Most common 2001 Honda Accord problems
Share of the 922 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Honda Accord complaints by model year
Best Accord years: 2023, 2011, 2012. Years to avoid: 2018, 2013, 2019, 2014, 2003. Compare all years →
2001 Honda Accord recalls (7)
Air bags › Frontal › Driver side › Inflator module
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2003 Acura 3.2CL, 2002-2003 3.2TL, 2003-2006 MDX, 2001-2007 Honda Accord, 2001-2005 Civic, 2003-2005 Civic Hybrid, 2001-2005 Civic GX NGV, 2002-2006 CR-V, 2003-2011 Element, 2002-2004 Odyssey, 2003-2008 Pilot and 2006 Ridgeline vehicles.
Remedy: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver frontal air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began August 12, 2019. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138.
Air bags › Frontal › Driver side › Inflator module
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling specific 2003 Acura 3.2CL, 2013-2016 ILX, 2013-2014 ILX Hybrid, 2003-2006 MDX, 2007-2016 RDX, 2002-2003 3.2TL, 2004-2006, and 2009-2014 TL, 2010-2013 ZDX and 2001-2007 and 2009 Honda Accord, 2001-2005 Civic, 2003-2005 Civic Hybrid, 2001-2005 Civic GX NGV, 2002-2007 and 2010-2011…
Remedy: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver's air bag inflator with an alternate inflator, free of charge. The recall began April 10, 2019. Honda owners may contact customer service at 1-888-234-2138.
Air bags › Frontal › Driver side › Inflator module
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain model year 2001-2007 Accord, 2001-2005 Civic, 2001-2004 Honda Civic GX, 2003-2005 Honda Civic Hybrid, 2002-2006 CR-V, 2003-2011 Element, 2002-2004 Odyssey, 2003-2008 Pilot, 2006 Ridgeline, 2003 Acura 3.2CL, 2003-2006 Acura MDX, and 2002-2003 Acura 3.2TL vehicles.
Remedy: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver frontal air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began on July 1, 2015. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138.
Electrical system › Ignition › Switch
On certain passenger vehicles, the interlock operation of the ignition switch May not function properly, making it possible to turn the ignition key to the "off" position and remove the key without shifting the transmission to park.
Remedy: Dealers will perform an inspection procedure that confirms interlock function. Vehicles will be updated with a redesigned interlock lever free of charge. The recall began on March 7, 2005.
Interior lighting
On certain passenger vehicles, the dimmer control for the instrument panel lights could fail due to heat buildup.
Remedy: Dealers will replace a multiplex control unit for the instrument panel lights. Owner notification began June 16, 2004. Owners should contact Honda at 1-800-999-1009.
Seat belts › Front › Buckle assembly
Certain sedans and coupes fail to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 209, "seat belt assemblies." certain rear seat belt buckles were improperly manufactured.
Remedy: In a previous recall (01v-380), only right and left buckles were inspected. The rear center buckle should also be inspected and corrected if necessary. This recall is being conducted only for the center buckle.
Show 1 more recall
Seat belts › Front › Buckle assembly
Vehicle description: certain sedans and coupes fail to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 209, "seat belt assemblies." certain rear seat belt buckles were improperly manufactured.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect the vehicles and replace the seat belt assemblies that were improperly manufactured. Only buckles that are marked (on the back side of the buckle) with an assembly number beginning with 00185,…
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into 10 possible defects involving the 2001 Honda Accord:
Rupturing driver's air bag inflators
This RQ investigation was opened to collect and analyze additional information to better evaluate the scope and timeliness of Honda's two safety recalls addressing rupturing of the driver's side air bag inflators (08V-593 and 09V-259).In an earlier response to RMD's request for information, Honda indicated that the second recall (09V-259), essentially an expansion of the first (08V-593), was necessary since later…
Air Bag Inflator Rupture
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened PE14-016 in June 2014 based on six inflator rupture incidents involving consumer owned vehicles produced by five vehicle manufacturers.All six vehicles were operated in Florida or Puerto Rico at the time of the rupture and for the majority of their service life, and were equipped with inflators produced by Takata, a tier-one supplier of automotive air bag…
SRS readiness indicator illumination
The subject vehicles are designed with an occupant position detection system (opds) for the passenger seat to suppress the side airbag in the event of an out-of-position occupant.on some vehicles, the opds unit and sensor grid May be susceptible to high moisture content and/or to sporadic electrical interference that would result in the illumination of the SRS readiness indicator.in this condition, opds suppression…
Ignition-park interlock
The above failure report counts are for model year (my) 1999 - 2001 Honda accord models that were not within the scope of a related Honda recall action (NHTSA 03V423); these vehicles were investigated by odi under defect petition (dp) 04-006.complaint information for other models and model years was not obtained by odi.the noted population indicates the number of vehicles (including the my 2002 accord plus the…
Seat frame bracket failure
This pe was opened based on 10 consumer complaints in the odi database alleging that the power assisted seats were failing in certain 1998-2002 Honda accord vehicles.failures are concentrated in the 1998-99 model year vehicles.the bracket that attaches the seat bottom to the seat base is fracturing due to: 1-the weld condition of bracket, 2-the drivers weight, and 3-the impact on the seat when the driver enters the…
Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture
From 2000 through 2017, Takata produced millions of air bag inflators using two types of phase-stabilized ammonium nitrate ("PSAN") propellant -- propellant 2004 and propellant 2004L. After prolonged exposure to high temperature cycles and humidity, inflators using propellant 2004 can degrade, causing the propellant to burn too quickly when ignited.
