Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (doors, hood, frame, rust, paint and trim).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2012 Honda Accord owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
At around 7:25am this morning I was driving to work in traffic and I was needing to stop, but my brakes were not working properly. They went all the way to the floor, no pressure, and I rear ended another person going 35mph. My entire front-end of my vehicle is totalled and my airbags did not even deploy. After the wreck I pumped my breaks to try to move it off the freeway and the breaks started to work again. This is a serious problem because had I been going any faster and even had my other family in the car we all could have been seriously injured or died!!
The trunk release mechanisms of my Honda Accord EXL coupe failed, both manual cable and electrical trunk release. My trunk does NOT open and when I need to access my spare tire in the trunk - I will NOT be able to. A real danger since I live in Canyon Country and often phone reception is poor. The only Honda Model that does NOT have any external nor internal emergency trunk release option. There is no "Valet" button, no decklid access, no external hidden key lock nothing that can release my trunk so I can gain access to my spare tire. Federal Law 49CFR571.401 mandates an emergency internal trunk release. In this Honda Model the ONLY way to get into the trunk from inside is by unlocking and pulling down back seats to access the trunk. BUT the ONLY way to unlock back seats is by pulling a cable that unlocks them which is INSIDE THE TRUNK! …
'Takata recall'. I have taken measures for the safety recalls, adhering to required dates provided by NHTSA of this vehicle, one being the air bags recalls. I was involved in a recent car wreck (January 12th, 2019)at which the driver front air bag deployed from steering wheel. The opposing passenger ran a red light at a street/intersection perpendicular to the street I was traveling on. I t-boned her 2010 Honda Accord in the rear panel, driver's side. I was traveling at speed limit, approx 42 MPH and she was traveling at excessive speed but I am unaware of her speed limit. My vehicle continued in a straight path but completely totaled the front end and driver's side front panel, frame, etc. As for my my injury, I felt burnt on both wrists at the time of impact, but due to shock of accident I did not seek medical attention. …
Our 2012 4 door/v6 Honda Accord was involved in a crash. A mack truck hit our car from behind at an estimated speed of 50. We hit the car in front of us at an estimated speed of 20. The vehicle was considered totaled with an estimate of $22000-$25000 in damages. The front airbags never deployed. In my research, 2012 Honda's had a recall regarding side airbags not deploying (http://www.Honda.com/newsandviews/article.aspx?id=6510-en). I am concerned there might be an issue with the front airbags as well. I reported the issue to American Honda as a safety concerns for other Honda owners. Honda documented all the information regarding the crash then instructed me to have a private individual inspect vehicle to determine if there was a malfunction with the airbags. If so, then they want us to submit the issue in writing.
On 8/03/2015 I was rear ended by another SUV that failed to stop while I was waiting behind a red light. The impact of the accident was severe enough to force my car to hit the other car in front of me and consequently I was taken but the ambulance to the local hospital for further physical examination. I am writing you this because after my release from the hospital I noticed due to the high speed impact the air bag light in my car had been turned on yet the air bag itself never deployed. Therefore I would like to make an official complaint and inquiry about the Honda auto company. I believe I might have skipped very serious physical injuries perhaps by luck yet the fact that the airbag of my Honda never deployed is rey disturbing to me. I would appreciate your help in this matter.
The mechanism for releasing the fuel door is a latch/button located inside the vehicle near the driver side floor. Depressing the mechanism is supposed to release the exterior fuel door so that gasoline can be filled into the vehicle. The mechanism does not work. Upon repeated pressing of the button, the fuel door will not open. Eventually, prying a flat object into the spacing between the fuel door and the body is required to release the fuel door. The vehicle has been serviced at mile high Honda for this problem twice (the latest service occuring on January 2, 2015) and in both instances the technicians, while able to reproduce the problem, were unable to repair it. The technicians stated that they have seen this problem with other 2012 model accords and have not been able to identify the source of the problem or fix it. …
My complaint is about safety negligence, on the corporate site for Honda and I quote states ?your safety is our priority?. I took my car to get checked for a knocking noise and was told ball joints recommended to be replaced. I asked if it was safe to drive and was told yes by service advisor. After being charge for apparently tighten rods. Apparently the certified technicians neglect safety of the customer and also have attitudes towards customers was told this when brought car in and I quote ?so you know more than the Honda engineers?. The front left wheel of my car came off (where the noise was coming from) after taking it to the dealer and being charged for tighten rods. Now dealer is blaming me for the wheel coming of when I was told that the car was safe to drive. …
Tl* the contact owns a 2012 Honda Accord. While attempting to load the trunk of the vehicle, the hatch closed and injured three family members. Medical attention was not received. The vehicle was taken to apostolakis Honda (3156 elm rd, cortland, oh 44410, [phone]) where it was diagnosed that the dampers on the spring May have weakened due to the age of the vehicle. The contact was informed to properly open the trunk to its full upright position for proper operation of the trunk. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 60,000. The VIN was invalid.
Very easy to accidentally cause all windows to fully open in locked car when keyfob is in pocket. This has caused car interior to become soaked including contents and gives full access to all contents and trunk. This could be extremely dangerous in a city environment as someone could enter car and hide in back at night. This happens when car is parked and locked.
My 2012 Honda Accord started having paint issues when it had 80,000 miles on it. I took it into the dealership and both the dealership and American Honda acknowledged there was a problem but refused to fix it. The paint started peeling in the back window well and has now spread to the side of the car. Large paint chips come off exposing bare metal.
Body complaints in other Accord years
Frequently asked questions
How common are body problems on the 2012 Honda Accord?
NHTSA has 22 complaints about the body & structure of the 2012 Honda Accord, 6% of the model year's 373 complaints. The component named most often is body (19 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2012 Honda Accord body problems?
No. NHTSA lists no body & structure recall for the 2012 Honda Accord, though it has 8 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 2012 Honda Accord body problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 33,000 miles, and 44% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 8 crashes, 0 fires and 12 injuries to body & structure 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.