8.8

pretty bad
Typical Repair Cost:
$180
Average Mileage:
9,400 miles
Total Complaints:
111 complaints

Most common solutions:

  1. seats should be redesigned and replaced (62 reports)
  2. not sure (24 reports)
  3. no solution but for honda to fix this problem (14 reports)
  4. trade the car in or wait for a recall (3 reports)
  5. go to change.org and sign the petition (2 reports)
  6. sign petition on change.org (2 reports)
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This problem may be covered under warranty. Ask your Honda dealer.

problem #111

May 062019

Accord EX-L Coupe 2.4L I4

  • Automatic transmission
  • 55,000 miles

I rated this a pain in the ass with all pun intended. Not only are the seats extremely uncomfortable for any given length of time, but it is impossible to ride in this car in any seat but the driver's seat without feeling sick to your stomach. After getting nothing but complaints from passengers over the past few years of ownership about them feeling sick to their stomach. I have experienced it myself sitting in the passenger seat and I additionally noticed I couldn't breathe which only made it worse.

- Matthew R., Warwick, RI, US

problem #110

Nov 022015

Accord SE

  • Automatic transmission
  • 65,000 miles

I rarely post reviews about the products I purchase, but this one is a big one. If I would have realized how bad the seat was, I definitely would not have purchased the car. I get to work with an aching back every day because of it. This is the biggest issue about this vehicle. I love everything else about it. But my fiance will not ride in it due to the seat being so uncomfortable. I've tried buying seat cushions, etc etc etc. Nothing has helped. I've always owned Honda vehicles, and this is by far the biggest let down. I really hope they do something about this.

- Lee M., Pine Grove, LA, US

problem #109

Sep 232016

Accord LX

  • Automatic transmission
  • 38,000 miles

Terribly stiff and hard seats. driving more than 30 minutes is incredibly uncomfortable. legs, back, neck, and buttocks ache afterwards.

- Todd A., Mckinney, TX, US

problem #108

Dec 202012

Accord

  • Automatic transmission
  • 351 miles

Overall I like the car except for the seat, it's a pain. Back pain and pain in the legs after about 30 minutes of driving. The seat curls your back like a banana. I drive long distances almost every weekend (over 600 miles) and this is totally unacceptable. The only car I've had with a worse seat was the Honda Civic!! I thought by upgrading it would be better but it's not much better. My son says to just replace the seat, I'm considering it. I've always liked Honda products but most likely will not buy another car from them.

- ellies, Anchorage, AK, US

problem #107

Apr 092015

Accord LX

  • Automatic transmission
  • 45,000 miles

click to see larger images

uncomfortable seats

I have written before about this problem and when I received your news letter - I was very happy t see I am not the only one having problems with the uncomfortable seats - because I am now 65 (female) it is only natural for me to find things to complain about - it is a part of the aging process - the seats are so uncomfortable that I did bring it back and they would let me trade it in for another model - none of which matched the price that I had paid for the Torturemobile - I am going for treatment for back pain and am pleased to know that I am not alone - perhaps they will soon have a group just for us - SAA (sore ass anonymous) I did have foam rubber cut to fit my seat but it is too hot (see - I find fault with everything) so I now have to sit on a cushion and have one for my back too - I have to have cushions for my 90 yr. old mom - I would prefer she sit in the back and I could wrap her in foam rubber When I drive a short distance I take my shoe off my left foot and put my foot on the seat when I am driving a long distance (for me this is over 10 miles) I put my left foot on the dashboard - is this illegal? Doesn't matter because it is the only way I can tolerate sitting in that damn seat - this takes some of the pressure off my back and butt - I don't know what I will do when I can no longer get my foot up on the dashboard - perhaps Honda can send someone to meet me to do this for me - it would be cheaper than having them replace these ridiculously designed seats - if they did replace them they can be re-purposed - forget water boarding - just put these suspects in my Honda Accord and force them to drive the car for 30 min - they WILL talk - guaranteed. Will it do me any good to call the dealer and ask them why they would sell me a car that they must have known has a few class action law suits - do I ask them to fix the wiring and do what ever needs to be done to the oil Thingy (there I said it - thingy - now everyone knows that I don't understand car stuff) and ask them to fix the paint that has chipped away and perhaps they can get me a lifetime subscription for Massage Envy - not wanting to spend money maybe they will have me come to the dealer once a week so they can massage my back and 65 yr. old hiney - I am sure they will have lots of mechanics lining up for that job!!! Any advice will be greatly appreciated - I am contacting the dealer and ask them why they would do this to a poor - old - unsuspecting Golden Ager !! By the way I do not use spell check or show any concern for grammar mistakes - I don't think those things matter anymore - they too went by the wayside with comfort or safety concerns while designing a car..

