2004 Honda Accord Problems

What owners report

Owners of this model year most often write about automatic transmission trouble, typically after the car has passed roughly 90,000 to 100,000 miles: the transmission slips, revs without pulling, or stops engaging a gear altogether. Airbag concerns are the second theme, both warning lights tied to seat sensors and the Takata inflator recalls that cover this model year. Other reports involve electrical quirks, power steering fluid leaks and brake or speed-control complaints.

1. 1
   Transmission and drivetrain

   Automatic transmission slips, revs, then loses drive

   • 315 complaints (31%)
   • median 100,500 mi at 7.9 yrs old (295 state mileage)
   • 18 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • owner-quoted repair $4,000 (median of 50 quotes)
   • filed 2004–2026

   Owners describe the car suddenly dropping out of gear or revving high with no acceleration, sometimes after a brief lag when shifting from reverse to drive. In many reports the vehicle would not move in any gear and had to be towed, and shops or dealers told owners the transmission needed replacement or a rebuild, often quoted in the thousands of dollars. Several owners say they were told their VIN was not covered by the 2004 automatic transmission campaign and that no warranty help was available, even on dealer-serviced cars. Some reports mention a check engine light along with the shifting trouble. Mostly reported between about 60,000 and 160,000 miles, on 2003-2004 V6 cars in particular, often during highway or merging driving.

   Recall 04V1760001 related service bulletin

   What to check: Drive the car from a cold start and feel for delayed or harsh engagement when moving between reverse and drive, and check the transmission fluid for color and smell. Ask for service records and whether any transmission work or campaign repairs were done.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I was on my way to take my car to be serviced because the tranny seemed to slip in and out of gear. On my way there, which was a 10 minute drive, the car stopped in the middle of the road and I could see the rps go up but it would not move. I braced myself because a woman driving a black infiniti almost hit me from behind! …”

   NHTSA complaint #10247644, filed 2008-11, 89,000 miles

   “The transmission of my 2004 Honda Accord v6 slips between 1st and 2nd gears. This happen while trying to accelerate onto an interstate. Towed into repair shop, but no problem found. Problem recurred next several days, but not as severely. Just had 105000 mile check up with no issues, and now this expense! I see there have been recalls and class action suits for this transmission. What is my relief?”

   NHTSA complaint #10410406, filed 2011-07, 105,987 miles
2. 2
   Air bags

   Airbag warning light stays on (seat sensor/harness)

   • 195 complaints (19%)
   • median 87,564 mi at 9.6 yrs old (115 state mileage)
   • 25 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2004–2026

   Complaints describe the SRS or airbag light coming on and staying on, sometimes flickering on and off while driving. Some owners were told the cause was the seat position sensor under the driver's seat or its wiring harness, and in several cases the light returned even after a sensor was replaced and more parts were quoted. Others say the dealer declined to cover the work because their VIN was not part of the related seat sensor campaign. Reported across a wide mileage range, from low-mileage cars to those past 120,000 miles.

   Recall 07V0010002 related service bulletins

   What to check: Turn the key to start and confirm the airbag light goes out after the bulb check; if it stays lit, ask for a diagnostic scan of the SRS system and for any related recall work on the VIN.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Auto purchased new, never in an accident or damaged. Airbag light on, dealership replaced sensor free, replaced component at a cost to me for 300.00, airbag light still on. They now say the harness needs to be replaced at a cost to me of 300.00. Why is this not a manufacturing problem? No one can answer why I must pay to have this defect fixed.”

   NHTSA complaint #10284532, filed 2009-09, 57,500 miles

   “Airbag light comes on because of a faulty sensor under the driver's side seat. While you published recall information for this problem, Honda is attempting to make me pay to fix the problem that they created. They stated that it is not listed for my VIN # however, if a recall exist for the problem my vehicle should be fixed free of charge.”

   NHTSA complaint #10327541, filed 2010-04, 60,000 miles
3. 3
   Air bags

   Takata airbag inflator recalls

   • 175 complaints (17%)
   • median 94,000 mi at 9.2 yrs old (95 state mileage)
   • 58 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2004–2026

   Many complaints reference the Takata inflator recalls on this model year, with owners asking whether their car is covered and describing uncertainty after being told the vehicle was not affected. Some reports involve airbags deploying in situations where owners did not expect them, or failing to deploy in a collision. The recall notices and bulletins describe inflators that may build excessive pressure on deployment, and later notices extend warranty coverage on replacement inflators. Filing dates span many years; complaints come from cars across a broad mileage range.