Air Bag Inflator Rupture
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened PE14-016 in June 2014 based on six inflator rupture incidents involving consumer owned vehicles produced by five vehicle manufacturers.All six vehicles were operated in Florida or Puerto Rico at the time of the rupture and for the majority of their service life, and were equipped with inflators produced by Takata, a tier-one supplier of automotive air bag…
Ignition-park interlock
Six of the odi complaints are duplicative of Honda complaints, as well as four of the crashes.the one injury occurred when a rollaway vehicle struck the exiting operator who had inadvertently parked the vehicle in an unsecured state (not in park, brake not engaged).Honda identified the warranty claims from complaint descriptions that contended the interlock system failed to operate properly.Honda presented the…
Ignition-park interlock
The office of defects investigation (odi) produced an information request (ir) letter dated October 14, 2004 which defined the subject vehicles as model year 1999 - 2001 Honda accord vehicles which were not within the scope of prior recall action (03V423) Honda conducted to resolve an interlock defect.Honda submitted responses on November 29 and December 21, 2004.the failure reports noted above have been determined…
Honda EWR Reporting
In a Consent Order executed on December 29, 2014, American Honda Motor Co. (Honda) admitted that it violated the Safety Act by failing to report certain death and injury incidents that were required to be reported to NHTSA under 49 C.F.R.
What 2001 Honda Accord owners say
Air bags all 407 →
The airbags failed to provide me protection during an accident on a highway. 1. Airbag was size of steering wheel, both popped upon deploying, didn't protect me from hitting and shattering windshield with my head, seatbelt help me from flying thru windshield , without protection from airbag both hands and wrists are brused in braces.. I been off work for 9 days now 2 visits to ER .. I believe the airbags mafunctioned.. my car is in Inland towing riverside ca. A highway patrol was present unknown if report was made , it's not letting me upload files and fotos
The contact owns a 2001 Honda Accord. The contact purchased the vehicle and was provided a copy of NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V182000 (AIR BAGS) by the original owner of the vehicle. The local dealer was contacted; however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The dealer refused to release the vehicle because of a "Do not Drive" warning on the vehicle. The contact had to sign a release form to retrieve the vehicle. The contact stated that the dealer deactivated the front driver's side air bag. The contact stated that the air bag warning light illuminated and remained illuminated. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure.
Transmission & drivetrain all 209 →
Vehicle 2001 honda accord lx . Approx. 152000 miles transmission shifting down to first when let off of accell Pedal. Causing the vehicle to skid and veer right then left on freeway at 65mph to about 24mph . No crash. But nearly. Luckily light traffic. Check engine light . Blinking D4. And TCS light came on all at once. Passenger was in panic while this occurred. No police report or accident . A P0730( Incorrect gear ratio)code and P1751(2-3 shift malfunction )code. Is present. Turned key off when it was safe ,D4 and TCS cleared ,when key turned back on. Need to see if this is common problem and if it is , it needs to be addressed . Also has a problem with the fuel pump delivery of fuel via relay . May shut off while in motion and cause car to stop running. Changed relay and no other problems with relay. Approx. 130000 miles.
The contact owns a 2001 Honda Accord. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, there was a delay while shifting gears. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer where it was diagnosed that the failure was due to the transmission. The contact was informed that the check engine light would remain illuminated until the repair was completed. The manufacturer was contacted but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was unknown.
Electrical system all 78 →
I am able to turn the ignition to the off position and remove the key without putting the vehicle in park. While this has not resulted in an accident YET, the car did roll down my driveway once. Someone could die as a result of this problem. I believe the issue is with the ignition interlock. Both the dealer and an independent mechanic told me it was an expensive repair and "not worth doing on this car". The thing is, there is a recall for this very issue on other 1999-2002 Honda Accord sedans, but the recall does not include my car's VIN. This is a public safety threat that make me afraid to sell or donate my car. The problem has been ongoing for about 3 years. There are no warning lights associated with the problem, but a number of other electrical issues have been developing.
Ignition switch should prevent the driver from retrieving the key while shift lever is in any position other than parking. This failure allows the driver to retrieve the key while the shift lever is in any position therefore allowing the car to roll down if parked in a slope and hit people or other cars.
2001 Honda Accord engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2.3L 4-cyl | 5-speed manual | FWD | 22 / 29 / 25 |
| 2.3L 4-cyl | 4-speed automatic | FWD | 20 / 27 / 23 |
| 3.0L 6-cyl | 4-speed automatic | FWD | 18 / 26 / 21 |
EPA ratings. Class: Midsize car.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2001 Honda Accord a good car?
Based on 922 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2001 Accord rates average: about as many complaints as a typical year of the Accord at the same age. Complaint counts don't account for sales volume or individual maintenance, so have any used car inspected before buying.
What is the most common problem with the 2001 Honda Accord?
The air bags — 407 complaints, 44% of all complaints for this model year, most often about frontal › sensor/control module. Next are the transmission & drivetrain (209) and electrical system (78).
How many recalls does the 2001 Honda Accord have?
There are 7 recalls for the 2001 Honda Accord, the most recent from June 27, 2019 (inflator module). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer — check whether yours has been done with the VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the Honda Accord?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2023, 2011 and 2012. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2018, 2013, 2019, 2014 and 2003. See the full Honda Accord years comparison.
At what mileage do 2001 Honda Accord problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 85,000 miles; 24% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 miles.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.