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.
Thought it was just an intermittent issue as it was not readily recreated but then it stayed on all the time - "if you can't recreate it, you can't fix it, right?". Mechanic says error code points to (1) (driver's) seat belt buckle ($150 w/labor), (2) weight sensor in passenger seat ($320, labor TBD) and/or (3) main car computer or ECU (cost TBD but anything that says "car computer" is expensive. Says he has "replaced tons of (driver's side) buckles but not a single weight sensing unit"... really? "tons of buckles"?! He went on to say that "they've had a problem with that design for years" and the options above are the "recommended troubleshooting steps from Honda" (basically, replace things until the problem goes away - very consumer-friendly approach)... WTH?! Of course, my car isn't on the recall list for either... How that can happen is beyond me - not on the recall list when it is a known issue across the entire line for years?! Sounds like the GM starter switch problem all over again... So, I either put my family in harm's way or pay (an untold sum) to get it fixed when it is a well-known design flaw.
2004 Honda Accord has an intermittent problem with the drivers seat belt. A contact in the seat belt latch is causing the Air Bag system to malfunction. My local Honda dealership stated that the air bag will not function with this problem. An internet search shows many Honda's with the same problem. This problem in the seat belt disables the air bag and also disables the seat belt warning light which warns the driver if the seat belt is not latched. The Honda warrantee states that "any Honda seat belt component that fails to function properly during normal use is covered by a lifetime warrantee". However, Honda is refusing to replace the seat belt latch under warrantee. I contacted Honda customer service and file a complaint. Everyone I talked to agreed that it should be covered under warantee. However, they said that there is nothing they can because of direction from Honda corporate. Apparently the Honda warrrantee is not worth the paper that it is written on.
I wish they would put a recall on electrical stuff that they have no answer for especially when we have to pay every time you bring it in and they find nothing wrong and it continues with the same problem. The air bag light comes on every other time the car is on.
The SRS dash light came on and stayed on. It took the dealership days to diagnose - and it shouldn't have as this problem (and part) was investigated on the 2001 Accord. If I had not had the extended warranty, this would have cost well over $250. This is obviously a faulty part- and should be re-called. This problem can cause the airbags NOT to operate and should be covered by the company - warranty or no. It can be life-threatening. Why no re-call? No doubt.... money.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
This car has too many things that are wrong, defective or just broke. Not the Honda Accord or reputation for being a great.
- valb22, Virginia Beach, VA, US