Honda Accord Problems 2000-2005

altimavr · August 2003

Thankyou for all your comments (bodble2, winbro, blane, steve_on, berbel) regarding the drifting to the LEFT.
1. I did check the air pressure on all 4 tires. They were all measured at 38 psi. Maximum inflation on the stock Michelins is 44 psi. This seems a bit higher than the recommended 32 and 30 psi on the door jam - is this okay to have the pressure higher than Honda recommends? I will concede that the summer weather may be pushing up the reading slightly.

2. I took my car into Honda on Saturday for an alignment. At first, the service advisor wanted to charge me for the Alignment since it's not covered under warranty. I told him that it was noticed just after delivery of the car last week. Then, he says that warranty issues and authorization to do the alignment need to be approved by the Manager (who doesn't work weekends). I pushed him on this since I drove all the way to the dealership.
END RESULT: the alignment was done for free and it was off slightly, but it should not have been enough for me to notice.
Driving off the lot I would say the alignment is better. BUT still not quite centred. I can live with this. Other than a paint defect on the rear trunk - that will be repainted under warranty, I really enjoy this car.

blane · August 2003

altimavr:

With 38 pounds of pressure (checked when the tires are cold, before driving) you are reducing your tires' "contact patch". This overinflation reduces your vehicle's contact with the road and will cause drifting with any side winds. Stick with Honda's recommended pressures.

lelandhendrix · August 2003

blane, I would agree, but:

The tint is a dealer-installed accessory, so they have been addressing the issue. Aftermarket is the only tint available for the 03 accord in this market, not a factory option.

And, the damage is reappearing in the same area. The gasket on this window is the third that has been installed, and these scratches take less than a week to reappear. Would you still not think this is a problem with the door in the area of the window travel? If the dealer still finds nothing wrong with the door, do you know how I escalate the problem and to whom?

Thanks for the input...

cjcj9601 · August 2003

i have a 2000 EX V6 accord with 47000mi...for the 1st time ever i had hesitation when accelerating...felt like a total loss of power...no check engine light came on...it happened about 15X that day, before i got it to the dealers...they had the car for 5 days & drove it about 80mi. they never had a failure & they were not able to pull any code from the computer...does anyone have an answer to this problem as i am losing confidence in this car

1613raven · August 2003

I bought a new '03 Accord Sedan about a month ago - nice car - smooth engine - but the moonroof is driving me crazy. When I get up to a little over 70 on the highway the moonroof has this awful rattle. It didn't make the noise before the sunshade was added and I've had it back to the dealer several times and they've changed the sunshade out but it still hasn't fixed the problem.

Has anyone else had this problem? Does anyone have any idea how this can be fixed? I'd sure appreciate any help you could give me.
Thanks

sfbmc · August 2003

My 2000 Honda Accord V6, 55000 miles makes a loud
humming noise at idle. Upon opening the hood I
noticed that the power steering fluid reservoir is bubbling or agitating. There is also a burnt
smell in the engine compartment. Is it a bad
power steering pump? It seems too early for this
problem. Steering fluid level is good. Please
help.

bolivar · August 2003

If you have a 'clear coated' paint, bird droppings will definitely eat through the top clear coating, leaving a noticable area missing this top clear coat.

The 'love bugs' found in southern coastal areas will also eat through clear coat.

bxpulse1 · August 2003

I have a 2000 4dr EX V6 Accord w/19,000 miles. While driving yesterday, the indicator lights for all 4 doors,parking brake,trunk,charging system, etc. all suddenly went on. I turned off the radio and a/c and the lights went off. Ten minutes later, they went on again and the engine made a sort of whistling noise when I accelerated. I checked my battery and it's fine. Can someone please let me know if they have experienced this problem.

bodble2 · August 2003

may be caused by gasket rubbing against edge of roof opening. This was very common for '98 - '02 Accords. If that is the problem, I'm very surprised Honda did not rectify the problem with the '03 model. Honda can eliminate the rattle by taping all around the edge of the roof opening.

blane · August 2003

lelandhendrix:

I'm afraid that there is nobody beyond your local Honda dealer, or his aftermarket tinting subcontractor, to whom you can escallate your concerns. Honda, the manufacturer, doesn't sell, or recommend the use of, aftermarket plastic film on their windows. Honda's windows are designed to be a certain thickness to run up and down in their tracks properly. You've made them thicker by applying a layer of plastic.

