Honda Accord 2003–2007

7th generation (North America) · CM4/CM5/CM6 sedan, CM7/CM8 coupe · 5,812 complaints, 4,461 with mileage

When failures happen

What fails, and when

By model year

Which systems, and when

Complaints about this generation are not spread evenly across the vehicle, and the systems that generate the most of them do not all fail at the same point in a car's life. The median failure across all systems here is 84,000 miles; the figures below show which parts of the car run ahead of that and which run behind.

The transmission and driveline accounts for 25.9% of complaints (1,505 reports, 1,370 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 97,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 74,000 and 122,000 miles.

A single system taking 25.9% of all complaints is a concentration worth noting. It means that for this generation, most of what owners reported came back to one area of the car rather than being distributed across many small faults.

The airbag system accounts for 18.7% of complaints (1,084 reports, 681 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 89,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 51,000 and 130,000 miles.

The electrical system accounts for 8.6% of complaints (498 reports, 381 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 74,800 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 39,500 and 118,000 miles.

The hydraulic brake circuit accounts for 5.4% of complaints (314 reports, 245 of them with a mileage figure), and it fails early — a median of 15,000 miles, well before the vehicle's overall median. Failures clustered this far below the rest of the car usually point to a design or manufacturing problem rather than wear, because wear does not selectively target one system on low-mileage examples. The middle half of these reports falls between 5,900 and 32,300 miles.

The steering accounts for 5.2% of complaints (300 reports, 237 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 102,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 55,000 and 150,000 miles.

Throttle and speed control accounts for 4.5% of complaints (262 reports, 215 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 68,300 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 23,387 and 114,000 miles.

Differences between model years

Within this generation, complaint volume is not constant across model years. The 2003 model year drew the most — 2,384 complaints — while 2006 drew the fewest at 541. The median year sits at 880.

That makes 2003 an outlier: roughly 2.7 times the median year of this generation. A single year standing that far apart usually reflects either a first-year issue that was later corrected, or a component change introduced for that year. Anyone shopping this generation has a straightforward reason to prefer a different year, all else being equal.

Recalls and what they cover

NHTSA records 13 recall campaigns covering vehicles in this generation. A recall means the manufacturer or the regulator concluded there was a safety defect or a standard was not met, and that a free remedy is owed to owners — including second and later owners.

The campaigns cluster around the airbag system (10), the steering (1), the transmission and driveline (1). Repeated recalls against the same area of the car generally mean the first remedy did not fully resolve the underlying problem.

Recall status is specific to the individual vehicle, not the model. Checking a VIN against NHTSA's lookup is free and takes under a minute, and it is the only way to know whether a particular car has had the work done.

Reported severity

Of the 5,812 complaints filed against this generation, 657 reported a crash; 92 reported a fire; 593 reported an injury; 22 reported a fatality. Crash-involved reports represent 11.3% of the total.

These are owner-reported outcomes, not verified investigations, and they are not adjusted for how many of these vehicles are on the road. They are included because the distinction between a fault that strands a car and a fault that causes a collision is the one that matters most, and it is not visible in a complaint count alone.

What this means if you are buying one

For a buyer, failures on this generation are spread rather than concentrated: the middle half falls between 40,400 and 120,000 miles, with a median of 84,000. There is no single mileage threshold to watch, which means condition and maintenance records are more informative than the odometer.

On inspection, the transmission and driveline and the airbag system are where this generation's reports concentrate, so those are the areas worth a specific look. The airbag system in particular shows a median failure mileage of 89,000, which gives a concrete number to compare against the odometer of any car you are considering.

None of this is a substitute for a pre-purchase inspection on the individual car. Aggregate patterns describe a population; the example in front of you has its own history.

Documented problems

Recalls (13)

What owners reported

Other generations

• Honda Accord 1994–1997
• Honda Accord 1998–2002
• Honda Accord 2008–2012
• Honda Accord 2013–2017
• Honda Accord 2018–2022
• Honda Accord 2023–2025