What breaks most · 1990 to 2003 model years
Honda Honda problems by year
Owners have filed 117 safety complaints with NHTSA about the Honda Honda across model years 1990 to 2003. Three years stand out: 2003 for air bags complaints, 1998 for electrical system complaints and 2002 for powertrain and transmission complaints. The quietest years are 1991, 1992 and 1993.
- Years to check closely: 2003, 1998, 2002
- Fewest complaints: 1991, 1992, 1993
- Complaints on file
- 1171990 to 2003, all trims
- Worst year
- 200326 complaints
- Crashes reported
- 171 fires · 22 injuries · 0 deaths
- Typical failure mileage
- 62kMedian where owners gave mileage
- Recall campaigns
- 0Across the years shown
Complaints by model year
Raw filings with NHTSA, not adjusted for how many were sold.
| Model year | Complaints | Crashes | Recalls | Most-reported component |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | 0 | 0 | Seat belts (2) | |
| 1 | 0 | 0 | Body and structure (1) | |
| 3 | 1 | 0 | Air bags (1) | |
| 3 | 1 | 0 | Unknown or other (1) | |
| 5 | 0 | 0 | Visibility (3) | |
| 3 | 0 | 0 | Air bags (1) | |
| 7 | 1 | 0 | Air bags (2) | |
| 7 | 0 | 0 | Fuel system (2) | |
| 15 | 1 | 0 | Electrical system (4) | |
| 10 | 1 | 0 | Powertrain and transmission (4) | |
| 10 | 1 | 0 | Air bags (3) | |
| 10 | 2 | 0 | Air bags (4) | |
| 12 | 4 | 0 | Powertrain and transmission (5) | |
| 26 | 5 | 0 | Air bags (6) |
What fails on the 2003 Honda Honda
| Component | Share of complaints | Filings | Crashes | Parts for this job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Air bags | 23% |
6 | 3 | Check recalls for air bags on NHTSA.gov |
| VisibilityMirrors and glass | 19% |
5 | 0 | Shop all visibility parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Brakes (hydraulic)Brake pads, rotors and calipers | 12% |
3 | 0 | Shop all brakes (hydraulic) parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Body and structureDoors, latches and body hardware | 8% |
2 | 0 | Shop all body and structure parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Powertrain and transmissionTransmission parts | 8% |
2 | 0 | Shop all powertrain and transmission parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Equipment and infotainment | 8% |
2 | 0 | — |
| Service Brakes, AIR | 4% |
1 | 0 | — |
| Latches and locksDoor latches and actuators | 4% |
1 | 0 | Shop all latches and locks parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
One complaint can name more than one component, so shares add to more than 100%. "Unknown or other" is NHTSA's uncategorized bucket and is shown but never ranked.
In owners' words
Complaint narratives as filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length.
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The door handles have chrome which spontaneously began to peel and continues causing repeated painful and alarming cuts that ovbiously distract us from driving.*ak
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While driving down hill the transmission shifted to 2nd gear. The dealership was notified, but did not resolve the problem. The cause was not determined. Please provide additional vehicle information. *nm
How to read this page
Every figure comes from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's public complaint database, which holds every safety-related defect complaint filed by owners since 1995. We refresh it monthly and count each complaint once per component it names. Data through September 6, 2026.
NHTSA only accepts safety-related complaints. Rattles, paint, infotainment bugs and other annoyances are under-reported here, so this page is a map of what fails in ways owners consider dangerous, not a full reliability score.
Counts are raw. Use the year-over-year shape and the component mix, not the absolute numbers. Where a component maps to parts we stock, the row links to that category filtered to the year you are viewing. Air bag and seat belt complaints link to the recall checker instead, because those repairs are almost always covered.
Common questions
Which Honda Honda years have the most problems?
By NHTSA complaint volume, 2003, 1998, 2002 carry the most filings on the Honda Honda. The 2003 alone has 26 complaints, led by air bags.
What is the most common Honda Honda problem?
On the 2003 model year, the most-reported component is air bags with 6 complaints. The table above lists the top components for every year.
At what mileage do Honda Honda problems start?
The median mileage at failure across all Honda Honda complaints that include mileage is about 62,000 miles. Older model years skew higher; the per-year figure is in the "at a glance" card.
Are these complaints verified?
No. NHTSA publishes complaints as submitted and does not investigate individual filings. Patterns across hundreds of complaints are meaningful; a single one is not.