I reentered the radio security code and thought it was a one time
event. Latter that day with my wife heading to work the car died idling at a light (in rush hour @#$%!). It restarted after the car was pushed off the road ten minutes later. Any advice? I have heard of Accord with wire harness problems, that is what it sound like.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
I drove my half hour to work and then went to use it after it sat for 30 minutes at which time my remote did not work and the radio was looking for the unlock code. The car started up strong and I reentered the radio security code and thought it was a one time
event. Latter that day with my wife heading to work the car died idling at a light (in rush hour @#$%!). It restarted after the car was pushed off the road ten minutes later. Any advice? I have heard of Accord with wire harness problems, that is what it sound like.
- Dan M., Framingham, MA, US