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The 2012 Honda Accord has 1 critical safety recall on file — the kind NHTSA opens when crashes, fires, or injuries are documented. 379 owner complaints alongside. Read those first.
The 2012 Honda Accord has 379 NHTSA owner complaints and 3 recalls on file (U.S. federal records, as of July 2026). The most-reported system is airbags at 56 complaints, typically surfacing around 72,045 miles (~$1,100 to repair). Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.
| Model year | Owner complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2009 Accord | 720 | 0 |
| 2010 Accord | 579 | 4 |
| 2011 Accord | 295 | 2 |
| 2012 Accord (this page) | 379 | 3 |
| 2013 Accord | 1,418 | 2 |
| 2014 Accord | 970 | 0 |
| 2015 Accord | 596 | 2 |
Average for the segment. Some recurring trouble spots worth knowing about.
Repair exposure runs above average — only with money set aside and eyes open.
Our read of the federal NHTSA complaint and recall record for this exact year and model — not a substitute for a pre-purchase inspection. How we score.
Driver-assist features on the tested model: Electronic stability control: Standard · Forward collision warning: No · Lane departure warning: No
Source: NHTSA New Car Assessment Program — tested configuration: 2012 Honda Accord 4 DR FWD. Stars rate crash protection in NHTSA's tests, not overall reliability — see the owner-complaint data below for what actually goes wrong.
Here's what this model is known to do — so you can inspect for it, price it in, or make the seller fix it before you sign.
⚠ The one to take seriously: airbags is flagged severe on this model , showing up around 72,045 mi. Inspect it closely on a test drive.
Run the VIN from the listing — 3 active recalls on this model. Recall repairs are always free.
Verdict for buyers: 6.2/10 model. The priciest documented failure is engine (~$3,100) — get the seller's service records for it or inspect closely. Otherwise an average-risk used buy at a fair price.
We tell you what this model is known for and what to inspect — a vehicle-history report tells you what this exact car has been through. Smart buyers get both.
See the full pre-purchase inspection checklist →A noise, a warning light, a repair quote, "should I buy this?" — get an answer grounded in this vehicle's actual NHTSA record, not generic advice.
Answers use this vehicle's NHTSA complaint & recall record — owner-reported and unverified, not a diagnosis. Verify anything safety-critical with a mechanic.
When owners report each system failing, in actual miles — so you can see what's likely behind you, what's due around now, and what to budget for next. Enter your mileage to mark where you are.
"Typical" = median owner-reported failure mileage from the NHTSA complaint record for this exact year and model. Not a maintenance schedule — a heads-up on where this model's failures cluster.
Upon start of I heard a rattle and it stopped after a couple seconds. I got online and see it seems to be a common problem for my Honda the vtc actuator goes out frequently.
I just brought this car in 2016 and it already needing new tires I think where I got the car from should be responsible for me some new tires.
Tl* the contact owns a 2012 Honda accord. The contact stated that while driving approximately 65 MPH, the front suspension began vibrating abnormally. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for diagnostic testing. The technician advised that the rotation and alignment of the tires…
Tires on Honda accords are cupping for no given reason, there was a recall on Honda civic for cupping, there needs to be a recall for cupping on hoda acconrd v6 and seddan, toooooo many complaints , even when alignments tire rotation and all done on time
Drag to your current mileage. Numbers are derived from this vehicle's complaint history.
An inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
In the event of a crash, an incorrectly installed passenger frontal air bag inflator may deploy the air bag improperly, increasing the risk of injury.
In the event of a crash, the side curtain airbag may fail to deploy, increasing the risk of injury.
It's got known weak points. With a reliability score of 6.2 out of 10 based on 379 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2012 Honda Accord has a higher-than-average rate of reported issues. The areas to watch are listed above. Whether it's worth owning depends on price, condition, and how much repair exposure you can absorb.
The 2012 Honda Accord is a higher-risk ownership prospect. Repair exposure runs above average — only with money set aside and eyes open. The record behind that call: Steering: 51 complaints, classified severe, failures cluster 10,394–62,538 mi; Electrical system: 27 complaints, classified severe, failures cluster 26,000–129,994 mi; Reliability score 6.2/10 — around the segment average; 3 recall campaigns on file. This is our read of the federal complaint and recall data — not a substitute for a pre-purchase inspection.
Inspect the airbags first — it's the most-reported issue on this model, with 56 owner complaints filed. Typical failure occurs around 72,045 miles. Average repair cost runs about $1,100 at an independent shop. Also confirm any open recalls have been completed by running the VIN, and ask for service records covering the problem areas listed above.
It scores 6.2 out of 10 on our NHTSA-based read of 379 owner complaints. The main thing to watch is airbags. Typical failure occurs around 72,045 miles. Priced fairly and clean on inspection, it's a reasonable used buy. Our data covers what this model is known for — pair it with a vehicle-history report on the VIN to see what that specific car has been through.
Based on NHTSA records, the most-reported issue is airbags, with 56 complaints filed. Typical failure occurs around 72,045 miles. Average repair cost runs about $1,100 at an independent shop.
The cruise control is one of the costlier repair items. Average repair cost runs about $600 at an independent shop. Typical failure occurs around 34,728 miles. Catching early warning signs can sometimes extend life by 20–30,000 miles.
Paste your VIN into the decoder at the top of this page. We pull live from NHTSA, so you'll see exactly which campaigns apply to your vehicle and whether the dealer has logged the fix. Recall repairs are always free regardless of mileage or warranty status.
Math is straightforward: a quality service contract runs $1,800–3,500 over 3 years. With 379 complaints on file and the costliest repair averaging $600, one major failure more than pays for it. The catch is reading the contract — many providers exclude wear items and require pre-authorization, so cheaper plans are not always better value.