Owner-reported complaints naming the exterior lighting system, filed with NHTSA
Data refreshed
Reports naming headlights, tail lights, turn signals and other exterior lighting. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2002 Honda Accord submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 17 reports on file name it.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed
WHEN I UTILIZE MY MIRROR LIGHTS WHEN I HAVE THE HEADLIGHTS ON.. THE HEAD CIRCUIT WILL SHORT OUT , AND I WILL NOT BE ABLE TO SEE HOW FAST I AM DRIVING IN THE NIGHT WHICH IS A SERIOUS SAFETY RISK PROBLEM.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 HONDA ACCORD. UPON INSPECTION OF THE LIFTGATE, THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE VEHICLE RETAINED EXCESSIVE WATER FROM THE TAIL LAMP ASSEMBLY. THE DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED AND PROVIDED CASE NUMBER: 06603477. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT RECALLS WERE ADMINISTERED AND ENFORCED BY NHTSA AND WAS ADVISED TO CALL NHTSA. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 121,430.
I AM ON MY SECOND HONDA - THE FIRST ONE WAS A 1987 HONDA ACCORD THAT I HAD FOR 15 YEARS. I LOVED THAT CAR AND HAD NO ISSUES AT ALL WITH ITS PERFORMANCE. THE CAR LISTED WITH THIS COMPLAINT I BOUGHT NEW IN 2002 AND STILL HAVE IT TODAY. I AM NOT SURE OF THE DATES BUT WITHIN THREE TO FOUR YEARS OF HAVING THIS HONDA, THE DASH BOARD LIGHTS STOPPED WORKING AND THE DRIVER SIDE AIRBAG RETURNED AN ERROR LIGHT. I FAITHFULLY SERVICE THIS VEHICLE ( KIRKWOOD AUTO CENTER WILMINGTON DE) AND WHEN THEY INVESTIGATED THE ISSUE, I WAS TOLD THAT EACH OF THE REPAIRS WAS NOT COVERED BY WARRANTY AND WOULD BE SEVERAL HUNDRED DOLLARS TO REPAIR. I WAS A SINGLE PARENT AT THE TIME AND LEARNED TO LIVE WITH NO DASHBOARD LIGHTING AT NIGHT AND HAD THE AIR BAGS DISABLED. I HAVE ALSO TAKEN THE CAR TO A CERTIFIED HONDA DEALER (UNION PARK HONDA WILMINGTON DE) AND THEY ALSO CONFIRMED THAT NEITHER OF THOSE REPAIRS WAS COVERED OR THE PRODUCT OF A RECALL. I ALWAYS THOUGHT I WOULD BUY HONDAS FOREVER BUT I AM QUITE DISAPPOINTED IN THE PERFORMANCE OF THIS 2002 ACCORD AND HOW IT FAILED SO SOON AFTER I PURCHASED IT WITH NO RECOURSE BUT TO PAY A HUGE AMOUNT OF MONEY TO FIX THE ISSUES. EQUALLY UPSETTING IS ALL OF THE ISSUES WITH AIRBAGS THAT ARE BEING REPLACED YET MY CAR, WITH THE FAILED AIRBAG, WOULD HAVE TO BE PAID BY ME TO BE FUNCTIONAL. WHAT CAN HONDA DO FOR ME TO KEEP ME IN YOUR HONDA FAMILY? *TR
LOW BEAMS HAVE STOPPED WORKING? HIGH BEAMS WORKS FINE... I REPLACED WITH A NEW BULB, BUT IT STILL DOESN'T WORK (SOMETHING ELECTRICAL?). THIS DEFECT HAS SIMILAR SYMPTOMS TO THE ELECTRICAL ISSUES I HAVE READ ABOUT FOR THE 2003-2007 MODELS. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 HONDA ACCORD. THE CONTACT STATED THE HEADLIGHTS ON HER VEHICLE WERE CLOUDY, WHICH MADE IT VERY DIFFICULT TO SEE AT NIGHT WHEN ILLUMINATED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND STATED THE FAILURE WILL BE INVESTIGATED. THIS IS THE SECOND TIME THAT THE HEADLIGHTS WERE COVERED WITH A CLOUDY SUBSTANCE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INSPECTED BY A DEALER. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 85,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 93,000.
