2000 Honda Accord Problems

What owners report

Owners of this model year most often report the SRS (air bag) warning light staying lit, automatic transmission shifting and slipping problems, and rust-through of the front subframe on the passenger side. Many reports come from cars with well over 100,000 miles, and some describe air bag recall parts being unavailable when a dealer was contacted.

1. 1
   Air bags

   SRS (air bag) warning light stays on

   • 353 complaints (30%)
   • median 76,000 mi at 6.8 yrs old (249 state mileage)
   • 11 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • owner-quoted repair $676 (median of 48 quotes)
   • filed 1999–2025

   Complaints describe the SRS light coming on and staying lit with no crash involved, sometimes returning days or weeks after a dealer reset. Dealers commonly diagnosed a failed air bag control unit or the passenger-seat occupant detection sensor, and owners report paying diagnostic fees even when the repair was declined. Several owners say their vehicle was outside a related warranty extension or recall, so they paid out of pocket, and others report recall parts were not available. Reported from about 20,000 to 200,000 miles, with many under 100,000 miles.

   Recall 20V026000Recall 20V027000Recall 02V0800001 related service bulletin

   What to check: Turn the key to the on position and confirm the SRS light goes out after the bulb check. Ask whether the OPDS sensor warranty extension and any air bag inflator recalls were completed for this vehicle.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “My 2000 Honda Accord ex has recently had the srs light come on, when I took it to the dealer cambridge Honda they charged me $98 informed me that the car had recently been in accident (it hasn't) and that the box wouldn't communicate with their test set so to fix it would require replacing the entire system ($1000 +).”

   NHTSA complaint #10154905, filed 2006-04, 46,000 miles

   “My 2000 Honda Accord ex v6 with about 94,000 miles has the srs light on permanently. The diagnostic code provided to me by the dealer is 5-8, which is internal srs failure, and requires the srs unit to be replaced. This is not covered under the current warranty extension (campaign code q08, service bulletin 06-009) for opds. Given that the part is integral to the safety system, it seems that should have a much longer warranty. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10210315, filed 2007-11, 93,500 miles
2. 2
   Body and structure

   Front subframe rust-through near A/C drain

   • 80 complaints (7%)
   • median 154,000 mi at 15.0 yrs old (67 state mileage)
   • 2 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • owner-quoted repair $1,500 (median of 17 quotes)
   • filed 2000–2026

   Complaints describe rust-through and cracking of the front subframe or cross member, typically on the passenger side, found during routine maintenance or inspection. Owners and mechanics attribute it to air conditioning condensate draining onto that area, noting the driver side is usually unaffected. Shops told several owners the car should not be driven until the part is replaced, with repair estimates exceeding the car's value. Reported from about 62,000 to 223,000 miles, generally on older cars.

   Recall 00V184000

   What to check: Look under the front passenger corner of the subframe for flaking scale, holes or cracks, and check whether the A/C drain hose has been extended away from the frame. Have a shop inspect it on a lift before purchase.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I brought my car to a certified auto shop for routine maintenance and during the inspection the mechanic lifted the car and allowed me to take pictures of the rusted sub- frame on the passenger side. It is very clear that the air conditioning unit drains directly into sub-frame causing condensation along with a puddle of water sitting on the frame which caused a rusted hole in the sub-frame. The spout for the air conditioner should be extended to allow the water to go directly onto the ground. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10638985, filed 2014-09, 130,000 miles

   “I took this Honda Accord dx (my2000) to the dealer for 120,000 maintenance in september 2011. They told me the front passenger side subframe rusted very badly. But the driver side subframe was normal with no rust. I thought underbody rust is normal for my car's age and did not pay much attention. But after one month, the front wheels began to make strange noise. I took it to an independent auto repair and they told me the subframe rusted through completely and began to crack. It is a safety hazard to continue to drive. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10436698, filed 2011-11, 120,000 miles
3. 3
   Electrical system

   Key can be removed with transmission not in park

   • 94 complaints (8%)
   • median 115,000 mi at 10.2 yrs old (79 state mileage)
   • 13 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2001–2024

   Owners report being able to turn the ignition off and pull the key while the shifter is still in drive or neutral, so the car can roll when parked on an incline. Some complaints mention the car rolling away and striking another vehicle. Several owners say their vehicle did not qualify for the ignition switch recall covering the same symptom and were offered repair at their own cost. Reported from about 23,000 to 211,000 miles, with many past 100,000 miles.

