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.
My trunk has a dealer installed accessory fin. It looks good, but it causes my trunk to fall shut unexpectedly due to it's added weight. If my car is parked on a slight incline or if there is a substantial breeze, my trunk lid will fall shut with great force. It has fallen on my friends child, my own children, and myself. I am thankful no one has gotten seriously hurt. We are all very diligent in 'holding' the trunk open for each other on windy days. This does present a problem when I am loading groceries into the trunk on windy days by myself, so I have a random 3 foot metal pole I carry in my trunk to 'prop' my trunk open with so I am not decapitated (minor detail). I have asked my dealer several different times about whether this has been recalled or if there is anything Honda can do for me because it is a safety hazard and has been like this since I purchased the car. They tell me it's the ??open and closing bars?? inside the trunk that are shot and need to be replaced, however last time I inquired I needed to bars and they said there was only 1 in stock in the whole USA. I don't recall the price exactly but it was over $100. I know I should contact Honda directly but I don't think about it until I'm in a parking lot on a windy day, and I honestly don't feel like dealing with the headache. The car is now 6 years old. I hope to get a new car eventually (don't know if it will be another Honda) so for now my metal pole and my arm work well for holding the trunk lid open. Stupid car.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
My trunk has a dealer installed accessory fin. It looks good, but it causes my trunk to fall shut unexpectedly due to it's added weight. If my car is parked on a slight incline or if there is a substantial breeze, my trunk lid will fall shut with great force. It has fallen on my friends child, my own children, and myself. I am thankful no one has gotten seriously hurt. We are all very diligent in 'holding' the trunk open for each other on windy days. This does present a problem when I am loading groceries into the trunk on windy days by myself, so I have a random 3 foot metal pole I carry in my trunk to 'prop' my trunk open with so I am not decapitated (minor detail). I have asked my dealer several different times about whether this has been recalled or if there is anything Honda can do for me because it is a safety hazard and has been like this since I purchased the car. They tell me it's the ??open and closing bars?? inside the trunk that are shot and need to be replaced, however last time I inquired I needed to bars and they said there was only 1 in stock in the whole USA. I don't recall the price exactly but it was over $100. I know I should contact Honda directly but I don't think about it until I'm in a parking lot on a windy day, and I honestly don't feel like dealing with the headache. The car is now 6 years old. I hope to get a new car eventually (don't know if it will be another Honda) so for now my metal pole and my arm work well for holding the trunk lid open. Stupid car.
- g.h., Westminster, MD, US