NHTSA Complaint #10432575 — 2003 HONDA ACCORD

I WAS HAVING PROBLEMS SHIFTING GEARS AND IT SEEMED MY CAR COULDN'T SHIFT INTO 3RD GEAR. IT'S AN AUTOMATIC AND WHEN IT WOULD REACH 3RD GEAR, THE ENGINE WOULD JUST REV. IT WOULD DRIVE FINE AT FIRST BUT AS SOON AS THE CAR WARMED UP, IT PROGRESSIVELY GOT WORSE. I HAD TO HAVE MY BATTERY REPLACED PREMATURELY (AFTER 3 YEARS) LAST WEEK AND I MENTIONED THE GEAR SHIFTING PROBLEM TO THE HONDA DEALERSHIP. THE GEAR SHIFTING PROBLEM HAPPENED RIGHT AROUND THE SAME TIME MY BATTERY DIED SO I THOUGHT IT MAY BE RELATED. THEY TOLD ME THE GEAR SHIFTING PROBLEM WOULD BE FIXED WHEN I REPLACED MY BATTERY. THEY PAID FOR 60% OF THE COST OF THE BATTERY. OVER THE NEXT FEW DAYS IT PROGRESSIVELY GOT WORSE TO WHERE I COULDN'T EVEN DRIVE AND I HAD TO COAST INTO A PARKING LOT BECAUSE THE ENGINE WOULD REV AND THE CAR WOULD JERK. IT SEEMED TO BE DANGEROUS. I THEN SHUT OFF THE CAR AND TRIED TO RESTART IT. I WASN'T EVEN ABLE TO REVERSE AT ALL - LIKE IT HAD NO REVERSE, JUST REV. I HAD TO CALL A TOW TRUCK AND HAVE IT TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP. I HAVE A 2003 HONDA ACCORD EX V6 WITH LESS THAN 100K MILES - RIGHT AROUND 97K - AND THE DEALERSHIP TOLD ME I NEEDED A NEW TRANSMISSION AND MOTOR MOUNT. A REBUILT TRANSMISSION IS $4500 AND A NEW TRANSMISSION IS $6400. I BOUGHT A HONDA BECAUSE IT WAS SUPPOSE TO BE A RELIABLE CAR THAT WOULD LAST YEARS WITHOUT EXPENSIVE MAINTENANCE REPAIRS. AND NOW IT'S LESS THAN 10 YEARS OLD AND 100K MILES ON IT AND I HAVE A HUGE REPAIR. IT SEEMS MANY OTHERS HAVE HAD THE SAME PROBLEMS WITH THE 2003 HONDA ACCORD. *TR