Honda Accord Problems 2000-2005

tblazer503 · October 2003

all brake pads have wear indicators. from what I know, it is usually an insert right at the end of the useful life of the pad. Not abnormal to need new rear brake pads on an accord at 36k.

40% of your braking supposedly is done by the back brakes, but the back brakes also are about 1/2 the size of the fronts, and heat up much faster than the front brakes due to smaller rotor size and the smaller pads. I would probably have the front brakes inspected for wear as well, as you may very well need front pads.

$225 is not horrifically expensive if they are doing both sides... figure about $50 or so for pads, the autoshop will usually charge about $10.00 ea to turn the rotors, and about 1-1.5 hours of work for both rears. Also ask them if they are going to adjust the parking brake while they are down there... =o)

Yes, I know that is $150 in labor, but you could buy the shop manual($100.00 from helminc), hopefully you have the tools, a c-clamp to compress the caliper, 5-10 for brake fluid, anti squeak compound, lithium grease, etc., and another buddy so that you can bleed the system, if not, $40.00 for a one man vacuum bleeder kit.

I generally do my brakes themselves and have helped many a friend learn how to do it (in exchange for a hearty meal)... haven't had a problem yet...

Just don't do what my buddy did (on his own) if you decide to do it yourself... when the calipers(and pads) are off the car, don't press the brake pedal "to see how firm they are" ...

good luck codog... let us know what you decide.

stevem327 · October 2003

Just curious, what did you get to replace your Accord with? I'm not going to bash whatever car you got, I'm just interested. Sorry you didn't have a better experience with Honda.

I'm not quite ready to jump ship yet on my Accord. Instead, like FredV1 said, I hope Honda will figure out the cause of all these noises and get some sort of fix going for them. I'm planning to keep this car for a good 200,000 miles so if it's making these noises at 3,000 miles I can only imagine what it will sound like at 200,000...or even 50,000 for that matter!

hw4 · October 2003

I have put 420 miles on my 04 EX V6 sedn. I noticed the shifting of the driver seat when making quick stops, but it did not bother me much.

Starting from about 400 miles, I heard a 'ka-cha' sound from under the hood, when the transmission shift from 1st to 2nd gear (automatically, of course). This occurs only when the car was first started and making its first shifting. Should I be worried? Does this indicate something waiting to happen?

Any advice/comments?

jebinc1 · October 2003

Sounds like the ABS pump self test.

newtype00 · October 2003

Hi HW4, I have the same car as u and I have the same problem as well. When I start the car it makes that noise and its around the 1500 to 2000 rpm shift that the noise occurs. I"m going to the dealer to try and get it fixed let me know if u ever got it checked out.

Also, do you feel like the car is wobbly also. I think that my car is quite wobbly at low speeds and its seems like the driver side that is wobbly.

lelandhendrix · October 2003

I don't think there is such a thing as a 2003 Accord SE, is there? I certainly haven't heard of it. Of course, that doesn't mean it doesn't exist.

About the seat shifting to the left, I hope you figure out what that is and choose to share it with us. What you are describing is funny though because it impossible in that you say the seat shifts on direction but never shifts back. It would eventually shift its way out the door.

serendip · October 2003

I'm the one who started the seat shift posting. I have an '03 EX V6. The seat shifts when I turn left and does not shift back - at least I don't feel it shift back. Last night, it shifted when I turned right, so maybe it *is* trying to even itself out!

As soon as I have time to get into the dealer, I'll report back about this.

benjaminh · October 2003

I have an 02 Accord with 12k miles that I bought new c. 14 months ago. I'm getting the oil changed every c.6k at the dealership. When I went in at 11k for an oil change, they tried to sell me on an expensive (c.$100, I think) service that involved the inspection of a lot of systems. Since I drive my car fairly gently, it's garaged, and it's only a year old, that seemed to me like a big waste of money and I just got the $20 oil change. The problem was they didn't turn off (reset?) the maintenance light in the dash that flashes when you start the car. My questions are: 1) should I have sprung for the more expensive service? and 2) Hoping that the answer to the first question is no, is it possible for me to turn off that flashing light? Is it ethical for me to turn it off? Will it affect my warranty in any way? Aside from oil and filter changes, what is actually required to keep the warranty current? Thanks.

atlantabenny · October 2003

If you look at the Owner's Manual, many of the preventive maintenance inspections are user-doable. To avoid expensive dealer charges and still feel completely safe about warranty matters, try learning the inspection items (fluid level checks, etc.), check them off on the Manual's maintenance page, and put your intials and date. I believe there are laws preventing vendors from holding consumers hostage to "vendor-only maintenance."

