Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (buckles, retractors, anchors and pretensioners).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2003 Honda Accord owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owns a 2003 Honda Accord. The contact stated while driving 60-70 MPH, the driver's and passenger's side front air bags deployed without warning or impact. The contact pulled over, and the second stage of the air bags deployed. The seat belt air bags also deployed. The air bag and seat belt warning lights illuminated after the failure. There were no reported injuries. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and opened a case. The contact was referred to the local dealer for diagnostic testing. The failure mileage was approximately 259,725.
My son is an approved seatbelt claimant in the Takata Bankruptcy class action suit. (#4842) He became a paraplegic when his 2003 Honda Accord rolled once after encountering a road surface change from asphalt to gravel. His seatbelt pre-tensor failed as did his airbags. His T-13 L-1 spinal cord injury is conducive to seat belt failure. . A bone spur from his vertebre broke off and went into his spinal cord. By the time our head cleared from the whole ordeal, we were one month out of the statue of limitations. (which is 2 years in the state of Colorado) Shortly thereafter we received a card in the mail informing us of the Takata class action suit. We were glad we still had an avenue for an injury claim. Fast forward 4+ years and we have recently found out that the 33 approved Takata seatbelt claimants have $1,140,000 to share amongst themselves. …
I was on I-285 going about 40 MPH when a truck carrying tree limbs and branches pulled off the median directly in front of me. My 2003 Honda Accord ex coupe rear ended the truck. The front passenger air bag deployed breaking the windshield but the driver's side air bag did not deploy. The driver's seat belt did not retract. Damage was confined to the hood, bumper and several components under the hood (compressor, radiator, etc). The vehicle was towed to my local Honda dealer who is making all the necessary repairs. The dealer informed me that Honda recommends the seat belt buckle be replaced when the seat belt needs to be replaced. The dealer ordered the seat belt buckle but noticed it was the wrong part when they went to install it. …
On 7/21/15 I took my Honda to the dealer at 9213 harford road, 21234, for safety recall 15v-320 & 370, and it was repaired. The SRS light came on intermittently and they scanned for code and said that the SRS unit was malfunctioning and was not covered under the recall. A repair price was quoted of $735. After further investigation, I found out that many other Honda owners had the same problem and were quite upset over this safety malfunction. I wrote a letter to Honda customer service asking for their assistance in covering the cost of repair or "lifetime" warranty coverage. This is definitely a safety issue and nothing to do with the maintenance of my vehicle which has only 64,000 miles. …
Tl contact owns a 2003 Honda Accord. While preparing to make a turn, the contact's vehicle was struck by another vehicle. The contact sustained a back injury, whiplash, a lump on her forehead, and three lumps in her breast from being knocked into the steering wheel. The driver's side air bag failed to deploy. Six months prior to the failure, there was an incident in which the driver's side air bag did not deploy, but the passenger side air bag deployed. At that time, the contact was taken to the hospital. She sustained head injuries. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and repaired. There was also a diagnostic test performed, which stated that the air bags will now operate correctly. A police report was filed. The speed was unknown. The current mileage was 37,500 and failure mileage was 36,694. …
Tl contact owns a 2003 Honda Accord. While attempting to turn the vehicle at 50 MPH, it was struck by another vehicle. The contact sustained injuries to her back, forehead, knees, and chest due to being thrown into the steering wheel from impact. The driver's side air bag failed to deploy. The driver's side seat belt came out of the buckle latch and was thrown to the passenger side of the vehicle. Six months later, the contact was involved in another incident in which the driver's side air bag did not deploy again. The passenger side air bag deployed. The contact sustained head injuries and was transported to the hospital. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and repaired. A diagnostic test was performed, which indicated that the air bags would now operate correctly. A police report was filed. The current mileage was 37,500 and failure mileage was 36,694.
My son was involved in a single car roll over accident on 10/10/2015. He was traveling about 40 miles per hour when the road surface changed from asphalt to gravel. He lost control of the car and the vehicle did one complete rotation landing back on its tires. The seat belt did not hold causing his head to hit the inside roof of vehicle and throwing him from side to side as the vehicle rolled over. My son suffered a l1 burst fracture, damaging his spinal cord, which left him a paraplegic confined to a wheelchair . Airbag did not deploy, which due to the fact that it was a side rollover, sensors May not have been trigged. The car did however, have damage to the front, left front, left rear and right front of the vehicle. My son was 25 at the time of the accident.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 Honda Accord. The contact stated that the air bag warning indicator illuminated prior to being repaired for NHTSA campaign numbers: 15V370000 (air bags) and 15V320000 (air bags). The vehicle was repaired, but the failure was not remedied. The russel smith Honda dealer was contacted and diagnosed the issue as a seat belt failure. The dealer offered to perform a diagnostic test, but the contact declined. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and also stated that the failure was due to the seat belts and not the air bags. The failure mileage was approximately 89,900.
My airbags were recalled twice, then the sensor. Now my transmission wen at 82,000 miles. When Honda disagnosed the car before fixing the passenger airbag sensor, the code 61.10 came up - my airbag light continually goes on and off. Honday refuses to fix the seatblet issue that is affecting the airbag light on driver's side. I already had five neck surgeries form my 1990 Lexus 250 es the most dangerous of all airbags. Honda refuses to repair the seat beat that is affecting the airbag and airbag lights. Help
SRS warning light is on continuously. Independ shop says error code is for driver front seat belt latch sensor. Honda dealers says sensor is not part of lifetime warranty for seat belts, even though sensor is fully integrate with seat belt latch, and part of the vital safety system. Independent shop is reluctant to repair for liability and Honda dealer want huge payment for simple repair. It is unfair and unethical for dealer and manufacturer to not honor there printed warranty.
Seat Belt complaints in other Accord years
Frequently asked questions
How common are seat belt problems on the 2003 Honda Accord?
NHTSA has 26 complaints about the seat belts of the 2003 Honda Accord, 1% of the model year's 1,987 complaints. The component named most often is front › retractor (3 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2003 Honda Accord seat belt problems?
No. NHTSA lists no seat belts recall for the 2003 Honda Accord, though it has 13 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 2003 Honda Accord seat belt problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 62,000 miles, and 21% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 5 crashes, 0 fires and 6 injuries to seat belts 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.