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

1). "ACCELERATION" - MY DAUGHTER DRIVES THIS VEHICLE MOST OF THE TIME AND SHE HAS COMPLAINED TO ME ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS THAT THIS VEHICLE IS HESITANT IN ITS ACCELERATION SPEED (0MPH AT A STOP, UP TO 55-60 MPH GETTING ONTO HIGHWAYS).FOR AN EXAMPLE: SHE HAS ADVISED,ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS WHEN AS SHE GOES ON THE "HIGHWAY" INTO MERGING TRAFFIC, THE CAR LOOSES POWER AND DOES NOT ACCELERATE UP TO PROPER SPEED TO GET ON HIGHWAY TO MERGE INTO TRAFFIC . SHE STATED PUSHED THE GAS PEDAL DOWN TO THE FLOOR, THEN A COUPLE OF SECONDS, THE CAR WILL PICK UP SPEED. ALSO, WHEN AT A "STOP SIGN" ONCE SHE PRESSES GAS PEDAL TO GO,THE CAR HESITATES TO TAKE OFF AND THEN IT GOES. WE REPORTED THIS TO THE HONDA WARRANTY DEPARTMENT IN FEB/MARCH 2013, WAS TOLD "TAKE VEHICLE TO HONDA DEALER". WE DID AND MECHANIC ADVISED-COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG WITH THE CAR. TO DATE AS OF (4/20/2013 MY DAUGHTER STILL EXPERIENCES THIS HESITANT ACCELERATION PROBLEM. ITS NOT RIGHT AND I AM PAYING $560+ DOLLARS A MONTH FOR A NEW VEHICLE WITH THESE PROBLEMS. THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY CONCERN I HAVE FOR HER, DRIVING THIS CAR. I SAW A TV COMMERCIAL ABOUT A RECALL ON HONDA ACCORDS AND I WAS QUITE SURPRISED THAT WHEN I LOGGED ONTO THE NHTSA WEBSITE THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO ARE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEMS WITH THERE 2012 HONDA ACCORDS AS WE ARE EXPERIENCING. 2)."HEADREST" -WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE ON A HIGHWAY TRIP-OCTOBER 2012, I NOTICED THAT I COULD NOT PROPERLY REST MY HEAD ON THE "DRIVERS SEAT HEADREST. I AM 5FT-5 &1/2 INCHES TALL. I TRIED TO ADJUST THE DRIVER'S HEADREST UP AND DOWN, BUT I COULD NOT PLACE IT IN A COMFORTABLE POSITION TO HELP SUPPORT MY HEAD AND NECK. IT WAS VERY UNCOMFORTABLE AND I COULD NOT PROPERLY FIT MY HEAD ON THE REST FOR EASE OF DRIVING, ESPECIALLY FOR SUPPORT OF MY NECK. IT WAS EXTREMELY PAINFUL AND STRESSFUL ON MY NECK AS I HAVE ALREADY HAD PRE-EXISTING CONDITIONS WITH THIS PART OF MY BODY. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10508945

WHEN I GOT MY 2012 HONDA ACCORD IT HAD 300 MILES ON IT. I HAVE HAD SEVERAL INCIDENTS WHILE DRIVING THAT THE ACCELERATION DELAYS ABOUT FIVE SECONDS IT FEELS JUST LIKE THE CAR IS NOT GETTING GAS AND THEN IT KICKS IN. THIS USUALLY OCCURS WHEN I HAVE SLOWED DOWN OR AM TAKING OFF FROM A LIGHT TURNING OR GOING STRAIGHT. AT TIMES IT HAS DONE CUT OUT WHILE TURNING IN FRONT OF ON COMING CARS AS WELL AS FROM A LIGHT. I HAVE FELT A FEW TIMES THAT IT WASN'T GOING TO GO AT ALL AND THE ON COMING CAR WOULD RUN IN TO ME. I HAVE HAD THAT DELAY HAPPEN AT LEAST ONCE ALMOST EVERYDAY. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10496265

