repaired · 2020 Q4
Passenger side: inflator module
Risk. An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
2012 Honda AccordProblems, recalls & complaints
NHTSA has logged 374 owner complaints about the 2012 Honda Accord, most often about the seats. It is covered by 8 safety recalls, and for recall 19V-502 the manufacturer reports only 36% of affected cars repaired.
Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through October 30, 2026. Updated daily. Photo: Cutlass, CC0.
Complaints by system
Where the 2012 Honda Accord has problems
374 complaints grouped by the system owners reported.
64Seats11 crash/fire/injury
57Air bags27 crash/fire/injury
51Steering3 crash/fire/injury
43Engine6 crash/fire/injury
36Service brakes6 crash/fire/injury
32Electrical system3 crash/fire/injury
27Power train
26Vehicle speed control
23Suspension
12017 other systems20 crash/fire/injury
| System | Complaints | Crash, fire or injury |
|---|---|---|
| Seats | 64 | 11 |
| Air bags | 57 | 27 |
| Steering | 51 | 3 |
| Engine | 43 | 6 |
| Service brakes | 36 | 6 |
| Electrical system | 32 | 3 |
| Power train | 27 | 3 |
| Vehicle speed control | 26 | 11 |
| Suspension | 23 | 1 |
| 17 other systems | 120 | 20 |
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Complaints are submitted by the public and are not verified by NHTSA.
8 recalls
2012 Honda Accord recalls and how many were fixed
Each ring shows the share of affected cars repaired, from the manufacturer’s latest quarterly report to NHTSA. Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
repaired · 2020 Q4
Passenger side: inflator module
Risk. An incorrectly installed air bag inflator may not properly deploy the passenger frontal air bag in the event of a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
repaired · 2020 Q1
Passenger side: inflator module
Risk. An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
repaired · 2019 Q3
Passenger side: inflator module
Risk. An incorrectly installed air bag may deploy improperly in the event of a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
Show 4 more recalls
repaired · 2019 Q2
Passenger side: inflator module
Risk. An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
repaired · 2019 Q1
Passenger side: inflator module
Risk. In the event of a crash, an incorrectly installed passenger frontal air bag inflator may deploy the air bag improperly, increasing the risk of injury.
repaired · 2018 Q2
Passenger side: inflator module
Risk. An inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
no report yet
Air bags: side/window
Risk. IN THE EVENT OF A CRASH, THE SIDE CURTAIN AIRBAG MAY FAIL TO DEPLOY, INCREASING THE RISK OF INJURY.
Recalls apply to specific cars. To see whether a recall is still open on yours, enter the 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with Honda.
Mileage at failure
When do seats problems start?
0kmiles, median
Based on the odometer reading in 47 seats complaints. 100% were reported before 100,000 miles.
39under 30k miles47under 100k miles0100k miles or more
Best & worst years
2012 vs. every other Accord year
Bars show complaints per model year. Colors show the CarFlaw verdict: complaints weighted for crashes, fires and injuries, adjusted for years on the road and compared with the Accord median. How we score
00022710722135411188861922122061863695434724601,2001,1351,1839221,0501,9871,0186564335241,5217275812963741,4279826026135401,9007003692472669115610115
'76'77'78'79'80'81'82'83'84'85'86'87'88'89'90'91'92'93'94'95'96'97'98'99'00'01'02'03'04'05'06'07'08'09'10'11'12'13'14'15'16'17'18'19'20'21'22'23'24'25'26
- Avoid
- Caution
- Solid
- Best
- Not rated
NHTSA crash tests
2012 Honda Accord safety ratings
2012 Honda Accord 4 DR FWD in NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program. Photos are from NHTSA's crash tests.
★★★★★
Frontal crash★★★★★
Side barrier★★★★★
Side pole★★★★★
- Rollover: 5 stars (9.5% risk)
- Stability control: Standard
- Forward collision warning: No
- Lane departure warning: No
1 investigation
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal investigations that included the 2012 Honda Accord, and the recalls they led to.
- Autoliv Air Bag Propellant MixtureNo recall
In owners' words
What Accord owners report
Recent seats complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.
The trunk release mechanisms of my Honda Accord EXL coupe failed, both manual cable and electrical trunk release. My trunk does NOT open and when I need to access my spare tire in the trunk - I will NOT be able to. A real danger since I live in Canyon Country and often phone reception is poor. The…
THE DRIVER SEAT IN MY 2012 HONDA ACCORD IS SO UNCOMFORTABLE THAT I NOW HAVE TO SEEK MEDICAL ATTENTION FOR MY NECK SHOULDER LOWER BACK AND LEG PAIN. I BOUGHT THE CAR USED A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO AND TRY TO TAKE IT BACK 2 DAYS LATER BUT I CANNOT AFFORD TO BUY ANOTHER CAR I OWNED A SATURN FOR 16 YEARS…
THE SEATS IN MY 2012 HONDA ACCORD ARE CAUSING BACK PROBLEMS. I DROVE THE SATURN FOR 15 YEARS AND NEVER HAD AN ISSUE WITH MY SHOULDER OR MY LOWER BACK. THE PAIN IS GETTING SO BAD THAT I HAVE TO SIT ON TWO AND A HALF INCHES OF FOAM RUBBER AND PUT MY LEFT FOOT ON THE DASHBOARD TO RELIEVE THE PRESSURE.…
Own a 2012 Accord?
Decode your VIN to see the recalls for your exact car, then confirm open recalls with NHTSA.