Problems with 2003 Honda Accord POWER TRAIN

The vehicle jerked violently and than would not accelerate safely. the vehicle was not safe to operate and i was almost rear ended because the car dropped from 75 to 35 in just a few seconds. *tr

The automatic transmission on my wife's 2003 honda accord failed on 6-17-11 and nearly caused an accident. the transmission downshifted on its own and the car rapidly decelerated on the interstate with traffic approaching from the rear that had to change lanes to avoid collision. numerous similar reports are noted online. this is an apparent known problem that honda will not address. the dealer quoted costs in excess of 3500.00 to replace the transmission. the car has 150,000 miles and a transmission failure may be expected. the biggest issue is the incredible risks that passengers are exposed to when the violent failure occurs. *tr

2003 accord v6 automatic transmission failure at 120,000 miles. 2004 recall ineffective. *tr

The transmission on my 2003 honda accord ex completely is shot now. when i try to speed up my car will go into first gear and then i have to put my foot down on the gas pedal for it to actually go and skip and move into third gear.i have contacted honda to try and get the problem addressed with them and they politely said that they cant compensate me at all because the problem had already been addressed back in 2009 its is now 2011 and the same problem with the transmission is now occurring again. *tr

My 2003 honda accord v6 automatic transmission failed at 65,000 miles--car was undrivable and was almost rear ended because i could not accelerate. had to take car to independent shop and replace transmission for $3100. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 honda accord. while driving 30 mph, the contact stated that the vehicle would shift gears independently and become resistant to acceleration. the vehicle was towed to a dealer where they inspected the vehicle and informed the contact that the transmission needed to be replaced. the manufacturer was aware of the failure. no repairs were performed. the current and failure mileages were 69,000. updated 07/20/11 *bf updated 3/01/2012 *ln

The contact owners a honda accord 2003 v6 was driving at 30 mph. the contact owner was unable to accelerate to shift from second gear and take the mechanic and as a result the transmission needed to be replaced. we contacted the manufacture but they could offer any assistance because the transmission wasn't locked. this situation has been happening for a while and we need it fix right away! we know the first owner of the car had the same problem but the company said they fixed the car and it would work fine. only it wasn't fine its repeating the same problem over and over again. its a accident waiting to happen! *tr

At approximately 56,000 miles, we had to replace the rear main oil seal. at 68,000 miles, we had to replace the fuel pump and as of june 4th, 2011, we were informed that we need to replace the transmission at 78,000 miles. the transmission failed going approximately 70 mph and proceeded into "limp mode" to 30 mph. it proceeded to then return instantly to 70 mph and within 30 seconds repeated the same and as we were trying not to fly off the highway it again repeated this same behavior at which point we pulled off to the side of the highway, which was approximately 2 feet wide, and as traffic, which was thankfully not right on our tail, flew by we were able to drive on the side of the highway for the next 20 miles at approximately 30 miles per hour into the next town. at this point, there wasn't anyone available to look at the vehicle so we left it and rented a vehicle. our honda would not even go into reverse at this point. we then towed the honda back to our home town and dropped it straight to honda of tri-cities. there they diagnosed that their was a transmission failure and it had to be replaced. they offered to pay half of the cost ($2000.00) but we feel there is a life threatening problem with that transmission and after seeing all of the additional customers of honda's, the years between 1999 and 2003, that have had the same life threatening experiences, we are appalled that the public has not been notified of this. not just by a check on your transmission but a complete recall. i am very surprised that we were not fatally injured.

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 honda accord. the contact stated that the transmission failed, causing the vehicle to shift in between gears. he also noticed that the check engine warning light illuminated. the dealer performed a diagnostic which confirmed that the transmission needed to be replaced. the dealer reset the check engine light however, the check engine light illuminated again. the manufacturer was aware of the failure. the transmission was not replaced. the current and failure mileages were 94,000.

I was driving on maryland route 270 at 60mph when the car violently jolted and wheels locked for a second putting me into a split second skid. almost had a devastating crash with my family in the car. apparently the transmission went from 5th gear to 1st gear on its own. thankfully i made it back home driving about 10mph with the car still jolting back and forth. as i was backing the car into a parking spot the vehicle went in reverse just fine but after pulling forward and attempting to reverse again the car did not back up. when i turned the car off and back on again i was able to move in reverse. *tr

2003 honda accord, v6. transmission failed with no warning, while turning left. this could have easily led to a serious accident. after inspection mechanic states that the failure has all of the typical characteristics of the failure of the 2003 accord transmission. it will cost me 3,800 to repair (with only 94,000 miles on the car and a perfect maintenance record at a honda dealership). but i just feel lucky that we survived. this is a very dangerous failure. there was zero warning of a problem until i was left with the transmission neutral with cars headed at us going 60+ mph. thank god the other drivers were paying attention and slammed on the brakes. one oncoming driver went into the ditch. *tr

After an incident where the car could only accelerate to 30 miles per hour, it was fixed by the honda dealer (throttle repairs), then i had repeated incidents of gears shifting accidentally, one time gear shifted into neutral when i was at a stop sign. i would try to accelerate and the car would jerk and eventually go into gear. i took car back to dealer 4 times to get it repaired and they said nothing was wrong. finally, at 5 pm on a major freeway the car started jerking and jolting violently and i had to get off and call a tow truck. went to nearest honda dealer and they duplicated the problem and said i need a new transmission and american honda is going to pay 50% of the replacement cost, still very expensive.. *tr

My car started jerking several weeks ago and took it into our trusted auto mechanic and they diagnosed transmission failure. they told me that this happens frequently with this year of honda and to take it to a honda dealer since common knowledge that transmission has defective parts. they also told me to contact honda customer care. the mechanics who work on my car were originally honda certified repair tech's. did all of that starting on may 24, 2011 and after several weeks of waiting honda said it would cost around $3700 for a rebuilt transmission of which i must pay around $2200. i have appealed again because everyone, including the honda dealership, has admitted it is defective parts. plus i made some calls to several transmission rebuild outfits and the general consensus it would cost me $2100 for a complete rebuild as well as the information about defective honda transmissions for hondas running from 2001 to 2005. my argument is that honda knows this is a defective transmission, i have provided the proof that this car has been well-maintained throughout its life and that everyone else?s rebuild quotes $2100. they argue that i am not the original owner but one reason we bought the car from the original owner (my mother-in-law) is for honda?s ?well-known? reliability and how they stand behind their cars. *tr

When i'm driving between 20-40 mph my engine stalls, all it does is revs the rpm high and the car doesn't go anywhere. the stall usually occurs between 20-40mph but it has also occurred while on the freeway between 50-60 mph while on an on-ramp. this began in the early months of 2011 and has continued to worsen. however, a couple of months after purchasing my vehicle in august of 2007 i took my car to the dealership concerning a similar issue and they assured me that there was no problem. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 honda accord. the contact stated that when trying to accelerate it wouldn't exceed 40 mph and the vehicle would jerk violently. the dealer was contacted, advised her that there were no recalls and to bring the vehicle in for diagnostic testing. the manufacturer was contacted and offered no assistance. the failure and current mileages were approximately 77,000.

Driving down sunrise high way in new york, when all of a sudden my 2003 v6 ex honda accord down shifts from 5th to 1st. then it started to violently shake forward or back. i almost got hit by the passing surrounding cars while trying to maintain control. upon further inspection it turns out to be the transmission has went. the car just turned over 90,000 miles on it. *tr

With no warning my 3rd gear went out in my 2003 honda accord. very dangerous when a vehicle is behind you and you can't accelerate due to not having a 3rd gear. i came very close to being rear ended but luckily got off to the side of the road. after looking it up online i found many complaints of this happening in the 03 accords, i don't know how many times it has to happen before honda will take ownership but with the cost of replacing the transmission being $3500-$4000 they need to do something. i can't afford to get this fixed!! *tr

The transmission started having a slight flare in 2nd to 3rd shift around 150,000 miles. i got it serviced at mel rapton honda on 3/20/2012 and was told about the flare issue. now at 180,000 the transmission will not go past 3rd gear and needs to be replaced. *tr

Driving on 495 at night with heavy traffic in a construction zone when the transmission failed. car started coasting and i could not reengage transmission. i managed to coast to a stop between 2 barrels. transmission worked after shutting car off and restarting. failed again after several minutes. problem was diagnosed as a blown transmission at the dealers. transmission replaced at my cost minus 25% credit from honda. *tr

may 3rd, i was driving approx 70 mph when all of a sudden, my car felt like someone slammed on the brakes and i went flying forward. it happened 2 more times, then later, i couldn't go in reverse. i researched it and was shocked to find out this is an ongoing issue with the 2003 honda accord ex v6 model. honda isn't calling it a recall because no one has been hurt yet. the next day i was in bad pain due to the jolts and seat belt marks from them restraining me. i called american honda and started a claim. i asked what if i need a new transmission. he said 'no problem, you're now with american honda.' i took it in and my transmission failed on the way there too. while waiting the vip director came up to me telling me i'm a vip customer having bought hondas for 22 years . shortly thereafter the svc manager came and told me yes, the transmission was gone and american honda agreed to pay $900 out of the $4300 bill. i asked what about the known issues honda has with this year and model? he said all they offered was $900. the vip manager told me he would never put $3400 in a sinking ship. i said 'sinking ship?' he said 'well it does have 89k miles on it.' i said 'it's a honda...that's why i paid big bucks for a honda because they are supposed to go for a long time.' when i called honda america, they said i wasn't the owner. i said i am. i bought it 4 years and bring it brandon honda for all my work. they still had the previous owner listed...after 4 years! i never received recalls because it went to the previous owner. the svc manager himself changed it that day to show me as the owner. all the times i'd gone to brandon honda and bought it at crown honda and they never put me as the owner, 4 years ago? incompetence. like toyota knew they had a brake problem but did nothing about it until someone died.

2003 honda accord with only 53,000 miles. while driving on the highway approximately 55mph i attempted to change the line when my car suddenly and abruptly decelerated causing drivers behind me to brake rapidly and this almost lead to an accident. i was in the car with my wife and 4.5 years old son. it was a horrible experience. next day i took my car to a dealer just to find out that i am going to need another transmission and the cost is $4600. american honda offered 35 % discount but the problem with this is than independent garages quoted repair between $2300- $2900 so in reality it was not real discount. there is definitely something wrong with this year model transmission and judging by so many complains (and more is posted every day) about the same issue i am surprise that nhtsa is not doing anything about that. i hope that agency is not waiting till someone get badly injured or cause others serious trouble. i am the lucky on, it cost me a money but i am well and alive. in may there was a recall from hyundai and based on what i found on nhtsa website there was a lot less complains about transmission problem and nhtsa reacted : quoted' hyundai is recalling 6,169 santa fes because a defective transmission may cause "loss of motive power, increasing the risk of a crash," according to the nhtsa' unquoted. i would like to know what rules nhtsa used to differentiate transmission problem. in one case may increase risk of crush but in other not. *tr

may 3rd, i was driving approx 70 mph when all of a sudden, my car felt like someone slammed on the brakes and i went flying forward. it happened 2 more times, then later, i couldn't go in reverse. i researched it and was shocked to find out this is an ongoing issue with the 2003 honda accord ex v6 model. honda isn't calling it a recall because no one has been hurt yet. the next day i was in bad pain due to the jolts and seatbelt marks from them restraining me. i called american honda and started a claim. i asked what if i need a new transmission. he said 'no problem, you're now with american honda.' i took it in and my transmission failed on the way there too. while waiting the vip director came up to me telling me i'm a vip customer having bought hondas for 22 years . shortly thereafter the svc manager came and told me yes, the transmission was gone and american honda agreed to pay $900 out of the $4300 bill. i asked what about the known issues honda has with this year and model? he said all they offered was $900. the vip manager told me he would never put $3400 in a sinking ship. i said 'sinking ship?' he said 'well it does have 89k miles on it.' i said 'it's a honda...that's why i paid big bucks for a honda because they are supposed to go for a long time.' when i called honda america, they said i wasn't the owner. i said i am. i bought it 4 years and bring it brandon honda for all my work. they still had the previous owner listed...after 4 years! i never received recalls because it went to the previous owner. the svc manager himself changed it that day to show me as the owner. all the times i'd gone to brandon honda and bought it at crown honda and they never put me as the owner, 4 years ago? incompetence. like toyota knew they had a brake problem but did nothing about till someone died. *tr

Transmission failure. *tr

2003 honda accord ex. consumer states problem with transmission *tgw the consumer stated as she was driving, all of a sudden, it felt as though the brakes had been slammed abruptly and she went flying forward. when the consumer arrived home, she realized the vehicle would not go in reverse. after doing some research, she discovered there was an ongoing problem with the make, model and year of her vehicle. upon diagnosis, it was determined the transmission failed. honda was willing to pay $2100 of the $4300 bill. *jb

2003 honda accord. consumer states instead of replacing a defective transmission, the dealer installed an oil jet kit. *tgw the consumer stated he continues to experience problems with the transmission where it goes out of second gear while driving in traffic. the consumer was informed the vehicle needed a transmission at a cost of $ 3800. *jb updated 12/21/11. *jb

I bought a used 2003 accord one month ago and now the transmission has failed. the car had 90600 miles when i bought it and the honda dealership said nothing about this model year having a problem with the transmission. i was driving at approx. 60mph when the car slammed to almost a dead stop and the rpm needle jumped to about 6000. i pulled over and shut off the car. i had the car towed to my mechanic and he said that there is a serious mechanical failure in the transmission. the cost to repair is going to be approx. $3500. i called the dealership and they told me it was sold "as is" and there was nothing they could do to help. *tr

Driving 65 mph on the highway then all of a sudden my 2003 honda accord shifts violently into first gear. could of caused a major accident. called honda usa and they said they are unaware of any issues with the 2003 honda accord. does someone need to be killed in or by a 2003 honda accord before someone takes action!! *tr

At mileage around 33,000 my car honda accord (2003) automatic transmission started displaying throttle and transmission failure symptoms. the engine and anti lock brakes lights on dashboard are on. *tr

Currently own a 2003 honda with which i have made repairs too the transmissions system several times. in recent months i've notice as i traveling at higher speeds on the highway the car downshift making it unsafe when traffic flow is heavy. i've also had instances of stalling at take off which causes traffic issues when im stopped at a red light. *tr

I was on the highway when my car decelerated. i almost got hit by a car behind me and averted an accident. the engine revved way up, but car's speed went down. later, when i was driving on the street, the car slowed to a stop and would not shift gears either forward or backward. i am reading online that my 2003 honda accord is having torque converter problems. it seems that this a common problem for my vehicle. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 honda accord. the contact was driving 45 mph when the vehicle suddenly decelerated independently. the contact stated that the vehicle felt as if it had shifted into neutral abnormally. the contact shut the vehicle off and once restarted, the failure persisted. the vehicle was then towed to a local mechanic for diagnostic testing which located the failure at the transmission. the contact called the manufacturer regarding the transmission and the manufacturer advised the contact to take the vehicle to the dealer for a second diagnostic test. the contact referenced nhtsa campaign id number: 04v176000 (power train:automatic transmission) but the vehicle was not included due to the recall only effecting v6 engine models. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 94,500. updated 05/05/11*lj updated 1202/11

2003 honda accord down shifts at highway speeds making it nearly impossible to control. have not taken it in account no way to get there or car to drive. transmission problem working on having it fixed. *tr

Transmission failure. 2003 accord exl 6 cylinder. while driving approximately 35-40 mph the vehicle suddenly felt as if the brakes were applied. the vehicle began to slow rapidly as if someone slammed on the brakes. the car was slowly driven to a parking lot and were it was towed to a honda service facility. facility indicated that the transmission would have to be replaced. it should be noted the car was just minutes earlier was being driven at 75 mph and if the failure had occurred at this speed the results could have led to a catastrophic accident involving my wife, my pregnant daughter and a family friend. i had been reading about these transmissions failures for over a year and as soon as my wife describe what happened i knew immediately the transmission had failed. it should be pointed out that the car was serviced during the early transmission cooler recall but did not prevent the transmission from failing. its just a matter of time before one of these vehicles transmissions lock up at a high rate of speed leading to a rapid deceleration and being hit from behind leading to a serious accident involving serious injuries or death. honda motor corp has ignored the transmission failures in the 03 accords and i will never purchase or recommend the purchase of another honda vehicle. i am extremely upset at the cost to repair the car. i do feel honda should subsidized a portion of the cost. i do not see this type of failure with other honda years or models.

