HONDA ACCORD · model year

2008 HONDA ACCORD

1849 NHTSA complaints, 85 crash reports, and 9 active recalls for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

The 2008HONDAACCORD carries 1849 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 85 crashes, 18 fires, 93 injuries, and 1 fatality. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.

Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 2008 ACCORD is service brakes, hydraulic with 440 filings, followed by air bags (364) and engine (210). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability. This model year has 9 active recall campaigns, which means the manufacturer is obligated to remedy the covered defect at no charge for the life of the vehicle — the full NHTSA campaign numbers are listed below.

NHTSA currently has 11 investigation files overlapping the 2008 ACCORD, and 2 remain open. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.

1849
Complaints
85
Crashes
18
Fires
93
Injuries
1
Deaths

Total Complaints

1849 filings

Crashes Reported

85 reports

Source

NHTSA ODI

Federal complaints database

Complaints vs. fleet median (215)

Above median complaint volume — review patterns below.

Complaints by Component

ComponentCount
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC440
AIR BAGS364
ENGINE210
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM96
EXTERIOR LIGHTING93
SERVICE BRAKES, ELECTRIC58
SERVICE BRAKES56
POWER TRAIN55
UNKNOWN OR OTHER47
STEERING32
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL32
SEATS30
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING23
EQUIPMENT23
EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS20

Recalls (9)

17V54500031/08/2017

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE

Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2008-2012 Accord, 2010-2012 Accord Crosstour, 2006-2011 Civic, 2007-2011 CR-V, 2009-2012 Fit and Pilot, 2010-2012 Insight, and 2009-2012 Acura TSX vehicles that received replacement passenger frontal air bag inflators. One dealership may have in

19V50200027/06/2019

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE

Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2009-2014 Acura TSX, 2011-2014 TSX Sport Wagon, 2010-2013 ZDX, 2008-2012 Honda Accord, 2010-2011 Accord Crosstour, 2006-2011 Civic and Civic Hybrid, 2008-2010 Civic GX NGV, 2012-2015 Crosstour, 2007-2011 CR-V, 2009-2013 Fit, 2014 Fit EV, 2010-201

18V26800026/04/2018

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE

Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2003-2012 Honda Accord and Pilot, 2010 Accord Crosstour, 2001-2011 Civic, 2002-2011 CR-V, 2003-2004, 2006-2008 and 2011 Element, 2007 and 2009-2013 Fit, 2010-2012 Insight, 2002-2004 Odyssey, and 2012 Ridgeline vehicles. The front passenger air b

16V34600024/05/2016

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE

Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain model year 2009-2011 Acura TSX, 2011 TSX Wagon, 2010-2011 Acura ZDX, 2008-2011 Honda Accord, 2010-2011 Accord Crosstour, 2006-2011 Civic, Civic Hybrid, and Civic GX, 2007-2011 CR-V, 2010-2011 FCX Clarity and Insight, and 2009-2011 Fit, and Pilot

09E06300018/11/2009

EQUIPMENT

HONDA IS RECALLING AFTERMARKET FULL NOSE MASKS, PART NUMBER 08P35-TA0-100 AND 08P35-TA6-100 MANUFACTURED BETWEEN AUGUST 9, 2007 THROUGH DECEMBER 11, 2007. THE ACCESSORY WAS DESIGNED SPECIFICALLY FOR MODEL YEAR 2008-2010 HONDA ACCORD 4-DOOR VEHICLES. IT IS POSSIBLE FOR THE NOSE MASK MATERIAL TO INT

19V37800016/05/2019

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE

Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2009-2014 Acura TSX, 2011-2013 TSX Sport Wagon, and 2010-2012 ZDX and 2008-2012 Honda Accord, 2010-2011 Accord Crosstour, 2006-2011 Civic, Civic Hybrid and Civic NGV, 2012-2014 Crosstour, 2007-2011 CR-V, 2009-2013 Fit, 2010-2013 Insight, and 2009

