50 of the
1,191 complaints filed about the Honda Accord Hybrid
are about the throttle and cruise control —
4% of everything owners reported.
The worst model year for it is 2023.
50
Complaints
4%
Share of all complaints
13
Crashes
1
Fires
Acceleration & Cruise Control complaints by model year
The contact owns a 2024 Honda Accord Hybrid. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed into a parking space, the brake pedal was depressed but the vehicle failed to stop. The vehicle unintendedly accelerated and drove over a parking space bump. The contact shifted the transmission into reverse(R) and depressed the accelerator pedal, and then the brake pedal, but the vehicle failed to stop. The contact turned the steering wheel while driving approximately 30-40 MPH to avoid crashing in other vehicles and structures in the parking lot. The vehicle reversed in circles and crashed into the side of a fence before it came to a stop. The air bags did not deploy. The contact suffered back, hip, and leg pain but had not received medical attention immediately. The contact's granddaughter was a passenger inside the vehicle and had no injuries. The contact later sought medical attention from a massage therapist. No Police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, who determined that there was 100% acceleration without the brakes activating, and the vehicle was not shifted into park(P). The vehicle was then towed to a Collision Center for rear damages; however, the vehicle was not yet repaired. The contact was informed that a third-party company would evaluate the vehicle and the Event Data Recorder (EDR) to recalibrate the EDR. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, and a case was filed. The failure mileage was 23,069.
NHTSA complaint #11755873 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
On 2-252026 my wife and I were driving on highway I-15 in California when the car started to accelerate, decelerate and jerk and the engine light came on. It was very scary because we were on a major highway driving around 60 MPH and cars were behind us when the deceleration happened. We could have been hit by cars traveling behind us or either we could have caused a major accident. We had to get off the highway and have the car towed to Honda for assessment. There was no engine light warning or service warning from Honda prior to this happening, it just randomly happened. The car was repaired at a Honda dealership and they said there was a leaking head gasket on cylinder number 4. When we looked up information regarding this head gasket failure we saw that other Honda cars have had the same problem and Honda is currently involved in lawsuits regarding this leaking head gasket on cylinder number 4.
NHTSA complaint #11746562 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
1. Component: The engine head gasket and the combustion system (specifically Cylinder 2). Specifics: A leak-down test confirmed a failure in Cylinder 2, leading to coolant intrusion. This was initially masked by a water pump code, but after the water pump was replaced and the code returned, a borescope confirmed "clean" pistons (steam-cleaned by coolant) and tap scarring. Availability: Yes, the vehicle and all diagnostic records are available for inspection. 2. Emergency Maneuvers: On multiple occasions, the car entered "Limp Mode" while driving 70–75 mph on the freeway. This caused a sudden, dangerous drop in speed, forcing me to maneuver through high-speed traffic to reach the median/suicide lane. Stranded: The vehicle overheated 5 times in one trip, leaving me vulnerable on the side of a busy freeway. 3. Yes. An independent shop confirmed the failure via a leak-down test, a borescope inspection, and physical analysis of the spark plugs. They confirmed that despite the computer throwing a water pump code, the mechanical failure is the head gasket. 4.Status: It has been inspected by an independent service center. I am now using their findings to pursue a lawsuit/claim against Honda for selling a vehicle with a pre-existing internal engine defect. 5. Timeline: Symptoms began in April 2024 (two months after purchase). Initial Signs: An "Emission System" warning light appeared. The diagnostic code indicated a water pump failure, which was replaced in April. Recurring Symptoms: In November, the car suffered multiple misfires and "Limp Mode." In March, the "Emission System" light and the same water pump code returned, but the shop confirmed the pump was functional and the true cause was the head gasket leak into the cylinders.
NHTSA complaint #11723059 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Over the past several years, there have been multiple instances where I or my wife are driving on the highway and the engine light comes on or starts flashing, and I am unable to go faster than 50 miles an hour, and the engine itself feels to be underpowered. We have taken it to the dealership for repair at least five times over the past five years and in each case they have attempted to do a repair and said the issue has been resolved, but the issue continue. At at least one of those visits, they have diagnosed the issue as an engine misfire issue. The issue has intensified from the initial symptoms, (which were as I described, but resolved by turning the car off, waiting 30 seconds to a minute and then turning the car on again) to how it is now: in addition to the check engine light, every other light and warning system has gone off when driving on the highway and the engine was unable to go faster than 40 miles an hour, and it does not resolve by restarting the car. The dealership and Honda America’s main phone line have as of yet been unable to give me a clear answer as to why this is happening or whether it can be fixed. A sudden drop in speed and power on the highway as we have experienced many times over the last five years is inherently extremely dangerous.
