Honda Accord: The Best Years To Buy (And The Ones You Should Steer Clear Of)
Since it was introduced in 1982, the Honda Accord has been a staple of American roads. Over time, it has grown in size, refinement, and price. While known primarily as a sedan, it has over its lifetime boasted additional configurations including a coupe, wagon, and whatever the ungainly Crosstour claimed to be. While crossovers and SUVs have supplanted the sedan in popularity in the past decade, the Accord is still a go-to vehicle when seeking a set of wheels that simply works as expected — regardless of the body style.
With any car model, regardless of make, some model years have a better track-record for durability, while other factors, chief among them being how an individual vehicle has been maintained and driven through its life, contribute to how long it will last. It can be helpful for a prospective Accord buyer to educate themselves which model years collectively have the best reputation for reliability.
Which Accord model years should you purchase?
If you're thinking of buying a used Accord, models built in the new millennium are a safer bet and were the starting point we used in our selections below.
Our first recommended models will be from the seventh generation, which introduced a more powerful V6 engine and an increase in interior room for passengers. While the first years of production are known for transmission issues, the 2006 and 2007 model years appear to have alleviated the shifting woes and are considered to be among the more reliable older Accords. These are still old vehicles, making one of the following newer models a smart choice if you can swing it.
As with many vehicles of successive generations, the eighth generation of Accord added more passenger room and horsepower. It was the first of Accords to use i-VTEC, providing better low- and mid-range power while also boosting efficiency. While earlier versions were known for easily warped brake rotors and oil consumption, the 2011 and 2012 models have addressed these issues — earning CarComplaint's "Seal of Pretty Good" designation.
If your wallet allows, the 2021 Accord is considered a fine example of the tenth generation, with few reported mechanical issues. This era of Accord eliminated the coupe body style and V6 as options, pivoting to turbocharged four cylinders and four doors across the line. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto became standard throughout the model range, while the vehicle's size and interior space grew to full-size territory.
Which Accord model years should you avoid?
The Accord has earned a solid reputation for reliability. But like a student who earns top-marks on their report card save for an F in gym class, Honda has produced a few models with a less-than-sterling reputation.
The fourth generation of Accord brought upgrades to both size and power, but its first years of production suffered from transmission slipping and sometimes outright transmission failure. As this is not an inexpensive repair, the 2003 and 2004 model years are vehicles to avoid. It appears that the first years of production for a new Accord model are inevitably its worst when looking for worry-free ownership.
The 2008 Accord, the first year of production for the eighth generation, is known for excessive oil consumption and brake wear — earning it an "Avoid Like the Plague" seal from CarComplaints. While burning oil by itself does not make an engine unreliable, if the owner wasn't diligent with maintenance it could make for costly engine repairs in time. Unless you're great with a wrench, it's best to steer clear of this model year.
The ninth generation Accord was rated highly at introduction for its fun-to-drive nature, excellent fuel economy, and well-designed interior. Even with those aspects, the 2013 and 2014 model years, once again its first few of the kind, are marked with the "Beware of the Clunker" seal by CarComplaints and should be avoided, given their reported mechanical problems, which include failed starter motors and high oil consumption.