RoadVitals

2012 Honda Accord Electrical Problems

Owner-reported complaints naming the electrical system, filed with NHTSA

Data refreshed

Electrical reportsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
31
Latest May 19, 2026
Share of all reportsThis category as a share of every owner report on file for this model year. One report can name more than one component, so the categories overlap.
8%
of 372 total
Crash or fire reportedReports in this category whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. The reporter's own answer on the NHTSA form, not a verified finding.
3
Injuries or deaths reportedTotals the submitters entered on their own reports in this category. Not verified by NHTSA and not a casualty statistic.
1

What this page shows

Reports naming the electrical system — wiring, battery, charging, control modules, infotainment and electrical accessories. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2012 Honda Accord submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 31 reports on file name it.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

Owner reports naming electrical

The 25 most recent of 31, in the owner's own words

Electrical
Filed May 19, 2026

Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2012 Honda Accord. The contact discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy. The vehicle was a private sale. At the time of purchase the vehicle mileage wa47,000,p=and at the time of registration, it was discovered that the mileage was 238, 629. A Carfax report was obtained with the same mileage. The contact sent a message and left a voice mail message but there was no response. The contact received an unusual high quote from the insurance company. The contact's son sent a text to the seller but they did not respond. There was no other agency contacted.

NHTSA ID
11738830
Incident
Apr 13, 2026
Mileage
238,639 mi
Electrical
Filed Feb 5, 2026
Fire reported

Purchased a car from JKJ Auto on 01/17/2026 for $5000 + tax. Car was sold "as-is" with no dealer warranty. Vehile was only driven for 12 days before the car caught fire while my son was driving to school. He was trapped inside until a person ran over to help him out of the car. Police came to the scene and towed the vehicle. It was later examined by DSM Auto Repair who deduced that the battery was defective and overheated. This caused all other electrical cables to ignite along with the rest of the car. There were no warning lamps, messages or audio alerts. My son first noticed when there was white smoke coming from the hood as the car shut off, followed shortly by flames.

NHTSA ID
11715998
Incident
Jan 29, 2026
Electrical
Filed Jan 7, 2026

Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2012 Honda Accord. The contact stated that there was a mileage discrepancy after the purchase. The vehicle was a dealer sale. At the time of purchase, the vehicle mileage was 64,163. It was later discovered, upon checking the Carfax report that the mileage was 200,000.

NHTSA ID
11709329
Incident
Jan 6, 2026
Mileage
200,000 mi
Electrical
Filed Oct 14, 2025

Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2012 Honda Accord. While attempting to sell the vehicle, a potential buyer showed the contact a vehicle history report; the report showed that there was a mileage discrepancy. The vehicle was purchased by the contact through a private sale on Facebook Marketplace. Additionally, the contact discovered a crash report in the glove box. The contact was not made aware of any prior accidents on the vehicle prior to sale. At the time of purchase, the vehicle mileage was approximately 135,000, and the report discovered that the mileage was 248,870.

NHTSA ID
11693439
Incident
Oct 12, 2025
Mileage
248,870 mi
Electrical
Filed May 21, 2025

Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2012 Honda Accord. The contact stated that while attempting to trade in the vehicle at a local dealer, it was discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy. The vehicle was purchased through a private sale. At the time of purchase, the vehicle mileage was 127,699 and at the time of registration, it was discovered that the mileage was 129,994.

NHTSA ID
11662338
Incident
Mar 18, 2025
Mileage
129,994 mi
BrakesElectricalSteering
Filed Nov 25, 2024

ABS, Traction Control and Brake lights on. Diagnosed by 2 mechanics told ABS module is bad, which affects braking and is hazardous. Also told this should not be happening with so little mileage on vehicle 50K. There needs to be a recall for this issue!!!!

