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.
2.4
hardly worth mentioning
Crashes / Fires:
0 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
64,983 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.
2003 Honda Accord. Consumer writes to report a potential fire hazard with power windows the consumer stated the front drivers window regulator motor assembly was replaced, because it was slow to open and then became stuck in the down position. Four months later, the front passenger window would not open when the consumer tried pressing the switch from both the master control panel and the passenger arm rest. In addition, none of the windows opened from the outside of the vehicle when she pressed the unlock button on the remote transmitter and held the button down. The doors unlocked, but the windows did not go down. The front passenger regulator motor failed and in addition to a fuse blowing, the wiring in the passenger door panel burned and the vehicle's fuse box assembly was damaged. When the consumer picked the vehicle up, she was told the problem may have originated with a crack in the master control switch on the driver's panel. Two days later, after the repairs were made, when the consumer tried pressing the switch to close the window, the window rose less than an inch and immediately went down again. Also, when she wanted to open the window fully, she had to hold the control switch in the down position longer than normally required to automate the action. The consumer returned to the dealer and they replaced the run channels on both windows.
The contact owns a 2003 Honda Accord. The contact stated that the two front windows on her vehicle would not go up or down. The vehicle has been to the dealer at least three times and they replaced the motors, but the windows still do not go up and down. The failure mileage was 129,966.
- Oxnard, CA, USA
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- Baltimore, MD, USA