Skip to content
Honda AccordModel year report

2010 Honda Accord Problems

Compared with other Honda Accord years

Typical for this model

56/100 1.2× a typical year · 50 = typical

Nearby years with fewer complaints than typical and no open NHTSA investigation: 2011

Based only on NHTSA complaints, recalls and investigations. Not adjusted for how many vehicles were sold, and not a reliability rating. How this is calculated

Complaints
581filed with NHTSA
Median mileage
41,000miles, 374 complaints with mileage
Recalls
12campaigns on record
Trend
FallingComplaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are at least 25% lower than in the 3 years before.
NHTSA crash rating
—overall rating starts with 2011 models
EPA fuel economy
25 mpgcombined, 2.4L 4-cyl FWD · 21 city / 31 hwy

Sources: NHTSA records for the 2010 Honda Accord (complaints, recalls, investigations), NHTSA crash tests, EPA fuel economy. Report an error

What owners report

Owners of the 2010 Accord report two dominant themes: rear brakes that wear out unusually early, often well under 40,000 miles, and excessive engine oil consumption linked in complaints to piston ring wear, often noticed as the car ages. Airbag complaints are numerous as well, mostly tied to the large group of passenger-inflator recalls and to airbag warning lights staying on. Transmission and engine noise issues appear mainly on higher-mileage cars.

  1. Engine

    Excessive engine oil consumption

    • 98 complaints (17%)
    • median 84,534 mi at 6.7 yrs old (67 state mileage)
    • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
    • owner-quoted repair $2,700 (median of 5 quotes)
    • filed 2010–2026

    Owners report the engine burning oil, sometimes needing a quart or two between changes, with no visible leak and no low-oil warning light despite the level being low. Dealers according to complaints often diagnosed worn piston rings, and some owners were told their car did not qualify for a related warranty extension. Complaints also tie the oil loss to fouled spark plugs, misfires and rough running. Mostly reported between roughly 45,000 and 150,000 miles, often several years into ownership.

    7 related service bulletins

    What to check: Check the oil level on the dipstick and watch for a drop between checks; ask whether piston ring or oil consumption repairs have been done under any warranty extension.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “My 2010 Honda Accord ex is burning oil excessively. I am required to add about 2 quarts of oil in between oil changes up to 5 times. There is an extended warranty recall add for this problem but the dealership says my car does not qualify. The extended warranty recall states that 2010 Honda Accord's qualify, but they will not replace the piston rings.”

    NHTSA complaint #11034668, filed 2017-10, 90,000 miles

    “In the past 2 years I have replaced the spark plugs and ignition coils twice! I have had to top off my oil without having oil leakage. I have replaced my battery twice, and now need to replace my alternator. Apparently, there is a correlation between the oil and electrical issues.. It must be getting past pistons somehow. This is an issue that manufacturer should have addressed!”

    NHTSA complaint #11252900, filed 2019-09, 100,000 miles
  2. Brakes

    Rear brakes wear out early

    • 125 complaints (22%)
    • median 24,650 mi at 2.2 yrs old (102 state mileage)
    • 6 mention a crash, fire or injury
    • owner-quoted repair $515 (median of 9 quotes)
    • filed 2010–2026

    Owners describe rear brake pads and rotors needing replacement long before the front ones, in some cases before 25,000 miles, along with squealing, grinding or a metal-on-metal sound. Several say the dealer treated it as normal wear and declined to cover it, and some mention a prior settlement covering certain cars but not theirs. A few also had calipers or a brake booster valve replaced after short use. Most sample reports come in under about 40,000 miles, and some owners note the problem in cold or snowy conditions.

    What to check: Ask for recent brake service records and check rear pad and rotor thickness before buying; a low-mileage car with worn rear pads is common on this model year.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “Took car for routine service and was told rear brake pads and rotors were worn and needed to be replaced, after only 38,856 miles. My VIN number is not listed as eligible in 2010 Honda brake recall settlement. I think Honda should be responsible for these repairs.”

