2012 Honda Accord problems: recalls, complaints and whether this is a year to avoid
The 2012 Honda Accord has 380 owner complaints on record with NHTSA, which ranks it 6 of 6 Honda Accord model years by complaint volume. That is the lowest of any year in the run — the 2018 car has 1,885. 8 recall entries cover this year.
Is 2012 a good year for the Honda Accord?
The spread across this nameplate is wide: the 2018 draws 5 times the complaints of the 2012. On a run like that the model year you buy matters more than the badge, and 2012 sits near the bottom of it.
| Model year | Owner complaints | Recall entries |
|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 1,885 | 6 |
| 2016 | 607 | 4 |
| 2015 | 601 | 5 |
| 2014 | 981 | 4 |
| 2013 | 1,422 | 5 |
| 2012 ← this page | 380 | 8 |
Older years have been on the road longer and collect more complaints for that reason alone, and a year that sold in higher volume collects more while being no worse.
This retrieval holds 6 of the nameplate’s model years. 2017 is absent, which means no records came back for it — not that it was clean. The ranking above is among the years shown.
The 2012 accounts for 6% of every complaint filed against the Honda Accord in this retrieval, which works out to 27.1 complaints per year on the road across the 14 years since it was sold new — the figure to compare against other years, because it removes the advantage a newer car gets simply from having had less time to accumulate reports.
Which recalls cover the 2012?
Air Bags
Regional recall — covers vehicles sold or ever registered in 7 states and territories.
Free remedy: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began November 6, 2018. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138.
Air Bags
Free remedy: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and, if necessary, replace the passenger frontal air bag module assembly, free of charge. The recall began June 22, 2018.
Air Bags
Free remedy: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began August 12, 2019. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138.
Take the campaign number to any franchised Honda dealer. Recall repairs are free with no mileage or ownership limit, and they follow the car rather than the owner, so a used 2012 with an unrepaired campaign is a free repair you can claim. How recalls work.
Recall text is abridged from the NHTSA record. Search the campaign number at nhtsa.gov/recalls for the full notice and affected VIN ranges.
What do owners report on the Honda Accord?
Across every Honda Accord year, not the 2012 alone — NHTSA does not split component totals by model year.
- Electrical System — 1,394 reports
- Steering — 859 reports
- Engine — 608 reports
- Unknown or Other — 507 reports
If your 2012 is doing something now, these are the guides for that system — each opens with whether it is safe to keep driving:
Which other Honda Accord years should you compare?
2013 Honda Accord → · All Honda Accord years
If you are deciding between years, the table above is the short answer and the Honda Accord page carries the full run with the component breakdown. Before money changes hands, run the VIN for open recalls and read the inspection checklist — ten minutes in the seller’s driveway finds most of what matters.
Check a 2012 before you commit
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