CarComplaints.com Notes: The 2013-2014 Honda Accord is showing signs of an electrical problem with the starter failing soon after the 36K mile warranty expires. It's compounded by reports that the OEM battery doesn't have sufficient amps to start the V6 reliably after a year or two.

For now we are rating this problem with the "Beware" seal because it's occurring so soon after the 36K mile warranty expires. The upshot is when your Accord won't start, that's never good, but especially bad when it's just a few years old.

Also once again, owners are complaining that the 2013 Honda Accord seats are uncomfortable. Uncomfortable seats has been a significant complaint with the Accord since the 2008 model year.

10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
8 / 5
Injuries / Deaths:
6 / 0
Average Mileage:
36,655 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.

2013 Honda Accord electrical problems

electrical problem

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2013 Honda Accord Owner Comments (Page 17 of 18)

« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #36

Nov 062014

Accord

  • 2,000 miles

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

My daughters 2013 Honda Accord has been parked for approximately 2 weeks without being driven. About 2 days ago I noticed all the windows were down and sunroof open, and last week my husband noticed the trunk was open. Yesterday and last night the alarm kept going of and lights flashing, F at first we thought it was the wind. But it contiunued throughout the night. At one point the headlights would not turn off. My husband thought it was the battery so he tried to charge the battery but it would not charge and at one point all of the interior electrical lights even on the drivers console began blinking constantly.

- Camp Springs, MD, USA

problem #35

Oct 092013

Accord 6-cyl

  • 37,500 miles
On October 9 2013 I had gotten up to go to work, as I got up to go to work that morning I noticed that the seat. Did not move up ward. I started to drive to work but I was uncomfortable in my seating position. So as I went to readjust the seat the who seat slammed to the floor of the car. And I felt like a lower whiplash to my lower back and spine. The seat fell back as I was driving and adjusting the seat I also turned my steering wheel almost into the on coming traffic and person next to me. I regained control of my car but now I was sitting on the lowest level of the seats position. I pulled over because my lower back was hurting and looked at the seat. Nothing had been tampered or touched. I then manually put the seat back into its upper position since it now no longer could adjust with the electronic control. Forward, and back and down you could still move but upward no more. Again got back in my car only now to just move forward a few mph the seat again fell back due to the forward motion of the car and gravity. I took this to the Honda because it is a serious issue to shockley Honda only for them to say that it was out of warranty and wanted to charge me $120 to just look at the issue. And then to tell me it will take $1200 to fix it! so safety is not a concern only profit. I since have to put a box under the seat to keep it from sliding back and from hurting my back further more. But time to time the box moved and the seat continues to slide back and further injury to my back or if not address could cause further injury to others due to loss of control of the car. I do not want to drive this car but I have to drive because it is still a car to get me to work.

- Frederick , MD, USA

problem #34

Jul 192013

Accord 4-cyl

  • 2,000 miles
My center console has been getting stuck. The screen itself gets stuck in reverse and has now the side camera has gotten stuck as well. The bluetooth is also messing up and the usb messed up my phone. There is something majorly wrong with the electrical in my car. It all started when I would start my car and the radio would switch to the cd player and I wouldn't touch anything. Then the backup camera screen would get stuck and now the side camera and now the bluetooth. I'm done! this is my 4th Accord out of 5 cars. I know a lot about cars and this isn't right. It has been to the dealership numerous times and they have updated it and said it would be fixed and it isn't. fix the thing or lemon law it. It's going back into the shop tonight, so lets see!

- Lake Katrine, NY, USA

problem #33

Sep 022014

Accord 6-cyl

  • 34,450 miles

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

The vehicle steering simply 'shut-down', or locked-up out of nowhere. It appears the power steering system simply failed. I was only able to regain control of the steering by bringing the vehicle to a full stop in order to turn it off and then restart it... as though I were rebooting a crashed computer! the issue repeated itself three times the next day, once while driving at full speed on a public street. We resolved to stop driving it, but by reflex I took it out the third consecutive day only to have the issue recur twice, thankfully none of these failures occurred while we were executing a turn, otherwise we may have crashed into something or someone, as some of the other complaints describe. I have now put the vehicle into storage until Honda addresses the issue definitively, as others describe dealership diagnoses across the board, with virtually all admitting the issue was unresolved, even after repair or replacement of the diagnosed component(s). Whether I simply have a lemon, or this is a recall issue in the making, I do not yet know, but what I do know is that this appears to be a very serious safety issue rendering the vehicle too dangerous to drive.

