The petrol 2.4 i-VTEC Honda Accord is the pick of either generation, provided a cold start's free of VTC rattle, but steer clear of the 7th-generation 2.2 i-CTDi diesel, whose exhaust manifold can crack and leak fumes inside.
6 known faults, 1 rated high severity in our database; owners report 41.5 mpg, 93% of the official figure. Everything below is built from that data and the archived owner history, not from a press car.
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Check a Honda Accord advert (free) →A 2.4 i-VTEC petrol from the 7th generation (2003 to 2008) or the 8th generation (2008 to 2015) is the safer used Accord, because its one known fault is a low-severity one while both diesels carry heavier ones. Its VTC actuator can grind for a second or two on a cold start, and while the timing chain itself is robust, a worn actuator left alone can wear the chain and its guides, and one report says a 7th-generation petrol's battery can give out within 18 months.
The 7th generation's 2.2 i-CTDi diesel is the one to avoid. Its exhaust manifold is a known fault, cracking at high mileage and letting fumes into the cabin (one owner's went at 150,000 miles), and there are further reports of turbo failures, heavy oil use and fuel filters clogging in cold weather, plus one report of injectors cracking past 100,000 miles.
The 8th generation's 2.2 i-DTEC sits in between. Several owners have reported DPF trouble, and on the manual the dual-mass flywheel and clutch are a known fault, with i-DTEC clutches failing in as little as 10,000 to 30,000 miles, so the automatic sidesteps that clutch fault, though the DPF reports apply whichever gearbox it has. The metal sunroof frame also rusts on 2008 to 2013 cars.
The 1998 to 2003 Accord had reports of both manual and automatic gearbox trouble, and early cars were recalled for worn ignition switch contacts that could stall the engine, as was the American-built coupe sold from 1998 to 2002. There's next to nothing on record about the 2008 coupe, good or bad, so it's an unknown rather than a safe bet.
The 2.4 i-VTEC petrol is the lesser risk in both generations. It's the only engine whose known fault is rated low severity, but a worn locking pin in the VTC actuator can make it grind or rattle for a second or two on a cold start until oil pressure builds, and Honda put out a service bulletin to replace the actuator on the later 2.4. One report also says the 7th-generation petrols' battery can lose its charge and last as little as 18 months.
The 7th-generation 2.2 i-CTDi is the engine to avoid. Alongside the cracking exhaust manifold, there are reports of turbo failures, inlet manifold swirl chambers failing and inlet manifolds cracking at high mileage, and oil use as heavy as a litre every 1,000km with no low-oil warning light to flag it. One report also describes this diesel's clutch slipping long before it should.
The 8th generation's 2.2 i-DTEC was the first Honda diesel with a DPF, and several owners have reported problems with it, one failing at 63,500 miles and another needing a forced regeneration at the dealer every six months. On manuals the dual-mass flywheel and clutch can fail early, with clutches going in as little as 10,000 to 30,000 miles. The automatic isn't covered by that clutch fault, though it doesn't change the DPF risk.
Gearboxes on the 7th generation have their own issues. Its automatic can be noisy because of a known software fault in the transmission control unit, and on 2006 model-year diesels the manual could jump out of first gear, which Honda had a modification for. On the older 1998 to 2003 car, both manual and automatic gearboxes had reported problems.
On a 7th-generation 2.2 i-CTDi, sniff the cabin for exhaust fumes, listen for a ticking or hiss from the engine bay while it's cold, and look for soot marks near the turbo, all signs of a cracked manifold. Pull the dipstick too, as there's no low-oil warning light, and ask for receipts showing the exhaust manifold or inlet manifold has been replaced.
Fire up a petrol from cold yourself and listen for a grinding rattle lasting a second or two that stops once the oil pressure's up. On any manual diesel, pull hard in 4th, 5th and 6th: revs rising without the car speeding up mean a slipping clutch, and a rattle or shake from underneath as the engine starts or stops points to the dual-mass flywheel. Receipts for a clutch and flywheel are worth having.
Work a Tourer's electric tailgate several times and try the central locking, both reported trouble spots on the 7th generation. Watch for ABS or VSA warning lights on either generation, and look at the rear pads on a 7th-generation car, since they can corrode in the calliper and wear quickly. On an 8th generation, check the sunroof frame for rust, and on an i-DTEC make sure no DPF light shows.
Ask for proof of recall work: the passenger airbag inflator replacement recall covers cars from 2000 to 2014, so both generations, and 8th-generation diesels had a recall for a faulty ECU that could make the engine fail. On a 7th-generation car, look over the bonnet closely, because it isn't galvanised and its paint chips easily.
Paste the advert into the free check and it runs these against the listing, the MOT history and the DVLA record before you travel.
Buy a 7th-generation Accord as a 2.4 i-VTEC petrol and skip the 2.2 i-CTDi diesel, whose exhaust manifold can crack and leak fumes into the cabin. The petrol isn't fault-free, as the VTC actuator on both the 2.0 and 2.4 can rattle on cold starts. The Tourer earned four stars in crash tests, though tall drivers with long bodies can find headroom tight.
