Problems · by component

2004 Honda Accord service brakes, hydraulic problems

44 owner complaints to NHTSA about the 2004 Honda Accord cite service brakes, hydraulic, 4% of all 1,018 complaints for this model year.

Complaints
44
4% of all complaints
Crashes
7
Reported by owners
Fires
0
Reported by owners
Injuries
3
Reported by owners
01 —Owner reports

What owners say about the service brakes, hydraulic

Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 HONDA ACCORD. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED, THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND THE RADIO FAILED TO FUNCTION. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE BRAKE PADS, DOME LIGHT, AND MULTIPLE PARTS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED; HOWEVER, THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 252,869.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled May 31, 2016Service brakes, hydraulic, Electrical system, Air bags, Interior lightingODI 10871692
“MY WIFE HAD PARKED IN A PARKING SPACE WITH A VERY SLIGHT DOWNWARD SLOPE. THERE WAS ANOTHER SPACE AHEAD OF HER. SHE HAD BEEN DRIVING IN A HEAVY RAIN. THE CAR WAS OPERATING NORMALLY. WHEN SHE RETURNED ABOUT 15 MINUTES LATER, THE BRAKE PEDAL FELT HARD. SHE STARTED THE ENGINE AND SHIFTED INTO REVERSE. THE CAR STARTED COASTING FORWARD. THE BRAKES REMAINED HARD AND DIDN'T STOP THE CAR. SHE STOPPED IT BY SHIFTING TO PARK, THEN TURNED OFF THE ENGINE. SHE REPEATED THE ATTEMPT TO BACK OUT OF THE SPACE - SAME RESULT. NO ERROR MESSAGES APPEARED. SHE CALLED, AND I DROVE TO THE SCENE. THE RAIN HAD STOPPED. I FELT THE HARDNESS OF THE BRAKE PEDAL, ALTHOUGH IT FELT MORE LIKE A STIFF SPRING THAN A NON-POWER BRAKE PEDAL TO ME. I PUMPED THE SPRINGY PEDAL A FEW TIMES; IT DIDN'T CHANGE. I STARTED THE ENGINE, KEEPING MY FOOT LIGHTLY ON THE BRAKE. WHEN THE ENGINE STARTED, THE STIFFNESS IMMEDIATELY DISAPPEARED, THE PEDAL FELT NORMAL, THE TRANSMISSION WORKED, AND THE CAR DROVE NORMALLY. I DIDN'T GET TO EXPERIENCE THE TRANSMISSION PROBLEM. LATER, I COULD FIND NO PROBLEM WITH THE BRAKES. THE LINKAGE HAS ONLY A VERY SLIGHT AMOUNT OF PLAY, AS IT SHOULD. I DEPLETED THE VACUUM SUPPLY BY…”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Mar 28, 2012Service brakes, hydraulic, Power train, Electrical systemODI 10453326
“BRAKES ARE OVERLY SENSITIVE, PARTICULARLY DURING HIGH IDLE WHEN THE ENGINE IS COLD. IT IS NOT POSSIBLE TO APPLY THE BRAKES QUICKLY WITHOUT THE BRAKE PEDAL FEELING AS THOUGH IT'S GETTING SUCKED DOWN DURING A SLIGHT APPLICATION. ONE MUST BE VERY CAREFUL AND START APPLYING THE BRAKES INCREDIBLY SLOWLY BEFORE THEY WISH TO START STOPPING. THUS, IT'S NOT POSSIBLE TO STOP QUICKLY WITHOUT THE BRAKES BEING HEAVILY APPLIED AGAINST ONE'S WILL. DURING AN EMERGENCY BRAKING SITUATION, WHICH LUCKILY I HAVE NOT COME ACROSS WHILE DRIVING THIS VEHICLE, I SUSPECT IT'D BE INCREDIBLY DIFFICULT TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE WHILE SLOWING DOWN, REGARDLESS OF WHETHER OR NOT THE VEHICLE HAS ABS. THIS PROBLEM HAS OCCURRED SINCE THE CAR WAS NEW. UPON RESEARCH ON MANY DIFFERENT WEBSITES, I HAVE FOUND OTHER DRIVERS OF 2004 HONDA ACCORDS THAT COMPLAIN OF THE SAME ISSUE. ONE COMPLAINT EVEN CLAIMED THAT THEY APPLIED THEIR BRAKES NORMALLY ON AN OFFRAMP, AND THE ISSUE CAUSED THEIR VEHICLE TO SPIN AROUND COMPLETELY, LUCKILY NOT STRIKING ANYONE OR ANYTHING. OTHERS SAY THAT THEY HAVE COMPLAINED TO THEIR DEALERSHIPS, BUT WERE JUST TOLD THAT THEY NEED TO GET USED TO THE BRAKES. I FEEL THAT A…”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jan 25, 2011Service brakes, hydraulicODI 10378593
“I WAS STOPPED AT A RED LIGHT, A FEW CARS BEHIND, AND THEN THE TRAFFIC LIGHT TURNED GREEN AND THE CARS TOOK OFF. AFTER I JUST PASSED THE INTERSECTION THE FIRST CAR MADE A SUDDEN STOP, AND THE CARS AFTER WERE ABLE TO STOP ALSO. I HAD ENOUGH TIME AND ROOM TO STOP THE CAR ITSELF WITH OUT CRASHING TOO, BUT THE BREAKS DID NOT STOP WHEN MY FOOT WAS PRESSED ALL THE WAY DOWN ON THE PETAL. I WAS NOT GOING MORE THAN FIFTEEN MILE PER HOUR AT THE TIME. THE AIR BAGS DID NOT GO OFF AND THE FRONT WAS SEVERELY DAMAGED AFTER GOING INTO THE OTHER CARS. VERY DISAPPOINTED IN HONDA. *TR”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Sep 27, 2010Service brakes, hydraulicCrash reportedODI 10357962
“TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 HONDA ACCORD. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 70 MPH HE APPLIED THE BRAKES AND THE VEHICLE STARTED SHAKING. THE CONTACT FEELS THAT SINCE IT WAS SUCH AN UNUSUAL OCCURRENCE THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL MECHANIC. THE MECHANIC TEST DROVE THE VEHICLE AND STATED THAT THE CONTACTS ROTORS WERE FAULTY. THE MECHANIC CLIPPED THE ROTORS TO MAKE THEM SMOOTHER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT DUE TO THE MILEAGE ON THE VEHICLE THE ROTORS SHOULD HAVE NOT FAILED AND COULD HAVE CAUSED A CRASH WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY. THE CONTACT CALLED THE MANUFACTURER REGARDING THE ROTORS AND INFORMED THE CONTACT TO WRITE A LETTER TO CORPORATE EXPLAINING WHAT HAPPENED WITH THE BRAKES. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 73,000.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Sep 23, 2010Service brakes, hydraulicODI 10357169
“MY HONDA ACCORD 2004, V4 , HAS UNINTENDED ACCELERATION ESPECIALLY WHEN AFTER INITIAL IGNITION, THE BRAKES DO NOT SEEM TO HOLD THE ACCELERATION WELL. IT HAS BEEN HAPPENING ON MULTIPLE DAYS THE MOST RECENT BEING ON JANUARY 5TH 2010. *TR”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Feb 3, 2010Service brakes, hydraulic, Vehicle speed controlODI 10304262

Showing 6 of 44 reports. Read every report on NHTSA.gov.

Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 3, 2026NHTSA vehicle page

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.