If you have the tint film removed for a while, and the scratches start to appear in the glass, THEN you have a case.

winbro · August 2003

checked my tire pressure with a digital unit after the car sat for a few hours after driving. all 4 tires were in the 35-36 psi range. took them down closer to the recommended pressure. still goes left, but not as bad.

mentiya · August 2003

hello. I have a 98 Honda Accord Lx/v6. I recently went on a four day vacation, leaving my car behind. Before I left the car was operating just fine. When I returned I went out to start the car and it sounded a bit louder and was reving up by itself. The rpm's were jumping up and down. Then all my indicator lights came on. The lights showing that the doors were open, my battery light, the check engine light, and my brake light. The car drives fine though. I tried unplugging the negative terminal on the battery. In doing so the check engine light went off, but the rest are still on, and I am still noticing a different noise to the car. Any information on this subject I would greatly appreciate. Thank you.

naveen75 · August 2003

am not able to decide whether or not to go with the navigation system on an EX-V6. I do like the feature but am not sure how long the navi-system would work. I intend to keep my car for 10 years and if for some reason the navigation system fails that wouldn't be good since the display pretty much occupies a major part of the console and has controls for many other features such as radio, climate control etc.

Any comments would be greatly appreciated

03lxv6 · August 2003

1. cold squeaking noise

In the past few days, I noticed a squeaking noise when I started the car cold (overnight) and applied the brake for the first time. It sounds like two metal parts are scratching each other. After that then it seems gone. Anybody has any knowledge about that?

2. noise when releasing brakes

After a full stop, noise came out just when I released the brakes. Noticed since day one. Anybody has any knowledge about this too?

Thanks.

03lxv6 · August 2003

I remember someone said here, it was impossible for Honda to recall ??? accords for warped motors (because there were too many).

Here are the examples no matter how many cars are out there, they still can be recalled. So please file your complaints to NHTSA!

1.Honda Has Recalled the 2003-2002 CR-V
Potential Number Of Units Affected : 247019
http://www.safetyalerts.com/recall/a/02/v00766.htm

2. This is not a recall, but at least shows HONDA addresses it (here are a lot of cars). Get it from honda's owner link page.

American Honda Extends Warranties on Select Automatic Transmissions

Vehicles covered by the extended warranty include: 2000 - 2001 Honda Accord, Odyssey and Prelude 2000 - 2002 and some 2003 Acura 3.2 TL 2001 - 2002 and some 2003 Acura 3.2 CL

03honda · August 2003

Thanks a lot for the info. on bird droppings and clear coat paint...I never knew that--I just thought it was a lame excuse the dealer gave me to cover up a potential problem. Thanks again!

navlaviatr · August 2003

Anyone PLEASE help me with this one...noticed an annoying rattle almost immed after buying car in vicinity of the passenger side fwd dash and "A" pillar. Has been to dealer 4 times for fix, and they have tried several things. Goes away for short periods if I jam paper, my head, etc. into the space between dash and "A" pillar, but ALWAYS returns. Any suggestions??? Thanks.

hji · August 2003

I have this problem since I bought my 03 accord. I also experience window rattling. Dealer said it cannot be fixed. Sigh.

eswanborg · August 2003

Not sure how far back it is in the threads here - but there is a fix for some of those rattles. You'll have to look, but it had something to do with a clip that can be seen from inside the wheel well (by a service rep) if I remember correctly. I want to say that there was a lot of talk about that here, back in May perhaps. Try a search, or hopefully someone else will remember the details better than I do. - Oh, and the window rattles have been fixable too - mostly the ones that come from the weather strip on the driver's and passenger's windows, either with some lubricant or replacing the weather strip (which was one of the latest fixes I've heard).

imidazol97 · August 2003

USA Today July 31 has a great article about premium fuel. It's not needed. It causes slight, if any difference, in performance: in a car designed for premium using premium "giving up perhaps just a little bit of performance that a customer wouldn't really even notice, it's so slight," says Furey ( chemist and fuels specialist at GM). Only exception is supercharges -- use premium if specified.

