I own an 03 Honda Accord EX, thought they were supposed to be problem free cars?

Question

So far I have had to replace the a/c unit and rotars at 32k miles, the cd player quit working at about 40k miles, now the doors locks aren't working, it needs a new oxygen sensor and the car makes a loud noise when shifting from reverse to drive. My car now has 55k miles.

I understand that while I have had no major engine problems, I shouldn't be having these little problems every month. Seems when I fix one thing, something else needs to be fixed. I traded in a Mitsu Eclipse that never needed any repairs and had 150k miles for this Honda that everyone told me would be such a good car.

Answer 1

That's nothing..

Answer 2

I have a 03 Accord EX coupe and you're right about Honda being way overrated for quality. Overall, I'm happy with the car, but I'[ve had minor problems such as squeaks, mystery vapors that obscure the windshield when I use the defroster, and horrible torque steer made worse by the tires Honda puts on to meet EPA mileage requirements. My rotors were shot after a couple of months - severe shuddering when I attempted moderate speed stops. Of course, brakes are not a warranty issue - but they have been problematic for this model.

My passenger door lock hasn't worked for a year and the audio unit has failed for the 2nd time. I've never had to have a CD player replaced in any other car I've owned. When I went to the Honda dealership in Avon, CT (as instructed by the owner's manual), I was informed that this particular dealer couldn't do anything and suggested that I go to a local audio company - I could have done that on my own. He also told me that only the 03 Accords have had problems with the CD player. This is curious because when I was waiting at my dealership in MD for the original unit to be replaced two other patrons with Honda stated that their minivans had multiple audio unit failures.

Why isn't Honda stepping up to the plate for their decision to use flawed audio units in their vehicle? My last Honda - should have indulged myself with the bimmer.

Answer 3

Welcome to the real world. While every car make has it's share of bad press, the Japanese tend to keep theirs secret much better than the US manufacturers. Every car made has problems. Some Honda Accords are made in the US, and that usually means the potential for more problems. I had exactly the same issue with Toyotas I have owned. I purchased a 2002 Prius and had nothing but problems with it, while Toyota was touting its reliability and gas mileage. I found that by 50 k miles it got no better gas mileage than a Corolla. The same with my 2004 MR2. It was a fun little car, but stuff started falling off it from day one. I have since gone to Mercedes, first in 2004 with a C230 Sport Sedan, which I liked so much I bought a second SLK280 Roadster. These cars have been bullet proof and the dealer service is fantastic. By the way the C230 was only a few thousand more than the Prius.

Answer 4

A car is a mechanical device. Not every part of every car is perfect. Some of it is probably manufacturing error, some of it is driver error. Your brakes, for example, may need to be replaced sooner than someone else in the same vehicle due to using them more aggressively than another person (high speed/hard braking). The loud noise could be a broken motor mount, again possibly from driving the car too hard. Did you buy the car new or used? If new, is it still under warranty? Talk to the service department at your Honda dealer about your problems. My dad had a 90 Accord that was running fine until my brother wrecked it last year.

Answer 5

In my experience (I work at a Honda repair shop.) We have seen some of the 03 especially have the problems with the a/c unit and cd player. I would never buy a first year new design car because that is when the problems usually happen. I wait until the 3 rd year of any body style. The 04 and 05 accords have pretty much been fine with few problems.

Answer 6

Everyone seems to be dissing your Accord,but a few of these issues have become common enough that Honda has decided to take care of them. Your cars transmission may have an internal malfunction.If that is the case,it should be covered under an extended warranty up to 100,000 miles. Also most emissions related repairs are covered up to 8 yrs or 80,000 miles. The first place you can check these things out is the Honda owners link. you just need your vin number to find out what can be taken care of. Honda is also famous for being very gracious with Goodwill warranty repairs. You can ask to speak to a district parts and service manager for your area, and hopefully get some resolutions for these problems. In general American Honda is usually willing to take care of it's customers so they will be happy to buy another car in the future. You may ,however, need to call American Honda to get something done. I'm not sure of the number, but if you ask the DPSM for it,he/she should give it to you. If you like your car, take the time to go through these steps, and give Honda a chance to step up. And don't take any crap from the dealer service manager. He/she is a representative of American Honda, and if he doesn't act accordingly, "things" can be done. I am a technician at a Honda dealership, and,though my domestic repair experience is not great, I have many associates who are techs for domestic car lines ( GM
Don't sell your Honda short.

Answer 7

The dealer is a little over Kelly Blue Book for that car.KBB says $13,840 in "excellent" condition which that Accord is not.That Accord,at best is in "Good" condition considering the front end hit.The Bumper cover and reinforcement bar is not a big deal,but the inner fender support could have a wrinkle.If the car drives straight and the AirBags are the ones it was born with,I would offer $10,900 and no more.My 96' came to me with a front end hit as well.All repair was bolt on and available on-line.It now has almost 300K smooth,reliable,trouble free miles.Honda's are keepers,make sure that one won't give you any grief down the road.If you like it,buy it.

Answer 8

That is unusual for a honda. I have had 2 and no problems what so ever and have alomst 200k on one of them. However I bought a toyota brand new and all hell has broke loose! THANK GOD FOR EXTENDED WARRANTIES! I think it is more our luck than the car. I always joked to friends when I bought a new import it would be a lemmon! Guess what! IT IS!

Answer 9

everybody has pretty much said the same thing. whilst honda has a good rep, you can still get a bad one. i personally would never buy a honda. my sister has one, and while its fun to drive, i wouldn't buy one. they are expensive to buy, to maintain, and to fix them when they have any sort of problem, because they are such a great car. people are right when they say a honda will run forever. my friends had over 400k on it but the rest of the car fell apart.

Answer 10

Consumer Reports has reviews that reflect the most common complaints...some years are better than others....always buy at least 2 yrs old with low miles...let someone else work the kinks out of it.

Answer 11

Honda's reliability is greatly exagerated. I think most people who own them don't tell people about the problems they have because they are embarrased after spending as much on a compact as a domestic mid-sized.

Cars are mechanical and break down. Lemons still get through the system.