   Recall 19V501000Recall 19V499000Recall 19V182000Recall 18V268000Recall 16V178000Recall 15V370000Recall 15V320000Recall 14V700000Recall 14V3530004 related service bulletins

   What to check: Check the VIN with a dealer or the recall lookup for open inflator campaigns and confirm in writing that any open recall has been completed, since several campaigns cover this model year.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I purchase a car from sunshine auto new link finance on west tennessee st tallahassee fl on march 22 2016 I purchase this auto off good faith from the sale women and owner after taking vehicle home I notice the vehicle was barely pulling like it was low on fluids I also notice 2 recalls air bags n one back seat beat working as require by law it was also pently motion on highway turning n riding down road this company runs a fraud scams n owner claims he always out state n business closed down after fraud customer out there money comany has …”

   NHTSA complaint #10906330, filed 2016-09, 159,000 miles

   “While driving 65 MPH vehicle drove over small debris in the road when suddenly the side curtain air bags deployed inadvertently. No injuries reported.”

   NHTSA complaint #10090188, filed 2004-09, 11,000 miles
4. 4
   Vehicle speed control

   Sudden or unintended acceleration reports

   • 108 complaints (11%)
   • median 90,000 mi at 7.3 yrs old (100 state mileage)
   • 18 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • owner-quoted repair $3,900 (median of 12 quotes)
   • filed 2004–2025

   A number of complaints describe the car speeding up without the driver pressing the accelerator, in some cases while on cruise control, with brakes feeling ineffective until the vehicle could be slowed or shut off. Others describe lurching or surging when moving from a stop or in reverse. Some owners link the behavior to transmission gear engagement rather than the engine, and several reports note the car was not diagnosed afterward. Scattered from very low mileage up to about 150,000 miles, reported in city, highway and cruise control conditions.

   What to check: Test the throttle response at low speed and on a short cruise control stretch, and check whether the floor mat and pedal area are clear; ask if the throttle body or pedal sensor has been serviced.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “While driving my car at 60 MPH on cruise control, it suddenly started increasing speed. Then I noticed that the accelerator pedal was pressed to the floor of my car. Then I began to use the brakes to try and control the speed, but they did not function well at all. Finally after struggling in on this rural road, I was able to slow it down, I called 911, then I just used the emergency brake to stop it because I didn't know what else to do. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11350612, filed 2020-08, 150,000 miles

   “I was driving down a city road and the vehicle started to accelerate on its own and it did not want to shift gear. I was able to apply brakes but the car continued to accelerate to very high rpms. I had no choice but to turn the shut off the car midway and pull-over. While stationary and car shut off on side of the road I tried to turn it back it and it automatically jumped to high RPM and was never able to change gears from park to drive or anything because the car would take off. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11299657, filed 2020-01, 160,000 miles
5. 5
   Steering

   Power steering fluid leaks and steering noise

   • 52 complaints (5%)
   • median 130,000 mi at 10.4 yrs old (41 state mileage)
   • 9 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2004–2026

   Complaints describe power steering fluid leaking, sometimes enough to produce smoke from the engine bay where fluid reaches hot parts, and owners were told a pressure hose was the source. Others report a persistent leak and low fluid that made steering feel heavy or noisy. Some owners asked about coverage under the Accord V6 power steering hose campaign and were told their vehicle was not included. Often reported between roughly 90,000 and 190,000 miles.

   Recall 12V222000

   What to check: Look under the hood and on the ground for reddish fluid, check the power steering reservoir level, and ask whether the power steering hose campaign applies to the VIN.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Was informed that there is a power steering fluid leak in the vehicle. Noted that there was a recall of hundreds of thousands of 2004 Honda accords for this exact problem but told at dealership that my particular 2004 Honda Accord was not included. I am concerned that this is the same problem. Of note, by 2007 Honda odyssey has also been diagnosed with a power steering fluid leak. Multiple mechanics have stated that this is very unusual that two cars made by the same manufacturer would both have power steering issues. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11308703, filed 2020-02, 180,000 miles

   “Front right suspension failure resulting in loss of steering input. The front right wheel separated from the suspension and was at 90 degrees while moving forward. The vehicle was in motion , the event occurred right after a u turn.”

   NHTSA complaint #11398308, filed 2021-02, 188,400 miles

Buying note. Have a pre-purchase inspection focus on the automatic transmission, since it is the most commonly reported problem on this model year and repairs are expensive, and confirm with a dealer that all airbag inflator recalls for the VIN have been completed. Service records showing regular transmission fluid changes are worth asking for.

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.