121 complaints reported

2003 Honda Accord SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC

Owner-reported problems and safety issues filed with NHTSA. Review common failures, severity levels, and complaint trends over time.

Reports
121
Crashes
8
Fires
0
Injuries
2

Complaint Timeline

Chronological view of owner reports

Mar 2005

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

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2003 HONDA ACCORD, Manufacturer: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.)
Incident: Jan 2004
Feb 2005

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

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2003 HONDA ACCORD, Manufacturer: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.)
Incident: Apr 2003
Feb 2005

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

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2003 HONDA ACCORD, Manufacturer: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.)
Incident: Apr 2003
Feb 2005

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

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2003 HONDA ACCORD, Manufacturer: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.)
Incident: Oct 2003
Jan 2005

SINCE I BOUGHT MY PILOT LAST NOV. EVERYTIME I APPLY THE BRAKES, GOING LESS THAN 10 MPH, BUT MORE THAN 5 MPH, MY BRAKES POP VERY LOAD, IT CONTINUES EVEN AFTER THE CAR HAS BEEN RUNNING ALL DAY. I BOUGHT IT IN TWICE TO THE DEALERSHIP, AND THEY TOLD ME IT'S SUPPOSE TO DO THAT. I TALK TO PEOPLE THAT OWN PILOTS AND HAVE KNOW PROBLEM WITH LOAD POPPING NOISES WHEN THEY APPLY THE BRAKES. *JB

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2003 HONDA HONDA, Manufacturer: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.)
Incident: Nov 2004
Dec 2004

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

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2003 HONDA ACCORD, Manufacturer: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.)
Incident: Aug 2004
Dec 2004

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

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2003 HONDA ACCORD, Manufacturer: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.)
Incident: Oct 2004
Dec 2004 Crash

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

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2003 HONDA ACCORD, Manufacturer: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.)
Incident: Sep 2004
Nov 2004

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

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2003 HONDA ACCORD, Manufacturer: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.)
Incident: Sep 2004
Nov 2004

AT HIGH SPEED, SEVERE STEERING WHEEL SHAKE WHEN BRAKE PEDAL DEPRESSED. ALSO, LOUD GRINDING SOUND WITH LIMITED BRAKING ABILITY. PROGRESSIVELY GOT WORSE FROM NEW UNTIL 21,500 MILES WHERE ALMOST COULDN'T STOP. ABS AND TCS LIGHTS ALSO CAME ON. DEALER SAID HONDA HAS ISSUED A BULLETIN TO REPLACE WITH A LESS AGGRESSIVE UPDATED PAD AND HAD TO ORDER WHEEL MONITORING SENSOR TO FIX LIGHT INDICATOR PROBLEM. DEALER HAD TO CUT ROTOR TO INSTALL NEW PADS.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2003 HONDA ACCORD, Manufacturer: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.)
Incident: Jul 2004
Nov 2004

ROTORS WARPED AFTER 8000 MILES. HAD TO REPLACE PADS AND ROTORS AT 15000 MILES. DEALER ADMITTED THERE WAS AN ISSUE WITH BRAKES ON THIS CAR, BUT HONDA WON'T DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2003 HONDA ACCORD, Manufacturer: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.)
Incident: Oct 2004
Oct 2004

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

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2003 HONDA ACCORD, Manufacturer: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.)
Incident: Sep 2004
Oct 2004

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

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2003 HONDA ACCORD, Manufacturer: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.)
Incident: Oct 2004
Oct 2004

HAVE BRAKE PROBLEMS WITH A 2003 HONDA ACCORD EX. I HAD THE BRAKES REPLACED AT 24,000 MILES AND STILL HAD PROBLEMS AND WAS TOLD TO HAVE THE ROTORS REPLACED BECAUSE THEY ARE WARPED. THIS SEEMS TO BE TOO EARLY IN MILEAGE TO HAVE THESE TYPE OF REPEAT PROBLEMS. *JB

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2003 HONDA ACCORD, Manufacturer: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.)
Incident: Dec 2004
Oct 2004

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

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2003 HONDA ACCORD, Manufacturer: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.)
Incident: Oct 2004
Oct 2004

CONSUMER PURCHASED VEHICLE BRAND NEW, AND WHEN HE DROVE IT BRAKES OVERHEATED AND VEHICLE VIBRATED. BRAKE ROTORS WERE WARPED. TOOK VEHICLE TO THE DEALER, AND WAS TOLD THAT THIS VEHICLE HAD A DIFFERENT TYPE OF BRAKES, AND THEY NEEDED TO BE SPECIALLY ORDERED. IT TOOK A LONG TIME TO GET THIS PARTICULAR KIND OF BRAKES. THEN, MECHANIC DROVE VEHICLE , BUT WAS NOT ABLE TO FIND ANYTHING WRONG. CONSUMER HAD HIS VEHICLE BACK, AND THE PROBLEM WITH THE BRAKES BECAME WORSE. CONSUMER MAINTAINED THAT HONDA KNEW ABOUT THESE BRAKES AND WERE NOT DOING ANYTHING ABOUT THEM. *AK

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2003 HONDA ACCORD, Manufacturer: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.)
Incident: Oct 2004
Sep 2004 Crash Injury

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

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2003 HONDA ACCORD, Manufacturer: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.)
Incident: Feb 2004
Sep 2004

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

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2003 HONDA ACCORD, Manufacturer: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.)
Incident: Aug 2004
Sep 2004

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

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2003 HONDA ACCORD, Manufacturer: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.)
Incident: Jan 2004
Sep 2004

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.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2003 HONDA ACCORD, Manufacturer: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.)
Incident: Aug 2004
Sep 2004

WHILE DRIVING IN INCLEMENT WEATHER CONDITIONS AND WHEN DEPRESSING THE BRAKES PEDAL IS DELAYED IN BRAKING, WHICH RESULTS IN EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE. *AK

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2003 HONDA ACCORD, Manufacturer: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.)
Incident: Jan 2004
Sep 2004

WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED AND WHEN THE BRAKES WERE DEPRESSED VEHICLE JERKED TO ONE SIDE OR THE OTHER. ALSO, THERE WAS A GRINDING SOUND COMING FROM THE FRONT WHEELS. DEALER REPAIRED THE PROBLEM FREE OF CHARGE, CLAIMING THAT OLD BRAKE PADS WERE UPDATED. *AK

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2003 HONDA ACCORD, Manufacturer: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.)
Incident: Jun 2004
Aug 2004

WHILE BRAKING THERE WAS EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE. DEALERSHIP WAS NOTIFIED, BUT DID NOT SOLVE THE PROBLEM. *AK

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2003 HONDA ACCORD, Manufacturer: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.)
Incident: Jun 2004
Aug 2004

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

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2003 HONDA ACCORD, Manufacturer: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.)
Incident: Aug 2004
Aug 2004 Crash

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

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2003 HONDA ACCORD, Manufacturer: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.)
Incident: Jun 2004

Trend Over Time

Complaints by year

Quick Summary

The 2003 Honda Accord has 121 SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC complaints on file. 8 crashes have been reported. Review the timeline above for detailed owner experiences.