Most common 2004 Honda Accord problems
Share of the 1,018 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 →
2004 Honda Accord recalls (13)
Air bags › Frontal › Passenger side › Inflator module
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2003-2006 Acura MDX, 2005-2012 RL, 2003-2007 Honda Accord, 2001-2005 Civic, 2003-2005 Civic Hybrid, 2001-2005 Civic GX NGV, 2002-2006 CR-V, 2003-2011 Element, 2007-2008 Fit, 2002-2004 Odyssey, 2003-2008 Pilot, and 2006-2014 Ridgeline vehicles.
Remedy: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal airbag 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 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 › Passenger side › Inflator module
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2003-2012 Honda Accord and Pilot, 2010 Accord Crosstour, 2001-2011 Civic, 2002-2011 CR-V, 2003-2004, 2006-2008 and 2011 Element, 2007 and 2009-2013 Fit, 2010-2012 Insight, 2002-2004 Odyssey, and 2012 Ridgeline vehicles.
Remedy: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and, if necessary, replace the passenger frontal air bag module assembly, free of charge. The recall began June 22, 2018.
Air bags › Frontal › Passenger side › Inflator module
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain model year 2004-2007 Accord vehicles manufactured October 1, 2003, to August 17, 2007. The affected vehicles may have been assembled with an incorrect passenger frontal air bag module that does not comply with the advanced air bag requirements.
Remedy: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and replace the air bag module as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on May 2, 2016. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-800-999-1009.
Air bags › Frontal › Passenger side › Inflator module
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain model year 2001-2005 Honda Civic vehicles manufactured March 21, 2000, to January 20, 2005, 2001-2004 Honda Civic GX vehicles manufactured June 14, 2000, to August 19, 2004, 2003-2005 Honda Civic Hybrid vehicles manufactured February 24, 2002, to January 18, 2005, 2003-2007…
Remedy: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began on July 1, 2015. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138.
Show 7 more recalls
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.
Air bags
American Honda Motor Co. (Honda) is recalling certain model year 2001-2005 Honda Civic, 2003-2004 Civic CNG and Element, 2002-2005 CR-V, 2002-2004 Odyssey, 2003-2005 Accord, Pilot, Civic Hybrid, and Acura MDX, 2005 Acura RL and 2006 Honda Ridgeline vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in geographic locations associated…
Remedy: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger side air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began January 26, 2015. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-800-999-1009.
Air bags
American Honda Motor Company, Inc.'s (Honda) is conducting a limited regional recall for certain model year 2003-2005 Accord, Civic, CR-V, Pilot and Acura MDX, model year 2003-2004 Odyssey and Element, and model year 2005 Acura RL, and 2006 Honda Ridgeline vehicles originally sold, or ever registered in California, and equipped…
Remedy: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the inflators in all affected vehicles, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin during August 2014. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-800-999-1009.
Steering › Hydraulic power assist › Hose, piping, and connections
Honda is recalling certain model year 2007 and 2008 Acura TL and model year 2003-2007 Accord V6 vehicles. In May 2012, Honda filed a defect report to recall certain model year 2007 and 2008 Acura TL vehicles.
Remedy: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will install a new heat resistant power steering hose, free of charge. The original recall began in June 2012, and owners of those vehicles may obtain the free remedy.
Air bags › Frontal › Sensor/control module-inactive
On certain vehicles, the seat position sensor (sps) detects the driver's seating position and adjusts the air bag inflation pressure accordingly. The wiring harness for the sps was attached to the seat frame in the wrong location and May have been over tightened.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the seat position sensor wiring subharness. The recall will begin on or about February 8, 2007. Owners May contact Honda at 1-800-999-1009.
Air bags › Frontal
On certain sedans, a tear in the fabric of the driver's front air bag occurred after apparent contact with the inside surface of the air bag cover during deployment.
Remedy: Dealers will install a protective fabric flap between the air bag module cover and the inner module. The recall began on November 30, 2004. Owners should contact Honda at 1-800-999-1009.
Power train › Automatic transmission
On some Mini vans, sport utility and passenger vehicles, certain operating conditions can result in heat build-up between the countershaft and secondary shaft second gears in the automatic transmission, eventually leading to gear tooth chipping or gear breakage.
Remedy: On vehicles with 15,000 miles or less, the dealer will update the transmission with a simple revision to the oil cooler return line to increase lubrication to the second gear.
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into 4 possible defects involving the 2004 Honda Accord:
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…
Frontal driver air bag
During two of 13 NHTSA research & development compatibility crash tests, the driver-side frontal airbag failed to properly deploy due to a large tear in the airbag fabric.both r&d test vehicles that contained a failed air bag were 4-door, 4-cylinder (l4) vehicles.subsequent static and dynamic tests conducted by Honda revealed that during severe crash conditions, the airbag fabric can snag the inside surface of 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…
What 2004 Honda Accord owners say
Transmission & drivetrain all 348 →
Transmission seems to disengage after 20 minutes of driving and the worse bthong about it is it does it on the highway causing me to pull over shit the car off and wait 5 minutes start it back up put it in the gear and sometimes it doesn't go in the gear it won't go into reverse we'll go in the drive we'll go in the drive 3 won't go in the drive to or one and then I got to shut it off and wait again then I do it all over again and then I'll get driving again and after about 3 minutes 4 minutes it'll do it again and I have to pull over why is it doing this it does it when I'm stopped at a stoplight and when the light turns green I drive and I'll get stuck in the middle of an intersection it'll be in drive but the engine just continues to rev and nothing happens it's scary it's on safe this needs to be a recall this needs to be fixed by Honda s*** it should be obvious that somebody could …
I got off of work early in the morning I get in my 04 Honda Accord and start driving home which only takes about 10minutes, I'm super tired so I go inside and go to sleep rougly around 2 hours, I wake up suddenly to my car alarm going off which I always keep my vehicle locked when Its not visible from me, Anyways I grab my key and click the unlock and lock button but I still hear the alarm going off so I head outside of my home and I see my cars interior on fire and my neighbors already on the phone with 911as he was sitting outside 20 minutes prior, me running frantic back inside for a fire extinguisher first responders we're already there so I run back out the doors are still locked so the first responder climbs on top of my car and kicked the sunroof in and starts using his fire extinguisher which at this point the fire is practically in his face he had to get checked out after …
Air bags all 251 →
The contact owned a 2004 Honda Accord. The contact was stopped at a traffic sign and was rear-ended by a light truck. The contact stated that she had looked down at her lap when she was struck she said the impact caused her to hit the steering wheel with her face. The contact stated that she was rendered unconscious. The contact stated that when she regained consciousness the police and emergency technicians were on scene. The driver of the other vehicle had fled the scene. The contact stated that the air bags had not been deployed. The contact stated that the police had filed a report. The contact stated that the damage to the rear end of her vehicle was so severe that the vehicle had to be towed to an impound lot. The contact was transported to an ER where she was diagnosed with a traumatic brain injury, she had suffered a broken nose and whiplash to her neck. …
I Was hit extremely hard by a semi truck on the driver side of my car when the semi was making a small right turn in the middle lane on Race Street my little car became wedged almost underneath the shield and roof slightly began to get crushed but the AIRBAGS never deployed,when I heard the cracking of the shield i looked back at my children who are and still to this day are terrified! the back tires of the semi is staring them in the face I immediately squeezed out of my seat belt it wouldn't unlock at this point my car is being pulled back and forth from the driver of the semi keeps trying to widening his turn while I'm blowing the crap out of the my horn he still doesn't realize he hit me yet, maybe because his dog is all over the passenger side from him jerking the semi back and forth I grabbed my children and jumped out I was literally stuck between a traffic poll and a nightmare …
Electrical system all 146 →
Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2004 Honda Accord. It was discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy after the purchase. The vehicle was a dealer sale. At the time of the purchase, the mileage was approximately 134,000. The contact stated that while attempting to resell the vehicle, the contact was informed by an individual interested in purchasing the vehicle that the mileage reported might not be the actual mileage. The contact was advised to check the Carfax Report. While checking the Carfax Report, the contact noticed two potential reports of odometer fraud with the vehicle. The Carfax Report indicated that in 2023, the mileage was reported to be approximately 251,000. The contact had not filed a report with any other agencies.
The contact owns a 2004 Honda Accord. The contact stated while driving approximately 30 MPH, the SRS air bag warning light started blinking off and on. The contact related the failure to having had the driver's side air bag replaced under NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V320000 (Air Bags). The contact stated that the air bag warning light remained illuminated continually. Additionally, the contact stated that the horn, cruise control, and the passenger's side air bag sensor had also failed to operate as needed. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local dealer; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 405,000.
2004 Honda Accord engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2.4L 4-cyl | 5-speed manual | FWD | 23 / 31 / 26 |
| 2.4L 4-cyl | 5-speed automatic | FWD | 21 / 31 / 24 |
| 3.0L 6-cyl | 5-speed automatic | FWD | 18 / 27 / 22 |
| 3.0L 6-cyl | 6-speed manual | FWD | 18 / 27 / 21 |
EPA ratings. Class: Midsize car.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2004 Honda Accord a good car?
Based on 1,018 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2004 Accord rates average: 1.2× 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 2004 Honda Accord?
The transmission & drivetrain — 348 complaints, 34% of all complaints for this model year, most often about automatic transmission. Next are the air bags (251) and electrical system (146).
How many recalls does the 2004 Honda Accord have?
There are 13 recalls for the 2004 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 2004 Honda Accord problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 90,000 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.