The 2019 Honda Accord earned perfect five stars in every category in the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s crash tests, plus a Top Safety Pick award from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. But, persistent electrical issues are worth looking for when test driving.
- The 2019 Honda Accord has been recalled twice for low pressure fuel pump failure.
- An investigation is currently underway for issues with the car’s forward collision avoidance system.
- An early recall addressed issues with the body control module resulting in issues like buggy window switches, windshield wipers, and door locks. But, electrical complaints continue to roll in since the recall was issued.
- The car earned a perfect crash-test score from the NHTSA and a nearly perfect score from the IIHS.
- In total, there are three recalls, one open investigation, and 253 complaints on file for the 2019 Honda Accord.
Fuel Pump Failure Leads to a Pair of Recalls
The 2019 Honda Accord has been included in a pair of fuel pump recalls cover more than a half million Honda units in total. The first of these recalls was issued in early 2020 for over 135,000 units, and the second in early 2021 for over 624,000 units.
Both of these recalls were for the low pressure fuel pump. The low pressure pump is tasked with moving fuel out of the tank and into the engine, whereas the high pressure pump administers fuel to the combustion system, feeding the cylinders.
The symptoms are roughly the same whether it’s the high or low pressure fuel pump acting up. Your engine is going to be starved for fuel, it’s going to sputter, stall, and lose locomotive power, and, if you leave the problem unaddressed, you’re going to have debris moving through the system and causing long-term engine damage.
A driver reported in late 2022 that they drove about 10,000 miles after getting the pump replaced, only to need a second replacement pump installed. Another driver reports that their fuel pump failed despite their car not being included in the recall. So this issue may not be resolved just yet.
The 2019 Accord is Currently Under Investigation for Forward Collision Avoidance Glitches
The NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation reports a total of 278 complaints, with 107 of these coming from Accord owners, regarding the Forward Collision Avoidance system used in the car. Six of these complaints report collisions resulting in minor injuries.
Drivers are reporting that they experience sudden unintended braking, resulting in speed reduction or the car coming to a total halt, despite there being no obstacles in the path of the vehicle. At the very least, this is a major inconvenience. Quite frequently, it’s a safety hazard.
It’s easy to imagine your vehicle being rear-ended by the car behind you when your Accord decides to hit the brakes out of nowhere. Even if you can avoid something like that happening, you’re likely to be thrown against the steering wheel or dashboard as a result of sudden braking.
The still-active investigation was opened in early 2022, and there have been no recalls issued for the matter just yet. But, because of the frequency, and the potential severity, of the issue, you shouldn’t be surprised to see the NHTSA sending Accord owners a notice in the near future.
Electrical Issues Persist Despite Software Recall
Over 737,000 Hondas were recalled in late 2020 for an issue with the body control software. The body control module is the part that handles things like the rearview camera, the windshield wipers, exterior lighting, defrosters, and other non-engine-related electrical features.
A fidgety body control module can result in any number of electrical issues, and we’ve got the complaints to prove it. One driver reports that their door locks are uncooperative. Another driver complains that they’re having problems with the battery charging system. There are also complaints for warning lights engaging for no reason.
Complaints have continued to pour in well past the 2020 recall date, suggesting that either the recall was incomplete, or some drivers didn’t get the notice, or, there may be some other issue with the electrical system beyond the software issue, such as rats chewing through the soy-based wiring.
There are fewer than fifty electrical complaints in total, so this problem hasn’t exactly reached epidemic proportions. But, because electrical issues have persisted since the recall, this is something to keep an eye out for when you take the car on a test drive.
You Could Do A Lot Worse Than the 2019 Accord, Despite Incomplete Recalls
The 2019 Honda Accord’s biggest concern is not that the problems being reported, recalled, and investigated are so severe, but that the recalls don’t always result in an end to the problem. While the car is more reliable than most on the road today, it can be worrying to know that repairs might not stick.
That said, the rate of incidence is pretty low across the board. Whether we’re talking about fidgety rearview displays or glitchy forward collision avoidance, the chances of actually being affected by the problem are pretty slim, making the 2019 Accord an easy car to drive in confidence.