- Jacksonville, FL, USA

problem #32

Sep 012014

Accord 4-cyl

  • 13,000 miles
It's been over 2 moths and 5 visit to dealer still got same problem car is Honda Accord 2013 and it's smart start car won't start sometimes it takes 20 min 40-50 try to start the car lost of same year Honda owners are having same exact problem you can see it in google search or youtube dealer always told us the car got no problem but were having same problem 2-3 times a day we get stuck every where we go since car does not start.

- Glendale, CA, USA

problem #31

Aug 222014

Accord 4-cyl

  • miles
On Jan 24th, 2013 I took my car to the Honda dealership for a problem with my power steering. The eps (electric power steering) system indicator came on and off several times and lost power steering during those times. The problem has been intermittent. The Honda dealership tried to fix the problem 3 times. On Feb 5th, 2013 the intermittent power steering problem seemed to be fixed. Then on Aug 21st, 2014 the power steer problem started again. I returned to the Honda dealership and Honda tried again to fix the intermittent power steering problem. On Aug 22nd, I drove my Honda Accord out of the dealership and had to turn around and bring it back because the cars' eps (electric power steering) system indicator light came on and off again and I lost power steering during that time. I'm now waiting to see if the intermittent power steering problem can be found and fixed. Since I bought my car the smart entry system indicator light has turned on and off intermittently without an adverse effect that I know of. I know an intermittent problem is hard diagnose and fix but I'm starting have less and less confidence in Honda the company that manufactured my car..updated 11/03/14

- Slidell, LA, USA

problem #30

Jul 132014

Accord 4-cyl

  • 7,500 miles

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

While driving to Chicago (2 hours away) with my wife and 11 year old my maintenance minder light came on to tell me it was time to get an oil change. Since it was a Sunday I couldn't take it in. I couldn't make an appointment until 7/16 to get in for an oil change. On 7/16 I sat in my car to go home, but my dash lights were all lit up. Brakes, electric steering, ABS, check engine, my speedometer wasn't working and many more lights remained on. I called the dealer and they told me it was safe to drive it over to them although I heard a grinding sound, my brakes were soft and my steering wheel was very stiff. I went very slow since my speedometer or mileage wasn't working at all. The next morning my dealer called and claimed that a rodent was the culprit who chewed on some main wiring harness of the entire car. I find this hard to believe because why didn't it happen after the oil light came 2 days before" why didn't my wife's SUV get affected by this? this is a huge quality control issue that Honda needs to fix. What would have happened if all of these lights came on while I was driving my family on the highway"

- Pewaukee, WI, USA

problem #29

Jun 032013

Accord

  • miles
False low tire pressure indication. Honda Accord owned for 12 months, less than 12,000 miles, I have received a low tire pressure indication for the fourth time. The previous three times, before taking my Accord to the dealership, I checked the tire pressure. All four tire pressures are within recommended settings. After receiving my vehicle after service, the service department reports all four tire pressures are low. The last time the service manager indicates the tires need to be re-inflated every 2 - 3 thousand miles. Continued false indications is as much as a safety issue as the indicator not working at all.

- Ewa Beach, HI, USA

problem #28

May 082014

Accord 4-cyl

  • 13,500 miles
I recently had a very serious issue with my 2013 Honda Accord regarding unintended acceleration. While pulling into a parking spot at a garden nursery I applied the brakes but they did not respond in anyway, the engine then revved up making a loud noise, the car lunged forward over several railroad tie barriers, bushes, hit a truck that was parked in the lot and came to rest in a mulch pile. Luckily the truck and mulch stopped the car and I was able to put it into park and turn it off. There is considerable amount of damage to the side of my car and the property of the nursery. This happened on May 8, 2014 at 5:00 pm. It was a gravel parking lot, dry sunny day. This Honda was purchased new in 2013 and is a 4cyl with cvt transmission and has approximately 13,000 miles. The car had to be towed to the dealership where it sits now waiting for a Honda representative to investigate this issue. It was a blessing that no one was standing in front of my car. Much of my decision to purchase a Honda was because of reliability and safety; however, I do not feel safe driving this vehicle. This is my first Honda and I am thoroughly disappointed and alarmed after this incident.

- Louisville, KY, USA

problem #27

May 032014

Accord

  • 18,000 miles
Pulling into a parking space, stopped before I could put the car into park, the vehicle lunged forward into a brick wall before stopping. Prior to this incident on 4/28/14 the windshield was replaced due to a crack in the windshield after this the ldw (lane warning device) didn't function properly. 4/30/14 another windshield was installed and the ldw did not function properly. I was told to have the camera on the rear view mirror recalibrated, before I could have this service performed the accident occurred.

- Nashville, TN, USA

problem #26

Mar 122014

Accord 4-cyl

  • 1,000 miles

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

With the keyless entry I was able to leave the car in gear, turn the car off and start to leave the car when it started rolling downhill. I have done this several times when exiting the car quickly. The car does give a slight beep, but not enough notification for me to realize that I am not in park. Our previous car had a key and if I forgot to put it in park, the car could not be turned off letting me know right away what I had done. I am concerned that this has certainly happened to other people and should be looked at as a major flaw to the keyless entry systems.

- Gregory, MI, USA

problem #25

Apr 052014

Accord 4-cyl

  • 8,200 miles
While coming to a stop in my parking spot, I applied the brake and the vehicle suddenly accelerated, with engine surge /loud noise and there were no brakes...... car plowed over parking spot barrier, into shrubs, balcony beam and neighbor's screened patio. There is considerable damage to my vehicle, shrubs, neighbor's patio and my balcony. This was a terrifying event. Investigations by insurance co and mechanic are pending at this time.

- St Petersburg, FL, USA

problem #24

Mar 122014

Accord 6-cyl

  • 4,500 miles
Two months after the purchase, the navi went out on the vehicle. The navi was repaired; however, March 3rd, the back-up camera went dark on the screen; after several attempts it worked again. Mar 8-10th, I drove the vehicle with no problems. Mar 11th, I worked from home; the vehicle was not moved during the entire time. The vehicle keys remained on the kitchen table. Tuesday, Mar 11th, at 3:00A.M. (spouse moved his vehicle to the street) the vehicle windows were all closed. I reiterate, the keys were on the table and the windows to the vehicle were all closed. Mar 12th, 7:00, on my way to work, I noticed first that the driver side window was completely rolled down and rain had poured in. When I opened the car door, I was amazed to see that all of the windows were down and the sun roof completely open. I've never even opened all the windows at the same time since owning the vehicle. Shortly after driving the car, all the system lights came on and fds failed was displayed on the dashboard indicator. I called Honda, informed them of the problem and then drove the vehicle to the dealership. I was later informed by the service assistant that both boxes (I'm guessing electrical boxes) had a substantial amount of water in them, shorting out the system. Honda is seemingly comfortable with shifting the cause of the problem, e.g., that I probably...left the windows open, pressed all three buttons on the automatic key (didn't even know you could do this) or maybe had the keys in my purse and something pushed all three buttons simultaneously. In short, the window as well as who knows other parts were affected by a malfunction in the electrical system.

- Stone Mountain, GA, USA

problem #23

Oct 182013

Accord

  • 2,975 miles
While driving at approx. 10mph, I pressed the engine start/stop switch and it shut the engine down completely. After applying my brakes and coming to a full stop, I put the transmission back into park and it started automatically back up. This event should be investigated by Honda and a safety interface designed and installed to prevent this from happening at full highway speeds possibly resulting in a serious and deadly accident asap. The engine start/stop switch is located approximately 2 inches away from the air conditioning temperature control up and down button switches. The depression of the start/stop switch could occur while driving attempting to control the temperature of the air conditioning.

