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2015 · Sedan and Coupe
2015 Honda Accord Problems, recalls and specs
A ninth-generation Accord in the middle of its run, sold as a sedan and a coupe. The 2.4-litre four is rated 185 hp and 181 lb-ft - 189 hp and 182 lb-ft in Sport trim - and runs a CVT or a six-speed manual; the 3.5-litre V6 is rated 278 hp and 252 lb-ft and uses a six-speed automatic. The two were never combined, so a V6 with a CVT does not exist, and the recall list splits along the same line: the driveshaft campaign applies only to four-cylinder cars with the CVT.
Photo coming
Power185–278 hpTorque181–252 lb-ftEPA comb.25–30 mpg
Against 2014
What changed for 2015
- HomeLink was added to four-cylinder Sedan and Coupe EX-L and EX-L Navi trims.
- The four-cylinder EX Coupe gained the LaneWatch passenger-side camera display.
- All EX-L and higher Coupes gained an auto-dimming rearview mirror.
- The engines, the CVT and the six-speed manual carried over unchanged from 2014.
Before you hand over money
Check before you buy
- Check the title status first - clean, salvage, rebuilt, flood or lemon buyback. Nothing else on the car changes its value as much and none of it is visible.
- Look up open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov. This model year carries several, and two of them are narrow: 15V-121 replaces the engine short block on cars built in a specific window because connecting rod bolts were not torqued correctly, and 20V-769 covers driveshafts on four-cylinder CVT cars in salt-belt states. Dealers close open recalls free.
- Electrical is the largest complaint category here, 230 of 639 reports, and one recall on this year - 17V-418, the battery sensor case on 2013-2016 Accords - sits in the same category. Ask whether that campaign has been done and check that the car starts cleanly from cold.
- Establish which drivetrain is in front of you. A four-cylinder car has either a CVT or a manual, a V6 has the six-speed automatic, and the maintenance and the known problems differ by which.
Two engines offered that year
Engines
Which engine a listing has is the first thing that changes the answer.
| Engine | Power | Torque | Transmission | Drive | EPA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| K24W12.4L I4 | 185 hp | 181 lb-ft | CVT, or 6-speed manual on some trims | FWD | 27 city / 35 hwy / 30 combinedFWD |
| J35Y13.5L V6 | 278 hp | 252 lb-ft | 6-speed automatic | FWD | 21 city / 34 hwy / 25 combinedFWD |
EPA city / highway / combined, from fueleconomy.gov.
NHTSA public records
Complaints and recalls
Where the complaints land · top 6
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM230
STEERING82
UNKNOWN OR OTHER66
ENGINE46
POWER TRAIN40
SERVICE BRAKES25
All other categories150
A complaint count is not a failure rate. It tracks how many of these were sold and how much attention a problem drew, so a popular car will always show more complaints than a rare one. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation, retrieved 2026-08-13.
Documented mechanisms
Known problems
Charging system: battery and alternator
The alternator charges the battery while the engine runs and powers everything electrical. Both are consumable parts with a service life, and on a used car at least one of them has usually been replaced already — or is due.
Air conditioning compressor failure
The compressor is the pump in the air conditioning loop. When it seizes it can send metal debris through the whole system, which turns a component replacement into a system job.
Suspension and steering noise
Bushings, ball joints, link rods and strut mounts are rubber and grease components that wear continuously. They rarely fail suddenly; they get gradually noisier and vaguer, which is why a test drive on a rough road tells you more than one on smooth pavement.
CVT judder, slip and failure
A continuously variable transmission transmits torque through a steel belt or chain running between two variable-diameter pulleys. It depends on a specific fluid and on the clamping pressure between belt and pulley, which makes fluid condition central to its condition.
Clutch and dual-mass flywheel wear
The clutch is a wear item on any manual car. What changes the arithmetic is the dual-mass flywheel fitted to many modern engines: when it is worn it is replaced with the clutch, and it is the more expensive half of the job.
Carbon buildup on intake valves
In a direct-injection engine the fuel is sprayed into the cylinder rather than at the intake valve. Nothing washes the back of that valve, so deposits from crankcase ventilation and exhaust gas recirculation accumulate there over time.
Low-pressure fuel pump impeller failure
A fuel pump supplied to several manufacturers has an impeller that can crack and deform, stopping the pump from delivering fuel. Because the part was bought in rather than designed by any one carmaker, the same failure was recalled by Toyota, Honda and others in the same period — the vehicles have nothing else in common.
What it is good at
Strengths
Running it
Ownership and maintenance
Drivetrain
FWDFront-wheel drive throughout. The economy figures are EPA's rows for the sedan; a coupe with the same engine is rated separately.
Parts
Common — parts and independent shops are easy to findOne of the most common midsize cars on US roads from this period, with a deep aftermarket and independent shops that see the engine constantly. The V6 and four-cylinder share very little below the badge, so quote parts by engine rather than by model.
Transmission note
CVT, or 6-speed manual on some trims · 6-speed automaticThe four-cylinder CVT and the V6 six-speed automatic are different transmissions with different service needs, and nothing on the outside of the car distinguishes them. NHTSA has no recall, investigation or warranty extension on record for Accord CVT judder or failure in this generation - the one campaign that looks like a CVT recall, 20V-769, is a driveshaft campaign that uses the CVT only to identify four-cylinder cars.
Service intervals
Engine oil and filterPer the Maintenance MinderThe interval is calculated by the car rather than fixed, so a service history without mileage stamps is hard to read.
CVT fluidPer the manufacturer's stated intervalFour-cylinder automatic cars. Fluid condition is central to how a CVT ages.
Automatic transmission fluidPer the manufacturer's stated intervalV6 cars, which use a conventional six-speed automatic.
Spark plugsPer the manufacturer's stated interval
Engine and cabin air filtersPer the manufacturer's stated interval, shorter in dusty use
Cost items
Relative bands only. What a job costs depends on your region, the shop and where the parts come from, so a dollar figure written here would be wrong for most readers — and a wrong number costs more trust than a missing one.
HighCVT replacementFour-cylinder automatic cars. Fluid service is a much smaller job than replacement.
MediumIntake valve cleaning on the direct-injected 2.4
MediumClutch replacementManual cars only.
MediumAir conditioning compressor
LowBrake and suspension wear items