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

I PURCHASED THIS HONDA ACCORD AS A CERTIFIED USED VEHICLE FROM A HONDA DEALER ABOUT 2 MONTHS AGO. I HAVEN'T DRIVEN THE VEHICLE VERY MUCH, CONSEQUENTLY THE PROBLEM DIDN'T BECOME VERY APPARENT UNTIL YESTERDAY. THE LUMBAR SUPPORT CAUSES SEVERE BACK PAIN. I TRIED ADJUSTING THE LUMBAR BUT EVEN AT THE LOWEST AVAILABLE SETTING THE THING SIMPLY RAMS INTO YOUR LOWER BACK. THIS PROBLEM ISN'T NOTICEABLE DURING A TEST DRIVE OF 5-10 MINUTES. IT BECOMES VERY APPARENT AFTER ABOUT 30-40 MINUTES. I'VE BEEN OUT OF THE VEHICLE FOR 18 HOURS AND STILL HAVE DISCOMFORT IN THE AREA WHERE THE LUMBAR SUPPORT CONTACTS MY BACK. THIS MAY CAUSE PERMANENT INJURY! HOPEFULLY, HONDA WILL RECTIFY THIS OBVIOUS PROBLEM FOR THE NUMEROUS UNFORTUNATE PURCHASERS OF THIS EXPENSIVE VEHICLE!

NHTSA ODI 10763834

I BOUGHT THE 2012 HONDA ACCORD IN DEC 2011 FOR MY WIFE. THE CAR OVERALL HAS PERFORMED WELL WITH NO MAJOR PROBLEMS. MY WIFE HAS COMPLAINED ABOUT UNCOMFORTABLE SEATS SINCE WE BOUGHT IT. I TOO NOTICED IT WHEN I DROVE FOR DISTANCES OVER 30 MINUTES. LAST YEAR, 2014, I FINALLY BOUGHT MY WIFE A NEW CAR AND THE HONDA BECAME MY HAND ME DOWN. I HAVE BEEN MISERABLE IN THIS CAR. THE SEAT DESIGN CAUSES PAIN IN MY LEGS, ESPECIALLY MY LEFT LEG. IT ALSO CAUSES ME LOWER BACK PAIN. NO AMOUNT OF SEAT ADJUSTMENT RELIEVES THE PAIN SO I AVOID DRIVING IT LONG DISTANCES. AFTER DRIVING HOME ON MY LAST DAY OF WORK (I'M NOW TEMPORARILY OUT ON DOCTORS ORDERS), THE SEAT WAS ESPECIALLY UNCOMFORTABLE TO ME. I HAD TO GO TO URGENT CARE THAT EVENING. EVENTUALLY I FOUND OUT I HAD TWO HERNIATED DISKS. MY TRIPS TO THE DOCTOR AND PHYSICAL THERAPY ARE NOW MISERABLE WITH THIS CAR BUT FINE IN MY WIFE'S CAR. I CAN'T SAY THE HONDA ACCORD CAUSED THE PROBLEM BUT IT SURE DIDN'T HELP IT. FROM WHAT I'VE READ ABOUT THE COMPLAINTS ON THE HONDA ACCORD SEATS, I CAN SEE THEY WON'T BE FIXED BY HONDA. I'M NOW IN A MARKET FOR A REPLACEMENT VEHICLE AND WILL BE GLAD TO GET RID OF IT. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10703371

