Honda Accord Problems 2000-2005

bburton1 · January 2003

Beware of the franchise tranny places-you get a $1,800 estimate-they tear your tranny out and it becomes a $4/5K job and then they will probably screw it up. If you can find a non franchise tranny repair place that does a lot of auto tranny repair themselves. A lot of the tranny exchange places are also horror shows. If you can't find a very good independent place-then the dealer is your best option-the most expensive.

I assume you have checked the ATF and have changed it regularly at say 30K intervals using only Honda ATF. You might try changing ATF using Honda fluid and see if that helps. You could get lucky.

leirex · January 2003

I noticed several times already that my 03 EX V6 has some water on ground when parked. I wonder what it is. In new owners clinic held by a dealer from which I bought mine, I was told that dripped water can be seen whenever air conditioner works as it also works as moisture absorber. Has anyone noticed this also or is it something else that I need to worry about?

talon95 · January 2003

If the water is clear, it's very likely that it's runoff from the air conditioner. Nothing to worry about.

The only other water-like fluid that you're likely to see is coolant, but it should have a distinctive color and smell. Any other leaking fluids should be oily.

auburn63 · January 2003

silvercoupe
To replace those bulbs you will need to take the center console out, then the trim around the radio and then the glove box and the under panel on the left side. Start by poping open the trap door inside your arm rest glove box, remove the 2 screws, pull up on the cup holder to remove it, remove the forward screw near the shifter, remove the back half of the center panel, remove the 2 screws holding down the shifter trim, remove the ash tray, then the screw behind it, pop out the 4way and rear defroster switches, there may be screws behind them if not use the opening to now pop out the shifter/radio trim, at this point you may be able to reach under to the shift bulb but if not you will need to remove the center panel, to do this remove the glove box and the left side under dash panel to gain acces at the screws holding the center panel, now remove it and the shift bulb is easy. To continue to the other bulb just remove the heater control panel and acces that bulb... Hope I didnt forget anything but that should put you in the ball park on how too.....have fun..

auburn63 · January 2003

Sorry to hear of your troubles and contacting Honda is always worth a shot because they do give alot away compared to other car makers. As for is it early, probably, but there is no time frame for mechanical failures, they happen when they happen. There has not been any problems with your year as there has been for the recent models, other than the forever ongoing shift quality complaints. Which up until recently have been just a matter of getting used to how a Honda shifts, as they were always reliable and very rarely failed. Anyhow good luck...

auburn63 · January 2003

The noise you are hearing is most likely the ABS self check as gee35 had said as I have heard it also...

Sammy
If you had a low battery condition or slow crank that would be all you would need to have happen to couse a SRS light. I would get the code pulled by some one and then go from there as there are too many possibilities to be for sure what is wrong..

bostonoriole
If the diagnoses was to install a new TCU(trans computer) then they maybe on the correct path other wise I would get a second opinion as it sounds as if the TCU is bad...Good luck all

treoster · January 2003

It's the A/C condensor...nothing to worry about...all cars do it.

leirex · January 2003

Has anyone noticed this almost intolerable noise with a little shaking effect when rear window(s) is down more than half? Yesterday, I noticed it. On freeway with passenger side rear window a half down, that noise started with the shaking effect. It seemed that wind gets in the back seat whirling strong enough to shake the passenger seat. It is just about the same noise that the Toyota Highlander is notorious for. I am wondering if it is a design problem with the new Accord or if it is specific to mine only. I suggest that everyone try it and post. Mine is 03 EX V6. Thanks.

pj23 · January 2003

It is not a design "problem" nor is it specific to yours only (although I haven't put my windows down yet because it hasn't topped freezing since I've had the car). Many cars do this when the 2 rear windows are lowered.

spleck · January 2003

I know the Protege does it horribly--it will about pop your ear drums... Maybe this is why many older won't let you roll the rear windows all the way down (not just for child safety...).

