2013-2015 Accord Investigated For Steering That Suddenly Pulls to One Side
- The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is investigating steering complaints in the 2013-2015 Accord.
- Owners say the sedans can suddenly deviate from the intended path and pull hard to one side.
- The investigation covers more than 1.2 million vehicles in the USA and came following a petition from Accord owners to look into the steering complaints.
Accord image from CarComplaints.com story, question mark and down arrow icons from TheNounProject.
The 2013-2015 Honda Accord is being investigated for a sudden loss of steering control. Owners say the cars can deviate from a straight line and pull hard to the side without any kind of warning.
Petition Filed as Complaints Stack Up ∞
Steering pull was a frequent concern of early owners of the Accord's 9th generation. There are no warning lights or signs that the steering is about to deviate, and the problem was happening at any mileage in the 2013-2015 model years.
Multiple drivers conducted their own tests by finding an open area and pointing their Accord straight before removing their hands from the steering wheel and accelerating forward. At least one driver said his sedan executed a perfect 90-degree left turn by itself
while others quickly found themselves going in circles.
The most common assumption by dealerships is that the vehicle needs a new alignment, something Honda won't cover under warranty. Additionally owners are told they may need a new gear box or power steering rack.
But the problem is more complex than a simple alignment and by November 2020, owners of the 2013 model year had petitioned the government to investigate the steering problems.
Government Opens Investigation ∞
The following May, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) did officially open an investigation sparked by the petition and more than 100 reports of lost steering control during normal driving conditions.
The investigation expanded on the petition's request by covering the 2013–2015 model years, totaling over 1,120,000 cars in the USA.
Given the severity of the problem and the establishment of the petition, NHTSA skipped their usual preliminary investigation and jumped eight into the engineering analysis phase to assess the scope, frequency, and potential safety-related consequences
.
Generations Where This Problem Has Been Reported
This problem has popped up in the following Honda generations.
Most years within a generation share the same parts and manufacturing process. You can also expect them to share the same problems. So while it may not be a problem in every year yet, it's worth looking out for.
9th Generation Accord
- Years
- 2013–2017
- Reliability
- 54th out of 58
- PainRank™
- 49.34
- Complaints
- 1341
What Owners Say About This Problem
After a couple hundred miles ... I noticed this car pulls hard to the left on the highway and on a lot of local roadways. Brought it in to the dealer where it was purchased and they re-did the alignment after finding the steering wheel was misaligned causing the vehicle to pull hard left ... Told me they test drove the vehicle and the alignment was within Honda's standard. Left the dealership and after a few longer highway trips and a lot of local roadways the vehicle still pulls hard left.
Since new, my Accord has pulled to the left signifigantly at highway speeds. Most of my driving is on the interstate to and from work 5 days a week (about 20 miles each way). I didn't notice it at first but then I started wondering why my left wrist was always hurting. Finally it dawned on me, I was fighting the damn steering wheel!