   Recall 05V025000

   What to check: With the engine off, try removing the key with the shifter in drive; it should not come out. Ask whether ignition switch recall 05V025000 was performed on this vehicle.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Key can be removed while the gear indicator is in d . If the car is parked on an incline, it can begin to roll once the brake is disengaged. There is a recall for the same year and model with this specific defect, but my Accord's VIN does not qualify for the recall. Dealership offered to replace mechanism at my expense.”

   NHTSA complaint #10206028, filed 2007-10, 75,000 miles

   “Car shuts off while driving. No check engine light comes on. Usually starts back up. My research indicates ignition switch which I have found Honda has had recalled in the past”

   NHTSA complaint #11047495, filed 2017-11, 211,015 miles
4. 4
   Transmission and drivetrain

   Automatic transmission slipping and harsh shifting

   • 154 complaints (13%)
   • median 109,000 mi at 10.4 yrs old (109 state mileage)
   • 6 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • owner-quoted repair $2,488 (median of 29 quotes)
   • filed 1999–2024

   Owners describe abrupt engagement when shifting into reverse, hesitation in drive, and slipping between gears that worsens as the car warms up. Some reports mention the D4 or warning light coming on with the car limited to low speed, and repairs ranged from solenoid cleaning and fluid flushes to rebuilds or replacement. Some owners say the dealer could not duplicate the problem at the time of inspection. Mostly reported between about 60,000 and 200,000 miles, often worsening gradually.

   4 related service bulletins

   What to check: Drive the car from cold through all gears and feel for harsh reverse engagement, slipping under light throttle, or delayed upshifts. Ask for transmission service records and whether the automatic transmission warranty extension work was performed.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “My 2000 Honda Accord transmissions has began to slip on march 28,2011 as I was making a delivery for my job traveling uphill ,I got a couple of readings from a mechanic which was codes p730,p740,&p780 it hasn't stopped and continues to slip as I drive at any speed & slips everytime I drive.I had a mechanic clean the solenoids and do a transmission fluid flush for $200.00,I also added lucas transmission slip stop and problem still occur.I got an estimate for repair for the transmission for $3000.00.”

   NHTSA complaint #10394483, filed 2011-04, 201,000 miles

   “My air bags are takita and needs replaced I can leave my car in any gear but park and it drifts away I have replaced my transmission 2x with only150k miles”

   NHTSA complaint #11307625, filed 2020-02, 135,000 miles
5. 5
   Vehicle speed control

   Sticking throttle or sudden acceleration

   • 109 complaints (9%)
   • median 81,000 mi at 8.3 yrs old (69 state mileage)
   • 31 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • owner-quoted repair $1,250 (median of 10 quotes)
   • filed 2000–2018

   Complaints describe the throttle cable sticking, especially in cold weather, holding the accelerator open so the car accelerates on its own. Owners report having to shift to neutral and shut the engine off to stop it, and in one account the brakes did not slow the car before it left the road. In some cases the dealer could not find a fault during inspection. Reported between about 44,000 and 112,000 miles, several in cold conditions.

   What to check: Inspect the throttle cable and linkage for fraying, binding or a sticky feel at the pedal, and ask whether the cable has ever been replaced or lubricated.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I started my car and put it in reverse in a parking garage as I was attempting to exit the garage. The car accelerated while I was in reverse, slamming into two parked vehicles. The car then accelerated forward, slamming into a concrete column and coming to a rest. I attempted to slam on my brakes but the car would not stop. It felt like my accelerator was stuck rather than a problem with the brakes.”

   NHTSA complaint #10379174, filed 2011-01, 130,000 miles

   “Consumer stated the gas pedal and brake pedal were designed too close together. The consumer had been in the position where he had to make a panic stop. When this happened, his knees hit the steering wheel to prevent a raised pedal. Dealer stated the interior was redesigned to accommodate shorter people whom wanted minimum time going from the brake to the pedal and vice versa.”

   NHTSA complaint #10031591, filed 2003-09, 15,000 miles

Buying note. Have a shop inspect the front subframe on a lift and confirm the SRS light behaves correctly during the bulb check, since those are the two most reported problems. Service records for the automatic transmission and any completed air bag or ignition switch recalls are worth requesting before purchase.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 60 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.