What 379 owners told NHTSA about the 2012 Honda Accord Plug In Hybrid

Sudden loss of steering control causing vehicle to veer from the intended path of travel.

NHTSA ODI 11549747

Car has frequent issues with starting and power loss inside and outside the car. This is my second time having a issue with my car not starting that did not have to do with the battery or alternator. I have 135xxx miles and keep up with maintenance so this is frustrating and expensive, happening months apart. The first time I had to have a new starter put in. The car also looses brightness on the dash board and in the headlights. The car stalls while starting since Ive had it.

NHTSA ODI 11547645

Problem: When the ABS computer system (ABS) fails, the balance between front and rear brakes becomes abnormal even for a vehicle without ABS, it becomes rear biased. Making it unsafe to stop quickly. (90% of the brake force is to the rear). The cost of this part is too expensive for most people to replace and this means that most will drive the car as is without replacing the ABS module. What I expect: I expect that the balance of brake force, is that of a vehicle without ABS (60-70% front).

NHTSA ODI 11542993

At around 7:25am this morning I was driving to work in traffic and I was needing to stop, but my brakes were not working properly. They went all the way to the floor, no pressure, and I rear ended another person going 35mph. My entire front-end of my vehicle is totalled and my airbags did not even deploy. After the wreck I pumped my breaks to try to move it off the freeway and the breaks started to work again. This is a serious problem because had I been going any faster and even had my other family in the car we all could have been seriously injured or died!!

NHTSA ODI 11540525

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 only Honda Model that does NOT have any external nor internal emergency trunk release option. There is no "Valet" button, no decklid access, no external hidden key lock nothing that can release my trunk so I can gain access to my spare tire. Federal Law 49CFR571.401 mandates an emergency internal trunk release. In this Honda Model the ONLY way to get into the trunk from inside is by unlocking and pulling down back seats to access the trunk. BUT the ONLY way to unlock back seats is by pulling a cable that unlocks them which is INSIDE THE TRUNK! So the safety design flaws in the Honda Accord EXL coupe are: there is no emergency access to release the trunk to gain access to the spare tire AND there is no emergency way to unlock back seats to gain access to the trunk since the only way to unlock back seats is IN THE TRUNK. A Mechanical Engineer needed to dismantled the seats to get into the trunk and he tried to release the truck with the Emergency Trunk Release but it is obvious that the latch has failed. if there was ever a person stuck in the trunk that person would NOT be able to free themselves. I do have a video showing the Emergency Trunk Release not working if you like to see it but i can not upload it. I lost my job during the Pandemic and my house has major damage from the massive amount of rain Los Angeles received. I am unable to afford to have a Honda Dealership tell me what I already have on video showing that the Emergency Trunk Release has FAILED and I am in potential danger every time I drive. I asked Honda to fix trunk release latch and expressed the dangerous Coupe Design Flaws but they will not fix the safety problem unless Honda Dealership gets involved.

NHTSA ODI 11529601

The contact owns a 2012 Honda Accord. The contact stated that while his wife was driving at a very slow speed, there was a loud sound coming from the front passenger’s side before the vehicle abruptly stopped driving forward. The vehicle was towed to the local mechanic who diagnosed that the front passenger’s side axle had fractured. The mechanic also discovered that the driver’s side axle was also unsafe. The driver’s and passenger’s side front axles were replaced, and the vehicle was repaired. The local dealer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 116,000.

NHTSA ODI 11529060

The contact owns a 2012 Honda Accord. The contact stated that while attempting to use the remote key fob to unlock the trunk, the trunk failed to release. The contact then stated that she attempted to manually unlatch the trunk, but the latch failed to release from the cable. The contact stated that the vehicle was inspected by had an independent mechanical engineer that was able to fold the seating, but the trunk release failed to open. The contact stated that she was concerned for her safety during an emergency. An undisclosed dealer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 178,000.