NHTSA complaint #11715485 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owned a 2025 Honda Accord Hybrid. The contact stated that while driving approximately 5 MPH and making a right turn onto the driveway, the vehicle unintendedly pulled to the left. The contact stated that while attempting to turn the steering wheel back to the intended direction, the vehicle accelerated unintendedly, and the brakes and the steering wheel were inoperable. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle crashed through the garage door, hit cabinets on the side, and drove on top of the cabinets, 3 inches from the ground, and stopped. The driver's side and passenger's side knee air bags deployed. The contact stated that the driver's side knee air bag deployed and broke the plastic underneath the dashboard, which injured the contact's legs. The emergency call (eCall) system activated and connected the contact with an operator, who then called an ambulance and the police on the contact's behalf. A police report was filed. Both the contact and her husband, who was occupying the front passenger's side seat, were transported to the Emergency Room by ambulance. The contact sustained Hematomas on both legs, and the contact's legs were swollen. The contact was admitted for 5 days and was discharged to a rehabilitation center. The contact's husband did not sustain any serious injuries. The vehicle insurance company towed the vehicle to a tow yard. The dealer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the manufacturer. The manufacturer advised the contact that the vehicle insurance company would need to file a claim with the manufacturer; however, the insurance company had already deemed the vehicle a total loss and had sold the parts of the vehicle. The failure mileage was approximately 5,300.
NHTSA complaint #11700295 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
While driving ~70 mph on highway on adaptive cruise control, the car suddenly LOST ALL POWER/ACCELERATION, including POWER STEERING and ALL WARNING LIGHTS FLASHED ON THE DASHBOARD. I recalled some were BREAK SYSTEM, ACC, ABCS, CHECK ENGINE, POWER, TPMS...etc. Essentially any warning light Accord has was flashing. The car slowed with no power steering, I managed to parked on the shoulder and turned on hazard light. This is extremely dangerous as the highway traffic was extremely heavy. After I parked, I pressed the ENGINE START/STOP button thinking I needed to "turn it off" but the car already had lost power at that point anyway. After pressing it a couple times, the car restarted and I drove to the dealer with one error message remaining on the dashboard - "Emission system problem. Power may be reduced. See you dealer." and the CHECK ENGINE light was on.
NHTSA complaint #11691682 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Component/System: Collision Mitigation Braking System (CMBS) or related software. Vehicle available for inspection. Safety Risk: Vehicle brakes or decelerates unexpectedly during normal driving, risking rear-end collisions. Most recent incident on August 23, 2025, required override by pressing accelerator and shifting to neutral in traffic. Reproduction: Dealer could not replicate issue during May 16, 2025 visit. No diagnostic codes found. Radar and braking systems reported as “operating normally.” A second evaluation occurred after September 5, 2025, with no resolution; issue persists. Inspection: Inspected by Honda dealership twice—on May 16, 2025 (Invoice #488382) and again after September 5, 2025. No third-party inspections. Symptoms: Braking occurs in Sport, Normal, and Econ modes. Happens when accelerating from stop or easing off accelerator. Brake light activates falsely. No warning lamps or messages prior to failure. Issue has occurred 10+ times over the past year. Related Software Issues: Radio failure (resolved via software update). Clock shows incorrect time. Apple CarPlay fails to connect until restart. Navigation compass shows concentric circles.
NHTSA complaint #11690309 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
When traveling on an Interstate Highway in the left lane of a 2-lane highway with the Adaptive Cruise Control turned on. Passing a tractor trailer going slower in the right lane, the car will apply the brakes unexpectedly. The dash will briefly show a "ghost" truck crossing into the left lane. The unexpected braking causes any vehicle behind the Accord to brake. Putting those vehicles and any behind them at risk. Smart Honda of Des Moines looked at the car on Sept. 22, 2025 reported no error codes and nothing could be done. If the Accord hugs the far left shoulder, no "ghost" breaking occurs. If the Adaptive Cruise Control is turn off and regular Cruise Control is turned on, no "ghost" braking occurs.
