2003 Honda Accord EX review from North America
"Great car, but honestly Honda, fix the brakes!"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
The only problem I have experienced with my Accord is that the brakes squeak 95% of the time. They also make a metal on metal grinding noise when braking from much lower speeds.
General comments?
The brakes on this car are pretty bad. They work fine, but they squeal most of the time and grind off and on, but mostly from low speeds.
I just had the rear rotors and pads replaced. The Honda dealer service department said that the front pads were fine and were not in any need of replacement. I can live with the squeal and occasional grind if that is just the way they are. The grinding noise is not normal to me though. My dad has a 2004 Honda Accord EX-V6 automatic and his brakes make no noise AT ALL. They don't grind or squeak or anything.
I went to school in California and my car was not driven much since I graduated high school in 2003, so that is why I only have 40k miles on the car in 7 years!
I have not had one single problem with this car since they replaced my rear brake pads and rotors on my car. I keep seeing comments online that it could be my brake pad squeal wear indicators, but it is not a screech, it is a squeak. If I press down harder on the brakes they will not squeak nearly as bad, if they even squeak at all.
I have an appointment at Honda tomorrow for them to look at the front and rear brake assembly and whatnot. My brakes also shimmy slightly, but not like what other people on here are complaining about, and I am hard on my brakes. I drive quick and use my brakes for what they are supposed to do, which is stop the car, and if needed, I will hit them hard. THEY ARE BRAKES. That's why we have them.
If anyone knows anything about the slight grinding noise at low speeds or the squeaking noise, comment PLEASE!!! I just would like to know if this is normal.
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| I'm afraid of calling this car a lemon, but it appears to be yellow |
| Extremely reliable to the point it's surprising |
| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | Yes |
| Model year | 2003 |
| Year of manufacture | 2003 |
| First year of ownership | 2005 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2009 |
| Engine and transmission | 2.4 i-VTEC Automatic |
| Performance marks | 8 / 10 |
| Reliability marks | 10 / 10 |
| Comfort marks | 10 / 10 |
| Dealer Service marks | 2 / 10 |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 10 / 10 |
| Overall marks (average of all marks) | |
| Distance when acquired | 0 miles |
| Most recent distance | 41500 miles |
| Previous car | Volkswagen Jetta |
| Date of Entry | 19th July, 2009 |