2003 Honda Accord Problems

What owners report

Owners of this model year most often describe automatic transmission problems — slipping, harsh or sudden downshifts, and in many cases complete failure — typically between roughly 60,000 and 130,000 miles, with a smaller group reporting failures much earlier. Second most common are airbag concerns, both warning lights and unexpected deployments, along with brake shudder and noise reported early in the car's life. Most complaints come from cars that are well out of warranty, and several owners describe being told by dealers that no fault could be found.

1. 1
   Transmission and drivetrain

   Automatic transmission slips, downshifts, or fails

   • 792 complaints (40%)
   • median 98,000 mi at 7.9 yrs old (739 state mileage)
   • 31 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • owner-quoted repair $3,500 (median of 171 quotes)
   • filed 2003–2025

   Owners describe the automatic transmission slipping or pausing before engaging a gear, then revving without pulling, and in many cases a violent downshift or sudden loss of drive at highway speed. Some report the car going into a limp mode or dropping to a much lower speed without warning, and several say the fluid was black or burnt. Complaints describe dealers replacing or quoting replacement of the transmission, and some mention a 2004 recall on the transmission's second-gear lubrication that did not prevent the later failure; a few say the dealer could not duplicate the problem at first. Most reports fall between about 60,000 and 130,000 miles, though some owners describe failures in the 40,000s or below.

   Recall 04V1760001 related service bulletin

   What to check: Ask whether the transmission has been replaced or rebuilt and whether the 04V176000 second-gear remedy was performed. On a test drive, watch for delayed engagement, flaring between gears, or shuddering under light acceleration, and check the fluid for a burnt smell.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “The transmission has been slipping on and off for 2 weeks until last night, when it failed completely. I noticed it shift into a lower gear when I let my foot off the gas, and then it would not engage any gears. I had it towed to a nearby transmission shop who confirmed that the transmission had failed and would need to be replaced. Failure happened at 8 years and 114,000 miles.”

   NHTSA complaint #10441524, filed 2011-12, 114,000 miles

   “At approximately 56,000 miles, we had to replace the rear main oil seal. At 68,000 miles, we had to replace the fuel pump and as of june 4th, 2011, we were informed that we need to replace the transmission at 78,000 miles. The transmission failed going approximately 70 MPH and proceeded into limp mode to 30 MPH. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10409590, filed 2011-06, 78,000 miles
2. 2
   Air bags

   Airbag warning light on or airbags deploying unexpectedly

   • 274 complaints (14%)
   • median 88,500 mi at 10.0 yrs old (192 state mileage)
   • 102 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • owner-quoted repair $1,100 (median of 11 quotes)
   • filed 2003–2026

   Owners report the SRS or airbag warning light staying on, often traced by shops to seat belt latch or seat belt sensor codes, with some saying the dealer declined warranty coverage because the sensor is not treated as part of the belt. Others describe airbags deploying with no impact — sometimes at startup or after hitting a pothole — including side curtain bags, and several note this happened after a recall repair or an instrument panel replacement. Complaints also describe airbags that did not deploy in a collision. Reported across a wide mileage range, from under 50,000 miles to over 250,000, and often at startup or over rough road surfaces.

   Recall 19V501000Recall 19V499000Recall 19V182000Recall 18V268000Recall 17V220000Recall 15V370000Recall 15V320000Recall 14V700000Recall 14V3530006 related service bulletins

   What to check: Check that all open airbag inflator recalls for the VIN have been completed, and confirm the SRS light comes on at startup and then goes out. If the light stays on, have the stored SRS codes read before buying.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “After taking car into crown southpoint Honda in durham, nc on sept. 30 2019 for a recall on airbag and coupe pab inspection,now the air bag light is on. 17024. Now I'm being told I will be charged for the diagnostic and repair. This car was purchased in sept. 2019 with 68,000 original miles, inspected at wasp automotive and has no mechanical or electric issues. So whatever the dealer did contributed to this problem.”

   NHTSA complaint #11299333, filed 2020-01, 69,000 miles

   “New 2003 Honda Accord ex, with only 900 miles on it, hit at between 40 and 45 miles per hour on passenger side door. Neither front or side airbags were deployed. Neck injuries were the result of my head hitting the driver side window. I also had a 2002 Honda Accord ex, hit on driver's side passenger door at 35 miles per hour while parked and no airbags deployed either. Luckily I was not in the car when the 2002 Accord was hit.”

   NHTSA complaint #10018367, filed 2003-05, 900 miles
3. 3
   Brakes

   Brake shudder, grinding and a soft or low pedal

   • 124 complaints (6%)
   • median 15,000 mi at 1.7 yrs old (95 state mileage)
   • 18 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2003–2023

   Owners describe vibration and shaking through the steering wheel when braking, grinding noises on the first stops of a drive, and rotors found warped at low mileage, sometimes replaced more than once. Several complaints describe the brake pedal dropping toward the floor or feeling soft before the brakes finally catch, and some say the dealer could not find or reproduce the problem. Mostly reported at very low mileage, often under 20,000 miles, with some pedal complaints appearing around 30,000 to 55,000 miles.

