2008 Honda Accord Reliability
The 2008 Honda Accord has 1,521 owner complaints and 9 recall campaigns on file with NHTSA, most often about service brakes and air bags. Compared with other Accord model years, it rates as a year to avoid: its complaint rate runs well above the Accord's typical year, while the 2006 has a cleaner record.
By CarWhere Research · Updated 2026-11-04 · Source: NHTSA
1,521
NHTSA owner complaints
9
Recall campaigns
62
Complaints citing a crash
13
Complaints citing a fire
2008 Honda Accord complaints by component
Owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2008 model year, filed between 2007 and 2026. A complaint can name more than one component.
| Component | Complaints | Share of complaints |
|---|---|---|
| Service brakes | 573 | 38% |
| Air bags | 379 | 25% |
| Engine | 210 | 14% |
| Exterior lighting | 113 | 7% |
| Electrical system | 105 | 7% |
| Powertrain / transmission | 70 | 5% |
| Unknown or other | 48 | 3% |
| Equipment | 41 | 3% |
2008 Honda Accord recalls
9 recall campaigns on NHTSA record for the 2008 model year, by the date NHTSA received the manufacturer's report. Recall repairs are free at a dealer.
| NHTSA campaign | Date | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 09E063000 | Nov 18, 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… |
| 11V395000 | Aug 4, 2011 | Powertrain / transmission — 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.… |
| 16V056000 | Feb 2, 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. |
| 16V346000 | May 24, 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… |
| 17V030000 | Jan 10, 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,… |
| 17V545000 | Aug 31, 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… |
| 18V268000 | Apr 26, 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… |
| 19V378000 | May 16, 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,… |
| 19V502000 | Jun 27, 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… |
How the 2008 compares with nearby Accord years
Verdicts come from CarWhere's year-by-year Accord analysis where it covers the year, otherwise from the years shown here.
| Model year | Complaints | Recalls | Most-reported area | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | 433 | 17 | Air bags | Solid |
| 2007 | 525 | 10 | Air bags | Caution |
| 2008 (this page) | 1,521 | 9 | Service brakes | Avoid |
| 2009 | 727 | 11 | Service brakes | Avoid |
| 2010 | 581 | 13 | Air bags | Caution |
Complaints are unverified owner reports filed with NHTSA and are not adjusted for how many of each year were sold, so they compare years of the same model rather than different models.
The 2008 Honda Accord on the used market
- 135 of 688 2008 Honda Accord listings in CarWhere's lifespan study showed 200,000 miles or more.
What to check on a used 2008 Honda Accord
- Brakes: check pedal feel, pulling and grinding, and look at rotor and pad wear; ask when the brake fluid was last changed.
- Air bags: make sure the air bag warning light goes out after start-up and that any air bag recall was completed on this VIN.
- Engine: cold-start it yourself, listen for ticking or knocking, check for oil leaks and oil consumption, and ask for oil-change records.
- Lights: check headlights (low and high), brake lights and turn signals; condensation inside the housings is worth noting.
- Recalls: confirm each of the 9 campaigns above was completed on this VIN; open recalls are repaired free at a dealer.
- History: run the VIN for salvage, theft and odometer records, and have an independent mechanic inspect the car before you pay.
Check this exact car
Any 2008 Honda Accord can be better or worse than its model year. The CarWhere Used Car Report checks one VIN for salvage records, salvage-auction records (with damage photos when the auction published them), stolen-vehicle records, the odometer trail and its listing and price history since 2015. Free preview first; the full report is $12.99, one time.
2008 Honda Accord reliability FAQ
Is the 2008 Honda Accord reliable?
The 2008 Honda Accord has 1,521 owner complaints and 9 recall campaigns on file with NHTSA, most often about service brakes and air bags. Compared with other Accord model years, it rates as a year to avoid: its complaint rate runs well above the Accord's typical year, while the 2006 has a cleaner record.
What are the most common 2008 Honda Accord problems?
The most-reported problem areas in NHTSA owner complaints for the 2008 Honda Accord are service brakes (573), air bags (379), engine (210), exterior lighting (113). One complaint can name more than one component.
Does the 2008 Honda Accord have recalls?
NHTSA lists 9 recall campaigns for the 2008 Honda Accord, including 09E063000 (equipment) and 11V395000 (powertrain / transmission — automatic transmission / control module (tcm/pcm/tecm)). Recall repairs are free at a dealer, and whether one was done is tracked by VIN.
How does the 2008 Honda Accord compare with the 2007 and 2009 models?
By NHTSA records, the 2007 has 525 complaints and 10 recalls (caution); the 2009 has 727 complaints and 11 recalls (avoid). The 2008 has 1,521 complaints and 9 recalls.
How do I check a specific used 2008 Honda Accord?
Run its VIN. The CarWhere Used Car Report checks one VIN for salvage records, salvage-auction records (with damage photos when the auction published them), stolen-vehicle records, the odometer trail and its listing and price history since 2015, with a free preview first and the full report at $12.99, one time. Pair it with an independent pre-purchase inspection.
More Honda Accord research
Other Honda Accord model years:
Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation owner complaints (all body-style listings for the 2008 Accord, de-duplicated by complaint number) and NHTSA recall campaigns, retrieved 2026-11-04.