Hope u get it fixed but this is a classic lemon law problem-find out what documentation is required cause this thing ain't driveable in that condition.
Also do a search here and on the Honda group of messages-IIRC somebody said they had the same problem solved by a dealer with a "kit" that had a bunch of bolts/nuts in it. Scarey - good luck and keep us posted.
We also have a 2000 Accord with a recurring wiper problem (streaking). I have concluded that the problem is due to the wipers deteriorating quickly because they sit on top of the black windshield masking when in the parked position. This accentuates the heating effect of the sun and softens the rubber even more than would be the case if the wiper were sitting on clear glass when not in use.
They practically melt to the windshield during summer (and we don't live in Phoenix or anything). A line of (melted) rubber from the wipers gets deposited on the bottom of the windshield, and when the wipers are used, they pick this up and spread it across the windshield, causing streaks and secondary lines of rubber at the limits of the upper travel of the blades. This is made worse by the fact that the secondary line left by the passenger side wiper is right in the middle of the driver's line of sight. The lines of melted rubber have to be removed with a razor blade to get the windshield completely clean.
I have tried both OEM and high-quality (Bosch, etc.) vendor replacements, and they all break down within a few weeks of use in summer (they last longer in winter). I have never owned another car with this problem, so I am convinced it's a design issue rather than being related to glass-cleaning or wiper blade maintenance techniques. Like a previous poster, I am a fanatic about clean glass. It's a good thing my wife (the primary driver of this car) is not.
Haven't tried to buy them at the dealer in a while, but I have noticed that it's really tough to find those 24-inch (driver's side) replacements at auto parts stores. Maybe they're getting snapped up by all the Accord owners who are replacing them more often than they would prefer...
24" ? try finding the 26" wiper blade for the '03 Accord... I fear I may have to special order the darned things.
Mazda... If you have a little bit of room at the end of travel for the driver blade, it is possible to adjust the blade position. Unbolt the blade from the motor, should be about a 16mm nut. It is slightly pressed on there and I generally wiggle the wiper arm and it should pull it straight off. It is a grooved bolt, easy enough to remove the arm, re-set the arm in a slighly different position(rotated up a bit) ... this should solve the problem with the blade sitting on the cowl.
tblazer: That's an interesting idea. I probably will get this car as a hand-me-down in the future. I may try adjusting the wiper's parked position then. I would much rather have the blades more noticeable at the bottom of the windshield than deal with the constant streaking.
BTW, I should clarify that the blades currently rest on top of the windshield glass, not on the textured plastic trim below the windshield. It's just that they rest on top of a portion of the windshield that has black masking integral to the inside of the glass. This masking is what generates all the extra heat.
I don't think I've ever seen a 26" blade on the shelf at a regular parts store. Maybe '03 Accord owners should try shopping at RV parts stores for that blade! I guess the hassle is worth it for the big view of the road that Accords have.
Have a '98 Honda Accord. The passenger side washer doesn't spray. What should I check for? I don't want to take it to the dealer. I've done very well so far without them.(/s/ Single female with no clue as to what to do, where to start...)
The little nozzle holes (the 2 black rubber things on top of the hood) may be plugged. Take a fine pin and carefully poke into the holes and see if that clears it.
Paper clips also happen to fit into these holes. If that does not unplug it-look under the hood at the washer liquid lines-think they are just held on with clips.
On occasion the opening on the hood freeze in winter and just pour some water on it and that will thaw it quickly.
using paperclips... have gotten a few stuck... only to end up with one sprayer spraying much more water than the other.. =oP
I use needle tips(not big needles mind you) the kind used for hemming... very useful, and you can clean the wax/polish out of the edges of the holes as well.. =o)
If that doesn't work, open the hood, prop it up, and spray while looking through the crack... once, I had the hose have a leak, and would spray the engine ... easiest way to find it... imo
Today I stopped at a reputable dealer here in Valley Stream to check out a black Accord EX I-4 with 52k miles on it. I got in it and started the car. Everything seemed fine. A couple of minutes passed by and the check engine light came on. The dealer told me it was not a major problem and the mechanics would be able to fix it. After inspecting the car thoroughly, I decided that I would purchase it. We went back to the sales office to finalize the deal. For some reason, something just didn't feel right. I decided to look at the car one last time before signing on the dotted line. I went back to the lot and tried starting the car again.It wouldn't start. It cranked but would not start. After about 4 or 5 tries, it started. The check engine light came immediately. I got out of the car and took a look a the exhaust pipe. I put my finger in it and a black,oily,watery goo came out of it. Can someone explain to me what might have caused this. I thought maybe it was leaking oil but the exhaust was clear.(no blue or white smoke)I politely declined any offer and walked away.
