Problems with 2003 Honda Accord SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC

The brakes make the car shutter after only 7500 miles honda of america won't fix it under warranty. *jb

Brakes are no good after 6500 miles the dealer won't fix them under warranty because honda claims it's the way i drive. *ak

I am experiencing a brake rotor problem with my 2003 accord sedan. the car has 25000 miles and is going in for the 4th time for service on the brakes. the rotors were resurfaced twice and replaced once and the problem is back again.*ak

In may 2003, i purchased a new 2003 honda accord ex. soon after, i noticed a strong vibration when braking. i took the vehicle in to a honda dealer for service in august 2003. they determined there was a problem with the brake rotors. this appeared to fix the problem, but a couple months later, the vibrations returned. again, the dealer replaced the rotors. about one year later, the vibrations returned. i took the vehicle to a different dealer and they could not find anything wrong, so they just replaced the rotors again. this was in july 2004. this solved the problem until mid-2006 when the vibrations started again. i took the vehicle to another dealer. now all they did this time was resurface the rotors and change the brake pads. this time, i had to pay $375 to "fix" the problem as it is now out of warranty. *jb

The brakes kept locking up, causing extended stopping distance. taken in for repair 5 times, but the problem recurred. manufacturer has been contacted by consumer.*ak

While applying brakes there is vibration coming from the right rear wheel. *ak

Warped brake rotors. brake rotors on my 2003 accord ex v-6 warped at about 5,000 miles. i was unaware of this website at the time (about august 2003). the dealer resurfaced the rotors but blamed me for driving too fast on mountainous roads... seemed a bit rude and presumptuous on their part since i don't drive faster than normal traffic nor on mountain roads. the rotors started exhibiting warping again at about 9,000 miles. this seems like a common complaint and i suspect it may be due to poor selection of material or design of the rotors or brake system. *la

Brakes squealing constantly. rotors warped at 7,000 miles; now at 18,000 miles, brakes squealing and it appears rotors may be warped again. *la

2003 accord ex v6 mt. as others have reported here, and as reported elsewhere on the web and at owner forums, front brake system is defective. when braking lightly from interstate highway speeds (65-70) there is a powerful kickback into the steering wheel, especially on rough pavement. loss of vehicle control is a serious risk. this problem has persisted from the first day i owned the car. i asked the dealership about this problem before i bought the car (based on reading complaints here, which were fewer than what i see today), and was told they had received zero complaints about front brake problems on 2003 accords. the steering wheel vibration problem is absent on very smooth asphalt at any speed, so i wonder if it is other than a rotor issue. but in any event, having driven this car at 70 mph and hit the brakes rather modestly, i can tell you that this is not safe in my opinion. had i known this, i would not have bought this car at any price. this vehicle travels 100 miles per day with 85 of those miles on open highway. it is the 12th vehicle i have owned and the 1st vehicle to have this hideous steering wheel shutter. *la

There is a problem in the braking system of the new 2003 accord coupe. in march, i had to have the rotors resurfaced because of vibration. it is now only july and now the problem is back. my local honda dealer doesn't want to do anything about it, and that i must pay. i have researched the web and there are others who have similar complaints about the new accord coupe's brakes.*ak

My vehicle has been in the honda dealer with problems with the front brakes(warped rotors) , after having the front rotors resurfaced and pads replaced twice it was found that the front calipers were hanging up.my car just turned 17k miles and it has had problems with the front brakes since in had 8k miles, at that time i was told by the dealer that i was "riding" my brakes and they would only take care of this problem for me at no cost just this "one time". i feel honda is knows that 03 accords have brake probles and honda puts the blame on everone else except themselves. my vehicle has now been in the honda dealer for two weeks because they are unable to locate new calipers. from talking with other 03 accord owners and reading information on other websites, i'm not alone with this problem.*ak

I have had to resurface the rotors every 5,000 miles.*ak

Brake rotors on 2003 honda accord ex warped at 6000 miles and required resurfacing. vehicle now has 15000 miles on it and the problem has recurred. this is a safety issue in that the brakes are unreliable.*ak

