CarComplaints.com Notes: The 2009 Honda Accord has several serious defects – poor brakes, excessive oil consumption, & uncomfortable seats.
BRAKES: There was a class action lawsuit against Honda in 2010 for premature & excessive brake wear. See our page on Honda's brake problems for more info.
OIL CONSUMPTION: Honda issued a TSB about this in late 2011, claiming it could be fixed through a software update to the VCM (variable cylinder management). There are class action lawsuits pending. See our page about the Accord oil consumption.
UNCOMFORTABLE SEATS: Owners have consistently reported uncomfortable seats with the entire 8th generation (2008-2012) of Honda Accords. Complaints range from back pain to leg circulation problems due to bad lumbar support, cushioning, & seat angle. Complaints aren't limited to only a certain body type -- the seat comfort problems are from a wide spectrum of owner height & weight. The common theme we hear is "we never noticed this during the test drive." Unfortunately for unwary buyers, the seat pain is noticeable after 15-20 minutes.
The dealer and Honda were of no help in resolving this rather serious and potentially fatal issue. During my telephone contact with Honda the representative appeared to be reading from a prepared statement from Honda's Legal Department. The statement was designed not to provide any information relating to the Takata airbag issue and to merely state that my vehicle was not covered by Honda's airbag recall. This is particularly disturbing because Maryland, the state where the vehicle is garaged, is typically hot and humid during the summer and that is the very conditions alleged by Takata, the airbag manufacturer, to be conducive to airbag explosion upon inflation. During my telephone conversation with a service writer and a parts representative at the Honda dealership where the vehicle was purchased they would only advise that my vehicle was not included in the airbag recall and would not answer any further questions.
The formation of a class action law suit against the dealership, Honda and Takata is under consideration. The pursuit of criminal prosecution is also under consideration as resolution of this matter is not expected on the part of the responsible parties. The existence of the airbag problem appears to have been known by Takata and Honda back as early as 2001? The cover up appears to have been a joint effort designed to avoid the substantial expense and potential loss of vehicle sales that might follow a massive recall and the development of a technical solution to remedy the actual airbag defect.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
The dealer and Honda were of no help in resolving this rather serious and potentially fatal issue. During my telephone contact with Honda the representative appeared to be reading from a prepared statement from Honda's Legal Department. The statement was designed not to provide any information relating to the Takata airbag issue and to merely state that my vehicle was not covered by Honda's airbag recall. This is particularly disturbing because Maryland, the state where the vehicle is garaged, is typically hot and humid during the summer and that is the very conditions alleged by Takata, the airbag manufacturer, to be conducive to airbag explosion upon inflation. During my telephone conversation with a service writer and a parts representative at the Honda dealership where the vehicle was purchased they would only advise that my vehicle was not included in the airbag recall and would not answer any further questions.
The formation of a class action law suit against the dealership, Honda and Takata is under consideration. The pursuit of criminal prosecution is also under consideration as resolution of this matter is not expected on the part of the responsible parties. The existence of the airbag problem appears to have been known by Takata and Honda back as early as 2001? The cover up appears to have been a joint effort designed to avoid the substantial expense and potential loss of vehicle sales that might follow a massive recall and the development of a technical solution to remedy the actual airbag defect.
- Dave K., Lutherville, MD, US