I have 2003 Accord EX V6 and from the day one had little rattle in the driver side door and squeaks from the rear. Yesterday I finally found the squeak sound is coming from the rear ceiling, not the windows. It is obviously the ceiling form pad that is attached with adhesives makes the squeaks as it falls apart everytime I hit the bumps in the road. Anyone had the similar problems?
Hey guys. My cousin has a 95 accord with 235K miles on it (a ton, I know). Anyway, to make a long story short, when the car is started there is a very loud ticking noise. One mechanic said it's the tranny, another said the engine is completely dead, while another said it's rod bearing. I'm more inclined to think it's the rod bearing since the car still runs, just not very well. How much do you think a repair like this will cost? Any different thoughts on what might be causing this? Any help is appreciated.
My '03 Accord V6 has a lot of vibration in the gas pedal. It vibrates so much that after an hour trip, it really starts to bother my foot. Anyone experiencing this? By the way, there's no noticable vibration any place else (like the steering wheel).
None in my v6 coupe, or in my wife's 03 EX-L. If the engine itself is running smoothly, it must just be the pedal mount. It's a drive-by-wire (electronic) throttle system, so there's more isolation between it and engine to start with.
I need advice from you 2003 / 2004 Accord owners. I'm thinking about getting a new Accord in the next few days, but I'm very concerned about the number of posts here and at NHSTA Consumer complaints about pulsating brakes.
This doesn't sound like this kind of Honda engineering that I'm used to. I have a 2000 Accord which I'm keeping, and it's been flawless so far at 65K miles.
I've had other cars with pulsating brake problems, and I know how irritating it can be to hear thump-thump-thump every time the brakes are applied.
So, before I spend my $23-25K, I'd like to hear from any 2003/2004 Accord owners. Are you having pulsating problems or other problems with your brakes? How many miles do you have on your car? Are you having other aggravations with your Accord that you find are common among Accords of the same year? Would you still buy your Accord again?
I would definitely do it over again. I have had only minor issues, and my dealer has worked to correct them.
I DID have the brakes problem, and at 5000 miles I had the rotors 'turned.' I think this was an initial installation issue and now at 9000 miles they are still quite fine.
I also had a problem with the window tint, but it's not specific to the car. Window tint is not a factory option, dealers have it done at local shops.
I still think witout a doubt this is the MOST car you can buy for the money.
Yup! That's them. It was my first time going there. It looked like a nice place. Maybe that specific car was the only bad one on the lot.However it left a bad taste in my mouth. What angered me the most is that when I pointed out the problem, the salesman insulted me and told me I was wrong and that I knew nothing about cars. I suggest going to Paragon or Hillside Honda when shopping for a Honda in Queens.
Get a car with good alignment before you make a deal. Some Accords have alignment problems. I test drove cars that tracked straight and some that did not. The car I picked pulled to the right, but the salesperson assured me that the car could be corrected by an alignment. So I made the deal before they completed the alignment. When I took delivery of my car, they had already done an alignment, but the car still pulled to the right. So I took it back for a second alignment that again did not fix the problem. On my third try to do an alignment, they found a service bulletin that said that my Accord needed to have its subframe adjusted, plus they found that the steering pump was leaking and needed a replacement. They did the subframe adjustment and changed the steering pump, and it made the situation better, but was still not just right. On my fourth attempt back they said that my car was within spec because it did not drift out of its lane in under 6 seconds, we did a test drive together, and what I found to be a problem they said was within spec. This made me very upset that they wanted me to accept that my brand new car with less than 1000 miles on it could not really be properly aligned. Please note that this was not because of the pavement slant or slope. Even on a slope that went slightly down on the left, the car would still pull gradually to the right.
