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 2.14 for 2017 to 4.77 for 2013, against a generation median of 2.77. 2013 is 1.7 times that median (1,427 complaints across 299 listings) and 2016 is 1.1 times; neither reaches the 2.0 times cutoff. 2013 has 17 of 217 enriched ads (7.8%) mentioning a problem against a 5.2% median, so it would pass the ad test, but it fails the complaint test. Top areas are steering, electrical and engine.
| Miles | Item | Cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| About 54,600 miles (2013 average); grinding around 50,000 (HondaProblems) | Starter failure (2013 worst reported) | $620 average on the 2013 (117 complaints). RepairPal $591-$963 for a 2013 starter; Samarins $360-$620 for 2013-2017. | HondaProblems describes starter grinding on 2013-2015 Accords and Crosstours. If it cranks slowly or grinds, have it checked rather than waiting to be stranded. |
| Not verified | CVT judder on 2013-2015 four-cylinders (start clutch) | Honda extended the CVT warranty to 100,000 miles or 10 years for affected VINs (Rohnert Park Transmission). Out-of-pocket cost not verified. | Recall 20V769000 covers 2013-2015 four-cylinder CVT Accords registered in certain states and concerns the driveshaft. Judder pulling away from a stop is the sign to look for. |
| About 70,000 miles (2013 average) | Electric power steering failure while driving (2013) | $2,170 average on the 2013 (31 complaints). One owner quote near $1,100 (AboutLawsuits); another about $3,200 for EPS (CarComplaints, 2025). | NHTSA investigated Accord power steering complaints. The quotes span a 3x range, so treat any single number loosely. Check that steering effort is even at parking speed. |
| any | Recalls: battery sensor (17V418000), fuel tank neck (13V297000), 4-cylinder engine (15V121000), fuel pump (19V060000, 23V858000) | Free at a Honda dealer when open | 17V418000: water can enter the battery sensor case and short it (2013-2016). 13V297000: 2013 LEV II fuel tank neck out of specification so the pump may not seal. 15V121000 covers certain 2014-2015 four-cylinders. Confirm each 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | 1,427 | Steering, Electrical System, Engine | |
| 2014 | 1,012 | Electrical System, Steering, Engine | |
| 2015 | 641 | Electrical System, Unknown Or Other, Steering | |
| 2016 | 613 | Exterior Lighting, Electrical System, Unknown Or Other | |
| 2017 | 585 | Electrical System, Unknown Or Other, Fuel/propulsion System |
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.