2003 Honda Accord Complaint Log

TRANSMISSION ON 2003 ACCORD V6 AUTO 116,000 MILES. SLIPPED GEAR WENT FROM 65 MPH TO 20 ON INTERSTATE WITHOUT ANY WARNING. HAD IT BEEN RUSH HOUR DURING THE WEEK I LIKELY WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO SEND YOU THIS E-MAIL. IT TOOK 12 SECONDS TO FIND A LIST OF PEOPLE ON THE INTERNET WHO HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM. HOW MANY PEOPLE HAVE TO DIE OR BE HURT FOR YOU TO ACT. FYI - I HAVE A MASTERS IN MECHANICAL ENGINEERING AND WORKED IN NUMEROUS FACTORIES. THIS WOULD NOT BE ACCEPTABLE WITH ASSEMBLY EQUIPMENT IN A CONTROLLED ENVIRONMENT. WHY IS IT ACCEPTABLE IN A CAR? *TR

CAR SLIPS OUT OF GEAR AT HIGH SPEEDS OR LOW SPEED DOWN SHIFTS ON ITS OWN WONT SHIFT OUT OF FIRST GEAR AT ALL WONT REVERSE. *TR

IT'S PRETTY OBVIOUS BY NOW BASED ON THE PLETHORA OF COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE 2003 HONDA ACCORD V6 TRANSMISSION ISSUES. LIKE MANY OTHERS I WAS DRIVING MY CAR & I NOTICED IT STARTING TO REV UP TO HIGH RPMS AROUND 4K-5K & THEN SLAM INTO GEAR. THERE IS ABSOLUTELY SOMETHING WRONG WITH THESE HONDA TRANSMISSIONS. THE VEHICLE ONLY HAS 53,000 MILES ON IT & IS IN EXCELLENT CONDITION. I TOOK IT TO THE HONDA DEALERSHIP LIKE MANY OF THE OTHERS WITH THIS SAME PROBLEM, & WAS TOLD IT NEEDS AN ENTIRE NEW TRANSMISSION. THE COST TO ME WILL BE $3,600.00 I FILED A CASE WITH HONDA AMERICA & I'M WAITING TO HEAR BACK FROM THEM IF THEY WILL COVER THE COSTS TO THIS REPAIR. *TR

I WAS GOING TO WORK AND MY TRANSMISSION WITH OUT WARNING FAILED GOING UP HILL ON INTERSTATE, MANAGED TO GET IT OVER TO SLOW LANE ,FROM THERE, GUY HAD TO HELP ME PUSH IT OFF THE HIGHWAY. *TR

I OWN A 2003 HONDA ACCORD THE TRANSMISSION WHEN OUT ON IT AT 73000 MILES I'VE MAINTENANCE REGULARLY DO NOT UNDERSTAND WHY THERE HASN'T BEEN A RECALL ON THE VEHICLE SINCE IT IS A COMMON PROBLEM? IT IS A SAFETY ISSUE WHEN THE CAR BRAKES DOWN IN TRAFFIC WITH TWO CHILDREN IN THE BACK SEAT WITH LITTLE WARNING! THE CAR WOULDN'T SHIFT INTO SECOND GEAR AND WHEN IT DID IT WOULD SLIP BACK OUT. THE DEALER IS TRYING TO GET GOODWILL REPAIR ON THE CAR MY THOUGHT IS WHY DON'T THEY COVER THERE MISTAKE? *TR

I BOUGHT THE CAR IN SUMMER OF 06 AND THE DEALER STATED IT WAS UNDER HONDA WARRANTY FOR 7 YEARS OR 100K MILES. 2 MONTHS LATER I STARTED HAVING TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS (CAR WOULDN'T SHIFT INTO HIGHER GEAR OR IT WOULD SLIP OUT OF GEAR TOTALLY). THE DEALER STATED THAT THE WARRANTY WAS NOT A HONDA EXTENDED WARRANTY BUT A 30 DAY LOT WARRANTY. AFTER MUCH COMPLAINING ABOUT THE TRANSMISSION AND J.R. HAM (THE SALES MGR WHO LIED ABOUT THE WARRANTY) THEY REPLACED THE DRIVE SHAFT AND THE PROBLEM SEEMED TO BE FIXED. I NOW AM HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM AND NOW THE CAR IS SLIPPING MORE VIOLENTLY IN AND OUT OF GEARS. IT IS NOW UNDRIVABLE AND IT REGULARLY SLIPS IN AND OUT OF GEAR MAKING IT UNDRIVEABLE. *TR

THE HONDA ACCORD 2003 TRANSMISSION FAILURE APPEARS TO BE A HUGE SAFETY HAZARD. WHILE DRIVING ON A MAJOR HIGHWAY, THE TRANSMISSION COMPLETELY SLIPPED. WITH DRIVERS CLOSE BEHIND, THIS COULD HAVE CAUSED A SERIOUS ACCIDENT. THE TRANSMISSION CONTINUED TO WORK AND THEN SLIP WHILE I TRIED TO PULL OFF THE HIGHWAY. THE REASON I'M FILING THIS SAFETY COMPLAINT IS THAT I HAVE RESEARCHED THIS ISSUE AND IT SEEMS TO BE WIDESPREAD. THE 2000 AND 2001 TRANSMISSIONS HAVE BEEN INCLUDED IN A CLASS ACTION LAW SUIT. I'M NOT SURE WHAT'S TAKING SO LONG. SOMETHING MUST BE DONE BEFORE SOMEONE IS HURT. *TR

I HAVE A 2003 HONDA ACCORD EX WITH THE 3.0L V-6. I AM EXPRESSING TOTAL LOSS OF POWER WITH MY TRANSMISSION. MY WIFE WAS GOING TO WORK ONE MORNING, THE CAR SLIPPED OUT OF GEAR AND SHE WAS STRANDED IN THE MIDDLE OF A 3 LANE HIGHWAY WITH NO EMERGENCY PULL OFF. THE CAR WAS GOING UP A SLOPE, SO IT COULD NOT COAST OUT OF THE WAY. I TOOK THE CAR TO A LOCAL TRANSMISSION, HE TOLD ME THE TRANSMISSION WAS SHOT AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. I THEN PROCEEDED TO TAKE IT TO THE DEALERSHIP, WHICH QUOTED ME A PRICE OF $3500 TO REPAIR. THE REASON I WANT TO LET YOU KNOW ABOUT THIS PROBLEM IS FIRST OFF, ITS UNSAFE. SHE COULD HAVE GOTTEN INTO A WRECK AND HURT HERSELF. SECOND REASON, THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM WITH THIS PARTICULAR CAR. THERE ARE LITERALLY HUNDREDS OF COMPLAINTS ONLINE OF EXACTLY WHAT I DESCRIBED TO YOU. THE DEALERSHIP CLAIMS TO HAVE MADE A REPAIR BACK IN 2004, YET THE PROBLEM STILL CONTINUES. THE BEST CASE SCENARIO FOR ME IS THAT YOU HOLD HONDA LIABLE FOR THEIR KNOWN FAULTY TRANSMISSIONS. IT SHOULDN'T TAKE SOMEONE GETTING SERIOUSLY HURT OVER A KNOWN ISSUE. IN MY CASE I WAS LUCKY. THERE WAS A POLICE OFFICER BEHIND MY WIFE WHEN SHE HAD THE TRANSMISSION ISSUE AND HE WAS ABLE TO PREVENT ANY CARS FROM HITTING HER. *TR

