Honda Accord 2003 EX-V6 Transmission Failure Christian Donner, March 4, 2009December 22, 2013 [Visit the Facebook Group] So we joined the ranks of people who own a 2003 Honda Accord with a broken transmission. As of 3/4/2009, Carcomplaints.com listed close to 200 similar cases, and it is safe to assume that there were many more who have not found that website, but paid the $3500 that it costs to have the transmission replaced. The damage to Honda’s reliability reputation must be devastating already, but no recall has been issued. Initially, we did not feel quite ready to spend this kind of money, either. I thought that maybe a new transmission was not really needed. Given today’s market conditions, $3500 pays the lease for 3 to 4 years for a comparable car, and the Accord has already been costing thousands in repairs over the past 2 years. I was especially frustrated because I suspected there was something wrong with this transmission from day one. The moment of hesitation that we always noticed before the transmission shifted from first to second gear was probably related to the failure (the transmission recall in 2004 was certainly related to the failure, but was designed to minize cost and liability, not to permanently resolve the issue). I had brought the car in after only a few months of driving in 2003 because of the odd characteristics of the transmission, but I was ridiculed and sent home again. Here is a history of related events: 1/3/2003 Purchased the car at a local Honda dealer 7/28/2003 Took the car to another local Honda dealer where a service technician drove it and determined that there was nothing wrong with the transmission (at 11,000 miles) 9/21/2004 Transmission recall, Honda dealer installed oil jet kit, transmission was not replaced 9/30/2008 Transmission service at Honda dealer (at 111,000 miles) 2/13/2009 Transmission failed on I95, shifts into first gear only, no reverse (at 120,000 miles) 3/3/2009 Transmission fluid replaced, old fluid was very dark The car seemed to drive fine when the transmission was cold, but when it warmed up after a few minutes of highway driving, the transmission would down-shift violently into first gear, regardless of the current speed. My wife reported the smell of ‘burnt rubber’ in the car after such a forced down-shift. This seemed to be quite dangerous. Once this happened, the transmission would fail to shift into anything but first gear. Honda apparently lost a class action for the 2000/2001 Accord and other models in 2006. I was unable to find any current class action initiative that includes the 2003 model year. If you are an attorney who is willing to work with me on a class action against Honda USA, please contact me at . If you have similar transmission problems with your 2003 Accord, please contact me as well, or post your complaint on Carcomplaints.com as well so that there is a record of it. Regardless of what you are planning to do, you should file a complaint with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration – they can force a recall if there is a sufficient number of documented issues. 3/22/2009 Update: We had to make a decision and decided to replace the transmission. Our side of the bill: $2200. Honda paid $900. 4/1/2010 Update: The NHTSA website today lists 328 complaints for the 2003 Accord and 188 for the 2003 Odyssey that describe transmission problems. A search does not show a current or past defect investigation for this problem. It is not documented what criteria and process the NHTSA uses to prioritize their work, but safety does not seem to be a factor. Instead, it seems that the NHTSA works on those problems first that pose the smallest financial risks to auto manufacturers. For instance, the February 2010 report lists a defect investigation for the 2003 Accord about a problem with the ignition switch (park/shift interlock). There are 11(!) complaints on file for this type of issue, and yet, the NHTSA chose to investigate it. Replacing an ignition switch is inexpensive, compared to the cost of replacing an automatic transmission. People will die from a failing Accord transmission, or already have. Honda should be prepared for the same disaster that Toyota is going through right now. Apparently, neither authorities nor car manufactures can learn from past mistakes, and since nobody will be held accountable, why should they? 1/8/2011 The New York Times publishes an article about transmission problems on Honda vehicles 11/16/2010 Update: The NHTSA has issued a recall for the 2003 Accord because of the ignition switch problem that I mentioned above. Kind of funny, actually … 5/23/2011 Update: The number of comments added to this blog post every month keeps rising – a sign that the rate of transmission failures is rising? 2/14/2013 Update: It is now clearly visible from the updated chart below that the number of incicents peaked late in 2011 with almost 30 posts per month and has now decreased to mere noise. If you are having this problem as late as 2013, you will be just a blip on Honda’s radar screen. Incidents per month Related Posts:Amazon threatens customer of 26 yearsThe Great Cat Litter Poop OffTyreWiz not working after battery changelitter closeSUTAB Scam? Consumer Protection 2003failurefeaturedhonda accordtransmission
2003 Accord V6 with 160,000 miles. Excellent service record. Tranny “jumped” when we were driving up to a red light on July 3. Find out today that Honda is going to cover 10% of the $3950 repair. I have a friend who contacted a buddy of his who owns a Honda dealership…and he said the coverage you are going to get from Honda Corp. is dependent on your car’s mileage, your service record, your “loyalty” to the dealership, and whether you had an extended warranty. In my case the mileage is going to keep Honda from offering to cover a higher percentage of the costs, but it’s a start. Will contact Corporate and file complaints in the hope that a class-action suit eventually is settled and I will get some money back.
