CarComplaints.com Notes: The 2008 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.

10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
41 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
51 / 1
Average Mileage:
40,563 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.

2008 Honda Accord seat belts / air bags problems

seat belts / air bags problem

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2008 Honda Accord Owner Comments (Page 16 of 18)

« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #44

Oct 072013

Accord 4-cyl

  • 44,000 miles

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

Drove into a gas station so my fiancee could buy a beverage our 9 Y/O in back seat with belt on. Fiancee closed door loud boom N my son starts screaming crying I realize once powdery smoke clears that air bags entire side curtain N passenger front seat have gone off thus hitting my 9 year olds in the head he ended up with a concussion and blood behind his ear on the inside I went to Honda. I also called my insurance and Honda berated me in front of their other customers call myself and my fiance a couple of [xxx] my son was in the emergency room and ended up having a cat scan of his brain he ended up missing school for two days now Honda is denying it is their faulty am just quite confused as to how airbag spontaneously deploy when a vehicle is not moving and not in a collision and not driving even and the Honda can say it is not there defect now I have an injured child and the car with about $7,000 damage please help me thank you. Information redacted pursuant to the Freedom Of Information Act (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). Updated 02/25/14

- Milwaukee, WI, USA

problem #43

Sep 202013

Accord 4-cyl

  • 79,300 miles
While walking towards my own vehicle with my 2 year old daughter, my fiance got in the driver side door of our 2008 Honda Accord and closed the door. Right after he shut the door a loud explosion was heard. The side air bag (on the top and within the seat) had deployed. The car wasn't even started at the time. Like everyone else Honda does not find it to be their problem. My insurance is helping me investigate the cause of the deployment since there was no accident. I would really like to know how many times this must have happened before someone other than the consumer is held liable. I do not feel safe putting my daughter in the car if this is possible.

- Guttenberg, NJ, USA

problem #42

Aug 212013

Accord 6-cyl

  • 50,052 miles
I came to a stop and my 15 yr son got out of the car and shut the passenger's side door and the passenger side airbags deployed. He was in a hurry so shut the door hard but I would have never expected the airbags to deploy. Also, my front seat passenger's airbag deployed. I took it to Honda dealership that I purchased it from. They said it was not a manufacturer defect. I filed a claim with my insurance company as instructed by Honda. I then got a call that I was responsible for $100. I have now received a letter from my insurance company that it is a manufacturer defect and they deny my claim.

- Ft. Thomas, KY, USA

problem #41

Sep 072013

Accord

  • 58,022 miles

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

The entire passenger side curtain and passenger side seat airbag deployed when my boyfriend exited the passenger side and shut the door. There was no collision nor outside damage. The airbags just deployed as soon as the door shut. It is obviously a mechanical problem and a safety issue. Honda refuses to cover for the repair.

- San Francisco, CA, USA

problem #40

Aug 252013

Accord

  • 65,000 miles
The contact owns a 2008 Honda Accord. The contact stated that the passenger's side air bag and the side curtain air bag deployed prior to the failure, the passenger's side air bag warning lamp had illuminated sporadically. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who was unable to determine what caused the failure. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The VIN was unavailable. The failure and current mileage was 65,000.

- Tallahassee, FL, USA

problem #39

Aug 012013

Accord

  • 68,000 miles
The contact owns a 2008 Honda Accord. The contact stated that the air bag warning light remained illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer to have a diagnostic performed, however the dealer advised that the supplemental restraining unit system might have needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 68,000 and the current mileage was 70,000.

- Royston , GA, USA

problem #38

Aug 072013

Accord

  • 158,000 miles

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

The contact owns a 2004 Honda Accord. The contact stated that the air bag warning light illuminated intermittently. The manufacturer was not contacted about the failure. The contact was informed by the dealer that the vehicle was not included in NHTSA campaign number 07V001000 (air bags). The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 158,000.

