I had transmission issues with the last Accord that I owned (1998), so when my 2002 Accord that I recently purchased not even 4 months ago was slipping & jerking...I already knew what the problem was. I called the dealership to address the issue & they asked if I had purchased warranty ($1000 3 months/300,000 miles). I told them no because I believed they were selling me a quality certified used vehicle. The service guy then said, "It sounds like it'll be an expensive fix for you...bring it on by & we'll check it out." From the way he sounded...I didn't want to take it in to them & thought I'd search around for prices. It wasn't as bad as my last transmission that went out on me completely. I found that if I let the car warm up for 15-20 minutes before driving it...it drives normally, but if I just start it for a couple minutes & take off then you can soooo feel the slipping & jerking of the transmission. I came across this site & the www.hondaproblems.com and found that I wasn't the only one with this problem. I seriously think Honda should put a recall on the 2002 Accord transmission. They claim it's not a safety issue, but it could be if you're on the freeway & your transmission fails on you. Plus it's an expensive fix on top of what we all paid for our vehicles. With the economy the way it is...it's even harder for most of us to afford to fix this $1500+ transmission failure. I'm pretty sure that Honda is well aware of this issue & should put a recall on this.

This is my wifes car and it is starting to shift from 1st to 2nd very hard,first it hesitates and then shifts so hard you think you might get a whiplash, the check engine light comes on and the dealer says we have to replace the tranny at a cost of 3700.00 dollars. called american honda but all i got was the old run-a-round, they say there has been no complaints on this specific vehicle and since it was out of warrenty they could do nothing to help. I cant beleive that a transmission needs replacing at that low milage. Honda has to know of this problem and should help the consumer get thr problem taken care of.This is our fourth honda and will most likely be our last as HONDA is defintly going downhill.

Honda should definitely do something about transmission problem in 2002 accords. We have to stick together. I am surprise to see all the complaints about 2002 accord. I bought my vehicle used at 64000 miles, from an original owner, two months a go. The engine light came on, the second day and then, went off few hours later. Change the oil , just in case, I have suspicious that something is not right the car is not going to first gear when I hit the gas and would lurch forward in to second gear! A mechanic said ; it's your transmission, and it is unusual with this miles. I agree with Cindyaz, everyone should file a complaint whit the NHTSA. The more people who do it, the better chance there is. ANY CAR THAT UNEXPECTEDLY LURCHES FORWARD AND COULD RAM INTO THE CAR IN FRONT OF THEM IS A SAFETY HAZARD.

http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/ivog

good luck

I have been a devoted Honda girl since I was in high school, I have always owned a Honda but this car is making me re-think my loyality. I have had nothing but problems with my 2002 Honda Accord, problems that I never had with any of my other years or models. This car has become the money pit of Hondas and the last straw is this transmission problem. At 160k miles I should not have to replace a transmission. I had 172k on my 2000 when I traded it in on this one and I never had ANY problems with that car. I was told that going forward I was going to need to have my transmission fluid replaced every 15k miles just to make it last as long as possible but that it could go at any time...Ridiculous!!! I had a 1978 Honda Civic hatchback when I was in high school and that car was still running when I sold it for $300 and it had 330k miles on it with only one motor replacement but NO tranny issues. They certainly don't make them like they used to that's for sure and it's a testament of even what a couple of years can do on the lack of good quality craftsmanship going just from the 2000 to the 2002.

HONDA TRANSMISSION FAILURE - 2002 Honda Accord SE As of now the speedometer reads 96,000 miles and the transmission slips until it hits 20mph (hope the problem is in switching to 1st & 2nd gears) and then it goes smooth with no issues, but however I've check engine lights on with code "P0740 Torque Converter Clutch" and at anytime the transmission may be die.

Honda dealer quotes me $3,000+ to replace the transmission or else to trade-in for new Honda (which I'm not at all interested), I've also requested American Honda for "goodwill repair" but not sure of it.

Just like many I believed in Honda for their reliability and but now after plenty of googling I discovered that I'm not alone with this problem to say "bad luck", it's a manufacturing defect and this has to be recalled. I read that "NHTSA" is not willing recall this vehicle because transmission slip is not a safety issue, and that's quite funny isn't it.