    NHTSA complaint #10592647, filed 2014-05, 38,856 miles

    “I was sold a 2010 Honda Accord last year and I have already had to replace the calipers, rotors, and pads on my rear brake assembly. I was then told by Honda america that these are 'wear' parts that they will not reimburse me for. I fully understand that brakes are wear parts but 'not at 20,000 miles'. If it is ok for Honda to sell braking systems that need this kind of attention so early in life, they should have to warn customers at the time of purchase.”

    NHTSA complaint #10412427, filed 2011-07, 23,000 miles
  3. Air bags

    Airbag warning light on / airbag not deploying

    • 112 complaints (19%)
    • median 60,000 mi at 7.3 yrs old (39 state mileage)
    • 27 mention a crash, fire or injury
    • filed 2010–2025

    Owners report the airbag or SRS warning light staying on or coming on intermittently, and some describe airbags that did not deploy in a crash, or a side curtain that deployed but did not inflate properly. Complaints also mention a curtain airbag going off when a door was shut. Many owners were directed to recall service or told a part was unavailable to complete the repair. Reported across a wide mileage range, from very low mileage up to about 150,000 miles.

    Recall 19V502000Recall 19V378000Recall 18V268000Recall 16V0560003 related service bulletins

    What to check: Ask for proof that outstanding passenger airbag inflator and airbag control unit recalls were completed, and confirm the airbag warning light does not stay on after start-up.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “I was in a car accident, the car was hit head on, the car was totaled and the air bags did not deploy. There was a recall on my air bags that was fixed a year ago. I need to know why they were never deployed and if there was a malfunction”

    NHTSA complaint #11301121, filed 2020-01, 66,000 miles

    “Car was parked at boat dock parking lot when passenger front door was closed, large bang from arming device occurred, and curtain air bag on passenger side was deployed. No injury, no external contact with vehicle except passenger door being closed.”

    NHTSA complaint #10558547, filed 2014-01, 65,000 miles
  4. Transmission and drivetrain

    Transmission slipping or not shifting

    • 29 complaints (5%)
    • median 45,450 mi at 4.8 yrs old (25 state mileage)
    • 4 mention a crash, fire or injury
    • filed 2010–2024

    Owners describe the transmission slipping or struggling on hills, failing to accelerate normally, revving high between gears or not shifting past second. Some report the car dropping out of gear or rolling in park, and a few had a solenoid replaced without the problem going away. One owner cited the automatic transmission control module recall but was told their car was not covered. Mostly reported from about 100,000 to 200,000 miles.

    Recall 11V395000

    What to check: Test drive at highway speed and on a slight incline, watching for slipping, delayed shifts or high revving; ask about transmission fluid service history.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “140000 miles and the transmission when going up slight hills, on freeway 65 struggles or slips. The vehicle has had the required services done when suggested. This problem started around 135000 miles and has progressively gotten worse.”

    NHTSA complaint #11312068, filed 2020-02, 140,000 miles

    “The contact owns a 2010 Honda Accord. The contact stated when the vehicle was started there was an abnormal sound emitting from the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who test drove the vehicle and stated that the transmission was slipping. A dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 151,177”

    NHTSA complaint #11311139, filed 2020-02, 151,177 miles

Buying note. Ask for service records covering rear brakes, oil changes and any piston ring or oil consumption work, and verify the airbag recalls were completed on the specific car. A pre-purchase inspection that checks rear brake wear, oil level and transmission behavior at speed is worthwhile on this model year.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 60 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.

NHTSA recorded 581 consumer complaints for the 2010 Honda Accord. 374 of the complaints include a mileage, and 55% of those were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the median is 41,000 miles. Of all complaints, 38 involved a crash, 6 a fire, 47 an injury, 2 a death, according to the filers. NHTSA lists 12 recall campaigns and 111 technical service bulletins for this model year. Compared with the other 15 Honda Accord model years that have at least 25 complaints and are old enough to compare, this one scores 56 out of 100, where 50 is a typical year for the model (typical for this model). The comparison allows for the era and for how long each year has had to collect complaints, but not for how many vehicles were sold.

Which parts are reported most

Complaints can name more than one part, so the counts add up to more than the total. Select a part to see its complaints, recalls and bulletins.

Also reported: Steering (18), Visibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors) (16), Fuel system (13), Engine cooling (12), Wheels (12), Seat belts (9), Exterior lighting (6), Tires (6), Electronic stability control (4), Equipment (4), Latches, locks and linkages (2).

