GVWR: Class 1C: 4,001 - 5,000 lb (1,814 - 2,268 kg)
Make: HONDA
Manufacturer: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD
Manufacturer Id: 987
Model: Accord
Model Year: 2003
Other Restraint System Info: Seat Belt (Rr center position)
Plant City: Sayama
Plant Country: Japan
Plant State: Saitama
Seat Belts All: Manual
Transmission Speeds: 5
Transmission Style: Automatic
Trim: EX
Valve Train Design: Dual Overhead Cam (DOHC)
Vehicle Type: PASSENGER CAR
Model year
COMPONENT
Complaint
2003
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:MASTER CYLINDER
I PURCHASED MY NEW 2003 HONDA ACCORD LX COUPE IN APR 2003. IN DEC 2003, I TOOK MY CAR IN FOR AN OIL CHANGE AND WAS TOLD THAT I NEEDED TO LEAVE MY CAR THERE BECAUSE OF THE BRAKES. THEY REPLACED THE MASTER CYLINDER. LESS THAN 4 MONTHS LATER, WHILE IN RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC, THE BRAKES FAILED AS MY FOOT NEARLY WENT COMPLETELY TO THE FLOOR. I SHIFTED THE GEARS DOWN AND WAS ABLE TO STOP THE CAR THAT WAY, NO ACCIDENT. I TOOK MY CAR BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP SERVICE DEPT (IT WAS A THURSDAY). THE NEXT DAY THEY CALLED ME AND SAID THEY COULDN'T FIND ANYTHING WRONG. I INSISTED THAT SOMETHING WAS WRONG. WHEN I WENT TO PICK UP THE CAR, I WAS TOLD BY THE SERVICE REPAIR PERSON THAT THE MECHANIC DECIDED TO PROBE FURTHER DUE TO MY INSISTANCE AND HE SUBSEQUENTLY FOUND AIR BUBBLES IN THE BRAKE FLUID. THEY BLED MY BRAKES. THAT FOLLOWING MONDAY, SOMETHING ELSE WENT WRONG. AT THE TIME I BELIEVED THE PROBLEM TO BE THE BRAKES, BUT NOW I AM NOT SO SURE. WHILE PULLING INTO A PARKING SPACE AT MY APARTMENT, IT FELT AS THOUGH THE BRAKES SLIPPED. MY FOOT WAS ON THE BRAKE PEDAL, BUT IT DID NOT STOP; IT ALMOST SEEMED AS THOUGH THE CAR SPED UP A LITTLE, WHILE MY FOOT WENT TO THE FLOOR. IN A PANIC, I TOOK MY FOOT OFF THE BRAKE AND PRESSED IT AGAIN. I HEARD THE TIRES SQUEAL, BUT BY THAT POINT IT WAS TOO LATE. I ENDED UP HITTING A POLE. STATE FARM HAD MY CAR EVALUATED TO DETERMINE IF THERE WAS A PROBLEM WITH THE BRAKES THAT COULD HAVE CAUSED THE ACCIDENT. I TOOK IT TO THE SAME DEALERSHIP SHOP, BUT ONLY UNDER THE CONDITION THAT THE STATE FARM INSPECTOR CHECK THE CAR WITH THEM. THIRTY MINUTES INTO THE INSPECTION THE STATE FARM INSPECTOR LEFT AND MY CAR WAS SUBSEQUENTLY LEFT FOR APPROX 1-1/2 HOURS SOLEY WITH THE DEALERSHIP . AT THE END OF THE 2-HOUR INSPECTION, I WAS TOLD NO PROBLEMS WITH MY BRAKES. I NOW DRIVE MY CAR FEARFULLY, HOPING THAT NOTHING ELSE WILL GO WRONG. *AK
2003
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
I FIRST NOTICED ISSUES WITH MY AUTO TRANNY IN MY ACCORD EX V6 AT AROUND 50K MILES. THEY HAD JUST INSTALLED SOME JET FOR THE RECALL FOR HARD SHIFTING FOR THIS CAR. AT ABOUT 80K I NOTICED IT GETTING WORSE, SO I TOLD MY MECHANIC AND HE CHANGED THE TRANNY OIL FOR ME. IT SEEMED TO SHIFT A LITTLE BETTER AND THIS WAS ONLY FROM 2-3 GEAR THAT IT WOULD REV UP TO ABOUT 5K AND THEN JERK THE CAR TO GET INTO 3RD. IT'S VERY EMBARRASSING AND I'M AFRAID IT'S GOING TO LOCK UP ON ME ON THE FREEWAY. I SAW THAT CALIFORNIA FILED A SUIT AGAINST HONDA AND HONDA SETTLED. EVERY STATE SHOULD BE FILING A SUIT - I'D BE FIRST IN LINE! I TOO TALKED TO HONDA AND THE HQ FOR HONDA, BUT SINCE MINE HAS SO MANY MILES ON IT (ALL FREEWAY), THEY ARE BLAMING THAT, EVEN THO I HAVE MAINTENANCE RECORDS SHOWING IT'S BEEN A PROBLEM. THEY DON'T WANT TO STEP UP TO THE PLATE. I HOPE SOME LAWYER GETS A HOLD OF THESE COMPLAINTS AND SUES THEM LIKE CALIFORNIA DID. THIS IS MY 2ND HONDA AND I SWORE BY IT, BUT I'LL NEVER BUY ANOTHER HONDA AFTER THIS. EVEN FROM DAY ONE I'VE ASKED HONDA ABOUT THE DIMMING OF THE HEADLIGHTS WHEN THE CAR SHIFTS AND THEY SAID IT WAS NORMAL CUZ THEY CAR NEEDED ALL THE POWER TO DO THE SHIFTING, SO THEY WOULDN'T DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT. I'VE OWNED SEVERAL OTHER CARS AND THIS WAS NEVER AN ISSUE. I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S THE YEAR OF THIS ACCORD OR THAT IT'S A V6, BUT IT'S VERY FRUSTRATING AND HONDA SHOULD BE ASHAMED! IF COMPLAINTS KEEP HAPPENING, YOU'D THINK THEY WOULD FIX THE ISSUES OR INVESTIGATE IT A LITTLE HARDER SINCE THEY ALREADY DID ONE RECALL ON THEM. I HAVE TOLD ALL MY FRIENDS NOT TO BUY HONDA AND TOLD THEM WHY. LET'S SPREAD THE WORD AND MAYBE WHEN THEIR SALES GO DOWN, THEY MIGHT WONDER WHY AND DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT. I'M NOW FACED WITH A $4K TO REBUILD MY TRANNY. SICKENS ME, ESPECIALLY WHEN THE CAR IS ONLY WORTH $7K CUZ I HAVE 140K MILES ON IT NOW. EMAIL ME IF YOU CAN HELP SUE THEM...[XXX] . INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR