Problems with 2003 Honda Accord ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

Complaint received via e-mail. i purchased a brand new car, and since then i have been back to the dealership numerous amounts of times for many problems. first problem was my brakes needed to be replaced at 4600 miles, but weren't replaced until 7700 miles 3.5 months later due to back order. currently, with 17,900 miles the brakes were grinding again. this is my 3rd honda, and the worse one, yet likely my last. the second problem was that my right rear door was locked for 3 months. the dealer claimed that the problem was due to getting my windows tinted, but they attempted to fix three times, and was told the third time the problem only occurs if the temperature goes below 32 degrees. since then the temperature has been over 32 degrees. i also have problems with sulfur odor coming from the exhaust, and was told that this was normal problem ,would go away with time. but as time goes by the odor gets worse, and smells like rotten eggs. another problem with the car is the alignment has been off since i bought the car. i have had my own mechanic look at the car, and he believes the car won't align correctly because of the axles. the final problem with my piece of crap honda is the driver seat isn't secure, it slides very little back and forth and side to side.*ak

Oil leak engine. rotten egg smell from interior air vents after cranking cold engine. *ak

The engine emitted a rotten egg smell. the driver heard a grinding noise. the vehicle also had a brake problem. the driver's seat was not stable. the vehicle has been taken to the dealer at least 9 times for multiple problems. *nm paint on the hood is flaking. seat is not fixed. the door panel was fixed twice but problem still exists. consumer confronted dealership about problem with vehicle but consumer was ignored. consumer called american honda to report issue with dealer. *la

I have a 2003 honda accord ex v6 and it has had a rotten egg smell since the first day i purchased it (brand new at the time). i had called my local honda service dept. to see what could be done about the smell. i was informed that since the car was new, it was still in the "break in" period and to wait until after 10,000-12,000 miles. i am now at 16,000 miles and the car still has the foul odor. i called honda again and they told me to wait until the weather breaks and in the spring time if it still smells to bring it in. the smell is so bad that it smells not only on the outside of the car but on the inside too. i took the car in anyway, even though honda recommended to wait a few more months. needless to say, they did admit to finding a bulletin for the honda accords stating that the catalytic converters need to be changed and they need to seal leaks in the car. they have to now order the part and schedule another date to fix the problem.*ak

Since i bought my new 2003 honda accord at the end of the 2003 year, i smelled sulfur. i was told it was the battery and it would go away. it never did. i kept telling the dealer and service. the sulfur and rotten egg smell came from the ac, and the heat (both of which didn't work), sulfur from the rear and all over interior..i got sick with severe migraines and nauseous for 5-7 days with emergency room visits following medium to long drives with the air on and even if the air was not on...the sulfur smell was always present and service blamed me and told me the gas in ny was bad, and then told me i should be driving 50,000 miles per year and then there would be no sulfur smell. i kept falling asleep at the wheel. my doctor mentioned checking the carbon monoxide with a detector..it was positive...the fire department verified that i had carbon monoxide inside my car - deadly. i was being poisoned for two years with carbon monoxide poisoning fro two years by the exhaust coming into the car. the fire dept. told me to not drive the car at all or to drive with all the windows wide open...even in the freezing winter.....my mother is elderly and i am disabled on chemotherapy also all this made our situation quite heinous. still honda did not help me and they kept hanging up on me. i would have died if i drove the amount that honda told me to. i would have been poisoned. i do not want this car....i just want my life back and to feel safe with the car i drive. i will never feel safe with this car. carbon monoxide inside the car is deadly and why no one has addressed this issue along with the catalytic converter is shocking. no one ever notified me of the catalytic converter even when i brought the car in. even with at least two tsb's why did honda not know to address the problem and why didn't they ever contact me. i just want this car out of my life forever. i have gotten very ill from the carbon monoxide poisoning and the long term effects are serious. *jb

Strong smell of hydrogen sulfide in car cabin first noticed at 1,000 miles most present when accelerating or when heat/ac is on. smell can be so severe it causes headache and sore throat. i reported problem to toxic relase division of the epa. ( e-mail to: [email protected]) . *ak

My 2003 honda accord lx smells like rotten eggs. thank you honda!. *ak

Catalytic converter replaced at just over 3000 miles on my 2003 honda accord. i continue to get an extremely strong sulfar odor. the dealer has given several excuses as to why there is a smell. also they have offered different suggestions to remedy the situation. none of which worked. now i am having brake problems which they can't seem to fix either. both problems seem severe enough that i would think honda would stand up and take responsibility. i am frustrated and disappointed.*ak

Rotten eggs smell in garage when car is first put in. *la

thus far, the sulfur odor from the exhaust has not caused any mechanical problems that i am aware of or cost me any money. i am concerned that the vehicle does not meet epa emission standards and, as you may imagine, i am most annoyed with the stink. furthermore, american honda seems totally apathetic to the defect and my dissatisfation. i am hoping that a powerful authority will put pressure on american honda to correct the problem and recall the '03 accords for repair.

