Looking for a spacious yet nimble sedan for your next vehicle purchase? A pre-owned Honda Accord might be a suitable choice. With seating for up to five passengers and an available V6 engine on some models, this car is offered in both four-door sedan and two-door coupe body styles.
Are there any known problems with the Honda Accord starter?
While no formal recalls have been issued on the Accord’s starter, there have been documented complaints about such issues as:
- Faulty starters
- Needing multiple attempts to start the engine
- Push-button-start defects
In this article, we’ll cover these commonly reported Honda Accord starter issues, as well as possible repairs and remedies to help guide your next vehicle purchase.
More about the Honda Accord Starter
Depending on the specific model year you’re looking at, the Honda Accord is available with both a traditional key/ignition starter and a push-to-start button. The advantage of having a push-to-start vehicle is that you don’t need to take your keys out to start the car.
Both starter types work in more-or-less the same way. When you turn the key in the ignition or depress the push-to-start button, the starter motor should be energized. From there, a rod is extended to engage with a pinion gear, which ultimately turns the engine over and allows the car to run.
Common Problems with the Honda Accord Starter
2013 Honda Accord: Faulty Starter
NHTSA Complaint IDs: 11329512, 11280568
Numerous formal complaints have been filed regarding a faulty starter on the 2013 Honda Accord. In one complaint filed in June of 2020, the owner of a 2013 Accord claims that the starter has failed on three separate occasions—and that it always occurs specifically on a cold start.
In a similar complaint filed with the NHTSA, another owner of a 2013 Accord reports that the issue with the starter first began in 2017 when the vehicle began to have a difficult time starting. After taking the car to a dealership, the starter was replaced.
However, the vehicle continued to have the same issues, sometimes taking several attempts to get the car started. Even with numerous attempts to have repairs made by certified mechanics, the owner claims that the issue has not been resolved.
2014 Honda Accord: Engine not Starting Right Away
NHTSA Complaint IDs: 11348430, 11339714
Several complaints also mention issues with the 2014 Honda Accord’s starter. One formal complaint filed with the NHTSA in August of 2020 reports that when the push-to-start button is pressed, the dashboard lights come on, but the engine does not start.
Sometimes, it takes up to six tries before the engine will actually engage.
Another NHTSA complaint filed in July of 2020 mentions similar issues with the starter intermittently not working.
This owner reports that putting the car in “Neutral” before starting it sometimes works, but not always.
2015 Honda Accord: Push-Button Start Not Working
NHTSA Complaint ID: 11331011, 11330591
Numerous complaints have been filed regarding the 2015 Accord’s push-button start system. In one NHTSA complaint, the owner of a 2015 Accord claims that there was a “clicking and grinding sound” coming from the vehicle when the push-to-start button was pressed.
In a similar complaint, another 2015 Accord owner mentions that the vehicle makes a clicking noise but refuses to start. In this case, the issue was diagnosed as a bad starter, and the owner claims the part is going to cost $400 plus labor to install.
Several reviews on Vehicle History also mention issues with the 2015 Accord’s starter. This includes one review from Briar Weir, who claims the starter began having trouble when the vehicle had just 10,000 miles on it. Even after replacing the starter, the owner reports that the issue is not resolved.
What is Honda Doing About its Starter Issues?
While no recall was issued for these starter issues, a class-action lawsuit was filed against Honda in 2017. The lawsuit alleged that Honda should provide extended warranty coverage for starter-related issues. Unfortunately, the case was thrown out by a judge in November of 2017.
Still, if your Accord is covered under Honda’s warranty, you may be able to have your starter replaced or serviced at no cost to you. Otherwise, you can typically expect to spend between $344 and $562 to have a new starter installed on your car.
