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#BS-2003-HONACC-65A1

2003 Honda AccordProblems, Recalls & Reliability

Based on reports from 2,384 owners and 24 recalls for this exact model.

Data updated ·checked October 30, 2026 · NHTSA complaints through October 28, 2026

Complaints
2,384
Crashes
189
Fires
23
Recalls
24
TSBs
382
🛑

Preliminary Verdict

Red Flag

Based on 2,384 complaints, 189 crashes, 23 fires, and 24 recalls. Complaint rate is 10.7x the class average. This is the worst model year for this vehicle.

See full verdict with buy/skip conditions

Top reported problems

1

transmission failure

505 complaints • Severity 9.3/10

$X,XXX
2

not shifting properly

163 complaints • Severity 8.4/10

$X,XXX
3

transmission slips out of gear

127 complaints • Severity 8.7/10

$X,XXX
4

stereo backlight blew

87 complaints • Severity 6.5/10

$X,XXX
5

clear coat coming off

72 complaints • Severity 7.5/10

$X,XXX

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Mechanic Inspection Checklist

!Check the Power Train:automatic TransmissionHIGH

576 owners reported power train:automatic transmission issues — failures commonly reported around 88K miles.

!Inspect the DrivetrainMED
Look for symptoms of wear and premature failure
+ 6 more items in full checklistUnlock

Failure Timeline by Mileage

354
0–30K
216
30–60K
404
60–90K
441
90–120K
269
120–150K
209
150K+

Peak failure range: 90–120K miles (441 reports) • Median: 88K miles

Full report: which components fail at each mileageUnlock

30,000-Mile Cost Projection

Best Case

$X,XXX

Most Likely

$X,XXX

Worst Case

$X,XXX

Top cost driver: Power Train:automatic Transmission (576 reports).

Includes fuel costs, common repairs, and recall riskUnlock

Also in your report

Owner Intelligence

AI-synthesized themes from real complaints

Buyer Lot Checklist

Questions, test drive checks, walk-away triggers

Negotiation Talking Points

Data-backed dollar deductions

Buy / Skip Verdict

Final recommendation with conditions

10 sections total in the full reportUnlock all

Where the complaints fall

Power Train:automatic Transmission576 (24%)
Drivetrain339 (14%)
Airbags253 (11%)
Engine92 (4%)
Electrical82 (3%)
Steering80 (3%)
Speed Control67 (3%)
Service Brakes, Hydraulic:foundation Components:disc:rotor63 (3%)

2003 Honda Accord: Known Issues & Problem Areas

Power Train:automatic Transmission Issues

Power Train:automatic Transmission complaints account for 24% of all reports filed for the 2003 Honda Accord, with 576 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. The median mileage at time of complaint is 88,000 miles, suggesting issues tend to surface around the 88K-mile mark.

Drivetrain Issues

Drivetrain complaints account for 14% of all reports filed for the 2003 Honda Accord, with 339 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to drivetrain-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Airbags Issues

Airbags complaints account for 11% of all reports filed for the 2003 Honda Accord, with 253 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to airbags-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Engine Issues

Engine complaints account for 4% of all reports filed for the 2003 Honda Accord, with 92 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to engine-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Data sourced from NHTSA owner complaints and community reports. The full report analyzes severity, repair costs, and failure patterns for each category.

Complaint trend by year

2
02
218
03
225
04
73
05
81
06
69
07
155
08
186
09
299
10
256
11
156
12
135
13
124
14
126
15
55
16
56
17
42
18
44
19
20
20
13
21
11
22
17
23
7
24
7
25
7
26

Complaints filed with NHTSA by year for the 2003 Honda Accord. Recent trend: stable.

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Repair costs • Negotiation scripts • Mechanic checklist • Buy/skip verdict

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Recall History (24 recalls)

04V176000Apr 2004

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

ON SOME MINI VANS, SPORT UTILITY AND PASSENGER VEHICLES, CERTAIN OPERATING CONDITIONS CAN RESULT IN HEAT BUILD-UP BETWEEN THE COUNTERSHAFT AND SECONDARY SHAFT SECOND GEARS IN THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION, EVENTUALLY LEADING TO GEAR TOOTH CHIPPING OR GEAR BREAKAGE.

06E023000May 2006

EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS

CERTAIN ANZO COMBINATION HEADLAMP ASSEMBLIES SOLD AS REPLACEMENT LAMPS FOR USE ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES. SOME COMBINATION LAMPS ARE NOT EQUIPPED WITH AMBER SIDE REFLECTORS WHICH FAIL TO CONFORM TO FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 108, "LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES, AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT."

06E025000May 2006

EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS

CERTAIN POLI-AUTO COMBINATION HEADLAMP ASSEMBLIES, P/NOS. 11-728, 11-728D, 11-710, 11-419, 11-713, 11-703, 11-704, 11-708P, 11-735, 11-725, 11-726, 11-716 (P&C), 11-721-1, 11-733, 11-729, 11-730, AND 11-732, SOLD AS REPLACEMENT LAMPS FOR USE ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES. SOME COMBINATION LAMPS THAT ARE NOT EQUIPPED WITH AMBER SIDE REFLECTORS FAIL TO CONFORM TO FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 108, "LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES, AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT."

