Problems with 2003 Honda Accord SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC

I am the first owner of 2003 accord, ex. my car has 113,000 miles on it. its a well maintained car i kept for years. i must say that this car is excellent, however, there are signs that some parts are not functioning really well lately. for the past few months, i noticed my tcs sign on the dashboard comes on and off together with the triangle sign in orange. it started coming on after i turned off the ignition to my first destination and after just like 10-15 minutes and start my engine again, it will come on after driving for next 5-10 minutes. also, just two weeks ago i noticed that the gear gets stuck on "park" mode and i have to press the handle before it gets released. i am not sure if the gear has something to do with the tcs and triangle showing on the dashboard. also, i noticed my car has an issue with brakes when driving while raining. i have to step on the brakes a few times when its slippery to be able to come to a full stop. it's so scary that i almost hit the car in front of me a few times. i am lodging my complain so the manufacturer would take a look on this issue as i found all the complaints on tcs issue on 2003 honda accord ex online when i was trying to look for a solution on the same issue for my car. *tr

Since july 2011 , my 2003 honda accord lx v6 experienced sluggish in the transmission. sometime, suddenly, my car felt like someone slammed on the brakes causing me to jerking forward. it happened a few more times, then in september 2011, i brought the car in the dealer for the transmission service. i told the dealer service advisor about the symptom, after the dealer flushed the transmission fluid, then told me that the car sometime sluggish, replaced the fluid will fixed this.the problem got worse, more noise, jerking when the car automatically shifting, in november , the traction control system engaged, and the engine check light were illuminated.the car was slow to move. brought the car to the dealer again on 11/14/2011, the dealer told me that the car "needs linear shift solenoid and brake light switch, parts had to be ordered, and the car can be drive !!! i drove the car home, it was so bad that i had to let the car sit waiting for parts. on 11/29/2011, the dealer replaced the linear shift solenoid and the brake light switch, then told me that the problem was fixed. got the car home, the next day , i only drove about 5 miles, the noise and all the symptoms came back. i had to brought the car back to the dealer again. this time, they consulted with the honda company technical service. after several days, the dealer told me that honda technical service determine that the power train (transmission) is causing the problem; i need a transmission replacement, and it cost $3900.00. called honda customer service to register a complain about honda service. this definitely need a recall. *tr

2003 honda accord. consumer writes in regards to abs system malfunctioning *tgw the consumer stated the abs malfunction happened twice. *jb

2003 honda accord ex 4 door sedan . i have had a soft,touchy brake pedal since the car reached 55,000 miles. before that it was perfect,rock solid. i took it to the honda dealership and the service advisor told me that they couldn't find anything wrong but they would replace the brake master cylinder and the abs electronic modulator under my warranty. after few days the problem did not improve. the brake pedal went 1/2 way down easily and then the disc brakes just locked up all of a sudden. the driver had no real control over the braking actiion. i returned to the dealer and they called honda repair and talked to a tech. he said that a soft,touchy pedal was normal on these cars. i told them that up to 55,000 miles the brakes were perfect. what had happened? they did not know. so i had them replace all my pads and turned all rotors.i then had them bleed the brakes. the stopping power did increase but the soft,touchy brake pedal remained. after going back to the dealer the 3rd time to complain,they finally just told me that they could not find anything wrong with my brakes and therefore could not help me. so i went to another dealer and had them rebleed my brakes just to be sure that there was no air in the system. after they did that my brake pedal firmed up a little bit. but after 2-3 days the soft,touchy pedal returned. no one at honda could give me any explanation. now i am reading about defects allowing air into the braking system from the abs modulator and i am thinking now that it is the problem. it would explain why my brake pedal was fine for about 5 years and then all of a sudden the brake pedal problem appeared. i also drove a new 2010 accord ex 4 door to compare the brakes. the new honda had a very firm,solid brake pedal. so i went back to the service department and told them that i wanted them to fix my brakes so that they felt like the 2010 accord's brakes. i was told by the service advisor that everything was fine and that it was my imagination. *tr

This issue is related to braking performance under raining condition. when driving under the rain, the brake performance is dramatically reduced. the car simply slip and hardly stop when pressing the brake. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 honda accord. while driving approximately 5 mph, the vehicle suddenly stopped. the contact waited a few seconds and restarted; the vehicle performed normally after the restart. the failure occurred five times. the vehicle was taken to a local repair shop where the timing chain and valve cover were replaced; however the abs light was illuminated. the vehicle had not been repaired. the failure mileage was approximately 53,000 and the current mileage was approximately 62,000.