THIS PERTAINS TO OUR 2003 HONDA ACCORD, V-6, AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION, ON 3/20/09 MY WIFE WAS DRIVING THE VEHICLE WHEN SHE EXPERIENCED A VERY RAPID AND UNEXPECTED ACCELERATION THAT LASTED FOR A COUPLE SECONDS AFTER SHE NUDGED THE ACCELERATOR. DESPITE HER SHOCK AT THIS EVENT SHE WAS ABLE TO MAINTAIN CONTROL AND PROCEEDED HOME WITHOUT ANY RECURRENCE. THE NEXT DAY I WAS DRIVING WITH MY WIFE AS A PASSENGER WHEN I EXPERIENCED THE SAME EVENT. I WAS IN THE LEFT LANE PROCEEDING AT APPROXIMATELY 55 MPH WHEN I MOVED TO THE RIGHT LANE TO GO AROUND A SLOWER VEHICLE. WHEN I LIGHTLY TOUCHED THE ACCELERATOR MY VEHICLE SUDDENLY LURCHED FORWARD AND CONTINUE TO ACCELERATE QUICKLY FOR A FEW SECONDS. I BRAKED AND MAINTAINED CONTROL AND AFTER A FEW SECONDS THE VEHICLE RESUMED NORMAL OPERATION AND I CONTINUED DRIVING. A FEW MINUTES LATER I AGAIN LIGHTLY TOUCHED THE ACCELERATOR AND THE CAR AGAIN ACCELERATED RAPIDLY (LURCHED AS IF IN OVERDRIVE) FOR A FEW SECONDS. I BRAKED TO SLOW THE VEHICLE, AND THEN I NOTICED THAT THE TACHOMETER WAS IN THE 5000 RPM RANGE WITH MY SPEED AT ABOUT 50 MPH. I NEXT STOPPED AT A LIGHT SIGNAL AND, UPON ACCELERATING FROM THE STOP, FOUND THAT MY CAR WAS NOT CHANGING GEARS AS SPEED INCREASED. IT SEEMED THAT I HAD LOST ONE AND PERHAPS TWO GEARS AND COULD NOT REASONABLY TRAVEL FASTER THAN 45 MPH WITH THE TACHOMETER READING 4500 RPM. I DROVE HOME AT A RELATIVELY SLOW PACE. ON 3/24/09 I TOOK THE CAR TO THE HONDA DEALER FOR DIAGNOSIS AND REPAIR. AT THAT TIME, WHEN I BACKED IT OUT OF THE GARAGE, I HAD DIFFICULTY GETTING THE VEHICLE INTO REVERSE. SINCE THEN THE HONDA DEALER HAS CONFIRMED A BREAKDOWN OF THE TRANSMISSION WITH A REPAIR BILL OF $3700. BASED ON MY WIFE'S AND MY EXPERIENCE I BELIEVE THIS RAPID, UNEXPECTED ACCELERATION IS A VERY SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE THAT COULD EASILY RESULT IN AN ACCIDENT, AND THAT HONDA SHOULD ADDRESS THIS MATTER IMMEDIATELY AND BEAR ALL COSTS OF ANY REPAIRS. (I HAVE REPORTED THIS MATTER TO HONDA CORPS). *TR

TRANSMISSION SLIPPING ON HONDA 2003 ACCORD. WENT TO DEALER WHO REPLACED 3RD PRESSURE SWITCH AND GASKET. WAS TOLD I NEEDED A NEW/REBUILT TRANSMISSION. DECLINED WORK AND WENT TO INTERNET FOR A CHEAPER REPAIR. WHEN SEARCHED 2003 HONDA TRANSMISSIONS NOTICED SEVERAL WEB SITES COMPLAINING OF THE SAME PROBLEM AS MINE. I FEEL THAT THIS IS A DEFECT THAT WARRANTS A RECALL WITH REPAIRS FIXED AND PAID FOR BY HONDA. *TR

USING TURN SIGNAL SWITCH CAUSES ENGINE TO DIE. THE ISSUE IS INTERMITTENT. DEALERSHIP COULD NOT REPLICATE THE ISSUE. *TR

2003 HONDA ACCORD V6 TOOK CAR TO A LOCAL SERVICE CENTER FOR TRANSMISSION FLUID REPLACEMENT AS RECOMMENDED BY THE MANUFACTURER FOR ROUTINE MAINTENANCE IN JUNE 2008. THE CAR STARTED SHIFTING VERY HARD 6-7 MONTHS LATER. THOUGHT MAYBE CHEAP FLUID WAS USED BY THE SERVICE CENTER WE USED SO WE BOUGHT GOOD HONDA FLUID FROM LOCAL HONDA DEALER IN BARTLESVILLE AND TOOK IT TO OUR TRUSTED MECHANIC AND HAD MORE NEW FLUID PUT IN. HE SAID THE FLUID(THAT HAD JUST BEEN REPLACE 8 MONTHS EARLIER)WAS VERY BLACK AND HAD METAL SHAVINGS IN IT. AFTER DRIVING ANOTHER MONTH CAR STARTS SHIFTING VERY HARD. ENGINE REVVING UP AND THROWING YOU AGAINST SEATBELT WHEN IT FINALLY SHIFTS. TOOK IT TO A TRANSMISSION SPECIALIST WHO INFORMS US THAT THE FLUID(THAT WAS REPLACED A MONTH AGO) WAS VERY BLACK AND HAD METAL SHAVINGS IN IT. SAID TRANSMISSION IS SHOT GAVE US THREE PRICES TO REPLACE RANGING FROM $3,200 TO $3,800. WE TAKE IT BACK TO OUR TRUSTED MECHANIC WHO ADVISES US THE SAME, TRANSMISSION IS SHOT NEEDS REPLACED, HOWEVER, HE CHECKED THE VIN # WITH LOCAL HONDA DEALER WHO SAYS THERE IS AN OPEN RECALL ON THE TRAN. WE TAKE THE CAR TO THE LOCAL DEALER THEY INFORM US THAT BECAUSE 2ND GEAR IS NOT BURNT THEY CAN PUT AN OIL KIT ON IT TO FIX IT. SO, WE TAKE THE CAR TO 2ND HONDA DEALER IN TULSA. ON THE WAY THERE THE CAR SHIFTS SO HARD TRYING TO GET INTO TRAFFIC ON THE EXPRESSWAY THE TIRES SQUEAL AND HAD I NOT HAD ON BY SEATBELT I WOULD HAVE HIT THE WINDSHIELD! THEY TELL ME MY TRANSMISSION IS SHOT NEEDS REPLACED, HOWEVER, BECAUSE ALL THE GEARS ARE BURNT BUT 2ND GEAR THE RECALL DOESN'T APPLY. WE CONTACT AMERICAN HONDA WHO OFFERS TO PAY 15% OF THE COST OF TRANS REPLACEMENT. THIS CAR IS A SAFETY HAZARD! I ASKED THE SERVICE MANAGER AND THE MECHANIC AT THE DEALER IF THEY WOULD FEEL SAFE PUTTING THEIR WIFE AND KIDS IN THIS CAR AND THEY BOTH SAID NO! I WAS SHOCKED TO READ ALL THE COMPLAINTS IDENTICAL TO MINE. THIS IS A FAULTY TRANSMISSION AND SOMEONE IS GOING TO BE KILLED! WE NEED YOUR HELP! *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 HONDA ACCORD. WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH, THE TRANSMISSION SUDDENLY SHIFTED INTO LOW GEAR AND SLOWED DOWN. THE CONTACT PULLED OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND WAS ABLE TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE TO HER HOME AT APPROXIMATELY 20 MPH. THE VEHICLE WAS THEN TAKEN TO A LOCAL REPAIR SHOP WHERE THE TRANSMISSION WAS REBUILT. THE CONTACT CALLED THE DEALERSHIP AND WAS TOLD THAT THE DEALER WAS UNAWARE OF ANY TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS WITH THE VEHICLE. SHE HAD NOT CALLED THE MANUFACTURER AT THE TIME OF THE COMPLAINT. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 79,000.

