2006 Honda Accord: common problems

Owners of the 2006 Honda Accord filed 433 complaints with NHTSA, most often about air bags and service brakes. Details by component below, with sources.

Key figures

Owner complaints: 433
involving a crash: 52

What fails most often

1 Air bags 30% of all complaints
2 Service brakes 12% of all complaints
3 Powertrain 12% of all complaints
4 Steering 11% of all complaints
5 Electrical system 10% of all complaints
6 Vehicle speed control 6% of all complaints
7 Engine 5% of all complaints
8 Tires 5% of all complaints

Circle size and colour show each component’s share of NHTSA complaints. Schematic only, not a drawing of the exact model.

Air bags: 130 complaints (30% of all), 33 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Service brakes: 53 complaints (12% of all), 6 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Powertrain: 50 complaints (12% of all), 3 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Steering: 48 complaints (11% of all), 6 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Electrical system: 42 complaints (10% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.

Engines and transmissions

US-market versions per EPA. On the right: how many NHTSA complaints name this engine or transmission type.

2.4 L · petrol · 4 cylnamed in 3 complaints
3 L · petrol · 6 cyl
3 L · hybrid · 6 cyl
automatic, 5-speed
manual, 5-speednamed in 1 complaints
manual, 6-speednamed in 1 complaints

Drive: FWD

Symptoms owners describe

How many of the 433 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).

steering or power steering problems37 · 9%
warning lights, check engine34 · 8%
A/C or heater32 · 7%
smoke, burning smell, fire29 · 7%
airbag warning light26 · 6%
knocking, grinding or other noise20 · 5%
windows, sunroof20 · 5%
airbags did not deploy17 · 4%
vibration17 · 4%
jerking, harsh shifts14 · 3%

Components owners complain about

Component	Owner complaints	involving a crash
Air bags	130	33
Service brakes	53	6
Powertrain	50	3
Steering	48	6
Electrical system	42	1
Vehicle speed control	24	9
Engine	21	1
Tires	20	1
Visibility	20	1
Engine and cooling	19	1
Structure	19	3
Exterior lighting	13	0
Equipment	12	1
Suspension	9	0

What owners report

Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.

The airbags did not deploy. My car will likely be totaled and because of its age, we will not keep it. It will not be available for inspection. My safety was put as risk because my airbags did not deploy. Thankfully, in this instance, I was not harmed but I couldâve been. The problem was not confirmed by the dealer.
Air bags · crash · 2024-03-21 · NHTSA complaint #11578615
The contact's son was knocked unconscious due to the vehicle had rolled about 10 times, according to the police report. The police reported that the air bags failed to deploy. The son was transported by ambulance to the ER. The son had suffered a concussion and had multiple small lacerations on both arms and face.
Air bags · crash · 2022-08-25 · NHTSA complaint #11481167
The contact was not taken to the hospital, but was treated by the fire department and released at the scene. Police report number: pd[phone]9 was filed. The vehicle was towed to an impound lot and deemed totaled. The vehicle was included in nhtsa campaign numbers: 15v370000 (air bags) and 15v320000 (air bags).
Air bags · crash · 2019-07-12 · NHTSA complaint #11231350
While traveling on dry, good pavement the right rear tire experienced a complete blowout causing the vehicle to turn violently to the left and come to a complete stop in a bar ditch. The tire was intact, but had crawled off the rim.
Steering · crash · 2015-12-18 · NHTSA complaint #10811203
My brakes did nothing to stop the repeated collisions so I put the car into drive and it went full throttle across the parking lot and was going to go off a cliff and yet I had no brakes. The only control I had was steering.
Service brakes · crash · 2015-07-24 · NHTSA complaint #10743406
I had my fiance bring me a bottle of power steering fluid after noticing the reservoir was empty. He filled it and asked me to start the vehicle. He immediately told me to turn it off because it was smoking from where fluid was shooting out of the power steering fluid hose above the rack and pinion.
Steering · crash · 2013-08-29 · NHTSA complaint #10537864
Sedan coming from the north squealing its tires, racing past us spreading smoke. The woman behind the wheel appeared agitated and was attempting to get around the sedan to her left? She passed the car at ... And appeared to pick up speed.
Service brakes · crash · 2013-05-30 · NHTSA complaint #10514372
The contact stated that the rear driver's side seat belt did not secure the passenger during impact, causing the rear passenger to slam into the back of the driver's head rest. The passengers were taken to the hospital due to head injuries. A total of two occupants suffered injuries. A police report was filed.
Seat belts · crash · 2012-04-20 · NHTSA complaint #10455872

When owners complained

NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.

20051
200632
200731
200816
200928
201026
201120
201227
201325
201435
201549
201623
201727
201819
201927
202015
20214
20227
20238
20245
20255
20263

Comparison

By complaint count this model year ranks 891 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 2% most complained about).

On average one model year of the Accord has 503 complaints (49 years in the data). This year has 433, about average.

What to check before buying

Air bags. Check the SRS light, stored codes and airbag/curtain status after any impact.
Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.
Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
Steering. Steering play, power assist, rack and tie rods after a wheel impact.

Other years of this model

Questions and answers

What are the most common problems with the 2006 Honda Accord?

Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: air bags, service brakes, powertrain. Total complaints: 433. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: steering or power steering problems (9%), warning lights, check engine (8%), A/C or heater (7%).

How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2006 Honda Accord?

NHTSA lists 0 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.

Should I buy a 2006 Honda Accord from a US auction?

Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.

Other 2006 models

Read also

Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-05.