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 honda accord. while attempting to pull out of a driveway, the contact depressed the accelerator pedal, but the vehicle failed to move. suddenly, the vehicle shot backwards into the street at 45 mph. she then attempted to place the vehicle into drive once again, but it would not move. suddenly, the vehicle sped forward. she heard a loud noise, but did not know the origin. the contact attempted to drive home, but the vehicle failed again on a main road with moderate to heavy traffic. she aimed the vehicle toward the nearest curb and restarted the vehicle. pointed in the direction of a curb, she was able to move the vehicle towards the curb with one jerk. the previous week, the contact noticed the transmission banging into gear when shifting. the vin was not included in nhtsa campaign id number 04v176000 (power train:automatic transmission), although the failures were similar. other failures include the abs sensor light, cd player, air compressor leakage, trunk release not functioning, and the catalytic converter. the vehicle was towed to the dealer as instructed by the manufacturer and a local mechanic also inspected the vehicle. the vehicle has not been repaired. the failure and current mileages were 60,446. updated 07/29/08. *lj updated 08/05/08. *jb

Brakes fail in reverse above 6000 ft when car is cold. dealer said this is a known issue by honda and say it cannot be repaired without updating car's software which honda refuses to do. dealer has had multiple complaints about brake failure at altitude when cold. honda states that the car is working as designed regardless of the fact that the brakes completely fail. fails every day since we have moved. car narrowly missed pedestrian due to brake failure. *jb

When anti-lock brake is activated, the brake is so weak as none!!! very dangerous when you need brake most and the anti-lock brake has no stopping power! it always happens when the road is slippery. *jb

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 honda accord. on march 3, 2007 the brake smalfunctioned. a mechanic diagnosed the failure as the rear brake drums. the contact stated that the brake pedal began to vibrate and grind only when trying to stop the vehicle. this failure originally began in january 2007. on march 22, 2007 the the vehicle was brought to the dealer due to loud noises. the dealer stated that the front rotors and brake pads needed to be replaced. the failure mileage was 39541.*ak

Dt*: the contact stated while attempting to apply brake pressure at all speeds the brakes grab and jerk as if they were being applied to hard causing the occupants to go forward. the dealership was unable to determine the problem with the brakes.

Dt*: the contact stated while applying brake pressure at various speeds, the brake pedal went to the floor almost touching the accelerator pedal. the vehicle was seen by a dealer who determined the placement of the brake pedal normal.

Consumer 2003 accord brakes pulsate and grind with no warning light of brake problems. *ts the vehicle was taken to the dealer who replaced the rotors. the consumer found out that this was the third set of rotors replaced on the vehicle. the previous owner had the rotors replaced. six months after the rotors were replaced the consumer heard grinding noises and felt the brakes pulsating when pressed. *nm

Leased new 2003 honda accord with manual transmission in july, 2003. have had minor, but irritating problems, with the car since it's lease. power windows activate intermittently, battery died after 15,000 miles, and brake light went out. dealer took care of all issues except windows. they still operate on their option, not mine. at 29,000 miles, heard grinding noise in rear brakes. took car into dealership and they claimed that it was our fault for not "having the rust removed" at 15,000 mile check-up. never heard of anything like this. wheels were never removed by dealership for inspection. took vehicle to independent mechanic for repair and found that rear brakes pads had worn down unevenly. pads and rotors had to be replaced on rear brakes. front brakes are fine. from my reading of this web site about the problems other people have been having with this brake system, i am filing a complaint and hope that this problem will soon be looked into before someone is seriously injured. this is our third honda and have never had any problems with the brake systems at such early mileage. *nm

I was driving 70 mph on the freeway, and i stepped on my brakes gently to slow down hill. the car started to shake. when i brought it to the dealer's attention during my service, i was told that it was my rotors warped and brake pads rubbing on each other. i research this online through www.mycarstats.com, www.edmunds.com, www.hondaaccordforum.com, and this was a common problem. the dealer told me that everytime i changed my brakes every 20k miles, i would need the rotors resurfaced. this is a cost of $200 at the dealership. it is expensive and unreasonable to expect all accord owners to do this. i called another honda dealership service in the area, and was told that they see this come in every 3 days. *nm