MY 2003 HONDA ACCORD EX (98,400 MILES) BEGAN TO HAVE TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS ABOUT A MARCH 11TH 2009. IT WOULD NOT ADVANCE TO 3RD GEAR. IF I TRIED TO GO FASTER, THE RPMS WOULD INCREASE WITHOUT ADVANCING. WHEN THE CAR SLOWS DOWN IT NOW DOWNSHIFTS VIOLENTLY. IF I TURN IT OFF IT WILL RUN NORMALLY UNTIL I GET TO 3RD AND THEN THE PROBLEM STARTS OVER AGAIN. I TOOK IT TO A INDEPENDENT SHOP AND THEY DIAGNOSED THE PROBLEM AS A BAD TRANSMISSION AND WOULD NEED TO BE COMPLETELY REPLACED. I CALLED HONDA CUSTOMER CARE AND THEY REFUSED A GOODWILL REPAIR CITING THAT THE CAR WAS OUT OF WARRANTY. *TR

ON MARCH 10, 2009 THE TRANSMISSION ON MY 2003 V6 HONDA ACCORD WITH APPROXIMATELY,000 MILES FAILED. IN 2004 A RECALL WAS ISSUED FOR THIS VEHICLE REGARDING POSSIBLE 2ND GEAR FAILURE. AS A RESULT OF THIS RECALL, THE DEALERS WERE GIVEN THE OPTION OF REPLACING THE TRANSMISSION OR INSTALLING AN OIL JET KIT. THE DEALER CHOOSE THE OPTION OF INSTALLING AN OIL JET KIT AS THE RECOMMENDED REPAIR FOR MY 2003 ACCORD. MID YEAR 2008, SEVERAL MONTHS PRIOR TO THE TRANSMISSION FAILURE, I BEGAN TO OBSERVE THAT MY HONDA WAS HESITATING WHEN SHIFTING FROM 1ST TO 2ND GEAR. THIS HESITANCY BECAME MORE PRONOUNCED FROM DECEMBER 2008 UP TO MARCH 2009. THE FIRST INCIDENT WHICH SUGGESTED PENDING TRANSMISSION FAILURE OCCURRED IN FEBRUARY 2009 WITH THE CAR REFUSING TO SHIFT OUT OF 1ST OR 2ND GEAR, WITH SLIPPING AND PRONOUNCED HESITATION WHEN IT WOULD FINALLY SHIFT. HENCE, TWO WEEKS LATER WHEN DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE AT APPROXIMATELY 60 MILES PER HOUR, MY ACCORD RAPIDLY DOWNSHIFTED TO 20 MILES PER HOUR AND REFUSED TO MOVE OUT OF 2ND GEAR. WHEN I WAS ABLE TO GET OFF THE INTERSTATE AND PULL TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, THE ENGINE WOULD REV BUT NOT MOVE. ADDITIONALLY IN FEBRUARY 2009, I HAD TAKEN THE ACCORD IN FOR ITS' RECOMMENDED SERVICE. AT THAT TIME THE TECHNICIAN NOTED THAT DRAINED TRANSMISSION FLUID WAS EXTREMELY DIRTY, THIS COUPLED WITH THE ULTIMATE FAILURE OF THE TRANSMISSION SUGGEST THAT THIS WAS A PROBLEM LONG STANDING IN NATURE. THE FAILURE OF THIS TRANSMISSION AS IT OCCURRED CREATED CONDITIONS RIPE FOR AN ACCIDENT MY ACCORD WAS REPAIRED WITH A REMAND TRANSMISSION FOR $1900.00 BY THE DEALER, WITH AN ESTIMATED REPAIR BILL OF $4000.00. CONTACT WITH AMERICAN HONDA CORPORATION RESULTED IN NO ASSUMED LIABILITY FOR A "GOODWILL" TYPE OF REPAIR OR RESPONSIBILITY FOR MANUFACTURING DEFECTIVE TRANSMISSIONS IN THE 2003 ACCORDS. PRINT AND INTERNET RESEARCH REVEALS THAT THE TRANSMISSIONS IN THE 2003 V6 ACCORDS HAVE A WORST THAN AVERAGE FAILURE RATE, OFTEN AT OR PRIOR TO 100,000 MILES. *TR

I HAVE A 2003 HONDA ACCORD V6 COUPE. MY TRANSMISSION BEGAN SLIPPING AT 20 - 25 MPH. THE CAR WOULD LOSE POWER, RPM'S WOULD REV VERY HIGH AND THEN SHIFT VIOLENTLY INTO THIRD GEAR. I TOOK MY CAR INTO THE LOCAL HONDA DEALER AND WAS TOLD THAT MY TRANSMISSION HAD FAILED. IT HAD 82,017 MILES ON THE CAR AND HAD BEEN VERY WELL MAINTAINED. THE TRANSMISSION HAD TO BE REPLACED - TOTAL COST $2600. HONDA AGREED TO PAY FOR HALF THE COST, ONLY AFTER I THREATENED TO PICKET THEIR DEALERSHIP. THIS TRANSMISSION IS DANGEROUS AND SHOULD BE RECALLED. *TR

FAILED TRANSMISSION, CAR ONLY HAD 84,000 MILES ON IT AND WAS OVER THE WARRANTY. FILED A CLAIM WITH HONDA NORTH AMERICA. CAR STOPPED IN AN INTERSECTION WOULD NOT GO MORE THAN 20 MPH AND THEN ULTIMATELY WOULD NOT DRIVE AND WOULD NOT SHIFT GEARS. EXTREMELY DANGEROUS. HONDA CORPORATE FINALLY AGREED TO PAY FOR ALL COSTS EXCEPT $300.00 WHICH I WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR AND GAVE ME A 3 YEAR / 36,000 MILE WARRANTY ON THE REMANUFACTURED TRANSMISSION THAT THEY PLACED IN THE CAR. SINCE HAVING THE REMANUFACTURED TRANSMISSION PLACED IN MY VEHICLE I'VE ALREADY HAD ISSUES WITH IT. CAR STARTED SHOWING SIGNS OF SLIPPING AGAIN AND LIGHT WAS FLASHING NEXT TO THE "D" WHEN IT WAS IN DRIVE. JUST HAD TO TAKE THE CAR BACK TO THE DEALER TO FIX THE 3RD GEAR PRESSURE SWITCH. I HAVE BEEN TO THE DEALER EVERY WEEK FOR THE PAST 4 WEEKS. AWFUL!!! I WILL NEVER PURCHASE ANOTHER HONDA AGAIN AND AM IN DISBELIEF THAT THESE FAULTY TRANSMISSIONS HAVEN'T BEEN ISSUED WITH A SAFETY RECALL. THIS IS IN FACT A SAFETY HAZARD! *TR