   What to check: Test the brakes from highway speed and feel for pulsation or shudder, and check the pedal for a spongy feel or excess travel. Ask for brake service records, since repeat rotor replacement is common in the complaints.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “2003 Honda Accord ex 4 door sedan . I have had a soft,touchy brake pedal since the car reached 55,000 miles. Before that it was perfect,rock solid. I took it to the Honda dealership and the service advisor told me that they couldn't find anything wrong but they would replace the brake master cylinder and the ABS electronic modulator under my warranty. After few days the problem did not improve. The brake pedal went 1/2 way down easily and then the disc brakes just locked up all of a sudden. The driver had no real control over the braking actiion. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10354023, filed 2010-09, 55,000 miles

   “Vehicle is less than one year old, at 5000 miles brakes would give an uneven feeling when stopping. Now at 9500 miles vehicle shimmies and shakes when brakes are applied. Dealer states brakes should be resurfaced. Personal mechanic states rotors are warped. At highway speeds the shaking affects the positive control of vehicle.”

   NHTSA complaint #10043144, filed 2003-10, 5,000 miles
4. 4
   Electrical system

   Stalling, no-start and warning lights

   • 100 complaints (5%)
   • median 90,000 mi at 7.5 yrs old (83 state mileage)
   • 7 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • owner-quoted repair $1,200 (median of 15 quotes)
   • filed 2003–2025

   Owners describe the engine stalling while driving with several warning lights lit, sometimes restarting and sometimes not, and in some cases the accelerator pedal not responding. Others report the car failing to start even with the key in the ignition, and one complaint notes the key could not be removed from the cylinder along with hard shifting. Complaints mention shops finding no stored fault codes or battery terminal and wiring damage. Reported at a wide spread of mileage, generally well past 80,000 miles in this sample.

   Recall 10V3640001 related service bulletin

   What to check: Confirm the key turns freely, releases from the cylinder, and that the shifter moves through all positions. Ask whether the ignition interlock recall 10V364000 was completed, and check that no warning lights stay lit after starting.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Car won't start even with the key in it. Didn't have this problem before, along with the airbag light is now on. Prior to bringing the car to Honda Accord dealer for the other recalls none of this was a problem. Now my car makes a sound while I'm driving like a rattle sound along with the airbag light being on. The other day I started the car and only the lights and everything else turns on but the car engine won't start. It's problem after problem now that I brought it to them for recall. The vehicle was only driven to work and back from the time I took it to them. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11323952, filed 2020-05, 121,000 miles

   “While driving 40 MPH, the vehicle stalled without warning and lost power. Additionally, the vehicle failed to respond when the accelerator pedal was depressed. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed, but a fault code was not retrieved. The failure recurred several times while in motion and also on the freeway. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer and manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 145,000.”

   NHTSA complaint #11354226, filed 2020-09, 124,348 miles
5. 5
   Steering

   Power steering hard to turn or hose leak

   • 77 complaints (4%)
   • median 113,000 mi at 10.0 yrs old (61 state mileage)
   • 11 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • owner-quoted repair $700 (median of 13 quotes)
   • filed 2003–2025

   Owners describe the steering becoming suddenly heavy or difficult to turn in either direction, sometimes after a power steering pump failure, and one complaint mentions a clicking sound from the steering wheel with no response. Others reference the power steering pressure hose recall and describe difficulty getting the repair done, including being asked to pay for unrelated work first. Reported mostly on higher-mileage cars, from about 100,000 miles upward.

   Recall 12V222000

   What to check: Check for the 12V222000 power steering hose recall on the VIN, look for fluid seepage around the hose and pump, and turn the wheel lock to lock with the engine running to feel for heaviness or noise.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “The car has an existing recall to get the high pressure power steering hose replaced. An appointment was made, the car was taken to darlings Honda of bangor, me, on 8/15/2020 and they refused to do the repair because we refused to pay for additional repairs not requested. We were forced to drive the car back home, about 100 miles with the risk of the car catching fire, from the power steering hose leak.”

   NHTSA complaint #11349716, filed 2020-08, 325,000 miles

   “I was driving the car and the power steering pump went out and a week later my transmission started slipping then all of a sudden my car wouldn't go into gears and the transmission stopped working completely. It will work for 5 min then it completely won't go in any gear. I had to have it towed home. It was on the road on the bypass and I started acting up then it stopped working completely when I went to get off of work and wouldn't go in to gear at all after that. So I had to have it towed home. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11396234, filed 2021-02, 196,000 miles

Buying note. A pre-purchase inspection focused on the transmission is worth the cost on this model year, since slipping and failure are the most frequent complaints and repairs are expensive. Also confirm that all open airbag inflator recalls have been completed for the VIN and check the brakes and steering for the symptoms described above.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 80 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.