UsedScore

2016 Honda Accord: Solid

Owners filed 323 complaints with NHTSA about the 2016 Honda Accord in its first five years on the road, about 93 for every 100,000 sold: 1.0× the rate of a typical Accord year. That's close to a typical year.

The biggest problem area, counting serious complaints more, is the lights (35% of complaints, median 40,000 miles).

Complaint index
1.0×
per vehicle sold, vs. a typical Accord year
Rank
5th of 14
1st = fewest complaints
Complaints
323
first five years; 93 per 100,000 sold
Recalls
4
campaigns
9th generation, 2013–2017 · Updated September 24, 2026 · How we rate
2016 Honda Accord EX-L sedan (facelift)

Photo: 2016 Honda Accord EX-L sedan (facelift) · MercurySable99, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Problem areas

Ranked by severity-weighted complaints · share · median miles
  1. Lights35% · 114 complaints · median 40,000 miles
  2. Electrical22% · 70 complaints · median 38,000 miles
  3. Speed control5% · 16 complaints · median 9,000 miles
  4. Brakes6% · 20 complaints · median 25,000 miles
  5. Air bags3% · 10 complaints · median 20,000 miles
  6. Engine5% · 16 complaints · median 21,000 miles
  7. Steering5% · 17 complaints · median 21,000 miles
  8. Fuel and propulsion6% · 18 complaints · median 39,000 miles
  9. Powertrain4% · 13 complaints · median 23,000 miles
  10. Visibility8% · 25 complaints · median 3,000 miles

Bars rank problem areas by complaints weighted for severity (crashes, fires, injuries and deaths count more). A complaint can name more than one area. Mileage is reported on about half of complaints.

What owners describe

Electrical

Owners of this Accord commonly describe frustrating electrical gremlins: dead batteries, hard starts, warning lights, and infotainment glitches that recur even after repairs. Many mention a related recall or service bulletin but say their car wasn't included or the fix didn't resolve the issue.

Warning signs:
Many report dashboard warning lights (ABS, VSA, EPS, battery), flickering interior lights, grinding or clicking sounds at startup, or loud static from the radio before the failure.
What shops did:
Dealers often replaced batteries, starters, or alternators, though some could not duplicate or diagnose the problem, and several owners were told their VIN wasn't covered by the recall.
Mileage:
most between 25,000 and 65,000 miles, among 63 complaints that give it

“For more than a year, my car has been having issues starting up. It rarely starts on the first attempt.”

“When the button was pushed, all the warning indicators would illuminate and the vehicle made a screeching sound.”

Lights

Many owners report the LED daytime running lights in their Accord's headlight assemblies burning out, often just after warranty coverage ends. Fixing it typically means replacing the whole headlight unit at significant expense, since the LED strip itself can't be swapped separately.

Warning signs:
Owners notice the LED strip dimming, appearing half-lit, or fading before going out completely, sometimes without any warning.
What shops did:
Dealers say the LED strip cannot be replaced alone and require replacing the entire headlight assembly, often refusing coverage once the vehicle is past a mileage-based warranty.
Mileage:
most between 35,000 and 50,000 miles, among 87 complaints that give it

“The daylight running lights (LED) failed at appx. 37,0000 miles”

“The LED strips are not able to be replaced separately. The entire headlight unit has to be replaced to remedy the issue.”

Speed control

Owners describe their Accords suddenly accelerating on their own, especially while parking, often crashing before brakes could stop the car. Dealers frequently couldn't find a cause, leaving some drivers uncertain the issue was resolved.

Warning signs:
Some owners note the engine revving or surging unexpectedly with little or no warning, occasionally preceded by hesitation, rough idling, or stalling before acceleration events.
What shops did:
Dealers frequently could not duplicate the problem or found nothing wrong; a few owners report fuel pump, wiring, or acceleration kit component replacements.
Mileage:
most between 5,000 and 20,000 miles, among 18 complaints that give it

“The car went over the concrete parking block and hit the concrete wall”

“The car suddenly accelerated and braking did not stop the vehicle”

Summaries are written with AI from the owner complaints shown on NHTSA's site and checked against them; quotes are word for word.

Recalls (4)

Check a VIN on NHTSA ›
  • NHTSA 26V332000May 202698,892 vehicles

    Air bags: sensor: occupant classification: front passenger

    Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2018-2021, 2023 Acura TLX, 2019-2024 RDX, 2017-2020, 2022-2026 MDX, 2017-2021, 2023, 2025 Honda Ridgeline, 2017-2022 Pilot, 2019-2021 Passport, 2018-2026 Odyssey, 2019-2022 Insight, 2019-2021 HR-V, 2018-2020 Fit, 2020-2022 CR-V Hybrid, 2017-2022 CR-V, 2017-2018, 2021 Civic Type R, 2017-2021 Civic hatchback, 2016-2020 Civic coupe, 2016-2022 Civic, 2017-2022 Accord Hybrid, and 2016-2022 Accord vehicles. The front passenger seat weight sensor may crack and short circuit, which can cause the air bags to deploy unintentionally during a crash.

