Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (doors, hood, frame, rust, paint and trim).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2001 Honda Accord owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owns a 2001 Honda Accord. The contact stated that after the vehicle was inspected, he was informed by the technician that the vehicle had failed due to the subframe had rusted and was corroded and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer nor the manufacture were notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 96,299.
To Honda corporation re: recall department on June 19 2014 I was driving my 2001 Honda Accord coupe when I was suddenly hit by a delivery truck who was trying to make an illegal left turn in front of me. My car was total. The front side and passenger side of my car are totally demolished. The irony of it all is that, the front and the side air bag failed to deploy. And as the result I was severely injured without the protection of the air bag. On March 2015 which is almost a year after my accident I received an air bag recall letter from Honda corporation. I should have received the warning and recall letter before my accident which is June 19 20014. Honda corporation is responsible for my injuries for making a defaulted air bag and failed to warn me about the situation before my accident. …
Takata recall - on jan 10th 2017 my son was in a car accident with his 2001 Honda Accord and the airbag deployed and stuff hit him in the face he was bleeding all over his face. The car was totaled and its now sitting in a junkyard here where we live I have pictures of the car. My son was rushed to the emergency room in reno, nv. He is OK now and he a lot of cuts, bruises and had whiplash. This car was not safe for a teen to be driving for his first car! The car lost control on the highway and bounced several times off the guard rails at 65 MPH.
From a position of park in a parking garage to the position of drive the car immediately began accelerating uncontrollably. The gas pedal seemed stuck and slight pressure on it to get it unstuck made the car go faster so I placed both feet on the brake pedal with full downward force but the car kept accelerating. I finally had to crash into another vehicle to prevent my car from hitting people walking in the parking garage.
The car was involved in a wreck with an 18 wheeler that had a trailer on it. It pulled out in front of my car and the trailer hit the front of my car where it totaled my car. The air bag had all types of trash that sms out once the air bag exploded.auhust
Mileage: 133,000- started my car at home and couldn't get it out of park. Tried turning it off and then on again while stepping on the breaks. Break petal release and hit the floor. Had to tow vehicle to shop. Shop found that entire under body (sub-frame) was rusted, rotted/ leaking. Brake and fuel lines totally rotted along with entire under body, especially noted- located on the front passenger side near the strut assembly, beneath the air conditioner drain. Total cost over $2,000. Also, paint pealing/ rusting off. Started at 60,000 miles. After reading hundreds of complaints online regarding these same issues, and finding that Honda is not taking responsibility (air conditioner is located right above engine) I have decided not to spend another time on this car and will never purchase another Honda for as long as I live. I guess people have to die before Honda will admit model flaw. …
The passenger side rear front engine support is rusting away due to a ac leak my car was bought last year everything was fine due to hot summers and salty wet winters when this summer came my cars frame where the front support meats the back end and where the engine mount is completely rusted away dues to the years of the ac leaking directly onto the frame when I bought the car the info was not disclosed to me that Honda with the years 98-02 had this problem my frame has now completely broken and is hanging by a thread this I'd a very dangerous situation as if I'm driving and the frame breaks it could cause seriously injury or death I noticed the noise a couple weeks ago and when inspection the vehicle and doing some research I found that this is a very common thing and don't think I could have to fix the mistake Honda made having a leak that drops directly onto the frame after 19 years …
Upon a standard oil change at 160,000 miles, I was informed that the front sub frame had rusted through on the passenger and driver side. I was told to talk to a body shop immediately because the car wasn't "road safe". Looked into this a bit and found that this is a common problem with accords from this time period due to the placement of the air conditioning drainpipe (which empties right onto the subframe) . The car for the most part is reliable, minus the transmission that failed at 130,000 miles. But a frame shouldn't be "rusted through" after 15 years! Sounds unsafe, considering the amount of these cars that are still on the road. Called Honda today and was informed the repair would cost over $1200 with no goodwill on their end. Figured this was the best alternative to the situation.
While changing the front brakes on my car I noticed the right rear corner of my subframe was heavily rusted. Upon closer inspection the subframe has rusted through in several spots. Directly below the air conditioning drain tube I was able to put a finger through the metal with little to no pressure. The location of this drain tube allows water to drip directly onto the subframe. The opposite side of the subframe has barely any rust on it at all. Searching through the internet I found many reports and stories from owners of the 1998 to 2002 Honda accords with the same issue. A walk through a local junkyard yesterday provides further proof that this is a design flaw and Honda needs to rectify this issue promptly.
Tl* the contact owns a 2001 Honda Accord. While driving various speeds and driving over bumps in the road, the contact heard an abnormal rattling noise. Additionally, the passenger side undercarriage was rusted and the service/maintenance warning indicator illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who stated that the engine cradle needed to be repaired and the vehicle was unsafe to drive. The local dealer and manufacturer were not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was 133,875.
Body complaints in other Accord years
Frequently asked questions
How common are body problems on the 2001 Honda Accord?
NHTSA has 47 complaints about the body & structure of the 2001 Honda Accord, 5% of the model year's 922 complaints. The component named most often is body (35 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2001 Honda Accord body problems?
No. NHTSA lists no body & structure recall for the 2001 Honda Accord, though it has 7 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2001 Honda Accord body problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 137,000 miles, and 12% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 6 crashes, 0 fires and 10 injuries to body & structure problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
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.