Out of frustration, I went to an independent wheel and brake shop for alignment (which Honda will not pay for, so it was $60 out of my pocket.) They where able make the car track straigher than ever before, but it still drifts to the right, even on road completely flat or sloping slightly down on the left. They found that the springs of my car made the right front tire on my car ride 1/4" lower than the left front tire. They think this creates a slight problem that cannot be completely compensated for. A fix might be to get new matched springs for my front suspension. I informed my Honda dealership of this, but they said there is little they can do because all the measurements are within spec, even with the 1/4" difference. I am currently in the process of trying to get the customer service representative from American Honda Corp. to try to fix the situation, but I might be out of luck. If you want you new car's alignment to be just right, make sure the car you buy is okay before you buy it. Hope your car's front suspension is assembled more precisely than mine.
Last week, I took my 2003 Accord lx into the dealer for the "no-reverse" & air breather recall. I have about 14k and I noticed a slight grinding noise from the front brakes. The dealer said the brake pads have some gazing on the brake pad surface. The dealer replaced the fronts pads. As far as I know, the grinding noise is gone.
I've had my 2003 accord for about two weeks and I've noticed that after driving the car about 30 feet, I hear a clunk sound from under the car. It only happens when I drive the car after its been sitting for a while. It's just one clunk. Has anyone else experienced this or know what it might be?
Yeah eweis I've got that too. If I am on the brakes I can feel it through the pedal. I have read that this MAY be the ABS self test cycle. I have also heard that it is "normal".
Hope that helps and congrats on your new car. Your gonna love that engine!
Andy, I have a 2003 Honda Ex Coupe 4cyd, which also makes noise in the headliner in the rear. The workmanship on the headliner does not seem to be good. I agree that it is not adhering properly. I seem to hear most on hot days, I live in the south and it still warm. It is not constant but I can hear it from time to time. I have returned it to the dealer on two occasions but they have not been able to remedy the problem. The accord is a nice car but I am beginning to regret having bought this one.
Has anyone had trouble with their headrests not wanting to go up & down? I have a 2003 Accord that my dealer tried to get them to work better and succeeded somewhat on the front seats, but I still have to force the rear headrests up or down. My wife & daughter cannot move them. I also have headliner rattles in addition to my passenger door & windows in both front doors.
the 1/4 in drop is probably caused by the v6 engine. It weights about 200# more than the 4cyl. I highly doubt that they change the springrates on the springs... that would explain your 1/4" sag n the passenger wheel. One option would be to buy aftermarket springs which are "tuned" for the particulear car... I know that eibach has different springs for 4dr/2dr and 4cyl/6cyl... their lowest is like a 1" drop total..
Today I was told by my Honda dealer that my '03 V6 EX Accord 4 door would need a new transmission. The car has a build date of 8/03, is less than 1 month old, has 1500 miles on it, and has not had a payment made on it. I have already filed my complaint with American Honda Customer Relations and will be filing my complaint with the NHTSB as well.
My questions......what has Honda been doing for all the others here with transmission replacements? What is your experience with creaks/rattles/electrical after the replacement?
BTW....I told the dealer and customer relations that I will not drive this Accord off the lot and expect another new Accord in its place.
I guess I wouldn't be so upset if I had not experienced what Honda USED to be able to do in Ohio since my other car is a 1985 Accord with 370,500 miles on the original engine AND transmission.
Just back up and start reading all the previous posts. I know you are upset, but Honda will not give you a new car. You will get a rebuild transmission to fix your problem. That is the bottom line and you will have to live with it. You may as well drive it off the lot when the dealer fixes it or you will just be paying for a car that you aren't driving. As far as squeaks and rattles, they are also covered pretty well in previous posts. Some have had luck getting them fixed and some have not. I'm sorry you are having a bad experience, but I can tell you from my experience, don't expect Honda to go out of its way to make you happy.
I get the squeaks too, particularly in the drivers-side ceiling area right below the grab handle. I can push on this area with my hand and make the squeak/rattle go away when going over a bump.
