CarComplaints.com Notes: The 2004 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 ever 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 replaced 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.
Battery light flickers intermittently. At the same time the battery light flickers, the headlights go dim, the A/C fans fluctuate in speed, and my aftermarket stereo amplifiers (2) cut out. It's still progressively getting worse. I have replaced the battery and had the alternator checked several times but no one can find the problem.
Update from May 7, 2015: After taking the vehicle to the Honda dealer for a recall, the dealer looked into the battery light problem. Turns out that the diodes in the alternator were going bad. Alternator replacement fixed the issue. So much for the auto parts store testers. They repeatedly told to me that the diodes were good according to their test equipment.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
Battery light flickers intermittently. At the same time the battery light flickers, the headlights go dim, the A/C fans fluctuate in speed, and my aftermarket stereo amplifiers (2) cut out. It's still progressively getting worse. I have replaced the battery and had the alternator checked several times but no one can find the problem.
Update from May 7, 2015: After taking the vehicle to the Honda dealer for a recall, the dealer looked into the battery light problem. Turns out that the diodes in the alternator were going bad. Alternator replacement fixed the issue. So much for the auto parts store testers. They repeatedly told to me that the diodes were good according to their test equipment.
- Michael S., Merritt Island, FL, US