CarComplaints.com Notes: The 2011 Honda Accord has a solid reputation (so far), with one very significant flaw: 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 "never noticed this during the test drive." Unfortunately for unwary buyers, the seat pain is noticeable after 15-20 minutes.

10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
1 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
56,482 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

2011 Honda Accord engine problems

engine problem

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2011 Honda Accord Owner Comments

problem #19

Aug 132022

Accord

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

CVT actuator makes noise on cold start up.

- Long Beach, CA, USA

problem #18

Jan 042021

Accord

  • miles
The engine on the Honda Accord car shudders and loses power when there is a change in gears. Based on my research and after consultation with my mechanic, the Honda Odyssey had similar problems. The problem was traced to the torque converter. Supposedly Honda had to implement a software fix for the torque converter on those Odyssey's.

- Noblesville, IN, USA

problem #17

Mar 012021

Accord

  • 120,000 miles
Engine rattles loudly for about 4 seconds at startup while stationary. I believe the variable valve timing control (vtc) actuator is defective.

- Pa - Pennsylvania, PA, USA

problem #16

Sep 112020

Accord

  • 10,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

After 2 years of owning my new 2011 Honda Accord, I noticed a grinding sound during cold starts that lasted 1-2 seconds and then stops. I have the dealership inspect the problem but they quickly dismissed and said the noise was being made by the vtc and to not worry about the noise. In addition, they said that no harm would be caused by the noise. Now I have over 100,000 miles on the car and the noise is on every cold start no matter what the temperature and last for 2-5 seconds. I recently called the dealer and they indicated that if the vtc was the problem (which it has been all along), then I would need to pay in full for the repair since it is out of warranty.

- Hatfield, PA, USA

problem #15

Apr 052019

Accord

  • 95,140 miles
On 4/5/19, my wife's Honda Pilot ex experienced severe engine problems on the road in fairview tn resulting in an inability to accelerate, hesitation when the gas pedal was depressed, and a flashing 'check engine' light. These symptoms were identical to an issue she had with this vehicle in 2017 that necessitated a tow to darrell waltrip Honda in franklin tn for repair, and similar to less severe episodes of hesitant acceleration both she and I have experienced with the vehicle since at least 2016. Grassland car care center in franklin tn diagnosed the spark plugs were oil fouled causing a misfire. Engine codes P0301, P0302, P0303, P0304, and P0300 resulted from the incident. We have since learned this is a known defect with this model of Honda and that the vcm-2 class action lawsuit resulted in a warranty extension of eight years from purchase date. We have an open case with Honda of America (case manager: Zoe; case #09478660), but are being told that our vehicle is outside the extended eight year warranty by four months. We contend this vehicle was experiencing problems consistent with the warrantied issue well before the 4/5/19 failure, to include the same type of episode supposedly repaired by darrell waltrip Honda on 5/1/17. The sudden inability to accelerate on a roadway is a considerable safety concern. We are questioning why this wasn't a safety recall item. We have additional documentation available if needed.

- Franklin, TN, USA

problem #14

Feb 202019

Accord

  • 100,990 miles
While driving at highway speed (55 mph) and then slowing down for traffic, the variable timing control actuator apparently stuck. The engine warning light came on followed by white smoke from the tailpipes. There was an immediate lack of power trying to accelerate again. This continued until the car was at a service shop. The mechanic indicated the engine went from 6 cylinders to 3 cylinders (eco mode) but never recovered. The trouble code was: P3400 means that the powertrain control module (PCM) has detected an abnormality in the cylinder deactivation system for engine bank one. Bank 1 denotes the bank of the engine which contains the number one cylinder. This problems appears to be the same as previously reported by other consumers. Honda needs to investigate and recall the vtc actuators.

- North Vernon, IN, USA

problem #13

Jan 302019

Accord

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Engine makes loud rattle for approximately 2-3 seconds on cold startup. Research indicates that problem could lead to catastrophic engine failure. Honda has acknowledged this as a problem, however is not offering to fix it. Out of pocket cost is around $800, and consumers should not have to pay for this when it is a manufacturer's defect.

- Mishawaka, IN, USA

problem #12

Dec 092018

Accord

  • 111,000 miles
My engine makes a loud rattling sound for 2-3 seconds after a cold start-up, especially after the car sat overnight. After 2-3 seconds, the sound goes away. According to Honda tsb, the vtc actuator is faulty and needs to be replaced to resolve the problem. If left untreated, the timing chain can be stretched which leads to reduced fuel economy and possibly other engine problems. Up to the time of this complaint, Honda has not yet issued any recall for this problem. My Honda dealer quoted me $680 to replace the vtc actuator. My vehicle's warranty has expired so if I want to have it replaced, I will have to pay out of pocket. I really love my Accord. I don't understand why a big auto manufacturer like Honda hasn't done anything, given this is a common problem which happens to many vehicles already.

- Highlands Ranch, CO, USA

problem #11

Mar 162016

Accord

  • 72,000 miles
I just bought a 2011 Accord with 2.4L engine and I notice in the mornings on cold start, my engine makes loud rattle noise for few sec. I did research and lots of people having the same engines. It turn out to be engine timing vtc actuator defected. Honda issued service bulletin for this but refusing to replace this part. This issue should be recall. It cost between 700-900 dollars to replace it. Im about to pay this out of my pocket for something that should be recalled from Honda. Please do something about this issue. Its all over internet people complaining about this. Its happening on most 2.4L engines.