WHEN WE PURCHASED THIS 2002 HONDA ACCORD EX IN MARCH OF 2010 THE CLOCK BACKLIGHT DID NOT WORK. ABOUT 2 MONTHS AGO THE GEAR SHIFT CONSOLE BACKLIGHT WENT OUT. THE ONLY WAY WE KNOW AT NIGHT WHAT GEAR WE ARE IN IS TO VIEW IT ON THE DASH. NOW THE BACKLIGHTING FOR THE CLIMATE CONTROLS HAS GONE OUT. WE UNDERSTAND THAT THIS HAS BEEN A PROBLEM FOR MANY YEARS NOW AND THERE HAS BEEN VERY LITTLE POSITIVE HELP FROM HONDA. TO GET THIS FIXED I UNDERSTAND THAT THE WHOLE RADIO MUST BE REPLACED BECAUSE OF THE INTERLOCKING ELECTRICAL SYSTEMS AT A COST SOMEWHERE AROUND $1000.00. *TR
I HAVE A 2002 HONDA ACCORD EX THAT HAS CONTINUOUSLY BEEN HAVING TRANSMISSION ISSUES INCLUDING JERKING IN AND OUT OF GEAR REVVING UP WITOUT MOVING AND SWITCHING GEARS. ALSO HAVING NOTICED I FORGOT TO PUT CAR IN PARK AND TURNED OFF MY CAR TAKING KEYS OUT OF GEAR. BOTH OF THESE PROBLEMS ARE BIG SAFETY ISSUES AND HAVE OCCURRED SINCE OWNING THE CAR FOR TWO YEARS. I AM NOW FACED WITH GETTING A NEW TRANSMISSION ON A CAR THAT HAD ORIGINALLY LESS THEN 100 THOUSAND MILES ON IT WHEN PURCHASED. I HAVE ALSO HAD TO REPLACE THE HEAD LIGHTS AND BRAKE LIGHTS 3 TIMES SINCE OWNING THE CAR AND I HAVE NEVER LEFT LIGHTS ON FOR AN EXTENDED PERIOD. *TR
THE HEADLIGHT COVERS BECAME HIGHLY SCRATCHED BY NORMAL DRIVING, TO THE POINT THAT THE HEADLIGHT COVERS SIGNIFICANTLY PREVENTED THE HEADLIGHTS FROM DOING THEIR JOB. THEY HAD TO BE REPLACED. *TR
WHILE NOT CRASHES OR INJURIES HAVE BEEN RELATED TO THE HONDA VEHICLE I OWN, THERE ARE A NUMBER OF ENGINEERING AND MANUFACTURING DEFECTS ON THE VEHICLE WHICH ARE A CAUSE OF SERIOUS SAFETY CONCERNS. I HAVE A 2002 HONDA ACCORD WITH ABOUT 131,000 MILES WHICH HAS HAD THE FOLLOWING ISSUES: 1. THE TRANSMISSION WENT OUT AROUND 60,000 MILES AND WAS REPLACED BY HONDA. AT AROUND 100,000 MILES THE TRANSMISSION STARTED TO EXHIBIT SAME SYMPTOMS. I TOOK THE CAR IN, BUT, OF COURSE, HONDA DEALER SAID THERE IS NOTHING WRONG. THEN AROUND 116,000 MILES A HONDA MECHANIC SAID THAT MY MODEL OF A CAR HAS AN ISSUE WITH TRANSMISSIONS AND THAT IT WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE TRANSMISSION ISSUE IS BAD ENOUGH TO HAVE A WEBSITE DEDICATED TO IT. WHILE A TRANSMISSION FAILING IS NOT NECESSARILY A SAFETY ISSUE, LOOSING VEHICLE CONTROL AND DRIVABLE ON THE HIGHWAY COULD BE. 2. NOW THE VEHICLE STARTS TO VIBRATE AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS DESPITE HAVING NEW AND BALANCED TIRES ON IT. I TOOK THE CAR IN TO GET NEW STRUTS. SINCE THEN I TOOK THE CAR TO A MECHANIC OF VERY HIGH INTEGRITY (NOT THE HONDA DEALER) AND THEY SAID THAT UNFORTUNATELY, THE PROBLEM MAY SIMPLY BE ?IMPOSSIBLE? TO FIX SINCE EVERYTHING THEY COULD SEE INDICATED THAT CAR SHOULD BEHAVE NORMALLY, I.E. THE TIRES WERE FINE, THE ALIGNMENT WAS FINE, AND THE CV JOINTS WERE FINE. THIS IS BECOMING MORE AND MORE OF THE ISSUE AND INDICATES A POSSIBLE DESIGN FLAW WITH THE VEHICLE. 3. THE LIGHTS ON THE VEHICLE ARE HORRIBLE. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE AS IT SERIOUSLY IMPAIRS THE VEHICLE DRIVABILITY. 4. THE RAILS FOR THE DRIVER'S SEAT HAD TO BE REPLACED AROUND 32,000 MILES AND NOW (AT AROUND 130,000 MILES) THE SEAT SEEMS TO WOBBLE AGAIN. THIS COULD BE A POTENTIAL SAFETY ISSUE AS IT SEEMS THAT THE SEAT COULD SIMPLY DETACH IN THE CASE OF AN ACCIDENT. *TR UPDATED 05/07/10.*JB
HEADLIGHT HAS DISCOLORED AND FROSTED OVER. *TR
AFTER MAKING AN APPOINTMENT TO HAVE THE LOW BEAM LIGHTING RECALL 04V086000 PERFORMED THE DEALERSHIP REFUSED TO PERFORM THE RECALL INDICATING THAT THIS VEHICLE MODEL ISN'T THE RECALLED MODEL, ALTHOUGH THE CONSUMER HAS A RECALL LETTER WITH THE VIN NUMBER ON IT. *NM
CONSUMER STATED THE TURN SIGNALS DID NOT CANCEL WHEN SWITCHING LANES ON THE HIGHWAY. *AK THEY DIDN'T CANCEL WITHOUT AN ABRUPT MOVEMENT. *SCC *JB
CONSUMER STATED WHILE DRIVING AND WITHOUT WARNING THE FOG LAMPS LENS SHATTERED CAUSING THE CONSUMER TO PULL OVER. DEALER NOTIFIED. *PH
THE FRONT HEADLIGHTS DO NOT PROVIDE ENOUGH LIGHT TO THE LEFT AND RIGHT. THE PROBLEM MAKES TURNING TO THE LEFT OR RIGHT ON DARK OR POORLY LIGHT ROADS VERY DIFFICULT AS WELL AS BEING ABLE TO SEE PEOPLE AND OBJECTS TO THE LEFT AND RIGHT ON ROADS AT NIGHT. SHORTLY AFTER PURCHASING THE AUTO, I TOOK IT BACK TO THE DEALER TO CHECK THE FRONT HEADLIGHTS. THE DEALER SAID THE HEADLIGHTS WERE PROPERLY ALIGNED. I THEN TOOK THE AUTO TO A SERVICE STATION THAT ALSO DOES VIRGINIA SAFETY INSPECTIONS TO CHECK ONLY THE HEADLIGHTS. THE SERVICE STATION TECHNICIAN SAID THE HEADLIGHTS WERE PROPERLY ALIGNED. THE HEADLIGHTS DID NOT AND DO NOT PROVIDE SUFFICIENT LIGHT TO THE LEFT AND RIGHT OF THE AUTO!!! *JB
