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:
2 / 1
Injuries / Deaths:
4 / 0
Average Mileage:
43,187 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.
The contact owns a 2003 Honda Accord. While driving approximately 30 mph, the vehicle failed to accelerate when the accelerator pedal was depressed. There were no warning indicators illuminated. The contact pulled the vehicle over to the side of the road and had it towed to her residence. A local dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 184,449.
The contact owns a 2003 Honda Accord. While driving 50 mph, the accelerator pedal was depressed and remained depressed. The contact turned the ignition off and engaged the emergency brakes in order to bring the vehicle to a complete halt. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, but was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 180,000....updated 09/14/16
The contact owns a 2003 Honda Accord. While driving 65 mph, the accelerator pedal became stuck while turning into the driveway. The failure caused the contact to crash into her neighbor's house. She sustained severe bladder damage and her grandson, seated in the rear seat, sustained injuries to the head, nose, mouth, and eyes. The vehicle was towed to the dealer who determined that the cause of failure was due to three fractured struts. Her neighbor's home and her vehicle endured property damage. A police report was filed. She has not notified the dealer or the manufacturer. A valid VIN was unknown. The current and failure mileages were 41,000.
Accelerator stuck in a parking lot. Braking would not stop the vehicle. Attempted to throw the car into park just before impact. Dealer will not investigate for defects!!!
- Jackson, MI, USA
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Problems with vehicle's accelerator. This was an intermittent problem with the accelerator. When pressed from a stop, it would fail to respond. The problem was unable to be duplicated.
While driving at any speed the consumer pressed the gas and brake pedals at the same time. Consumer felt that the brake pedal was not high enough and away from the gas pedal. The brakes would grind when coming to a slow stop. The dealer refinished the front disc and installed new front brake pads.
Repeated failure of the vehicle to respond to accelerator pedal input. Dealer of course cannot duplicate. This is certainly a safety issue but there has been little effort to correct.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
- Broomfield, CO, USA