I have a EX/V6 (navi) with about 3300 miles. On the first oil change, I will have them look at it again. However, I fear that to remedy the problem, they will have to tear open the inside roofing.
If you have any fixes for this problem, please pass them along.
My dad had a 2000 Acura TL that had 1500 miles on it when the check engine light came on and stayed on. He took it in and it turns out the engine had to be replaced. Engine was not achieving correct compression or something like that. The replacement was handled flawlessly.
My car started making a high pitch whistle-like sound when the accelerator was being pushed. The sound was extremely bad at the 50 mph and 78 mph mark. This started at almost exactly the 1500 mile mark. I figured it was something in the throttle control or vaccuum lines.
However, the dealer says it the transmission. Seems American Honda will not allow the dealer to rebuild the transmission. It has to be replaced as a complete unit so the failing transmission can be returned to Honda for them to tear it down piece by piece to troubleshoot it. I totally agree with Honda's approach. Just really disapponted that the car is having this type of issue.
I read through these posts and other sites too before my purchase of the 2003. Knew about the 2000-2002 Accord/Odyssey/TL/CL transmission issues. Hoped Honda had designed them out with the new model but obviously not.
Took my car back to the dealership yesteray. An engineer from Honda came out to look at it after I had filed it under the Georgia Lemon Law. See my posts 5310, 5711, 5749. Seems there was a service bulletin out about the Accords pulling to the right that the dealership for some reason was not aware of. The engineer re-adjusted the engine cradle. Seems the engine was off. This seems to have solved the problem. However now it seems the car may be pulling to the left. It is hardly noticeable and may be just because I am so used to the car pulling to the right. Anyone else with similar problems can email me at ammathis@yahoo.com I am just glad this appears to be fixed. I have already made 11 payments and didn't want to start over again if this couldn't be fixed.
Problem #1: Pulling to the right. I tought I was dreaming. My first new car, it just couldn't be that a new car had a misalignment. They will check next week when they try to fix for the second time Problem #2 (see below)
Problem #2: Front break noise at low speeds when not breaking. Got it fixed at 6000km. It's back again even though they changed the calipers. Has anyone had them fixed but had to go back again? Dealer says they will likely change disks and pads now. Will that fix it? I'll let you know.
Problem#3: Rattling dashboard noise passenger side. Kind of intermittent. But I now see I'm not the only one. I have not seen a solution to it though on this post. Is there one? If mine gets fixed properly, I'll update you.
Problem #4: Bad carpet rear right side. Got it replaced. Must have been a defect from supplier.
Problem #6: Strange vibrating noise when going from first to second gear when engine cold. Looks like I found the reason here. ABS pump "fills up" my dealer says.
Problem #7: Driver side belt height adjustment device. When driving over highway, the spring in the mechanism makes a vibrating noise. It sounds silly, but the thing is just at me ear level and it dose it especially on our not so nice Canadian roads and highways. And it's driving me nuts. Anyone experienced this? Is it just a bad one? Dealer will look into next week. I'll let you know again.
I have the same problem as message 2123 by alsagel. When it gets cold I can not get my key out of the ignition of my 1990 Honda Accord EX. If I wait sufficient time (as much as a hour) the Park light on the dash finally lights up and I can then get the key out and/or again drive the car. This is only a cold weather problem. Especially to Message 2123 person(alsagel) Did you ever find out the cause of this problem?
Just last winter, on cold (single digit) days and on a couple occassions my 89 Accord had the same key & shifter problem. What I did was restarted the car while the key still stuck in the ignition, shifted to D, then shifted back to P. The P light lit up.
If it happens again, see if you can do what I did.
Question for those of you who have posted information regarding '03 Accord service bulletins that address 1) pulling to the right or 2) subframe adjustment - do you know the #'s of the service bulletin? I've been looking at the NTSB site at least twice a week and haven't been able to find anything related to those two topics. When I take my car in, it sure would be nice to reference those numbers.
