2003 Honda Accord Engine Problems

Source: NHTSA · Updated Jun 27, 2026 · 51 complaints analyzed

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.

At what mileage do engine problems happen?

Based on 45 complaints that reported the odometer reading.

Under 10k miles0 · 0%
10k–25k miles0 · 0%
25k–50k miles0 · 0%
50k–75k miles2 · 4%
75k–100k miles7 · 16%
100k–150k miles26 · 58%
150k+ miles10 · 22%

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

Peak: 2018, with 557 complaints
1995: 119951996: 11997: 101998: 1819981999: 282000: 112001: 1420012002: 192003: 512004: 2820042005: 292006: 212007: 2920072008: 2102009: 1112010: 11620102011: 252012: 432013: 17920132014: 1792015: 1062016: 4420162017: 622018: 5575572019: 18420192020: 722021: 372022: 3120222023: 112024: 112025: 220252026: 1

n = 2,241 complaints · Source: NHTSA

Model yearEngine complaintsShare of that yearMedian miles
2026 Accord110%—
2025 Accord22%6,090
2024 Accord117%41,500
2023 Accord1113%—
2022 Accord3112%22
2021 Accord3715%133,000
2020 Accord7220%28,000
2019 Accord18426%72,281
2018 Accord55729%56,000
2017 Accord6212%33,500
2016 Accord447%36,000
2015 Accord10618%51,500
2014 Accord17918%50,500
2013 Accord17913%42,500
2012 Accord4312%63,000
2011 Accord258%95,140
2010 Accord11620%80,000
2009 Accord11115%78,500
2008 Accord21014%89,500
2007 Accord296%100,000
2006 Accord215%110,000
2005 Accord294%120,000
2004 Accord283%113,150
2003 Accord513%131,239
2002 Accord192%141,478
2001 Accord142%144,938
2000 Accord111%106,617
1999 Accord282%150,000
1998 Accord182%190,000
1997 Accord102%191,750
1996 Accord10%185,736
1995 Accord10%210,000

When owners reported it

Peak: 2013, with 11 complaints
2012: 102012102013: 112013112014: 8201482015: 7201572016: 3201632017: 1201712018: 3201832019: 2201922020: 3202032021: 2202122023: 120231

n = 51 complaints · Source: NHTSA

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…

Received Jul 20, 2023 · NHTSA complaint 11533529

I bought this vehicle at 130k miles and it had a regular maintenance. Since then it feels like there’s no power, it revs high when it shouldn’t, feels like the gears aren’t shifting when they should, hard shifting.

Received Jul 8, 2021 · NHTSA complaint 11423915

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…

Received Feb 15, 2021 · NHTSA complaint 11396234
Honda Accord
Urban Gray Pearl Honda Accord Hybrid Touring CY2 sedan at Honda Ilsan Dealership.. Representative photo; appearance varies by model year. Photo: Damian B Oh, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

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.