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.
I walked to my car from a day grocery shopping only to not be able to open my driver side door. I then crawled my 6'0 frame thru the passenger door for a full week before going to the local Honda dealership. After waiting 2 hours I was told the mechanic simply looked at it from outside the car nad knows it needs a "door latch, power, r&r" (per my written quote) However, if the door panel breaks while servicing I must pay an additional $475 for a new door panel. Why??? My door panel is fine and if it breaks while they are repairing it shouldn't they pay for it?? I politely took my written quote, climbed through the passenger side, across the arm rest and drove away from the shop. This is a big problem from a 'reliable' name in the car industry
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
I walked to my car from a day grocery shopping only to not be able to open my driver side door. I then crawled my 6'0 frame thru the passenger door for a full week before going to the local Honda dealership. After waiting 2 hours I was told the mechanic simply looked at it from outside the car nad knows it needs a "door latch, power, r&r" (per my written quote) However, if the door panel breaks while servicing I must pay an additional $475 for a new door panel. Why??? My door panel is fine and if it breaks while they are repairing it shouldn't they pay for it?? I politely took my written quote, climbed through the passenger side, across the arm rest and drove away from the shop. This is a big problem from a 'reliable' name in the car industry
- athom14, Lexington, AL, US