Update from Oct 4, 2018: After several years I am still driving this torturemobile I have added several pillows for my back and my butt,,, the neck and shoulder pain is worse the longer I am in the car,, but now my derriere just goes numb,, I think it has given up,, after 60 years it can no longer draw attention or provide protection. I did contact Honda and I contacted the the NTSB,, I sent them photographs of me driving with my left foot on the seat Or for the longer rides I put my left leg up on the dashboard. At 68 years old I pride myself in being so limber and I owe it all to the worst car seat ever invented.

- whywhywhyhonda, Chicago, IL, US

problem #106

Jan 012015

Accord EX-L 4 cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 40,000 miles

There are two problems with the seating in the Honda Accord. The first is that the lumbar support digs into my back (I am 5' 1"-average height for a male) so much that I am immediately uncomfortable, and then it causes a back ache after a short drive. You can adjust the support, but not completely out of the back as I would require.

The second problem is the position of the headrest. It is so far forward that a person who adjusts the seat too straight would have to have his/her chin on the chest. This is a problem for my wife who likes the seat straighter.

There is currently no solution and apparently Honda does not consider this a problem because they keep designing their cars with this seating issue.

- derfplik, Milwaukee, US

problem #105

Sep 142015

Accord EXL V6

  • Automatic transmission
  • 37,800 miles

Bought this Accord two months ago. Started noticing the seats were uncomfortable about the 2nd or 3rd time I drove the car. Drove the car for a couple hours yesterday (don't drive it very often) and the lumbar support that sticks in your back really started to bother me. I tried to adjust it several times but even at the lowest setting, the thing simply rams you in the lower back! I was laying in bed with lower back pain last night thinking about how I can get rid of this car without taking a huge financial hit.

Hopefully, Honda will step up and help unfortunate owners!

- bjc, Frazier Park, CA, US

problem #104

Sep 072015

Accord LX-P 2.4L

  • Automatic transmission
  • 30,980 miles

I like the car but the seat is terrible. It is not only uncomfortable - it causes pain in back and legs. Hard to believe Honda with such a great reputation made something this bad.

- bjoel, Olmsted Falls, OH, US

problem #103

Jul 012015

Accord LX 4 cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 29,000 miles

Have had the car about a month, no one told me that the car had a seat problem when I look at the car. After buying the car and driving it for about two weeks my back and neck are killing me. I like the overall car but wish someone could tell me if there something I can do to get this seat not to hurt my back and neck. I think Honda should do something for the people that buy there cars. After talking to the salesperson that sold me the car told me Honda known about the problem for years. At that point I asked him why he did not tell about the seats when I was going to buy the car. No reply

- Alan M., cambridge, US

problem #102

Jan 062014

Accord EX-L 3.5L

  • Automatic transmission
  • 13,000 miles

LOVED MY HONDAS, UNTIL MY 2012 EX-L V6 . DRIVERS SEAT SUCKS. TOOK 3-4 DAYS TO NOTICE, AND IS BEEN SUCH A PAIN. I GOT THE BACK PAINS AND ALL THAT YOU PEOPLE ARE SAYING IS NOT BS, ITS FOR REAL. SEATS ARE NOT RIGHT. I AM SURE THEY (HONDA CO. ) KNOW IT BY NOW. DON'T THEY DRIVE THEIR OWN CARS ????? THIS NEEDS TO BE FIXED BY HONDA, ARE YOU HONDA PEOPLE SO F-----N STUPID ????????????? DO IT AND DO IT ASAP. WILL TRADE THE CAR IN FOR ANYTHING BUT HONDA. WHAT A SHAME.... HAD HONDAS ALL MY LIFE, BUT NOT ANY LONGER, TOO BAD !!! GOOD LUCK TO YOU ALL .