06E032000Apr 2006

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

CERTAIN EAGLE EYES AND SONAR HEADLIGHTS AND CORNER LIGHTS SOLD AS AFTERMARKET FOR USE ON 1988-2005 HONDA CIVIC, 1990-2005 HONDA ACCORD, AND 1990-2001 ACURA INTEGRA PASSENGER VEHICLES LISTED ABOVE. HEADLIGHTS AND CORNER LIGHTS THAT ARE NOT EQUIPPED WITH AMBER SIDE REFLECTORS FAIL TO CONFORM TO FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 108, LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES, AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT.

06E038000May 2006

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

CERTAIN ALFAOTTO COMBINATION HEADLAMPS SOLD AS REPLACEMENT LAMPS FOR USE ON THE ABOVE LISTED PASSENGER VEHICLES. SOME COMBINATION LAMPS THAT ARE NOT EQUIPPED WITH AMBER SIDE REFLECTORS FAIL TO CONFORM TO FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 108, LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES, AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT.

+ 19 more recalls in the full report

Recall severity analysis & seller scripts

The full report rates each recall's severity and gives you scripts for asking the seller about recall completion.

Unlock

NHTSA Defect Investigations (5)

2 investigations still open: NHTSA is examining whether a defect warrants a recall.

EA09001ClosedOpened Jan 2009 · closed Oct 2010

Ignition Shift Interlock

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:ANTI-THEFT:CONTROL MODULE

EA15001OpenOpened Feb 2015

Air Bag Inflator Rupture

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL

EA21002OpenOpened Sep 2021

Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:DRIVER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE

PE14016ClosedOpened Jun 2014 · closed Mar 2015

Air Bag Inflator Rupture

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL

RQ08006ClosedOpened Sep 2008 · closed Jan 2009

IGNITION PARK-SHIFT INTERLOCK

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:ANTI-THEFT:CONTROL MODULE

This is the worst model year for the Honda Accord according to owner complaint data. The biggest problem area is transmission.

2003 Honda Accord vs. Class Average (Midsize Cars)

This vehicle

2,384

Class avg

223

10.7x the class average — significantly more complaints than typical midsize cars vehicles.

Complaint counts correlate with sales volume — popular vehicles naturally generate more reports. The full report normalizes for this.

About this data

NHTSA Complaints

Federal database of owner-filed safety complaints. 2,384 records for this vehicle.

NHTSA Recalls

Manufacturer-issued safety recalls. 24 recalls found for this vehicle.

Repair Cost Data

Real-world repair costs from owner reports and independent databases.

Last updated (checked October 30, 2026). NHTSA complaints received through October 28, 2026.

Other Honda Accord Model Years

20262025202420232022202120202019201820172016201520142013201220112010200920082007200620052004200320022001200019991998199719961995199419931992199119901989198819871986198519841983198219811979197819771976
View all Honda Accord years →

2003 Honda Accord: Frequently Asked Questions

What is the most common problem with the 2003 Honda Accord?
The most commonly reported issue with the 2003 Honda Accord is related to the power train:automatic transmission, with 576 complaints filed with NHTSA.
Is the 2003 Honda Accord reliable?
The 2003 Honda Accord has 2,384 complaints, 189 crash reports, and 23 fire reports filed with NHTSA. This is 10.7x the class average — higher than typical for its segment.
How much does it cost to fix 2003 Honda Accord problems?
Repair costs vary by issue. The full BumperScan report includes detailed repair cost estimates (low/median/high) for every major issue, plus a 30,000-mile total cost of ownership projection.
Does the 2003 Honda Accord have any recalls?
Yes, the 2003 Honda Accord has 24 recalls on record. The full report includes recall severity analysis and scripts for asking the seller about recall completion.
What mileage do Honda Accord problems start?
Based on 1893 complaints with mileage data, the median mileage at time of complaint is 88,000 miles. The highest concentration of reported issues occurs in the 90–120K mile range. The full report breaks down exactly which components fail at each mileage bracket.
When was the 2003 Honda Accord data last updated?
BumperScan last checked this vehicle against NHTSA on October 30, 2026, covering owner complaints received through October 28, 2026 plus the latest recalls, investigations and technical service bulletins. Its numbers last changed on October 4, 2026.
What’s in the full report?
10 sections of AI analysis: severity-ranked issues, component scores (0-100), 30K-mile cost projection, failure timeline by mileage, recall details with seller scripts, owner sentiment analysis, mechanic checklist, buyer lot checklist, negotiation ammo with dollar figures, and a buy/skip verdict.
How is this different from free NHTSA data?
NHTSA gives you raw complaint text. BumperScan cross-references 2.1M+ complaints with community repair cost data, EPA fuel data, and recall records — then uses AI to synthesize it into actionable advice with dollar figures.
How is this different from Carfax?
Carfax is VIN-specific history ($45/report). BumperScan is model-level reliability intelligence — what problems this car is known for, what they cost, and whether you should buy it. Complementary, not competing.
What if the report isn’t useful?
100% money-back guarantee. If the report doesn’t help you make a more informed decision, we’ll refund you — no questions asked.
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10 sections of AI analysis based on 2,384 owner reports. Know before you buy.

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