THE CAR HAS POTENTIAL HAZARD AS THE TRANSMISSION WILL OCCASIONALLY REV UP TO 4000 RPM BUT THE CAR IS STUCK AT LOW GEAR OR SOMETIMES IT IS NOT MOVING. THERE HAVE BEEN MANY COMPLAINTS BY DIFFERENT OWNERS ACROSS THE COUNTRY FOR THE SAME ISSUE BUT THE SANTA CLARA HONDA DEALER NEVER ADMITS TO IT. PLEASE SEE THE FOLLOWING FOR ALL SIMILAR COMPLAINTS: HTTP://WWW.CARCOMPLAINTS.COM/HONDA/ACCORD/2003/TRANSMISSION/. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 HONDA ACCORD. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DOOR LATCHES WERE INOPERATIVE. AS A CONSEQUENCE, HE COULD NOT USE THE KEY FOB TO LOCK OR UNLOCK THE DOORS. THE DOORS HAD TO BE LOCKED/UNLOCKED MANUALLY. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE ACTUATOR AND THE INTERNAL FUSE BOX FAILED AND WERE REPLACED. A COMPLAINT WAS FILED WITH THE MANUFACTURER. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 48,000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 HONDA ACCORD. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS EXPERIENCING TRANSMISSION FAILURE. THE GEARS WOULD SLIP BETWEEN SECOND AND THIRD GEAR AT VARIOUS SPEEDS. WHEN THE GEARS WOULD DISENGAGE, THE CONTACT WAS FORCED TO PULL THE VEHICLE OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. THE FAILURE OCCURRED NEARLY EVERY TIME THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN. SHE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A REPAIR SHOP AND THE MECHANIC STATED THAT THE TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE CONTACT SCHEDULED AN APPOINTMENT WITH THE DEALER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 110,077 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 108,000.

ON FEBRUARY 25, 2009 AT 8 PM MY 16 YEAR OLD SON WAS DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY WHEN THE PASSENGER SIDE CURTAIN AND SEAT AIRBAGS SPONTANEOUSLY DEPLOYED. THERE WAS NO CRASH. CONTACTED LOCAL DEALER AND THEY SAID THIS DOES NOT HAPPEN. CONTACTED INSURANCE AGENT AND THEY SAID IT SOUNDED LIKE A MANUFACTURER DEFECT. TOOK THE CAR TO LOCAL DEALERSHIP ON 2/27/09 AFTER INSPECTION THEY TOLD US THEY COULD NOT TELL US WHY THE AIRBAGS DEPLOYED. THEY SAID WE NEEDED TO CONTACT INSURANCE AGENT, CONTACTED AGENT AND SHE IS AFRAID THE COMPANY WILL DENY THE CLAIM IF/WHEN WE FILE IT. THE ESTIMATE TO REPAIR THE DAMAGES IS $3,100+. *TR

SECOND COMPLAINT FOR TIRES, SINCE DOT NUMBER DIFFERENT ON SECOND TIRE. LOST PRESSURE, AND OUT OF ROUND. SIDEWALL IS DRY-ROTTED AT NOT QUITE 40,000 ON A 60,000 MILE WARRANTY. PIRELI P6 FOUR SEASON, P205 60/R16. WILL TRY TO GET SATISAFACTION ON WARRANTY. *TR

MY 2003 HONDA ACCORD EX HAS HAD AN ONGOING PROBLEM OF THE ACCESSORY LIGHTS GOING OUT THAT CONTROL THE RADIO AND HVAC CONTROLS. IT IS ACTUALLY A TRANSISTOR ON THE PRINTED CIRCUIT BOARD BLOWING THAT CONTROLS THE CONSOLES LIGHTING. HONDA KNOWS ABOUT THE ISSUE AND HAS PUT OUT AN EXTENDED WARRANTY ABOUT THIS FOR 7 YEARS OR 105,000 MILES, WHICHEVER COMES FIRST. IF THE WARRANTY IS OUT, THE COST TO FIX IT THROUGH THE DEALERSHIP IS $700-900, NOT SOMETHING MANY PEOPLE THESE DAYS CAN AFFORD, AND BECAUSE THEY CAN'T AFFORD IT, THEIR SAFETY IS DECREASED. ALTHOUGH THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE AND THE WARRANTY HAS RUN OUT, THEY REALLY SHOULD TAKE RESPONSIBILITY AND FIX ANY THAT HAVE THIS PROBLEM BECAUSE THIS IS A SERIOUS DISTRACTION WHILE DRIVING. MULTIPLE TIMES I'VE TRIED TO CHANGE MY TEMPERATURE OR RADIO SETTINGS AND WHILE TRYING TO SEE THE DISPLAY ALMOST GOTTEN INTO AN ACCIDENT. THERE ARE MESSAGE BOARDS ALL OVER THE INTERNET ADDRESSING THIS ISSUE AND HOW MUCH OF A SAFETY CONCERN THIS IS. AN ANONYMOUS USER POSTED THIS ON THE BOARDS: : "CAN'T VIEW ANYTHING ON THE RADIO DISPLAY OR CENTER CONTROLS. THIS IS ESPECIALLY DANGEROUS AT NIGHT WHEN TRYING TO ADJUST THE HEAT OR A/C AND CAN'T SEE WHAT I'M DOING. HONDA SHOULD DEFINITELY FIX THE ISSUE. IT REALLY IS A SAFETY PROBLEM." MORE DETAILS HERE: HTTP://WWW.CARCOMPLAINTS.COM/HONDA/ACCORD/2003/ACCESSORIES-INTERIOR/STEREO_BACKLIGHT_BLEW_CANT_JUST_REPLACE_THE_BULB.SHTML. *TR

THE TRANSMISSION ON MY 2003 HONDA ACCORD V6 WENT OUT. IT WAS DRIVING FINE ONE MINUTE AND THE NEXT MINUTE THE CAR STALLED IN DRIVE AS I WAS DRIVING ABOUT 40MPH. I STEPPED ON THE GAS AND THE CAR WENT NOWHERE. I HAVE TAKEN MY CAR TO DEALER FOR MAINTENANCE RELIGIOUSLY AND WAS NOT AWARE OF ANY PROBLEMS WITH MY TRANSMISSION. AFTER DOING PLENTY OF RESEARCH I COME TO FIND OUT THAT THIS IS A VERY COMMON OCCURRENCE WITH THE MAKE, MODEL AND YEAR OF MY CAR, YET HONDA HAS NEGLECTED TO ORDER A RECALL. THE TRANSMISSION FAILURE CAN BE VERY DANGEROUS SINCE THERE ARE NO WARNING SIGNS AND MANY PEOPLE HAVE REPORTED FAILURE WHILE DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY AT 65MPH AND THEY SUDDENLY LOOSE POWER AND ACCELERATION. *TR