- Chris K., Hoffman Estates, IL, US

problem #101

Sep 012012

Accord LX 2.4L

  • Automatic transmission
  • 15,000 miles

I HAVE CONSTANT NECK AND LOWER BACK PAIN AND I TOSS AND TURN ALL NIGHT LONG AS A RESULT OF THIS.

- Indra C., Victorville, CA, US

problem #100

Apr 162015

Accord LX

  • Automatic transmission
  • 36,000 miles

This is my first used car - could not pay for a car what I paid for my house 35 years ago - so I rented a 2015 VW Bug to go car shopping - should have kept the bug.

I was going to buy a Hyundai and for some unknown reason I stopped at a Honda dealer - exhausted and weary (poetic?) I had had it and needed a car asap. So I got in and drove the Accord about 1000 feet - price was good so I signed and paid and picked it up the next day...After driving for about 6 - 7 miles and continuously adjusting the seats trying to find a comfortable position - I decided to sit sideways to relieve the pain in my back and pain in my A_ _!!! I drove a Saturn for 15 years - yes15 years, so was it wrong for me to think that this would be an upgrade?? Was I naive in thinking how could this popular car make my Saturn seem like a Bentley? Who would have thought that a Honda Accord would make me want my Saturn back?? I

contacted the dealer many times - yes I know that this is not their fault - they told me I could trade it in for a Civic (no extra charge) but if I wanted another Accord with seats you can actually sit in without contorting your body in order to never be in a body brace (I apologize to anyone who has to wear one - I am not making light of it) I would have to pay more money - can't - won't do that!!! Oh sure, I can buy seat covers - but they would just be covering the rock hard lumbar support (?) or add a pillow to soften the area where my aging hiney spends a great deal of time. So now I have 3 inches of memory foam for the back of the seat and 6 inches of memory foam for my buttocks - my 89 year old mother has to have a pillow bent to stop her from falling between the crack of the back of the seat and the bottom of the seat - I was so afraid we would have to use the jaws of life to extricate her from the seat (I again apologize if anyone has ever had to be involved in an accident where they had to use the jaws of life)...

So I contacted Honda and they got back to me right away - they want to know if I want them to replace all the seats with leather and 8 way electric adjustments or do I want them to just take the car back and give me a 2015 Honda of my choice - Yeah Right!! NONE OF THIS IS TRUE- they can take my comfort away and they can make my driving a horrible - painful experience - but they cannot take away my dreams. I am sure they will get back to me someday and I just hope I am alive to see it!

If anyone has had any luck with anyone helping to resolve this problem - please let me know - I do not suffer in silence (I apologize to all the stoics out there as I cannot follow in their footsteps)...I wish all the other Accord sufferers not to keep silent - I am sure we can make a difference (yeah right) ...

- whywhywhyhonda, Chicago, IL, US

problem #99

Mar 182015

Accord LX

  • Automatic transmission
  • 18,776 miles

Just bought a 2012 Honda Accord (3/17/15). Wondered how I found such a sweet purchase as it only had 18,000 miles on it. Looked brand new! I quickly found out why this car had such low mileage and why the previous owner sold back to dealership after only 3 short years. Four days after buying my "sweet find," I returned it to the dealership... heartbroken. I have owned Honda Accords for 14 years! Thought I would never consider any other kind of vehicle. But within 24 hours, I experienced extreme lower back and hip pain. The seats are incredibly uncomfortable. Don't understand why they thought they had to fix something that wasn't broken. In addition, the head rest if far from "rest." I was getting a stiff neck. Actually, just took the piece off completely. I test drove the new 2015 model as well. But a test drive isn't long enough to know. It seemed a little better, but still some hip discomfort and irritating head rest. Now, for the first time in 15 years ... I'm looking at other car makes.