1997montez34 · January 2003

It's about 10 degrees here so I haven't tried.:)

bklynguy · January 2003

it happens with most cars, including our Camry.

we were thinking about buying the accord ( EX V6 ), should we wait for the 04 ( any problems should be fixed ) ?

leirex · January 2003

I still cannot believe that it happens with most cars. If it is just a little worse noise, I can understand but it is horrible enough for me to see passenger seat vibrate (shake) a lot. None of the cars that I have driven had this problem either (very old Chevette, Volvo, old Camry, XG300 etc.) I know the Toyota Highlander is notorious for the problem and that lots of Highlander drivers were complaining. It happens with one window down or two windows down. If it is typical of lots of cars, I will be relieved.

pj23 · January 2003

Again, I haven't had the chance with my car to put the windows down while driving, so I cannot personally comment on the severity. But I can think of at least a half-dozen cars of different makes/models I've driven that do this. Can anyone in the warmer states comment on their own '03s?

chillenhonda · January 2003

Most cars should make that noise with the rear windows lowered. Most cars will also do it with the sunroof open and no windows down. Its something along the lines of lysolm effect. I read about it somewhere, but cant explain it well. Essentially, its the pressure inside the car, thats why most of the time it will start at about 40mph and be annoying until 60-70mph and by then other effects (other noise, more wind noise outside the car, or the car's aerodynamics resulting in the air flowing over the car, rather than into the windows) make the pressure relieved a bit. Open a front window, or if your sunroof is making the noise, open a rear window.

sammycastagna · January 2003

Thanks auburn63,
I took it to the shop this morning, they reset the code or cleared it. Said nothing wrong charged $33.00

Sammy

princealyy · January 2003

I had a few simple questions i have had my car for about a week and i have driven roughly 750 miles or so, and i have been incredibly soft on the accelerator (havent gone over 3000 rpm) and i have noticed the transmission makes a slight scratching noise when shifting from reverse to drive (same as my 97) and also the gas mileage is between 24 and 26 and i have mainly highway driving where the rpm is at 2150 the whole way, is the poor gas mileage because i havent fully broken in the car? any help would be great...

leirex · January 2003

I meant unbearable level of noise with passenger seat shaken quite a bit. It is not normal noise. It is some sort of whirling tornado sound of noise. Passenger seat is rocking too. I cannot think that is normal. I know the Toyota Highlander had this problem, very severe. I read somewhere that it was design problem. I think my 03 EX V6 has the same level of this problem.

jh27 · January 2003

give me back my buick..with the indestructible 3800 v6 which got me 32 mpg highway.. with seemingly twice the power of this honda .. i should have traded for another buick since i got 245,000 trouble free miles but i wanted a smaller car.. what a mistake.. at 5600 miles i was rewarded with a blown head gasket which i now hear is pretty common with hondas.. after 3 weeks in the shop i have it back i just hope the buick dealer will be dumb enough to take it in trade..

gee35coupe · January 2003

blow all the time. You hear about at least two a day......Whatever.

accord7 · January 2003

This message is for the Accord owners who have 100,000+ miles on their car. Accords are bragged about for their durability, and rightly so, but my 1995 Accord (145,000 miles) has had a number of repairs that might be considered uncommon. In the past two years I've replaced the following:

Radiator (it cracked), front brakes, new starter (wouldn't crank), new muffler and shocks and springs that sound like they're about through. I'm thinking my alternator might be next.

Just curious if any others have had to replace these items in the same mileage range. I hear so many say they have to do nothing except oil changes. Really?

mwcarlso · January 2003

I have a 93 Accord EX with about 155,000 miles on it. I inherited the car from my parents who bought the car new. I have been very impressed with how reliable it has been. The car was perfect for the first 120,000 miles with the exception to the distributor, replaced under warranty. In the last 3 years the following were replaced: front and rear brake pads, the muffler and middle exhaust pipe, the front coil springs, the A/T shifter cable, the brake master cylinder, and the power steering pump.
These repairs don't seem to be that big a deal considering that things don't last forever. The car has never stranded me and the engine and transmission have not had any work done to them besides the normal maintenance. When you say that your springs sound like they are about through, are you saying that your car is making a creaking or crunching noise when you go over bumps. If so you might need to have the sway bar bushings lubed to alleviate the noise. Also, coil springs seem to be the common weak point of the front suspension.