NHTSA ODI 11527435

The Driver's side seat belt does not latch. The problem started 3 months ago. We contacted Honda Dealer and was told it is not part of the Honda Seat Belt Recall as the recall relates to Honda models 2018-2020. However please note it is the SAME EXACT PROBLEM with the seat belt in my car. I have been using the PASSENGER SIDE LATCH to buckle the seatbelt. I contacted Honda Corporation and was told to have the car inspected by local Honda Dealer and provide them with a Inspection report. Honda corporation is not willing to fix the seatbelt issue. I am informing your agency so you can take appropriate action and include the older models of Honda with the same seat belt problem as the current recall on Honda before someone get injured due to the fact they are using passenger seat belt latch. Also we are unable to use the passenger seat. Please give this matter urgent attention as it is a BIG SAFETY issue.

NHTSA ODI 11522956

I’m not sure exactly when everything started but it’s been a 2ish years. The lights on my steering wheel started blinking randomly. Then the cruise control stopped working. Then the lights went out entirely. Now the horn only works occasionally. It slowly got worse over time.

NHTSA ODI 11521087

The contact owns a 2012 Honda Accord. The contact stated while driving approximately 55 MPH, the vehicle started losing motive power. The contact stated that the "check oil" warning light was illuminated. The contact slowed the vehicle down and drove it to the dealer. The contact stated that when she pulled into the parking lot, she heard a loud popping sound coming from the engine compartment. The contact had the vehicle towed to the local dealer who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the engine had sustained internal damage and required a major overhaul. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 68,000.

NHTSA ODI 11509498

Was driving down the highway and the sunroof glass exploded for no apparent reason.

NHTSA ODI 11508488

2012 Accord exl - Engine Seizure! I had the air-bag recall done about 5 years ago. None of the air-bags deployed when the 2012 exl hit a telephone pole at 20 mph and broke the telephone pole in half. I finally found out about the class action lawsuit for the excessive oil consumption yesterday (1 Qt per 1,000 miles), 2 years after the engine seizure. I spoke with Honda headquarters (1919 Torrance Blvd., Torrance, ca 90501) today for an hour and a half. mostly on hold waiting for [XXX] to get her stupervisor [XXX] to come to the phone. Honda Seemed to think my 2012 v6 exl is not part of the lot of cars they were supposed to fix in the excessive oil consumption class action lawsuit. If you have any advice on how I could recover any funds spent on my engine repair or if there is any recourse I could take with the airbags not deploying when I had the recall done 5 years ago at my local Honda dealer. Thanks [XXX] PS.. Cherokee Auto in North Atlanta Georgia has the car for sale with the faulty airbags… CarMax repossessed it, sold it for more than I owed them, wrote off $6500 as bad debt, and still say I owe them 750 and staying on my credit report. Pls help! TF INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

NHTSA ODI 11499716

The contact owns a 2012 Honda Accord. The contact stated that while driving 50 MPH, the vehicle drove over a pothole, causing the driver's side air bag to deploy. The dealer was made aware of the failure; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and informed the contact that he needed to pay out-of-pocket for the air bag replacement. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000.

NHTSA ODI 11496456

Sun visor snapped. It does not stay in place. It blocks my frontal view when I am driving which is very unsafe. I have looked online and multiple drivers with Hondas complaining of the same issue. I have tried multiple DIY’s to make it stay up and nothing works

NHTSA ODI 11494201

While stopped at a red light, I stepped on brake and without warning, the car accelerated uncontrollably, at a high speed. It crashed into a parked vehicle and was a total loss. i had my 17 mos. old granddaughter in a rear facing carseat, in the rear passenger side. Luckily, the Upa Baby carseat protected her and she was not hurt, nor was anyone else. Airbags did not deploy. Now i have to get a new car which is very costly, using the little I will get from insurance payout. The car was well maintained with less than 50,000 miles without any other prior incidents. I do see that other motorists have had similar experiences with this make and model. It should be investigated further, in order to avoid serious injuries to others.