What Causes This Transmission Problem? Many of the transmission failure complaints are caused by the torque converter failing - the engine will rev up but the car won't shift into gear or move. In some reports, the torque converter burned up the transmission fluid which ruined the transmission.

What is Honda Doing to Fix the Problem? Currently there is no recall for the transmission defect, because it is not a safety issue (according to the NHTSA). So far, a class action lawsuit has not been filed.

However Honda has offered some Accord owners out-of-warranty compensation for the transmission repairs. Rather than going through your local dealership, it's best to contact Honda Customer Service at (800) 999-1009 and ask for a "goodwill repair".

Actions You Can Take & Possible Recourse: This step is crucial. Don't just complain on forums; The sites below actually manage your complaint in ways that allow useful statistics and they report dangerous trends to the authorities. Law firms often contact these sites for help with Class Action lawsuits.

Make sure to file your complaint on all three sites, we can't stress that enough. 1. File your complaint at CarComplaints.com 2. Submit your complaint to the Center for Auto Safety 3. Report a safety concern with the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation

For more info, http://www.hondaproblems.com/problems/transmission-failure.shtml

Wow. I did not pay much attention to feeling my transmission slip since it did not start happening until I almost reached 200,000 miles. I took my car to the dealer, and of course they said that I needed a new transmission. A friend of mine suggested that I have his mechanic take a look at it before I spend the money at the dealership. My mechanic showed me that my transmission had never been flushed (although I had receipts from my dealership showing that I paid to have it flushed on a few occasions), and that at best, it had been drained. Apparently there is a big difference between draining the transmission and flushing the transmission. He flushed the transmission and it has just started to slip again, 30,000 miles later (230,000+ miles).

I am thankful that I stumbled across this site, as I was just debating on whether to have my mechanic (the same one) flush it again or go ahead and replace it. Based on the comments posted on this site, I may end up with a bad transmission. I better do more research before I make my next purchase later this week.

I have had this car for about 3 years now and only within the last year did I start to notice this problem. I came across this site and noticed that this was a common complaint about my little blue gem. Surely my darling would not have this fate at all! Well as time goes as by within the last few months I noticed the car would become less and less responsive when stepping on the gas. I took it to my private mechanic and he told me the bad news: it had serious transmission issues. He called his transmission guy and said the problem sounded like the fuel line switch need to be replaced. A few hours and several hundred dollars later and the part was installed. The car rode fine for about a week then went back to it's usual sluggishness. I called American Honda and they opened a case for me. The gentleman I spoke with took my info then said my case would be reviewed after receiving a diagnostic from the dealer. My request for any help from Honda for any repairs was denied.I dropped the car off at my local Honda dealership and received a call from the Service Manager that surprise surprise I would need a new transmission. It would only cost me $4500. After fussing him out about what everyone else on this site has said not to mention the cost I was told he would have his boss call Honda and see about any "goodwill", his tone suggested this was a common complaint. I received a call back saying Honda would pay 10% toward the repair which was a bargain considering the car is out of warranty and how most car companies don't even offer that, yadda yadda. I let him know that if Honda is such a quality product that everyone was telling me it was the transmission should not poop out with 69K and that this might be my last Honda as well as my first. The only good news I could find was that he did not charge me the $125 for the diagnosis. I agree with Cindyaz everyone should file a complaint with the NHTSA; just because this is not a "safety" issue does not mean it should not be fixed!

We bought the car used with 96,000 miles and a clean Car Fax. The car has had no mechanical problems until three years after we had it. The transmission began shoving each time I would stop. First thought is low transmission fluid - perhaps related to a slow leak. Within days the jerking motion showed up when driving on the interstate. The Honda dealership said it was an internal transmission problem that could not be repaired. They also stated that the motor mounts were bad and needed to be replaced. Their cost for the transmission was quoted at $3,800. We have been able to located a transmission at a salvage yard with 60k miles for $1,100 with a one-year warranty. We will go that route once we find a repair shop to do the replacement.

I bought my car from a 3rd party and it has definitely been a learning experience. I had not even gone through a 1/2 a tank of gas and found out the transmission needed to be replaced. It's shocking news for a car that only has 81700 miles on it. Some of the things I learned about buying a car from a third party:

1. Don't buy a car from a 3rd party you don't know on a Sunday, even if the car looks awesome and looks like a good deal, and even if the AutoCheck Vehicle history is clean, and even if Consumer Reports says it's a great car. Don't do it on a Sunday so you can take it to a dealer to have it looked at before you buy it.

