Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (power windows, windshield, wipers, mirrors, sunroof).
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 that while driving at 70 MPH on Interstate 64 East, traveling through a construction zone, an unknown vehicle passed him and asphalt flew in the air, striking and cracking the front windshield. After fifteen to twenty minutes, the side air bags deployed. Then, a few seconds later, the steering wheel and front air bags deployed without impact or warning. There were no warning lights illuminated. There was an unknown abnormal alarm that was engaged. The contact was able to pull over safely. The contact disconnected the battery. The contact sustained a chemical burn to the left arm, but medical attention was not provided. There was no fire, crash, or police report filed. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer, who was unable to determine the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. …
Takata recall I was driving down the road when I lost control of my car. This resulted in my air bag being deployed as I came into collision with a guard rail on a city street. Luckily, only the passenger side airbag deployed. This resulted in my windshield being cracked.
Wiper motor in my 2 door is not on recall but the 4 door is. Honda will not replace it even though it is the same issue that the 4 doors have. It is dangerous driving down the road in a torrential downpour when the wipers quit on you because you have zero visibility. I was forced again to stop on the side of the road on the way home in the dark so that I could be safer then driving. The rain is coming down hard and fast and the wiper motor gets wet then shorts out no matter what speed or what type of road. The recall is a shield placed on it unless it is corroded already then replaced. I want something done. Tired of stressing over all the poor quality issues Honda has had with this car. Including the recall on the recall for the airbag I just found because I came to see if my wiper motor had finally been recalled. This was an issue my son had when he owned the car also. …
We were driving down the highway and all of the sudden we heard a loud crashing sound above our heads. We pulled over and discovered the sunroof had exploded. There was not any inclement weather nor was there a object that hit it. It exploded and shattered from the middle. After researching on the internet, this has happened to several Honda owners, different makes and models. When contacting Honda they said there was no recall. Although some dealerships replaced the sunroof for free. This is a safety issue if glass explodes above your head while driving. It's also not an insurance issue. Feel free to google "Honda sunroof explodes", lots of affected consumers. This definitely needs to be a recall.
I was driving in heavy rain and my windshield wipers stopped working and I could not see a thing. I was lucky enough that other cars went around me on the highway. I called my local Honda dealership and they stated that their is not a recall on my vehicle and wanted to charge me an outrageous amount to replace the wiper motor. There is currently a recall on this for 2003 Honda accords no. Q78 when the motor gets wet it stops working but for some reason it does not include my vehicle VIN number. Also I had a leak in my power steering and took it in for the recall and they said it was the pump and ended up charging me $500.00 to fix but it is still leaking.
Windshield wiper motor stopped working. Driving on interstate 5 in seattle. Dark and rainy, wipers just stopped working. Car already had a recall to prevent this from happening. But still it happened. Failed recall. Had to replace motor for windshield at dealership. I have the old part. This shouldn't have had to happen. Really scary going 60 MPH at night, with rain fall to suddenly lose the car wipers. Thank you god im alive and keep my glass clean.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 Honda Accord. The contact experienced failures with the window motors, the front driver and passenger doors, and the rear passenger door. The dealer was notified and the front driver side door was repaired. The other two doors and window motors were not repaired. The failure continued to occur intermittently. The manufacturer was not notified. The approximate failure mileage was 90,000.
The sun roof exploded. I thought it might have been hit by something but the glass was forced upward. I asked Honda service if this could be a defect problem but they said no. This happened in December 03 when the car was only a few months old. I had a similar problem with the rear windshield which also exploded in 2007. Both these events occurred while driving on a freeway in light traffic at 60 MPH..
(1) a. Window being scratched by something in panel. Both driver and passanger window. B. At about 16000 miles it was noticed that the transmission was leaking so badly I couldn't drive out of the dealership. ( I believe the car May have been leaking since purchase. New with only 36 miles.) c. Trunk liner sagging. D. When making left hand turns if you have the sunvisor out it can swing and hit you in the head. E. Passenger door latch not activated. Could not open door from inside. (dealer forgot to install this on window repair.) f. Motor mounts not installed correctly. G. Belt tensioner needed replacement. H. Car pulling to the right. F. Black seal around door frame warping. (2) no consequences from any of these failures. Except loss time having to leave car overnight for several days. …
I own a 2003 Honda Accord and on 5/16/2011 I was driving back from the office when my car wipers suddenly stopped working. It was a rainy day with heavy t-storm. When the wipers stopped working, I suddenly lost control of the car and crashed into a ramp. In the accident I damaged my front bumper and hurt my back. The next day morning wipers starting working again. Over the next five days, I noticed this new trend in my vehicle caused by the sudden disruption of wipers. I am extremely worried about the malfunctioning of the wipers since this is our family car and it is a big threat to our safety. There was a recall on approx 351,000 2003 Honda Accord wiper motors. My recall was completed successfully but the recall has not fixed the problem and my local Honda dealer refuses to change the wiper motor second time without authorization from Honda automobiles. …
Related recalls
Visibility › Windshield wiper/washer › Motor
Honda is recalling 351,000 my 2003 accord vehicles. If water enters the windshield wiper motor breather port, which is designed to allow the motor to vent warm air during normal operation, it can result in corrosion inside the motor housing. This can cause a failure of the electrical circuit breaker inside the motor housing.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect the windshield wiper motor for signs of corrosion. If no signs of corrosion are present, a cover will be installed over the wiper motor to prevent water from entering the wiper motor housing.
Window & Wiper complaints in other Accord years
Frequently asked questions
How common are window & wiper problems on the 2003 Honda Accord?
NHTSA has 70 complaints about the windows, wipers & sunroof of the 2003 Honda Accord, 4% of the model year's 1,987 complaints. The component named most often is windshield wiper/washer › motor (13 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2003 Honda Accord window & wiper problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 08V-169 (motor, Apr 11, 2008). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 2003 Honda Accord window & wiper problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 65,000 miles, and 26% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 3 crashes, 0 fires and 3 injuries to windows, wipers & sunroof 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.