2003 Honda Accord Electrical System
Owner-reported problems and safety issues filed with NHTSA. Review common failures, severity levels, and complaint trends over time.
Complaint Timeline
Chronological view of owner reports
Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2003 Honda Accord. It was discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy. The vehicle was a private sale. At the time of purchase, the vehicle mileage was 156,000, and at the time of registration, it was discovered that the mileage was 337,000.
The contact owns a 2003 Honda Accord. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked and occupied, the contact started the vehicle, and the vehicle shut off independently. The “Maintenance Required” message was displayed. The contact stated there was smoke coming from the hood of the vehicle, and several minutes later, the smoke dissipated. The contact stated that a technician from the Auto Care Department at Walmart inspected the vehicle and informed the contact that the positive and negative battery terminals were burned and damaged, as well as a wire near the engine. The technician from Walmart used a diagnostic machine to diagnose the vehicle however, the result was unknown. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 238,000.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 HONDA ACCORD. WHILE ATTEMPTING TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE, THE KEY FAILED TO RELEASE FROM THE IGNITION SWITCH. THE CONTACT HAD TO LEAVE THE KEY IN THE IGNITION WITH THE ENGINE RUNNING. ONE HOUR LATER, THE KEY WAS RELEASED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER, BUT THE PART WAS NOT AVAILABLE FOR THE REPAIR. A FEW HOURS LATER, THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE VEHICLE COULD NOT BE SERVICED DUE TO ITS AGE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER AGREED WITH THE DEALER. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.
MY CAR TURN ON WHEN HE WANT TOO I TRY TO TURN IT ON AND DO S CLACLACLA THEM LIKE 10 MINUTES LATER IT TURNS ON PEOPLE TELL ME ITS THE IGNITION IT DO THIS ALMOST EVERYDAY
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 HONDA ACCORD. ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS, WHEN THE KEY WAS PLACED IN THE IGNITION, THE VEHICLE FAILED TO START. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED NOR REPAIRED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FAILURE WAS INTERMITTENT. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 190,000.
MY 2003 HONDA ACCORD WILL NOT START WITH KEY SHIFT LEVERAGE IS LOCKED IN PARK, MOVE OUT OF PARK, HAVE TO PUT ON EMERGENCE TO KEE BREAKS TO T FROM ROLLING. MY CAR ROLLED ON ITS OWN CRASHING INTO MY OTHER PARKED CAR BREAKING THE BACK BUMPER AND DAMAGING THE TRUCK LOCK ALSO, THE INTERLOCK SYSTEM IS NOT WORKING ANYMORE ON THIS CAR.HAVE TO DISCONNECT BATTERY TO RELESSE KEY FROM IGNITION. THANK GOD I WAS IN MY OWN DRIVEWAY WHEN THE CAR BEGIN TO ROLL AND CRASH INTO MY OTHER CAR.
PROBLEM 03 ACCORD LX - 4 DOOR/ AUTO TRANSMISSION. I FIRST NOTICED THIS WHEN WALKING PAST THE LOCKED CAR, NO KEYS IN THE IGNITION, THE DISPLAY WOULD LIGHT UP EVER FEW MINUETS. THE RADIO TURNS ON SPONTANEOUSLY WITHOUT THE KEY IN THE IGNITION, DRAINING BATTERY, LEAVING ME STRANDED. COULD HEAR A CRACKLING LOUD SOUND COMING FROM SPEAKERS OFF AND ON WHILE TAKING LEFT OR RIGHT TURNS FOR ABOUT A YEAR, RADIO WORKING OFF AND ON, EVENTUAL THE SOUND WENT OUT, RADIO APPEARS TO WORK BUT NO LONGER HAS SOUND, DISPLAY STILL LIGHTING UP AND DRAINING BATTERY. NO WRECKS.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 HONDA ACCORD. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE HESITATED TO START AND MADE AN ABNORMAL NOISE. THE FAILURE HAPPENED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE SYMPTOMS WERE THE SAME AS LISTED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 10V364000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM). THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. PRIOR TO THIS FAILURE, A SIMILAR FAILURE OCCURRED. THE IGNITION WAS REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 100,000.