2. Don't go to the Autozone that the person selling the car says is just around the corner so you can check out any dashboard lights and their computer codes to determine possible issues, because they may be in cahoots with the person who is selling the vehicle and tell you it is a problem with the gas cap not sealing.

3. Don't trust if the ad says there is nothing wrong with the car, they are just selling it because they are moving out of the state.

4. Don't trust them if they say they will show you their car at the nearest QT. (Next time, I want to know where they live!!!).

The car drove fine when I purchased it. It had some lights on the dash and we explored the issues as far as we could and after much thought and study, we bought the car before it could be snatched away by some other unknowing victim, several of which were beginning to take a look at and test drive this fantastic looking car.

The next day I took the car to my mechanic and my happy bubble began to burst. The code that came up when he checked out the car was not the gas cap code, but the TC (torque converter) Solenoid. He recommended replacing the transmission oil to see if that might knock off some crud of the solenoid. The next day I went to get it serviced and noticed for the first time, my car seemed to come to a dead stop when I stopped instead of having the feeling like it was still in gear and ready to move forward. I told my mechanic about it, he did the service and said to drive it around and see how it goes. I immediately started having issues, the car was not going into first gear when I hit the gas and then would lurch forward into second. This was not safe because I could unexpectedly lurch into the car in front of me.

On my 8 mile trip home, the D4 light started to flash. I called my mechanic and he said that meant transmission trouble, and I should not drive the car to try to avoid any further damage.

After calling many transmission shops, dealers, mechanics, and Honda's Customer Service at (800) 999-1009 and doing online research and finding sites like this one to find out what was going on and what I should do, I finally decided to get my transmission rebuilt by Aamco.

What I liked about Aamco was that they offer a lifetime guarantee on the transmission as long as I have a yearly checkup. After reading all the comments about this particular car, the only way I would be able to enjoy this "new" car without fear of future issues was to get the lifetime guarantee. This is more than the dealer's can offer and solved the issue that was brought up by the dealer that these transmissions weren't meant to be rebuilt because there are so many parts and so many things you can miss that might cause leaks, etc. The Aamco CSR said that these transmissions really are incredible in how they are put together, and they replace the parts with the newest Honda parts that may have been redesigned to work better than their earlier versions.

The original rebuild estimate was about $1,600 for just the soft parts, so I thought I might get lucky, but there were other things that needed to be replaced too, so the financial damage was $2,800 (with a lifetime guarantee). The dealer said it would be $2,900 with a 3 year, 36,000 mile guarantee.

The final cost was actually much more than I expected it would be. I could have gotten a replacement out of another car for only $1,675, but it only had a 12 month, 12,000 mile guarantee, and after reading the comments on these sites, I just didn't feel comfortable keeping this car if I would have to worry about needing to replace the transmission again.

So there you have it, that's my story. One thing about Honda's customer service, the first guy I spoke to wasn't that helpful. He basically said that mine wasn't the only complaint about the transmission on that car and that if I had researched the internet first, I would have been able to see more of what was going on. (I didn't find these sites until after I bought the car.) He offered no more solutions and told me I should go back to the person I bought it from. (I think I have grounds for a law suit on this 3rd party for their apparent deception. I just don't have the energy, time or money to pursue it.) I think these Honda's need to be included in the same recall as the previous years vehicle to minimize the probability of people encountering the same type of situation as myself. Who expects a transmission to go bad at 81700 miles. This situation has brought pain to my entire family.

Anyway, I went as far as I could with the first CSR and then called back later to see if there were any other recall's on the car. The lady I spoke with was very helpful, nice and understanding. She did find a recall on an ignition switch and looked for any other recalls. They did not offer any kind of good will repair on the transmission and suggested I call the dealer. When I called the dealer, they said that maybe someone at customer service could offer one, so that was a dead end. Anyway, I wanted to lifetime guarantee from Aamco anyway so that worked out.

If there is any chance for a future recall, it would come from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). You can file a safety complaint about your vehicle at http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/ivoq. The more people who do it, the better chance there is that they will take notice and place a recall on it.

I've seen a statement on one of these sites that said that because this is a transmission issue, it is not a safety issue. My response is that any car that unexpectedly lurches forward and could ram into the car in front of them, or into the wall of a garage if they are trying to park in a garage, is a safety hazard.

