2003 Honda Accord Engine Problems
Owners have filed 51 complaints with NHTSA about engine problems on the 2003 Honda Accord, 3% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 131,239 miles.
- 51engine complaints
- 131,239median miles at failure
- 1mention a crash
- 1mention an injury
- 0related recalls
- 44%of reports with a speed happened at 50+ mph
At what mileage do engine problems happen?
Based on 45 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 51 complaints, 1 mention a crash, 1 a fire, 1 an injury.
Honda Accord engine complaints by model year
| Model year | Engine complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 Accord | 1 | 10% | — |
| 2025 Accord | 2 | 2% | 6,090 |
| 2024 Accord | 11 | 7% | 41,500 |
| 2023 Accord | 11 | 13% | — |
| 2022 Accord | 31 | 12% | 22 |
| 2021 Accord | 37 | 15% | 133,000 |
| 2020 Accord | 72 | 20% | 28,000 |
| 2019 Accord | 184 | 26% | 72,281 |
| 2018 Accord | 557 | 29% | 56,000 |
| 2017 Accord | 62 | 12% | 33,500 |
| 2016 Accord | 44 | 7% | 36,000 |
| 2015 Accord | 106 | 18% | 51,500 |
| 2014 Accord | 179 | 18% | 50,500 |
| 2013 Accord | 179 | 13% | 42,500 |
| 2012 Accord | 43 | 12% | 63,000 |
| 2011 Accord | 25 | 8% | 95,140 |
| 2010 Accord | 116 | 20% | 80,000 |
| 2009 Accord | 111 | 15% | 78,500 |
| 2008 Accord | 210 | 14% | 89,500 |
| 2007 Accord | 29 | 6% | 100,000 |
| 2006 Accord | 21 | 5% | 110,000 |
| 2005 Accord | 29 | 4% | 120,000 |
| 2004 Accord | 28 | 3% | 113,150 |
| 2003 Accord | 51 | 3% | 131,239 |
| 2002 Accord | 19 | 2% | 141,478 |
| 2001 Accord | 14 | 2% | 144,938 |
| 2000 Accord | 11 | 1% | 106,617 |
| 1999 Accord | 28 | 2% | 150,000 |
| 1998 Accord | 18 | 2% | 190,000 |
| 1997 Accord | 10 | 2% | 191,750 |
| 1996 Accord | 1 | 0% | 185,736 |
| 1995 Accord | 1 | 0% | 210,000 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (0)
No safety recall lists engine for the 2003 Honda Accord. A pattern of complaints does not always lead to a recall.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
(Please check the attached full complaint letter) I hope this letter finds you well. I am writing to bring to your attention a concerning matter regarding my experience with the American Honda Motor Company. As a loyal consumer and a law-abiding citizen, I believe it is crucial to address issues…
I bought this vehicle at 130k miles and it had a regular maintenance. Since then it feels like thereâs no power, it revs high when it shouldnât, feels like the gears arenât shifting when they should, hard shifting.
I was driving the car and the power steering pump went out and a week later my transmission started slipping then all of a sudden my car wouldn't go into gears and the transmission stopped working completely. It will work for 5 min then it completely won't go in any gear. I had to have it towed…

Frequently asked questions
Do all 2003 Honda Accords have engine problems?
No. NHTSA has 51 owner complaints about engine for the 2003 Honda Accord (3% of the 1,987 complaints for this model year). Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the 2003 Honda Accord engine?
No recall currently lists engine for this vehicle.
At what mileage do engine problems start?
The median reported mileage is 131,239 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
Other 2003 Honda Accord problems
See all 2003 Honda Accord problems or engine problems across all Accord years.