Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (seat frames, recliners, heated seats and seat tracks).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2002 Honda Accord owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
I complained to Joe Morgan Honda that my driver's seat broke from the frame causing it to be a rocking chair and Joe Morgan Honda confirmed that the car needs an entirely new seat because the frame had snapped. Joe Morgan Honda said they don't make the seat anymore and it was important that I not get a seat from a vehicle that had been wrecked, because so no seat in a scrapped vehicle could be found. I complained to the better business bureau to the Honda Corporation at 1919 Torrance, CA and the Better Business Bureau said they refused to answer the safety complaint Silicon Valley Complaint #[redacted]
Subject: front seat breaks off in rear end collision on Honda Accord sedan. O whom it May concern, purchased a brand new 2002 Honda Accord lx sedan from bloomfield Honda in bloomfield hills, michigan one year ago. My wife was rear ended by a large Ford truck while she was stopped to make a left turn onto a neighborhood street. I truck didn t even brake and drove the truck all the way up to the backseat. Luckily she was wearing a seat belt. Her driver seat, however, broke off it s moorings at the floorboard giving her no support as she was flung backward in the crash. It was like the front seat was a rocking chair after the crash. No part of the front end was damage except the driver seat (only the rear end had been struck). The trunk and rear-end are destroyed. Are driver s seats supposed to come loose or break off in crashes??? Is this the Honda way? …
I was involved in an accident where I was rear ended on a highway at a fairly high speed. Both my seat back and the empty passenger seat back collapsed into the back seat before being thrown forward where I was above the steering wheel close enough that I could see that my eyes were about two inches from the windshield and then I was then thrown back again to the laying down position of my seat. In my peripheral vision I could see the seat back of the empty passenger seat doing the same thing as my seat. This appears to be a safety issue especially because I have two car seats in the back seat for my infant and toddler that where thankfully empty at the time. In order to get out of my car I had to return my seat to the upright position which I was suprisingly able to do using the automatic button. This appears to be a safety issue. …
After the front passenger seat was pushed up for someone to get in to the back seat, the front seat faild to lock in its original position. The front seat slid back and forth on the track. When the consumers husband stepped on the brakes, the consumers mother who was in the passengers seat, the seat had moved forward and did not lock when it was pushed back. This problem caused the cosnumers vehicle to rearend another.
Involved in serious head on mva where my vehicle was totaled, injuries sustained. Spent 24 hrs in icu due to head trauma, memory loss, contusions, and abrasions. Air bag did not deploy, driver seat fractured while seat belt held, which allowed forward thrust into windshield.
The front driver side power seat broke. Something on the seat broke that caused the seat back to rock back. This happened several years ago. I took it to the dealer. They said it would cost $1500 to $2000 to replace the seat. The car was drivable. Earlier this year, a bracket that held the seat to the floor broke, causing the seat to separate from the floor. The car was not drivable. I had the bracket welded so that I could drive the car. On April 11, 2012, different bracket on the seat broke. The car is not safe to drive again because the seat rocks back when you accellerate or stop. It looks like metal fatigue at both places.
2002 Honda Accord. Consumer states that the hinges on the seat broke, the shoulder belt did not keep her securely against seat, only the lap belt worked. Consumer suffered numerous injuries from the accident. The consumer stated she was sitting at a stop light, when she was rear ended by a drunk driver. The consumer stated at no time did the air bags deploy. The consumer stated she received a recall notice in the mail. # 11V260000 regarding the air bags.
Driver's front seat moves and rattles when turning and braking. This is a serious problem and Honda has been unable to resolve the issue. Both my dad and brother have the same problem with two different 2002 Honda accords. Two different dealerships have not resolved the problem.
The lack of support and design of the driver seat has created lower and mid-back issues within my spine. I also suffer pain in my right hip. I have for years and still visit my chiropractor regularly to help with the pain caused by the driving the car.
The head restraint is too high and obstructs the driver's vision when trying to reverse the vehicle. While reversing out of a parking spot vehicle struck a pedestrian. Driver did not see the pedestrian at the time of the incident.
NHTSA investigations
Seat frame bracket failure
This pe was opened based on 10 consumer complaints in the odi database alleging that the power assisted seats were failing in certain 1998-2002 Honda accord vehicles.failures are concentrated in the 1998-99 model year vehicles.the bracket that attaches the seat bottom to the seat base is fracturing due to: 1-the weld condition of bracket, 2-the drivers weight, and 3-the impact on the seat when the driver enters the…
Seat complaints in other Accord years
Frequently asked questions
How common are seat problems on the 2002 Honda Accord?
NHTSA has 20 complaints about the seats of the 2002 Honda Accord, 2% of the model year's 1,050 complaints. The component named most often is front assembly › power adjust (2 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2002 Honda Accord seat problems?
No. NHTSA lists no seats recall for the 2002 Honda Accord, though it has 5 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2002 Honda Accord seat problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 83,000 miles, and 27% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 7 crashes, 1 fire and 8 injuries to seats problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.