pj23 · January 2003

What do mufflers, shocks and springs, and brakes, have to do with long-term durability or reliability? These are items that wear out. Depending on the driving habits of the car's driver, they can wear out faster than on other cars. My mother-in-law had a '96 Accord whose entire exhaust system needed to be replaced after only 3 years and about 35,000 miles. But she rarely drove the car more than 1-2 miles per trip, so the exhaust never heated up enough to evaporate all of the condensation out of it. And a car that is driven in NYC is going to need new shocks and springs and brakes before a car driven on glassy-smooth highways, to use an example.

As for the radiator and starter, they are certainly less commonly-repaired items than the above, but your car does have 145,000 miles on it, so I don't know if it can be said that these repairs indicate a lack of long-term durability. Everything wears out eventually. And nothing is perfect, not even a Honda.

mwcarlso · January 2003

My family has owned eight Hondas: 87/93/95/96 Accord, 94/97/99 Civic and 00 Odyssey. All but two of them have or had 100,000+ miles on them before they were sold, and none ever had head gasket problems. You got one of the very few bad Hondas that are made. I would much rather take my chances with Honda any day than take a chance with a Buick. If I recall GM has had problems with the 3800 V6 engine too. I guess you got one of the very few GM cars that have no problems.

pblevine · January 2003

Thanks for the heads-up on the Dunlop tires. Just to confirm, are those the Dunlop SP Sport A2's? According to TireTrack, they are supposed to be quieter than the Michelin Energy +'s. So much for advertising bull.

spleck · January 2003

I would say the exhaust system and springs are more susceptible to the weather. If you regularly have an icy, salty, wet winter; or you have salty, high-humidity weather, that stuff is going to wear faster. Like someone said, 1-2 mile trips that don't evaporate moisture are going to age the car too. Seals, gaskets, etc will age faster from disuse (no oil circulating, gasket dries out). Heavy sunlight can affect paint and interiors. Extreme cold can damage batteries, radiators, and depending on freezing point, any other fluid systems. The list goes on.

If you live somewhere with 70F, overcast, low humidity, and you only drive 30 min at a time (no shorter, or longer), then ANY car is going to last much longer. But if you live in south Florida with 90% humidity, and you regularly drive 1-2 mile trips, then I suggest you trade often. Probably the same for North Dakota...

phylor · January 2003

What did you learn about the engine idle vibration problem?

bburton1 · January 2003

bburton1 · January 2003

Sorry hit the wrong key. My 97 i4 accord just turned over 150K. On second set of tires-will get probably 95K out of this set of Michelin X-One's, replaced front disk pads at 113K, warranty replacement of distributor cap, rotor and wires and replaced exhaust system from cat back at about 140K. Honda sez the replacement parts have a lifetime warranty-will hold them to that like I did JC Penny and their forever battery-got 5 new batteries before they bought the warranty back for $250.

I expect to get at least 250K and maybe 300 out of this accord. Got rid of my last one at 200k cause the thing had holes in the floor pan from all the salt up here in socalist cold country. That one is still going and has over 300K on it now-new owner put cardboard over the holes-too cheap for tin.

Maintenance and driving style is definately part of reliability but there are a lot of cars out there that are just poorly designed and made. Know about those GM v6 head gasket problems-helped a neighbor replace two of them. However if I had to buy an Ami made car-it would probably be GM-but would definately do some research and find out which engines to avoid. Replacing head gaskets is a royal pain.

inspector3 · January 2003

I was told it was "characteristic" of the 2003
accord. They reset the idle to factory computer settings. No change. In my opinion this is a lot of bull. The vibration goes on my car when I use the heated seats or rear window defogger. If the heater fan is on very high, I turn it down all the way, then back to the 2nd setting & it usually stops. I even know how to stop the compressor from turning on all the time. I hope this vibration stops . Do we have to settle for their standard perfunctory (nice word?) response.
It's just a bunch of bull!