II HAVE AN AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION 2003 HONDA ACCORD XE SEDANV6. IN 2005 I RECEIVED A NOTIFICATION FROM HONDA ENCOURAGING OWNERS TO BRING THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER TO HAVE IT CHECKED AS MY MODEL CAR MAY HAVE HAD A TRANSMISSION DEFECT. I DID BRING THE CAR TO THE DEALER AND THEY CLAIMED THAT THEY CHECKED THE TRANSMISSION AND DID NOT FOUND ANY PROBLEMS. ON FRIDAY FEBRUARY 13, 2009 WHILE DRIVING, MY VEHICLE STOPPED RESPONDING. IT FELT LIKE THE TRANSMISSION WAS SKIPPING GEARS. IT CONTINUED TO BEHAVE IN THE SAME MANNER UNTIL IT WENT TO A SUDDEN STOP. I IMMEDIATELY CONTACTED THE HONDA DEALER AND REQUESTED SERVICE. AS I WAS TRYING TO GET A TOW TRUCK AND AFTER APPROXIMATELY 30 MINUTES I DECIDED TO TURN-ON THE ENGINE TO SEE IF THE VEHICLE RESPOND. IT DID AND I WAS ABLE TO SLOWLY DRIVE THE CAR TO THE DEALER AS I WAS ONLY ABOUT A MILE FORM IT. TODAY I RECEIVED A CALL FROM THE DEALER LETTING ME KNOW THAT THE TRANSMISSION MAY NEED TO BE REPLACED. I MENTIONED THEM OF THE RECALL AND THEY TOLD ME THAT THIS PROBLEM HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH IT. THAT THEY CHECKED THE VEHICLE FOR THE AFOREMENTIONED RECALL, FOUND NOTHING WRONG WITH THE TRANSMISSION AND THAT I HAVE TO PAY FOR THE TRANSMISSION (IF REPLACED) AND THE SERVICES. I AGREED TO IT BECAUSE ANYWAY IT HAS TO BE FIXED AND I CANNOT AFFORD TO BUY ANOTHER VEHICLE (I HAVE ONLY ONE MORE PAYMENT TO MAKE). AFTER I GOT HOME I LOG ON TO YOUR SITE TO SEE IF THE RECALL WAS IN THE SYSTEM. IT WAS AND TO MY SURPRISE THE RECALL FAIRLY DESCRIBES WHAT HAPPENED TO MY VEHICLE. FORTUNATELY, IT WAS NOT A BAD EXPERIENCE AS I WAS INSIDE A MILITARY BASE AREA WHERE THE MAX SPEED WAS ONLY 15 MPH. I BELIEVE THIS PROBLEM FALLS WITHIN THE CATEGORY DESCRIBED IN THE RECALL AND THE PROBLEM SHOULD BE FIXED FREE OF CHARGE. WHAT CAN BE DONE IF ANYTHING? *TR

I WAS DRIVING ON A BUSY INTERSTATE (I-395 IN NORTHERN VIRGINIA) WHEN MY TRANSMISSION SUDDENLY DOWNSHIFTED. I DRIVE A 2003 HONDA ACCORD EX V6. I COUPLE MONTHS BACK I PERFORMED THE REQUIRED RECALL MAINTENANCE, INSTALLING A PART ON MY SECOND GEAR THAT WAS SUPPOSED TO REDUCE THE HEAT PRODUCED FROM THE TRANSMISSION. I HAD NOT HAD ANY PROBLEMS WITH MY TRANSMISSION BEFORE THE PART WAS INSTALLED. THE DAY OF THE INSTANCE, AFTER THE TRANSMISSION SLIPPED AND I DRAMATICALLY LOST ACCELERATION, I WAS LUCKILY ABLE TO VEER TO THE SHOULDER, ALMOST CAUSING THE VEHICLE BEHIND ME TO REAR END ME, AND OTHER VEHICLES SURROUNDING ME TO VEER OUT OF THE WAY. THERE WAS NO INJURY OR PROPERTY DAMAGE INVOLVED, THOUGH THERE EASILY COULD OF BEEN. THE HONDA SERVICE CENTER I TOOK IT TO INFORMED ME THAT I WAS GOING TO HAVE TO REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION, AS THERE WERE METAL PIECES THAT GOT LOOSE IN THE FLUID AND CAUSED THE FAILURE. TO MY BELIEF, THIS IS A RECURRING PROBLEM WITH MY YEAR/MODEL HONDA BECAUSE I WAS INSTRUCTED (THROUGH AN INTERNET MESSAGE BOARD OF PEOPLE WITH THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM) TO CONTACT HONDA AMERICA TO HELP WITH MY REPAIR COSTS, BECAUSE THEY WERE GETTING THE SAME PROBLEMS FROM CUSTOMERS FROM ALL AROUND THE COUNTRY. I AM STILL IN TALKS WITH HONDA ABOUT COVERING COSTS OF THEIR FAULTY TRANSMISSION. *TR

THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION OF OUR 2003 HONDA ACCORD EX-V6 FAILED WHILE DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEED. THE TRANSMISSION DOWN-SHIFTED TO FIRST GEAR AND WILL NO LONGER SHIFT TO HIGHER GEARS OR INTO REVERSE. THERE SEEMS TO BE A LARGE NUMBER OF SIMILAR CASES WITH THE 2003 MODELS, BASED ON MY PRELIMINARY ONLINE RESEARCH, THAT SUGGEST THAT THERE IS A WIDE-SPREAD SAFETY ISSUE WITH THESE CARS. THE TRANSMISSION NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. THE INITIAL QUOTE WAS $3500 FOR A REBUILT TRANSMISSION. WE HAVE NOT COMMISSIONED THE WORK YET. *TR

2003 HONDA ACCORD WITH AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION. HAD OCCASIONAL PROBLEMS WITH TRANSMISSION FAILING TO SHIFT FROM 2ND TO 3RD. PROBLEM WOULDN'T REPEAT WHEN LOCAL HONDA DEALER CHECKED IT. TRANSMISSION FAILED ON 12 FEBRUARY 2009 WHEN THE TRANSMISSION WOULDN'T SHIFT OUT OF 2ND. FORTUNATELY, THIS OCCURRED RIGHT AFTER I EXITED A FREEWAY OR I COULD HAVE CAUSED AN ACCIDENT. I WAS IN RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC ON A SIDE ROAD AND WAS ABLE TO SLOWLY PROCEED HOME. I HAD THE TRANSMISSION REPLACED AT A HONDA DEALER. HONDA CUSTOMER SERVICE WOULDN'T REIMBURSE FOR ANY OF THE COST ($ 3014) DESPITE THE FACT THAT IT IS WELL KNOWN THAT THIS MODEL HAS SERIOUS TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 HONDA ACCORD. WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY PERFORMED AS IF IT WERE IN NEUTRAL. THE RPM'S INCREASED, BUT THE SPEED DECREASED TO 40 MPH. THE FAILURE LASTED FOR APPROXIMATELY 30-40 SECONDS. THE DEALER STATED THAT THEY WERE UNABLE TO CHECK THE VEHICLE BECAUSE THE ENGINE INDICATOR WAS NOT ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT WAS ADVISED TO BUY A FUEL INJECTION CLEANER AND FILL THE VEHICLE WITH GASOLINE. AFTER DOING SO, THE VEHICLE RAN NORMALLY FOR SEVEN DAYS; HOWEVER, THE FAILURE RECURRED AT THE SAME SPEED. THE VEHICLE WAS ALMOST REAR ENDED. ONCE THE CONTACT ARRIVED AT HIS RESIDENCE, HE PLACED THE GEAR INTO REVERSE. THE ENGINE BEGAN TO REV, BUT IT TOOK THE VEHICLE 10-15 SECONDS BEFORE THE REVERSE FUNCTION IN THE VEHICLE ACTUALLY ENGAGED. THE FOLLOWING DAY, HE CHECKED THE TRANSMISSION FLUID AND NOTICED A SHORTAGE OF FLUID, WHICH LOOKED LIKE BLACK OIL. THERE WAS NO SIGN OF A LEAKAGE. THE CONTACT ASSUMED THAT THE TRANSMISSION FLUID SHOULD NOT HAVE A BURNING ODOR. THROUGH RESEARCH, HE FOUND NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 04V176000 (POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION). THE VEHICLE IS CURRENTLY AT THE DEALER AND THEY STATED THAT THE ORIGINAL OWNER HAD THE VEHICLE REPAIRED UNDER THE RECALL; THEREFORE, HONDA WOULD ONLY COVER HALF OF THE REPAIR COST. THE CONTACT BELIEVES THAT HIS VEHICLE SHOULD BE REPAIRED UNDER THE RECALL. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 102,000.

