2019 Honda Accord: What to check before buying

Most of these complaints are about the fuel pump recall, NHTSA campaign 23V858000. The car hadn't failed, but the repair part was unavailable and dealers couldn't say when it would arrive. Some owners were scheduled months out. Where the car did fail, it took a long time to start, shuddered, lost power while driving, or stalled with stability, brake hold and collision mitigation warnings showing. One faulty pump was diagnosed at about 54,000 miles.

Fuel pump recall work is the main theme. Some cars lost power, stalled or wouldn't start again weeks after the recall pump was installed, and needed a second pump. Others developed failing fuel injectors after the recall repair, with rough running and every dash warning lit. Many owners waited months, some more than a year, for parts or appointments. Injector failures appear from under 60,000 to 67,000 miles. One high-pressure fuel pump failed under 37,000 miles at about $1,600.

The car brakes hard on its own with nothing ahead. Reports describe sudden stops at 30 to 70 mph, often while passing cars, on curves, or when crossing rail tracks. Some say it gets more frequent as the car ages. One rear-end crash and 4 injuries are reported, mostly neck pain and seatbelt strain. Dealers often find nothing wrong. A second pattern is the whole dashboard lighting up with warnings and the driver-assist systems shutting off. In one case a front camera recalibration fixed it, at about a thousand dollars.

Many warning lights come on at once, often called a Christmas-tree dash. Collision mitigation, adaptive cruise, road departure, brake, airbag and power steering faults appear together, and the systems they name stop working. Restarting usually clears them, and dealers often can't reproduce the fault. More serious reports describe stalling or loss of power at highway speed, tied to misfires, fuel pumps or fuel injectors. One stall locked the steering and led to a crash. Two crashes and 5 injuries are reported. The gauge cluster and radio also black out.

Head gasket failure on the 1.5-liter turbo engine dominates. Coolant leaks into the cylinders and causes misfires, rough idle, overheating, a dashboard full of warnings, and limp mode or stalling in traffic. Failures cluster between 70,000 and 116,000 miles, often with little warning beforehand, and several repair quotes come to about $3,700. Some cars needed fuel injectors replaced in the same visit. Other reports cite an "Emission System Problem" warning, early turbo replacement, and misfires at low mileage.

The automatic braking system slams on the brakes with no traffic nearby, at speeds from parking-lot pace to highway speed. Four crashes and 4 injuries are reported, including swerving into a truck and being pulled into a wall in the rain. One crash involved emergency braking that failed to engage. A separate, common pattern is rear pads and rotors wearing out well before the fronts, often between 14,000 and 30,636 miles. A few owners also report brake system warnings with a soft pedal.

The car suddenly loses power at highway speed, goes into limp mode, and lights up with warnings. Dealers trace it to blown head gaskets, failed turbochargers, spark plugs or fuel injectors. Repairs over $3,000 sometimes don't fix the problem. In one crash, power loss locked the steering and another car hit the stalled Accord, injuring 2. Other crashes involve the car accelerating or rolling on its own while parking. One car needed a transmission at about 196,000 miles.

Power steering assist cuts out, usually alongside a burst of warning lights. One dealer diagnosed a failed electric power steering unit. Steering also gets heavy on a recurring basis. Some reports tie steering trouble to false automatic braking that tugs the wheel or makes the car fishtail. Four crashes and 2 injuries are reported, including loss of control at highway speed and a rollover. One car wouldn't start after sitting, with power steering and parking brake faults showing.

Airbags fail to deploy in collisions, including a 45 mph frontal crash and a rear-end crash. These account for 5 crash reports and 7 injuries. The more common complaint is an SRS warning light that comes and goes. Dealers trace it to the passenger seat sensor, a sticking passenger belt buckle, or the left side airbag module. Owners report diagnostic fees and denied coverage because their VIN isn't under recall. Reported mileages run from under 40,000 to about 82,000.