Good luck

First owner, 78000 miles, the transmission has been jerking for about a couple of weeks. Bought new, had this car barely 8 years and never expected to sink this much in so soon.

Check Engine light came on last week. Took it to Honda dealership yesterday and they initially quoted $3400. I took issue with the cost, they called me today and mysteriously lowered to $2600 for a new transmission.

I got a separate quote from another mechanic Cottmann Transmission for re-build for $2100.

Found this site on a random search today and seeing all the complaints, I am pretty ticked off now at Honda. Not sure what to do.

Honda should definitely do something about transmission problems in 2002 accords.Not even 70000 miles on my 2002 accord se and having problem with transmission,im first owner and car was taken good care of.When i just start driving expirience jerking but affraid as time goes by gonna get worse.My wife has acoord ex 2005 and i hope this one doesnt devolp problems to.I always tought honda is making relaible cars but after this not sure anymore and what worse they dont want to admit their faulty transmission so in the future i think im dine with buying hondas anymore,shame on you honda.

Thought this problem was unique to my vehicle until I read other postings here. Didn't really notice the jerking between 1st & 2nd gears, until the car hit 141,000 miles. Even then, it wasn't all the time... just occasionally. I'm good about keeping the car's preventative and scheduled maintenance up-to-date so the transmission problem is certainly not occurring from neglect.

I took the car to the local Honda dealership and they told me they couldn't duplicate the problem during a road test. I find it a little odd they didn't mention that it's a known problem with this model.

I do mostly in-town driving, with a fair amount of highway driving. Since the problem isn't constant, and only started recently, I'm not compelled to pay a lot to have it further evaluated and remedied. It's not a big deal... yet.

I just learned about the Honda Accord transmission problem with the 2002 model from someone at work. She suggested I check up about it online. A few weeks ago, the car would suddenly just rev up as I attempted to accelerate from a stopped position or as I made a turn into a corner. I took the car in for a 150,000 mile tune up, suspecting the problem would be resolved with the tune up and a transmission flush. This was the second flush in a year, the first one being a precaution after purchasing the vehicle used at 128,000 miles. Two days after the tune up, the engine light came on, then the TCM came on irregardless of the road conditions. I continued to drive it until about four days ago when something changed. The car started to hesitate and make a 'moaning' type of sound while in D4 gear. The D4 indicator on the dashboard started flashing. I restarted the car at a traffic signal, which stopped the flashing D4 indicator and managed to drive the vehicle the rest of the way home even though it felt like I had no forward power. I attempted to drive the car today to take it to my mechanic for a diagnosis. I only made it one block; the car would not move on any forward gear. I was only able to get it back home by driving it in reverse back to my driveway. From what I've read on this site, I can't believe I could spend up to $3500 or more to replace the transmission and not drive away assured that I could get another year out of the car. I bought the car used and managed to get one year out of it - I just didn't want to have to replace it quite this soon. Besides, I really like the features of this model. I have put about $3000 in the car already in the year I owned it (new tires, new gas tank, some bodywork repair) besides the normal upkeep costs. Now I'm not so sure if I should drop that much money into it for a transmission as then I will have exceeded what I actually paid for the car. This is my 4th Honda vehicle but the first one to have such a costly problem. I am shocked to read that Honda has manufactured a defective vehicle and hasn't offered some type of compensation to its loyal purchasers!

I was surprised to see all the complaints about the 2002 Accord. I drive 175 miles each day to work and back. The car only jerks from 1st to 2nd gear, but it has been this way for years, but keeps on running. I am afraid it is going to give up on me half way to work one day. When we took the car back to Honda we were told they could not do anything about the problem unless we wanted to pay to have the transmission replaced. Why would I spend that kind of money if it only happens in low gears and I do a lot of highway driving....but what a pain in the butt when I do drive around the city. OWN UP HONDA.

I'm in Canada. I purchased a used 2002 Accord SE with 43,000 km's in 2007. Everything was perfect until November 2009 when i first noticed the problem, but it was hardly noticeable. January 2010 with approximate millage of 175,000 km's i would notice that if i didn't come to a complete stop and rolled on through a stop sign at about 5 km's/hr the engine would race and felt like the tranny was not engaging then it would jerk into gear. Had the transmission check at a local transmission shop and the guy tells me that the transmission needed replacement. Right now i'm looking to find a used tranny with low millage simply because other than this problem the car is in excellent condition.

