NHTSA Complaint #10154470 — 2003 HONDA ACCORD

THE LIGHTS ON THE STEREO AND THE CENTER OF THE DASHBOARD WENT OUT AND WOULD NOT COME BACK ON. UNABLE TO SEE THE CONTROL SWITCHES FOR THE AC/HEATER WHICH WAS DANGEROUS DURING NIGHT DRIVING. THE STEREO WORKED - BUT IT IS COMPLETELY DARK - NO LIGHTS. I CALLED HONDA ON 2 OCCASIONS ABOUT IT ( CASE# : N032006-03-08-00025) AND EXPLAINED THE SITUATION TO THEM AND EVEN REPORTED THAT THERE WAS A SERVICE BULLETIN FOR A KNOWN PROBLEM WITH THE 2003 HONDA ACCORDS ( BULLETIN : 04-027 ). HOWEVER, THE HONDA REPRESENTATIVES WERE NOT PARTICULARLY HELPFUL AND WOULD NOT ACKNOWLEDGE THE VALIDITY OF THE SERVICE BULLETIN. ALSO, THEY DID NOT WANT TO ADMIT THAT THERE IS A KNOWN PROBLEM WITH THE 2003 ACCORDS AND BACK LIGHTS ON THE DASHBOARD. I TOOK THE CAR TO A HONDA DEALERSHIP IN WOODSTOCK AND THEY EVENTUALLY REPLACED THE COMPLETE STEREO WITH A RE-FURBISHED ONE WHICH SOLVED THE PROBLEM (AT NO CHARGE) - INITIALLY THE DEALERSHIP DID NOT WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THERE WAS A KNOWN PROBLEM WHICH CAUSED THE BACK LIGHTS ON THE DASHBOARD TO GO OUT. LUCKILY, THE CAR WAS STILL UNDER WARRANTY, I FOUND MANY SIMILAR COMPLAINTS ON THE INTERNET WHERE IT ENDED UP COSTING THE OWNERS BETWEEN $400 - $800. *JB