THIS ISSUE HAS OCCURRED SINCE 2008, BUT THOUGHT IT WAS SOMETHING THE DEALERSHIP SERVICE DEPARTMENT DID. THE ISSUE PERIODICALLY OCCURS, BUT DOES CAUSE ME TO STARTLE WHILE DRIVING. IT HAPPENED AGAIN ON YESTERDAY WHILE DRIVING AND PRESSING THE ON AND BUTTON ON THE CONTROL PANEL DID NOT WORK AS USUAL. I HAD TO TURN THE ENGINE OFF TO STOP THE ISSUE. I SURFED THE INTERNET TO FIND OUT WAS THERE ANYONE ELSE HAVING THIS ISSUE AND BEHOLD IT HAPPENED EXACTLY AS THE PERSON MENTIONED. SO, READ BELOW: RADIO STATIC NOISE ON 2003 ACCORD FORUMSTODAY'S POSTSLOG INREGISTER HOME/AUDIO/VISUAL ELECTRONICS RADIO STATIC NOISE ON 2003 ACCORD #1 12-19-2011 12:46 PM BY[XXX] C HELLO, I GOT HEADACHE PROBLEM WITH RADIO ON MY 2003 ACCORD. ACTUALLY SINCE 2008, SOMETIMES RADIO DISPLAY IS BLANK IN THE BEGINNING WHEN CAR STARTS UP. IT USUALLY RESUMES NORMAL IN 1 - 2 MINS. SOMETIMES RADIO STATION INFO SHOW UP BUT NO SOUND. IF TRYING TO TURN OFF/ON A COUPLE OF TIME, IT CAN GET IT WORKING. RECENTLY I AM GETTING STATIC NOISE OCCASIONAL COMING OUT FROM SPEAKERS IN THE BEGINNING WHEN CAR STARTS UP. IT LASTS 10 - 20 SECONDS THEN COMPLETELY GONE. YESTERDAY IT SCARED ME AS THE NOISE SOUNDS LIKE A BIG LIGHTNING STRIKES AFTER I STARTS UP CAR. IT LASTS 20 - 30 SECONDS, THEN RADIO GETS NORMAL IN MINUTES AS USUAL. THE SUDDEN NOISE TAKES YOU BY SURPRISE WHEN DRIVING AND CAUSES PHYSIOLOGICAL AND PHYSICAL RESPONSES. SO, IT APPEARS THERE WAS SOME SORT OF ELECTRICAL ISSUE WITH THE RADIO WITH THIS MAKE, MODEL AND YEAR. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR
EVERY TIME I TRY TO START THE CAR THERE WILL BE A BUZZING SOUND COMING FROM THE IGNITION SWITCH. I HAVE TO TURNOVER THE KEY SEVERAL TIMES BEFORE I CAN GET THE CAR TO START. I NOTICED A DETERIORATION WITH MY ABILITY TO START THE CAR AFTER THE DEALER PERFORMED THE 'REPAIR' DUE TO AN IGNITION RECALL . CURRENTLY , THE OCCURRENCES OF FAILURE TO START THE CAR AT EVERY ATTEMPT HAS INCREASED TO THE POINT OF THIS BEING A SAFETY HAZARD. *TR
I PURCHASED A HONDA ACCORD EX ABOUT 30 DAYS AGO, USED, OF COURSE. THE IGNITION SWITCH IS LOCKING. I CAN TURN THE CAR OFF BUT IT TAKES ME ABOUT 10 MIN TO WIGGLE THE KEY OUT. I HAVE TO TURN CAR ON OR HALFWAY ON AND OFF IN HOPES OF GETTING THE KEY OUT. THE GEAR SHIFT INDICATOR ON THE DASHBOARD READS AS THOUGH THE CAR IS IN PARK AND DRIVE AT THE SAME TIME. HONDA DOESN'T HAVE A RECALL FOR THIS BUT PER MY RESEARCH IT HAPPENS TO A LOT OF PEOPLE AND HAS TO BE MORE THAN A USER ERROR. I MAY HAVE TO PAY ALLTHIS MONEY TO GET SOMETHING FIXED THAT IS FAULTY IN THE CAR AND SHOULD BE REPLACED AS THE KEY SHOULD BE ABLE TO COME OUT WITH NO ISSUE. *TR
TL-THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 HONDA ACCORD. THE CONTACT STATED UNDER THE NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 10V364000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) THE CONTACT STATED WHEN SHE TURN THE INIGINATION ON THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT START, THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE DID RESTART. THE CONTACT STATED THERE WAS A CLICKING NOISE EACH TIME SHE RESTART THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE RE OCCUR SEVERAL TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A INDEPENDENT MECHANIC. THE MECHANIC DIAGNOSED IT WAS AN ELECTRICAL PROBLEM HE STATED IT WAS DUE TO A RECALL, AND THE MECHANIC COULD NOT REPAIR THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE AT 150,000.LJ
WARNING LIGHT GOES ON (EXCLAMATION POINT IN TRIANGLE) WHEN CAR STARTS. TCS LIGHT GOES ON (AFTER DRIVING FOR A MINUTE). MAY BE RELATED TO SEAT BELT ACCORDING TO MY LOCAL SHOP. CAR IS NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY. DEALERSHIP WANTS TO CHARGE $120 FOR OWN DIAGNOSTIC BEFORE REPLACING SEAT BELT. *TR