NHTSA complaint #11689019 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Vehicle Power Loss and System Malfunctions I am writing to formally express my concern regarding a recurring and potentially dangerous issue with my vehicle, 2023 Honda Accord Hybrid. Twice while driving, the vehicle suddenly shut down on the freeway and completely lost power. In both cases, I was fortunately able to steer the car to the shoulder of the road, but this posed a serious safety risk. During these incidents, multiple system error messages appeared on the dashboard, including alerts related to braking, lane departure, and other critical functions. Alarmingly, this same issue has also occurred while the vehicle was parked in my garage. Each time, the only way to temporarily resolve the issue has been to shut off the vehicle and restart it. Upon restarting, the only remaining warning is related to the braking system, along with a prompt to bring the car to the dealership. If the vehicle is restarted again, all error messages disappear. I have contacted my dealership after each occurrence and brought the vehicle in for inspection. My car is currently at the dealership, and I am awaiting information on the cause of the problem and the proposed resolution. After the first time it happened, I have taken video/pictures of the errors and supplied same to the dealership. I consider this a serious safety concern—not only for myself but also for any passengers and other drivers on the road. Quite honestly, I am now afraid to drive the car, knowing that it could unexpectedly shut down at any moment without warning.
NHTSA complaint #11670239 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I was driving on the highway yesterday when all of a sudden several errors flashed on my dashboard, and my gas pedal stopped working. When I pulled over, I noticed an error code that read: "Brake System Problem. Brake performance may be reduced". Not only did I lose all acceleration control, but the error codes tell me there are brake issues. After researching online it seems like many others have experienced this issue and some people found the issue was caused by a faulty Ignition Control Module.
NHTSA complaint #11663058 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
On 5/8/25 when the light turned green at the stop light, my car shut down while the gear was on drive. It immediately came back on with the dashboard showing warnings for the (TPMS), brakes system, stability system, among others. I accelerated while on drive but the car did not move forward. I turned the flashers on. I had cars behind me honking and going around me. I put the shifter in Park. A car behind almost rear ended me. I tried a second time to go by shifting the gear to Drive but I had no luck. I put it back in Park and turned it off. I turned it back on and the dashboard seemed fine, the car accelerated when I shifted it to Drive. This is the second time that the same car shut down on me, the first time was over a year ago when the car was in motion at around 40 mph, I was able to pull over. The first time the dealer replaced a part and told me the problem was fixed. This time around the advisor said there's nothing they can do because they can't replicate the problem. It's very concerning because it can happen at any time anywhere at any speed.
NHTSA complaint #11660177 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2023 Honda Accord. The contact stated that while attempting to park the vehicle, the brake pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle independently accelerated. The contact veered to the left and struck a cement pole on the front driver side, where the vehicle came to a stop upon impact. The cement pole did not show signs of damage after the impact. The contact then parked the vehicle at the scene. No warning lights illuminated; however, the message “Initializing Driving” was displayed. The vehicle was then towed to the dealer; however, the dealer declined to repair the vehicle because the vehicle was out of warranty. The driver’s and passenger’s side air bags did not deploy. A Police report was not filed. There were no injuries sustained; however, the contact had a tight feeling in the right shoulder. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The Insurance company was contacted. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and a claim was submitted. The failure mileage was 45,606.
NHTSA complaint #11655544 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I was driving approximately 60 mph on a local highway when my the check engine light came on. The dashboard then started flashing warning messages for multiple error messages stating that many features were failing such as power steering, acceleration, brakes, lane assist, stability assist, and more. My car then lost power and decelerated, coming to a complete stop in the middle of the highway. I was unable accelerate or steer my vehicle to the side of the road. No one hit me but this could have easily caused an accident where either myself or others were hurt. I turned the car off and when I restarted it, my dashboard message stated that I had a brake system problem and that I should see my dealer. I was able to drive to the dealer where they ran a diagnostic and could not replicate the problem. They only stated it was a loss of communication in the computer but that "it would probably not happen again." They did nothing to identify what could have caused the loss in communication and said if it happened again, to bring the car back. I plan to take it to a certified mechanic to inspect the vehicle but I feel very unsafe driving a car that may lose power.
NHTSA complaint #11645208 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
See video here: [XXX] Description: Driving at a slow speed, all of a sudden my car went dead. Brakes went out, gas didn't work, and the car went through a series of errors essentially telling me nothing on the car worked. For around 30 seconds to a minute the car was non-responsive. Then eventually power came back and I got an error message telling me to take the car in because of a brake malfunction. This brake message was on the dash until I parked the car again, then there was no error and the car started up and behaved normally. This has happened twice, once in a parking lot, once in a parking garage. Luckily neither time I was headed towards another car, as I would have crashed. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
NHTSA complaint #11644130 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The vehicle unexpectedly stalled - lost power while driving and the brake system warning light came on. There were no warning lights, messages or other issues with the vehicle prior to this failure. Was fortunate that the car coasted to a stop on the side of a busy road with no traffic following behind. The vehicle was then towed to a Honda dealership for inspection. Was advised by the service department that there was a software update - unbeknown to us. The error code was cleared and the service department completed the pcm update per Service Bulletin 25-017.
