Problems · by component
2012 Honda Accord seats problems
64 owner complaints to NHTSA about the 2012 Honda Accord cite seats, 17% of all 381 complaints for this model year.
Complaints
64
17% of all complaints
Crashes
0
Reported by owners
Fires
0
Reported by owners
Injuries
13
Reported by owners
What owners say about the seats
Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
“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! So the safety design flaws in the Honda Accord EXL coupe are: there is no emergency access to release the trunk to gain access to the spare tire AND there is no emergency way to unlock back seats to gain access to the trunk since the only way to unlock back seats is IN THE TRUNK. A Mechanical Engineer needed to dismantled the…”
“THE DRIVER SEAT IN MY 2012 HONDA ACCORD IS SO UNCOMFORTABLE THAT I NOW HAVE TO SEEK MEDICAL ATTENTION FOR MY NECK SHOULDER LOWER BACK AND LEG PAIN. I BOUGHT THE CAR USED A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO AND TRY TO TAKE IT BACK 2 DAYS LATER BUT I CANNOT AFFORD TO BUY ANOTHER CAR I OWNED A SATURN FOR 16 YEARS AND NEVER HAD A PROBLEM LIKE THIS I WAS SITTING ON 3 INCHES OF FOAM RUBBER FOR MY BACK AND THE BOTTOM OF THE SEAT BUT THE PAIN STILL PERSISTS. NOW I SIT ON PILLOWS AND THAT IS NO LONGER HELPING BUT I ALSO PUT MY LEFT FOOT ON THE SEAT OR UP ON THE DASHBOARD TO RELIEVE MY LOWER BACK. I KNOW IT IS THE CAR AS I HAVE USED OTHER PEOPLE'S CARS AND WHILE I STILL GET PAIN IT IS NOT AS SEVERE AS WHEN I AM IN MY HONDA FOR AT LEAST 20 MINUTES. DRIVING TO SEE FAMILY 75 MILES AWAY I HAVE TO TAKE TWO BREAKS. THE PAIN I HAVE PERSIST WHEN I AM OUT OF THE CAR BUT IT IS NOT AS SEVERE AS IT IS WHEN I AM DRIVING THE CAR. I HAVE OWNED MANY CARS THROUGHOUT MY LIFETIME AND HAVE NEVER HAD ANYTHING AS BAD AS THIS. I HAVE REPORTED THIS BEFORE INCLUDING PHOTOGRAPHS OF MYSELF WITH MY LEG ON THE DASHBOARD, I HAVE COMPLAINED TO HONDA NEVER RECEIVED A RESPONSE.”
“THE SEATS IN MY 2012 HONDA ACCORD ARE CAUSING BACK PROBLEMS. I DROVE THE SATURN FOR 15 YEARS AND NEVER HAD AN ISSUE WITH MY SHOULDER OR MY LOWER BACK. THE PAIN IS GETTING SO BAD THAT I HAVE TO SIT ON TWO AND A HALF INCHES OF FOAM RUBBER AND PUT MY LEFT FOOT ON THE DASHBOARD TO RELIEVE THE PRESSURE. I AM GOING TO BEGIN TREATMENT FOR THIS LOWER BACK PAIN WHICH NOW EXTENDS DOWN MY LEGS THE SEATS IN THIS CAR CAN BE COMPARED TO SITTING ON A WOODEN BENCH I DIDN'T REALIZE IT WHEN I BOUGHT THE CAR BECAUSE I ONLY DROVE IT AROUND THE PARKING LOT. AFTER DRIVING 80 MILES THE NEXT DAY I COULD NOT BELIEVE HOW SORE MY BACK WAS AFTER GETTING OUT OF THIS CAR. I CALLED THE DEALER AND I COULD HAVE TRADED IT IN BUT OF COURSE ANY CAR AVAILABLE WOULD HAVE COST ME MORE MONEY THE PAIN DISCOMFORT IS NOT ONLY GOING TO COST ME MONEY FOR TREATMENT IT IS ALSO VERY DANGEROUS TO DRIVE WITH MY LEFT FOOT EITHER UP ON THE SEAT OR ON THE DASHBOARD. IF I DON'T DO THIS THE PAIN IN MY LOWER BACK AND HIPS IT'S ALMOST INTOLERABLE - I BOUGHT THIS AS A USED CAR TWO YEARS AGO”
“THE FOAM COVERING THE METAL FRAME ON THE DRIVER'S BACK REST HAS EITHER SHIFTED OR IS SO THIN THAT IS HAS WORN THROUGH AND THAT ALLOWS DIRECT CONTACT BETWEEN THE DRIVER'S BACK AND THE METAL FRAME. IN THE EVENT OF A CRASH, I FEEL THAT THE DIRECT CONTACT OF THE METAL SEAT FRAME WILL RESULT IN INJURY OR INCREASED INJURY TO THE DRIVER.”
“DRIVERS SEAT FELT LIKE METAL WAS PUSHING THROUGH IT, CAUSING DISCOMFORT WHEN I SAT; WORSE WHEN GETTING IN/OUT OF THE CAR. I DID NOT OWN CAR 3 YEARS BUT MILEAGE PAST WARRANTY. HONDA SAID THEY WOULD REPLACE SEAT AS A "GOODWILL GESTURE". REPIAIR DONE BY HONDA DEALER, MADE THE PROBLEM WORSE. I CALLED IMMEDIATELY. ALTHOUGH THE ESTIMATE I RECEIVED TO FIX THE SEAT INCLUDED REPLACING THE ENTIRE CUSHION AND COVER, WHEN THE DEALER DID IT THEY SAID THEY HAD ONLY REPLACED THE COVER. I HAD TO BRING IT BACK AND THEY REPLACED THE CUSHION; PROBLEM WAS WORSE. SOMETHING PRESSES UP THROUGH THE SEAT AND SOMETHING IS DIGGING INTO MY BACK. I BROUGHT IT BACK, DEALER SAID THEY DON'T FEEL THE PROBLEM. I CALLED HONDA, THEY SAID BRING IT BACK WHEN REGIONAL MANAGER WAS THERE. BROUGHT BACK SO REGIONAL MANAGER COULD LOOK AT IT, HE SAID HE DOESN'T FEEL THE PROBLEM. THEY ALL TELL ME THAT THAT IS HOW THE SEATS ARE MADE. THE SEAT FEELS LIKE THERE IS METAL PRESSING UP INTO ME AND WHEN I TURN TO GET IN AND OUT OF THE CAR IT IS WORSE. THERE IS ALSO A PROBLEM WITH THE BACK PART OF THE SEAT BECAUSE IT DIGS INTO MY BACK. I AM NOT A NEW HONDA OWNER AND THESE ARE NOT TYPICAL. TO GET RELIEF WHILE TRYING…”
“THE FRONT SEATING IS SO UNCOMFORTABLE THAT IS CAUSES BACK AND NECK PAIN, AND I FEAR IF THE CAR WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT THE HEAD REST, WHICH IS POINTED SO FAR FORWARD AS TO CAUSE NECK PAIN IF THE PERSON USES THE SEAT IN A STRAIGHTER POSITION. THE LUMBAR SUPPORT CAUSES ME BACK PAIN BECAUSE I CANNOT ADJUST IT OUT. IT HITS ME IN A BAD PLACE IN THE BACK AND CAUSES BACK PAIN. I AM AN AVERAGE HEIGHT MALE (5'11").”
Showing 6 of 64 reports. Read every report on NHTSA.gov.
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 3, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.