Honda Accord 2018–2022Common problems, reliability & repair costs

Symptoms: Rising oil level on the dipstick (above the full mark), gasoline smell in the oil, occasionally rough running or misfires. Almost exclusively reported in cold-weather use and short-trip driving — the engine warms too slowly for fuel that washes past the rings to evaporate back out of the crankcase.

Fix: For most cars the management is cheap: the dealer software update (Honda addressed the sister issue via TSB 19-091-era product updates) plus disciplined 5,000-mile-or-less oil changes. The expensive tail of the range is the rare car that ran diluted oil long enough to wear the bearings — that's an engine. A class-action lawsuit covering 2018–2022 Accord 1.5T cars alleges premature bearing wear from exactly this; Honda has acknowledged the cold-climate mechanism.

Sources: ClassAction.org — Honda oil dilution suit (2018–2022 Accord 1.5T), CarComplaints — Honda oil dilution lawsuit coverage, NHTSA TSB index — Honda oil dilution service bulletin

Symptoms: Check-engine light with misfire codes, jerking or shaking under acceleration, rough idle. Multiple owners report failures shortly after the 3-year/36,000-mile bumper-to-bumper warranty ends — injectors are NOT covered by the 5yr/60k powertrain warranty.

Fix: Replace the failed injector(s); many shops and dealers recommend all four at once since the labor overlaps and the replacement-part warranty is short. Some owners have gotten partial goodwill coverage from Honda when just out of warranty — ask before paying full freight.

Sources: DriveAccord — 2018 1.5T misfire / fuel injector thread, AccordXClub — injector failure at 58k, not covered by 60k warranty

Symptoms: Engine that cranks but won't start, hesitation, or a stall while driving. The Denso pump's low-density impeller absorbs fuel, swells, and jams the pump — the same defect behind Honda's 2.5-million-vehicle Denso recall.

Fix: Free under NHTSA recall 23V-858 — the dealer installs a pump with a higher-density impeller. Check the VIN and get it done; an out-of-pocket pump replacement on a non-covered car runs a few hundred to $900 at an independent shop.

Sources: NHTSA Part 573 recall report 23V-858, Honda service bulletin — 2018–19 Accord fuel pump motor

Symptoms: The automatic emergency braking activates hard with nothing in the car's path — often at highway speed, sometimes repeatedly on the same stretch of road. NHTSA's engineering analysis covers roughly 3 million 2018–2022 Accords and 2017–2022 CR-Vs, with 1,200+ complaints and dozens of crashes logged.

Fix: There is no definitive hardware fix. Dealers apply software updates and recalibrate the front camera/radar, which helps some cars. Know that you can shut CMBS off per-drive via the settings if a car proves prone to it, and factor the open NHTSA investigation into your buying decision.

Sources: Consumer Reports — NHTSA investigates Honda unexpected braking, Carscoops — NHTSA phantom-braking probe expanded to 3M Hondas

Symptoms: Battery dies after the car sits a few days; repeated jump-starts; batteries that test 'good' but keep going flat. Owners and a class-action suit point to parasitic draw (VSA software bug, A/C relay circuit) on top of a small factory battery. Honda issued TSBs, including 19-039 for cars parked for extended periods.

Fix: Have the parasitic draw diagnosed (dealer software updates address the known VSA drain), then replace the battery — many owners upsize from the small factory unit. A battery alone doesn't fix a car with an active draw.

Sources: HondaProblems — battery drain / parasitic draw, AccordXClub — 2019 Accord battery dying fast

Symptoms: Harsh or slamming 2–3 shifts, hesitation then a jolt at low speed, clunks going from park to reverse/drive on an incline, jerky engine braking in stop-and-go traffic.

Fix: Start cheap: software updates and a dealer 'clutch break-in' (C3) procedure resolved it for many owners; a transmission fluid service is sensible on any used example. The expensive end is valve-body or torque-converter work on the minority of cars where the behavior persists or returns. Not a widespread catastrophic failure — the 10AT holds up mechanically — but test-drive for it.

Sources: DriveAccord — 2.0T 10AT rough shifting fixed (break-in procedure), AccordXClub — serious 10-speed issues thread

Tools: Floor jack + jack stands or ramps, 17mm socket or wrench (drain plug), Oil filter wrench (small-diameter cartridge-style cap or strap), Drain pan + funnel

1. Before draining, pull the dipstick: note whether the level sits above the full mark and whether the oil smells like gasoline — that's your dilution check, and it's the whole reason to DIY this on a 1.5T.
2. Warm the engine briefly, raise the car, and drain the oil via the 17mm drain plug into a pan.
3. Replace the oil filter (front of the block, easy access) and reinstall the drain plug with a new crush washer.
4. Refill with 0W-20 full synthetic (~3.7 qt with filter), start the engine, check for leaks, then set the level on the dipstick.
5. Reset the maintenance minder, and log the date/mileage — a paper trail of short intervals protects resale on this engine.

Tools: 10mm socket or wrench, Memory saver (optional but avoids re-doing radio/window settings)

1. Buy the correct group-size battery for your engine — this generation splits by engine, not by year: Group H5 (47) on 1.5T cars, Group H6 (48) on 2.0T cars, Group 51 on Hybrid cars. Many owners fitting a 1.5T or 2.0T replacement go one step up in capacity from the small factory unit given this generation's drain history.
2. With the car off, disconnect the negative terminal first, then the positive, then the hold-down bracket.
3. Swap batteries, reinstall the hold-down, and connect positive first, negative last.
4. Drive the car for 15+ minutes so the systems relearn; expect the windows to need an auto-up reset (hold the switch up for a few seconds).
5. If the new battery also drains when parked for days, stop replacing batteries and have the parasitic draw diagnosed — the known VSA software drain needs a dealer update.

Tools: None (hand tools optional for airbox clips)

1. Open the glovebox, squeeze the sides to drop it past its stops, and pull the cabin-filter cover behind it.
2. Slide out the old cabin filter and insert the new one with the airflow arrow pointing down.
3. Unclip the engine airbox lid, swap the panel filter, and re-clip — on the 1.5T a clean filter matters more than usual since the turbo works the intake harder.