I joined the club of transmission failures today. Mine was at 160k and will not shift down. when it shifts down it goes into neutral. Will drive fine as long as you never slow down. when I slow down I turn off the car and start it up again and it works. I have not found the same condition on the internet. My questions are…. How can i get Honda of America to help with the bill? What is the process? How much should a replacement Transmission cost?
Where is your $%#@!#! conscience, Honda? Geez! I purchased a used 2003 EX V6 Honda Accord at 99,000 miles because I was told they are reliable and safe and will last forever and blah, blah, blah. Today, at 110,000 miles, the transmission went from 70 mph to neutral on the freeway in rush hour with my 6 year old little boy in the car. We were nearly rear-ended by three different vehicles. I am reporting this incident to every person/organization/company I can in hopes Honda will take another look and take responsibility for the countless lives they are endangering. I wish I had visited this site four months ago!
Today (July 9), I experienced the following issues while driving my Honda Accord V6 2004 model on highway. After a brief stop at highway traffic, my car suddenly lost most of its power (from 0 to 40 mph), moved forward slowly even when the gas pedal was pressed all the way down. Then, I realized both the engine and the two TCS warning lights were on. Engine temperature was fine, so I kept driving my car and it could slowly get up to approximately 60 mph but couldn’t go any faster. I had to drive it for another 10 minutes because I was still on the highway. After exiting the highway, I stopped my car and restarted the engine but the engine warning light still on. This time, the two TCS warning lights were off. I got off my car and checked the motor oil and transmission oil levels and they seemed fine. After parking my car for 30 minutes, I checked the ground and there was no obvious sign of gas or oil leak. I will bring my car to the Honda dealer to check it. Is 2004 Honda having the same transmission issue? This is so dangerous and my car only has a little more than 70,000 miles on it. Someone needs to warn people of this known issue.
I have problems with my 2002 Honda Accord V6 Automatic. Located in Canada. I’m having problems with the 1st to 2nd gear slipping when driving. No noises, etc though. Also, the rear main seal of the Engine is now leaking. To replace the transmission at “Warranty price’ is almost $4000 from Honda Dealer. Honda Canada is only willing to cover $800 of it. I think there should be recall. It only has 97,000 kms on it (60,000 miles!) Anyone else with problems on the 2002 Accord. Was there no recall? Honda Canada tells me no, and they won’t consider it. Maybe i should consider an independant shop to do the work. They’d offer a better warranty(honda only offers 1 year 20,000, or up to 40,000km or 2 year – but only fix based on ‘your loyalty’ service history, etc… Anyone know any other shops that would be worth it? Either in Canada (Vancouver area, or ) or in Washington State? Thanks KC
Are only the cars that were part ofthe 2004 Recall having these issues? I believe some of the 2003 V6 EXL Coupes may not have been included in the 2004 Recall.
My 2003 honda pilot can be added to the list of a shot transmission. Honda recalled it back in 2006 and replaced the oil jet kit. My car has been having same problems honda says is the reason why they replaced the kit. The deal says it will cost $4,900 to replace the transmission which is what honda should of done back in 2006. Honda will not cover a penny of it. They knew these cars have transmission problems and are very unethical to ignore it. I urge everyone to fill out a complaint. Lets hope a class action lawsuit is filed and we can all be reinbursed.
