i have an 04 accord sedan with the factory amfm radio... the reception is non-existant. is this a common problem? what should i start looking at to remedy this issue?

 

Possible that the antenna connection has come loose or is damaged. Did you buy the car used? If so, it's possible a previous owner was back behind the radio messing with wiring and left it unplugged. Also possible the connection to the antenna came loose. After 18 years, a number of things are possible and inspecting connections is the first step. Those radios are prone to failures, which means it's likely someone was back there at some point.