2003 HONDA ACCORD Complaints

TRANSMISSION STOPPED WORKING WILL ENTERING ON-RAMP ONTO A MAJOR FREEWAY (I-45 N) AND I HAD TO PUSH THE CAR OFF ON TO THE MEDIAN DURING RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC. HORRIBLE INCIDENT AND COULD HAVE BEEN UGLY IF IT HAPPENED ON THE FREEWAY! *TR

THE LOW BEAM LAMPS OF THE HEADLIGHTS HAVE FAILED 3 TIMES - TWICE IN THE DRIVER SIDE, ONCE ON THE PASSENGER SIDE. THIS APPEARS TO BE A MAJOR PROBLEM FOR HONDA AS OTHER HONDA MODELS HAVE BEEN RECALLED FOR THE SAME TYPE OF FAILURE. ADDITIONALLY, DUE TO THE DESIGN OF THE CAR, IT IS EXTREMELY COMPLICATED TO REPLACE THE BULB. AS NOTED IN THE CAR INSTRUCTION MANUAL, THE LINING FROM THE FRONT WHEEL WELL MUST BE REMOVED TO ACCESS THE HEAD LAMP BULB! THIS MAKES IT IS VERY DIFFICULT FOR ANYONE OTHER THAN A HONDA DEALER TO REPLACE THE BULB. AS A CONSEQUENCE, REPAIRS TO THE HEAD LAMP CANNOT BE EASILY AND QUICKLY MADE BY AN AVERAGE OWNER, FURTHER ADDING TO THE SAFETY HAZARD CAUSED BY THE LAMP FAILURE. HONDA SHOULD BE REQUIRED TO RECALL THIS MODEL, REPAIR THE HEAD LAMPS, AND REPLACE WITH A NEW DESIGN TO ENABLE RAPID, SIMPLE BULB REPLACEMENT BY THE AVERAGE OWNER. REPLACING A MAJOR SAFETY ITEM ON AN AUTO SHOULD NOT BE SO DIFFICULT. HOW MANY INJURIES HAVE BEEN CAUSED DUE TO THIS PROBLEM?

WHILE DRIVING ON BUSY STREET THE CAR VIOLENTLY SHIFTED INTO FIRST GEAR AT ABOUT 25 MILES PER HOUR, LUCKILY THERE WERE NO OTHER CARS BEHIND ME AT THE TIME, HAD THERE BEEN THIS ISSUE COULD HAVE CAUSED AN ACCIDENT. AFTER THIS INCIDENT THE CAR HAD INTERMITTENT ISSUES WITH THE TRANSMISSION SLIPPING OUT OF GEAR. I TOOK IT TO THE HONDA DEALERSHIP AND WAS TOLD THE TRANSMISSION WAS FAILING, CAUSING THE ISSUES. AFTER RESEARCHING, I FOUND THAT THIS WAS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH 2003 ACCORDS. *TR

I BOUGHT THE VEHICLE USED HAD 80,000 MILES ON IT I HARDLY EVER USED THE VEHICLE IT SUDDENLY HAPPENED WAS DRIVING AND ALL THE SUDDEN IT DOWN SHIFTED VIGOROUSLY WITH NO INDICATION ON DASH ,LIKE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ,I WAS DRIVING WITH MY CHILDREN ,ALMOST GOT REAR ENDED BY ANOTHER VEHICLE THEN IT WENT INTO NEUTRAL IT DIDN'T GO ANYWHERE TURNED IT OFF WAITED TURNED IT BACK ON DROVE FOR A LITTLE AND AGAIN THE SAME THING I HAVE BEEN RESEARCHING THIS ONLINE AND ITS KNOWN THIS IS A PROBLEM AND NO ONE HAS DONE ANYTHING HONDA SAID THEY PUT A OIL JET INJECTOR BUT THAT DID NOT FIX THE SITUATION FROM MY UNDERSTANDING AND ITS A V6 I CANNOT PAY FOR A NEW TRANSMISSION ,I'M ALSO PAYING FOR THE VEHICLE AND CANNOT DRIVE IT PLEASE HELP. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 HONDA ACCORD. THE CONTACT STATED THAT POWER STEERING FLUID WAS LEAKING FROM THE RESERVOIR. THE CONTACT STATED THE STEERING WHEEL WAS HARD TO MOVE FROM LEFT TO RIGHT AND THE HUMMING SOUND WAS COMING FROM THE STEERING WHEEL. THE CONTACT DID NOT TAKE THE VEHICLE TO A DEALER OR A MECHANIC. THE CONTACT REFERENCED NHTSA CAMPAIGN I.D. NUMBER: 12V222000 (STEERING:HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST:HOSE, PIPING, AND CONNECTIONS) AND CALLED THE MANUFACTURER. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 112,700.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 HONDA ACCORD. WHILE PARKED, THE CONTACT NOTICED A BURNING OIL SMELL. AFTER INSPECTING THE VEHICLE THE CONTACT NOTICED POWER STEERING FLUID LEAKING FROM UNDER THE VEHICLE. THERE WAS A RECALL UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 12V222000 (STEERING:HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST:HOSE, PIPING, AND CONNECTIONS) THAT COULD HAVE BEEN RELATED TO THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND STATED THAT THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN A RECALL. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 180,000.