Higher density of premium gives hard-to-measure difference in fuel economy and that same density can contribute to undesirable buildup of waste products inside the engine, according to Gibbs of Chevron oil and Chairman of Technical Committee on Fuels for Society of Automotive Engineers.

auburn63 · August 2003

Creak or Click at Dashboard
or A-Pillar: 03 Accord
If youve got owners of 03 Accords complaining
of a creaking or clicking from the dashboard or
A-pillar when driving over rough roads, the
problem may be a loose clip on the windshield
portion of the roof molding.
You can check if this is the problem by sticking a
piece of cardboard between the molding and the
windshield glass and test-driving the vehicle. If
the noise goes away, a loose roof molding clip is
the culprit.
To fix this problem, remove the inner fender, and
look up at the roof molding clip. If the clip isnt
fully engaged, just slide the clip down to the end
of the molding, and push it into the hole.
Have a try at this and if it is your problem have your dealer fix it for you..good luck

auburn63 · August 2003

That has been for the most part true for the last 10 years or so. The only reason for most cars to use a premium fuel is if their engine has some piston slap or pinging.

jebinc1 · August 2003

On my 2003 V6 EX w/Navi, there is a delay when shifting the car into drive. It takes a couple of seconds to lock in Drive. I drove the 4cyl auto and there was no delay. Has anyone else had this problem? Does anyone know the cause and fix? Is this normal??

Thanks

bodble2 · August 2003

That's a heck of a long time for the tranny to engage. There has to be a problem.

muthiora · August 2003

This is my first Honda ever. I am a long time Toyota customer. However, when pricing out a 2000 Camry I became frustrated with the Toyota pricing structure. Hence, I went with the Accord. Now I have a transmission that seems to be going bad at 70,000 miles. I've scheduled an appointment with my local dealer to have it diagnosed this coming Monday. I am not used to having this type of issue at 70,000 miles. My last car was a '93 Celica that didn't need a clutch until 140,000 miles. I thought I would have the same type of results with the Honda. What is the average mileage when replacing a transmission that most of my fellow Honda owners have experienced. Does anyone think Honda would take care of this?

berbel · August 2003

Would you share with us where you found the info
ref. the rattle fix?

berbel

sumpius · August 2003

Hello everyone, I have read various posts regarding the very short grinding sound at the beginning of a cold start. I have the same problem with my 2003 Accord V-6. The sound occurs shortly after backing up and then accelerating. In addition, as some have indicated, I could feel the grinding under the gas pedal. Based on the numerous posts, it appears this is a common occurrence for a number of 2003 Accord V-6 owners. I was wondering whether or not anyone actually has serviced the car to eliminate this sound. I've read several posts suggesting that it is a standard ABS self-check. If that is the case, I would expect that every 2003 Accord V-6 to have this grinding sound. That simply does not appear to be the case.

ronsteve · August 2003

Last fall, Honda extended the warranty on the automatic transmission (to 7 yr/100K miles) in quite a few Accords of that vintage. Check on whether your vehicle is included in the warranty extension. Should be able to link to that on Honda's web site www.hondacars.com.

muthiora · August 2003

I called Honda customer support and discovered that my trasmission IS in fact covered!! For certain 00 & 01 models with automatic transmissions Honda has extended the warrenty to 7 years 100,000 miles. Thanks for the quick tip.

fritz1224 · August 2003

Is your car a V6? What symptoms is it exhibiting that make you feel it is the tranny. Is the "D" dash light flashing? Hard shifts, no shifts? Just wondering because I got a 2k V6 with about 45000 miles. Have received the Honda warranty extension. There are times when shifting from "R" to "D" there is a delay in gear engagement. Is this one of your symptoms?

auburn63 · August 2003

It is what Honda calls a Service News, which is like a teen age Service Bulletin, Just not quite full grown. I am a Honda tech and had read about and repaired a couple of the rattles so the complaint seemed to fit.

tblazer503 · August 2003

I have a 5MT and have let it roll down the hill to start it... =o) at about 3MPH, the ABS will do about a 2 second check, mine sounds more like a whirring sound... don't know if it helps...

