Dealer Message - American Honda Motor Co., Inc. (AHM) is searching for certain 2018-2020 Accords & 2019-2020 CR-Vs with a customer complaint of the SRS light on with the DTC B0020-13 (Open or Increased Resistance in the Driver's Side Airbag Inflator) or B0028-13 (Open or Increased Resistance in the Front Passenger's Side Airbag Inflator) stored or in active fault. To better understand the cause of this condition, AHM would like to collect specific parts from the vehicle prior to you attempting a repair of any kind.
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗2019 Honda Accord airbags problems
severe Owners of the 2019 Honda Accord have filed 25 NHTSA complaints about the airbags at roughly $1,100 to repair (U.S. federal records, as of July 2026). Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. See airbags across all vehicles →
Complaints
25
Recalls
0
Avg fix
$1,100
| Model year | airbags complaints |
|---|---|
| 2015 Accord | 21 |
| 2016 Accord | 13 |
| 2017 Accord | 21 |
| 2018 Accord | 45 |
| 2019 Accord (this page) | 25 |
| 2020 Accord | 29 |
| 2021 Accord | 13 |
5crashes
8injuries
What stands out
Owners have filed 25 airbags complaints with NHTSA against this vehicle, but no formal recall covers the issue — the federal record reflects what manufacturers have admitted, not everything owners are reporting.
Is there a fix? Manufacturer service bulletins
The manufacturer has issued service bulletins covering airbags on this vehicle — documented repair instructions, service campaigns, or warranty extensions sent to dealers. A TSB isn't a recall (it's not a free safety remedy), but it's the manufacturer acknowledging the issue and how to fix it.
"Dealer Message - American Honda Motor Co., Inc. (AHM) is searching for certain 2018-2020 Accords & 2019-2020 CR-Vs with a customer complaint of the SRS light on with the DTC B0020-13 (Open or Increased Resistance in the Driver's Side Airbag Inflator) or B0028-13 (Open or Increased Resistance in the Front Passenger's Side Airbag Inflator) stored or in active fault. To better understand the cause of this condition, AHM would like to collect specific parts from the vehicle prior to you attempting a repair of any kind."
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗Dealer Message - American Honda Motor Co., Inc. (AHM) is searching for certain 2018-2020 Accords & 2019-2020 CR-Vs with a customer complaint of the SRS light on with the DTC B0020-13 (Open or Increased Resistance in the Driver's Side Airbag Inflator) or B0028-13 (Open or Increased Resistance in the Front Passenger's Side Airbag Inflator) stored or in active fault. To better understand the cause of this condition, AHM would like to collect specific parts from the vehicle prior to you attempting a repair of any kind.
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗Dealer Message - American Honda Motor Co., Inc. (AHM) is searching for certain 2018-2020 Accords & 2019-2020 CR-Vs with a customer complaint of the SRS light on with the DTC B0020-13 (Open or Increased Resistance in the Driver's Side Airbag Inflator) or B0028-13 (Open or Increased Resistance in the Front Passenger's Side Airbag Inflator) stored or in active fault. To better understand the cause of this condition, AHM would like to collect specific parts from the vehicle prior to you attempting a repair of any kind.
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗Dealer Message - American Honda Motor Co., Inc. (AHM) is searching for certain 2018-2020 Accords & 2019-2020 CR-Vs with a customer complaint of the SRS light on with the DTC B0020-13 (Open or Increased Resistance in the Driver's Side Airbag Inflator) or B0028-13 (Open or Increased Resistance in the Front Passenger's Side Airbag Inflator) stored or in active fault. To better understand the cause of this condition, AHM would like to collect specific parts from the vehicle prior to you attempting a repair of any kind.
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications. Bring the bulletin number to your dealer or shop.
The failure pattern owners describe
Owners report two distinct categories of airbag system failure in the 2019 Honda Accord. The first involves warning lights—"Supplemental Restraint System Problem. See Your Dealer" messages and SRS indicator lights that appear intermittently, sometimes clearing after restart but returning unpredictably, with some owners noting the issue persists across multiple dealer visits. Several owners report dealer claims that belt buckles or passenger seat sensors are faulty, though repair costs were sometimes denied for being outside recall coverage. The second and more serious category involves actual deployment failures: multiple owners report being struck in genuine collisions—head-on impact at 45 mph, side-impact landing in a ravine, rear-impact after loss of brake control—yet airbags did not deploy when they should have, leaving occupants with injuries from dashboard/steering wheel contact that airbags should have prevented. One owner reported the inverse: airbags deployed during a highway skid with no actual collision, with the dealer unable to identify what triggered the system. One owner also reports the SRS unit and driver airbag were replaced at the dealership only to have the warning light return 15 miles later. No diagnostic trouble codes were found in some cases despite active warnings, complicating diagnosis. Owners express concern that the system cannot be trusted to perform its core safety function.
Same Honda Accord airbags reports on nearby years: 2016 · 2017 · 2018 · 2020 · 2021
Failure modes owners describe
Intermittent SRS and airbag warning lights
Supplemental Restraint System warning lights and airbag warning indicators illuminate intermittently, often clearing after vehicle restart but returning unpredictably at random intervals. Some owners report persistent warnings after dealer diagnostics, while others note the issue is widespread but has no recall.
