Overview & Reviews

The Honda Accord -- one of America's favorite vehicles -- has been substantially changed for 2003. Continuing as a sedan and a coupe, the 2003 Honda Accord features more powerful and fuel-efficient engines, increased safety and higher levels of interior comfort. A voice-activated GPS navigation system is optional, and a sporty EX coupe debuts in early 2003.

• Tight build quality, quiet cabin, refined powertrains, comfortable driver seat, outstanding optional navigation system.

• Missing key features, relatively small trunk, mushy handling with V6.

User Reviews:

Showing 1 through 10 of 1,022.00

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  Great car but transmission problem - 2003 Honda Accord
  By Ankit Patel - October 1 - 6:24 am

  I love my car, when i bought it did not know there is transmission issue going on with this car. I bought it used and i drove only 105k and transmission failed. other maintenance is cheap and reliable.

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  pretty nice - 2003 Honda Accord
  By stewart - September 8 - 8:36 am

  I bought this accord used from a trade in with 220,000 miles. Right now I have 229,000 miles. No major issues. Took it from ohio to florida bo problem. Scariest complaint I have seen is about excessive oil consumption. From my research it seems to happen when oil changes are not done and the oil gets dirty. When that happens your timing chain which relies upon oil pressure can jump/ get stretched. Get your oil changed every 3000 miles. I dont lose any oil and this car to get to 220k miles must have been changed like clockwork. Also the automatic seems to have tranny problems.. I have a 5 speed manual and I seen hardly any complaints. Buying used make sure the car is clean.. If someone took good care of the interior and outside, then they probably took care of it mechanically too. Also when i bought mine the oil was just due for the 3000 change.. And the small dealership didnt change the oil prior to me buying. This let me see the level of the oil, and how dirty it was after 3000 miles.. To which the oil looked good. So i bought it and had it changed first thing. I expected with that many miles to not get the window sticker epa mileage.. But in fact i get 29 combined city and highway. Taking it to florida a tank seemed to get a max of about 520 miles. Take care of your Honda if you want it to last!

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  2003 Honda Accord EX - 6 cyl - 2003 Honda Accord
  By wallyk2 - December 21 - 11:34 am

  Ive enjoyed my car, but the transmission had to be replaced at 40,000 miles, 2 of 3 catalytic convertor stages had to be replaced in less than 120,000 miles, and the oxygen sensor twice...now my heat "blend doors" have to be replaced (which entails removing the entire dashboard).

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  BadTranny - 2003 Honda Accord
  By nikkithediyer - August 12 - 10:52 am

  I bought it used in 2012 with about 181k. That thang was surprisingly fast. Loved taking it out on the highway on trips. It was my 3rd Honda. I drove it from Philly to Atlanta and back. Tranny died at 211k. I drive a lot. I must say, it was low on trans fluid but it was also very very dark. I dont know too much about cars my research suggests there could have been that common issue of the 3rd gear not being lubricated properly and grinding out....or maybe neglect on my part. Either way, I dont have the car. I sold it cheap but really miss it! Wish Id kept it and just replaced trans. I should have noticed the subtle hard downshift from 3rd the 2nd from the beginning...cant win em all.

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  VERY GOOD USED CAR - 2003 Honda Accord
  By hondas_rule - April 14 - 3:25 pm

  Bought this as my work car this past Christmas break with 121k miles on it. These are great cars but Honda did have some troubles with this new body style in 03. The V6s eat up transmissions if you are the type to mash the gas and make the transmission shift under full throttle acceleration. The 4 cyls dont seem to have transmission issues. I had to replace the cruise control switch on the steering column which was an easy and cheap fix ( $35 on eBay ). The driver side door lock actuator which requires taking the door panel off went bad ( $20 on eBay ). Drivers seat belt light on the dash wont go out even though I have it buckled. Not that big a deal. Overall a great car for $5800

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  Scared - 2003 Honda Accord
  By bigjohn112 - July 14 - 4:56 pm

  I wish I had read more reviews before buying this car for my daughters first. I found this car at a dealer. One owner, 119K, no wrecks, no damage. Car looked a drove great. AC did not blow as cold as I thought it should but they checked it and replaced a sensor. I am going to change the transmission fluid as soon as possible. But with all the talk about tranny problems I find myself listening for odd noised and weird shifting . We have only had it a few days, but may end up wishing I had got a 2004+

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  Faithful Honda owner..a little rattled. - 2003 Honda Accord
  By ajhall - April 2 - 2:29 pm

  This is my second Accord, also the first car I have ever bought without researching. My thoughts were "its an Accord. Im safe". Currently have 80k miles on it. The car has been great, plenty of fun to drive and ample room although the trunk is a little small. What youve read about transmission issues are true. Mine is going in the shop this week for a rebuild around 3k in price. Honda has seem to correct the issue in later models and has been known to split the tranny rebuild with you since losing a class action suit, but its a little shameful to have to do on a car so young. Im going to keep it 300k+ miles. Not my last Accord, but research each car individually before buying.

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  Not So Sure About Honda Anymore - 2003 Honda Accord
  By uthookem - November 9 - 9:14 am

  Bought this used in 2007 with 60, 000 from a Honda dealership. I always noticed that this car didnt have the smoothest downshifting, but other than that, it was great. Im now at 125, 000 and it shifts hard quite a bit. Within the past months on 2 occasions it has refused to accelerate with my foot on the gas, and the check engine and TCS lights immediately come on. After reading many other reviews and complaints about this car, Im sure I know whats about to happen...

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  Hitting 10 years - 2003 Honda Accord
  By emc8 - October 5 - 7:22 am

  I bought this car new Dec 02. I only have 73k miles on it. Reading all the other reviews I am wondering if I need to get rid of it. In the last 14 months I have to replace 3 different sensors to the tune of $1,200. The engine sounds louder than ever.. this is my 5th Honda and have always loved them. My fear if I keep it is the transmission will go based on other reviews. The exterior looks fair at best and this car has been garage kept.

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  Great first car! - 2003 Honda Accord
  By 03hondaaccord - April 28 - 9:15 pm

  This is my first car, a 2003 Honda Accord Lx (4 cylinder w/ Automatic.) I absolutely love it, it is good looking, comfortable, affordable, and drives perfectly. I bought mine used w/ 51743 miles on it and when driving at freeway speeds (65+) there is not a single squeak or rattle. Although the interior is a tan fabric, it has been very well maintained and all seats are very comfortable. If you are looking for your first car or just a replacement, this is a perfect choice.