NHTSA Complaint #10177680 — 2003 HONDA ACCORD

PROBLEM STATEMENT: 2003 HONDA ACCORD CONSOLE CONTROL LIGHTING AND STEREO BACKGROUND LIGHTING HAS FAILED. WHY IS THIS A PROBLEM: DURING NIGHT TIME DRIVING YOU CANNOT SEE THE CONTROLS TO MAKE ADJUSTMENTS AND THEREFORE HAVE TO TURN ON THE OVERHEAD LIGHTING TO MAKE ANY ADJUSTMENTS TO THE FAN, TEMPERATURE, CHANGE AIR FLOW POSITION ETC, OR ADJUST THE STEREO. THIS IS AN ERROR PRECURSOR TO HAVING AN ACCIDENT AS IT DISTRACTS YOU FROM DRIVING. THIS IS A GENERIC PROBLEM: A QUICK RESEARCH OF THE WEB INDICATES THIS IS A COMMON FAILURE AMONG HONDA ACCORDS RANGING FROM YEARS 2003 TO 2005. IN THESE HONDA ACCORDS ALL OF THE CONSOLE CONTROL LIGHTING IS POWERED BY CIRCUITS IN THE STEREO AND THEREFORE THE ONLY FIX IS TO REPLACE THE STEREO AT AN ESTIMATED COST OF $300 TO $500 DOLLARS. *NM