Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (battery, alternator, wiring, ignition, instrument cluster, infotainment).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2005 Honda Accord owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owns a 2005 Honda Accord. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to start and the ignition switch was replaced by an independent mechanic in 2015. The contact stated that the vehicle recently failed to start after several attempts. The vehicle restarted the following day; however, the failure recurred increasingly. The contact purchased a new programmed key for the vehicle; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who informed the that the failure was not related to the ignition key. The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 55,000.
When I put key in to start car it does not start I let it sit and will do it two to three times before it will turn over. Car stereo had to take fuse out it would not shut of I was told it was electrical and may be my starter also my abs light is constantly on and only the abs works when it wants .also have had battery replaced but problem still persists only has 104,000 miles on her problems started a few years back asked honda about the problem and they said no recalls on these problems
I was driving in Kansas City Kansas. On 635, It was around 6 pm. When I started exiting onto another highway. Due to car stalling by either transmission slipping, or the fuel pump stalling the engine headlights too dim with weird angle in lighting as well, Long story short.... I was almost the cause of a massive wreck ... it made for a quiet drive home... So I was also going to see if they've had a recall on 2005 honda accord aside from airbags.
My vehicle was parked in the parking lot of a grocery store. I was on my home from work and had stopped to purchase a few items. The engine was turned off. I had been in the store for about 10 minutes when I heard the loudspeaker asking for the owner of a 2005 gold Honda Accord to come to the customer service counter. When I approached the person behind the counter, he asked me to look outside to see if the vehicle on fire was, in fact, my car. Smoke was coming from the engine of my car and two vehicles from the fire department were trying to put out the fire. The car was totaled. Honda insisted it was my fault, but I found out much later that engine fires had occurred in other 2005 accords. State farm gave me the replacement value for the vehicle, but it wasn't enough to purchase a car of equal value. The Honda Accord was still under warranty. …
Since I have owned this vehicle (bought used with 68,000 miles) it has had an issue that over 10 mechanics have not yet solved. It has slowly escalated to the point it is now unable to be driven at 250,000 miles. It is an idle issue, the car started revving up to around 3,000 rpm's (on hot days it seemed but it also started to happen in the winter ) whenever I would put the car into park after driving it a small amount of time. The safety mechanism would kick in on the vehicle making it impossible to put back into gear and I would be forced to shut the car off and let it rest for around 30 minutes before it would start without immediately revving up to the red line again. I've replaced everything that every mechanic has told me that it could be. Even tried to replace almost everything all at once. …
May 4, 2015, 2005 Honda Accord v6 stalled and all systems non-functional while driving. Accord rear-ended a car at rest at a stop sign. In November 2011, the transmission gave out on freeway. Vehicle stayed on and I was able to quickly coast off the freeway, but drive train was out and needed to be replaced (105K miles). This transmission failure seems to be consistent with other NHTSA reports. In April, 2011 the Accord began stalling and all systems failed while the car was in drive and moving. In May, 2012 the dch Honda of temecula found faulty throttle sensor and replaced the part. The vehicle has not experienced this problem again until this failure and accident. I see several reports of accords stalling on this site. Is this a known problem? My daughter was fortunate this didn't happen when approaching oncoming traffic or the freeway. This seems like a serious safety issue.
Dt: the consumer's vehicle was struck by another vehicle while approaching a red light at 10 MPH. The vehicle was struck on the left front passenger's side by the headlights and tire area. This was a minor accident. The consumer exchanged license and insurance information and got back into the vehicle. The consumer was planning to drive away. While on the cell phone a pedestrian waved alerting the consumer that the car was on fire. The left front headlight area had black smoke coming from where it had been previously struck. The smoke later turned into flames. The fire department came and put out the fire. The vehicle was towed to the dealership from where it was purchased. No explanation as to why this fire began. The fire department, the police department, the insurance company, and dealer could not offer an explanation at this time. …
Repeatedly stopping. With no warnings. When driving, engine quit in January, would not move or even turn over. The manual transmission would not move. Door locks, electric as well as with the key could not be used at. Called aaa to be able to open the door. Jumped the battery to move the car. Still frozen in gear. Had it towed to two dealers. Said the clutch was destroyed. Prior to this issue, not one problem. I had to pay 250.00 for diagnostics to tell me clutch was burned out. I have driven over 34 years and always had a manual transmission. After clutch was replaced, it did it again and again. At this point, we bought a new battery. Once again, I called aaa and they jumped the battery. I am requesting an investigation into the constant electrical freeze. I would like a refund of the diagnostic. Charges and repairs. Clutch was installed for 1500.00. Battery was120.00. …
Tl contact owns a 2005 Honda Accord. The contact had a 40,000 mile repair performed at the dealer. Four days later, the gauge control module shorted out internally. The dealer attempted to reprogram the module, but was unsuccessful. The module was sent out to paolo alto, ca to be reprogrammed. Once it was completed, the module was returned to the dealer for installation in the vehicle. A couple of months later, while driving at an unknown speed with the cruise control activated, it would not disengage when the brake pedal was depressed. The vehicle was locked in the cruise control mode and it continued moving towards oncoming traffic. The contact lost control of the vehicle and crashed into two vehicles. The contact and another person were injured. The vehicle was destroyed. A police report was filed. The investigator stated that the instrument cluster module caused the crash. …
Dt*: the contact stated during sudden, hard braking the vehicle pulled to the right. Then a few days later, during normal braking, the vehicle pulled to the left. The dealership was unable to determine a problem. Then while traveling 30 MPH on a slushy downhill road the brake pedal was depressed and the brakes did not respond. The vehicle rear ended another vehicle. There was a police report taken at the scene. The driver received minor injuries. The vehicle was driven to the dealership, where repairs were made for property damage. The dealership was unable to determine the problem with the brakes. The vehicle was taken to another dealership and an independent repair shop, which was unable to determine the problem as well. There was a rough idle when coming to a stop. The headlights flicker at times. Updated 07/05/06.
Related recalls
Electrical system › Wiring › Fuses and circuit breakers
On certain passenger vehicles, a loose terminal in the main fuse box May cause the fuel pump to lose power. If the fuel pump becomes inoperative, the engine May not start.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the entire fuse box free of charge. The recall began on April 13, 2005. Owners May contact Honda at 800-999-1009 or Acura at 1-800-382-2238.
Electrical complaints in other Accord years
Frequently asked questions
How common are electrical problems on the 2005 Honda Accord?
NHTSA has 96 complaints about the electrical system of the 2005 Honda Accord, 15% of the model year's 656 complaints. The component named most often is ignition (3 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2005 Honda Accord electrical problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 05V-132 (fuses and circuit breakers, Apr 5, 2005). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 2005 Honda Accord electrical problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 71,000 miles, and 14% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 6 crashes, 2 fires and 7 injuries to electrical system 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.