That said, 1) the $100 check-up was unnecessary. If memory serves, Honda requires only oil & filter change plus tire rotation at the 10k mark. There may be other minor items but nothing that an owner can't do. 2) With engine stopped, turn key to off then back to on (last position before cranking engine, when all warning lights are on). Without cranking engine, depress trip reset pin for 10 seconds or until "Maint. Req'd" light goes off. Next time it'll show again is for the next oil change reminder.

There's absolute nothing unethical about resetting the light, or doing anything that's within Honda's maintenance requirements yourself. For the first 36k miles/3 years, the dealer is there essentially for warranty-related repairs. Maintenance work can be done outside the dealership since no Honda-specific expertise is required for the items (like checking CV boots, brakes, etc.). Hondas are generally reliable cars, so the first 36k miles should be trouble-free as per my experience with our 6th gen Accords.

bburton3 · October 2003

Avoid the place that quoted $225-they are crooks-also you do not need to have the rotors turned unless they are warped. Don't know how handy you are but disc brake pads are way easy to change. Also don't go to any of the franchise places-ask your friends and find a independent to change them using either honda pads or a high quality pad cause the el cheapo's sometime squeak.

By turning a rotor you are reducing the amount of metal and reducing the life and replacing them can be expensive-just wish somebody would tell me I need to have my rotors turned-really like tearing that type of jerk a new one.

jayant12 · October 2003

My front side driver window goes down but does not go up. I have to try for about 5-10 minutes before it obliges to go up. Any suggestions on what could be wrong? The regulator or the switch? How much would it cost to get either one of thos replaced?

tblazer503 · October 2003

is unnecessary if there is absolutely no problems with your current rotors. According to many auto supply shops and mechanics, if you don't turn them, and there is runout or grooving in the rotors, you will end up wearing out the pads and/or the rotors faster.

Sometimes, depending on the car, the $10 to turn the rotors isn't really even worth it. Changed my buddy's rotors on an '00 Cavalier, and for $16, they were new, $10 to turn them... lol.

Of course, many of these newer cars have no meat on the rotors(usually not even enough to turn once)...

according2me · October 2003

Most of the dealership "service packages" are just inspections and lubing hinges at your low mileage. They are strictly a profit center for them. If you have no experience at this, any service shop/mechanic could do these inspections in under 20 minutes. IMHO, the time spent under my car is one of the better investments I currently have in my portfollio. (time spent X money saved,especially at dealership prices).

My '01 just recently saw the inside of a dealership for it's first service. The 105K mile timing belt/water pump service.

Just change the oil/filter regularly, replace air filter @20K-30K, trans fluid every 30K-45K (use Honda ATF-Z1 only), clean throttlebody plate at 50K or whenever it starts to stick, replace coolant every 60K (using longlife coolant-green stuff), tire rotation @5K-7.5K intervals and you'll have a very well maintained vehicle and a vehicle that is still a joy to drive well past the 100K mark. BTW all of this stuff is in the owners manual.

bodble2 · October 2003

Yes, the hood can be adjusted. Open the hood and you should be able to see a couple of round rubber stoppers supporting the hood. You can turn those to either raise or lower them.

hji · October 2003

Hi,

This morning when i shift from P to D, I heard a loud "clung" sound coming under the front part of the car. I also felt that I need pull hard, and the stick seems to stuck. My parking place has a slight up slope (<10 degree). I did not experience this before. Then I try on flat road, the shift is quite smooth and no sound. Any one can advise whether it is normal or something is wrong. Thanks.