ON JUNE 28, 2013 I GOT INTO MY CAR AND TRIED TO CRANK UP MY CAR. MY IGNITION SWITCH WOULD NOT TURN OVER TO CRANK THE CAR. I FOUND THIS TO BE SURPRISING WHEN I DIDN'T HAVE PROBLEMS WITH MY SWITCH IN THE PAST. I CALLED HONDA, THEY INDICATED THAT IT MAYBE MY KEY, OR MY IGNITION SWITCH, AND TO BRING IT IN FOR AN INSPECTION. AFTER THE INSPECTION HONDA STATED THAT I NEEDED A NEW IGNITION SWITCH THAT WOULD COST $1000. AFTER I WAS TOLD WHAT I HAD TO PAY FOR THE REPAIR, I ASKED WAS THERE ANY RECALLS ON THE IGNITION SWITCH, THE DEALER SAID "NO" I LATER CALLED AN ATTORNEY FOR THE MATTER HE ASK FOR MY VIN # AND HE WOULD LOOK INTO IT. AFTER LOOKING INTO THE MATTER HE INDICATED THAT MY CAR WAS NOT UNDER WARRANTY AND TO CALL 18009991009 HONDA SERVICES. I CALLED HONDA THEY INFORMED ME THAT I HAD AN INSPECTION FOR THE IGNITION SWITCH IN 2010. I THINK HONDA IS NOT TELLING THE TRUTH, I FEEL I WAS OVER CHARGED, FOR THE REPAIR. *TR
THE RADIO COMES ON WITHOUT A KEY AND ABRUPTLY TURNS OFF WHEN DRIVING. THE CAR APPEARS ON WHEN NO ONE IS IN THE VEHICLE AND I AM WORRIED THAT THIS MAY PROMPT SOMEONE TO STEAL THE CAR. IT ALSO DRAINS THE BATTERY. I HAVE RESEARCHED THE INTERNET AND CALLED HONDA. HONDA SWEARS THAT NO ONE ELSE HAS SUBMITTED THIS ISSUE. MY REF NUMBER FOR MY COMPLAINT IS N012013-02-2600454. IT JUST DOESN'T MAKE SENSE THAT ALL THESE PEOPLE ARE HAVING THE SAME ISSUE, BUT THEY DON'T ISSUE A RECALL. YOU CAN DO A SIMPLE GOOGLE SEARCH AND FIND HUNDREDS OF COMPLAINTS AND PEOPLE SAYING THAT THEY HAVE CONTACTED HONDA. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 HONDA ACCORD. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE KEYS BECAME STUCK IN THE IGNITION. THE IGNITION WOULD ROTATE FORWARD TO START BUT WOULD NOT ROTATE TO RELEASE THE KEY FROM THE IGNITION. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR REPAIRS UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 10V364000 ( ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION). THE DEALER STATED THAT THE VEHICLE HAD ALREADY BEEN REPAIRED UNDER THE RECALL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A PERSONAL MECHANIC WHO INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE ORIGINAL RECALL HAD NOT BEEN PERFORMED ON THE VEHICLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND STATED THAT THE VEHICLE HAD ALREADY BEEN REPAIRED UNDER THE RECALL. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE FAILURE AND THE CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 130,000.
THE CONSOLE LIGHT WHICH DISPLAYS THE RADIO/CD PLAYER, AND ALL TEMPERATURE CONTROLS (AC, HEAT, DEFROSTER, ETC.) DOES NOT WORK. I UNDERSTAND THE WARRANTY WAS EXTENDED TO SEVEN YEARS OR 100,000 MILES WHICHEVER COMES FIRST. UNFORTUNATELY, I HAVE EXCEEDED THOSE LIMITS. HOWEVER, THIS IS A SAFETY PROBLEM/DEFECT AND SHOULD BE FIXED. THE DEALER QUOTED A PRICE OF $1,000. *TR
FOR A COUPLE OF WEEKS THE RADIO WOULD GIVE A SNAPPING SOUND AND THEN GO SILENT. ON OR ABOUT THE THIRD WEEK, JUST AFTER STARTING THE CAR, AND TURNING THE RADIO ON, SMOKE STARTED TO POUR FROM BEHIND THE DASH IN THE AREA OF THE CENTER CONSOLE. I IMMEDIATELY TURNED OFF THE RADIO. THE SMOKE (FIRE?) STOPPED . . . . NOT SURE WHETHER TURNING OFF THE RADIO OR WHETHER THE WIRE, CIRCUIT BOARD OR (?) HAD BURNED THROUGH. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 HONDA ACCORD. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE KEY COULD BE REMOVED FROM THE IGNITION WITHOUT THE VEHICLE BEING SECURED IN PARK. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO REMOVE THE KEY WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS IN DRIVE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHERE AN UNKNOWN REPAIR WAS PERFORMED UNDER A MANUFACTURER'S VOLUNTARY RECALL FOR THE IGNITION KEY: INTERLOCK SWITCH. THREE DAYS LATER AFTER THE RECALL REMEDY WAS PERFORMED, THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE DEALER FOR FURTHER REPAIRS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE PROBLEM. THE APPROPRIATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 48,116.
