What ownership is like, what breaks at what mileage, what the repairs cost, and what to check before you buy one.
← All Honda Accord generations
NHTSA complaints per catalog listing run from 1.25 for 2012 to 5.85 for 2008, against a generation median of 1.55. 2008 is 3.8 times that median (1,521 complaints across 260 listings) and passes the complaint test. It fails the ad test: 12 of 183 enriched ads (6.6%) mention a problem, below the 7.5% median. 2009 is 1.66 times (727 across 283), under the cutoff. So our rule flags no year. Top complaint areas for 2008 and 2009 are the hydraulic brakes, air bags and engine.
| Miles | Item | Cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| About 60,000 miles (2008 plug complaints average) | V6 VCM oil consumption and fouled spark plugs | $180 average for the fouled spark plug repair on a 2008 (32 complaints on CarComplaints). A VCM-related engine replacement is the expensive end; we found no verified price. | HondaRide says VCM causes oil consumption, fouled plugs and failed active motor mounts. CarMechan describes uneven cylinder wall wear on the 8th-gen V6. CoverageX links VCM to oil burning on 2008-2017 V6 Accords. Check the oil level on the dipstick at the visit and ask how often it has been topped off. |
| 15,000-20,000 miles (rear pads, one source) | Rear brake pads wear out early | $381-$438 for a 2008 brake pad replacement (RepairPal, not axle-specific). | 1A Auto says Accord rear pads can wear in 15,000-20,000 miles. AA1Car reports Honda revised the rear pad part number for 2008 and later cars. SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC is the top NHTSA complaint area for 2008, 2009 and 2010 in our data. Look at pad thickness on the rear axle. |
| any | Automatic transmission secondary shaft bearing recall (11V395000, 2005-2010) | Free at a Honda dealer when the recall is open | The outer race of the secondary shaft bearing may break under certain driving styles, causing noise and possible loss of drive. Confirm by VIN. |
| any | Recalls: air bag control unit corrosion (16V056000), engine wiring harness (11V004000), V6 damper bracket bolts (10V640000), side curtain inflator (12V030000) | Free at a Honda dealer when open | 16V056000: air bag control units on 2008-2010 Accords may corrode and fail. 11V004000: a wiring harness connector on 2010 cars could cause intermittent spark or a stall. 10V640000: 2010-2011 V6 front damper bracket bolts may not have been tightened properly, with possible loss of steering. 12V030000: 2012 side curtain inflator out of specification. Several Takata passenger inflator recalls also cover these years. Confirm by VIN. |
No year in this generation was flagged. A year is flagged by our rule only when all three hold: (1) its NHTSA complaints per catalog listing is at least 2.0x the median for its generation, (2) the share of ads that mention a problem is above the generation median, and (3) we track at least 30 listings for that year. The cutoff was fixed before we looked. Ad mentions are not failures, and a flag is a reason to inspect harder, not a verdict on any one car.
| Year | Complaints | Top components | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 1,521 | Service Brakes, Hydraulic, Air Bags, Engine | |
| 2009 | 727 | Service Brakes, Hydraulic, Air Bags, Engine | |
| 2010 | 581 | Air Bags, Engine, Service Brakes, Hydraulic | |
| 2011 | 296 | Air Bags, Seats, Engine | |
| 2012 | 380 | Seats, Air Bags, Steering |
source: NHTSA complaints database (api.nhtsa.gov). Complaints are owner reports, not confirmed failures.
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We don't tell you to skip a year; we flag by a fixed rule (see 'How we flag years'), and no Accord year trips it. The near-miss is 2023: 3.18 NHTSA complaints per catalog listing (232 across 73 listings) against a Gen 11 median of 1.16, which is 2.7 times, and 3 of 49 enriched ads (6.1%) mention a problem against a 1.0% median. All three of those mentions are the 'rust' flaw, so it fails our rust-excluded check, and 73 listings is a small first-year sample. Other close calls: 2003 has 13.79 complaints per listing (2,013 across 146), 4.4 times the Gen 7 median of 3.15, but 11.8% of its ads mention a problem against a 15.7% median. 2008 has 5.85 (1,521 across 260), 3.8 times the Gen 8 median, with 6.6% of ads against 7.5%. 2018 has 6.67 (2,013 across 302), 2.3 times its median, with 0.5% of ads against 2.0%. Lists that name 2003-2005, 2008-2009, 2013 and 2018 are pointing at real complaint clusters; our rule asks for the ads to agree too.
CarComplaints averages $2,990 at about 110,000 miles across 207 complaints on the 2004. Dealer quotes in owner threads were $4,100 (2005 V6) and $4,350 (2003), the latter cut to $2,350 after a goodwill appeal to American Honda. CoverageX gives $3,500-$6,500 for a replacement automatic and $2,300-$6,000 for a rebuild; one owner paid $1,700 for a used unit through a service contract. The mileage window is not settled: one 2005 EX-V6 failed at 168,000 miles.
VCM is Honda's cylinder deactivation on the V6. HondaRide says it causes oil consumption, fouled spark plugs and failed active motor mounts; CarMechan describes uneven cylinder wall wear on the 8th-generation V6. CarComplaints counts 32 fouled-spark-plug complaints on the 2008, average repair $180 at about 59,550 miles. CoverageX links VCM oil burning to 2008-2017 V6 Accords. We found no verified price for a VCM-related engine replacement.
The 2018-2020 1.5L turbo. CoverageX calls 2018 the worst and says it was mostly resolved from 2021. Honda's software update TSB 18-086 covers 2018-2019 (VehicleBar); one owner paid $300 for the dealer service (AccordXClub). CarComplaints lists 11 gasoline-in-oil complaints on the 2018. Ask whether the update was done.
RepairPal gives $591-$963 for a 2013 Accord; Samarins gives $360-$620 for 2013-2017. CarComplaints averages $620 at about 54,600 miles across 117 starter failure complaints on the 2013. HondaProblems describes starter grinding on 2013-2015 cars at around 50,000 miles.
We did not rank years by recall count, because one recall often covers many years. The ones to check by VIN: the Takata air bag inflator recalls on 2001-2012 cars, the 2003-2007 V6 power steering hose recall (12V222000), the 2005-2010 secondary shaft bearing recall (11V395000), the 2023-2025 Accord Hybrid software recall (25V785000), and the fuel pump recalls spanning 2013-2024. Free at a Honda dealer when open; run the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.