DRIVING MY WIFE'S 2003 HONDA ACCORD EXL V6 COUPE WITH AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION, ON MAJOR HIGHWAY, ROUTE 146, LOCATION AROUND LINCOLN WOODS, RHODE ISLAND, TRAVELING NORTH TO MY HOME IN MASSACHUSETTS, THE VEHICLE ABRUPTLY DOWNSHIFTED AND JERKED SEVERAL TIMES COMING ALMOST TO A VERY QUICK STOP - MY NECK EXPERIENCED WHIPLASH. TRAFFIC SPEED WAS AT LEAST 55 MPH, TRAFFIC WAS HEAVY AND ROADS WERE DRY. FORTUNATELY I WAS NOT REAR ENDED AND MANAGED TO GET THE VEHICLE TO THE BREAKDOWN LANE. AFTER VISITS TO MY HONDA DEALER TO EVALUATE THEY FINALLY AGREED THE TRANSMISSION WAS INOPERATIVE. IN MY RESEARCH THIS TRANSMISSION FAILURE ON THIS YEAR HONDA WITH THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION IS WIDELY KNOWN AND ONE THAT HONDA WILL PROVIDE SOME REIMBURSEMENT ON A CASE-BY-CASE BASIS. THE ISSUE I HAVE IS IF THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM WHY DID HONDA NOT RECALL IT? A LESS EXPERIENCED DRIVER (OR MAYBE I WAS JUST LUCKY) COULD HAVE SUFFERED SERIOUS INJURIES. HONDA TOUTS ITS RELIABILITY AND SAFETY AND FOR THAT I PURCHASED THEIR CAR, HOWEVER, THAT IN MY OPINION WAS A LIE. THIS CAR WAS PURCHASED NEW AND SERVICED FAITHFULLY AT THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS PURCHASED. HOW IS THIS NOT A SAFETY ISSUE? WHY HAS IT NOT BEEN RECALLED BY HONDA. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 HONDA ACCORD. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH WHEN THE VEHICLE INDEPENDENTLY DOWN SHIFTED TO FIRST GEAR. THE PREVIOUS OWNER RECEIVED REPAIRS UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 04V176000 (POWER TRAIN: AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION). THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THE TRANSMISSION GEARS WERE REPLACED AS COMPLIANT WITH THE RECALL. THE FAILURE RECURRED WITHIN ONE YEAR. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 85,000 MILES AND THE CURRENT WAS 121,000.

TRANSMISSION FAILURE IN MY 2003 HONDA ACCORD EX V-6, WITH AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION AND ONLY 68,000 MILES ON IT. AS I ENTERED ONTO THE FREEWAY AND ACCELERATED, THE MOTOR REVVED UP, THE TACHOMETER WENT UP 2500 RPM HIGHER AND THE CAR DID NOT INCREASE SPEED. THE TRANSMISSION SLIPPED AND HAS SO NUMEROUS TIME WHILE I WAS TRYING TO GET IT TO THE SHOP FOR REPAIRS. I CAME ACROSS A WEBSITE WHILE RESEARCHING SIMILAR PROBLEMS IN CARS LIKE MINE AND I FOUND 125 OTHER COMPLAINTS AT ONE WEB SITE ALONE WWW.CARCOMPLAINTS.COM, MANY WITH SAFETY ISSUES LIKE MINE. HOW IS IT THAT THERE HAS NOT BEEN ANOTHER RECALL ON THIS TRANSMISSION IN THIS YEAR AND MODEL OF HONDA ACCORD BESIDES THE TSB-037 RECALL IN 2004, WHICH I HAD DONE. MY CAR IS STILL IN THE SHOP SO I DON'T HAVE AN ESTIMATE OF THE COST INVOLVED YET BUT IT WON'T BE CHEAP, THAT I DO KNOW. *TR

EVAP SYSTEM FAILED FROM WATER SEEPING INTO DRAIN JOINT. THIS IS THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM THAT CAUSED A RECALL ON OTHER VEHICLE ID NUMBERS FOR THIS YEAR AND MODEL. THE RECALL NEEDS TO BE EXPANDED. THE SAME FAULTY EVAP DESIGN IS USED ON ALL THE HONDA ACCORDS. *TR

MY 2003 HONDA ACCORD EXPERIENCED A SUDDEN WINDSHIELD WIPER MOTOR FAILURE DURING A RECENT SEVERE RAINSTORM AND IT SUDDENLY STOPPED WORKING. ACCORDINGLY,I WAS UNABLE TO USE THE CAR DURING RAINY WEATHER. I HAD LEARNED ABOUT THE NHTSA RECALL FOR THE SAME CIRCUMSTANCES AND SO I DELIVERED THE CAR TO PASADENA HONDA FOR REPAIR. PASADENA HONDA SERVICE DEPARTMENT ACKNOWLEDGED THE RECALL, ADVISED THAT ACCORDING TO MY VIN THE RECALL WAS NOT APPLICABLE TO THE MOTOR FAILURE ON MY PARTICULAR VEHICLE AND MADE THE REPLACEMENT AND CHARGED ME FOR PARTS AND LABOR. I HAVE THE INVOICE AND THE OLD MOTOR WHICH SHOWS SIGNS OF CORROSION. I HAVE RESEARCHED THE PARTS LISTINGS AND I NOTE THAT ALL 2003 HONDA ACCORDS REGARDLESS OF MODEL USE THE SAME WIPER MOTOR. ACCORDINGLY, I AM NOT CLEAR AS TO WHY MY VEHICLE'S WIPER MOTOR IS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. *TR

MY TRANSMISSION FAILED YESTERDAY ON MY 2003 HONDA ACCORD EX V6. I WAS DRIVING AND TRIED TO ACCELERATE AND ALL OF THE SUDDEN IT WAS AS IF MY CAR HAD BEEN THROWN INTO NEUTRAL. OF COURSE, I CHECKED IT AND I WAS STILL IN DRIVE. I ONLY HAVE 79,000 MILES ON IT. THE DEALER SAID IT WILL BE A $3,000 TO $4,000 REPAIR. *TR

NORMAL DRIVING..90,000 MILES. TRANSMISSION SLIPS FROM 2ND TO 3RD GEAR. HAPPENS 9 OUT OF 10 TIMES I DRIVE FROM 2ND TO 3RD GEAR. HONDA DEALER SAYS I NEED A NEW TRANSMISSION AND IT WILL COST $2800, BUT THEY ARE AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. WAS A RECALL ITEM IN 2005. *TR