2 Days ago, July 13, 2011, the transmission on my 2003 Accord Ex V6 failed at 120,000 miles as I was exiting the freeway (luckily not while I was still on the freeway going 75-80). I purchased this car brand new in 2003 and have been the only owner. This was my third Honda, and I have kept up an excellent maintenance record, so, was surprised when the transmission failed so early in mileage (120,000 used to be “young” for a Honda). The dealer quoted $3800 to replace, of which Honda agreed to pay 50%. My total repair/replacement bill with any additional expenses will be approximately $2100. I have decided to replace the transmission but am now concerned with how long the new one will last and what type of situation I’ll be in when it decides to fail. I was plannin on purchasing another Honda (my 4th) in a couple of years, however, after learning my situation is not exclusive, I may reconsider. Too bad Honda is allowing their reputation be diminished so greatly.
My Honda Accord Ex-v6 2003 has transmission problem too!! I am looking for a replacement from out side because the Honda dealer asking for $5700.00 to replace it with a refurbished one. It is too much for a car that old to spend that kink of money. It is currently at 230k miles.
Ditto on the above transmission failure at highway speed. My 2003 4 dr V6 has 53K. In addition to the transmission I also had the radio light fail (out of recall warranty) – another major repair. I hate Honda!
My wife and I decided to buy another car, and went with a 2003 Honda Accord EXV6. After driving the car for 2 weeks, the transmission starting slipping. I did a little research online, and found all kinds of issues with these transmissions. After 1000 more miles, 3rd gear was gone. Through a little research and testing, I come to find out that that the 3rd gear clutch pack was brunt. (This is a common problem with early 2000 Accords) I went to the dealer that told me that they would replace it with a rebuilt for $3900. And Honda would not assist with any of the cost. With that being a little more then I wanted to spend, I pulled the transmission myself, and had a shop rebuilt it for me. Come to find out that the torque converter failed, and plugged the cheap filter that is inside these transaxles. This blocked the fluid to the 3rd gear clutch pack. This caused it to heat up and burn on the way down to the metal. In fact the clutches and the steels almost welded together. This was a big pain, and will think twice before buy an Accord again.
also have a 2003 honda accord with tranny problems. car pops out of 1st gear into nuetral. when im at a stop sign, a stop light. heres the dangerous time, when in traffic or on the street and i slow down to about 1-10mph car goes into nuetral and just rolles to a stop. I have to hurry and cycle gears from nuetral to drive, sometimes 2 or 3 times before the car goes back into first gear. strange to me because the transmission shifts perfectly through the gears. my wife was on the freeway and this happen she almost got rear ended. she refuses to drive the car now. cant blame her becasue shes 5 months pregnant.
Can’t believe this happening to my ride…… But it is and I’m beyond furious with Honda about this matter I have a 8 month old daughter and we almost got killed this morning because of this defect…….. On a lighter note thanks to everyone who supplied info on this matter. I’ve already filed a claim with corporate and am waiting to here the results… This is my last Honda after having 3 a them. Honda YOU SUCK!!!!!
Ooo my 03 accord coupe v6 has 91k on it now, what I didn’t mention is that my cars tranny had to be replaced after 3k miles of buying it cause again it was slipping. I bought it with 18k…… Sorry ass Honda’s
2004 accord v6 transmission failed in nov 2010 with 126000 miles. honda dealer referred me to honda of america. Got case number and they called back and said nothing they could do. Car was traveling 50 mph and lost power with tach reving. Glided to side of road and limped home in first gear. Really dangerous circumstances.
I have a Honda Accord EX V6 2003 as well and have just gone through the same deal. My transmission failed and had to be replace. It was stalling on the highway. It costed me almost $4000. I called the dealer and asked how could a honda transmission go out at 99000 miles, their reply was “you have the 1 in a hundred car that does that”. I am not sure I will ever buy a car from them again.
At the beginning of the year in february my honda accord transmission went up and I was very frustrated face 2895 to get it fixed. On top of that after I got it fixed the men did not even put my transmission mounts in correctly. My car was making a squeaking noise and when I got the mechanic to look at my transmission mounts the mounts where not even inside the frame holes they were sitting on top of the frame body and family is a transmission could have fell out and killed me….
2003 Accord V6 transmission failed last night on I95, no reverse, only low gear. Will NEVER buy honda products again. This is my third major drivetrain malfuntion. NO RECALL???