- Pahrump, NV, USA

problem #22

Jan 242014

Accord 4-cyl

  • 19,000 miles
Vehicle does not start easily. 3-5 ignition attempts are needed to start it every time. However, once it starts everything seems fine. The battery was checked by the dealer and found to be fine. The problem is not cold related as it occurs even at 40 F.

- Sioux Falls, SD, USA

problem #21

Feb 262013

Accord 4-cyl

  • 200 miles
My wife had placed her fob in her purse & placed the purse in the trunk. When I started to drive the car (with my fob in my pocket), the trunk opened. I pulled over into a parking lot, closed the trunk & started driving. Again the trunk opened, I pulled over, closed the trunk & began driving. The trunk again opened, I pulled over & my wife realized that her purse was in the trunk with the fob in it & that might have been the problem. She removed her purse, we started driving & the trunk stayed closed. We did not recognize it as a safety issue at the time but have since realized that if an item had flown from the trunk into the path of a following car, it might have caused an accident.

- Amsterdam, NY, USA

problem #20

Nov 032013

Accord 4-cyl

  • 7,000 miles
While driving, my fcw and ldw lights came on and system failure was flashing in the middle of my speedometer. Pulled over turned car off and back on, warning lights still flashing. Dealers service department was closed (it was a Sunday evening). The next day, started the car and the warning lights were no longer flashing. On Tuesday, the tire pressure warning light comes on as I am driving, followed by the fcw and ldw lights and system failure was flashing again. Car has been at the dealership for 2 days now and they called and told me all of the failure was due to low tire pressure. But, I had just had my tires rotated at that dealership the Wednesday before.

- Elk Grove, CA, USA

problem #19

Mar 282013

Accord

  • 3,111 miles
Dealer did a recall update of audio system in March 2013 to repair defects in audio system. This update immediately began to interfere with the car's cell phone blue tooth connection causing loss of pairing, loss of speed dials, etc. I have contacted the dealer and Honda factory representative repeatedly. The only response I get is they are working on a solution. Spoke to Honda engineering several times. They offered two suggestions which did not solve the problem. Recently I spoke to engineering and their suggestion this time concerns me. I was told that shifting the car out of park before the phone pairs seems to cause the phone failure and if I delay until the phones syncs that appears to be an remedy. When I asked if this was the permanent solution I was told no but now they know what is causing the problem and they will have a fix soon. I an concerned because what would shifting out of park have to do with my phone connecting to the car. If Honda is using a system that is so integrated that a failure of the phone system ties in with shifting out of park what other potential failure was caused by the March update of a radio " could that update also affect the transmission, engine or braking system? Honda has known about my problem, there are many others with the same problem, since March and they claim they have been working on a solution since then. Could it be the problem is more severe then Honda will admit" in the mean time I own a car with a defect that is unsellable and one that could also be potentially very dangerous. My fear is that many car owners will just write off this system failure as no big deal and will use their car phones minus the hands free blue tooth. If so they could be driving a car which has been impaired in other ways, possibly with a defective safety system that resulted from Honda's audio update.

- Springfield, PA, USA

problem #18

Oct 262012

Accord 6-cyl

  • miles
2013 Honda Accord. Consumer writes in regards to vehicle software issues and seeks a new vehicle at no cost to them. Consumer states vehicle is a lemon law issue. The consumer stated the dealer was unable to repair or correct any of the non-conformities after a reasonable number of repairs over a ten month period. The problem with the TPMS persisted from the second week ownership. The pressure light problem would come on at random times on a monthly basis. After ten months, Honda stated it was a software problem, and they did not know when the software update would be available.

- Masury, OH, USA

problem #17

Sep 152013

Accord

  • 12,000 miles
The contact owns a 2013 Honda Accord. The contact stated that while driving approximately 20 mph, all of the warning indicators illuminated on the dashboard unexpectedly. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and the mechanic stated that a screw had chipped an electrical wire. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified. The failure mileage was 12,000. The VIN was not available.

- Little Elm, TX, USA

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