according2me · August 2003

I read on another site that the "hot key" that some are complaining about was reference in that issue.
Can you corroborate this. Thanks as always for your service to this community.

auburn63 · August 2003

Ignition Key Gets Warm
While Driving
Are owners of 03 Accords, 0103 Civics, or
0203 CR-Vs complaining of the ignition key
getting warm while driving? The key interlock
solenoid in the ignition switch is the likely culprit.
This solenoid is energized anytime the shift lever
isnt in Park, so the heat from the solenoid gets
transferred to the ignition key. This is a normal
characteristic of the vehicle, and cant be fixed by
replacing the key interlock solenoid, the ignition
lockset, or any other component.

stevem327 · August 2003

Thanks for this news auburn63. My ignition key definitely is warm after I drive and I've been trying to figure out the cause. It doesn't really bother me that it gets warm, as long as this doesn't indicate some type of problem.

bburton3 · August 2003

Recently asked Auburn63 how to fix a sticky heater/ac control knob and he suggested removing the cover over the mechanism the cable is attached to on the right center passenger side of the front seat. Took a couple of minutes to get the cover off-removed the cable attachment. Sprayed the cable with an aerosol lubricant-not WD-40 which really is not a good lube but a product they no longer make-there are many on the market now. Anyway used the soda straw thingy to shoot lube up inside the cable housing, all over the mechanism that moves and in behind the control knob on the dash. Also gave the cable end on the engine side of the firewall a shot-hard to reach. Well it works fine now. The honda parts guy said they sell a lot of these knobs-so when it starts getting sticky-get a spray lube and apply as above. Save $5 and having to go get the knob.

Oh the newer accord knobs fit on the older models-have a 97 and the newer knobs have a light passage so the hash mark on the knob is lighted when you turn on the lights.

thanks again auburn63 and the tranny is shifting just fine and no CEL.

winbro · August 2003

I took the michelin's down to the recommended pressure. car does better, but still pulls left. BUT still not all the time. different roads even at the same speed produce different behaviors. even the same road on a different section the car pulls left, the a few miles ahead perfectly straight. I will insist that the dealer check the alignment at my first service, but I still have to consider other things: road condition; tires; or that the suspension is so precisely tuned that it is so unforgiving on road condition - unlike big old buicks etc........

03lxv6 · August 2003

Auburn,

Thanks a lot for the info about hot key. Would you mind telling us from where you had this information?

I am one of those owners who complained about hot key earlier. I have driven a few other brands of cars, none has this problem, not even a Hyundai.

I still think it is a problem. See, if I drive the car at highway speed for several hours and the heat accumlates around the key hole, will the heat be too much?

Given Honda's track record regarding regarding the ignition part, I am afraid I am right:

American Honda Recalls Vehicles to Replace Ignition Switches
Certain 1997 to 2000 Honda and Acura Vehicles Affected

TORRANCE, Calif., May 23, 2002 -- American Honda Motor Co., Inc. today announced a voluntary recall of certain Honda and Acura models to replace an ignition switch which may cause the engine to stall. The recall involves about 1.3 million of certain 1997 to 2000 models of the Honda Accord, Civic, Prelude, CR-V and Odyssey. Also included in the recall are some 1999 Acura TL sedans and certain 1997 to 1999 CL coupes.

auburn63 · August 2003

It was in the July 2003 Service News which Honda sends out to the Dealers and techs. But before that most Dealer techs had known it was normal through calls to our tech line in California. It will only get so hot, one cutomer I had complain about this is on the road all the time and he says so far no problems and he has had his car for months..

ian2 · August 2003

My brother and I took turns driving for over 12 hours with no meltdown or any nuclear disaster.

jebinc1 · August 2003

On my 2003 V6 EX w/Navi, there is a delay when shifting the car into drive. It takes a second or two to lock in Drive. Sometimes sound like it's thunking twice (with a second in between). Drives just fine once in gear. I drove the 4cyl auto and there was no delay. Has anyone else had this problem? Does anyone know the cause and fix? Vacuum leak somewhere? Is this normal??
Thanks

03lxv6 · August 2003

Thanks a lot for the reply.