Wow….I also have a 2003 Accord and did a Google search on transmissions thinking it may help with diagnosing the problem…was I surprised to see all the the complaints on this site. My car has 179,000 miles and it is also doing the same thing. It will not shift from 1st to 3rd and almost a car to hit me from behind. Looks like I will have a $3000+ car repair bill!
Just filed a complaint with NHTSA. Same thing… V6 automatic transmission died on the freeway, pretty dangerous to maneuver it to the side but thankfully no one was hurt. Honda agreed to pay 50% as goodwill since we’d bought other Hondas and maintained them all at the dealership consistently. Too bad… because our Honda Care extended warranty had JUST expired, and I’m currently unemployed. It will certainly make us think twice about buying another automatic transmission Honda. I just hope this new re manufactured transmission will hold up.
my 2003 honda accord ex-v6 has 94,000 miles on it, but the grinding noise i have in my transmission has been there since i bought it when it had 21,000 miles on it….the noise has gotten worse and we took it to our machanic who intrun took it to a honda machanic who said i dont know what it is but we could pay 2500.00 for them to take the transmission apart to see if they could find the problem…well we did not do that, i am still driving it and it still makes the noise at 40 and 50 miles.
Hi all I am planning to buy 2003 Honda Accord Ex V6 Sedan which has 100K miles on it. for $ 8500. Any suggestions?
Just had the transmission replaced on my 2003 Accord 4 cylinder automatic. Set me back $3200. Full burn out of the 2nd gear clutch. I did manage to get 115k out of it before it broke down. Had noticed a slight vibration at 30-35 mph for a short time,. Had no idea the transmission problem was so prevalent among 2003 models. As a family, we have owned 6 Honda vehicles and have encountered no problems up until now. I think I will have to be a bit more selective with my next car purchase. Buyer Beware!
I have a 2003 Honda Accord and paid 3000 to have it replaced about a year and half ago. I did not get any money back from Honda but will certainly be calling them in light of the recent news of the recall for later Honda model years.
Update to previous post. I have a 2003 Honda Accord and paid $3000 to have the transmission replaced about a year and half ago. I did not get any money back from Honda but will certainly be calling them in light of the recent news of the recall for later Honda model years.
Anyone get anywhere with these 03 Accords?! Let me know what worked or if I should accept my losses and start leasing new cars…I am 99 percent sure the dealership knew about these defects prior to selling me my ’03 accord less than two years ago. Lemon Laws apply?!
Took my 6 cylinder 03 Ex in to Honda for the Ingnition Switch recall. Guess what I was told? Transmission has internal failure and needs replaced to the tune of $4,000.00. Will be calling Honda today.
So update the case manager tells me that the most they can take off is $1000 leaving me with $3800 to pay outta pocket. I’m so mad right now I’m numb!?!?!?!?!?!?! She said my car has high mileage 90,000 and it’s old…… Who is involved in a class action lawsuit?????? I’d love to be involved cause this is sickening!!!!! Honda YOU SUCK!!!!!!!!!!
Hi everyone my car just died at 142k miles and the mechanic said it might be due to dirty transmission oil, well i got that cleaned and i am having the same problems still with my acceleration. Is it better to get a different mechanic to fix instead of further paying Honda for there crappy transmission and labor. I would prefer to not give them more $ on top of the crappy car i already got from them.
IT DOESNT MAKE SENSE TO HAVE ANOTHER FACTORY DEFECTIVE TRANNY PUT IN EVEN IF IT COST $100 CAUSE REGARDLESS IT WILL BREAK AGAIN. HONDA NEEDS TO RETHINK AND REDESIGN THEIR TRANNYS. TO ALL U PEOPLE WHO HAVE PAID OVER N OVER AGAIN TO GET A NEW 1 PUT IN STOP WASTING YOUR MONEY AND TIME. IM DONE WITH HONDA ……. NISSAN HERE I COME
Did not read all posts but this happened to my 2000 accord coupe. It did have a recall which they replaced at around 60,000 miles. That one failed about 18 months later. My daubhter just looked at 2003 v6 coupe. Glad I found this site. Shame on you honda. I have been driving toyotas ever since. Too much competition out there to compromise your reputation.
count me in. 190k. trying to decide to go to the dealer or an independent shop…. i mean what will be cheaper in the long run to ‘possibly’ get a good will repair (not likely at 190k) at the dealer for gouging labor rates or go with a trusted tranny shop who guarantees their work?