NHTSA complaint #11643093 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
My opinion is Sudden Unintended Acceleration during driving to parking area only about 10 feet left to park. (Accelerator pedal position 17% to 99% before crash 1.5 second and Engine RPM to 4100). I have EDR Report. and report analyze sheet. If you need this EDR report and analyze sheet, please contact me I can mail to your office because I don't have idea how can I upload.
NHTSA complaint #11641766 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
On January 22, 2025, I was driving at highway speed and suddenly my car seemed to lag in power. It slowed from about 60mph to 40mph and pressing on the gas did not do anything. The Check Engine light began flashing. I felt like it would continue to slow down and it was rush hour. I managed to safely exit the freeway and parked the car. I turned it off, waited a moment, turned it back on. It seemed ok so I drove carefully using back streets to the local Honda dealership. They kept the car for 2 days and ran tests but nothing showed on their computer and they could not replicate the problem. They gave me the car back. I saw another recall today for other models of Honda that have this exact problem. My car has 41700 miles on it. The weather was cold but clear. This is the first time this has happened.
NHTSA complaint #11639482 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Mid October 2023, we driving on the freeway and the car started to slow down on its own. We could not accelerate to match the speed of cars around us or to get the speed limits in a 55 to 65 zone, making it dangerous for us and others to continue driving on the freeway at extremely slow/low speeds. We towed it the dealership, who said it was defective spark plugs. This car was only 4 years old with extremely low millage and the spark plugs should've last a lot longer. They changed the spark plugs under warranty. Late November 2024, we were getting off the freeway and the check engine light came on but there were no service codes. Everything was running normally except for the engine was making a loud noise. We parked at a shopping center and approximately 30 minutes later, restarted the car and all these messages and icons appeared for: Vehicle stability assistant system problem, Hill start assistant problem, ACC, Collision Mitigation breaking system problem, Road departure mitigation system problem, Emissions system problem, TPMS, Brake system problem, Electric power steering system problem. Towed it dealership and after an hour of diagnostics testing, they said it’s the spark plugs again! Just a little over a year and 2 out of 4 spark plugs are bad again. This is not right. We hardly drive this car and it’s only a little over a year since the spark plugs were replaced and a little over 5 years since we got the car brand new. Spark plugs are supposed to last 10 years or 100,000 miles and we’re not close to either. This time they said it's not covered under warranty and is over $800.
NHTSA complaint #11628409 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
On three separate occasions (the most recent of which was on Saturday), my vehicle’s dashboard lit up with various alerts, including “Brake System problem”, “TPMS problems”, and “Vehicle stability assist system problems”. At the same time, the vehicle’s accelerator completely stopped working. The issue would only resolve itself (and the alerts would go away) after I pulled over and restarted the vehicle twice. This issue happened on Saturday (on a highway), in March 2024 (driving out of a parking lot), and in February 2024 (on the highway). This is a safety issue because not being able to use the accelerator on the highway could potentially have lead to a serious crash. The dealers have been unable to replicate the issue. I've brought in the vehicle to dealerships on three occasions and have been told that because the alert wasn't actively visible when I brought it in after the fact.
NHTSA complaint #11627335 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
All of a sudden, the accelerator pedal stopped working --- all I really know is that the car wouldn't accelerate, regardless of how much I pressed on the pedal, and the car had to roll to a stop. A bunch of warning lights came on about the brakes malfunctioning, but I don't remember if the brakes actually stopped working (I was more focused on the fact that I couldn't accelerate --- this happened right as I was starting to move after a red light turned green). Thankfully this happened when I was going slowly in a residential area --- if I had been on the freeway and unable to get over to the shoulder before the car came to a halt, this could have caused a serious/fatal accident (or if the brakes really had stopped working, even in a residential area I could have crashed into something/someone). The car remained unresponsive until I turned the whole thing off and on again, at which point it started working like normal (although still with the warnings). I took the car to my dealership and they ran diagnostics, but they couldn't find anything and couldn't reproduce the problem when they drove it around, so they just shrugged and said I should "keep an eye on it and see if it happens again". So unfortunately I don't know what caused the problem or what to inspect (but I'm certainly not going to keep driving the car and risk this happening again).
NHTSA complaint #11622003 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.