A MONTH AFTER PURCHASING THIS VECHILE, I NOTICED BACK PAIN. EVERY TIEM I GOT INTO THE CAR, I TRIED TO REPOSTION THE SEATS TO GET COMFORTABLE. HOWEVER, I WAS UNSUCCESSFUL EVERY TIME. I TRIED EVEN ADDING A PAD BETWEEN THE SEAT AND MY BACK AND BEHIND TO MAKE IT MORE COMFORTABLE. ALL I FIND MYSELF DOING IS MOVING AND REPOSITIONING AT STOP LIGHTS OR RED LIGHTS ON MY HOUR DRIVE TO AND FROM WORK. I AM NEVER COMFORTABLE IN THE CAR. MY HEEAD ALWAYS FEELINGS LIKE ITS BEING PUSHED FORWARD BECAUSE OF THE HEAD REST AND MY LOWER BACK FEELS LIKE I AM SITTING IN LOWER THAN THE REST OF ME. I HAVE GONE TO MY DOCTOR NUMEROUS TIMES WITH BACK PAINS AND NECK PAINS. I KNOW HAVE TO CONSTANTLY SLEEP WITH A HEATING PAD TO RELIEVE THE SORENESS FROM THIS CAR. EVERY OTHER CAR I HAVE EVER OWNED I FEEL SAFE AND EXPERIENCE NO PROBLEMS, EXCEPT THIS ONE. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10543035

ONE MONTH AFTER PURCHASING MY HONDA ACCORD COUPE, I HAD HORRIBLE BACK PAIN. I COULD BARLEY WALK WITHOUT HELP. I WENT TO THE DOCTOR AND WAS PRESCRIBED MUSCLE RELAXANT AND IBUPROFEN. MY BACK HAS NOT STOPPED HURTING. I COMMUTE 45 MINS EACH WAY TO WORK 5 DAYS A WEEK. I THOUGHT BACK TO WHEN MY BACK PAIN BEGAN AND THE ACCORD WAS THE ONLY CHANGE THAT I MADE. I DECIDED TO GOOGLE TO FIND OUT IF ANY OTHER 2012 HONDA ACCORD OWNERS WERE EXPERIENCING BACK PAIN PROBLEMS AND TO MY SURPRISE A NUMBER OF OWNERS ARE. I WILL CONTACT HONDA TO SEE IF THEY WILL RECTIFY THE PROBLEM, BUT FROM WHAT I READ FROM OTHER CONSUMERS HONDA WILL NOT DO ANYTHIN. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10505092

FRONT DRIVER SEAT IS CAUSING NECK,BACK AND HIP PAIN AFTER DRIVING 10-15 MINUTES, ADJUSTING SEAT DOES NOT HELP. I TOOK VEHICLE BACK TO DEALERSHIP, THEY INSPECTED SEAT AND SAID THERE IS NO PROBLEM, I TOLD THEM THERE IS A PROBLEM BECAUSE NO MATTER WHO DRIVES THE CAR EVERYONE EXPERIENCES THE SAME PAIN. I GOOGLED "ACCORD SEAT PROBLEM" AND FOUND THAT THERE ARE SEVERAL WEBSITES AND HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE HAVING THE SAME ISSUE. FOR A COMPANY THAT MAKES SUCH GREAT CARS I NEVER EXPECTED TO HAVE A PROBLEM WITH A SEAT, I HOPE THEY VALUE THEIR CUSTOMERS AND FIX THE PROBLEM. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10497953

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 HONDA ACCORD. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT AND HEAD REST WERE VERY UNCOMFORTABLE, CAUSING HER TO SUSTAIN BACK PAIN AND HEADACHES. THE DEALER WAS CONTACTED WHO DID NOT OFFER ANY ASSISTANCE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE WHO OFFERED TO FILE A COMPLAINT. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 15,012.

NHTSA ODI 10485441

THE FRONT SEATS IN THE 2012 HONDA ACCORD ARE SO BAD THE OWNERS ARE ALTERING THE SEATS AND COMPROMISING THE BUILT IN SAFETY DESIGN. THE SEATS IN THIS CAR CAN PHYSICALLY HURT YOUR BACK MINE GOES NUMB AFTER A 30 MIN RIDE. HONDA OF AMERICA NEEDS TO PUT ON NOTICE THE SEATS IN THIS CAR ARE NOW A SAFETY ISSUE. I DID CONTACT HONDA THEY DID NOT DENY THE SEAT PROBLEM BUT OFFERED NO SOLUTIONS OTHER THAN TRADE IN THE 2012 ACCORD FOR THE 2013 WITH THE NEW SEAT DESIGN. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10480711

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 HONDA ACCORD. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DRIVER SIDE HEAD REST WOULD MOVE FORWARD TOO FAR AND WAS CAUSING PAIN TO THE CONTACT'S NECK WHEN DRIVING. ADDITIONALLY, THE SEAT CAUSED PAIN TO HER BACK AND WAS EXTREMELY UNCOMFORTABLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND RECOMMENDED THE ADJUSTMENT OF THE SEAT. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 1,500.

