Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (struts, shocks, control arms, ball joints, springs).
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).
I was driving and the lower ball joints on passenger side broke causing the axle to brake the car lot i got car from said they replaced everything well it happened again and the ball jounts were the same ines that were on there before..Now my rack and opion broke
Jan. 2015 traveling at 25 to 30 MPH, driver front lower ball joint separated causing wheel to turn sideways in wheel well, which resulted in disabling vehicle, seperated cv shaft and fender damage. No injuries and had to have towed. May 2015 traveling 20 to 25 MPH, passenger lower ball joint separated causing wheel to turn sideways in wheel well, resulted in disabling vehicle and damage to fender. Local police were called, no injuries and vehicle towed. July 2016 backing out of driveway, passenger front lower ball joint separated, causing wheel to turn sideways in wheel well, resulted in disabling vehicle, damage to fender, separated cv shaft, and dented the oil pan, no injuries. …
2004 Accord transmission began leaking at the same time as ABS trouble, what seems to be suspension problems (bad springs?), hood struts failed. These all happened about a month after one dealer replaced an engine mount and leaking power steering fluid container. The trunk opening switch would not work but was too expensive to repair. I had the ABS looked at at another dealer and for $100 an "electrical switch" under the gas pedal was replaced. The power steering fluid was leaking again. They said that the transmission needed to be fixed for $2000 and that my car was not in the recall. I saw many complaints about transmission leaks online and about the gas door not opening. The dealer didn't want to hear about that. (engine mounts and hood struts are popular items on amazon.) I was lucky that my head wasn't under there when the hood fell. …
I did tune up my car because is run not good. The ball joint broke good the happen on street in repair get new ball joint and new axle both thing for drivers side used car had a good on gas mileage but after start giving bad mileages. Many time tune up. After that car not pick speed. One day I did google search. I find Honda recall for transmission over one million. I call Honda dealer about transmission recall he say need up date software but they don't have recall about this yet . But they have recall airbags was which haven already done. Now my car have problems with transmission ,ball joint axle ,smoking. Radio not works another I hope. I get recall soon . I wasn't know that to file complaints. Now I know and I helps other.
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 Honda Accord. The contact stated that while driving 30 MPH, the steering malfunctioned and the passenger rear wheel seized causing her to lose control of the vehicle. The vehicle crashed into a ditch and the air bags deployed. No injuries were reported. The contact stated that she had recently received a notice for NHTSA campaign number: 12V222000 (steering). The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure and current mileage was 119,000.
Front right suspension failure resulting in loss of steering input. The front right wheel separated from the suspension and was at 90 degrees while moving forward. The vehicle was in motion , the event occurred right after a u turn.
I took delivery of a 2004 Honda Accord ex with leather on June 25, 2004. Its been exactly a week. I have driven about 580 miles in a week. I have encountered the following problems and I did'nt see any recalls on the manufacturer's website. I am very disappointed after spending $24000 on a brand new car. 1) the check engine light came on and the 'd' light on driver side dashbaord is continually flashing. 2) I can hear some sliding noise from left to right and vice versa when making sharp turns (happens all the time). The sounds seems to be coming from under the glove compartment 3) after driving about 60 miles in one go in warm weather(temperatures in 80s), I hear a rubbing/squeaking noise when making turns. Becomes more audible when windows are rolled down. Sounds more like tires rubbing against the body. 4) passenger side floor is soaking wet and I assume it is water. …
Numerous sqeaks, rattles, and vibrations in door panels, tops of windows, rear shelf, and in b-pillars around top seat belt anchor. I've taken my car into the dealership 3 separate times to have these fixed. They are able to make them go away for about a day, but then they all come back. The last time I took my car in, they said they have done everything they can and that these were "normal" sounds that the car makes. I have never had a car with so many rattles and squeaks. Poor build quality and construction. They all started about 4 days after I picked up the car and had about 300 miles on the odometer. Had problems ever since.
Transmission has been accelerating very fast overheating, slipping, it appears the transmission fluid have been leaking however I took it in for service about a month ago and everything was fine. My dealership from February 13, 2012 September 28, 2012 commonwealth Honda has been claiming there is nothing wrong with this transmission the suspension or the timing belt. They performed service and all of them they claim everything is fine. Now less than 30 days later my transmission is broken. A vehicle with just got problems should not continue to be resold.
Takata recall air bags should be reinstalled in all vehicles of the year that was being recalled. I have a 2004 Honda Accord sedan and I find it applauding that responsibility isn't being accepted 100%. If one air bag is defected then they all should and could be, with that being said I urge them to honor the faulty equipment and fix it instead of 'playing with people's lives' and wait I to see if the worse happens when the air bags are supposed to be a safety item in case of a accident in which they will release.
Suspension complaints in other Accord years
Frequently asked questions
How common are suspension problems on the 2004 Honda Accord?
NHTSA has 20 complaints about the suspension of the 2004 Honda Accord, 2% of the model year's 1,018 complaints. The component named most often is front (4 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2004 Honda Accord suspension problems?
No. NHTSA lists no suspension 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 suspension problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 72,000 miles, and 38% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 1 crash, 0 fires and 0 injuries to suspension 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.