The consumer stated the brake pads made a noise when they were relaeased from the caliper and the vehicle vibrated. *ak *jb

Brake vibrates at speed above 40 mph. happened around 9000 miles and problem persisted since then. *nlm

Brade pedal will not depress, resulting in inability to stop car.*ak

On june 23, 2003, i took this vehicle to the honda dealership in clovis, california. it had a problem with the vehicle shaking when i applied the brakes and a constant slight vibration in the steering wheel. this was done with the vehicle having 5,150 miles on it. the dealership resurfaced the front rotors. on july 17, 2003, i took this vehicle back to the honda dealership in clovis, california, for the same problem as before. this time i was charged for a balance and rotation which i agreed to. i left the dealership with a slight vibration in the steering wheel and was still experiencing a slight vibration while applying the brakes. this was done with the vehicle having 6, 784 miles on it. on october 17, 2003, i took this vehicle back to the honda dealership in clovis, california, for the same problem as before. this was done with the vehicle having 11,692 miles on it. the dealership resurfaced both the front and rear rotors. the vehicle now has 16,000 miles on it and it needs to go back into the repair shop once again for rotor warping. i feel there is a defect in the braking system with this new 2003 honda accord.*ak

At about the 12k miles, the brakes started to pulse during normal operation. dealer cut discs and installed new pads. at 24k miles, same situation. dealer replaced disc and new pads. dealer could not resolve problem. i am a mechanical engineer and an auto mechanic. the problem is the lower quality steel being used by honda for their disc brakes. i solved the problem by purchasing ($300 incl shp and handling) american racing disc. i have had no problems since then. conclusion: honda is using low quality steel in their disc brakes and has done nothing to improve their product quality. tsb are a poor/cheap way to solve problems. *nm

Brake rotors warped at 4000 miles. car has not been driven aggressively. rotors now slightly warped again at 8000 miles.*ak

While driving, and without warning the brakes failed, which caused extended stopping distance. dealer notified. *ak ph *jb

Brake rotors wear out prematurely, consumer has only owned the vehicle for seven months. dealer notified. *ak

Defective rotors on 2003 honda accord v6 sedan. immediately after buying the car, the front brakes vibrated. i thought it might go away. dealer inspected and "cut the rotors". defect was not corrected and got very bad such that whole car now vibrates. dealer failed to recognize and replace defective honda rotors, which he should have done when car was taken to him for this service. i have now had to try to find a private mechanic who will get suitable rotors and repair the brake system. all rotor manufacturers have stated that the failed rotors cannot be "fixed" by cutting them. they must be replaced or the defect will occur over and over with time. honda and the dealership have refused to replace them and did not replace them when first reported. *jb

My daughter and i were driving along a busy street when i attempted to slow down because the traffic ahead started slowing down for a red light and my car didn't respond to my braking. i was driving behind a bus and my car kept accelerating towards the bus. i threw the car in park - stripping the gears - and the car kept going. by some large miracle, there was a gap in the traffic coming in the opposite direction, so i turned into those lanes and traveled for a few feet before i came upon a one way street - not in my favor - it's another miracle no one was coming up that street, so i turned into the one way hoping to find some way to stop the car. the twists and turns took away some of the momentum and when i had gone about 1/3 of the way down the one way street, i yanked up the emergency brake and the car finally stopped. the car was towed into the dealership on tuesday, may 6, 2003 and they called me on wednesday, may 7th, to say that they ran all sorts of checks and found nothing wrong with the brakes. the fact that the brakes are now working does not mean that the brakes are good. my daughter and i can testify to that fact because we were the ones who faced that near death situation and i refuse to take a chance with our lives. there is a defect in the brakes and i would hate to start seeing reports of fatalities caused by this because they simply did not do extensive enough tests to find and fix the problem. the dealer is basically saying that since they can't find a problem, i have no choice but the take the car back. i absolutely cannot drive that car the way it is because i constantly visualize the outcome had i been traveling on a highway going 50 or 60 miles an hour. as it is, we are very lucky and thankful that everything worked in our favor and we did not crash. i don't want to become a statistic at which time they will break their necks to find and fix the problem....too late. *nlm

