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.
1.8
hardly worth mentioning
Crashes / Fires:
0 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
89,696 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 2004 Honda Accord. While the vehicle was parked, the air bag warning light illuminated and the radio failed to function. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the brake pads, dome light, and multiple parts needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure recurred. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 252,869.
The contact owns a 2004 Honda Accord. The contact stated the interior lighting failed with the exception of the speedometer back light. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer for diagnostic testing. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 105,000. The current mileage was 110,000.
The interior lighting on the radio and other components went out. It is dangerous to be driving and trying to figure out where fan and other buttons are in the dark. I should not need to use a flashlight to figure out how to clear fog from the windows. If I have a related accident my insurance company would consider it my fault even though it is a design or manufacturing defect.
The contact owns a 2004 Honda Accord. The contact stated that the interior lighting surrounding the center console was inoperable. The contact called the manufacturer regarding an extended warranty repair for the interior lighting but the manufacturer informed the contact that the vehicle did not fall into the warranty offer. The failure mileage was 95,000.
The radio and instrument display lights went out...I have read via the internet that this is a very common problem for my 2004 Honda Accord, and called Honda and they did extend the warranty to 7 years 100,000 miles, but unfortunately mine went out last week and I have had my car 7 1/2 years, and has 100,500 miles, so I got screwed...I feel as do many that it should be treated as a recall because it is a safety issue..when you are driving at night time, to be able to see your instrument panel you have to turn on a light...I have had numerous cars/trucks in my life and have never had this problem before even with cars/trucks that I have had much longer then this one...please make Honda fix this safety issue...thank you for your time.
- New Egypt, NJ, USA
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2004 Honda Accord V6ex. Audio-HVAC display is dark. Honda are aware of all model 2003 & 2004 but refused to recall due to the cost. They even put a service bulletin 04-027 out in all their dealership.
Noticed upon starting car: Lights on my dashboard have darkened completely (and permanently, not intermittently). This includes the defroster indicator, dashboard buttons, climate control, radio, and clock. This is a very common problem for 03-07 Accord, hundreds of users have complained about it for years. See the following thread: www.askmehelpdesk.com/advice/T-8584.html please submit this to Honda for recall action.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
- Wichita, KS, USA