Honda’s been making the Accord for nearly 50 years with 10 generations. Honda Accords have been the midsize category since the end of the 1990s, and it’s been popular thanks to its reliability, performance, style, and comfort.
Popular Honda Accord model years include 2006, 2011, and 2015. These models have the fewest issues reported by owners.
The Honda Accord can be purchased with a V6 engine. Its features evolve between generations, but the latest generation will usually have the most comfort and safety features. Overall, the Honda Accord is a fantastic car that is safe, practical, dependable, and enjoyable to drive.
Honda has been making the Accord for nearly fifty years and they’ve released 10 generations, making it one of the longest-running nameplates in the US. Honda tries to improve the model with each subsequent generation, giving it more features, and making it more refined and more powerful. However, the car community isn’t always pleased and the latest generation isn’t always the best. Some previous generations stand out more than others for a variety of reasons.
What Makes the Honda Accord Desirable?
The Accord used to be offered as a coupe, hatchback, and wagon, but it’s been a midsize sedan since the end of the ’90s. The midsize sedan category has always been a competitive segment in the US. Even though the Accord’s Rival, the Toyota Camry, has been the best-selling midsize sedan for many years in the 2000s and 2010s, the Honda Accord has been right behind it.
The Honda Accord has been desirable because of several factors, such as its reliability history, performance, style, and comfort.
Since the 1990s, the Honda Accord has been desirable because of several factors, such as its reliability history, performance, style, and comfort. Honda vehicles are generally known for their more sophisticated looks, more powerful engines, and more luxurious features compared to their Toyota rival. However, unlike its rival, Honda doesn’t put reliability at the top of its priorities. As a result, some model years are known to be less reliable than others.
Which Honda Accord Model Years Are the Most Reliable?
One of the main reasons why certain year models are more desirable than others is because of their reliability. The 2006, 2011, and 2015 Honda Accord model years have the fewest issue reports from owners, as they’ve only got 198, 205, and 179 reports, respectively. Based on the number of user reports alone, these Honda Accord model years can be considered the most reliable, and therefore the best.
The tenth-generation Honda Accord made from 2018 onwards doesn’t seem to have any major issues with its engine or transmission, which is good. However, it might be too early to tell because some issues tend to only show after several years of use.
Meanwhile, the ninth-generation Honda Accord made from 2012 to 2017 is a bit of a mixed bag. Some model years, such as the ones from 2011 and 2015, have earned CarComplaints’ seal of being a “pretty good” year model because of fewer issue reports. Meanwhile, reports indicate that the 2013 and 2014 model years have some issues with their electrical system, as some users have reported starting issues and power steering failure.
The Honda Accord’s eighth-generation models received mediocre ratings from various sources. CarComplaints.com has labeled the 2009 and 2010 Accord models as clunkers. Users have reported significantly more issues in the 2009 model. CarComplaints even said that this year model should be avoided like the plague. To put this into perspective, the 2011 model year has only 205 reports, while the 2008 model has 2,479 reports.
CarComplaints also says that all sixth-generation Honda Accords made from 1998 to 2002 and the earlier years of the seventh generation from 2002 to 2004 should also be avoided like the plague. Various transmission issues such as transmission slipping and transmission failure seem to be prevalent issues in these year models. The seventh-generation Accord seems to have redeemed itself in its latter years after Honda resolved these issues in the 2005 to 2007 model years, which earned CarComplaints’ “pretty good” seal.
Accord models before 1998 don’t seem to have any widely reported prevalent issue. However, only the 1997 year model has earned CarComplaints’ seal of approval.
Aside from reliability, subjective subject aspects such as style, size, and performance can also be important in deciding which model is best.
Some Honda Accord years to avoid are ones released from 1998 to 2005, 2008 to 2010, 2013, and 2014.
Some of their owners have complained about transmission issues like slipping, noises while shifting, and, on some occasions, transmission failures or engine stalls. In addition, there were clear coat issues and interior problems for the 2003 and 2004 remodels.
Several of these models also have safety issues and recalls. For example, some of the early-2000s models had a lot of airbag-related recalls with some having driver frontal air bag inflators that “may explode.”
The 2006 Odyssey also had issues with its sliding doors. Some users have complained about the sliding door being harder to open and eventually falling off.
Other Aspects to Consider About the Honda Accord
In terms of design language, the Honda Accord has generally stuck to and influenced the trends present during the release of each generation. From being boxy and understated in the ’90s, Accords gradually became sharp and sporty. Like the Accord’s compact-sedan counterpart, the Honda Civic, most Accords have aged quite well. As long as it’s well-maintained and clean, you don’t have to worry about driving an old Accord. The 5th and 6th generation are even collected because of their classic ’90s design.
Every Accord model made since 2002 has obtained a Five Star Safety Rating. Image source: Alexander Migl | Wikimedia Commons
In terms of engine choices, the Honda Accord can be purchased with a V6 engine that offers more performance compared to its four-cylinder alternative. Honda introduced this in the Accord’s 5th generation in 1994. If you’re interested in getting an everyday vehicle fitted with a V6 engine, the previous-generation Honda Accords fitted with V6’s can be an amazing buy. However, the V6 option was discontinued in the latest 10th-generation, as the more powerful models offered a turbocharged four-cylinder engine instead of a V6.
Features gradually evolve between generations. The latest generation is obviously the one with the most comfort and safety features. But the eighth generation in particular has more features compared to other models, with valuable additions such as keyless entry, electronic stability control, advanced anti-lock brakes, and leather upholstery.
Deciding which Honda Accord is the best is going to vary from person to person. Subjective factors such as style play an important role when it comes to desirability. That said, some year models have major reliability issues. If you have the budget, the latest 9th and 10th generation Accords offer the best driving experience and style. Older Honda Accords can also be a good budget option. These models can still have a lot of life in them, as long as they don’t belong to the previously mentioned year models that have a lot of issues.
It’s also important to point out that every Accord model made since 2002 has obtained a Five Star Safety Rating. For the most part, the Honda Accord is a fantastic car that is safe, practical, dependable, and enjoyable to drive.
Lisa Conant grew up in Canada around a solid contingency of gear heads and DIY motor enthusiasts. She is an eclectic writer with a varied repertoire in the automotive industry, including research pieces with a focus on daily drivers and recreational vehicles. Lisa has written for Car Bibles and The Drive.
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I bought a 2004 Accord EX V6 this year from a good friend for one dollar. His main complaint was that his back hurt terribly when driving this car. He is a Honda guy and enjoys their Odyssey and Ridgeline with zero complaints. I have driven this Honda a lot and am happy to report that my back is not having the same issue. Another item that is said to be a problem is the automatic transmission. I am glad that we have not had any failures as the car is approaching 265k miles. The one thing that I am in the middle of fixing is the A/C system. So far we are happy with this car and we plan on using it for many years.
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I bought a 2004 Accord EX V6 this year from a good friend for one dollar. His main complaint was that his back hurt terribly when driving this car. He is a Honda guy and enjoys their Odyssey and Ridgeline with zero complaints. I have driven this Honda a lot and am happy to report that my back is not having the same issue. Another item that is said to be a problem is the automatic transmission. I am glad that we have not had any failures as the car is approaching 265k miles. The one thing that I am in the middle of fixing is the A/C system. So far we are happy with this car and we plan on using it for many years.