auburn63 · January 2003

You may want to check out the front motor mount and see if it is getting vacuum and if it is...is it working? You can find the vacuum solenoid by following the hose from the mount to the solenoid..Other than that is your base idle, no load, at or about 650 rpms? If not this can cause some vibs. Good luck

Long term durability
I know I am a mechanic but that usally works against cars, but my 92 Accord has 288,888 on it and is still going strong with no major repairs as of yet...

jd45 · January 2003

i. have had my 2003 accord ex v6 for one month. every time i put the car in drive start accelerating with in 10 seconds i hear a clunking sound coming from underneath the engine.im not sure that this is normal.does it very consistently in the morning and afternoon. everything else is very smooth.

hchopra · January 2003

I have a 2003 accord dx with 1600 miles on it. The check engine light came on about 10 days ago. I took it to the dealer and he told me that the code didnt even apply to the 2003 accord (something to do with a solenoid) and it was probably a computer fault. He reset the code, but It came back on again today. I have noticed that both the times it came on when the car was cold and i was idling at a stop light. (both the times the idle caused a lot of vibrations). Any idea about what might be the problem...

tblazer503 · January 2003

consider yourself lucky...

You got 145k out of your vehicle, and only put in about $500 in repairs. OK, maybe $1g, but that is still about a penny per mile(if that)...

You kinda have to be reasonable about it, though... most people that say they only change the oil don't list the maintenance and wear and tear items...

The starter, well.. that's about the only one I would call unusual, perhaps even the radiator... but usually if you flush the radiator every 60k or so completely, you shouldn't have much of an issue.

I had a '86 Corolla LE in '96 and rear power windows didn't work, I changed the brakes, cruise control stopped working, radiator leaked, oil pan leaked, tranny slipped, muffler had to be changed, starter died, alternator died, battery died, changed tires, instrument cluster went wacky on me, and the timing belt snapped. IT was a reliable car to me..... got it at 110k in '96 and drove it to 175k in '99. $3k in 3 years + 1k for the car... cheap transportation.

bburton1 · January 2003

Usually CEL's flash on at around 2,500 rpm. Only had one to come on at idle/start RPM and that was when I disconnected part of the emissions system. I think you have a significant problem-scarey on a vehicle that new and the dealers response is also scarey. If it is running rough-could be missing. Maybe find another dealer-some dealers try to avoid warranty work as Honda does not pay them much per hour on warranty items.

v831 · January 2003

I'm now past the 1k km threshold on my 03 Accord LX (4D-4cyl). I noticed an annoying wind noise (similar to a whistle) when I pass the 70km/h mark. Has anyone had a similar experience? If so, do you know of any remedy?

Thanks

hrbhatia · January 2003

I have a 03 V6-EX Honda. Everytime I turn on the turn signal I hear a a few clicking noises coming
from the steering column. The clicking noise starts when I start to turn the steering wheel. I talked to the dealer and they say that this is normal and it is some relay switch. This doesn't happen on the Civic or the new Pilots. Has anyone else been experiencing this same problem?

koolio · January 2003

jd45, I have same problem and posted in earlier message. Read message #4095, 4105, 4107, 4121.

I don't have a chance to bring it back to the dealer yet, probably next week. Many ppl said it's normal, so I feel better but I am not sure until the dealer check it.

hchopra · January 2003

Come to think of it, i noticed the CEL today morning when i was driving away from the stop sign. It could have come on when the engine was at 2500 rpm. I am not sure. What could be wrong if it did indeed come on at 2500 rpm.

accord7 · January 2003

Thanks to everyone who responded to my post about Accord's durability. I guess with my daily driving for work (business to business sales), there are a lot of short trips that would age my car more rapidly than others. I haven't been stranded on the side of the road, I just wince when I hear the estimates for repair. The engine and transmission (5 speed) have been perfect, so I guess I shouldn't complain.

bburton1 · January 2003

My point was that I have seen the CEL come on mostly when the engine gets to about 2500 rpm and only once from a start. That happened when I disconnected the heated 02 sensor so I could get it replaced under warranty-it was intermittently failing and the extended warranty was running out.