- Augusta, GA, USA

problem #37

May 152012

Accord 4-cyl

  • 84,000 miles
In March 2012 I took the car to a Honda dealer because the SRS light was on. I was told I needed a battery and that should make the light go off. I got a battery about six months later and the light stayed on. I took my car back to the dealer in July 2013 and they said the SRS module is out and would need to be replaced because if I were in an accident the airbags would not deploy.

- Sheridan, AR, USA

problem #36

Jul 032013

Accord 4-cyl

  • 57,300 miles
We were about to begin our vacation trip driving our 2008 Honda Accord 4 door, when my wife got into the drivers seat and my 29 year old son got into the passenger seat. When my son closed the passenger door, the side curtain airbag deployed from the headliner and front passenger seat causing an abrasion to the right forearm of my son. The vehicle was running and in the parked position. I have owned this vehicle for 5 years and 1 month and it has 57,300 miles on it and has never been in any type of accident. Honda was contacted and recommended that I have a Honda dealer evaluate the incident which I did. The Honda dealer told me that their computer indicated that the side curtain air bag deployed, which I already knew. American Honda was contacted and told me that I should contact my insurance company who sent me to their adjuster who examined the car and stated that the airbag deployment was not the result of a collision or comprehensive claim and told me that they would deny my claim for repair. Honda was notified and told me they would not repair the vehicle since it was out of warranty. The estimate for repair is $2500. This is clearly a safety issue. Honda has recalled 800,000 vehicles, many older than mine, for similar airbag problems but not the 2008 Accord.

- Smithtown, NY, USA

problem #35

Oct 102012

Accord

  • 60,000 miles
Passenger side curtain and seat air bags deployed upon exiting the car. No impact has been made on this side of the car.

- Austin, TX, USA

problem #34

May 092013

Accord 4-cyl

  • 47,000 miles

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

The contact owns a 2008 Honda Accord. The contact stated while driving 25 mph, the contact crashed into the drivers side of another vehicle after it ran a traffic light. None of the air bags deployed. A police report was filed and both drivers sustained injuries. The vehicle was destroyed. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure and current mileage was 47,000.

- Chicago , IL, USA

problem #33

May 072013

Accord

  • 90,000 miles
The contact owns a 2008 Honda Accord. The contact stated that while driving 25 mph, the passenger's side air bag and the side curtain air bag deployed suddenly. The contact was not injured from the deployment. The contact called a dealer, who stated that there was nothing they could do regarding the erroneous deployment of the air bags. The contact called the manufacturer and the manufacturer stated that they would send a case manager to further investigate. The failure mileage was 90,000.

- Dorchester, MA, USA

problem #32

Apr 072013

Accord

  • 60,000 miles
The contact owns a 2008 Honda Accord. The contact stated that after a passenger exited the vehicle, the driver's side air bag deployed inadvertently. The vehicle was taken to a dealer for diagnosis but no cause for the failure was determined. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure and current mileage was 60,000.

- Brooklyn, NY, USA

problem #31

Feb 192013

Accord

  • 70,500 miles
I purchased my 2008 Honda Accord brand new and I have had no accidents. Approximately 1 weeks ago my SRS light remained on after starting my engine and has remained on since. I took my vehicle in for an inspection today at my local Honda dealership and they told me that it detected a code in which there was an internal failure of the SRS unit. This would require me to replace the unit at a cost of $402.78 as this was not covered under warranty. How can a vehicle that is 5 years old and no prior accidents already have a system failure regarding the airbags? I feel this is a safety issue, I have had no accident, the SRS unit should carry a lifetime warranty.

