Honda Accord Engine Problems
Owners have filed 2,241 complaints with NHTSA about engine problems on the Honda Accord across 32 model years. The 2018 model year has the most (557). The words owners use most often: “head gasket” (19% of reports).
- 2,241engine complaints
- —median miles at failure
- 60mention a crash
- 28mention an injury
- 2related recalls
- $4,050typical repair cost reported by owners
- 43%of reports with a speed happened at 50+ mph
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- Head gasket: mentioned in 431 of 2,241 complaints (19%)
- Oil consumption: mentioned in 142 of 2,241 complaints (6%)
- Spark plugs: mentioned in 125 of 2,241 complaints (6%)
How much does it cost to fix?
Owners who wrote down what they paid or were quoted put the typical engine repair on the Honda Accord at $4,050, and half of them between $1,250 and $6,000.
Based on 114 NHTSA complaints about this problem alone that state a repair bill or quote (2012–2026), converted to 2026 dollars with the U.S. consumer price index. These are owners' own figures, not a quote: they include dealer quotes, and owners who file complaints often faced larger repairs, so they can run higher than typical shop prices. Prices vary by shop, region and warranty coverage. How we calculate this.
At what mileage do engine problems happen?
Based on 1,085 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 2,241 complaints, 60 mention a crash, 36 a fire, 28 an injury.
Honda Accord engine complaints by model year
| Model year | Engine complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 Accord | 1 | 10% | — |
| 2025 Accord | 2 | 2% | 6,090 |
| 2024 Accord | 11 | 7% | 41,500 |
| 2023 Accord | 11 | 13% | — |
| 2022 Accord | 31 | 12% | 22 |
| 2021 Accord | 37 | 15% | 133,000 |
| 2020 Accord | 72 | 20% | 28,000 |
| 2019 Accord | 184 | 26% | 72,281 |
| 2018 Accord | 557 | 29% | 56,000 |
| 2017 Accord | 62 | 12% | 33,500 |
| 2016 Accord | 44 | 7% | 36,000 |
| 2015 Accord | 106 | 18% | 51,500 |
| 2014 Accord | 179 | 18% | 50,500 |
| 2013 Accord | 179 | 13% | 42,500 |
| 2012 Accord | 43 | 12% | 63,000 |
| 2011 Accord | 25 | 8% | 95,140 |
| 2010 Accord | 116 | 20% | 80,000 |
| 2009 Accord | 111 | 15% | 78,500 |
| 2008 Accord | 210 | 14% | 89,500 |
| 2007 Accord | 29 | 6% | 100,000 |
| 2006 Accord | 21 | 5% | 110,000 |
| 2005 Accord | 29 | 4% | 120,000 |
| 2004 Accord | 28 | 3% | 113,150 |
| 2003 Accord | 51 | 3% | 131,239 |
| 2002 Accord | 19 | 2% | 141,478 |
| 2001 Accord | 14 | 2% | 144,938 |
| 2000 Accord | 11 | 1% | 106,617 |
| 1999 Accord | 28 | 2% | 150,000 |
| 1998 Accord | 18 | 2% | 190,000 |
| 1997 Accord | 10 | 2% | 191,750 |
| 1996 Accord | 1 | 0% | 185,736 |
| 1995 Accord | 1 | 0% | 210,000 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (2)
Engine and engine cooling:engine
Model years: 2014, 2015
Problem: American Honda Motor Co. (Honda) is recalling certain model year 2014 Accord L4 vehicles manufactured July 29, 2014, to July 31, 2014, 2015 Accord L4 vehicles manufactured August 14, 2014, to January 30, 2015, and 2015 CR-V vehicles manufactured September 9, 2014, to February 6, 2015. The affected vehicles may have been assembled with improperly torqued connecting rod bolts, which can cause the engine to lose power or leak oil.
Risk: Loss of engine power may result in a vehicle stall, increasing the risk of a crash. If the engine leaks oil in the proximity of hot engine or exhaust components, there is an increased risk of a fire.
Fix: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the engine short block, free of charge. The recall began on March 27, 2015. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's number for this recall is JP2 (for Accord models) and JP3 (for CR-V models).
Engine and engine cooling:engine
Model years: 2002
Problem: On certain minivans, sedans, coupes, and sport utility vehicles equipped with v6 engines, a timing belt tensioner pulley on the water pump is misaligned and could cause the timing belt to contact a bolt on the cylinder head. Eventually the belt could be damaged and fail.
Risk: If the timing belt breaks, the engine will stall, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will inspect the water pump and if it is one of the defective pumps, the water pump and timing belt will be replaced. Owner notification began august 30, 2002. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact honda at 1-800-999-1009 or acura at 1-800-382-2238.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
Air conditioning failure: The A/C was blowing warm air on the first day of ownership. ⢠Cooling system failure: The vehicle subsequently experienced overheating issues and left me stranded. ⢠Coolant loss and radiator leak: All Star Honda identified a leaking radiator and found the cooling…
I bought my Accord in February of 2026 with only 79k miles (now at 93k). 3 days after purchasing all of these warning lights popped up regarding emissions, brake system, power steering, etc. I brought it back in and they said that it needed a new fuel injector on cylinder one (which didnât fix…
When I go to start the vehicle, it takes multiple seconds to actually start. It continues to turn over and over before finally starting up. This happens 3-4 times a day depending on how often I drive. This also creates a bad gas fume, fuel smell. This doesn't seem like something that a 2024 Honda…
The car hesitates upon acceleration and when it âmissesâ enough it will flash the engine on the dashboard, and not allow any further acceleration, going into âlimp modeâ. All the safety controls error on the message center and dashboard warnings all come on, even though itâs only the…
The car was rough upon idle one day and all the lights came on and systems went down I was bout to drive to a place where the code was read thatâs when I first discovered this was a known issue which this model. Head gaket
Frequently asked questions
Do all Honda Accords have engine problems?
No. NHTSA has 2,241 owner complaints about engine for the Honda Accord. Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the Honda Accord engine?
Yes: 2 safety recalls list engine. Check your VIN on NHTSA.gov to see whether the fix was done on your car.
How much does it cost to fix engine problems on the Honda Accord?
Owners report a typical cost of $4,050 (half paid between $1,250 and $6,000), from 114 complaints that state a repair bill or quote, in 2026 dollars.
What do owners say about engine problems on the Honda Accord?
The most frequent phrase is “head gasket”, in 431 of 2,241 complaints, followed by “oil consumption” (142).
Other Honda Accord problems
- Electrical System problems (3,981)
- Air Bags problems (3,915)
- Power Train problems (3,688)
- Steering problems (1,606)
- Service Brakes, Hydraulic problems (1,430)
- Service Brakes problems (1,101)
- Vehicle Speed Control problems (1,099)
- Forward Collision Avoidance problems (956)
See all Honda Accord problems.