If you can't get the current dealer to do something about the CEL, find another. The vast majority of CEL alerts are for problems within the emissions system. People failing to close the gas cap tight enough and you will get a CEL. Getting one this early is scarey-particularly when the dealer sez no problem.

Let us know what u find.

isellhondas · January 2003

A 1991 Accord LX automatic with 297,000 miles!

One owner who maintained it well but never had anything out of the ordinary go wrong.

Used car inspection...leakdowns like 9-9-7-8.

Said the power steering rack had a slight leak.

Car actually looks and drives like a 50,000 mile Accord.

Pretty amazing!

maxhonda99 · January 2003

isellhondas, So how much you give him for the car? ANd what is your dealer going to do with it?

auburn63 · January 2003

May want to have them check it again once the light comes back on and ask them to make sure and use the Honda side of the tester and not the generic. We have seen a few 03 Accords that said unreconizable code on the generic side but on the Honda side it gave a code for clogged canister vent shut valve. Turned out to be water getting into the canister and freezing the valve and canister. So if you live in a cold area maybe the same can be for yours...Good luck

gotribe · January 2003

As I've posted before, my 03 Accord EX V6 has a creak/knock coming from somewhere in the chassis that the dealer has been unable to locate and fix despite multiple attempts. They suggested I contact Honda Customer Service which I did 10 days ago. I gave my information to a guy that passed it along to a Case Manager that was supposed to get back to me in 3 business days. Despite several messages from me, and the dealer to him, no callback yet. Very irritating. I wonder if these guys are so beseiged with quality control complaints that they're very backed up. Could be a message here.

princealyy · January 2003

hey i have been noticing that clicking noise also on my 03 accord LX coupe auto 4 cylinder, but i also had it in my 97 so i assume that it is normal, i am going to take it to the dealer sometime next week, i only have 900 miles on mine, also i have notice my car giving only 24-26 miles to the gallon anyone else notice that?

gotribe · January 2003

Your noise may be different from mine. Honda claims that a certain clicking noise is coming from the brake pads moving around a bit in the calipers. In fact, if that's what the dealer thinks it is, he'll show you a bulletin from Honda saying its "normal". My noise is a "creaking" coming from the chassis that the dealer agrees isnt brakes but cant figure out. Your gas mileage of 24-26 sounds ok to me if you're doing lots of in town driving.

stnm · February 2003

I am a new Honda Accord Ex V6 owner. Today I did a search on this board and found the following account back in April 2002 of the *exact* problem I am having- mine occurs at between 50-65 mph. Any suggestions or info? My thanks.

"Having a hard time understanding what it feels like. Is it as if the car is hunting around from left to right. Sort of following a weaving track? Also, is yours a 4 cylinder? Mine hunts around the road at times and moves around a bit. As if it is catching a groove. Let me know if this is what your experiencing"

stnm · February 2003

I am a new Honda Accord Ex V6 owner. Today I did a search on this board and found the following account (in quotes below) back in April 2002 of the *exact* problem I am having- mine occurs at between 50-65 mph. Any suggestions or info? My thanks.

"Having a hard time understanding what it feels like. Is it as if the car is hunting around from left to right. Sort of following a weaving track? Also, is yours a 4 cylinder? Mine hunts around the road at times and moves around a bit. As if it is catching a groove. Let me know if this is what your experiencing"

jd45 · February 2003

thanks coolio or responding.the clunk lasts for 1 second sometimes you can feel the vibration on the accelerator.i called my dealer they said it could be something to do with the abs.then i told him i am not touching the brakes when sound occurs.he then said he was not sure what it was and to bring it in.it is a huge problem for me to leave the car at the dealer. could post again when you find out anything.thank you jd45.

Honda Accord Problems 2000-2005

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