Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (battery, alternator, wiring, ignition, instrument cluster, infotainment).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2002 Honda Accord owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owns a 2002 Honda Accord. The contact stated that while parking the vehicle, the vehicle independently accelerated without warning. The contact stated that the vehicle went over a concrete island with the engine revving and the vehicle accelerating. The contact turned the vehicle to the right and grazed a pole which stopped the vehicle. The contact sustained a knot under her right clavicle but did not seek medical attention. A Police report was filed. Neither the dealer nor the manufacturer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 180,000.
Car exploded spontaneously. Fire department thinks it started in the steering wheel/ignition area. Vehicle is still parked on the street and is available for inspection. No one was in or around the vehicle, but it seems if someone had been in the car they would certainly have been incinerated. Anyone in the street would have been struck by shrapnel. Only the fire department has seen the vehicle so far, to put the fire out. This happened last night (1/31/24) about 8:30 pm central time. This happened with no warning, car was parked and turned off - had just been driven 2 hours prior.
The contact owns a 2002 Honda Accord. The contact stated the key was able to be removed from the ignition while the vehicle was in gear. The contact stated that while the key was in his possession, the vehicle unintendedly reversed. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 170,000.
This morning, my neighbor came over to see if I heard my car alarm go off. I saw that part of the driver side where the door buttons are located were some what damaged. They must have been trying to open other doors, trunk or something else. I'm not sure how they were able to open the driver side door, maybe a crow bar what whatever else they use. I did not hear my car alarm go off. I checked my car for anything stolen, but didn't seem to find any thing missing. Will check it again. On another note, there was a night about a month ago where my neighbor heard gun shots outside my back door under the plum tree. Same side of location where my car is parked. Perhaps its the same people. This neighborhood is becoming dangerous. Thank YOU! [redacted]
The ignition system of the vehicle is faulty. The engine keeps stalling intermittently and the vehicle shuts down. The issue has been observed at both low and high speeds. The issue occurs on average once in two weeks. This issue has put our family's safety in jeopardy. We filed a complaint with Honda but they are not willing to help with addressing this issue. This issue has been a problem for several years with no restitution from Honda. We need to be compensated USD 2.5million for the stress and aggravation this issue has caused us and for putting our family's safety in jeopardy. Please help us by arranging for mediation services with Honda Motor Company of America. Thank you.
Due to the main relay my 2002 Honda Accord SE shuts off I have replaced the box over and over still repeated the same thing I almost got hit because it shut off in traffic with my kids in the car it is a safety issue as I read on many blogs the same thing is happening to many other Honda Accord owners Honda needs to fix this problem.
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 Honda Accord. The contact stated that the key could be moved from the ignition while in gear and the vehicle can roll away. The manufacturer was notified. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 251,575. Updated 08/17/16 the consumer stated the vehicle rolled away on several occasions and on one of those occasions, the vehicle was damaged. The consumer also stated there was a recall on the SRS. Updated 11/03/16.
The radio caught on fire. The car radio the was the original factory installed radio when I purchased the vehicle from albany ga Honda. I did not make any changes or any upgrades to the radio. After I doused the radio with a soda, the speakers were emitting a radio static sound and I could hear the beeping sound of people unlocking their car doors with their devices. The vehicle was parked and the engine was off.
On August 1, 2009, our parked 2002 Honda Accord lx rolled off the parking lot and struck a vehicle parked on the other side before being stopped by the curb. There was an apparent failure of the ignition park switch interlock that allowed the ignition key to be removed from the ignition switch while the transmission was not shifted to park. The transmission was found to be in neutral after the crash. As a result of the crash, there was extensive damage to the front of our vehicle and lesser damage to the side of the vehicle. The total cost to repair the vehicle was $2609. The vehicle that was struck also needed repair. It sustained damage to the rear bumper and tail lights. …
Honda Accord 2002 4dr sedan, v6. Automatic transmission ignition key failure. I was able to remove the key while transmission was in drive and engine off. After about 2 minutes , the car rolled forward into my garage door. Hand brake was off. Spare key, give the same results. I was advised that there were no recalls for the Honda Accord 2002. This is a dangerous situation. Normally a person would not know of this problem until what happened to me. This time the only injury was to a garage door ,not a person. *updated 12/12/07 the consumer stated the vehicle crashed in the her garage. The consumer stated she accidentally left the vehicle in the drive after she removed the key from the ignition. The dealer informed the consumer her vehicle was not a part of the recall. Recall# 05V025000. It was only for vehicles manufactured in Japan not the USA. Updated 12/12/07.
Related recalls
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.
NHTSA investigations
Ignition park-shift interlock
Odi has received 16 complaints alleging failures of the ignition park-shift interlock that allowed the ignition key to be removed from the ignition switch without the transmission being shifted to park in model year (my) 2002 and 2003 Honda accord vehicles with automatic transmissions.eleven of the complaints allege that the failure of the interlock resulted in a rollaway crash.one owner alleged that she was almost…
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…
Electrical complaints in other Accord years
Frequently asked questions
How common are electrical problems on the 2002 Honda Accord?
NHTSA has 69 complaints about the electrical system of the 2002 Honda Accord, 7% of the model year's 1,050 complaints. The component named most often is ignition (10 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2002 Honda Accord electrical problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 05V-025 (switch, Jan 28, 2005). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 2002 Honda Accord electrical problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 100,000 miles, and 7% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 9 crashes, 2 fires and 2 injuries and 1 death to electrical system 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.