There were a few problems with rocker arms in that year but at that mileage you could be hearing any numbe of noises. The lower end is usally more of a knock than a tick so if it sounds more like a tick it could be the valves or rocker arm. Good luck
I started having problems with my transmission about 8 months ago. Sometimes it would make an odd clunking/thunking noise as I accelerated. I took it to the dealer and they could find nothing wrong with it and could not replicate the problem. In the past few weeks it has gotten worse. I took it back to the dealer today. I was told that I need a new transmission. I was further told that it would normally cost appx. $5000, but since I was such a good customer (questionable since I have only had 2 Hondas - 1989 and 1999) they would only charge me $2500. I find this strange and I am now wondering if there is some sort of "hidden warranty" on this problem. This car has 79,000 miles on it. Does anyone know of a "hidden warranty?" I can't find any information about one.
I think there is tranny confusion here. jebinc (me) posted several posts a week back regarding a EX V6 tranny needing replacement at 3K due to delays in shifting from "P" to "D".
Accordboy post was another premature tranny failure at low mileage, but was a different type of failure.
The car was stolen and was driven like a stick shift (it's an auto), and whoever was driving revved the engine too high in first gear. This is why I think its a rod bearing. Now that you know it was revved to high, do you think it warrants a new engine or just repair? It starts and runs, just runs like crap.
jcihak, I don't understand generations of transmissions. I looked on the Honda website and at several others. I found that they have extended the transmission warranty on 2000 Accords and 1999 Accura TLs. I wonder if the LX V6 in 1999 might have had the same transmission as the Accura TL. How do I find out?
Comments
Also do a search here and on the Honda group of messages-IIRC somebody said they had the same problem solved by a dealer with a "kit" that had a bunch of bolts/nuts in it. Scarey - good luck and keep us posted.
They practically melt to the windshield during summer (and we don't live in Phoenix or anything). A line of (melted) rubber from the wipers gets deposited on the bottom of the windshield, and when the wipers are used, they pick this up and spread it across the windshield, causing streaks and secondary lines of rubber at the limits of the upper travel of the blades. This is made worse by the fact that the secondary line left by the passenger side wiper is right in the middle of the driver's line of sight. The lines of melted rubber have to be removed with a razor blade to get the windshield completely clean.
I have tried both OEM and high-quality (Bosch, etc.) vendor replacements, and they all break down within a few weeks of use in summer (they last longer in winter). I have never owned another car with this problem, so I am convinced it's a design issue rather than being related to glass-cleaning or wiper blade maintenance techniques. Like a previous poster, I am a fanatic about clean glass. It's a good thing my wife (the primary driver of this car) is not.
Mazda... If you have a little bit of room at the end of travel for the driver blade, it is possible to adjust the blade position. Unbolt the blade from the motor, should be about a 16mm nut. It is slightly pressed on there and I generally wiggle the wiper arm and it should pull it straight off. It is a grooved bolt, easy enough to remove the arm, re-set the arm in a slighly different position(rotated up a bit) ... this should solve the problem with the blade sitting on the cowl.
BTW, I should clarify that the blades currently rest on top of the windshield glass, not on the textured plastic trim below the windshield. It's just that they rest on top of a portion of the windshield that has black masking integral to the inside of the glass. This masking is what generates all the extra heat.
I don't think I've ever seen a 26" blade on the shelf at a regular parts store. Maybe '03 Accord owners should try shopping at RV parts stores for that blade! I guess the hassle is worth it for the big view of the road that Accords have.
On occasion the opening on the hood freeze in winter and just pour some water on it and that will thaw it quickly.
I use needle tips(not big needles mind you) the kind used for hemming... very useful, and you can clean the wax/polish out of the edges of the holes as well.. =o)
If that doesn't work, open the hood, prop it up, and spray while looking through the crack... once, I had the hose have a leak, and would spray the engine ... easiest way to find it... imo
Thanks!
Andy
Make: HONDA
Model: ACCORD
Year: 2003
Service Bulletin Number: 03007
Summary Description:
HEADLINER SAGS IN THE BACK. *TT
There's also one on the NHTSA site for rear deck noise that might apply.
Jeremy
This doesn't sound like this kind of Honda engineering that I'm used to. I have a 2000 Accord which I'm keeping, and it's been flawless so far at 65K miles.
I've had other cars with pulsating brake problems, and I know how irritating it can be to hear thump-thump-thump every time the brakes are applied.