I'm leasing my 2003 honda accord lx. at 20,000 miles my brakes were pulsating and steering wheel was vibrating when braking at 55mph. took the car to the dealer to have the rotors re-surfaced. now at 40,000 miles i'm experiencing the same problem. honda service says it's the way i'm driving and that if i re-surface rotors again i will continue to have the same problem due to my driving. after doing some research on the internet, i don't think it's my driving but a manufacturers defect. there are many customers who are experiencing this same problem. i don't feel safe driving. *nm

Late april 2005, brake pedal went almost to the floor while trying to stop. thought was going to strike vehicle ahead but at the last second the brakes seemd to catch and vehicle was able to stop. at that time tcm light came on. no one injured. dealer could find no problem with tcm system and replaced front disc brakes and turned rotors. vehicle had 27,700 miles at that time. second and third occurrences were in mid november 2005. same thing with pedal going almost to floor with brakes not engaging and at last minute they engaged with vehicle able to stop. tcm light did not come on this time. dealer could not find any problem with brake system, nor could he repeat problem in the 8 hours he had the vehicle. no repairs made. dealer said he has not heard of this problem but has several tsb's on brake rotors and brakes. vehicle had 34559 miles at this time. *nm

Dt: the contact stated since ownership of the vehicle the front brake rotors have been changed twice. when driving grinding noise came from the brakes. also, the brakes pulsated. intermittently the brake pedal will have to be depressed to the floor the stop the vehicle. the manufacturer has been contacted they have determined there was no brake problem. *ak

Dt: the contact stated the brake rotors failed multiple times. when the brakes were applied there was a grinding noise. sometimes the brakes will not work unless full pressure was applied. the was extended stopping distance when the failure occurred. the dealership replaced the rotors due to warping. the problem returned after the replacement. the rotors were replaced before by the previous owner. *ak

When backing down my angled driveway, when the car is cold, the brakes do not adequately stop the car. in fact the car continues movement even when the brake pedal is pressed firmly. this is a serious concern should i need to stop suddenly and yet the car continues to move. the car also does this when driving in a forward movement down the driveway, but not to the same degree as driving and braking backward. the dealer and looked at the car twice, and tell me this is normal because the car revs up high when cold to reduce pollution, and the drum brakes are not strong enough to stop the car when backing down a grade. *nm

I believe there is a brake design or manufacturing defect in my 2003 honda accord v6. the dealership has replaced the front rotors on my vehicle twice within 37,000 miles. in addition, the front brake pads were replaced once and the rear brake rotors resurfaced once within this milage period. going through three sets of rotors and one set of brake pads within 37,000 miles means there is either a design or manufacturing defect in the brake system. i experienced no brake failures as a result of these problems.*ak

I have had my vehicle serviced for brake issues on 3 separate occasions. brakes were replaced, drums & rotors replaced and still have issues. i wrecked my vehicle because brakes failed to hold. honda claims that there is nothing wrong with my brakes and that service was done for customer. satisfaction. after the wreck, i picked up the car from the body shop, brakes remain an issue. *la

The brakes grinded, and there was extended stopping distance when braking were used on snow covered roads. vehicle has been to the dealer on three separated occasions, and they were unable to locate the cause of the problem. also, dealer advised the consumer to take the vehicle to a dealer in the snow area, and let them inspect the brakes. no inspection was made at this time.*ak

Brakes are shaking really bad when braking. i thought it was just me, but it appears several people in forums are reporting the same symptoms and issues. *jb

Complaint received via e-mail. heard a screeching noise from the front end brake. the auto repair shop upon inspection of the brake pad noticed that they were cracked. they indicated that this was a defect in the quality of the brake pad, and this shouldn't of happen. they kept the brake pad. *ak

dt: the contact owns a 2003 honda accord. the contact stated that while driving at 60 -65 mph applied the brakes and there was vibration in the steering wheel. there was minor vibration in the steering at lower speeds, but there was more extreme vibration at higher speeds. the vehicle was taken to the dealership to see what the problem with the vehicle was. the consumer did not know exactly what waswrong with the vehicle but felt it could be something within the brakes or rotors. the manufacturer stated that there iwasno recall for this vehicle. t has not had the brakes or any components replaced since he has purchased the vehicle. *ak