NHTSA ODI 10477422

I JUST BOUGHT THIS CAR TWO WEEKS AGO. THE FIRST TIME I NOTICED THE ISSUE WAS ON A LONG DRIVE, 5+/- HOURS WITH THE CAR. AT THE END OF THE DRIVE, MY LOWER BACK WAS ON FIRE AND I HAD A HARD TIME MOVING AROUND FOR THE REST OF THAT WEEKEND. THEN THE DRIVE HOME WAS WORSE, BECAUSE MY BACK ALREADY WAS HURTING. THESE SEATS ARE AWFUL! I TOOK THE CAR RIGHT BACK TO THE DEALER AND TOLD THEM ABOUT THE ISSUE, I WAS TOLD THEY REALLY COULDN'T DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT AND THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE SEAT (IT WASN'T BROKEN). I THEN CALL HONDA CARE, EXPLAINED MY ISSUE AND WAS GIVEN A CASE NUMBER (N012012-4-3002271). THAT CASE ENDING IN HONDA USA BASICALLY TELLING ME TO POUND SAND! I SAID THAT I WAS NOT THE ONLY PERSON WITH THESE ISSUES, JUST GO AND GOOGLE IT. THESE ISSUES HAVE BEEN GOING ON FOR QUITE A WHILE. THE HONDA REP "CAROLINE" TO ME HONDA WAS UN-AWARE OF ANY ISSUES LIKE THIS AND FURTHER TOLD ME, THEY DON'T PAY ATTENTION TO WEB POSTINGS. BOTTOM LINE IS THIS... I HAVE A BRAND NEW CAR. THE FRONT SEATS (DRIVER AND PASSENGER) ARE CAUSING EXTREME BACK PAIN AND NUMBNESS IN MY LEGS. HONDA IS KNOWINGLY OR UN-KNOWINGLY IGNORING THIS ISSUE. I'M NOT THE ONLY ONE WITH THESE ISSUES AND I'M JUST LOOKING FOR HELP TO RESOLVE THIS. I HAVE TRIED THE DEALER AND THE MANUFACTURE THEMSELVES WITHOUT SATISFACTION. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10457852

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 HONDA ACCORD. THE CONTACT STATED THAT AFTER DRIVING IN THE VEHICLE FOR A FEW MINUTES THE FRONT DRIVER'S SEAT BECAME VERY UNCOMFORTABLE. THE CONTACT SUFFERED PAIN TO HIS BACK DUE TO THE SEAT. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE, BUT OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE TO THE CONTACT. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 2,500. UPDATED 5/16/12 *CN THE CONSUMER STATED THE LUMBAR SUPPORT FULLY RETRACTED INTO THE SEAT, WHICH HURT HIS BACK AFTER DRIVING FOR A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME. THE CONSUMER STATED HE HAS TO USE A PILLOW IN ORDER TO DRIVE. UPDATED 05/23/12

NHTSA ODI 10455887

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 HONDA ACCORD. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE SEAT WAS CAUSING HIM SEVERE BACK PAIN WHEN DRIVING THE VEHICLE FOR MORE THAN 15 MINUTES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO ADVISED THE CONTACT THAT THEY COULD NOT ALTER THE VEHICLE DESIGN. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE WHO DID NOT OFFER ANY ASSISTANCE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 200. UPDATED 05/24/12*LJ

NHTSA ODI 10455354