So, before I spend my $23-25K, I'd like to hear from any 2003/2004 Accord owners. Are you having pulsating problems or other problems with your brakes? How many miles do you have on your car?
Are you having other aggravations with your Accord that you find are common among Accords of the same year? Would you still buy your Accord again?
thanks!
I DID have the brakes problem, and at 5000 miles I had the rotors 'turned.' I think this was an initial installation issue and now at 9000 miles they are still quite fine.
I also had a problem with the window tint, but it's not specific to the car. Window tint is not a factory option, dealers have it done at local shops.
I still think witout a doubt this is the MOST car you can buy for the money.
Out of frustration, I went to an independent wheel and brake shop for alignment (which Honda will not pay for, so it was $60 out of my pocket.) They where able make the car track straigher than ever before, but it still drifts to the right, even on road completely flat or sloping slightly down on the left. They found that the springs of my car made the right front tire on my car ride 1/4" lower than the left front tire. They think this creates a slight problem that cannot be completely compensated for. A fix might be to get new matched springs for my front suspension. I informed my Honda dealership of this, but they said there is little they can do because all the measurements are within spec, even with the 1/4" difference. I am currently in the process of trying to get the customer service representative from American Honda Corp. to try to fix the situation, but I might be out of luck. If you want you new car's alignment to be just right, make sure the car you buy is okay before you buy it. Hope your car's front suspension is assembled more precisely than mine.
Thanks
Hope that helps and congrats on your new car. Your gonna love that engine!
SDG
Jeremy
My questions......what has Honda been doing for all the others here with transmission replacements? What is your experience with creaks/rattles/electrical after the replacement?
BTW....I told the dealer and customer relations that I will not drive this Accord off the lot and expect another new Accord in its place.
I guess I wouldn't be so upset if I had not experienced what Honda USED to be able to do in Ohio since my other car is a 1985 Accord with 370,500 miles on the original engine AND transmission.
I have a EX/V6 (navi) with about 3300 miles. On the first oil change, I will have them look at it again. However, I fear that to remedy the problem, they will have to tear open the inside roofing.
If you have any fixes for this problem, please pass them along.
Ryan
my car was built in 8/03, has 1500 miles, and couldn't be more perfect.
whats the deal?
However, the dealer says it the transmission. Seems American Honda will not allow the dealer to rebuild the transmission. It has to be replaced as a complete unit so the failing transmission can be returned to Honda for them to tear it down piece by piece to troubleshoot it. I totally agree with Honda's approach. Just really disapponted that the car is having this type of issue.
I read through these posts and other sites too before my purchase of the 2003. Knew about the 2000-2002 Accord/Odyssey/TL/CL transmission issues. Hoped Honda had designed them out with the new model but obviously not.
I tought I was dreaming. My first new car, it just couldn't be that a new car had a misalignment. They will check next week when they try to fix for the second time Problem #2 (see below)
Problem #2: Front break noise at low speeds when not breaking. Got it fixed at 6000km. It's back again even though they changed the calipers. Has anyone had them fixed but had to go back again? Dealer says they will likely change disks and pads now. Will that fix it? I'll let you know.
Problem#3: Rattling dashboard noise passenger side. Kind of intermittent. But I now see I'm not the only one. I have not seen a solution to it though on this post. Is there one? If mine gets fixed properly, I'll update you.
Problem #4: Bad carpet rear right side. Got it replaced. Must have been a defect from supplier.
Problem #6: Strange vibrating noise when going from first to second gear when engine cold. Looks like I found the reason here. ABS pump "fills up" my dealer says.
Problem #7: Driver side belt height adjustment device. When driving over highway, the spring in the mechanism makes a vibrating noise. It sounds silly, but the thing is just at me ear level and it dose it especially on our not so nice Canadian roads and highways. And it's driving me nuts. Anyone experienced this? Is it just a bad one? Dealer will look into next week. I'll let you know again.
on a couple occassions my 89 Accord had the same key & shifter problem.
What I did was restarted the car while the key still stuck in the ignition, shifted to D, then
shifted back to P. The P light lit up.
If it happens again, see if you can do what I did.
Accordboy post was another premature tranny failure at low mileage, but was a different type of failure.
Jeremy