Example complaints

Air bags: “I was driving about 35-40 MPH on a city street when a car in front had no lights in front of me was slowing down. I made impact with the car causing my head to hit the steering wheel knocking me out. My teeth were pushed in and three teeth had to be removed and my lip swelled up. If my airbag would of deployed I could of avoided these injuries.”

NHTSA complaint #11217792, filed 2019-06, 120,000 miles

Brakes: “On 3/18/15 I took our 2010 Honda Accord with 28,037 miles to suburban Honda in farmington hills,mi for a oil change,the service manager notified me that the driver side rear pads have worn out to the point of wearing out the rotor beyond turning to repair,and I need a new caliper that as we know must be replaced in pairs. …”

NHTSA complaint #10789846, filed 2015-11, 28,037 miles

Engine: “Our engine suffered a massive engine failure due to high oil consumption issue. The car lost all of its oil and there was absolutely no indication of such situation. I opened a case with Honda care, but as expected, they denied any responsibility even though these vehicles are impacted with such issue and the fact that I received a service bulletin. I will never buy another Honda.”

NHTSA complaint #11088603, filed 2018-04, 115,000 miles

Transmission and drivetrain: “Engine makes a rattling sound on cold start, then disappears. This issue began after my previous oil change, performed by Honda. On further investigation the sound is the caused by the vtc actuator. The Honda technician confirmed that diagnostic, however, the dealership states that my vehicle isn't covered under the service bulletin a09-010 march 17, 2016 01607 version 4, to include 2008-2012 Accord all trims and VIN ranges. …”

NHTSA complaint #11012331, filed 2017-08, 144,000 miles

Mileage when problems were reported

55% of the 374 complaints with a mileage were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the middle half falls between 20,490 and 86,000 miles.

12%0–1020%10–2523%25–5014%50–7513%75–10013%100–1505%150+
Share of complaints by mileage when the problem was reported, in thousands of miles (374 complaints with mileage). Red bars: under 50,000 miles. Bucket widths differ. Median: 41,000 miles.

Complaints by year filed

Trend: falling. Complaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are at least 25% lower than in the 3 years before.

’11’1490’17’20’23’26
Complaints by year the complaint was filed with NHTSA. Red bars: the last 3 full calendar years used for the trend. The current year (2026) is partial.

Crash test ratings

NHTSA's 5-Star Safety Ratings for the 2010 Honda Accord. Frontal results are shown driver / passenger; rollover shows the star rating and NHTSA's estimated risk of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.

VersionOverallFrontalSideSide poleRollover
Accord · sedan FWDnot rated5 / 5———
Accord · coupe FWDnot rated5 / 5———

Ratings before the 2011 model year come from an older, less demanding test and are not comparable with ratings for 2011 and later.

Source: NHTSA New Car Assessment Program (5-Star Safety Ratings), nhtsa.gov/ratings.

Fuel economy and running cost

EPA ratings for each 2010 Honda Accord version. Annual fuel cost is the EPA's estimate at its current fuel prices for 15,000 miles a year (55% city driving).

VersionEngineTransmissionCityHwyComb.Fuel / yr
Accord FWD2.4L 4-cyl5-speed automatic213125$2,700
Accord FWD2.4L 4-cyl5-speed manual223125$2,700
Accord FWD3.5L 6-cyl5-speed automatic192923$2,900
Accord Coupe FWD2.4L 4-cyl5-speed automatic213125$2,700
Accord Coupe FWD2.4L 4-cyl5-speed manual223125$2,700
Accord Coupe FWD3.5L 6-cyl5-speed automatic192822$3,050
Accord Coupe FWD3.5L 6-cyl6-speed manual172520$3,350

Source: U.S. EPA and Department of Energy, fueleconomy.gov. Ratings are for comparing vehicles; real-world mileage varies with driving and conditions.

Recalls and investigations

See all 12 recalls for the 2010 Honda Accord → · Check a VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls

NHTSA investigations

Technical service bulletins

TSBs are manufacturer notes to dealers about known repair procedures. They are not recalls and do not by themselves mean a vehicle has a fault. 111 on record; the latest 10 are shown.