2003 honda accord exhibited grinding brake noise when brand new (9-03). has been in for brake service 6 times. was told by service manager at cary auto park honda that honda was aware of the defective warped rotors and planned to recall them in the fall of 2003. my rotors were replaced with more defective rotors while waiting for the recall that still has yet to happen. on 10-16-04, i had the rotors inspected by an independent mechanic who said that they were most definitely defective. i am experiencing an ever increasing amount of grinding and shuddering when applying the brakes. i want my "lemon" repaired correctly. i purchased a new car with the understanding that it was free of defects and any defects found would be corrected under warranty. *ak

Warped rotors. brake pads need to be replaced. brakes have been pulsating since around 15000 miles. i have taken the car to dealership on several occasions. on second occasion they produced a memo which stated that several people complained of the vibration and that it was normal for the rotors to heat up and cool down, but they are not warped. today they told us that it is due to harsh driving and driving in the canyon. they are telling my husband that brake pads and rotors are not covered past 12,000 miles and honda does not cover a "wear" item. we currently have 35,000 miles. so far the repair is going to cost 360.00 with a discount.*ak

When applying brakes there is a growling sound and vibrations. vehicle has 30,000 miles is under 100,000 mile warranty. was told by honda that this model year has soft brake pads and therefore soft rotors. the brakes have 45% wear according to honda which made the rotor warp. they say not covered under warranty. have done nothing yet. *ak

Brake failure. *bf primarily a complaint about michelin tires. *jcc the tire had poor grip in the rain. the consumer stated when he slammed on the brakes, the vehicle slowed very gradually only because the consumers foot was off the gas pedal and the vehicle coasted, approximately 2-3 seconds later, the brakes applied very gently. the consumer as well as the mechanic at the dealership believed there was a momentary failure of the abs. *jb

While driving vehicle flipped in the air, hit a culvert and then hit a guard rail. no air bag was deployed. consumer lost control of the vehicle and hit a guard rail, flipped over three times, and landed on top. upon impact, both frontal air bags did not deploy. driver and passenger sustained head a neck injuries, and were transported by ambulance to the hospital. vehicle was towed and totaled by the insurance company. *ak *tc

When the brake pedal was depressed there was a metal to metal noise. the vehicle was taken to the dealership two days later. the dealership indicated that the rotors needed to be replaced because they couldn't be resurfaced. *jb

I've had a major problem with the brakes on my 2003 honda accord lx, starting at about 6,000 miles. the problem is front calipers, rotors, and pads with a complaint of "brake judder". the car does not and never has with the exception of the first few thousand miles brake normally. this noise and irregular breaking happens in normal driving and there is an unstable feel to the brakes when braking firmly in an emergency. i brought it back to the huntington honda dealer 3x with that specific problem and was told they saw nothing wrong and on only one occasion made an adjustment and at the same time telling me they saw nothing wrong. now i see now that a tsb has been issued for these brake problems. consequently, now that my car is off of the warranty and i'm reading about thousands of other accord '03 owners with this same exact problem. there should definitely be a recall on this problem. this is a potential safety risk to the owners of these honda accords and other drivers on the road if an accident occurred because of these faulty brakes. now that my car is off warranty i feel as if i have little recourse even though i brought this problem to their attention three times when the car was covered. something more should be done about this issue with the honda company before injuries or death result because of these faulty brakes. i also want to add that i am very disappointed in honda. previous to this accord i owned a civic and i never had a problem like this. i owned the car for 10 years and put 175, 000 miles on it. i most likely will never buy a honda again and never recommend one to anyone else. thank you. *jb

Rotors were defective. they had to be serviced at 12,000 miles. consumer stated he previously owned another honda and the same problem existed. the material was inferior. manufacturer was notified. *ak

My 2003 honda accord ex needed new rotors and brake pads at 11,000 miles. i do not ride the brake and am rarely (maybe once every 2-3 months) in stop and go traffic. i was charged $350 by my dealer to get this problem fixed. i started to wonder why my car had this problem. after internet research, i am finding out i am not the only one with this problem. in fact, it's quite common and something needs to be done. *ak

I filed a previous complaint #10075304. i had my rotors resurfaced at 30500 by an independent mechanic who said they are warped. my warranty is up. now have 35000 on vehicle and brakes are terrible again.*ak

I purchased my 2003 accord 4dr about 2 months ago. i started hearing an awful front brake noise at speeds >40mph and the steering wheel would shake. it almost felt like the car wouldn't stop. i'm taking the car into the dealership this evening for this and other issues, however, the service manager seemed as if he had never heard of this problem before. it's annoying to think that the service manager would not be aware of it since it has been so common.*ak

