The 9th-gen Accord is a good car with one annoying habit: it likes to fail its starter right after the warranty runs out. If you're shopping a used one on the Canadian market, that's the story to understand before anything else. The rest of the generation holds up well. But the early cars carry a cluster of electrical and starting gremlins that can turn a cheap deal into a repair bill fast.
The starter problem everyone talks about
This is the single most-repeated complaint on the generation. Owners report grinding, no-start, and in some cases replacing the starter more than once. Honda traced the root cause itself. In February 2016 it issued TSB 16-002, which blames the clearance between the starter gear and the torque converter's ring gear. The fix per the bulletin is to replace the starter and rotate the crankshaft by one bolt hole.
Here's the part that stings. The failures tend to hit around 50,000 miles, just past Honda's 36,000-mile warranty. Owners flagged that timing with a "Beware" rating because it clusters right after coverage ends. RepairPal puts a starter replacement between $595 and $963 USD; Hondaproblems pegs the out-of-pocket cost near $630, with the starter itself running $200 to $400. One owner reported $934 on a four-year-old car. In a worse case where the TSB fix didn't hold, an owner was quoted roughly $3,200 for a torque converter replacement. V6 cars dominate the documented complaints, but forum posts describe it recurring on 2015 four-cylinder Sport trims too, so don't assume the four-banger is immune.
Do the math against price. The median 2013 sits at $11,000. A $900 starter job, or worse a $3,200 transmission repair, eats the entire saving over a cleaner later car. Cheap early Accords aren't cheap if the starter goes.
CVT, oil, steering, and the other early-year gremlins
The four-cylinder cars got a CVT this generation while the V6 kept a conventional automatic. Owners complain the CVT judders at low to medium speeds and is hard to modulate. There's also a formal NHTSA recall that began February 4, 2021, covering certain 2013–2015 four-cylinder CVT cars sold or registered in salt-belt states. The driveshafts were assembled with a lubricant that degraded their protective coating, leaving them vulnerable to road salt. That one matters in Canada. CBC confirmed the driveshaft recall reached Canadian owners, and it also swept in Fits, some Civic hybrids, and a few Acuras.
Oil consumption shows up on both engines but hits the 2013 and 2014 V6 hardest. The thin 0W-20 oil burns off as miles climb. Mechanics recommend checking the level every 1,000 miles. Electrical power steering complaints also concentrate on 2013 and 2014 cars; MotorBiscuit noted the 2013–2015 steering issue was still under investigation, so treat it as an open pattern rather than a solved one. On top of that, the four-cylinder uses a small battery that doesn't last, and a weak or corroded battery can trigger no-start, lost steering assist, and warning lights. A battery runs $135 to $310. Honda also recalled 2013–2016 Accords because water could get into the battery sensor case and cause a short.
Recalls and year-specific fixes
| Issue | Years / engine | Type |
|---|---|---|
| Starter / ring-gear clearance grinding | 2013–2017, V6 emphasized | TSB 16-002 (dealer bulletin) |
| CVT driveshaft corrosion (salt belt) | 2013–2015, 4-cyl CVT | Recall, began Feb 2021 |
| Battery sensor water intrusion | 2013–2016 | Recall |
| LED daytime running light burnout | 2016–2017 | TSB 19-042 + warranty extension |
| V6 fuel pump particulate contamination | 2015–2017, V6 | Recall, began Mar 2019 |
| Fuel pump module failure (broad) | 2013–2023 | Recall, letters mailed Sept 2024 |
The facelift cars brought their own quirk. LED daytime running lights burn out inside the 2016 and 2017 headlights, and the repair means replacing the whole headlight unit, which is expensive out of pocket. The good news is Honda handled it well. TSB 19-042 came with a warranty extension from 3 years to 10 years/unlimited mileage for eligible 2016–2017 VINs. Check whether a car you're eyeing still qualifies. Fuel pumps also got attention twice: a 2019 recall for particulate contamination on 2015–2017 V6 cars, and a much broader 2024 recall covering 2013–2023 Accords for fuel pump module failure. Dealers replace the pump free.
One thing to cross off your worry list: Takata airbags. The big driver-inflator recalls hit older Accords, roughly 2001–2012. NHTSA's "Do Not Drive" list only cites 2001–2002 Accords among the worst inflators. Don't let generic "Honda Takata" headlines scare you off a 9th-gen car.
What owners actually praise, and which years to buy
Despite the list above, the reputation holds. Consumer Reports rated the 2013, 2016, and 2017 Accord more reliable than other cars from their model year, and the 2014 as about average. (CarComplaints' raw complaint volume paints a harsher picture, but that counts total complaints rather than survey-based comparisons, so the two systems disagree.) Long-time owners on DriveAccord describe the car as a solid tank with basic maintenance. It's roomy, light on gas, and both engines make decent power.
If you want the least trouble, 2015 is the pick. Multiple sources call it the sweet spot with the fewest complaints and recalls, and the median 2015 sits at $12,000 with around 176,000 km. The 2014 lands at $12,492 but carries the heaviest cluster of starter, steering, and oil issues, so it's the weakest value here. The facelift 2016 at $15,980 and 2017 at $17,495 cost more but drop the early-year steering and CVT-driveshaft problems, and they show lower median mileage. On any car, listen for a grinding starter on cold starts, check oil level and consumption history, confirm the battery sensor and driveshaft recalls were done, and on a V6 verify the fuel pump recall work. On a 2016 or 2017, ask whether the DRL warranty extension still applies.
What these Honda Accord years cost right now
Live Canadian price benchmarks for every year in this generation:
2013 Accord prices2014 Accord prices2015 Accord prices2016 Accord prices2017 Accord prices