Honda 2003 accord is equipped with a "design defect" of costly and potentially harmful, from a safety standpoint, defect. the lower "grill" on the front bumper is designed in such a way that any road debris smaller than a 16" x 8" concrete block can enter and damage a fully-exposed and unprotected ac condenser. it is clearly unprotected from the harsh outside elements. the ac is an integral part of the safety of this automobile in that to clear the windshield from any moisture on the inner surface, the ac must be acting in proper fashion. if a car's inside glasses "fog-up" with moisture , the only solution is to turn on the moisture wringing ac unit, regardless of the temp of the air, the dehumidifier effect of the ac conditioned air is an absolute necessity. the current design of the grill/condenser leaves it vulnerable to be easily damaged by a bit of gravel as small as a bb pellet. there is not any screen or deflector in place forward of the condenser to prohibit any errant road missiles from damaging the condenser thereby creating the safety hazard of a fogged windshield and more, a simple screen or deflector could and should be installed to protect the safety feature of this car.

Oil leaked out of the vehicle while backing out of the garage. the vehicle was towed. it was discovered the oil pump seal,gasket and the timing belt were defective and had to be replaced. *jb *nm

After my first oil change, my vehicle leaked oil. i took the vehicle back to the dealership and they fixed the problem. i have had a subsequent oil change and did not experience a problem. *jb

Rotten egg smell in and around 2003 honda accord ex-v6 model. first noticed when parking new car in garage, then noticed when parking outdoors. it has also occured twice while driving, to the extent where opening the windows and moonroof does not help. car has approximately 2,000 miles. dealer says it is not a problem.*ak

Rotten egg smell from the exhaust. went to dealer ask them to check emission system. they ask if i had a check engine light on when i told them no they said maybe i should change gasoline that they found nothing wrong with the emission system i still have the rotten egg smell i have 6000 miles on the car. *la

Catalyic converter produces a foul smell which seeps through the ventilation. *ak

(1) a. window being scratched by something in panel. both driver and passanger window. b. at about 16000 miles it was noticed that the transmission was leaking so badly i couldn't drive out of the dealership. ( i believe the car may have been leaking since purchase. new with only 36 miles.) c. trunk liner sagging. d. when making left hand turns if you have the sunvisor out it can swing and hit you in the head. e. passenger door latch not activated. could not open door from inside. (dealer forgot to install this on window repair.) f. motor mounts not installed correctly. g. belt tensioner needed replacement. h. car pulling to the right. f. black seal around door frame warping. (2) no consequences from any of these failures. except loss time having to leave car overnight for several days. who know what longterm effects of a leaky transmission, belt tensioner, and improper motormounts have on the car. (3) under warranty the dealer corrected every problem. mosts times more then one repair for the same problem was needed to correct the problem. for the tranmsission the dealer tried to stop the leaks with hondabond. the next morning i had leaks in the drive way. they had my car for a whole week on the first fix attempt. finally honda replaced the transmission with a new one. nothing was done about the visor because the dealer said if they install a new one it will do the same. my windows are still being scratched by the felt lining in the window panel. *jb

I have had 3 pcs valves replaced in my 20003 honda accord. the vehicle would not start or emission light came on to indicate a problem. i also have a loud grinding sound the first time i use the brakes when driving.*ak

2003 honda accord ex sedan with 4 cylinder. car has developed high idle 1800 rpm when cold. car will accelerate (actually jumps) to 20 mph with foot off the accelerator. takes over +5 minutes before it reduces to a normal idle (approximately 2 miles worth of driving). this is a really dangerous situation. also experiencing the rotten egg smell entering into the drivers compartment. the air conditioner (a/c) has a serious vibration when coming on that has had several passengers ask me what the noise and vibration were. it's a shame since i have been to the dealer 3 times for these problems and came away with them making me feel guilty and that i'm the only one with these problem. i guess i'm glad that sites like this exist...thanks. *la

My 2003 honda accord has a really bad "rotten egg" smell almost immediately after i purchased the car in october of 2002. i have already had the converter replaced at 3000 miles. i have switched brands of gasoline. still have the smell. i was told all the sensors check out okay. would like some closure to the smell. this is my first honda. just had the 10k mile service, car runs worse than before. possibly my last honda product unless i get the problem resolved.