LEFT FRONTAL IMPACT WITH ANOTHER VEHICLE TURNING LEFT IN FRONT OF AFFECTED VEHICLE. AFTER IMPACT AFFECTED VEHICLE WENT OFF THE ROADWAY AND OVER A CURB BEFORE COMING TO REST. DRIVERS SIDE AIRBAG DID NOT DEPLOY. PASSENGER FRONT AIRBAG DEPLOYED EVEN THOUGH THE SEAT WAS UNOCCUPIED AND NOT UNDER ANY WEIGHT. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 HONDA ACCORD. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH, ALL OF THE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED ERRONEOUSLY. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HE DID NOT HIT ANY ROAD BUMPS OR CRASH INTO ANY OBJECT TO INITIATE AIR BAG DEPLOYMENT. THE VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED BY A TECH FROM HONDA MOTOR CO. THE TECH FOUND NO DAMAGE TO THE EXTERIOR OF THE VEHICLE WHICH COULD HAVE CAUSED ALL OF THE AIR BAGS TO DEPLOY. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED IMMEDIATELY. THEY STATED THEY WOULD NOT FIX THE VEHICLE, BECAUSE IT WAS OUT OF WARRANTY. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 94,000. UPDATED 11/01/2012*LJ UPDATED 11/02/12

THE CAR ACTED LIKE IT WAS 'MISSING' GEARS, BUT THIS WENT AWAY. I STARTED TO ENTER THE FREEWAY RAMP AND INCREASE SPEED AND THE CAR DID IT SEVERAL TIMES AGAIN (MISSING GEARS', REVVING BUT NOT MOVING FORWARD LIKE IT SHOULD) AND WAS ALMOST HIT BY SEVERAL CARS TRYING TO GET ME TO MOVE. I WAS UNABLE TO GET THE CAR TO MOVE, SO I IMMEDIATELY USED GPS TO LOCATE A SERVICE STATION. I WAS ABLE TO DRIVE THE TO THE REPAIR SHOP, BUT THE CAR SYMPTOMS CONTINUED TO GET WORSE, WHICH WAS A SIGNIFICANT SAFETY HAZARD! NO CHECK ENGINE LIGHTS CAME ON AT ALL! I WAS ABLE TO MAKE IT TO THE DRIVEWAY OF THE REPAIR SHOP, BUT THEY HAD TO PUSH THE CAR INTO THE BAY TO REVIEW IT. THE REPAIR PLACE DETERMINED THAT THE TRANSMISSION HAS AN INTERNAL PROBLEM, WHICH IS VERY COMMON WITH 2003 HONDA ACCORDS. I ONLY HAD 89,900 MILES ON THE CAR. I HAVE OWNED SEVERAL HONDAS AND HAVE NEVER HAD PROBLEMS SUCH AS THIS. HOWEVER, HONDA KNOWS THAT THIS IS AN ONGOING, SAFETY HAZARD BUT HAS DONE NOTHING TO ADDRESS THESE ONGOING ISSUES (OUTSIDE OF THE CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT REQUIREMENTS). I WILL BE LOOKING AT NEW CARS AND HONDAS WILL NOT BE ON MY LIST! I AM ASKING THE US DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION TO PLEASE THOROUGHLY REVIEW THE HISTORY OF TRANSMISSION ISSUES WITH THESE CARS AND REQUIRE APPROPRIATE CONSUMER PROTECTION BY HONDA. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 HONDA ACCORD. THE CONTACT STARTED THE IGNITION AND AS THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED, THE VEHICLE UNEXPECTEDLY INCREASED ACCELERATION TO 70 MPH. THE BRAKE WAS ENGAGED REPEATEDLY AND THE GEAR WAS SHIFTED INTO NEUTRAL HOWEVER, THE VEHICLE CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE. THE SPEED WAS REDUCED AS THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED UP AN INCLINE THEN THE CONTACT SHIFTED INTO PARK. THE ENGINE BEGAN TO ROAR LOUDLY WITH A RAPID INCREASE IN ENGINE RPMS. THE ENGINE WAS TURNED OFF AND THE VEHICLE CAME TO A COMPLETE STOP. A CERTIFIED MECHANIC ARRIVED ON THE SCENE TO INSPECT THE VEHICLE. THE MECHANIC FOUND THAT THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL HAD BECOME STOP IN OPEN THROTTLE POSITION. THE VEHICLE WAS ABLE TO RESUME AS NORMAL. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE ACCELERATION FAILURE AND THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER FOR DIAGNOSIS. THE DEALER HOWEVER WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. IN ADDITION, AN INVESTIGATOR INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND DETECTED THAT THE AIR FILTER PLASTIC BOX WAS FRACTURED, WHICH CAUSED FRAGMENTS TO REMAIN STUCK IN THE THROTTLE. THEY ALSO INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE AIR FILTER WAS IMPROPERLY INSTALLED BY A MECHANIC WHEN PERFORMING A PREVIOUS OIL CHANGE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNAVAILABLE.