Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (accelerator pedal, throttle, sudden acceleration, cruise control).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2004 Honda Accord owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
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.
Tl* the contact owned a 2004 Honda Accord. While accelerating from a stop, the vehicle sped off without warning. The contact lost control of the vehicle and crashed into a retaining wall. The air bags deployed. The driver sustained injuries to the ribs and had a lot of internal bruising, including lacerations from the air bag deployment. The injuries required medical attention. A police report was filed. The vehicle was destroyed and towed to a tow lot. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 39,655.
Another death could be avoided, this car was recalled in 2014 too late for ea domination of the car, and now after speaking with attorneys again the air bars are involved. Our son was so evict rated that there was nothing to do, pronounced dead at the scene . Emt's were helpless, he lost his face and his chest. No protection from this vehicle, pleas notify others. [redacted]
As I was pulling out of my parking spot at the local kmart, in my 2004 Honda Accord ex, I noticed another car backing out also. I applied my brake and put my car from reverse into drive to pull a little ways back into my parking space so I would not get into an accident, when suddenly and without warning (the blink of an eye) my car crashed into another vehicle. In shock, I pressed harder on the brake, but my car continued to accelerate and I could not stop it. I hit two other parked cars before the brakes finally stopped the car. Thank god it stopped as my car was heading toward the kmart store. One 85-year old lady was injured while in her car. The other two cars were empty. A lot of damage to 3 vehicles plus almost $7,000 damage to my Accord. After my car was repaired, I asked the Honda dealership to look at my car and they could find nothing wrong. …
As I was driving my car would not shift gears . Specifically, I was driving on the freeway the car went from 60 MPH down to 35 MPH and would not slip into gear. This happened as I tried to accelerate to merge onto another freeway. It seemed as though the car was stuck in neutral which it was not. This was very dangerous because as other vehicles were traveling at high speeds my car nearly came to a halt on the freeway. Luckily, I prayed my way into gear and it worked. It was quite scary since I was traveling with my child I easily could of been rear ended. No sensor lights turned on, there were no warning lights. My car has been serviced routinely and 2 days later it happened again. It is now at the dealership. When I read up on the problem it seems to be common. On one site I saw over 200 complaints for the same complaints and same make of the car. …
Tl contact owns a 2004 Honda Accord. While pulling into a parking space, the vehicle suddenly accelerated and jumped over two curbs and a bush. The vehicle finally came to a stop when it crashed into a parked vehicle. The contact had her foot on the brake pedal during the acceleration. The air bags failed to deploy. The occupant seated in the passenger seat sustained lower back injuries because the seat belt failed to restrain the passenger and the contact. The vehicle is currently being repaired at a body shop and will be taken to the Honda dealer to be diagnosed. Police report number 07171505 was filed with the cochie county sheriff's department. The speed was unknown. The current and failure mileages were 39,000. The consumer stated the air bag light had illuminated, however there was no air bag deployment. Updated 10/10/07.
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 Honda Accord. The contact attempted to accelerate from a traffic stop when the pedal became stuck in the open throttle position. The contact applied the brakes but the brakes failed to operate and crashed into the rear of another vehicle. There was one reported injury. A police report was available. The vehicle was taken to a repair facility where the mechanic advised the contact that the failure potentially occurred because the contact's feet were too wide. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure recurred and the contact was involved in a second crash. There were no injuries. A police report was available. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted however, never responded. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000 and the current mileage was approximately 96,000.
While driving my car at 60 MPH on cruise control, it suddenly started increasing speed. Then I noticed that the accelerator pedal was pressed to the floor of my car. Then I began to use the brakes to try and control the speed, but they did not function well at all. Finally after struggling in on this rural road, I was able to slow it down, I called 911, then I just used the emergency brake to stop it because I didn't know what else to do. Although this was a terrifying experience, it could have been tragic if had not been in a rural area with very little traffic. Up to that point, this car had been in excellent condition low maintenance and really good car, but that day it was smoking and I thought it would catch fire. Lastly, the repairs cost $696 which is much more than I had ever paid for this car
Honda Accord 2004. While pulling into a parking space, the car suddenly accelerated and jumped the curb. I could not stop the car by jamming the brake. The car went into the eastbound lane of the road and hit the rear bumper of a pickup truck. The air bag opened and hit my face and caused a bloody nose and a big bruise on my left wrist. Then the car jumped the median separating eastbound lane from the westbound. Then the car stopped, the engine was still on and the gear was in the park. The police was informed. The mileage is about 50,000. There are many complaints against the Honda Accord on internet under speed control complaints. Updated 06/23/10. Updated ivoq 07/14/10. Updated ivoq 08/31/10
While releasing the brake pedal vehicle accelerated uncontrollably. Consumer was not able to maintain control of the vehicle, and it crashed into a garage wall. Vehicle was taken to the dealer for inspection three times. However, the mechanic could not duplicate the problem. .....no gas was applied. Service manager didn't attempt tofind problem and attempted no repairs. Car was then taken to anther Honda dealer who found 2 faulty parts the first time they looked at car. All four incidents were reported to second Honda dealer.
Acceleration complaints in other Accord years
Frequently asked questions
How common are acceleration problems on the 2004 Honda Accord?
NHTSA has 58 complaints about the speed control & acceleration of the 2004 Honda Accord, 6% of the model year's 1,018 complaints. The component named most often is accelerator pedal (4 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2004 Honda Accord acceleration problems?
No. NHTSA lists no speed control & acceleration recall for the 2004 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 2004 Honda Accord acceleration problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 70,000 miles, and 31% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 20 crashes, 0 fires and 9 injuries and 1 death to speed control & acceleration 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.