2003 honda accord ex sedan with 4 cylinder. car has developed high idle 1800 rpm when starting a cold engine(started after 3500-4000 miles). car will accelerate (actually jumps) to 20 mph with foot off the accelerator(it will spin the tires on wet pavement and winter is around the corner and can only imagine what driving will be like). takes over +5 minutes before it reduces to a normal idle (approximately 2 miles worth of driving). this is a really dangerous situation. also experiencing the rotten egg smell entering into the drivers compartment. the air conditioner (a/c) has a serious vibration when coming on that has had several passengers ask me what the noise and vibration were. it's a shame since i have been to the dealer 4 times for these problems and came away with them making me feel guilty and that i'm the only one with these problem. i feel this is an extremely dangerous situation and have told the dealer so. i guess i'm glad that sites like this exist...thanks. *ak

Rotten egg smell coming from exhaust. smell is most noticeable after a hard acceleration.*ak

I purchased a new 2003 honda accord in july 2003. it has a terrible starting problem. my dealership has checked it out three times and still no resolution has been made. i believe honda should address the problem promptly because i am not the only one who is having this problem. *jb

Intermittent long crank starting problem. happened average of 4 times a week. *tt

Rotten egg smell when driving. 2003 honda accord lx. *ak

Nar 06/05/2003 *mr 2003 honda accord v6 - gasoline connection failure. *cb

I purchased my $34,000 2003 accord on may 13, 2003 from route 23 honda in pomton plains, nj. after purchasing it, i noticed that the plastic/glass moldings around the doors were were very deformed. three moldings have been fixed after 2 times being in for service, and one has yet to be fixed(waiting for part). the radio was making a squeaking noise and deformed looking, and they replaced the entire unit. on the right front tire well, there was a molding that was never screwed in properly, and began to hang down, which was replaced. the shifter has a loose stitch on it, which is becoming very sharp and can possibly cut someone. the part was put on order 3 months ago, but i was never notified of it's arrival. the driver side windshield wiper nozzle sprays directly into the wiper arm. this was brought in for service 4 times, and finally another dealership(sussex honda) ordered a new nozzle which will hopefully work. the car has a slight burning smell when i park the car after driving. i brought this to honda's attention, but of course they didn't find anything wrong with it. the car also has a slight grinding feeling that can mostly be felt between 1500 and 2500 rpms. i brought this into service 4 times and they couldn't find anything wrong(again). along with that, when i put the car in drive, after about 20 feet it makes a horrible grinding noise and feeling in the gears. the car also seems to lack the power that it should have. i know this because i had a 2003 accord lx v6 coupe, and then traded it in for a 2003 accord ex v6 coupe. the lx had a lot more power than the ex. also the lx had no wiper problems, grinding problems, or other problems that i have with the ex. overall i have found 10 defects with my car within the first month of having it. after all of these problems, and having the dealership and the honda service center hotline treat me as if i was making up these problems and that it was my fault for having these problems i will never buy another honda again! *la

I purchased my $34,000 2003 accord on may 13, 2003 from route 23 honda in pomton plains, nj. after purchasing it, i noticed that the plastic/glass moldings around the doors were were very deformed. three moldings have been fixed after 2 times being in for service, and one has yet to be fixed(waiting for part). the radio was making a squeaking noise and deformed looking, and they replaced the entire unit. on the right front tire well, there was a molding that was never screwed in properly, and began to hang down, which was replaced. the shifter has a loose stitch on it, which is becoming very sharp and can possibly cut someone. the part was put on order 3 months ago, but i was never notified of it's arrival. the driver side windshield wiper nozzle sprays directly into the wiper arm. this was brought in for service 4 times, and finally another dealership(sussex honda) ordered a new nozzle which will hopefully work. the car has a slight burning smell when i park the car after driving. i brought this to honda's attention, but of course they didn't find anything wrong with it. the car also has a slight grinding feeling that can mostly be felt between 1500 and 2500 rpms. i brought this into service 4 times and they couldn't find anything wrong(again). along with that, when i put the car in drive, after about 20 feet it makes a horrible grinding noise and feeling in the gears. the car also seems to lack the power that it should have. i know this because i had a 2003 accord lx v6 coupe, and then traded it in for a 2003 accord ex v6 coupe. the lx had a lot more power than the ex. also the lx had no wiper problems, grinding problems, or other problems that i have with the ex. overall i have found 10 defects with my car within the first month of having it. after all of these problems, and having the dealership and the honda service center hotline treat me as if i was making up these problems and that it was my fault for having these problems i will never buy another honda again! *la