The diesel's list is long. One owner's manifold cracked at 150,000 miles, and there are reports of turbo failures, swirl chamber and inlet manifold trouble at high mileage, fuel filters clogging in cold weather and putting the car into limp mode, and one report of injectors cracking past 100,000 miles. One owner's diesel Tourer needed five EGR valves in three years, and another reached 200,000 miles before it started smoking under acceleration.
Other trouble spots aren't engine-specific. The Tourer's electric tailgate motor fails quite often, the ABS and VSA modulator can fail from about four years old, lighting up the warning lights and failing the MOT, and rear pads can stick in the calliper and wear fast, so changing them every 12,500 miles is sensible. There have also been cases of water getting into the rear wheel bearings, and one owner's fuse board shorted after water came in from the bulkhead vent area.
Real-world economy on this generation: Honda Accord 40.8 mpg, Honda Accord Tourer 42.3 mpg, Honda Accord 42.3 mpg, Honda Accord Tourer 41.4 mpg.
The 8th-generation Accord's best bought as a 2.4 i-VTEC petrol, bearing in mind the same cold-start VTC rattle, because the 2.2 i-DTEC diesel has a run of DPF reports and a known clutch and flywheel fault on manuals. It scored five stars for adult protection and four for children, though its ride gets fidgety over bumps away from the motorway and there's some wind noise at speed.
DPF trouble on the i-DTEC is the thing to weigh up. One owner's DPF failed at 63,500 miles, another's warning light came on every 750 miles on a 2013 car, and a 2008 car needed a dealer forced regeneration every six months. Manuals can suffer a failing dual-mass flywheel and clutch, and i-DTEC clutches have slipped in as little as 10,000 to 30,000 miles.
The metal sunroof frame rusts on 2008 to 2013 cars, and Honda replaced rusty sunroofs free on 2009 model-year cars, so ask whether that's been done. One owner had ABS, TSA and VSA warning lights coming and going at 92,000 miles, which is an MOT fail, and another's driver's door body control module failed, leaving the locks, windows, mirror folding and boot release all dead at once.
Real-world economy on this generation: Honda Accord 42.3 mpg, Honda Accord Tourer 41.4 mpg.
Sellers rarely admit these faults outright
Paste any Honda Accord advert and we check it against the faults, the MOT record and these figures in seconds.
Check an advert now (free) →Owners report 41.5 mpg across the Honda Accord engines with data, about 93% of the official figure, from 990 submissions.
Honda Accord Real MPG by engine →It's a relaxed and capable motorway cruiser, with a ride that stays compliant at speed and a lively, eager feel in everyday driving. Inside, the materials are top quality throughout, and the whole cabin feels genuinely classy and solidly put together.
One owner's high-spec Tourer passed 190,000 miles without once letting him down. The looks are understated rather than showy, and on the 8th-generation automatic the paddles work in D before handing back control when you leave them alone, or hold whichever gear you've picked in S for as long as you want.
The petrol 2.4 i-VTEC Honda Accord is the pick of either generation, provided a cold start's free of VTC rattle, but steer clear of the 7th-generation 2.2 i-CTDi diesel, whose exhaust manifold can crack and leak fumes inside. Our database holds 6 known Honda Accord faults, 1 rated high severity, and the sections above say which generation and engine carry them.
A 2.4 i-VTEC petrol from the 7th generation (2003 to 2008) or the 8th generation (2008 to 2015) is the safer used Accord, because its one known fault is a low-severity one while both diesels carry heavier ones. On the fault record the 7th generation (2003 to 2008) carries 2 known faults against 4 on the 8th generation (2008 to 2015). Each generation's section above gives the detail. Honda Accord faults by generation.
On a 7th-generation 2.2 i-CTDi, sniff the cabin for exhaust fumes, listen for a ticking or hiss from the engine bay while it's cold, and look for soot marks near the turbo, all signs of a cracked manifold. Read the MOT history for repeat advisories and ask for invoices for any work the seller mentions. Then paste the advert into the free check, which reads it against every known Honda Accord fault before you travel.
Owners report 41.5 mpg on average, about 93% of the official figure, from 990 submissions. Chain (2.0 VTEC, 2.4 VTEC, K20, K24): no fixed replacement interval, so budget for it if the history does not show it done. The known faults page lists a rough repair cost against each fault. Honda Accord Real MPG by engine.
If you used the Honest John car-by-car reviews before the site closed in 2026, this is where the Honda Accord buying advice now lives. It is written from the archived owner reports and model notes (archived page, 128 items read for this model), our own known-faults database, the confirmed service intervals and the Real MPG figures. Every number on the page comes from that data, not from the text. The same data feeds our free advert check.
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The Honda Accord is one decision. Reading the advert, the history and the seller are the rest, and these cover them.
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