The braking system on some 2003 honda accords are defective. i brought a demo honda accord ex in feb '03 with around 4500 miles at purchase and has over 40000 now. 05/02/03 12,849 miles. i took my car back to the dealership (leith honda in raleigh) complaining of vibrations in the steering wheel when braking. i was told it it was caused by high speed braking and to change my driving habits. since it was a demo vehicle, the dealership resurfaced the rotors free of charge. 6/17 17,775 miles. i took the car back to the dealership with the same complaint.again, the technican said it was caused by high speed braking. the service advisor went on to tell me that this would be the last time it would be fixed free of charge. my rotors were resurfaced again. by late september, the car began having strong vibrations when braking. the condition had gotten progressively worse but i knew i didnt have the money to pay for the car itself and this brake problem. i called the honda dealership back and requested to speak with the service manager. it was at this time that i found out honda (tech line) was aware of the problem and that it would be fixed free of charge until a solution was in place. 10/08 30,550 miles. had my rotors replaced (boyd honda in oxford) 12/01 35,995 miles. took my car in for service for another matter but informed the service advisor, the vibrations were back. i learned a bullentin was posted for the '03 brake pads and they were replaced (boyd honda). 01/09/04 39,226 miles. returned to the dealership with signs of the problem present when braking after having the new pads put on. *ak

There is a popping noise that occurs once upon acceleration from a dead stop and while braking to come to a dead stop. i have taken the car in twice to correct this problem without any luck. first time honda replaced the master cylinder and the second time they replaced the calipers. *ak

Brakes make extremely loud grinding noise during first few uses of each drive. they seem to have less grip during the first few stops as well. dealer states this is a problem with noise insulator pads on 2003 accords and that honda has no fix at this point. dealer added temporary composite material until honda determines permanent fix. called honda customer relations and i am waiting for a response. dealer claims there is no safety risk. 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

Over the course of 3 years, with less than 27,000 miles, we have complained about the brakes on this car too many times to remember. we first noticed a squeaking sound at 4,000 miles when releasing the brake pedal with the car at a complete stop. we took the car to the dealer to have the brakes checked. they said the brakes were cold and the noise was normal. this noise continued and a second noise, much louder and resembling a "sticking caliper" began to occur when turning and applying the brakes. the dealer again did not find a problem. this was at 11,000 miles. later, another mechanic said there was a "hot" spot on the rotor from braking too hard and this was causing the noise, though no remedy has been found. the brakes have always felt soft and the noises continue, though i do not believe the dealer ever checked the rotors or did a proper inspection. now at 26,400 miles the pedal feels like a sponge and i am going to have to pay someone else to check the brakes again. sometimes the brakes grab very hard, sometimes they seem not to grab at all. honda needs to recall the cars or provide free brake inspections to insure the car will stop as expected. this is an accident waiting to happen and others have also complained of the same problems. the brakes have not completely failed, but we have had to assume they will not stop the car as they were advertised, in a reasonable distance relative to speed. no parts have been replaced or corrective measure completed despite several requests to the dealer (most while the car was supposed to be under warranty). *nm

There is a pulsating in the vehicle, and it has become extremely hard to stop. the vehicle does not feel like it is stopping completely. *ak

Intermittently when braking vehicle would not stop. also, vehicle would commence to accelerate, and then the brakes would hold. vehicle had been to the dealer on five separate occasions and they could not locate the cause of the problem.*ak

While driving the abs and traction control warning lights illuminated. consumer took vehicle to dealer who advised that the anti-lock brake and traction control systems had failed. dealer also advised corrective part is not in the united states and would not be able to obtain until possible 02/15/03. *nlm

Since i brought the car home, i had intermittent issues with the abs system. the vehicle has been serviced 4 times, the wheel sensor has been replaced and the abs controller has been replaced, now i have been told by the service manager that honda does not want the dealer to look at my car until honda has a solution for the problem. ever since my last service, i have been without abs and traction control, it is not an intermittent problem any more. when this first occurred, the service manager stated that this was just the second car with the problem, but as of my last service, he stated that it is a growing problem.*jb