The vehicle stalled without warning, which made the vehicle difficult to control. *jb

I purchased this honda accord 2003 in april 2003. from the very beginning i noticed a rambling noise on the engine, foul smell, vibration on the steering wheel and squeaking brakes. also when i brake the car seems to accelerate like the idle is too fast. i reported it immediately to my honda dealer and they told me to take it to any honda dealer. i took it to honda in gleandale and after inspecting it they told me there was nothing wrong with the car. however the problems continued to i kept taking the car to different honda dealers but none could come up with a solution. when i asked them to replace the vehicle they told me that they all had the same problems and that i had to learn to live with it.! i feel totally frustrated by this situation and very unsafe driving this piece of crap. *nlm

Car has bad sulfur odor when driving slow or stoping .also , condition appears to be worst with a full tank of gas .level of odor can be light to level giving you a headacke

While the car was idle or driven at low speeds a very bad (rotten) smell enters the passenger cabin through the vents. the vehicle was taken to the dealer which could not determine where the smell was coming from. *nlm

While driving at any speed and without any prior warning vehicle will stall. *ak

Follow up to previous complaint. honda america says rotten egg smell from 2003 accord is hydrogen sulfide. honda is aware of the problem and the customer service rep. read me a prepared statement that the 2003 accords have a problem in releasing hydrogen sulfide due to design, it is not the gasoline. no technical service bulletins has been released. there is no fix. honda claims the problem should go away or dissipate sometime between 3000-5000 miles. i have 3950 miles and the smell is awful. honda will do nothing to help. according to the centers for disease control (cdc), hydrogen sulfide is a broad-spectrum poison! breathing high levels of hydrogen sulfide can cause death within just a few breaths! exposure to lower concentrations can result in eye irritation, a sore throat, cough, shortness of breath and fluid in the lungs. i have been showing some of these symptoms. why has nhtsa done nothing on this issue? the problem must be wide-spread as honda has a prepared statement for its reps to read over the phone. i will attempt a lemon law claim and/or civil action for damages due to injuries from exposure to the hydrogen sulfide. (incident date does not apply as this problem has been constant). *jb

Bought new 2003 accord ex in 1/03. since having the car, there has been a daily terrible "rotten egg" smell coming from the exhaust. dealer claims that it is from the winter blend of gas, but my old car never had this smell and no one i know that has a car has the same problem. the smell is so bad that people getting out of back doors will plug their noses and i must keep heat/air on recirculate and keep windows shut because when i stop at a light etc..., the smell gets into the cabin. if dealer continues to "not find a problem" i will consider lemon law lawsuit.

Nar 05/06/2003 mr the vehicles exhaust has emitted a pungent sulfur or rotten egg smell. dealer was notified. *cb

My 2003 honda accord has a really bad "rotten egg" smell almost immediately after i purchased the car in january of 2003. i was told honda was investigating the problem. after 8 months and 10,000 miles the car still smells and honda now says it is normal. this is not normal and i am very disapointed honda is not going to correct the problem. i own 2 hondas and they will be my last. we are going to pursue lemon laws as a last alternative

My wife and i purchased a 2003 honda accord in december of 2002. almost immediately the car put out this horrible (rotten egg smell). i know this is coming from the catalytic converter and i proceeded to tell the service people that this was the problem. i made an appointment so they could fix the problem. their response was that the gas i was using had a high sulfur content and we must switch gas stations immediately to get rid of the smell. so i tried every gas station in the area and the problem got worse. the car started to shake and seemed to be drawing power from the engine. the idle would also rise and fall when this shaking is happening. the odor became worse when the shaking would start. this smell is giving me a big headache and who knows what other health problems. so i called honda service to put the car in for service again. honda did not even want to look at it again, but with much yelling i got an appointment. they had the car all day and when my wife called to see if they fixed the problem they said there was nothing wrong with the car. they continued to explain that it is (the nature of the beast) and all cars put off this smell to some degree. i also noticed the gas mileage is not what honda stated it should be. so i called honda directly to file a complaint and found out that honda is aware of this problem, but has no solutions to fix it. honda assures me that after 10,000 to 15,000 miles goes by that the smell will decrease and go away. this smell started at 50 miles and is getting much worse at 4,500 miles. i will never buy another honda car or their products again as long as i live. i am also researching information about other 2003 honda accords with the same problems and found many with the same problem. i am going to get a lawyer involved to fight them. we the consumers should not let honda take advantage of us. honda should be ashamed to sell the consumers such a rotten egg. *nlm