NHTSA ODI 11486925

My 2012 Honda Accord is using oil in between my 3000 mile oil changes and it should not be using that much, in between changes I put 1.5 quarts of oil in the engine. I have read that some Hondas are having this problem I only have 125000 miles on my car and take really good care of my vehicles the inside still looks new. Also the air conditioner isn’t blowing cold enough air. I purchased it in May of 2014 I love my car, my mechanic says it’s the rings in the engine, I don’t drive car erratically. Hope you can help get my car fixed correctly, My Machanic noticed this the last couple of oil changes

NHTSA ODI 11472902

The contact owns a 2012 Honda Accord. The contact stated while in a drive-through with the vehicle in idle, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the piston rings had failed and needed to be replaced. The dealer also informed the contact that the vehicle could not be repaired under an extended warranty associated to the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 120,640.

NHTSA ODI 11463641

Twice in the past couple of months my car has turned off while in drive and I lost power steering/braking. Both times were luckily in my apartment parking lot. They occured about 10-15 seconds after backing out and putting it in drive. The second time I almost slid into a car driving by since I wasn't able to brake.

NHTSA ODI 11456010

I bought my Honda 2012 as a used vehicle about 1 1/2 ago. I have had the tires replaced all the way around almost twice. I have had it in the shop multiple times for a vibration and noise that starts at about 60 mph and seems to lessen when I get to around 75 mph. I also have had to get the tires aligned multiple times, once within 2 weeks time and the steering seems to get looser and looser. Still been unable to figure out why this is happening by my mechanic.

NHTSA ODI 11447569

The contact owns a 2012 Honda Accord. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked in the driveway, the contact attempted to start the vehicle, but the vehicle would not start. The contact self-diagnosed the vehicle with a code reader which showed that the MAP sensor needed to be cleaned. The contact cleaned the MAP and mass airflow sensor, however, the failure recurred. Upon inspection, the contact noticed that the fuel pump relay in the driver's side cabin was in a stuck position. The contact replaced the main PGM-FI (Programmed Fuel Injector) fuel pump relay. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 07V097000 (Fuel System, Gasoline) however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The failure mileage was 19,377.

NHTSA ODI 11440915

The contact owns a 2012 Honda Accord. The contact stated while driving 45 MPH, the ABS warning light illuminated. The contact pulled the vehicle over to the side of the road and called an independent mechanic to describe the warning message on the vehicle. The independent mechanic informed her that she could continue to drive the vehicle to her residence. The following day the contact took the vehicle to the independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the ABS module needed to be replaced however, the replacement part was on backorder. The contact then took the vehicle to the local dealer who inspected the vehicle and confirmed that the ABS module needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 75,071.

NHTSA ODI 11440562

2012 HONDA ACCORD. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG SAFETY RECALL. THE CONSUMER REQUESTED TO A LOANER VEHICLE WHILE HAVING THE SAFETY RECALL REPAIR COMPLETED.

NHTSA ODI 11433948

I don't have a air bag due to someone stealing the whole air bag

NHTSA ODI 11432594

The contact owns a 2012 Honda Accord. The contact stated that the engine was misfiring in cylinder number 1. The contact stated that the check engine and traction control warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was diagnosed at a local mechanic and was repaired but continued to experience failure. The manufacturer was informed of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle was not included in a recall. The failure mileage was approximately 147,000.

NHTSA ODI 11430720

Have a 2012 Accord. Dealer said axle was rusted and is attempting to replace it (dealer is not doing a good job and I'm having them redo under warranty.) There was no incident as of now. Reporting because their 2013-2015 models are presently under recall for rusting in a similar part of the vehicle (the "dynamic damper" part of the CVT / axle assembly if I've understood correctly). Honda claims the rust on the 2012 is "ordinary wear and tear" but I don't buy that. Dealer tried to take pictures to send to Honda America, who wouldn't cover repair.

NHTSA ODI 11421684