- linda29jer11, Abita Springs, LA, US

problem #98

Dec 052011

Accord EX V6

  • Automatic transmission
  • 85,000 miles

I bought the 2012 Honda Accord in Dec 2011 for my wife. The car overall has performed well with no major problems. My wife has complained about uncomfortable seats since we bought it. I too noticed it when I drove for distances over 30 minutes. Last year, 2014, I finally bought my wife a new car and the Honda became my hand me down. I have been miserable in this car. The seat design cause pain in my legs, especially my left leg. It also causes me lower back pain. No amount of seat adjustment relieves the pain so I avoid driving it long distances. After driving home on my last day of work (I'm now temporarily out on doctors orders), the seat was especially uncomfortable to me. I had to go to Urgent Care that evening.

Eventually I found out I had two herniated disks. My trips to the doctor and physical therapy are now miserable with this car but fine in my wife's car. I can't say the Honda Accord caused the problem but it sure didn't help it. From what I've read about the complaints on the Honda Accord seats, I can see they won't be fixed by Honda. I'm now in a market for a replacement vehicle and will be glad to get rid of it.

- David G., Goldsboro, NC, US

problem #97

Mar 232015

Accord 2.4l4

  • Automatic transmission
  • 25,394 miles

I just purchased car on March 21, 2015. On March 23, 2015 after riding about 1 hour in the car, I noticed my lower back was uncomfortable. I adjusted seats with minor relief. It feels as if something is pressing against by lower back area. Very uncomfortable, my legs are hurting. I am considering taking the car back, because I drive 45 minutes one way to work and this is a pain I don't want. There needs to be changes with the seat.

- Wanda H., COLUMBUS, OH, US

problem #96

Feb 162015

Accord LX

  • Automatic transmission
  • 33,472 miles

The front driver and front passenger seats are uncomfortable to a point where it affects my driving ability. When I drove for two hours I needed to adjust myself in my seat multiple times, causing me to not focus on the road. After the two hour drive I had bad lower back pain.

- ryu280, Poway, CA, US

problem #95

Jul 252012

Accord

  • Automatic transmission
  • 30 miles

Since purchasing the 2012 Honda Accord I noticed that after 10 minutes or so in the front seat that I become extremely uncomfortable. I have the leather trim package, so my husband thought maybe it needed to be broken in. Well it's been 2 1/2 years and they're the same. I have been searching for a cover of sorts that may help with the discomfort, but haven't found one. Then I stumbled upon others with the same issue. I'm considering trading the vehicle in because of the amount of pain I'm in. And I don't want to.....We have even gone to the extent of looking into replacing the seats themselves, but can't find anything that will fit and are more comfortable.

It would be nice if Honda would recall the vehicles and fix the issue. I don't want to trade it in, but the pain is a bit much. I had no idea how many people felt the same way. My husband isn't in the vehicle often, but agrees it's uncomfortable. Anyone that spend more than 15 minutes in those seats mention how hard they are.....

- Melanie W., Pittsburgh, PA, US

problem #94

Dec 132014

Accord LX 2.4L

  • Automatic transmission
  • 33,800 miles

I had been to severe back pain, then I realized its due to my car recently bought. Its Honda Accord, I have been badly suffering like anything with this seat. Please replace the driver front seat and make me comfortable away from stress.

- Senthilkumar K., Auburn Hills, MI, US

problem #93

May 172012

Accord Limited 4 cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 25,000 miles

Had 26 cars in my life..worst passenger/drivers seat design!! Wife gets severe back pain when when she gets out of car. My back feels sore when driving a short distance. Honda should redesign seats! Use their Industrial Designers ...

- Richard T., Delray Beach, FL, US

problem #92

Oct 192014

Accord EX-L 2.4L V4

  • Automatic transmission
  • 34,980 miles

I went to get another Camry...but my husband talked me into an Accord. Really nice car, but I just couldn't get used to the seats. ...A month later and I still haven't! Constantly adjusting it trying to get comfortable. It literally makes my back ache! I'm considering selling it at a significant loss and buying another Camry.

- Cindy J., Wake Forest, NC, US

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