17V03000010/01/2017

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE

Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2009-2012 Acura TSX, 2011-2012 Acura TSX Wagon, 2010-2012 Acura ZDX, 2008-2012 Honda Accord, 2010-2012 Honda Accord Crosstour and Honda Insight, 2009-2012 Honda Fit, 2009-2012 Pilot, 2007-2011 Honda CR-V, 2012 Honda FCX Clarity and 2006-2011 Hond

11V39500004/08/2011

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:CONTROL MODULE (TCM/PCM/TECM)

HONDA IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2005-2010 ACCORD, 2007-2010 CR-V, AND 2005-2008 ELEMENT PASSENGER CARS MANUFACTURED FROM JULY 1, 2004, THROUGH SEPTEMBER 3, 2010. THE OUTER RACE OF THE SECONDARY SHAFT BEARING MAY BE BROKEN DURING CERTAIN DRIVING STYLES. A BROKEN OUTER RACE MAY CAUSE ABNORMAL

16V05600002/02/2016

AIR BAGS

American Honda Motor Company, Inc. (Honda) is recalling certain model year 2008-2010 Accord vehicles. In the affected vehicles, the air bag control units may corrode and fail.

Recent Complaints

20251012ENGINE

When cold starting my car it has a very loud rattle. Lately the rattle takes some time to go away.

20250910SERVICE BRAKES

Brakes are too small and where out very quickly. I've had 3 sets of breaks done and my car only has 57000 miles.

20250828FireELECTRICAL SYSTEM

The contact owned a 2008 Honda Accord. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed on a highway, an abnormal burning odor leaked through the air vents into the interior cabin. The contact stated that his girlfriend was sitting in the front passenger seat during the failure. The contact managed to pull over to the shoulder of the road after a fire appeared from under the driver's side of the hood. The contact attempted to extinguish the fire with a fire extinguisher, but was unsuccessful. The local fire department arrived on scene to extinguish the fire. The source of the fire was undetermined. A police report was filed. The contact fractured the fire extinguisher emergency glass with his hand and was injured. The contact did not seek medical attention. The vehicle was towed to a local independent tow lot, where it remains for further investigation. The vehicle was deemed a total loss. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The

Mileage: 200,022

20250808UNKNOWN OR OTHER

On August 6, 2025, I scheduled an appointment at Ball Honda, located at 2135 National City Blvd, National City, CA 91950 (Tel: 619-259-5865), for a recall service on my 2008 Honda Accord, Since I was unable to attend, I sent my son to take the car in, However, the Honda representative refused to perform the service, stating, "The recall was for vehicles purchased new, and they came with a nose mask," without checking the VIN or verifying whether my vehicle was actually affected by the recall.

20250611ENGINE

VTC failure, grinding on cold start up. There is a known issue with this in my year model, 2008 Honda accord.

20250429ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:INSTRUMENT PANEL:SPEEDOMETER/ODOMETER

Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2008 Honda Accord. The contact stated that while attempting to register the vehicle, it was discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy. The vehicle was a private sale. At the time of purchase, the vehicle mileage was 109,363 and at the time of registration, it was discovered that the mileage was 203,684.

Mileage: 203,684

20250312AIR BAGS

The air bag was fixed by honda dealer free but now it shows the red light.automatic emerlgency brake light lane keeping assistance

20250312SUSPENSION

The air bag was fixed by honda dealer free but now it shows the red light.automatic emerlgency brake light lane keeping assistance

20250312WHEELS

The air bag was fixed by honda dealer free but now it shows the red light.automatic emerlgency brake light lane keeping assistance

20241209SERVICE BRAKES

Seatbelt defecto

20241209SEAT BELTS

Seatbelt defecto

20240916ENGINE

Engine is making rattling noise at cold start... I see it being reported by 1000s of 2008 honda accord sedan owners. My car mileage is only 120k. I need Honda dealer to fix it as this is a Honda company issue

20240815FireENGINE

The contact owned a 2008 Honda Accord. The contact stated that she reversed the vehicle into her driveway and exited. After five minutes, an abnormal odor of smoke was detected. There were sparks detected in the engine compartment, and the vehicle caught fire. The fire consumed the engine area up to the dashboard. The fire department extinguished the fire. There were no reported injuries, air bag deployment  or police report filed. The insurance towed the vehicle to a tow lot and deemed the vehicle a total loss. The local dealer was contacted, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, who opened a case. The failure mileage was approximately 163,000.