I HAVE A 2003 HONDA ACCORD, IT HAS 142,000 MILES ON IT. THE TRANSMISSION SUDDENLY STARTED SHIFTING HARD ON 1-5-09 THEN ON 1-6-09 IT WOULD DOWN SHIFT ERRATICALLY AND THEN BACK UP AGAIN. I TOOK IT TO A TRUSTED MECHANIC WHO TOLD ME THE TRANSMISSION HAS GONE OUT AND WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED OR REBUILT. THIS IS EXTREMELY UNSAFE AS I WAS NEARLY REARENDED TWICE ON 1-6-09 WHEN IT DECIDED TO DOWNSHIFT SUDDENLY FOR NO REASON AT ALL. 1-7-09 I WENT TO THE MECHANIC SHOP AND PICKED UP THE CAR AND DROVE IT HOME AND ABOUT 10 MILES FROM MY HOUSE I STOPPED A STOP SIGN AND AFTER THAT IT HASN'T SHIFTED OUT OF 1ST GEAR SINCE THEN, I HAD TO DRIVE THE REST OF THE WAY AT 20MPH WITH MY FLASHERS ON PULLING OVER SO THE CARS BEHIND ME TO WOULD GO AROUND. AS OF RIGHT NOW IT'S SITTING IN MY DRIVEWAY AND I AM HAVING TO BORROW FRIENDS CARS OR GET A RIDE TO WORK AS IT IS MY ONLY MODE OF TRANSPORTATION AND I DO NOT HAVE $3000 LYING AROUND FOR THE REPAIR. THIS I HAVE FOUND THROUGH MY INTERNET SEARCHES IS A COMMON PROBLEM AND HASN'T HAD A RECALL CAUSE "IT DOESN'T POSE A SAFETY THREAT" WELL I'M HEAR TO TELL YOU IT DOES. NOT ONLY ARE YOU JOLTED FORWARD INTO THE STEERING WHEEL, WITH YOUR SEAT BELT CATCHING YOU, OUCH, WHEN IT SHIFTS ERRATICALLY BUT I HAD PEOPLE SWERVING AROUND ME NOT TO RUN INTO ME THIS IS INSANE. I HAVE READ LITERALLY HUNDREDS OF COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS PROBLEM RECURRING NOT ONLY ONCE BUT MULTIPLE TIMES OVER AGAIN AFTER THE TRANSMISSION IS REPLACED. IT IS RIDICULOUS THAT A RECALL HAS NOT BEEN MADE. ARE THEY WAITING FOR SOMEONE TO BE SERIOUSLY INJURED OR KILLED IN A COLLISION DUE TO THE MALFUNCTION??? *TR

MY TRANSMISSION IN MY 2003 HONDA ACCORD FAILED AT 51000 MILES. COMPLETE REPAIR THAT COST 3500. TRANSMISSION FAILED WITHOUT WARNING WHILE DRIVING AT HIGH SPEED (60MPH) ON HIGHWAY. DANGEROUS TO SAY THE LEAST. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 HONDA ACCORD. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH ON NORMAL ROAD CONDITIONS, THE GEAR SHIFTER WAS PLACED INTO FIFTH GEAR. SUDDENLY, AN UNINTENDED HARD GEAR SHIFT OCCURRED BETWEEN THE SECOND AND THIRD GEARS. THE FAILURE OCCURRED SPORADICALLY AND WITHOUT WARNING. THE DRIVER PULLED OVER TO THE SIDE OF ROAD AND TURNED OFF THE ENGINE. AFTER WAITING A FEW MOMENTS, THE ENGINE RESTARTED AND RESUMED NORMAL OPERATION. THE FAILURE RECURRED TEN ADDITIONAL TIMES. THE CONTACT SCHEDULED AN APPOINTMENT WITH THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNAVAILABLE AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 60,100.

I BOUGHT A 2003 HONDA ACCORD V6 WITH THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION. FROM DAY I NOTICED THAT THE TRANSMISSION DID NOT SHIFT AS SMOOTH AS IN OTHER CARS, BUT I THOUGHT THAT MAYBE IT WAS JUST THE NORMAL CHARACTERISTICS OF THIS TRANSMISSION. THEN A RECALL CAME OUT FOR THIS TRANSMISSIONS AND I TOOK IT INTO THE DEALER AND THEY INSTALLED AN OIL JET KIT. FOR THE LAST FEW YEARS I'VE NOTICED THAT THE TRANSMISSION IF SHIFTING A LOT MORE VIOLENTLY FROM 2ND 3RD GEAR AND IT DOES IT EVERYTIME IT UP SHIFTS FROM 2ND TO 3RD GEAR. I CALLED THE DEALER TO CHECK IF THERE HAS BEEN A RECALL ON THIS PARTICULAR RECALL AND THEY KEEP TELLING ME NO. I JUST AFRAID THAT THE TRANSMISSION MIGHT LOCK WHILE THE VEHICLE IS IN MOTION CAUSING A CRASH. *TR

I OWN A 2003 HONDA ACCORD AND WAS DRIVING ON I-55 IN THE CHICAGO AREA AT ~70 MPH WHEN THE PASSENGER SIDE CURTAIN AIRBAG DEPLOYED. THERE WAS NO IMPACT OR COLLISION, NO ROAD DEBRIS OR POTHOLES ETC. I WAS TRAVELING IN THE RIGHT HAND LANE AND PULLED OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY TO INSPECT MY VEHICLE. LUCKILY AS IT WAS THE PASSENGER SIDE AND I WAS THE ONLY OCCUPANT OF THE VEHICLE, ONLY MY HEARING WAS IMPACTED. THERE WERE NO MARKS, SCRATCHES OR DENTS IN MY VEHICLE. I RETURNED TO MY VEHICLE AND SLOWLY PROCEEDED BACK ONTO THE HIGHWAY TO DRIVE HOME. I CALLED MY HONDA DEALER AND TOOK MY CAR IN FOR MAINTENANCE / REPAIRS. THEY COULD NOT FIND A REASON FOR THE AIR BAG SYSTEM DEPLOYMENT EITHER. I WAS TOLD IT WAS UNDER WARRANTY BY THE DEALER AND THE NECESSARY PARTS WERE ORDERED. NOW HONDA CLAIMS IT IS NOT THEIR PROBLEM AND IS KICKING IT BACK TO MY INSURANCE COMPANY. THIS EVENT WOULD HAVE HAD MUCH MORE SERIOUS IMPACTS HAD THE DRIVER SIDE AIRBAGS DEPLOYED. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 HONDA ACCORD. THE CONTACT RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE FOR NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 04V176000 (POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION). THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED ON OCTOBER 5, 2004. A WEEK PRIOR TO THE FAILURE, WARNING INDICATORS WERE ILLUMINATED, THE SECOND GEAR WAS FAILING, AND THE TRANSMISSION FLUID WAS LOW. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER, BUT THEY COULD NOT FIND ANY FAILURES. WHILE DRIVING 70 MPH, THE CONTACT HEARD A VERY LOUD SLAMMING NOISE AND THE VEHICLE INSTANTLY SLOWED DOWN TO 25 MPH. THE VEHICLE WAS ABLE TO BE PLACED INTO FIRST GEAR AND DRIVEN SAFELY TO THE DESTINATION, WHERE IT WAS LATER TOWED TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THEY WOULD NOT COVER ANY COST BECAUSE THE RECALL REPAIR HAD PREVIOUSLY BEEN PERFORMED. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 87,000.