As an owner, I hope it is not a problem. I guess the best way to judge is wait for two or three years to see if 03 Accord will have prematurely failed ignition parts. It may turn out not to be a problem at all.

Have a good one.

muthiora · August 2003

My car is a 4 cylinder. The original problem manifested as "slipping" from 1st to 2nd gears, meaning the car revved really high before getting to 2nd. At first this only happened at the beginning of the day....then it got progressively worse. Just heard back from my dealership and they are in fact replacing the entire tranny. It is being ordered now.

fritz1224 · August 2003

Thanks for the reply. So the tranny problems are not solely with V6's. I probably wait until a more pronounced problem crops up(if it does) before trying to get a replacement. Or at least until the extended warranty is about to expire, then get a new one.

mehearty · August 2003

Hi everyone,

I'm new to this forum (although I lurked for a short while). Nice to meet you all

I decided on a Honda Accord vs Passat because I had had too many annoying problems w/my 99 jetta GLS. After careful consideration, I chose the 2003 accord ex-l MT based on reliability rather than actually loving the car. I just picked her up today, and she has a pull to the right (dealership will fix & give me a loaner I just wanted to take her home for a few days first). Tonight, I just found a puddle of anti-freeze in the garage. I have to admit, I'm totally dissapointed. I'm sure the dealership will take car of everything but my last car was a lemon. I loved it but got tired of bringing it to the shop all the time. Please tell me I'm not in for a bunch of problems w/a honda =( Sorry to have my first post be a whine and thank you in advance.

atlantabenny · August 2003

...may just be overflow from coolant bottle, nothing serious. May have been too much put in during pre-delivery.

Wife and I have an 03 each (her Japan-made EX-L and my Ohio-made coupe).

Both cars have the niggling interior buzzes and rattles. But for now the plusses far outweigh the small minuses. I think though that Honda has crossed over the zero defect line because of its sales volume. When sales were lower, initial defects were much lower as well.

mehearty · August 2003

Thank you Atlantabenny. I'm so hoping not to relive the pain that was the VW experience (but man she was a suh-weet car to drive). I hope your niggling gets better w/minimal trouble

bburton3 · August 2003

Suggest you find the source of the leak and then tell the dealer what you want fixed. If it is in the body of the radiator or coming out of a head-don't let them try to just patch. IF it is just overfill or a hose connection too loose-no big deal but you need to know what needs to be fixed before u go to the dealer and then let him tell you what needs to be fixed. Yeah most dealers are honest-however why find out the hard way.

calvinywang · August 2003

Bought an LX 5spd (made in Japan) 3 days ago, 400 miles so far. Here's a list of problems:

1. Center console door broken.
2. Buzzes from driver's window.
3. Pulling to the right.
4. Engine's noisy between 2000rpm to 3000rpm during accelation. Vibration coming from gas padel and steering wheel for the same RPM range. Not sure if this is normal or not. Does anyone know?

I test drove another LX 5spd (Made in Ohio) before I bought this one. Didn't really like how the brake was modulated on that one. Even the slightest press on the panel will make the brake grab.

Still like the car, smooth manual shift, very little friction along the drivetrain. It seems to take little to get the car moving.

Guess JD Power wasn't really out of their minds when giving 03 Accord the lowest rating on initial quality. Still hoping for the long-term reliability that Honda was known for.

blane · August 2003

calvinywang:

The latest J.D. Powers survey rated Honda #9 of the 37 brands surveyed (with 2.18 problems per vehicle), NOT "the lowest" as you stated.

The results ranged from 1.67 problems for Lexus to 5.09 for KIA, with the industry average being 2.73.

The study is based on responses from more than 55,000 original owners of 2000 model-year cars and light trucks. They did NOT rate the 2003 Accord, nor ANY model-year 2001 through 2003 cars made by ANY manufacturer.

Your dealer should easily address your problems #1 & 2. Your problem #3 may just be improper tire inflation. Check it with a good gauge. Your "problem" #4 seems to be a normal sound and vibration level for any four cylinder vehicle under hard acceleration.

Honda Accord Problems 2000-2005

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