Mileage: 163,000

20240730FireELECTRICAL SYSTEM

The contact owned a 2008 Honda Accord. The contact stated while the vehicle was parked and turned off in the driveway, she was informed that there was smoke coming from underneath the hood. The contact stated that she noticed flames coming out from underneath the hood. The contact stated that the front end of the vehicle burned significantly and was propelling burning particles. The fire department advised the contact to exit the residence and to stay in the backyard for safety. The fire department extinguished the fire. A fire department report was filed. The contact was unsure whether the police arrived at the scene and whether a police report was filed. There was no injury sustained. The contact stated that the front end of the vehicle had melted. The vehicle was towed and totaled. The dealer was not notified of the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and a case was opened. The failure mileage was approximately 163,000.

Mileage: 163,000

20240730FireENGINE

The contact owned a 2008 Honda Accord. The contact stated while the vehicle was parked and turned off in the driveway, she was informed that there was smoke coming from underneath the hood. The contact stated that she noticed flames coming out from underneath the hood. The contact stated that the front end of the vehicle burned significantly and was propelling burning particles. The fire department advised the contact to exit the residence and to stay in the backyard for safety. The fire department extinguished the fire. A fire department report was filed. The contact was unsure whether the police arrived at the scene and whether a police report was filed. There was no injury sustained. The contact stated that the front end of the vehicle had melted. The vehicle was towed and totaled. The dealer was not notified of the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and a case was opened. The failure mileage was approximately 163,000.

Mileage: 163,000

20240618AIR BAGS

No singal from driver front impact sensor picked up on my bluedrive scanner during live day and full vehicle scan

20240418UNKNOWN OR OTHER

Unknown

20240418EXTERIOR LIGHTING

Unknown

20240418POWER TRAIN

Unknown

20240406SERVICE BRAKES

Very, very common issue on 8th generation AND 9th generation Honda Accords (as well as other Honda models from this era). ABS modules throw solenoid codes (usually consisting of VSA, ABS, traction control, and parking brake lights on the gauge cluster). Sure, the vehicle's ABS may still operate, however this is still a problem and generally not safe. My 2008 Accord EX-L V6 w/ Nav recently had this problem and I have resolved it by swapping over a used part. Honda wants to charge $2500 on average for both the part and labor. What the problem is, is that the circuit board in these modules have been using the wrong gauge of wire according to many mechanics. According to my mechanic, this thing can be triggered with something as simple as an automated car wash. Honda generally makes great, mostly reliable vehicles that are fun to drive. It's a shame that these modules have not been engineered correctly. I hope that the NHTSA can take initiative and force Honda to do a recall on these Ai

Compare 2008HONDAACCORD to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations 2 Open

View all investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 2008 HONDA ACCORD have?
The 2008 HONDA ACCORD has 1849 NHTSA complaints, 85 crashes, 18 fires, 93 injuries, and 1 deaths reported.
Are there any recalls for the 2008 HONDA ACCORD?
Yes, the 2008 HONDA ACCORD has 9 recall(s). The most common affected component is AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE. Recalls are issued by NHTSA and manufacturers must provide a free remedy.
What are the most common problems with the 2008 HONDA ACCORD?
The most-complained component for the 2008 HONDA ACCORD is SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC with 440 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include AIR BAGS and ENGINE.
Is the 2008 HONDA ACCORD safe to buy?
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. No NHTSA crash test rating is available for this model year. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.

Vehicle Safety Guides

Data as of 2025. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.