WHILE TAKING MY CAR TO THE DEALER TO REPLACE THE STARTER, THEY NOTICED THAT THE TRANSMISSION IS SLIPPING AND RECOMMEND THAT I NO LONGER DRIVE THE CAR UNTIL I GET A NEW TRANSMISSION. LUCKILY THIS HAS NOT YET CAUSED AN ACCIDENT, BUT IT IS VERY EXPENSIVE TO FIX AND APPEARS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THE 2003 EX V6 ACCORD. *TR

ON 12/23/08 I LEFT TO DRIVE AROUND THREE MILES TO GET TAKE OUT FOOD. IT WAS JUST AROUND 7:30 P.M. SEVERAL MILES FROM MY HOUSE THE TRANSMISSION STARTED SLIPPING OUT OF GEAR. KNOWING I COULD NOT MAKE IT TO MY DESTINATION I TURNED AROUND AND HEADED HOME. ON THE WAY HOME I HAD TO STOP FOR A TRAFFIC LIGHT AND WHEN THE LIGHT CHANGES AND I ACCELERATED THE CAR MOVED FORWARD SLIGHTLY AND STOPPED IN THE MIDDLE OF AN INTERSECTION. SHIFTING GEARS BROUGHT NO RESULT BUT FINALLY, I PUT THE CAR IN PARK, TURNED OFF THE ENGINE AND RESTARTED THE CAR. AT THAT POINT THE CAR WOULD GO INTO GEAR FOR A SHORT TIME. I HAD TO DO THAT TWICE MORE TO GET HOME. THIS CAR WAS PURCHASED NEW, HAD THE TRANSMISSION RECALL DONE IN 2004 AND HAS LESS THAT 58,000 MILES ON THE ODOMETER. THE CAR IS, AT PRESENT, AT A HONDA DEALER HAVING A NEW TRANSMISSION INSTALLED. I THINK THE RECALL FIXED SOME TRANSMISSIONS BUT NOT ALL. *TR

I WAS DRIVING IN THE # 1 LANE ON THE FREEWAY WHEN MY CAR DID NOT RESPOND TO MY FOOT ON THE GAS PEDAL. MY RPM INDICATOR WENT TO RED SOMEWHERE AROUND 8 RPM. HOWEVER, MY CAR WAS NOT RESPONDING. IN HEAVY TRAFFIC I HIT MY EMERGENCY BLINKERS AND TRIED TO GET TO THE SLOW LAND WITH THE ENGINE STILL ON BUT NOT RESPONDING. I GOT TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND PLACED IT INTO PARK. IT TOOK ME 15 MINUTES TO GET INTO THAT SLOW LANE WITH THE TRAFFIC AND I ALMOST CAUSED SEVERAL COLLISIONS. THIS COULD HAVE BEEN A SERIOUS INCIDENT. I AM A MEDICAL ADMINISTRATOR AND A SAFETY COORDINATOR AT WORK. IF THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN A DEATH AT MY JOB SITE I AM SURE OSHA WOULD BE THERE RIGHT AWAY. NOT THAT A DEATH HAPPENED TODAY BUT GIVE IT TIME. I AM AMAZED AT THE NUMBER OF COMPLAINTS AGAINST THE 2003 HONDA ACCORD'S TRANSMISSION. I DON'T BELIEVE EVERYTHING I READ...HOWEVER, I AM READING THE SAME EXPERIENCES OVER AND OVER AND THE FACT THAT NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE TO RECTIFY THE PROBLEM. I HAVE 71,000 MILES ON MY HONDA ACCORD AND HAVE OWNED THEM FOR 20 YEARS. THIS IS A GRAVE HAZARD THAT NEEDS INVESTIGATION. I DRIVE APPROX. 12,000 MILES A YEAR. I AM NOT COMPLAINING ABOUT PAYING FOR A NEW TRANSMISSION BECAUSE IT WILL BE COVERED UNDER THE HONDA CARE PLAN. I AM COMPLAINING BECAUSE SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE REGARDING SAFETY. IF MY CAR CAUSED AN ACCIDENT TODAY AND ONE OF YOUR LOVED ONES DIED AS A RESULT I THINK YOU TAKE IMMEDIATE ACTION TO RESOLVE YOUR ANXIETY AND HEARTACHE. THEN YOUR ATTENTION WOULD BE FOCUSED ON WHAT CAUSED THIS INCIDENT. *TR

2003 HONDA ACCORD EX V-6 AUTOMATIC WITH 84,621 MILES AND FAILED TRANSMISSION. CAR HAS BEEN MAINTAINED EXACTLY ACCORDING TO MANUAL. WENT FROM NORMAL DRIVING WITH NO PROBLEMS TO INSTANTANEOUS GEAR SLIPPAGE AND HIGH RPMS. A QUICK INTERNET SEARCH LOCATED THOUSANDS OF COMPLAINTS WITH EXACTLY THE SAME DESCRIPTION. TRANSMISSION DROPS OUT OF GEAR GOING IMMEDIATELY FROM 60-30 MPH THROWING PASSENGERS AGAINST SEATBELTS AND HUGE ACCIDENT POTENTIAL FOR BEING REAR-ENDED ON THE INTERSTATE. THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS AND HIGHLY COMMON PROBLEM FOR THIS VEHICLE YET HONDA IS NOT RECALLING. THEY ONLY OFFER A "GOODWILL" REPAIR SPLITTING THE COST OF A TRANSMISSION REPLACEMENT FROM A HONDA DEALER. THE SPLIT IS ROUGHLY THE SAME COST AS HAVING AN INDEPENDENT TRANSMISSION SHOP DO THE WORK SO HOW IS THAT FINANCIALLY ASSISTING THE OWNER OF THE VEHICLE? CONSIDERING THE HIGH RATE OF FAILURE AND HONDA'S ADMISSION OF THE PROBLEM, I AM SHOCKED THAT THERE HAS NOT BEEN A FORMAL RECALL FOR THIS ISSUE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 HONDA ACCORD. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS INCLUDED IN THE RECALL UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 04V176000 (POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION). THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHERE THE REPAIRS WERE PERFORMED. AFTER THE RECALL REPAIRS WERE PERFORMED, THE VEHICLE STALLED WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO RESTART THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTICS, WHERE THE TECHNICIANS STATED THAT THE TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE TRANSMISSION WAS REPLACED, BUT THE FAILURE CONTINUED. THE TRANSMISSION WAS REPLACED A SECOND TIME AND THE VEHICLE CONTINUED TO STALL. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED A THIRD. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 60,000. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.

2003 HONDA ACCORD TRANSMISSION SLIPPED INTO SECOND GEAR AT EXPRESSWAY SPEEDS IMMEDIATE THREAT TO OCCUPANTS AND OTHER MOTORIST VICINITY OF SAID VEHICLE. *TR

TRANSMISSION FAILURE CAUSING EXTREME DANGER ON THE INTERSTATE. CAR DOWNSHIFTED BY ITSELF FROM OVERDRIVE 65 MPH TO 30 MPH AND A CAR BEHIND ME ALMOST(WITHIN INCHES) SLAMMED INTO THE BACK OF ME. WITH THE VOLUME OF TRAFFIC IT COULD HAVE CAUSE A CATASTROPHIC DEADLY ACCIDENT. *TR

DRIVING ON INTERSTATE AT 65 MILES PER HOUR AND THE TRANSMISSION DROPPED INTO 1ST GEAR.... TOTAL TRANSMISSION FAILURE ON MY 2003 HONDA ACCORD. WAITING ON HONDA TO RESPOND REGARDING REPLACEMENT. HAVE 105,000 MILES. *TR