hji · October 2003

Hi,

This morning when i shift from P to D, I heard a loud "clung" sound coming under the front part of the car. I also felt that I need pull hard, and the stick seems to stuck. My parking place has a slight up slope (<10 degree). I did not experience this before. Then I try on flat road, the shift is quite smooth and no sound. Any one can advise whether it is normal or something is wrong. Thanks.

hji · October 2003

Hi,

This morning when i shift from P to D, I heard a loud "clung" sound coming under the front part of the car. I also felt that I need pull hard, and the stick seems to stuck. My parking place has a slight up slope (<10 degree). I did not experience this before. Then I try on flat road, the shift is quite smooth and no sound. Any one can advise whether it is normal or something is wrong. Thanks.

bodble2 · October 2003

I don't think you need to worry. You just had a bit of gear-lock because you were parked on an incline. That's why the shifter was harder to yank out of Park. Next time when you park on an incline, set the parking brake FIRMLY before putting it into Drive.

bskaggs513 · October 2003

I was able to trade my Honda in on a Mazda Tribute. It may not have the reputation that Honda has had, but I figure it will last at least as long as my Honda appeared it was going to. I hate that I had the issues I did with it, but it sure looked like a repair-laden auto from the start of things.

Good luck with whatevere you choose.

I do stand corrected on my Honda's year. It was a 2002 model instead of 2003. Sorry.

hw4 · October 2003

Yeah, newtype00, I felt some wobbly, too at 'stop and go' low speed (when the transmission shift back and forth between 1st and 2nd gear). I think this wobbly thing is associated with that 'clunk' or 'ke -cha' noise. Anyway i think things is not smooth between 1st and 2nd gear. May be an malalignment of the parts?
I have not taken it to the dealer.
What do u plan to do? let me know how it goes.

stevem327 · October 2003

Thanks for the reply. You'll be fine with a Mazda. I had two Proteges and they were great cars. Both were leases and I only got up to 45,000 miles before the leases ended, but they were trouble free and fun to drive. A friend of mine has a Miata with 312,000 miles on it. He put a new tranny in it at 160,000 miles and a new motor in it at 190,000 miles and it's still going strong.

bodble2 · October 2003

The Tribute (along with its twin the Escape) had all kinds of problems when it first came out. Haven't been following it lately but hopefully Mazda has everything sorted out.

Sorry you had all those problems with your 2002 SE. Conversely, our 2002 SE-V6 (Canadian market exclusive) has been almost flawless through 15,000 miles other than a couple of misaligned body panels and the infamous Honda rattly moonroof gasket.

chucko3 · October 2003

Ditto!

bskaggs513 · October 2003

I wish the 2002SE offered a V6 in the States. Seems the 4cyl engine was very underpowered when the car was fully loaded.

Has anyone contacted Honda and received any replies on the issues we have all complained about?

In Honda's defense, I did not contact them. When I took the auto back to have it serviced for some of the items, the technicians (of course) told me they could find nothing wrong with the car, so I figured talking to Honda would be more of the same. After reading some of the common complaints here, seems like Honda may have some work ahead of them.

tblazer503 · October 2003

sorry bodble, but I think you have it backwards.

Hji, the noise you heard is your parking pawl disengaging from the drive gear. When on an incline/decline, if you don't set your parking brake firm enough, your car will roll slightly, putting pressure on the pawl making it harder to pull out of park.

Therefore, the way to prevent this from happening is to firmly engage the parking brake(Afterwards, I like to shift into neutral first to ensure the car won't roll), then shift into park. this will prevent pressure from being applied to the parking brake while you are parked. Then when you get back in the car, shift out of park first, then release parking brake.

