# Honda Accord Generations: Best & Worst Years | CarCaseFile Canonical: https://carcasefile.com/vehicles/honda-accord/ > Every Honda Accord generation on one page: reliability scores, best and worst years, the #1 documented problem, and what it costs to fix. Nameplate file · HONDA-ACCORD · 5 generations # Honda Accord Every generation's case, one page All 5 generations of the Honda Accord on one page: reliability scores, best and worst years, the #1 documented problem for each, and what it costs to fix at an independent shop. Generation comparison HONDA-ACCORD | Generation | Score | Avoid | Worst-problem cost | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 7th gen · 2003–2007 | 7/10 | 2003–2004 automatics (transmission-failure risk, worst on V6 +1 more | $0 | | 8th gen · 2008–2012 | 7/10 | 2008–2010 V6 with no VCM/oil-consumption fix history +1 more | $300–$4,000 | | 9th gen · 2013–2017 Strongest case | 8/10 | 2013 (first model year, most electrical/starter/battery comp +1 more | $200–$400 | | 10th gen · 2018–2022 | 7/10 | 2018 (highest complaint volume of the generation: first-year +1 more | $0–$900 | | 11th gen · 2023–2026 Strongest case | 8/10 | 2023: not a true avoid, but it's the first year and carries | $0 | [How we score →](https://carcasefile.com/methodology/) 01 2003–2007 ## Honda Accord 7th gen (CM4–CM8 (UC1 Hybrid)) · 2003–2007 Case score 7/10 Best years 2005, 2006, 2007 Years to avoid 2003–2004 automatics (transmission-failure risk, worst on V6 +1 more #1 problem · safety / airbags **Takata airbag inflator recalls** · $0 Buy it, but buy the right one. A 2005–2007 Accord, or any manual-transmission car, is one of the best cheap used sedans of its era: simple, roomy, and routinely good for 250,000 miles. The 2003–2004 automatics, above all the V6, carry a real transmission-failure risk that Honda addressed with a recall and quiet goodwill repairs, but that is entirely on you today. On an early automatic car, a documented transmission replacement or recent fluid-service history is the difference between a bargain and a $3,000 surprise. Also confirm every Takata airbag recall is done by VIN before money changes hands. [Full case file →](https://carcasefile.com/vehicles/honda-accord-2003-2007/) · [Pre-purchase checklist →](https://carcasefile.com/vehicles/honda-accord-2003-2007/checklist/) · [Parts desk →](https://carcasefile.com/vehicles/honda-accord-2003-2007/#parts) 02 2008–2012 ## Honda Accord 8th gen (CP/CS/CU) · 2008–2012 Case score 7/10 Best years 2011, 2012, 2.4L four-cylinder (any year, well-maintained) Years to avoid 2008–2010 V6 with no VCM/oil-consumption fix history +1 more #1 problem · engine **V6 excessive oil consumption (VCM)** · $300–$4,000 at an independent shop · typically around 50k–120k mi Buy it, with your eyes open. A maintained 8th-gen Accord is a comfortable, durable, cheap-to-run used sedan that routinely passes 200,000 miles. Two things separate a good buy from a chore. First, the rear brakes: nearly every 2008–2010 car wears rear pads absurdly fast, so budget for that as normal upkeep, not a deal-breaker. Second, the V6's VCM oil consumption: on a V6, confirm it isn't burning a quart every few thousand miles and find out whether the TSB software update and (if needed) the piston/ring fix were done. The 2.4L four-cylinder sidesteps the worst of the oil drama and is the safer, simpler pick for most buyers. [Full case file →](https://carcasefile.com/vehicles/honda-accord-2008-2012/) · [Pre-purchase checklist →](https://carcasefile.com/vehicles/honda-accord-2008-2012/checklist/) · [Parts desk →](https://carcasefile.com/vehicles/honda-accord-2008-2012/#parts) 03 2013–2017 ## Honda Accord 9th gen (CR/CT) · 2013–2017 Case score 8/10 Best years 2015, 2016, 2017 Years to avoid 2013 (first model year, most electrical/starter/battery comp +1 more #1 problem · electrical **Weak factory battery, parasitic drain & fire-risk sensor recall** · $200–$400 at an independent shop · typically around 12k–60k mi Buy it, and buy the 4-cylinder. A well-kept 2.4L Accord with the CVT is one of the safest used-midsize bets you can make; routine maintenance is simple and it routinely passes 200,000 miles. The V6 is lovely to drive but carries Honda's VCM oil-consumption risk, so only buy one if you'll check oil between changes and accept the possibility of top-up driving. On any year, confirm the battery-sensor recall (17V-418) was completed, expect to budget for a stronger battery, and live with infotainment that's slow by modern standards. The 2015–2017 4-cylinders are the sweet spot. [Full case file →](https://carcasefile.com/vehicles/honda-accord-2013-2017/) · [Pre-purchase checklist →](https://carcasefile.com/vehicles/honda-accord-2013-2017/checklist/) · [Parts desk →](https://carcasefile.com/vehicles/honda-accord-2013-2017/#parts) 04 2018–2022 ## Honda Accord 10th gen (CV1/CV2/CV3) · 2018–2022 Case score 7/10 Best years 2021, 2022 Years to avoid 2018 (highest complaint volume of the generation: first-year +1 more #1 problem · fuel system **Fuel-pump impeller failure, recall 23V-858** · $0–$900 at an independent shop Buy it, but pick your engine deliberately. The 2.0T and the hybrid are the safe picks; both avoid the 1.5T's documented oil-dilution problem. A 1.5T car is still a reasonable buy in a warm climate with highway miles and documented oil changes, but in a cold-winter state with short-trip history, walk in skeptical: smell the dipstick, check the oil level for overfill, and confirm the fuel-pump recall (23V-858) and any injector work by VIN. 2021–2022 cars are the most sorted; 2018 carries by far the most complaints of the run. [Full case file →](https://carcasefile.com/vehicles/honda-accord-2018-2022/) · [Pre-purchase checklist →](https://carcasefile.com/vehicles/honda-accord-2018-2022/checklist/) · [Parts desk →](https://carcasefile.com/vehicles/honda-accord-2018-2022/#parts) 05 2023–2026 ## Honda Accord 11th gen (CY1/CY2) · 2023–2026 Case score 8/10 Best years 2025, 2026 Years to avoid 2023: not a true avoid, but it's the first year and carries #1 problem · fuel system **High-pressure fuel pump cracks (fuel leak): recall 24V-763** · $0 Buy it with a VIN check, not a leap of faith. The fundamentals are the best of any recent Accord: the hybrid system is proven and dilution-free, the 1.5T's documented 10th-gen problems have not re-appeared in this generation's complaint data, and the 11th gen dodged Honda's huge sticky-steering recall entirely. What you're verifying instead is recall paperwork, almost all of it on 2023–2024 cars: the high-pressure fuel pump (24V-763), the seat belt pretensioners (23V-782), and (on 2023s) the telematics battery-drain TSB. All free fixes. The one thing nobody can give you yet is long-term data; the oldest cars are barely past 3 years old. If that bothers you, the 2018–2022 hybrid is the known quantity next door. [Full case file →](https://carcasefile.com/vehicles/honda-accord-2023-2026/) · [Pre-purchase checklist →](https://carcasefile.com/vehicles/honda-accord-2023-2026/checklist/) · [Parts desk →](https://carcasefile.com/vehicles/honda-accord-2023-2026/#parts)