Add me to the list. 2003 Accord with 140000 miles. Independent shop quoted me $2k to fix. I guess I was relatively lucky in that I wasn’t on the freeway when this happened. The car suddenly became very slow to shift up and engage into 2nd and 3rd gears. Luckily I learned to drive in stickshifts that constantly broke down so I was able to manually coax it between 1st and 2nd,’even reaching 3rd a couple of times on the way to the mechanic.
Add me to the list of 2003 Honda Accord owners with Transmission problems! I will be filling a complaint with NHTSA and Honda America 1st thing Tuesday morning!! the car has 130K and the dealer quoted $3600 dollars for a replacement. AAmco offered to rebuilt for $1800-2300 with 1 yr warranty, add $300 for a 3 year, and for an additional $600 a life time warranty on the tranny. This warranty doesn’t include towing/rental, etc. Honda must learn to respect their customer!!!! Class action…appropriate legal action…count me in!!!.
Unbelievable… I thought it was just me? I see here the same problems I’m having over and over again.. 03 Accord, bad transmission since I bought it (used). Have taken it to dealership, somehow they were unable to find the problem??? Had the 60,000 service, mentioned it- still nothing. It now has 114,000 mi on it, and it’s sitting in my driveway and I can no longer drive it. And honestly I can’t afford to buy a new transmission now… shame on you Honda.
I have a 2004 V6 Accord with 110,000 miles and had a previous throttle position sensor replaced a year ago (on my diime) b/c the tranny did not shift down into lower gear intermittently on highway. Now I have the opposite problem, where tranny doesn’t shift up into overdrive. So there is another sensor problem. Turning off/on the car resets it. But local mechanic said test drive showed jerkiness from 1 to 2nd gear, and I’ve always noticed/ignored a judder from high gear to low gear, e.g., slowing down at off ramp. And he said the tranny fluid looked burnt. And there is an emissions controller fault and leak too. The recall for 2004 transmissions does not include my VIN…and reading the NYT blog from Jan 2011, suggests it might not have been a good recall fix anyway. But in my call to dealer service dept and to Honda N.America, I came across very defensive people on phone. Can’t see buying another Honda again.
Well, it appears I am not alone. My 2003 Accord EX V6 Coupe started acting strange today. I was driving home from work on the freeway doing about 65 mph when my car started trying to downshift very violently. I pulled off to the side of the freeway, parked and turned the car off for a few minutes and then turned it on again and began driving. It tried to downshift 1 or 2 more times at highway speeds during the remaining 15 or so miles of my commute. As soon as I got off the freeway and started accelerating from the stop light the engine light came on as well as the TCS lights and the green light next to the D on my dash started blinking. I proceeded to drive home and shut the car off. I am going to take it to my Honda dealer tomorrow but after googling 2003 Accord transmission problems and seeing how many folks have had the same problem I am fearing the worst. Oh, I should also mention my car has 107,000 miles on it. I’ll check back in and let everyone know what my Honda dealer tries to tell me about my vehicle.
I have a 2003 automatic v6 with 120k miles, when I shifted to reverse it made a really loud noise. I’ve read this site and I’m afraid to drive it. I have a long commute to work on the highway and I’m really concerned. I’m going to file a complain. What is the best course of action to take? Who do I contact?
I have a 03 V6 coupe. Two days ago I had the same thing happen to my car. I was driving about 45 mph and my car violently jerked forward as though it were a stick shift and I took my foot off of the clutch or shifted into first gear at the wrong time. I have 99k miles on the car and have kept up all required maintence at a local Honda dealership since I purchased the car. If anything happens with class action lawsuit, please contact me. Thanks! A. Nieves
I just bought a 2003 honda accord ex v6 unaware of the transmission situation… Less than a month later the transmission on my vehicle is gone… Estimates comes up all the way to $1,800 and thats just a rebuild one. what can I do.. Is any honda dealer I go to will help me with my bill??????????