PURCHASED NEW 2012 HONDA ACCORD I NOTICED ON MY WAY HOME FROM DEALER THAT AT 60 TO 66 MPH THE STEERING WHEEL SHAKES AND SHIMMYS ALSO THE VEHICLE PULLS HARD TO THE LEFT REGARDLESS OF THE ROAD CROWN. THE DEALER HAS BALANCED AND ROADFORCED BALANCED THE TIRES ROTATED THE TIRES AND ALIGNED THE VEHICLE BUT I STILL HAVE THIS PROBLEM. AFTER DRIVING 2 OTHER BRAND NEW ACCORDS FROM HIS LOT AND THEY ALL HAVE THE SAME DEFECT AT THE EXACT SAME SPEED LEADS ME TO BELIEVE THAT THE ACCORD HAS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE WITH ITS STEERING SYSTEM. AMERICAN HONDA HAS NOT MADE ANY EFFORT ON THEIR PART TO HELP ME OR TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM. THIS IS MY 3RD ACCORD. [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

NHTSA ODI 10468475

ON RANDOM OCCASIONS WHEN ACCELERATING FROM A STOP THERE IS A 2 TO 5 SECOND HESITATION UPON DEPRESSING THE ACCELERATOR. I MOVE FORWARD A FEW FEET THEN NOTHING, THE ENGINE DOES NOT STOP BUT REMAINS IN IDLE MODE. THEN THE POWER SUDDENLY RETURNS AND THE CAR MOVES FORWARD. THIS HAS OCCURRED MULTIPLE TIMES, IN BOTH RAINY AND DRY CONDITIONS; GOING STRAIGHT OR MAKING BOTH RIGHT AND LEFT TURNS. ISSUE DOES NOT CAUSE WARNING LIGHTS TO COME ON, AND DEALER CAN NOT REPLICATE THE PROBLEM. DIAGNOSTIC ARE ALL FINE. BUT THIS 2 TO 5 SECOND HESITATION IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS, I CAME CLOSE TO BEING HIT DURING ONE OF THESE "HESITATIONS" WHEN TRYING TO TURN ONTO A BUSY ROAD. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10452917

INCIDENT DATE: 12/05/2011, 5:45PM WEATHER/ROAD CONDITION: GOOD, NO RAIN/SNOW, NORMAL TRAFFIC PATTERN SUMMARY: ACCORD 2012 LX HAD A SUDDEN ENGINE REV FOR ABOUT A COUPLE OF SECONDS AND WENT BACK TO NORMAL WITHOUT DRIVER INTERVENTION. MINOR GAS PEDAL VIBRATION NOTICED FOR FIRST 500 MILES DURING BREAK-IN. DETAILS: I WAS DRIVING ACCORD 2012 LX ON A LOCAL MAIN STREET AT ABOUT 20 TO 25 MPH, ENTERING A NORMAL SMALL SLOPE. I SUDDENLY HEARD LOUDER ENGINE NOISE, AND NOTICED TACHOMETER GOING UP FROM BELOW 2K TO 3K RPM QUICKLY. AT THE SAME TIME, I FELT GAS PEDAL WAS MOVING AWAY FROM MY RIGHT FOOT. EVENTUALLY THE GAS PEDAL CAME BACK AND TACHOMETER READING WENT BACK TO NORMAL AS WELL. THIS LASTED FOR A COUPLE OF SECONDS. I DID NOT MOVE MY RIGHT FOOT AWAY FROM GAS PEDAL AND DID NOT INTERVENE WHILE THIS WAS HAPPENING. SINCE THIS SUDDEN ENGINE REV WENT AWAY IN A COUPLE OF SECONDS BY ITSELF, I DIDN'T FEEL THAT THE ACCORD ACCELERATED A LOT DURING THE PERIOD. DURING FIRST 500 MILES ON THE ACCORD, I ALSO FELT MINOR GAS PEDAL VIBRATION FREQUENTLY ON ROADS THAT ARE NOT PERFECTLY PAVED AND HAVE SOME MINOR BUMPS. I HAVE NEVER NOTICED ANY SUCH GAS PEDAL VIBRATION ON OTHER CARS WHEN DRIVING DOWN ON THE SAME ROADS. THE VIBRATION BECAME LESS PRONOUNCED AFTER 500 MILES, AND I DIDN'T NOTICE IT LATELY. I AM NOT SURE IF THERE IS ANY RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN INITIAL GAS PEDAL VIBRATION DURING BREAK-IN AND RECENT ENGINE REV INCIDENT. I AM CONCERNED ABOUT HIGHWAY SAFETY OF THE CAR. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10438815