THE STEREO BACKLIGHT WENT OUT AND MY CAR IS OUT OF WARRANTY, HONDA WILL NOT PROVIDE ANY ASSISTANCE WITH A KNOWN ISSUE. OBVIOUSLY IT WAS A KNOWN DEFECT WHICH IS WHY THEY EXTENDED THE WARRANTY, BUT IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN A RECALL. THE LIGHTS ON THE HEAT/AC/DEFROST CONTROLS ARE ALSO OUT WHICH MAKES IT DIFFICULT TO TURN DEFROSTERS ON AT NIGHT WHEN I NEED IT TO SEE. *TR
MY 2003 HONDA ACCORD EX DISPLAY LIGHT FOR THE AUDIO/HVAC WENT OUT. THIS IS A REAL PROBLEM BECAUSE IT IS DIFFICULT TO SELECT THE DEFROST/AIR CONDITIONER/RADIO SETTINGS THAT YOU NEED, AND CAN CAUSE A REAL SAFETY HAZARD WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD. HONDA REALIZES THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THEIR PRINTED CIRCUIT BOARD AS THEY HAVE EXTENDED THE WARRANTY ON THIS PART TO 7 YRS/100,000 MILES. HOWEVER, IT IS OBVIOUSLY STILL A PROBLEM AFTER 100,000 MILES AS MINE HAS RECENTLY WENT OUT. THEY REFUSE TO PICK UP ANY OF THE BILL FOR THEIR FAULTY ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT BECAUSE MY CAR IS OVER THE ARBITRARY 100,000 MILES WHICH THEY CHOSE, EVEN THOUGH THEY ADMIT THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH THE PART. I FEEL THAT THIS IS UNFAIR AND THAT THEY SHOULD SHOW SOME RESPONSIBILTY AND STAND BEHIND THEIR PRODUCT. *KB
2003 HONDA ACCORD RADIO BACKLIGHT DEFECTIVE...THEY EXTENDED THE WARRANTY FIX UNTIL 7 YEARS OR 105K MILES. UNFORTUNATELY MY DIED AT TO DAY AND I HAVE 110K AND THE CAR IS 7.7 YEARS OLD. MY BIGGEST CONCERN IS YOU CANNOT TELL IF THE DEFROST IF ON OR NOT...TIME, HEAT AND A/C, DEFROST, FAN ETC ARE ALL DISPLAYED THROUGH THE RADIO UNIT. I CALLED 1-800-999-1009 AND THEY SAID TOO BAD YOU ARE OUT OF THE WARRANTY LIMITS. I MAINTAIN MY CAR METICULOUSLY BUT THE DEALER QUOTED ME $800 TO FIX THE PROBLEM. TOO MUCH FOR ME. HONDA ID WRONG THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE...CANNOT TUNE TO EMERGENCY BROADCAST OR USE DEFROST. *TR
FAILED RADIO DISPLAY AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROLS LIGHTS. REFERENCE AMERICAN HONDA CASE # [XXX] VOLUNTARY RECALL, BUT LIMITED IN TIME AND MILEAGE, THIS VEHICLE IS OUT OF THE VOLUNTARY RECALL BUT IS FAILED DUE TO DEFECT IN RADIO. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 HONDA ACCORD. WHILE PARKED, THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE LIGHTS FOR THE HVAC UNIT WOULD NOT ILLUMINATE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTICS WHERE THE TECHNICIAN STATED THAT THE CIRCUIT BOARD WOULD HAVE TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 40,000.
THE CAR CAN BE SHUT OFF AND THE IGNITION KEY CAN BE REMOVED FROM THE IGNITION SWITCH WITHOUT PUTTING THE CAR IN PARK. (NOTE THAT WE ARE AWARE OF A CURRENT RECALL FOR THIS PROBLEM, BUT OUR VEHICLE IS NOT PART OF THE GENERAL RECALL OF AMERICAN MADE HONDA ACCORDS. OURS WAS MANUFACTURED IN JAPAN; HOWEVER WE ARE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM AS THE AMERICAN MADE MODELS.)
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The 2003 Honda Accord has 89 Electrical System complaints on file. 7 crashes have been reported. Review the timeline above for detailed owner experiences.