Hope this helps.

snakehair · October 2003

when and how the "side airbag off" warning works. I have an '03 V6 Accord and I have been unable to activate the warning light (except at startup) with a small package on the passenger seat, my wife leaning up against the window (all the things the manual says should light up the display). Does the light only come on a startup?? How to tell if it is on or off? Anyone with some advise on how to interpet the manual would be appreciated.

hji · October 2003

hmurphy · October 2003

I contacted Honda for two problems that I had with my brakes on my new Accord. The company was very responsive, authorized all of the necessary repairs, and followed up afterward to make sure that the work was completed to my satisfaction.

sockpuppet1969 · October 2003

The only time I have seen the light on while driving is when my dog was standing on the seat with his head out the window. He only weighs 10 pounds.

aggie1995 · October 2003

My wife activates it when she leans forward out of the seat and toward the window. But not all the time.

I wouldn't worry too much about it, but if you are worried ask your dealer how to set the light off next time you go in for an oil change.

carlosl1 · October 2003

I have seen many references to a "clunking" noise upon braking or accelerating that seems to come from the frame or brakes of the 2003 Accord Sedan. Some dealers attribute this to the ABS self check, others say the problem is flexing/buckling of the floor or bulkhead pan that requires spot welding to reinforce it. Has Honda provided a definitive answer to this problem?

hmurphy · October 2003

... only happens once, right after you first turn on the car and begin moving. It does not happen every time you brake or accelerate after that.

maxpower02 · October 2003

service yesterday. I had the "popping" noise under the driver side floor. My Accord was made 11/02 and it started about 2 months ago. I read it here about the noise and that Honda had a fix, which entailed a spot weld to stop the body panels from rubbing against the bulkhead. I told this to the service consultant, he had tech look at it. Tech said this was normal, a brake pad sound-I told him he was wrong, and had Service Mgr. ride with me. He heard sound, said would check Techline. Called the next day, said there was a fix and to bring it in. Took two days, the sound is gone. This problem was only on V6 Sedans and was fixed on the assembly line for later Accords. If you have this sound, basically during accelerating and sometimes braking, that's it. The ABS check is a minor thump, and only once. This sound occured at every stoplight. Don't let them tell you this is normal.

tblazer503 · October 2003

from what I understand of it your passenger seat has 2-4 sensors in it, I know of at least 2 in the seat cushion which are supposed to guess load(I think) and at least 1 in the seat back. There is also a time delay on the disabler( i don't know why) because I got my seat wet one day, and to turn the light off, i had to push the center of the seatback down for about 5 seconds, then when I released it, about 10 sec later, the light would return. my buddy's wife(at like 90#) always set's off his when she leans towards the window... I couldn't set it off unless I completely lean forward. probably a weight/pressure thing.

chikoo · October 2003

>>>Next time when you park on an incline, set the parking brake FIRMLY before putting it into Drive.<<<

It is the other way around.

Set your parking brake FIRMLY before shifting into Park.

Shift into Drive before releasing parking brake.

bodble2 · October 2003

Now I see what tblazer was referring to when he said I got it backwards. I should have reread my post. I did MEAN to say "...before putting it into Park". It was a typo but it made my post sound idiotic.

hji, sorry for confusing you. Hopefully you haven't driven around all day with the parking brake on!

codog2 · October 2003

I posted the other day about a sound from my rear tire (01 Accord ex v6) sounding like a chain draggin while turning left. The dealer said I needed new rear pads and wanted $225 for pads & to turn the rotors.

I just slapped a $20 pair of Albany pads from Autozone, the noise went away and the brakes work fine. I was surprised how much more both inner pads were worn (down to the indicator). I couldn't believe how easy it was, it took me about an hour. Honestly, I'm disappionted that the original pads only lasted 36k miles. I got 75k from my 93 Probe GT

One question, Autozone had two different brake pad manufacturers available, one was Albany for $20, and another manufacturer for $40. Is there a noticable difference between the pads to warrant spending twice as much? I figured maybe I'd go with the more expensive pads when I do the front brakes if it's worth it

thanks

newtype00 · October 2003

Hi HW4,

Well, I took my car to the dealer and they said the infamous couldn't recreate the noise. But they were very helpful and told the closest thing that he can think of was something wrong with the welding spots, which i do not concur with. I have read a lot and many people are saying its the ABS check, which could be considering it only happens when the car has been sitting for a long time and only happens when we start and move the car.

