2003 Honda Accord LX 3L V6 from North America

Summary:

Extremely reliable to the point it's surprising

Faults:

We've really hadn't had anything go wrong with this car.

General Comments:

It's an amazing car in my opinion. We bought the car with 60k miles on it, we drove it to 155k and then put new tires on it. Even if the dealership put new tires on it when we bought the car, my wife got almost 100k on a set of tires. I'm doubting they put new tires on it. But maybe.

We never got the timing belt changes, and it has a 170k miles on it. So I was worried since these are to be changed at 100k. So I just scheduled to have it changed. Not because we had any issues, just because more of preventative maintenance.

The car has 170k miles on it and we finally started changing brake pads.

We've never had to give this car a tune-up.

Just regular oil changes and an air filter every so often.

Literally I feel this is one of the better made cars on the market.

I wasn't really a fan of Hondas, but I have to say I would recommend one to anyone. It's a great and reliable car. If you don't hot rod the car around and use it as a daily commuter, this thing will last forever.

Everything we have done to this car is just because it lasted so much longer than it was supposed to last, that we just got worried and performed the maintenance anyhow. The tires were in OK shape, just worn oddly, so we bought new ones. The brakes finally started to squeak around 165k miles. I would have to believe that the dealership must have put new tire and brakes on the car when we got it, but they never said they did. So I'm not 100% sure..

Anyhow, if you want a now inexpensive and reliable ride, an 03 Honda Accord with the V6 is definitely a good choice.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 28th April, 2009

2003 Honda Accord EX VTEC V6 from North America

Summary:

I LOVE THIS CAR, but I don't love the problems I've had with it

Faults:

Stereo LCD Backlight went out at 40000 miles. Dealership would not fix, as was past the warranty. Told me it would cost $600+ to fix. Not just the LCD, THE WHOLE AIR CONDITIONING/STEREO UNIT WENT OUT. The backlight on all of it, I mean.

After 4+ years of driving without knowing what channel I was on, or what CD track I was on, I stumbled upon a Service Bulletin online, which you can find if you google "Honda Accord Backlight stereo", and so I called my local Honda dealership. This wasn't the dealership that told me it would cost over 600 dollars. I was told it would be fixed under "goodwill service", paid for by American Honda, and it was fixed within a week. Has not gone out since.

Map lights by the sunroof and sunglasses holder went out, both of them.

Power steering went out, spent 2000 dollars on a new pump, and am still waiting on a reimbursement from Honda (turned out was a recall). Made an awful whirring noise when I turned the wheel, but only when it was cold.

Transmission went out at 10000 miles, fixed by recall.

Brakes needed replacing after 30000 miles. (Lifetime warranty my butt!)

Automatic driver's window will "bounce back" from the top of the window sill when I attempt to roll it up, and will roll back down. Only does it every once in a while, though.

Front passenger headlight went out after 60000 miles.

Rear driver's side taillight went out soon after.

Heated seats don't work half the time.

General Comments:

Overall, I LOVE my car. It handles like a dream, and has the energy of a three-year-old. The engine's 240 horsepower plows me past other cars, and at the same time is getting me 30+ MPG.

The steering is so precise, I love it so much. People hate being in the car with me, because I love taking fast turns. :)

THE SOUND SYSTEM IS SUPERB! It has way more bass than I need, and I love cranking it up to its limit. It sounds like I have 2 subs in the back!

Its front seats are so comfortable, besides the headrests. It's so much fun to drive, I never let anyone drive it but me.

Of all the problems I've had, I still love the heck out of it. I'll drive it into the ground before I get a new one.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Don't Know

Review Date: 26th October, 2008

15th Jan 2009, 06:43

UPDATE:

Having several problems with it now. Steering is no longer that precise turning I described. It has a mind of its own. It feels like the steering wheel is loose, I really don't know. Also, when I have to slam on my brakes, or sometimes by just barely tapping on them at a stop sign, it'll start tugging like someone driving a standard for the first time. VERY SCARY! The doors won't stay open. My driveway is on a very small hill, and the doors always fall back on my legs. OUCH!

I still love my car. But, I think I'm going to give it back to my mom, who was the original owner, and get a 2004-2005 BMW 325ci or 330ci. I want a reliable, sporty coupe.

7th Jul 2009, 16:00

Now with 85k, I still have it. I got a 2005 Honda Accord EX-V6 in February, amazing car, way better than the 2003 models. Braking on it was superb, and better steering. Sadly, I totalled it on April 5. I'm now sharing this car with my mother again, and its not doing so well. Sometimes it hesitates to start, thought it was a battery problem, but was the fuel cap, replaced. The other day, I turned the key to start it, and it did nothing. It didn't hesitate, or do anything to hint that it was a battery issue. Held the key down and after about 10 seconds let up, tryed again, and again, and again, and finally it started. Very scary. Done this several times.

Now shopping for another car for myself. Thinking about an Acura TSX or a BMW 330Ci? Comments are welcome.