See all 111 bulletins →

Other model years of the Honda Accord

YearComplaintsMedian miRecallsCrash ★MPGScore (50 = typical)Trend
2026145000532—Too new
2025965,0450532Too new to compareToo new
202415315,7003532Too new to compareToo new
20238837,20055320 · FewerToo new
202226123,343453219 · FewerRising
202124669,000453214 · FewerRising
202036813,000553050 · TypicalRising
201969819,000653063 · TypicalRising
20181,89722,0006530100 · MoreRising
201754025,000352639 · TypicalRising
201661236,000452748 · TypicalRising
201560140,000552742 · TypicalFalling
201498246,000452750 · TypicalFalling
20131,42745,000552774 · MoreStable
201237325,284852655 · TypicalStable
201129644,000952628 · FewerStable
201058141,00012—2556 · TypicalFalling
200972732,94410—2483 · MoreStable
20081,52127,0468—24100 · MoreFalling
200752468,5109—25Not compared (before 2008)Falling
200643377,30012—25Not compared (before 2008)Falling
200565672,67415—24Not compared (before 2008)Falling
20041,01890,00013—24Not compared (before 2008)Falling
20031,98788,00013—25Not compared (before 2008)Falling
20021,05088,3245—24Not compared (before 2008)Stable
200192285,0007—23Not compared (before 2008)Falling
20001,18390,4008—23Not compared (before 2008)Falling
19991,135105,6894—23Not compared (before 2008)Falling
19981,200100,0006—23Not compared (before 2008)Falling
1997460107,0003—22Not compared (before 2008)Stable
1996472106,6021—22Not compared (before 2008)Falling
1995543115,0002—23Not compared (before 2008)Falling
1994369118,7501—23Not compared (before 2008)Stable
1993186155,2501—22Not compared (before 2008)Stable
1992206125,0002—22Not compared (before 2008)Falling
1991212166,2193—22Not compared (before 2008)Stable
1990192152,0112—23Not compared (before 2008)Falling
198986116,0001—23Not compared (before 2008)Stable
198888200,0002—24Not compared (before 2008)Stable
198711173,5123—25Not compared (before 2008)Stable
198654164,2002—24Not compared (before 2008)Stable
198513117,0001—24—Not enough data
198422165,3672—26—Stable
19837—1———Not enough data
198210—2———Not enough data
19817—0———Not enough data

All Honda Accord model years · Best and worst years by complaints

Frequently asked questions

What are the most common problems with the 2010 Honda Accord?

Owners of the 2010 Accord report two dominant themes: rear brakes that wear out unusually early, often well under 40,000 miles, and excessive engine oil consumption linked in complaints to piston ring wear, often noticed as the car ages. The issues reported most often: Excessive engine oil consumption; Rear brakes wear out early; Airbag warning light on / airbag not deploying.

How many NHTSA complaints does the 2010 Honda Accord have?

NHTSA recorded 581 consumer complaints for the 2010 Honda Accord as of Oct 30, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.

What part of the 2010 Honda Accord is reported most often?

Air bags is named most often, in 134 complaints (23% of the total), followed by brakes with 131.

Has the 2010 Honda Accord been recalled?

NHTSA lists 12 recall campaigns for this model year. To check a specific vehicle, enter its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

What gas mileage does the 2010 Honda Accord get?

The EPA rates the 2010 Honda Accord (Accord, 2.4L 4-cyl) at 25 mpg combined, 21 city and 31 highway, with an estimated annual fuel cost of $2,700 at 15,000 miles a year. Other engine and drive versions are rated differently.

At what mileage are problems with the 2010 Honda Accord reported?

Among the 374 complaints that include a mileage, the median is 41,000 miles and the middle half falls between 20,490 and 86,000 miles; 55% were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles.

About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 30, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate. Crash ratings are from NHTSA’s New Car Assessment Program. Fuel economy is from the EPA and DOE (fueleconomy.gov).

Complaint counts come from NHTSA’s public complaint database; we count each complaint once. The source records for this vehicle are on nhtsa.gov. Scores and trends are our own summaries of that data, described in the methodology. This page is not legal, safety or repair advice: for a specific vehicle, check its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls and ask a qualified mechanic. See an error? Tell us.