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PPV / cars / honda / accord / gen-7-2003-2007

Honda Accord Gen 7 (2003–2007)

What ownership is like, what breaks at what mileage, what the repairs cost, and what to check before you buy one.

← All Honda Accord generations

2003–2007

Gen 7

The seventh generation launched in 2002 for the 2003 model year; the North American car (CM5) was a separate design from the Japanese and European one (Wikipedia). Our model years are 2003 to 2007. The V6 timing belt interval is 105,000 miles or 7 years (Go-Parts, covering 2004-2017).

NHTSA complaints per catalog listing run from 2.09 for 2007 to 13.79 for 2003, against a generation median of 3.15. 2003 is 4.4 times that median (2,013 complaints across 146 listings) and 2004 is 1.9 times (1,018 across 171). 2003 passes the complaint test but not the ad test: 12 of 102 enriched ads (11.8%) mention a problem, below the 15.7% median. 2004 is under the 2.0 times cutoff. So our rule flags no year. Air bags and the power train are the top complaint areas in most years.

What happens at what mileage

MilesItemCostNotes
About 110,000 miles (2004 average); one 2005 EX-V6 at 168,000 V6 automatic transmission failure (2003-2005 worst reported) CarComplaints average $2,990 for the 2004 (207 complaints). Dealer quotes of $4,100 (2005 V6) and $4,350 (2003, cut to $2,350 after a goodwill appeal to American Honda). CoverageX gives $3,500-$6,500 for a replacement automatic and $2,300-$6,000 for a rebuild. CarGurus calls this generation arguably the worst Accord, citing widespread V6 transmission trouble. Honda issued 04V176000 for heat build-up between the second gears that can chip or break teeth. If a transmission has already failed once, ask what was installed.
any Power steering hose recall (12V222000, 2003-2007 V6) Free at a Honda dealer when the recall is open Filed in 2012 for certain 2003-2007 Accord V6 cars alongside 2007-2008 Acura TL. Confirm by VIN.
any Takata air bag inflator recalls (15V320000, 15V370000, 16V178000, 18V268000, 19V499000, 19V501000) Free at a Honda dealer when the recall is open Several driver and passenger inflator recalls cover these years, and CarGurus flags the Takata air bag recall as affecting this generation. Do not skip the VIN check: an open inflator recall is a safety issue first and a price issue second.
any Other recalls: 2003 wiper motor (08V169000), 2005 fuse box and fuel pump power (05V132000, 07V097000) Free at a Honda dealer when the recall is open 08V169000 covers about 351,000 model year 2003 Accords: water can enter the wiper motor breather and corrode it. 05V132000: a loose terminal in the main fuse box may cut fuel pump power so the engine may not start. Confirm each by VIN.
105,000 / 7 years V6 timing belt and water pump (service, every 105,000 miles or 7 years) Water pump replacement $756-$1,006 (RepairPal); water pump parts $150-$300, adding $300-$600 when done with belts and tensioner (Autosfieldr). The interval is for the 2004-2017 V6 (Go-Parts). Ask for the receipt. If there is none, budget for it.

Buying one — check these

Years flagged

No year in this generation was flagged. A year is flagged by our rule only when all three hold: (1) its NHTSA complaints per catalog listing is at least 2.0x the median for its generation, (2) the share of ads that mention a problem is above the generation median, and (3) we track at least 30 listings for that year. The cutoff was fixed before we looked. Ad mentions are not failures, and a flag is a reason to inspect harder, not a verdict on any one car.

Seventh-generation Accords in our catalog clear around $3,250-3,900 depending on year (822 cleared sales, 2003-2007 model years). The lowest yearly median is 2004 and the highest is 2007. We track 152 active listings.

Federal complaints, 2003–2007 model years (NHTSA)

YearComplaintsTop components
2003 2,013 Power Train, Air Bags, Service Brakes, Hydraulic
2004 1,018 Power Train, Air Bags, Electrical System
2005 686 Air Bags, Power Train, Electrical System
2006 433 Air Bags, Steering, Service Brakes, Hydraulic
2007 524 Air Bags, Power Train, Electrical System

source: NHTSA complaints database (api.nhtsa.gov). Complaints are owner reports, not confirmed failures.

Other Honda Accord generations

Own a Honda Accord, or pricing one? See what they're actually selling for →

Questions people actually ask

What Honda Accord years should you avoid?

We don't tell you to skip a year; we flag by a fixed rule (see 'How we flag years'), and no Accord year trips it. The near-miss is 2023: 3.18 NHTSA complaints per catalog listing (232 across 73 listings) against a Gen 11 median of 1.16, which is 2.7 times, and 3 of 49 enriched ads (6.1%) mention a problem against a 1.0% median. All three of those mentions are the 'rust' flaw, so it fails our rust-excluded check, and 73 listings is a small first-year sample. Other close calls: 2003 has 13.79 complaints per listing (2,013 across 146), 4.4 times the Gen 7 median of 3.15, but 11.8% of its ads mention a problem against a 15.7% median. 2008 has 5.85 (1,521 across 260), 3.8 times the Gen 8 median, with 6.6% of ads against 7.5%. 2018 has 6.67 (2,013 across 302), 2.3 times its median, with 0.5% of ads against 2.0%. Lists that name 2003-2005, 2008-2009, 2013 and 2018 are pointing at real complaint clusters; our rule asks for the ads to agree too.

How much does an Accord V6 transmission replacement cost?

CarComplaints averages $2,990 at about 110,000 miles across 207 complaints on the 2004. Dealer quotes in owner threads were $4,100 (2005 V6) and $4,350 (2003), the latter cut to $2,350 after a goodwill appeal to American Honda. CoverageX gives $3,500-$6,500 for a replacement automatic and $2,300-$6,000 for a rebuild; one owner paid $1,700 for a used unit through a service contract. The mileage window is not settled: one 2005 EX-V6 failed at 168,000 miles.

What are the Accord VCM problems?

VCM is Honda's cylinder deactivation on the V6. HondaRide says it causes oil consumption, fouled spark plugs and failed active motor mounts; CarMechan describes uneven cylinder wall wear on the 8th-generation V6. CarComplaints counts 32 fouled-spark-plug complaints on the 2008, average repair $180 at about 59,550 miles. CoverageX links VCM oil burning to 2008-2017 V6 Accords. We found no verified price for a VCM-related engine replacement.

Which Accord has the 1.5T oil dilution problem?

The 2018-2020 1.5L turbo. CoverageX calls 2018 the worst and says it was mostly resolved from 2021. Honda's software update TSB 18-086 covers 2018-2019 (VehicleBar); one owner paid $300 for the dealer service (AccordXClub). CarComplaints lists 11 gasoline-in-oil complaints on the 2018. Ask whether the update was done.

How much does an Accord starter replacement cost?

RepairPal gives $591-$963 for a 2013 Accord; Samarins gives $360-$620 for 2013-2017. CarComplaints averages $620 at about 54,600 miles across 117 starter failure complaints on the 2013. HondaProblems describes starter grinding on 2013-2015 cars at around 50,000 miles.

Which Accord years have the most recalls?

We did not rank years by recall count, because one recall often covers many years. The ones to check by VIN: the Takata air bag inflator recalls on 2001-2012 cars, the 2003-2007 V6 power steering hose recall (12V222000), the 2005-2010 secondary shaft bearing recall (11V395000), the 2023-2025 Accord Hybrid software recall (25V785000), and the fuel pump recalls spanning 2013-2024. Free at a Honda dealer when open; run the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.