THIS IS NOT SO MUCH A FAILURE AS A QUESTION/SUGGESTION ABOUT WHAT REGULATIONS ARE IN PLACE FOR US STANDARDS OF REAR TAILLIGHT ASSEMBLIES. A LOT OF MANUFACTURES HAVE GONE TO USING RED TURN SIGNALS THAT ALSO SERVE AS BRAKE LIGHTS. THE PROBLEM I HAVE, AND I'M SURE THIS HAS CAUSED ACCIDENTS, IS THAT WHEN SOMEONE IS INDICATING A TURN 90% OF THE TIME THEY MUST BRAKE TO DO SO. BUT THE ACT OF BRAKING OBSCURES THE TURN INDICATOR. WHEN ONE TURNS THEY DROP A LOT MORE SPEED THEN SOMEONE BRAKING WITH TRAFFIC. THE UNIFORMLY RED TURN/BRAKE LIGHT ASSEMBLIES CAN CAUSE CONFUSION AMONG DRIVERS BEHIND THE TURNING VEHICLE AND LEAD TO MISINTERPRETATION OF THE DRIVERS INTENTION AND LEAD TO ACCIDENTS. HAS ANY STUDY BEEN DONE INVOLVING REAR-END ACCIDENTS INVOLVING TURNING VEHICLES? THERE IS PROBABLY A HIGHER % INVOLVING VEHICLES WITH RED REAR-TURN SIGNALS. IM HOPING THAT THE NHTSA WILL PERFORM A STUDY REGARDING RED TURN SIGNALS AND PROPOSE NEW REGULATIONS THAT REQUIRE AUTOMAKERS TO USE YELLOW LENSES FOR ALL REAR-TURN SIGNALS. ANOTHER ISSUE WITH THEM IS WHEN THE VEHICLES HAZARD LIGHTS ARE ON. HAVING BLINKING YELLOW LIGHTS WILL ALERT DRIVERS MUCH QUICKER TO THE PRESENCE OF A DISABLED VEHICLE THAN BLINKING RED LIGHTS. THE RED LIGHTS WILL BLEND IN WITH ANY OTHER VEHICLE BRAKING TO SLOW DUE TO THE HAZARD. THANK YOU FOR TAKING THE TIME TO READ MY QUESTION, IF THIS IS NOT THE RIGHT DEPARTMENT FOR SUCH A COMPLIANT/SUGGESTION, CAN YOU PLEASE FORWARD IT TO THE APPROPRIATE PERSONAL. COULD YOU ALSO NOTIFY ME OF THE PROPER DEPARTMENT AND ITS CONTACT INFORMATION FOR MAKING SUCH SUGGESTIONS? THANKS. *AK
DRIVER SIDE SEAT SHAKES/MOVES WHEN ACCELERATING OR APPLING BRAKES, THE DEALER REPLACED THE TRACK BUT THE PROBLEM STILL EXIST, THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS ARE SLUGGISH AND THE LEFT WIPER WAS VERY NOISY AND LEFT STREAK ON THE WINDSHIELD, THE GLOVE BOX DOOR WOULD NOT CLOSE PROPERLY, THE DRIVERS SEAT BELT WOULD NOT RETRACT INTERMITTENTLY DUE TO THE BELT BEING TWISTED/CURLED, THE LEFT REAR DOOR WOULD NOT CLOSE PROPERLY, FOG LIGHTS WERE OUT OF FOCUS, THE AIR BAG LIGHT ILLUMINATED.*AK *NLM
CONSUMER BELIEVES VEHICLE IS NOT NEW BECAUSE THE WINDOW GLASSES ARE ETCHED. THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS WERE SLUGGISH UPON USE AND LEFT WIPER WAS VERY NOISY WHICH LEFT STREAKS ON THE WINDSHIELD. *TT
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own
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