    Risk: Air bags that deploy unintentionally during a crash increase the risk of injury.

    Fix: Dealers will replace the seat weight sensors, free of charge.

  • NHTSA 23V858000December 20232,490,460 vehicles

    Fuel system, gasoline: delivery: fuel pump

    Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2013-2023 Honda Accord, Civic Coupe, Civic Sedan, Civic Hatchback, Civic Type R, CR-V, HR-V, Ridgeline, Odyssey, Acura ILX, MDX, MDX Hybrid, RDX, RLX, TLX, 2019-2022 Honda Insight, Passport, 2020 Honda CR-V Hybrid, 2018-2019 Honda Clarity PHEV, Fit, and 2015-2020 Honda Accord Hybrid, Pilot, Acura NSX vehicles. The fuel pump inside the fuel tank may fail.

    Risk: Fuel pump failure can cause an engine stall while driving, increasing the risk of a crash.

    Fix: Dealers will replace the fuel pump module, free of charge.

  • NHTSA 19V060000January 2019437,032 vehicles

    Fuel system, other: delivery: fuel pump

    Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2016-2018 Acura MDX, 2015-2019 Acura TLX and 2015-2017 Honda Accord vehicles, equipped with a 3.5L V6 engine. Particulates in fuel may adhere to the internal components of the fuel pump, reducing its performance.

    Risk: Reduced fuel pump performance can result in an engine stall, increasing the risk of crash.

    Fix: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will update the fuel injection engine control unit (FI-ECU) software and, if necessary, replace the fuel pump, free of charge.

  • NHTSA 17V418000June 20171,148,550 vehicles

    Electrical system: 12v/24v/48v battery

    Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2013-2016 Honda Accord vehicles. The case for the battery sensor, part of the battery management system, may allow water to get in, potentially causing an electrical short.

    Risk: An electrical short increases the risk of a fire.

    Fix: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the sensor, free of charge.

A recall only helps if the repair was done. Enter the vehicle's 17-character VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup before you buy.

Service bulletins

Honda sent NHTSA 173 service bulletins and other notices to dealers covering the 2016 Accord. These are repair instructions, not recalls. Warranty extensions and bulletins about its top problem areas:

  • A19-042 · July 2020Heat from the daytime running light (DRL) LEDs may damage the DRL lens.
  • ARPO12092019 · December 2019Dealer Message - Effective immediately, we will begin collecting the headlights listed on the Service Bulletin A19-042, Warranty Extension: Daytime Running Lights LEDs.
  • ONL6H106102019 · June 2019Owner Notification Letter - Heat from the daytime running light (DRL) LEDs may damage the DRL lens.
  • ABOM04102019 · April 2019Dealer Message - Today, April 10, 2019, American Honda is announcing a Warranty Extension for certain 2016-17 Accord vehicles to address a concern in which the daytime running light (DRL) light…
  • A18010F · January 2018Servicenews article - Does the engine rattle at startup for about 1 to 3 seconds?
  • ATS161003 · September 2017Tech line summary article - Do you have a vehicle in your shop for any or all of these issues?
  • APAS03222017901 · June 2017Dealer message - american honda (ahm) is investigating certain 2016-2017 accord v6s with a customer complaint of a no-start condition that requires the 12v battery to be replaced.
  • APAS03272017901 · March 2017Dealer message - american honda (ahm) is investigating certain 2016-2017 accord v6s with a customer complaint of a no-start condition that requires the 12v battery to be replaced.

All 2016 Accord bulletins on NHTSA ›

Questions owners ask

Is the 2016 Honda Accord reliable?
Owners filed 323 complaints with NHTSA about the 2016 Honda Accord in its first five years on the road, about 93 for every 100,000 sold: 1.0× the rate of a typical Accord year. That's close to a typical year. Ratings compare Accord years with each other using complaints filed with NHTSA; they don't measure every problem owners have.
What are the most common 2016 Accord problems?
Owners' complaints most often involve the lights (35%), the electrical system (22%) and speed control (5%). A complaint can name more than one area.
Has the 2016 Honda Accord been recalled?
Yes. NHTSA lists 4 recall campaigns for the 2016 Honda Accord, the most recent in May 2026 (air bags). Enter the vehicle's VIN on NHTSA's recall lookup to see whether the repairs were done.

Sources

Owner complaints, recalls and manufacturer communications from NHTSA's public data files, as of September 24, 2026. Complaints are counted once each, over the model year's first 60 months on the road. UsedScore is not affiliated with NHTSA or Honda. The 2016 Honda Accord on NHTSA.gov · How we rate