I also read around where ppl were talking about the tire pressure. I checked mine out and it was around 40 which was way too high although the max. press. is 44. The manual says 32 front and 30 back. I dont have any rattling or noise with my car and the V6 is very powerful, but sometimes its a bumpy ride and I think its just the freeway because I rode in other cars which were jolting too.

Altogther, I really love this car a lot of nice features and I think u just have to get used to it when you are driving have a feel for the car. I know I had to adjust from a 1990 accord to the 2004.

tblazer503 · October 2003

the inner pads wearing faster may mean a sticking slide. your pad's should slide (sort of)freely forward and backward, a little bit of lithium grease and a good cleaning should help to prevent this problem.

northwest1 · October 2003

I have been following the thread about rattles and squeaks with the the CD storage compartment under the radio and on the passenger side dash. Have not seen any outcomes or solution to these problems based on those who have taken their cars into the dealer to be fixed. Any info or lessons-learned on this? I do not want my dash torn apart without some clue as to the problem. Appreciate the help. As a DX driver, at least I paid less for my squeaks and rattles that most others!

snakehair · October 2003

I have had the local dealer look into the rattling CD compartment for over 2 days total, including replacing the entire pocket. No luck, it still rattles at low speed on rough roads. The dealer promised to contact Honda Tech, but after waiting 5 weeks I called the Customer Assistance line. Last word from them was that Honda Tech would contact my dealer with some ideas. Still waiting to see if they can fix it. This is not an isolated problem but not all Accords have it. In the grand scheme of things it is better than some of the problems I've read about here.

winbro · October 2003

I also follow the thread on squeaks & rattles. some feel that too much is expected of the Honda and these rattles etc. are common in all cars.

I fully understand and accept the occasional failed tranny, steering rack, motor etc. but as far as squeaks & rattles go, given today's higher quality materials, fastening devices and precision tooling, there really should be no excuse for rattles in any car.

frankbailie · October 2003

I own a 2003 honda accord ex. The mag wheels require constant cleaning due to excess brake dust in particular on the front wheels. I clean the wheels but the next day the black oily stains are back. I assume this is brake dust but it is a royal pain in the butt and is there a solution to this problem?

webexplorer · October 2003

My 03 Accord's CD player's plastic screen is coming off. Anyone knows if I could just take off the screen and put it back using some glue? If so, what kind of glue should I use?

hw4 · October 2003

Hi newtype00, thank you for your message. It seems that noise is dying down and the running becomes smoother and smoother. I fell out of love with my car 3 days after delivery due to the bumpy ride (the road is bad actually. It seems that I fall back in love with it again after 500 miles. It takes some getting used too in my part and it also takes some miles for the car to settle itself down.

Overall, i like it very much and look forward to driving it. It is powerful. The interior is plush. It has most of everything i need (Just find out this morning I need heated steering wheel, too), well, can not expect everything, BMW5 does not even have lumbar support. What can u say.

Enjoy your car!

chucko3 · October 2003

Why not bring the car to the dealer to have it fixed?
It's still under warranty.

lelandhendrix · October 2003

I agree FULLY with chucko. Take your car back to the dealer to have your screen and any other item fixed. There will be plenty of time once you hit the 100,000+ miles mark for you to settle small issues yourself.

My dealer is fantastic to deal with. I always get a loaner or a rental car, and they are always friendly and determined to make my issues with the car disappear.

benjaminh · October 2003

I appreciate your help!

thanhho · October 2003

My 03 V6 Accord have lots of problems with brake, road noise, alignment too much weight when cornering and rattle and humming. Came to dealer replace a new pads and resurface the disc yesterday. Road noise and handling worst than older model. I used to like the way Honda handling especially when cornering but this 03 Accord really turns me off. Reconsider when purchase a Honda Accord. I just test drive the new maxima and consider trade-in me 03 V6 for the Maxima.

ehawkins · October 2003

Sounds like Maxima is really hard up for business.
If I didn't already have an Accord and know better. I might believe that crap.

Honda Accord Problems 2000-2005

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