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 honda accord. the contact stated that while driving 70 mph, the transmission failed and slipped out of gear. a mechanic was contacted who stated that according to the description of the failure, the transmission would likely need replacing. the manufacturer was contacted who referred him to the dealer for diagnostic testing in order for then to consider providing any assistance. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and current mileage was 73,000.

4/13/11 driving on a main route, with morning flow of traffic my car revved as if moving but just stopped moving forward, then would kick back into forward motion, traffic behind, to the right and in front of, no shoulder to pull over - i had 2miles to reach work. had it towed for inspection, stated the transmission was done asked if the recall had been taken care of. i've never received a recall other than recently-ignition issues. he forwarded me a copy of the recall - had it towed to o'donnell honda, place of purchase and all scheduled and wanted service since purchase in 2003. they agreed the transmission needed to be replaced. i faxed to them a copy of a recall noting "all" 2003 honda accords needed a 2nd gear replacement. i was told, my vin was not included in the list. i was later told that the 2nd gear was replaced, ? 04 or 05 but no document history other than honda's was there. i have all of my records and nothing includes that replacement. o'donnell honda will not replace the transmission at their cost and well, those things happen...what i was told about the transmission going. my car is in mint condition, always taken care of minimal needs and at 81,000 also had experience with the same dealer, my daughters honda si v-tech, a true lemon and them not standing behind the cars they sell. our family has purchased three cars from them, brand new, serviced by them but they seem to be loosing their standards. *tr

Transmission slips. while driving, the transmission will suddenly drop from 4 gear to 3 gear or 1 gear without warning - causing sudden deceleration. note that since it is the transmission and not the brakes, there is no indication to other drivers that you are decelerating. the other issue is, while attempting to accelerate the transmission will not shift but will rev the engine up to red-line without accelerating. this is where i was almost rear-ended by another vehicle while attempting accelerate on to the freeway and the car would not downshift - but red-lined and wouldn't accel. i've noticed that this seems to be a common problem with 2003 honda accords given the number of complaints filed about this same issue so i am somewhat surprised that honda does not acknowledge these transmissions to be defective and agree to help the consumer fix them. honda america denied my request to fix this issue. *tr

Impeccably well maintained honda 2003. all of a sudden third gear is gone. mechanic says rebuilt transmission $3800. are you kidding me! we also own a 2003 honda pilot, this past year cost $2000 to replace the torque converter. another honda transmission problem that is all over the internet. unless honda does something for us on this problem these will be the last honda's this family buys!!

My 2003 honda accord with 71,000 miles on it just experienced a complete and total failure of it's transmission. the car is not covered by any remaining warranty's, but it's clear that this failure was common in this make/model of car. *tr

While driving my 2003 honda accord all pulling power was lost. the car behaved erratic before i was able to safely pull over to the side of the highway. i had the vehicle towed to norm reeves honda for service and was told the transmission was bad and needed replaced.while having my tranmission rebuilt by dan transmission shop the mechanic pointed out to me that he will replace my transmission filter because it never gets change at honda. i call honda and spoke to several service advisors about what get done to a tranmission during service? they all said the same thing a drain and refill of fulid and there is no filter. when researching further i found out that the parts department has filters in stock but never hardly sell the filter unless a mechanic buys it to replace while rebuiding the transmission. there is a lot of hondas of the year 2003 that had a recall early 2000. my car was one, honda replace a second gear on the transmissions for problems that year 2003 hondaaccords was having with over heating. honda is not replacing a filter part and say it dose not exist when it does. when i call honda and this time insisted there is a filter, the service advisor will only then tell you that the filter exist but does not get change during service.because it is a sealed part othe transmission. i believe after experiencing this type of transmission failure in my car that it could be prevent if honda would fix the desing flaw of the transmissions. this could had had been pevented if a 30 dollar part can be more easy to replace and inxepensive and time consuming as to why i think honda do not replaced the filters or sell a lot of the filters on the market to millions of costumers who are probably like i was in the dark and think they are getting a fresh transmission service but all the time. riding in a car that will failed unexpectedly.this is very dangerous had i been rear ended an my whole family killed no one probably would supected it was a trans failed. *tr