Add mine to your list. Original and NOT SO PROUD owner of a 2003 Honda Accord EX-V6, purchased brand new in March 2003 at Honda, Paramus, NJ. Heard unusual roaring noises recent months, suspected holes in muffler and tires balance issues. Re-balance tires yield no noise improvement. Also noted hesitation from 1st to 2nd gear. Made an appt’ with dealer to bring car back on Thursday for assessment and service.. Guess my Honda couldn’t wait any longer and decided to collapse today, Tuesday in the middle of traffic. Thanks GOD our car was ina full stop awaiting to turn into a small street. All of a sudden, a loud boom sound accompanied by a violence shake that felt like someone hit us at rear in huge force. I thought I was rear ended by a SUV behind me. My car was able to finished the turn and rolled ten feet off the traffic road onto a less busy street before it went completely dead, in an awkward stalled position interfering other turning vehicles. The SUV behind us drove passed us and I had “Shoot! Hit & Run” in my mind. My husband attempted to drive closer to the side but the gear failed to response. The car was dead. Then we knew it was a TRANSMISSION FAILURE! Police came, blocked traffic behind us and called a toll truck ( my luck of the day, a nice police officer and AAA memebership ). Car was tolled to the dealer, at 6:00 pm and someone will call us tomorrow. One girl in the service dept. desperately in need to refresh and improve her customer service phone skill. Rude and impatience. I have serious doubt about the dealer’s going to admit the problem as a Honda RECALL ISSUE. I am anticipating a big bill and some bad news heading my way. I had a 1991 Toyota Camry that last wickedly forever with 300,000 miles on it. I had to give up my Toyota in 2003 due to emission failure and other safety concern (no airbag). Instead of another Toyota, we came home with a Honda. 180,000 of highway miles on my Honda now with regular maintenance. Panel light was completely out in 2007. What do you guys think? Should I shell out thousands for a transmission knowing it would die on me again? Regardless, I am getting a new car and definitely not a Honda very soon.
My 2003 Honda accord had its transmission fail last year (August 2010), needless to say it cost me $2800 just to get it rebuilt. I tried to speak with a honda dealership about my transmission due to my car only having 66,000 miles on it at the time, but they claimed there was no recall. What a joke I must say now that I know that many others out there have had the same problem. Just today my alternator now failed on the same car costing me another $550. I will never buy a Honda again.
Well add Another to the list ,my 2003 accod is doing the same thing tranny is shot living paycheck to paycheck don’t know what I’m going to do!I haven’t took it to the shop yet I’ve owned enough old cars to know it is shot either rebuild or replace!doing research to see if I have any other options, this sux!!
my transmission went on a side street with absolutely no warning. Now it runs when its cool but as soon as it warms up, it shuts down. thankfully i was up the hill i live on when it died. i will never by honda again ever. the mechanic just told me 3,000 for a new tranny. this a year after the computer went.
Transmission on my 2003 has failed. Car will not go into 2nd gear and Honda tells me the recall has already been taken care of when the car had 17000 miles on it. Now it has 111000 miles on it and it is doing the same thing. Car runs ok until it warms up then wont hardly take off in second gear. This only started happening a few days ago. Drove it to Honda dealership who told me it was the transmission. Called Honda andtold them what happened and they told me if it was the same thing as the recall the car would not go at all, transmission would be locked up and frozen. If I drove it awhile longer it probably would lock up. Now I am going to be out 3600 to have it fixed if they dont help me. Thought Hondas was suppose to be a good car…Wrong
When my 2003 Honda Accord EX transmission started making terrible grinding sounds at 55,000 miles about 2007 I took it to the dealer and they replaced the transmission at no cost. A friend who purchased the same model had his totally fall apart at 125,000 miles. Honda offered a $1,000 discount on a $4,500. He found someone else to replace the transmission for $2,500 in Columbia, SC about 5/2011. He had been a very loyal user of the Honda service. I dropped Honda service because of the inflated costs. Today had a rainstorm and had water dripping out of the side airbag that is located on the left windshield post. Really weird! Has anyone had the same experience?
My 2003 honda Accord V6 transmission failed on 78k, it just failed without any sign on highway, slipping into gear and clunking sounds while shift into gear, lucky i didn’t get killed. called Honda USA and they gave me a case#, haven’t hear anything from them yet after transmission inspected by honda dealer. Any legal action against this? count me in!! screw HONDA!