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 2010 Honda Accord owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Tl* the contact owns a 2010 Honda Accord. The contact stated that while stationary the vehicle was rear ended by a second vehicle. During the crash the driver suffered a severe low back injury when a metal object inside the seat protruded making contact with the drivers lower back region. The injury required medical treatment. A police report was taken at the scene. The vehicle was driven away. The cause of the failure was not determined. The local dealer and manufacturer were not notified. The failure mileage was 100,000.
I called Honda customer to report a problem due to constant check engine lights and to get my car checked with a recall notice . They told me I will charged to see whether my is eligible for the recall notice and told my check engine problem cannot be checked out since my mfg warranty expired since it is only good for 6 yrs from the year of manufactured date and not the sold date . I bought my car 2011 so my warranty is still valid , but for whatever reason they are going by mfg date and sold date.
Incredible uncomfortable driver and passenger seat. With in 30 min of driving, my lower back, bottom, neck, thighs and toes, get so sore, I have to stop, walk and stretch for 20 minutes before I can continue. I have been avoiding drives longer than 30 min, but sometimes traffic exists and it is not easy to accomplish. I have reach the point of no return. It is a shame as I love everything else about it...
Drivers Seat Frame has created a vertical rip in the seat, exposing a sharp metal vertical bar, which can be deadly in an accident
I started noticing right leg pain/numbness while driving my ,new to me, 2010 Honda Accord ex home from the dealership. I thought I just didn't have my seat adjusted properly. The pain became much worse over the next few weeks, affecting both legs and left hip, but I thought it was still just me until I researched it. The real pain began after a 3 hour trip. The pain was so severe the next morning that I could barely walk and couldn't get out of pain. My doctor ordered an x-ray and then a bone scan to see if there was a fracture. The tests showed a condition called spondylolisthesis where the l4 vertebra was pushed forward on the l5 vertebra causing an impingement of the nerves that supply the legs. I contacted the dealership and they told me that my only recourse was to trade the car in on another vehicle(at a great loss to me). I haven't driven the car since. …
After 9 years of perfect satisfaction with a 2001 Honda Accord,I purchased a new 2010 Honda Accord on 08/2010. Loud whining noise started after approx. 1000 miles of driving. Heard whine, loud and consistent on startup and the whine intensifies as the engine warms with driving. Dealer replaced power steering pump on my third trip to Honda service.noise continues even louder with new pump. A return trip to Honda dealer I was told it is a noise characteristic of this model. The nerve racking whine is deadened only with the radio vol. Turned up. Two other problems create very stressful driving conditions. The head rest extend too much forward creating severe neck strain and the stiff feel in the seats require constant shifting of position. I will never purchase nor recommend a Honda to anyone. …
I never had back pain. I now have back pain after driving the car for a week. It felt like a solid piece of wood or a brick was in the seat. There is no seat adjustment that is comfortable. It turns out the new design for the headrest to push forward in a rearend crash has included a big plastic panel held on by 2 metal bars located in the seat just behind the cushion (I removed seat back to see this). This bars attached to the plastic pulls the headrest forward if your back is pushed against the seat. The lumbar is also attached to this plastic. If you sit in the seat and pull the headrest forward you can feel the lump go away for the most part. Removing the plastic is the only thing that made the seat comfortable. However that disables the safety feature so I can't do that permanently. However that showed me the plastic in the seat back is the problem. Updated 6/26/12
Tl* the contact owns a 2010 Honda Accord. The contact stated that the driver's seat had become defective and had no padding in the seat. The contact was in chronic pain due to the position of the seat. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who had to order a replacement seat for the vehicle. The replacement seat was installed but the contact stated that there were no changes in the seat position, as the pain continued on her right side. The manufacturer was notified of the failure who offered no assistance. The failure mileage was 7,000 and the current mileage was 22,000.
My 2010 Honda Accord seats are so bad my back hurts all the time now, the lumbar jams in to my lower back and the headrest pushes my head forward. This is something that you find out after a few days of driving and then it's to late the dealers got you and when you complain they try and upsale you with a huge loss on your new car or you get sorry about your luck we've never heard of this. I started to drive my 1996 explorer to relieve my back pain and let my new Honda sit in the garage. So much for saving fuel, and now I have a car payment on top of it.
Tl contact owns a 2010 Honda Accord. The contact stated that she had a problem with the head restraint. The head restraint pushed the top of her head three inches from the upright position and made it difficult to see the roadway when driving. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer who informed her that was the design and they could not repair it. The vehicle was not repaired; the dealer only replaced the head restraint with one from another vehicle. The manufacturer was contacted and a complaint was filed. The failure mileage was 188.
Seat complaints in other Accord years
Frequently asked questions
How common are seat problems on the 2010 Honda Accord?
NHTSA has 41 complaints about the seats of the 2010 Honda Accord, 7% of the model year's 581 complaints. The component named most often is front assembly › head restraint (2 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2010 Honda Accord seat problems?
No. NHTSA lists no seats recall for the 2010 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 2010 Honda Accord seat problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 7,000 miles, and 73% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 1 crash, 0 fires and 11 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.