2016 Honda Accord electrical problems
198 of the 608 complaints owners filed with NHTSA about the 2016 Honda Accord name the electrical system (NHTSA’s “Electrical System” heading — wiring, modules, batteries, charging, infotainment and driver displays — NHTSA's broadest heading). Filed under the same heading: 34 manufacturer bulletins, 1 recall, 1 NHTSA investigation. Every figure below is a document in a federal file, linked; none is a failure rate, and none is a verdict on any one car.
What owners filed about the electrical system
Source: NHTSA complaint database1 of the 198 reports a crash · 3 a fire · 2 injuries. Self-reported, unverified.
Filed per year: 2017: 16 · 2018: 9 · 2019: 30 · 2020: 16 · 2021: 7 · 2022: 6 · 2023: 15 · 2024: 22 · 2025: 45 · 2026: 32
Half of the 63 owners who gave an odometer reading reported the electrical problem between 28,000 and 63,000 miles. A median of reports, not the life of a part.
608 complaints in all about the 2016 Honda Accord, 32 filed in 2026. The whole picture, every system →
Counts are owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects, and scale with how many of these were sold; nothing here is a rate. NHTSA groups complaints coarsely, so “Electrical System” means the same area of the vehicle, not one fault.
Across model years: Honda Accord electrical problems, every year on file →
In owners’ own words
Source: NHTSA complaint databaseFiled with NHTSA by the people who own these cars, about the electrical system. Quoted as written, with anything identifying removed; unverified reports — what was said, not a finding that it was true.
Second time on the last four days that my car will not start. I took it in for service at eh Honda autonation in costa mesa ca and they told me that everything checked out fine. I was working in los angeles four days later and once again the car wouldn't start.
The contact owns a 2016 Honda Accord. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 17v418000 (electrical system); however, the remedy was not available. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not notified of the issue.
#1 issue on sep 23 2017 we were going down an incline, in the city, applying the brakes and going about 25mph when the engine accelerated. We were approaching a stop sign at a busy intersection. He applied the brakes harder but the car would not stop.
When starting the vehicle, first time for the day, top and bottom center display touch screens went black and there is no functionality of any of the associated functions: no navigation, no blue tooth, no back-up camera, no side view camera when turning. This is a repeated issue. Does not reset
When I turn the defroster on the radio turns to static. Engine then revs up extremely high. The vehicle will do this stationary or moving and in a driveway, on a highway and in the city and while turning. It was rear ended july 24, 2017 at approximately 3:30 PM with roughly $1,000 in damages
What is on file about the electrical system
Source: NHTSA recalls, investigations and manufacturer communicationsRecall filed under this heading
- 17V418000 CriticalJun 29, 2017 · 1,148,550 vehicles
- Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2013-2016 Honda Accord vehicles. The case for the battery sensor, part of the battery management system, may allow water to get in, potentially causing an electrical short.
NHTSA investigation
- DP22005 Pedestrian alert soundsopened Jan 27, 2023 · closed Aug 7, 2023
- NHTSA received a petition on or about July 18, 2022, requesting that Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 141 be applied to all electric and hybrid vehicles operating in the United States. The petition can be reviewed at NHTSA.gov under ODI Number 11486072. FMVSS 141 establishes performance requirements for pedestrian alert sounds for motor vehicles. The standard applies to hybrid and ele…
34 manufacturer bulletins filed under this heading
The 0 newest are listed; every one is on the model year’s page. Quote the document number at a service desk — it is a diagnosis the maker has already written down.
Trouble codes named on this system
Codes a bulletin or an owner’s complaint about the 2016 Honda Accord names on this model year; a code with a record of its own links it.
Common questions
Source: NHTSA complaint database, recalls and manufacturer communicationsAre electrical problems common on the 2016 Honda Accord?
They are documented: NHTSA holds 198 owner complaints naming the electrical system on this model year (33% of everything owners filed about it), and 34 manufacturer bulletins, 1 recall, 1 NHTSA investigation are filed under the same heading. Whether it is a problem on one particular car is a diagnosis, not a count, and a count says nothing about how many were sold.
Is there a recall for the electrical system on the 2016 Honda Accord?
Yes — one campaign is filed under this heading: 17V418000. A recall is matched by VIN; check yours at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
When do electrical problems show up on the 2016 Honda Accord?
Owners who gave an odometer reading reported it at a median of 46,000 miles; half of them between 28,000 and 63,000. That is when reports cluster, not the life of a part.
What does NHTSA's "Electrical System" heading cover?
Wiring, modules, batteries, charging, infotainment and driver displays — NHTSA's broadest heading. Owners choose the heading when they file, so it says which area of the vehicle the complaint is about, not which part failed.