I have read about Honda honoring some type of warranty for the previous year but not for the 2002. Unless Honda covered the full cost of replacement, for me here in Canada it would cost me twice as much at Honda using their labour rates and for what life is left in the car its much cheaper to install a used tranny.

Just my 2 cents

Well me and my 7 month pregnant wife just spent every f*cking penny from tax return on a 2002 Honda Accord SE with intentions of bigger, newer, safer car for her and the family due to I own a 1995 Accord with 225,000 on it and it still runs like new (well maintained). The car had 128,000 when we bought it and no later than a week its starts slipping and jerking around 2nd and 3rd gear. Just my goddamn luck thinking to myself, the transmission is f*cking up, great! We bought it AS IS!! PERFECT! I took it to Jiffy lube my ass and had the trans "flushed" and still, same thing. I called the assholes at Honda and the 1st thing the say is "yup, needs a new transmission.." I told them I just changed the fluid in it!! and they said it has to be Honda trans fluid in it that they are very finicky transmissions..($$100 down the drain..) No lights on the dashboard are on and the tech told me this car has sensor galore on it and another "flush" from the dealer with HONDA trans fluid may fix it due to if it was a transmission problem a dashboard light should be on. He quoted me $69.99 (cheap for a dealer I must admit). I hope and pray this will fix the problem and all will be well. I am thinking he is just tring to get me in the door though and feeding me some BS! He also told me it could take several "flushes" to correct the problem.. Im not really sure want to think about this but, after reading this site and many others I think Honda needs to get their head outta their ass before they become the next Toyota!! Sh*t I should of went FORD or CHEVY!! I thought Honda was rock solid!! From what I gather its a common problem that HONDA needs to fix or I will never buy another again and start a f*cking blog bashing Honda for being assholes!! There is obviously a transmission problem and I dont think Honda fluid or Jiffy Lube fluid will fix this sh*t! I feel like setting the f*cker on fire and driving it through the Honda shop!! Money for me anyway is very hard to come buy and for what I paid for the car I am very pissed!! It will be hard enough to find the $69.99 for the flush, if its the transmission im just sh*t outta luck and don't know what to do!! I feel like I got taken advantage of by the asshole that sold it to me and by the Japs that built this piece of sh*t and because my f*cking VIN # is not on their recall list its my problem!! They can shove that VIN # up their ass is what I think and Ill be very f*cking sure to tell the world Honda should just stick to lawn mowers or fix THEIR F*CK UPS!!! They KNOW THEY F*CKED UP, THEY NEED TO FIX IT!! END OF STORY!!!!

Update from Mar 26, 2010: Well after another transmission fluid change it is smoother shifting now and not as bad as it was. It still shifts hard and jerks around but, not near as bad or often as it was doing. I don't know if this is just buying me more time or if it will smooth it out 100% but, so far so good! For all of those having this same problem with the transmission I would recommend having this done ($69.99 at dealer). If it buys me another year its totally worth the $$ then maybe I will be more financially stable to fix it then (if it needs to be rebuilt.)

Update from Apr 21, 2010: Well the $69.99 went right down the drain.. It did nothing for the car. In fact 2 weeks later after leaving the dealership the maintenance light is on now.. Do not waste your money on changing out the trans fluid! It will not remedy this problem. I am just going to keep driving mine and pray it will not git any worse and that marta (inspection) want make me fix it next year. Next time I buy a vehicle it will not be a Honda and I will extensively research the car on the internet before I make a purchase. Had I found this site 1st, this would of never of happened so hopefully I can prevent someone else from making the same mistake as I did.

Also PROBLEM#2 with 2002 honda

Apparently 1996-2002 models the timing belt was belt driven(internal) and if it breaks, it will destroy the entire motor!! I was quoted $650 i think it was for this to be replaced.. After 2002 apparently Honda realized they had a problem and switched make to a chain driven system which is 10 times more reliable. I did not get mine replaced but $650 is a lot cheaper than a new motor.. Just thought I would share that. All my info is straight from the dealer here Reddell Honda In Murfreesboro TN. So with that said, im done with Hondas! Good luck to all.