Consumer's vehicle was struck from left side/ rear, applied the brakes and they failed. then, vehicle struck a car.*ak the vehicle contiued down the street the consumer tried to stop the vehicle as the brake pedal was firmly pressed the vehicle would not stop. the vehicle was then steered to a grassy spot and stopped on its own. *tc

I have a 2003 honda accord ex v6. the car is currently in the shop, again, for the same problem. there is vibration of the steering wheel while driving the car. the car only has 28,000 highway miles on the car, i drive 80 miles each day, and already there have been 3 sets of rotors on the car. there is an inch thick of brake dust on the front wheels. the last time they replaced the rotors, i drove it 500 miles in one week and had to send the car back in.*ak this is an ongoing problem and from what i have read from the complaints about this, this is a common thing to happen on these vehicles.

I was told that my rear brake pads need to be changed at my 22500 maintenance. i do not drive the car excessively and definitely do not ride my brakes. everyexpert i've asked thinks that it is absurd that i need to change my rear brake pads so early. i've had other problems with the car as well such as a moonroof malfunction and a throttle modulator defect. i am concerned that my car is defective. *ak

Strong vibration when braking on 2003 honda accord after 16000 miles. dealer specified that pads and rotors were fine. after demanding that something had to be done, dealer resurfaced rotors and replaced pads as "good faith", but indicated that they were not responsible in the future...despite number of complaints regarding rotors on 2003 model. i expect this issue will reappear since other complaints suggest an issue with the rotor itself.*ak

When braking the car shakes significantly and steering wheel moves side-to-side. *jb

2003 honda accord recall on tranmission. *bf consumer learned of recall on the internet. recall automatic transmission second gear inspection was performed. alarm key remote no range, must be right up on car to work. front brake noise and/or judder. front brake discs were refinished and new front brake pads. tires were rotated and and rear brake service was performed. *tt

While attempting to apply the brakes the pedal began to pulsate, as a result the consumer experienced extended stopping distance. please provide additional information. *jb

The front brakes on my wife's 2003 accord lx are the problem. we bought the car new in nov. 2002. no problems for the first year, then in nov. 2003 we noticed a growling or grinding sound with vibration emanating from the front brakes when stopping the first few times after a cold start. under these conditions, the car did not seem to stop as smartly as it should. took it to the dealer at 24000 miles, who diagnosed the problem as cracked front pads. pads were replaced as a courtesy, though they are not covered under warranty, and the rotors were resurfaced. last week, the problem reappeared in a panic stop situation in stop-and go traffic, 3 blocks after a cold start. the car now has 33k miles. same grinding sound, same vibration, and not enough braking power to stop the car from 20 mph in a safe distance. we collided with a range rover at very low speed, not enough to deploy the air bag or damage the other vehicle. now i am looking at several thousand dollars in body repairs. when i get the body fixed, i can take the car back to the dealer for another diagnosis on the brakes. even with new pads and/or rotors, i am not confident that this will be a safe-stopping car. *la

I am having recurring brake problems with my 2003 accord ex. all problems relate to a soft pedal or rather having the pedal to the floor prior to the car stopping. the first instance i took the car back to the dealer where they said there was a defective master brake cylinder. this seem to correct the problem but in a couple of months the car developed the same problem. i returned it to the dealer where they said there was air in the line. this seemed to fix the problems but after 3 months i had to take car back and have now been told that they are going to replace the master brake cylinder one more time. this is the third strike in the lemon law. if the brakes go soft again then the lemon law takes effect.

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

When first braking after the car sits overnight, the brake pedal is hard and with it in reverse it backs up and cant be stopped without pumping the brakes . wife backed into car in driveway and dented the trunk lid on the honda. thought it was one time deal, but it happened 3 more times. took it to dealer and they had tsb on and fixed it. brake hose would collapse and cause failure. they put a new hose part 7185473, i called honda, they would not fix dent because it was not a recall, it was a tsb. this was a dangerous situation and i should have been notified.. their attitude was it was my fault that the brakes did not work and will not repair the trunk damage. what do i do??? *jb

While braking there was extended stopping distance. dealership was notified, but did not solve the problem. *ak

The brakes pulsate when applied....already changed the pads twice still the same problem, rotors were replaced, then turned also. the clutch will stick when the vehicle has been operated for a period of time. the key is disconnect communication with the car, causing everything to be shut off. dealer checked and said nothing was wrong.*ak