They are selling me a lemon and fool me around with excuse. the engine light have been on six time during this two year. the first three time the engine light on, i did not have duplicatin code. sum up the six time report, i have two times code 0700 and two times code 1705. i called honda because they authorized this dealer to sell thie car, however, they told me since the dealer do the modification on the car (add the auto starter in the car), they don't responsible on any problem that related to autostarter, even they authorized tham to sell their car. then i talk to the assistant manager, he is very sacratic, he ask me the detail how i use the autostarter, my answer was perfect, seem to be nothing wrong. as well as he told me the last engine light on was a year ago, i told me i have not use the autostarter for a year, because i decided to leave my baby with my mother-in-law, but i use the autostarter recently. then he blame me, perhap it could be as simple as losing the gas cap, or you use pc or cellphone in the car trigger the engine light. then i ask him what is the list of action i cannot do in the car, he told me he has the list, but he cannot find it. i ask the service rep can i have the summary to what you did for the past six time fixing, service rep told me that summary will not reflect the detail of what happen, only the date and your name. here is the list of problems my car has: check engine light on 6th time, dec 2002, code 700 customer statres cd changer is inop, april 2002 balancing 2 tires on dec 2001, miscommuncate check engine light on 5th time, nov 2001, malfunction a/t sensor check engine light on 4th time, sept 2001, code 1705 repaired rear bumper assembly, nov 2001 check engine light on 3rd time, june 2001, code 0700, 1705 auto start doesn't work check engine light on 2nd time, march 2001, code 900 check engine light on 1st time, jan 2001, code 1456

This 2003 honda accord has caused me a lot of problems since the beginning i bought it. just after 2 weeks with around 500 miles all this rattling noises started coming from the doors and windows. i took it to the dealer, they fixed it, but the problem was back less than a week after. today i have 14000 miles on my car and i have been to the dealer more then 20 times for this problem. they have replaced the run channels and other parts without any success. also the interior is falling a part; the middle compartment is not working. the cd compartment gets stuck all the time. the engine is making a lot of noise, feels like its actually sitting in the passenger side next to me. i know this is not the quality honda has, my wife has a 1996 accord and it doesn_x0019_t make as much noises as mine, and it also runs better. honda needs to take quality seriously. and help me out with this lemon car.*ak

I purchased a 2003 accord ex v6, in november of 2002. since delivery,there has been an awful smell of rotten eggs. i contacted the dealer several times to fix the problem, they agreed to replace the catalytic converters, still smelled after i picked it up. called their 800# and they said the smell will disappear after about 7,000-8,000 miles of driving. this was at 5,000 miles i currently have 11,000 and the smell is not disappearing. this is such a potent smell that it gives me a headache and i also get dizzy from these toxic fumes. this is not the type of problems i should be having for spending almost $30,000 for a brand new car. any help or advise would be greatly appreciated. *jb

My wife and i purchases a 2003 honda accord in november of 2002. almost immediately the car emitted a rotten egg smell. i've been around cars for quite awhile and i knew right away it was a smell given off from a catalytic convertor. we took the car in within a month or so of the purchase to have it checked. they were unable to find any problem and could not recreate the problem. the primary the smell would occur was when entering the highway or accelerating from stoplight to stoplight. the car now haw almost 11k miles on it and the problem is getting worse. it is also not getting the same mileage that our previous 2000 accord v6 got. the dealer was unable to find anything wrong in this area as well. this will be our last honda since the problems are occurring with no obvious solution available.

I purchased a 2003 honda accord in october 2002 - i have had the brakes/rotors replaced twice. i'm concerned over safety. what recourse is available once the car is no longer under warranty and i am going through brakes and rotors approximately every 8000 miles? in addition, i noticed very soon after purchase that at initial start up, and until car had been driven for awhile there is a "chatter" noise. i thought at first it was my imagination, as this was something had heard in older cars - such as a lifter chatter. it has become increasingly noticeable and at some start up times sounds like a diesel. at apprx 23,000 i requested the dealer to check for the noise, but by the time the car gets to the dealer there is no longer the cold start, and it no longer makes the noise.

Extreme rotten egg odor entering inside cabin and poor gas mileage.*ak