My 2003 honda accord v6 began having problems shifting gears while driving after just ~65,000 miles. i took it to the dealership for inspection and needed to have the transmission replaced. after telling the dealership i read about multiple problems with these accords, they contacted the "district manager" who offered to cover 50% of the replacement cost. needless to say i am not very happy with honda. *tr

When taking off from a complete stop, my daughter's 03 honda accord v6 shifted poorly between the 2nd and 3rd gear. the mileages for the car were less than 132,500 at the time. honda website listed several recalls for this model, in which the problem stated was one of then. if this problem was corrected under the recall, why was i out of pocket for work never done? my daughter is the second owner of the vehicle.

Honda failed to notify the customer of potential transmission failure despite many industry complaints. my vehicle's transmission was replaced at personal cost. this lack of transparency poses a public safety hazard. *tr

1. normal driving conditions. i attempted to accelerate and when the transmission down-shifted to second gear it didn't engage and the engine revved to the limiter before i was able to let off the gas. when i let off the transmission engaged a higher gear and i was able to continue. later when i tried to accelerate away from a stoplight the car wouldn't engage second gear again and just coasted to a stop no matter what i did. 2. the failure occurs as soon as the car warms, but occasionally it will engage suddenly and slow the car dramatically if i am traveling at a higher rate of speed. i was almost hit when this occurred once. 3. the dealership wants to replace the transmission with a "re-manufactured" honda transmission for $3500. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 honda accord. the contact stated that while driving 60 mph, the transmission stopped responding and the vehicle stalled as a result. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer, who diagnosed that the transmission was defective and needed to be replaced. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure, but did not offer any assistance. the vehicle was repaired. the failure mileage was 99,216 and the current mileage was 103,000.

Transmission failure. had to have transmission rebuilt in 2011 at 153k miles. now at 200k miles i am having transmission problems again. *tr

I was driving in morning traffic when i tried to accelerate my accord begun to jolt and almost caused me to be rear ended by a huge cement truck. i was able to turn my car off and on again which allowed me to pull off the freeway. i bought my honda because i thought it would live up to the honda name for quality, but i was horridly wrong. my torque converted failed causing catastrophic damage to my transmission. i like others was left stranded on the side if the road, holding keys to a now broken 2003 honda accord ex and a huge repair bill. i tried calling honda usa but my issue and request fell on deaf ears. im completely taken back by honda as a company after this and will never buy one of their products again! *tr

Making turn to an on-ramp the rpm's in my 2003,v6 honda accord with automatic transmission increased to 6000-7000, after making the turn i lost all drive power and pulled to the side of the road. i stopped the car, turned off the engine and found nothing obvious under the hood. after restarting the car, it would not move in either forward or reverse. had the car towed to honda dealer, diagnosis was a blown transmission. it will cost $3500 to have the transmission replaced with a rebuilt transmission. car mileage is approximately 105,000. *tr

Was driving my 2003 honda accord at 45mph. suddenly the transmission changed gears from 4th to lilke 1st gear, felt like i hit a brick wall or someone hit me hard. it was very shocking and scary. took the car to the dealer. they said it needs a new transmission. *tr

2003 honda accord sedan v6 - automatic transmission failure. 125,000 miles. problems with transmission since 75,000 miles. we took our vehicle into the dealer because the transmission fluid was burnt. dealer confirmed transmission fluid was burnt. the answer we received was that the transmission fluid should not be in that condition but no problems were found during their inspection. *tr

Driving car on freeway when it lost transmission, engine still running but no power to the car. managed to coast to a safe stop; lower gears still functioning then. drove in d2 to mechanic, lower gears now do not work reliably -- as soon as it gets hot it locks up. transmission has to be completely rebuilt or replaced. recall repiar was previously according to dealer records but does not seem to have worked.