NHTSA ID
11627311
Incident
Aug 1, 2024
BrakesElectrical
Filed Oct 18, 2024

ABS Module has failed and brake, ABS and traction control lights remain on; causing braking issue. This component has failed in many vehicles of this type per mechanic and should be recalled. There is very little mileage on the vehicle around 50K. A safety recall is apparent as if injury occurs Honda is liable, as an elderly person owns the vehicle. Vehicle does not stop as it should and will not receive an inspection sticker. This should not be on the consumer given the amount of low mileage.

NHTSA ID
11620508
Incident
Aug 1, 2024
ElectricalExterior lightingSteering
Filed Jan 16, 2024

Check Engine Light Due to Low Engine Oil Level, Radio/Climate Control Display May Go Dark, major issue is "No Start" Due to Ignition Switch Failure and fuses keep blowing so many issues and problems

NHTSA ID
11565885
Incident
Oct 18, 2022
ElectricalEngine
Filed Oct 2, 2023

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 ID
11547645
Incident
Oct 2, 2023
Body & structureElectricalInterior & seats
Filed Jun 29, 2023

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 ID
11529601
Incident
Jan 1, 2023
Driver assistanceElectrical
Filed May 9, 2023

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 ID
11521087
Incident
Jul 27, 2020
ElectricalEngineSteering
Filed Mar 10, 2022

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 ID
11456010
Incident
Feb 17, 2022
Electrical
Filed Oct 14, 2019

DRIVER WINDOW WILL NOT GO UP. LOOKING ONLINE THERE'S AN ENTIRE THREAD OF HONDA OWNERS REGARDING THIS SAME ISSUE!! YOUR WINDOWS ARE MALFUNCTIONING AND I HAVE ONLY HAD THIS CAR FOR 18 MONTHS!! MOST MOTORS IN WINDOWS LAST!! NOT SURE WHY HONDA HASN'T HAD A RECALL ON THIS ISSUE!!

NHTSA ID
11268326
Incident
Oct 12, 2019
Mileage
83,000 mi
Electrical
Filed Sep 19, 2019

FRONT PASSENGER DOOR RANDOMLY WILL NOT OPEN, EVEN THOUGH DOOR LOCK APPEARS TO BE IN THE UNLOCKED POSITION- WHILE VEHICLE IS PARKED.

NHTSA ID
11256723
Incident
Sep 18, 2019
Mileage
166,840 mi
Electrical
Filed Jan 30, 2018

WE FOUND OUR CAR IN THE GARAGE WITH ALL THE WINDOWS WIDE OPEN INCLUDING THE MOON ROOF WINDOW. THE RED CIRCLE ALARM WAS FLASHING. I STARTED THE CAR AND THE ALARM WENT OUT. THEN ALL WAS FINE. WHAT COULD CAUSE THAT? AND COULD IT HAPPEN WHILE DRIVING?

NHTSA ID
11065881
Incident
Jan 21, 2018
Mileage
36,000 mi
BrakesElectricalSteering
Filed Dec 18, 2017

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 HONDA ACCORD. WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH, THE POWER STEERING SEIZED, THE BRAKES LOCKED AND FAILED TO RESPOND, AND THE VEHICLE STALLED. ALSO, THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL DEALER (NARDY HONDA SMITHTOWN, 559 MIDDLE COUNTY RD, ST JAMES, NY 11780), BUT THE VEHICLE WAS UNABLE TO BE DIAGNOSED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A LOCAL DEALER (ATLANTIC HONDA, 1375 SUNRISE HIGHWAY, BAYSHORE, NY 11706) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE BATTERY AND ALTERNATOR NEEDED TO BE REPAIRED. THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 53,000.

NHTSA ID
11055246
Incident
Jun 15, 2017
Mileage
53,000 mi
Electrical
Filed May 24, 2017

RODENT CHEWED THROUGH SOY COVERED EVAP VENT SHUT VALVE WIRE, ABS AND VSA SENSOR WIRES. CAR WAS PARKED IN GARAGE AND WARNING LIGHTS CAME ON NEXT TIME CAR WAS DRIVEN.