- Galloway, OH, USA

problem #10

Mar 132017

Accord

  • 115,000 miles
Variable valve timing actuator went out and had to be replaced. This was recalled on earlier models. I've seen lots of forums where people with 2010's and 2011's still having this problem. We learned about the problem by researching what the rattling sound could be when we start the car from these forums. The oil light started coming on and the car was losing oil. It started rattling even while driving it or idling at a light. The auto mechanic verified it and we had to pay $900 to have it fixed. If this problem wasn't resolved as Honda says it was then we shouldn't be out the cost to fix it.

- Yale, OK, USA

problem #9

Sep 022015

Accord

  • 108,600 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

The contact owns a 2011 Honda Accord. While driving approximately 20 mph and depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle made a whining noise. The failure occurred each time the vehicle was due for an oil change. The noise stopped when the contact removed his foot from the accelerator pedal. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who stated that the vehicle was low on oil, which caused the timing chain to slip. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure recurred. The manufacturer advised the contact to have an oil consumption test completed. The oil consumption test had not been completed. The approximate failure mileage was 108,600.

- Charlotte, NC, USA

problem #8

Mar 012017

Accord

  • 50,200 miles
I notice two problems with the 2011 Accord V6 exl automatic I just bought. 1. without foot on the accelerator, the car rolls at 10mph speeds. While reversing out of garage this is a big problem. 2. right around 45mph mark, the car lurches forward briefly before it picks up the acceleration. Both these are consistently reproducible in the car I have.

- Chapel Hill, NC, USA

problem #7

Aug 012015

Accord

  • miles
Warranty extension notification: Piston rings that stick together resulting in high motor oil consumption. And default notification in the air bag.

- Coral Gables, FL, USA

problem #6

Sep 172016

Accord

  • 146,000 miles
A design defect that enables oil to enter into engine'X combustion chamber. This leads to premature spark plug degradation and engine malfunction. Essentially, the engine is working much harder than it has to in normal driving conditions. Unfortunately, my daily commute does not consist of climbing through the beautiful rockie mountains, but fighting traffic on I94. Thus the oil consumption should be normal, and yet it's not!!

- Milwaukee, WI, USA

problem #5

Oct 202015

Accord

  • 41,537 miles
My 2011 Honda Accord makes noise on cold starts. On 10/20/15, I picked up my car from Honda service and they explained it as noise from the vtc actuator and stated in writing there is no repair yet available from Honda. I find this unacceptable and I won't buy a Honda again unless they repair this at no charge to avoid any further damage to my vehicle...I have only owned Honda Accord since 1989.

- Wilmington, DE, USA

problem #4

Sep 182014

Accord

  • 61,000 miles
I purchased this vehicle in February 2015. The first thing that I had to fix was the axle ( output shaft ) seal leak which the Honda dealer did not want to repair even though the car only had 62,000. Also, it makes a loud noise in the back when I go over the speed bump which is coming from the suspension. In addition, whenever I took the vehicle to ntb for an oil change. The mechanic told me that the rear main seal needs to be replaced because it is starting to leak motor oil. And again, the Honda dealer does not want to honor the powertrain warranty on my vehicle despite the low mileage it has. Seems like I need to file a lawsuit against them.

- Houston, TX, USA

problem #3

Dec 092014

Accord 6-cyl

  • 20,000 miles
This is the Honda Accord 2011 ex (V6) model. When moving at very slow speeds, say around 2-4 mph, there sometimes is a flat spot, ie no acceleration when stepping on the accelerator pedal., at this point there seems to be a 2 to 3 second hesitation before the care suddenly accelerates and lurches forward. Sometime, when this situation occurs, nothing happens when pressing the accelerator; then the accelerator must be completely released and pressed again, or pumped, to get moving and at some point power suddenly returns and the car lurches forward. This problem seems to occur most often when making a turn, and it is very dangerous when making a left turn as you are sitting almost motionless in the middle of the left lane and oncoming traffic is coming at you and usually moving along briskly. My vehicle, when in this predicament, has not yet been hit by an oncoming car, but there have been some close calls. I have owned this vehicle for 3 years, but live and drive mostly in the suburbs, and this problem occurred infrequently, so I never reported this problem. But lately I have been making daily trips to the city, and this problem occurs every day. It also occurs when waiting at a stop light and then when the light turns green and traffic starts to move, cars start to creep forward at a few mph until it is time to accelerate up to normal traveling speed. And when the creep is very slow, 2-4 mph, and then it is my turn to move out and I hit the gas, I occasionally get the situation as described above. And in this situation I am not making a turn but traveling in a straight line. This is a very dangerous problem!

- Pahrump, NV, USA

problem #2

Jan 012012

Accord 4-cyl

  • 20,000 miles
At approximately 50+ mph the front of the car shakes. This has been going on for almost over an year. I took it to the dealership, said nothing is wrong. It starts to shake so bad that you have to let up on the accelerator and almost stop, before you feel safe enough to continue on. Shaking is the worse for the first 3 miles at the start of the day but never seems to completely goes away.

- Fremont, WI, USA

problem #1

Sep 212011

Accord 6-cyl

  • 1,700 miles
Car hesitates or pauses when accelerating from a stop or from a rolling stop. It frequently happens when making a left or right turn going forward. The engine does not stop but remains in idle mode. Rapid acceleration follows the hesitation.

- Mountain Home, AR, USA

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