YearToAvoid

2005 Honda Accord Reliability Data: Problems & Recalls

Caution The 2005 Honda Accord has a complaint index of 60 and ranks 9th worst out of 21 model years, earning a Caution verdict. Airbags are the top problem area, with 209 complaints (32% share) and 15 recall campaigns tied to this year, most involving Takata airbag inflators.

Based on NHTSA complaints per model-year, not a reliability rating. Methodology

YearToAvoid Scorecard

Complaint Index
60/100
#9 of 21 Accord years
Verdict
Caution
vs. other years of this model
Complaints
656
unique NHTSA reports
Recalls
15
distinct NHTSA campaigns
Crashes
92
reported in complaints
Fires
11
Injuries
92
Top issue
Airbags
Best nearby year
2021
rated Best
NHTSA overall rating
Not rated
EPA combined MPG
23
20 city / 29.5 hwy
Injuries / deaths
92 / 3

Top 2005 Honda Accord problems

Share of this year’s NHTSA complaints by component group. Groups with 15+ complaints have their own page.

  1. Airbags209 (32%)
  2. Electrical System113 (17%)
  3. Transmission & Powertrain113 (17%)
  4. Engine107 (16%)
  5. Structure & Body55 (8%)
  6. Brakes54 (8%)
  7. Other53 (8%)
  8. Steering40 (6%)
  9. Suspension, Wheels & Tires33 (5%)
  10. Seat Belts28 (4%)

A complaint can list more than one component, so shares add up to more than 100%. Shares are % of complaints.

What owners report

  • Owners describe frontal airbags failing to deploy during moderate-to-high speed crashes, including one at 60 mph.
  • Some report the steering wheel airbag deploying but causing burns to the hands or wrists during a head-on collision.
  • Several describe brakes that stopped responding during normal or hard braking, leading to collisions.
  • One owner reported the steering locking up suddenly at 35 mph, causing a spin-out with no warning.
  • Electrical issues were reported including check engine, traction control, and TCS lights illuminating together after purchase.
2005 Honda Accord complaints: complaints filed per quarter252004 Q42007 Q22009 Q42012 Q22014 Q42017 Q22019 Q42023 Q1
656 complaints filed with NHTSA from 2004 Q4 to 2026 Q1; peak 2010 Q1 (25).

2005 Honda Accord recalls

15 NHTSA recall campaigns list this model year.

  1. NHTSA 19V501000Jun 27, 2019Airbags1,657,752 vehicles

    Air bags:frontal:passenger side:inflator module

    Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2003-2006 Acura MDX, 2005-2012 RL, 2003-2007 Honda Accord, 2001-2005 Civic, 2003-2005 Civic Hybrid, 2001-2005 Civic GX NGV, 2002-2006 CR-V, 2003-2011 Element, 2007-2008 Fit, 2002-2004 Odyssey, 2003-2008 Pilot, and 2006-2014 Ridgeline vehicles. The vehicles are equipped with passenger frontal air bag inflators assembled as a recall remedy part or replacement service part, that may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, temperature and temperature cycling.

    Risk: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

    Remedy: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal airbag inflator, free of charge. The recall began August 12, 2019. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are E5D and X5C.

  2. NHTSA 19V499000Jun 27, 2019Airbags3,947 vehicles

    Air bags:frontal:driver side:inflator module

    Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2003 Acura 3.2CL, 2002-2003 3.2TL, 2003-2006 MDX, 2001-2007 Honda Accord, 2001-2005 Civic, 2003-2005 Civic Hybrid, 2001-2005 Civic GX NGV, 2002-2006 CR-V, 2003-2011 Element, 2002-2004 Odyssey, 2003-2008 Pilot and 2006 Ridgeline vehicles. These vehicles are equipped with driver frontal air bag inflators assembled as a recall remedy part or replacement service part, that may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, temperature and temperature cycling.

    Risk: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

    Remedy: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver frontal air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began August 12, 2019. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are Q5A and Y58.

  3. NHTSA 19V182000Mar 6, 2019Airbags1,101,534 vehicles

    Air bags:frontal:driver side:inflator module

    Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling specific 2003 Acura 3.2CL, 2013-2016 ILX, 2013-2014 ILX Hybrid, 2003-2006 MDX, 2007-2016 RDX, 2002-2003 3.2TL, 2004-2006, and 2009-2014 TL, 2010-2013 ZDX and 2001-2007 and 2009 Honda Accord, 2001-2005 Civic, 2003-2005 Civic Hybrid, 2001-2005 Civic GX NGV, 2002-2007 and 2010-2011 CR-V, 2003-2011 Element, 2007 Fit, 2002-2004 Odyssey, 2003-2008 Pilot, and 2006-2014 Ridgeline vehicles. The affected vehicles received a replacement driver air bag inflator as part of a previous Takata inflator recall remedy or a replacement driver air bag module containing the same inflator type as a service part. Due to a manufacturing error, in the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver frontal air bag, these inflators may explode.

    Risk: An explosion of an inflator within the driver frontal air bag module may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver, front seat passenger or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

    Remedy: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver's air bag inflator with an alternate inflator, free of charge. The recall began April 10, 2019. Honda owners may contact customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's number for this recall is O41. Acura owners may contact customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Acura's number for this recall is U40.

See all 15 recalls for the 2005 Honda Accord →

2005 Honda Accord fuel economy and fuel cost

City
20 MPG
Highway
29.5 MPG
Combined
23 MPG
Annual fuel cost (EPA)
$2,825
15,000 mi/yr
Fuel
Regular
Current regular gas
$4.32/gal
national avg.

EPA figures; median across configurations of this model year. Estimate your own cost with the fuel cost calculator.

2005 compared with other Accord years

Complaint Index by model year (0 = fewest issues, 100 = most)0255075100’05’06’07’08’09’10’11’12’13’14’15’16’17’18’19’20’21’22’23’24’25
Complaint Index: 0 = fewest issues, 100 = most, relative to other years of this model. Avoid Caution Good Best
YearVerdictIndexComplaintsRecallsMPG
2005Caution606561523
2006Caution254301223
2007Caution65524923

All Honda Accord years: best and worst →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2005 Honda Accord reliable?
NHTSA data shows a complaint index of 60 for the 2005 Accord, ranking 9th worst among 21 model years tracked, with a Caution verdict relative to other Accord years.
What are the most common problems with the 2005 Honda Accord?
Airbags lead with 209 complaints (32% of the total), followed by Electrical System and Transmission & Powertrain, each with 113 complaints (17% share).
Does the 2005 Honda Accord have an airbag recall?
Yes. NHTSA lists 15 recall campaigns tied to the 2005 Accord, almost all involving Takata frontal airbag inflator replacements on the driver or passenger side.
At what mileage do 2005 Accord airbag problems tend to appear?
NHTSA complaint data shows a median mileage of 83,000 for airbag-related failures in the 2005 Accord.
How does the 2005 Accord compare to other Accord years?
Its complaint index of 60 is worse than 2006 (25) and 2011 (5), but better than 2008 (95) and 2018 (100), which carry Avoid verdicts.

Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint and recall databases; U.S. EPA fuel economy data; NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings. Complaints are unverified owner reports.

Data updated Sep 24, 2026. Read the methodology and data sources. The Complaint Index is based on NHTSA owner complaints and recalls; it is not a reliability rating.