NHTSA ID
10991339
Incident
May 19, 2017
Mileage
47,500 mi
Electrical
Filed May 3, 2017

TWO REAR DOORS WILL NOT UNLOCK WHEN USEING THE SWITCHES ON THE DRIVER SIDE DOOR. AND REAR DOORS WILL NOT UNLOCK WHEN USING THE REMOTE ON THE KEY RING. THE DOOR MOTORS SOUND LIKE THEY ARE DYING. ALL OF THIS HAPPENS WHEN THE CAR IS IN THE OFF MODE ENGINE NOT RUNNING AND IN PARK.

NHTSA ID
10983278
Incident
Apr 1, 2016
Mileage
50,000 mi
Electrical
Filed Feb 25, 2017

RATS CHEWED AND DAMAGED ELECTRICAL WIRING. ENTIRE WIRING HARNESS HAD TO BE REPLACED AT MY COST. COST WAS APPROXIMATELY $2000. PROBLEM FIRST MANIFESTED WHEN DRIVING. TRANSMISSION SHIFTING BECAME SLUGGISH AND SOON AFTER THE ENGINE AND TRANSMISSION LIGHT ("FLASHING D") OCCURRED.

NHTSA ID
10956900
Incident
Jan 23, 2017
Mileage
58,937 mi
Electrical
Filed Nov 15, 2016

BOTH DRIVERS SIDE AND PASSENGER SIDE FRONT DOOR LOCKS NO LONGER WORK.

NHTSA ID
10926108
Incident
May 15, 2016
ElectricalOther / unspecified
Filed Oct 27, 2016

TIRE INFLATION METER ARE TOO EXPENSIVE FOR SIMPLE FLAT REPAIRS. CONSUMER RIP OFF CAUSED BUT GOVERNMENT REGULATIONS REQUIRED TIRES TO HAVE PRESSURE SENSOR AND WARNING LIGHTS. EACH TIRE HAS AN EXPENSIVE $80 SENSOR THAT EASILY LEAKS OR GETS BUMPED BY MECHANICS. IT COST ME $200 TO STOP THE LEAKS AND WARNING LIGHTS. ON FIRST LOOK, SOUNDS LIKE A NICE IDEA BUT IN PRACTICE COMPANIES ARE RIPPING US OFF DOING SIMPLE NAIL FIXES. THE MECHANICS WEAKING, PURPOSELY LOOSEN THE VALUE AND SAY IT IS OUR CAR'S COMPUTER PROBLEM. PLEASE DO NOT REQUIRED CARS TO HAVE THESE MONITORS. THANKS FOR LISTENING. SOUNDS LIKE THE LOBBYIST ARE CREATING MONEY GRABS. REGARDS JOHN

NHTSA ID
10919743
Incident
Oct 5, 2016
Mileage
80,000 mi
Electrical
Filed Jul 22, 2015

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 HONDA ACCORD. WHILE PARKED, THE VEHICLE WAS UNABLE TO START AND AN ABNORMAL BUZZING SOUND EMITTED FROM THE IGNITION SWITCH. THE CONTACT STATED THE VEHICLE WAS ABLE TO START ON THE SECOND ATTEMPT. THE FAILURE RECURRED INTERMITTENTLY. THE DEALER COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 42,000.

NHTSA ID
10735883
Incident
Jun 6, 2015
Mileage
42,000 mi
Electrical
Filed Jun 20, 2015

ALL FOUR OF MY DOOR LOCKING ACTUATORS HAVE ALL "FAILED." THE CAR RANDOMLY LOCKS AND UNLOCKS ON THE HIGHWAY AND EVEN THOUGH HONDA HAS HAD A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT OVER THESE DOOR ACTUATORS FOR THE CRV THEY ARE NOT REPLACING THE HONDA ACCORD ONES (THEY WILL FOR A SMALL FEE OF $1500.00).

