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NHTSA DATA · 2000–2026 MODEL YEARS
Honda Accord engine noise: what owners report
11,119 complaints to NHTSA, sorted: where the trouble is, which sounds owners describe, at what mileage, and what the manufacturer told its dealers. Then check your own Accord by sound, free.
The Honda Accord has 11,119 owner complaints on file with NHTSA for the 2000–2026 model years. In 13% of them (1,396) the engine or the transmission is named. The system named most often is electrical system (1,005 complaints). Owners most often describe grinding (189), rattling (144) and knocking (59). The median mileage on an engine or transmission complaint is 86,000 miles. NHTSA lists 167 manufacturer service bulletins that touch the engine or the transmission and 4 engine or transmission recall campaigns (of 47 in total). These are counts of unverified consumer reports, not failure rates.
NHTSA data through October 2026. Counted by PulsCar, updated 2026-11-09.
13%
of complaints name the engine or the transmission (1,396)
11,119
owner complaints to NHTSA, 2000–2026
86,000
median miles when an engine or transmission complaint is filed
167
service bulletins on engine or transmission
4
engine or transmission recalls (of 47)
Where owners say the problem is
Systems named in the complaints. One complaint can name several.
Electrical system
1,005
Engine
939
Steering
747
Transmission and drivetrain
417
Brakes
358
Fuel and propulsion
285
The sounds they describe
How often each word appears in the written complaints. The bigger the bubble, the more owners used it.
Grinding189
Rattling144
Knocking59
Humming55
Shuddering37
Clunking33
Ticking28
Whining25
Also written about: stalling (515) and misfiring (297).
What each sound points to
Among the complaints that use a word, how many name each system. This is how owners connect a sound to a part, not a diagnosis.
enginetransmissionbrakessteeringsuspensionelectrical system
“grind” 189
40%
14%
14%
4%
3%
37%
“rattle” 144
69%
13%
2%
6%
7%
4%
“knock” 59
47%
8%
7%
14%
3%
12%
“hum” 55
9%
5%
2%
5%
7%
16%
“shudder” 37
41%
22%
8%
8%
0%
3%
“clunk” 33
3%
12%
12%
39%
48%
3%
Hover a cell. Each row: the complaints that use that word, and the systems the same owners name.
Complaints by model year
Last 15 model years. Older cars had more time to collect complaints: read it as a map, not a ranking.
’12
’13
’14
’15
’16
’17
’18
’19
’20
’21
’22
’23
’24
’25
’26
2018 model year: 1,884 complaints (the most)
At what mileage
Engine and transmission complaints, by the mileage on the car when it was filed.
26%
34%
27%
14%
Under 50,000 miles · 26%50,000 to 100,000 miles · 34%100,000 to 150,000 miles · 27%Over 150,000 miles · 14%
713 engine and transmission complaints state a mileage. Median: 86,000 miles.
Official records
Manufacturer service bulletins and recall campaigns on file with NHTSA. Tap a line to read it.
SERVICE BULLETINS · WHAT HONDA TOLD DEALERS
167of 751 on engine or transmission, 2015–2026
Engine and cooling · 65Engine · 55Automatic transmission · 20Powertrain · 18Exhaust system · 6
This lets the vane turn within the housing, causing a short rattle at startup.
Bulletin A18010F · 2018-01-29
The problem is typically diagnosed as a bad torque converter american Honda investigated the judder and found that the torque converter was not causing the judder and the transmission is not damaged…
Bulletin A17-017 · 2017-06-29
Keep in mind simply replacing the vtc actuator using current parts stock won t fix this rattle if it s only heard under these conditions.
Bulletin A15110E · 2017-05-23
The issues covered are still being addressed do you have a vehicle that makes an engine rattle for 1 to 2 seconds when started after a cold overnight soak below 32 f? This rattle is most likely…
Bulletin ATS150301 · 2017-05-22
A service bulletin is a manufacturer’s instruction to dealers. It is not a recall and not a finding about any particular car.
RECALLS ON THE ENGINE OR TRANSMISSION
4of 47 recall campaigns
The affected vehicles were originally sold, or ever registered, in Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New…
Campaign 25V422000
The drive shafts were assembled with a lubricant that may have degraded the drive shafts' protective coating, making it more susceptible to damage from road salt or other contaminants, and potentially cause it to break.
Campaign 20V769000
The affected vehicles may have been assembled with improperly torqued connecting rod bolts, which can cause the engine to lose power or leak oil.
Campaign 15V121000
The outer race of the secondary shaft bearing may be broken during certain driving styles a broken outer race may cause abnormal noise, the malfunction indicator light to turn on, and allow contact between the transmission idle…
Campaign 11V395000
Check any VIN for open recalls free at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
In NHTSA complaints about the Honda Accord, owners most often describe grinding (189 complaints), rattling (144 complaints) and knocking (59 complaints). These are word counts in written complaints, not confirmed faults, and one complaint can use several words.
When a Honda Accord makes a grind noise, what do owners say it is?
Among the 189 Honda Accord complaints that use the word “grind”, 40% also name the engine and 37% also name the electrical system. It shows how owners connect the sound to a part of the car; it is not a diagnosis.
At what mileage do Honda Accord engine and transmission complaints appear?
Of 713 Honda Accord engine and transmission complaints that state a mileage, 34% were filed between 50,000 and 100,000 miles, and the median is 86,000 miles.
Has Honda issued service bulletins or recalls for the Accord engine or transmission?
According to NHTSA, 167 service bulletins touch the engine or the transmission (2015–2026) and 4 of its 47 recall campaigns concern the engine or the transmission. A service bulletin is an instruction from the manufacturer to its dealers; it is not a recall and not a finding about any particular car. Check any VIN for open recalls free at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Can a sound check diagnose my Accord?
No. A sound check is not a diagnosis, because nobody has opened your engine. PulsCar’s free check analyses 30 seconds of audio and tells you what to ask a mechanic.
Check your Accord by sound
Film the engine for 30 seconds, idling, hood open. Two independent AI engines analyse the sound and you see the result on screen: a health score, the systems the sound can speak about and what to ask a mechanic.
What this data can and cannot tell you. NHTSA complaints are unverified consumer reports. These are counts, not rates: we do not know how many Honda Accord cars were sold or driven, so a higher count does not mean a worse car. A sound check is not a diagnosis, nobody has opened your engine. Data: NHTSA public database (nhtsa.gov), counted by PulsCar.
Safety first. If the engine overheats, the oil light is on or the car loses power while driving, stop and call a mechanic.