- Homestead, FL, USA

problem #30

Jan 232013

Accord 4-cyl

  • 59,000 miles
Subject: Sudden unintended acceleration at about 9:25 pm, on Wednesday January 23, 2013 I was parked in the North parking lot of the vienna metro station, in fairfax, Virginia, awaiting arrival of my wife. I had parked in the first parking space, across from the waiting area in front of the metro station entrance. When I saw my wife emerge from the entrance of the metro station, I started my car and shifted to drive. The engine suddenly revved up and the car lunged forward, accelerating at high speed and out of control. I remember reacting by applying the brakes with all my might and engaging the hand brake without much effect.the car lunged forward about 100 feet and hit a concrete barrier which smashed the front and engine and totaled the vehicle. Luckily there were no other cars or pedestrians in the vicinity otherwise there would have been more severe consequences. When I regained consciousness, I had been transported to the fairfax hospital and had suffered severe trauma to the neck, throat, larynx and mouth area and was bleeding from a cut on the chin. Two days of intense examination at the hospital and several follow-up medical exams found no evidence of any physical or medical condition that could have possibly contributed to the accident. It must be noted that I did not receive any citation for the accident from the fairfax police.

- Fairfax, VA, USA

problem #29

Mar 212012

Accord 4-cyl

  • 15,000 miles
With the car turned off the driver's side curtain airbag and seat airbag deployed after I shut the door. I can site at least 30 posts on NHTSA's website where this has happened and there is certain to be thousands more. This is a very expensive fix that neither american Honda co. Nor most insurance companies will not fix. Those with the airbag problem are now driving around with deployed airbags due to a manufacturer defect that Honda refuses to fix. I am hoping to join a class action lawsuit against Honda because they have ignored this personal security concern. I would like to see NHTSA take a stance on this.

- Kenner, LA, USA

problem #28

Jan 192013

Accord 6-cyl

  • 48,000 miles
I rear ended a truck at 45mph, car did not deploy air bags.

- Arlington , VA, USA

problem #27

Dec 282012

Accord 4-cyl

  • 59,060 miles
My vehicle was in park, I was in the driver seat and I had a passenger. The passenger exited the vehicle and shut the passenger door and passenger side airbags deployed unexpectedly. There was no collision and no damage other than the damage that the airbags caused. I got my car home and called my insurance. The insurance had the car towed to an auto body shop for inspection. Upon inspection, they found no reason for the airbags to deploy other than the possibility of a faulty control module. The auto body shop confirmed that there was not damage to the vehicle that would cause this incident. I contacted Honda America. I had the car towed to a Honda dealership where Honda and my insurance company sent a representative out to do an inspection. My insurance confirmed that there was not damage that would have caused the airbags to deploy but Honda is saying that my vehicle has frame damage that would have caused this incident but Honda will not provide me with a report of their findings. After research, there have been numerous 2008 Honda Accord with this same airbag problem that Honda will not recognize or agree to fix. I am stuck with a car that has significant damage and decreased value because of a faulty Honda part. Please help.

- Thornton, CO, USA

problem #26

Oct 312012

Accord 6-cyl

  • 110,000 miles
I struck a vehicle that had stopped suddenly in front of me. I was able to decelerate to about 30 mph before the collision. Driver's front air bag deployed with such force, or with such incorrect timing, that I sustained a complete and partially displaced fracture of the sternum. In searching the medical literature, this is an injury usually associated with not wearing a seat belt, which I was, or with striking the steering wheel, which I did not. There had been no prior illumination of air bag warning lights, other than the test illuminations when the car is started.

- Branchville, NJ, USA

problem #25

Oct 132012

Accord 4-cyl

  • 55,900 miles
I purchased my 2008 Honda Accord brand new and I have had no accidents. Approximately 2 weeks ago my SRS light remained on after starting my engine and has remained on since. I took my vehicle in for an inspection today at my local Honda dealership and they told me that it detected a code in which there was an internal failure of the SRS unit. This would require me to replace the unit at a cost of $455.15 as this was not covered under warranty. How can a vehicle that is 4 years old with less than 60,000 miles and no prior accidents already have a system failure regarding the airbags?

- Long Beach, CA, USA

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