Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (engine, cooling system, oil leaks, timing chain, exhaust).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2006 Honda Accord owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owns a 2006 Honda Accord. The contact stated while driving approximately 35 MPH, there was an abnormal metal-on-metal grinding sound coming from under the floorboards. The contact stated that the vehicle stalled. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact attempted to restart the vehicle, but the vehicle failed to start. The contact had the vehicle towed to the residence. The vehicle was not taken to a local dealer or independent mechanic. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 280,000.
I backup up in a parking lot and when I took my foot off of the brake the car went full throttle in reverse and hit a cement structure behind me and kept hitting it. 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. I was going with a full throttle and managed to steer away from the cliff and a building and headed towards a chain link fence to try to stop my travel. It did not stop me because the car was going so fast. It went through the fence and the yard and then through the next fence and was then airborne between the trees till I hit the ground at a 45 degree angle which was about 15 feet lower. Then continued to speed across a field till it got caught in a ditch. …
In January, three weeks after driving 1000 miles to florida the engine started to miss and with in a mile I could not go 10 miles a hour. I had the car towed to the fort myers, florida Honda dealer. I was told one of the rear spark plugs was loose and the blow-by over-heated the spark plug causing the inside of the plug to come loose fall inside the head thus causing damage to the engine. The coil mounted to the spark plug was charred indicating very high temperature from the blow-by. The plug was loose in the socket indicating it was not tighten securely. The top of the plug is still in-place on the spark plug. I have the parts. The engine had the fluids check and oil changed every 4000 miles and normal maintenance performed. I do most of my own maintenance and had no reason to check the spark plugs. …
I took my Honda Accord e6 into darrell waltrip Honda for a recall to repair a power steering hose. I picked the car up and returned 27 miles on the interstate directly to my home. I was told the repair procedure was to take 5 hours plus oil change but it actually took less than 60 - 90 minutes. I parked the car in my garage and went upstairs into the house. About 12 minutes later the alarms went off and I found the garage and car in flames with heavy smoke. The forensics fire expert says that the fire was caused by oil that had sprayed across the back inside of the car which was ignited by the catalytic converter - probably due to a faulty repair by the mechanic or by a faulty repair procedure designated by Honda or the dealership. The fire thus far has caused more than $200,000 damages to my home plus injury to me. …
Tl* the contact owns a 2006 Honda Accord. While driving various speeds, the transmission skipped gears and caused the engine to rev very high. Also, a knocking noise was present coming from the engine. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who was unable to determine the cause of the failures. The manufacturer stated that the VIN was not included in NHTSA campaign number: 11V395000 (power train). The contact stated that the vehicle experienced the same failure listed in the recall. The local dealer was not notified. The failure mileage was 110,000.
Smelled smoke in interior compartment as of I was about to park the car. Got out of the car with all passengers.. Then seconds later the engine was in flames. By-standards grabbed extinguishers (4) in total but did not put the flames out. Fire dept came, cut open the hood and put it out with water. Front bumper and headlights had melted completely. Battery and fuse box nearly gone and nothing but bare wires all over the engine. Even the head cover all melted.
Tl* the contact owned a 2006 Honda Accord. While driving approximately 25 MPH, there was an abnormal noise from the hood of the vehicle. The vehicle caught fire under the hood. The fire department extinguished the fire and a report was filed. There were no injuries sustained. The VIN was unknown. The vehicle was destroyed and towed to a towing facility. The contact had not experienced a failure.
Within 4 months following the last two oil changes, the low oil pressure light will come on while driving. Oil is two qts low. No indication of leak, burning or in radiator. Not sure why using oil with no indication. Mechanic states it is normal to use oil and needs to be added between oil changes.
I have been having this on going unknown issue with my instrument panel indicators on my car. On this panel, my malfunction indicator lamp light comes on some times after refueling but not a cap problem and stays on for a few days. This time the light came on wile driving but was not related to a refuel. On page 237 in the 2006, owner's manual it explains that the light has to do with one of the engine's emission control systems May have a problem. I have had this light come on a few times before as well as now and then the light goes out on its own a few days later. I have taken photos of my instrument panel with the light on. The photo also shows my current miles at the time when the light is on. I have given the photos to my service adviser #176 at martin main line Honda dealership # 207980 in ardmore pa 19003-2385. …
My fiancee, her brother, our 22-month old son , and myself were on the highway (270s) to reagan international airport at 6:30 pm when the car suddenly slowed down, would not accelerate, and started shaking. Not knowing what was going on I pulled over, turned the engine off, and got out of the car. I walked around the car and everything was fine. I got back in the car, started the engine and stepped on the gas pedal without much of an acceleration. We called a friend who is a mechanic and he said that it was probably a spark plug issue. We were able to drive the car the next day to his shop and the diagnostics was cylinder misfiring. It turned out that a spark plug became loose,melted, and destroyed the cylinder. He fixed the treads where the spark plug screws into the engine but the engine did not pressurize. …
Engine complaints in other Accord years
Frequently asked questions
How common are engine problems on the 2006 Honda Accord?
NHTSA has 40 complaints about the engine & cooling of the 2006 Honda Accord, 9% of the model year's 433 complaints. The component named most often is cooling system (6 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2006 Honda Accord engine problems?
No. NHTSA lists no engine & cooling recall for the 2006 Honda Accord, though it has 12 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 2006 Honda Accord engine problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 84,000 miles, and 27% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 2 crashes, 3 fires and 1 injury to engine & cooling 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.