Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (power windows, windshield, wipers, mirrors, sunroof).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2016 Honda Accord owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
I was driving in the city at a speed of thirty mph when my wife, a passenger in the car, and myself, heard a loud pop. Suddenly I was unable to see the traffic which was following me because my rear window was completely shattered. Since I had traffic behind me and it was raining hard, I decided to drive a few more blocks to seek refuge and help at a nearby Car dealership, which specializes in glass repair. There they taped and covered the rear window opening in plastic after removing the shattered windshield and vacuuming up the many glass pieces which fell into the car. I have had to contact my insurance company, as both Honda Corporation and the warranty I have remaining on the vehicle will not cover the repair. This I was told by by the Honda dealer where I purchased the vehicle.
While driving the moonroof "exploded"... basically it shattered and the pieces of glass flew off across the rod and the trunk (left scratches all over. Weather was partly cloudy but dry. Dash cam doesn't show any rocks or debris thrown up.
The rear window is distorted which prevents a clear and accurate view of all objects behind the vehicle. This distortion affects the entire back window and it causes the objects viewed through the window to be wavy and distorted. Its effects are magnified in wet weather and at night. The distortion prevents the operator from accurately judging the size, speed and distance of the vehicles traveling behind the vehicle. The distortion occurs when the vehicle is moving and stationary. I inspected several similar accords at the dealer and they had the same distorted rear window. The service manager at the dealer acknolwedged the distortion, but claimed it couldn't be fixed.
My backup camera stopped working when I took my car to the dealership to get an exterior replacement part. It worked fine when I dropped it off. Now the screen is completely black when you are in reverse but you can still see the backup camera lines. The dealership is trying to charge me $140 to even look at it. Somebody posted this exact complaint in July 2020. They stated that the camera housing might be letting condensation and water inside, causing it to short out. There are two additional complaints with the same issue from March 2020, one in February 2020, and one in January 2020. This is clearly a manufacturer issue that needs to be investigated.
There appears to be a problem with distorted glass being used in the rear windows of 2016 Honda accords. Looking through the rear window of my Accord sport, vehicles and especially lane markings appear out of focus and wavy. The problem is even worse in rainy conditions. This makes it difficult to determine the proximity of vehicles behind me, especially in heavy traffic conditions. Honda's district service manager acknowledged the problem without even asking to see my car. He called it "characteristic" of the accords and claimed they all have varying levels of distortion. However, Honda refused to offer a replacement window.
On 10/10/2019 (Thursday) approximately 4:45 pm there was construction going on between exit 312 and exit 319 (clayton /fuquay) area hwy 40. Construction dropped a large load which sounded really loud and debris was blown in the air and covered my car with cement like stuff on my car. Its all over my windshield and body of my car. Second time at 5:45 am in the morning on 10/15/2019 (Tuesday) they are working again in the area, and their are large clouds of smoke coming up again and then I see later on in the day when I get into my car that I have this stuff on my car somemore. I was driving both times on the highway 40.
The backup camera has stopped working. For a few weeks it would intermittently turn work, and now it has stopped working completely. When I put the car in reverse, the screen dash is black with the overlay image of lines showing distances still appearing but no camera image. It is being reported on the internet that it is believed this is due to the camera housing allowing condensation and moisture getting in causing a short. The system appears like it is trying to show the camera image, but it is not getting a signal like it has shorted out.
Tl* the contact owns a 2016 Honda Accord. The contact stated that the rear window was distorted. As a result, the contact's vision was obscured. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the rear window was distorted and needed to be repaired. The vehicle was not repaired because Honda informed the dealer not to replace the window because they did not have new equipment. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 70. Updated 01/06/17 updated 7/13/18
The rear window is distorted which prevents a clear and accurate view of all objects behind the vehicle. This distortion affects the entire back window and it causes the objects viewed through the window to be wavy and distorted. Its effects are magnified in wet weather and at night. The distortion prevents the operator from accurately judging the size, speed and distance of the vehicles traveling behind the vehicle. The distortion occurs when the vehicle is moving and stationary.
Front windshield has what look like hard water spots and in the sunlight you cannot hardly see out. The dealer has said they acid cleaned this and some of it was removed. Now it has returned making driving into the sun impossible. Car is always in garage and it does not rain in albuquerque so it is some kind of defect in the windshield glass. I will ask the it be replaced this trip to dealer as only 9500 miles.
Window & Wiper complaints in other Accord years
Frequently asked questions
How common are window & wiper problems on the 2016 Honda Accord?
NHTSA has 30 complaints about the windows, wipers & sunroof of the 2016 Honda Accord, 5% of the model year's 610 complaints. The component named most often is windshield (1 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2016 Honda Accord window & wiper problems?
No. NHTSA lists no windows, wipers & sunroof recall for the 2016 Honda Accord, though it has 4 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 2016 Honda Accord window & wiper problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 4,000 miles, and 67% before 25,000 miles.
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.