NHTSA ID
10726374
Incident
Jun 20, 2015
Mileage
34,963 mi
Electrical
Filed Feb 24, 2015

CAR ACCELERATES THEN SUDDENLY STOPS ACCELERATION EVEN THOUGH GAS PEDAL IS INCREASING. SUDDENLY THE CAR ACCELERATES AT PEDAL POSITION CAUSING A SUDDEN JURK MOTION FORWARD DUE TO SUDDEN OVER COMPENSATED ACCELERATION. OCCURS SPORADICALLY. CAUTION MUST BE TAKEN WHEN BEHIND OTHER CARS OR CROSSING INTO MEDIAN ON 4 LANE HIGHWAYS. PAUSE MAY LAST AS LONG AS 4 SECONDS WHICH IS A LONG TIME WITH ON-COMING TRAFFIC WHILE CROSSING ROAD. ALSO COULD RESULT IN REAR IN COLLISION FROM CARS IN REAR DUE TO SUDDEN PAUSE IN ACCELERATION AND REAR CAR ACCELERATING SMOOTHLY AT NORMAL PACE. REAR CAR WOULD NOT EXPECT YOU TO SUDDENLY STOP ACCELERATIONSUCH AS AT RED LIGHT.SUSPECT IT IS ACCELERATOR POSITION SENSOR CAUSING THE PROBLEM BUT HAS NOT BEEN DETERMINED AT THIS TIME SINCE I CAN'T AFFORD TO MAKE CAR PAYMENT AND REPAIR AT SAME TIME. WILL HAVE LOOKED INTO WHEN MONEY IS AVALLABLE FOR DIAGNOSTIC AND REPAIR OF PROBLEM. THERE IS NO DOUBT THIS IS NOT NORMAL SINCE I ALSO OWN A 2010 MODEL HONDA ACCORD AND NEVER HAD SUCH PROBLEM. THIS IS A 2012 MODEL AND SUPRISED SINCE HONDA MAKES GOOD AUTOMOBILES. PURCHASED USED IN JANUARY OF 2015 FROM TOWSEND BMW IN TUSCALOOSA, AL. ELECTRICAL COVERAGE EXPIRED NOV. OF 2014. WILL HAVE TO PAY OUT-OF-POCKET FOR REPAIR. BMW DEALERSHIP WOULD NOT COVER PROBLEM AFTER SALE. WILL HAVE TO TAKE TO DEALERSHIP FOR REPAIR OR SOME OTHER REPUTABLE AUTO REPAIR SHOP.CAR FAX SHOWED NO ACCIDENT REPORTS. *JS

NHTSA ID
10690267
Incident
Jan 16, 2015
Mileage
31,000 mi
Electrical
Filed Jul 10, 2014

TWICE IN THE LAST FEW MONTHS MY CAR'S ENGINE WOULD NOT TURN OVER WHEN I TURNED THE KEY TO THE START POSITION. IT ONLY MADE A BUZZING SOUND. I RETURNED THE KEY TO THE RESTING POSITION AND TRIED AGAIN. BOTH TIMES IT STARTED. I TOOK IT TO THE HONDA DEALER TO HAVE IT SERVICED. THE TECHNICIAN TOLD ME THIS WAS NORMAL. (NO. IT'S NORMAL FOR A CAR TO START WHEN YOU TURN THE KEY.) HE GAVE ME A COPY OF A HONDA "SERVICE NEWS ARTICLE" DATED "OCTOBER 2001" ENTITLED "STARTER RELAY BUZZES." IT READS, "IF YOU TURN THE IGNITION SWITCH VERY SLOWLY TO START THE ENGINE, ALL HONDA MODELS EXCEPT PASSPORT HAVE THIS LITTLE QUIRK: THE STARTER RELAY BUZZES. IF YOUR CUSTOMER COMPLAINS ABOUT IT, DON'T SPEND YOUR TIME TRYING TO FIX IT; THERE'S REALLY NOTHING WRONG. JUST TELL YOUR CUSTOMER TO TURN THE IGNITION SWITCH A LITTLE FASTER, AND THE RELAY WON'T BUZZ." *TR

NHTSA ID
10609549
Incident
Mar 1, 2014
Mileage
22,000 mi

Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.

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