When: Between 25,000 and 82,000 miles; timing variable and intermittent
Symptoms owners cite: Dashboard message 'Supplemental Restraint System Problem. See Your Dealer'; SRS/airbag warning light illuminated; Warning lights clear after restart but reoccur persistently; No clear pattern to when lights appear
Codes mentioned: B0020-13
Repairs/costs cited: Dealer diagnostics often require paid diagnostic fee; some dealers cite faulty passenger seat belt buckle, passenger seat sensors, or dashboard chips as cause; one owner reports SRS unit and driver airbag replacement followed by warning light return 15 miles later
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Manufacturer referred owners to dealer for diagnosis; one owner reports Honda denied recall/repair cost coverage; some owners report no recall applies to their VIN despite similar complaints
Airbag non-deployment in collision
Airbags fail to deploy during impact events severe enough to cause vehicle damage and occupant injury. Owner-reported incidents include head-on collision at 45 mph, side-impact with vehicle rollover, and rear-impact; in each case, airbags did not activate despite the severity of impact and damage.
When: At time of collision; mileage varies (one at ~1,000 miles, others at higher mileage)
Symptoms owners cite: No airbag deployment during collision impact; Vehicle sustained significant front-end, side, or rear damage; Occupants struck steering wheel, dashboard, or experienced whiplash without airbag cushioning; Engine compartment smoking (one incident)
Repairs/costs cited: One owner reports vehicle had 'serious front end damage' with engine compartment smoking; another reports vehicle towed to body shop after being hit from behind; no owner reports airbag repair being performed in these failure scenarios
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: One owner reports manufacturer denied failure was mechanical, claiming driver error instead; no recall or warranty action reported
Unexpected airbag deployment during vehicle instability (non-collision)
Passenger-side curtain and seat airbags deployed during a highway skid on snowy conditions with loss of traction but no confirmed collision. Dealership found no diagnostic trouble codes and could not identify the trigger, though they noted possible 'impact seems' based on visual observation.
When: At time of highway skid in snowy conditions; vehicle had no prior warnings
Symptoms owners cite: Passenger-side curtain airbag deployed; Passenger seat airbag deployed; Vehicle experienced brief loss of traction and slid across lanes; No collision or confirmed impact event; No warning lights or messages before deployment
Repairs/costs cited: Dealership inspection confirmed deployment but found no DTCs and no system malfunction
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Dealership suggested 'impact seems' present but offered no definitive explanation; no additional diagnostic analysis performed
Faulty passenger seat occupancy sensor (airbag 'off' light malfunction)
Passenger seat airbag occupancy sensor fails, causing the passenger airbag 'off' indicator light to remain illuminated even when the seat is empty, suggesting the passenger restraint system may be compromised in an actual crash.
When: At low mileage, less than 40,000 miles reported
Symptoms owners cite: Passenger airbag 'off' warning light stays on continuously; Light remains on even when passenger seat is empty; No accident history
Collision sensor and seatbelt sensor failure
Seatbelt and airbag collision sensors stopped functioning, preventing proper restraint system activation in a crash event.
Symptoms owners cite: Seatbelt sensor inoperative; Airbag collision sensor inoperative; Air pressure monitoring sensor inoperative; Brake warning sensor false triggering (warns of obstacle when none present)
Synthesized from 25 NHTSA owner complaints — unverified consumer allegations, summarized for patterns. The verbatim filings appear below.
What owners are reporting 0 most recent
Had airbags trouble with your 2019 Honda Accord?
File a complaint with NHTSA → It's free, official, and how every report above got here — owner filings are the federal safety record this page is built on.
Common questions
How serious is the airbags problem on the 2019 Honda Accord?
It's a meaningful issue. 25 complaints have been filed and the failure mode causes operational problems for owners. Repairs average $1,100.
At what mileage does the airbags typically fail?
Based on the 25 complaints filed, airbags issues most often appear around 62,263 miles. Some report problems earlier; some make it well past 150,000 with no symptoms. Maintenance habits matter — vehicles that received timely fluid services and were not regularly overworked tend to last longer.
What does it cost to fix?
Independent shops typically charge around $1,100 for airbags repairs on this vehicle. Dealer pricing tends to run 20-40% higher. The exact figure depends on the specific failure mode, parts availability, and your local labor rates. If you're outside factory warranty, an extended service contract often covers this category.
Are there any recalls related to airbags?
No active recalls currently cover airbags issues on this vehicle. The complaints filed represent owner-reported failures that haven't risen to the level of a manufacturer-issued recall — but they're still worth knowing about before you buy or budget for repairs.
Related
Complaint and recall data sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
public records database. Verify the raw federal record at
nhtsa.gov/vehicle/2019/Honda/Accord.
Severity ratings are derived from reported crashes, fires, injuries, and fatalities. Repair cost estimates are
independent-shop national averages and may differ in your area. Some links on this page are affiliate links.