My car alarm wasn’t arming one day and I realized that the passenger side door wasn’t locking with the key fob.  Once I manually locked the door, the system would chirp and arm.  It was obvious the power door actuator had failed.  Searching for the part on online part stores gave me a part number which I could then comparison shop.  There were lots of non-OEM parts on ebay for less than $10 USD  and the cheapest original Honda version was around $55.  There could be a huge profit potential in counterfeit parts by putting a fake Honda sticker on the cheaper part.  The ebay seller I ended up buying from, hondapartshub, was a Honda dealer with an online parts store.  The same actuators are used in model years 2002-2006 for the RSX and in other Honda models like the Odyssey.

I found a guide to replace the actuator here but it was missing a few tips and steps.  You have to remove the door panel first which is fairly easy.  Once you removed the handle, power window switch and the 3 screws, you can easily pop the door panel off from the bottom and lift it up without any special tools.

With the actuator, you need to disconnect two rods to be able to pull out the assembly.  The gold coloured rod needs some pressure to release it (use pliers or pry with a screwdriver) but it will come out.  If you don’t disconnect it, you will end up bending the rod that goes up to the top of the door.

I also had some problem with the three screws at the edge of the door holding the latch.  You need a #3 phillips (with a flatter tip).  A normal phillips bit could strip the screw head.

To get at the latch, you will also need to remove a 10mm bolt that holds a guide rail for the window.

My last mistake was to not remove the protective cap on the new actuator before installing  it since there is a small clip that holds it in place.

The same day I replaced my passenger side acutator, the driver’s side failed.  The part for the driver’s side I ordered from a different ebay seller.  My original replacement was in a bubble wrap bag with a Honda sticker and one of the terminals capped.  The replacement for the driver’s side came in a box with a sticker, no bag and no cap though the ebay picture showed the part in a bubble wrap bag.  I am a bit worried that it was counterfeit but have no way of knowing for sure.  That seller’s store sells a lot of Honda parts.

Edit: My friend’s Acura had failed actuators and I purchased a non-OEM set (right and left) for him on ebay for $20USD and helped him install.  Seems to have no issues with them so far.

Update: My friend’s $20 actuator failed on one side.  It was also blowing the fuse as well.  So wouldn’t recommend the cheaper replacements.