WENT TO LEAVE FROM OUR GARAGE AND TRIED TO START THE CAR AND IT WOULD NOT CRANK, RADIO COME ON BUT THEN EVERYTHING BEGIN TO FLICKER BUT WOULD NOT START, HOWEVER THIS IS NOT THE FIRST TOME. I TOOK VEHICLE TO HONDA DEALER 2 WKS AGO AND THEY SAID THAT EVERYTHING THEY SEE IS GOOD...BUT IT'S APPARENT SOMETHING IS WRONG.
2015 Honda Accord
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 2015 Honda Accord do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 356.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Accord years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
368 reports with mileage · 233 unknown
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Electrical System. Review the 237 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Engine. Review the 106 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Steering. Review the 78 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
Electrical System complaints
237 reportsTHE 12-VOLT BATTERY SENSOR CAUSED MY BATTERY TO OVERCHARGE AND SPILL OUT MOST OF THE BATTERY ACID AND CORRODED THE CABLES. THE SENSOR FAILED TO ALERT ME OF THE BATTERY'S STATE OF CHARGE AND AND NOW I HAVE A DEAD BATTERY. HONDA OF MORGAN HILL WILL NOT REPLACE MY BATTERY EVEN THOUGH IT WAS CASED BY THE FAULTY SENSOR. THEY ARE HAVI…
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THE 12-VOLT BATTERY SENSOR CAUSED MY BATTERY TO OVERCHARGE AND SPILL OUT MOST OF THE BATTERY ACID AND CORRODED THE CABLES. THE SENSOR FAILED TO ALERT ME OF THE BATTERY'S STATE OF CHARGE AND AND NOW I HAVE A DEAD BATTERY. HONDA OF MORGAN HILL WILL NOT REPLACE MY BATTERY EVEN THOUGH IT WAS CASED BY THE FAULTY SENSOR. THEY ARE HAVING ME PICK UP MY CAR WITH A DEAD BATTERY AND WILL NOT REPLACE IT UNTIL I PAY FOR A NEW BATTERY. YES, MY CAR IS PASSED THE 36K MILES BUT THE BATTERY AND CAR IS ONLY 2 YEARS OLD.
PRIOR TO TODAY, I HAD AN INSTANCE WHERE ALL MY PANEL LIGHTS CAME ON AND MY CAR FAILED TO START. AFTER DOING RESEARCH I LEARNED IT COULD BE RELATED TO A RECALL. I CALLED THE LOCAL DEALERSHIP TO SCHEDULE THE RECALL REPAIR AND WAS TOLD THE PARTS WERE NOT YET AVAILABLE AND THEY COULD PROVIDE A 'TEMPORARY FIX' IF NEEDED UNTIL THE P…
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PRIOR TO TODAY, I HAD AN INSTANCE WHERE ALL MY PANEL LIGHTS CAME ON AND MY CAR FAILED TO START. AFTER DOING RESEARCH I LEARNED IT COULD BE RELATED TO A RECALL. I CALLED THE LOCAL DEALERSHIP TO SCHEDULE THE RECALL REPAIR AND WAS TOLD THE PARTS WERE NOT YET AVAILABLE AND THEY COULD PROVIDE A 'TEMPORARY FIX' IF NEEDED UNTIL THE PARTS WERE AVAILABLE. I ELECTED NOT TO HAVE A TEMPORARY FIX AND WAIT FOR THE PARTS TO BE SAFE. WHEN GOING IN TODAY (2 MONTHS LATER) FOR AN OIL CHANGE AND TIRE BALANCE I ASKED ABOUT THE RECALL AND IF THE PARTS WERE AVAILABLE. I WAS TOLD THEY WERE SO I GAVE PERMISSION FOR THE RECALL REPAIR TO BE COMPLETED WHILE THE HAD MY CAR FOR THE OTHER SCHEDULED MAINTENANCE. I PICKED UP MY CAR AT 5:45 AFTER BEING TOLD THE REPAIRS WERE COMPLETE. I LEFT THE DEALER AND WENT TO A RESTAURANT AND WHEN I GOT BACK TO MY CAR AND TRIED TO START IT, ALL THE PANEL LIGHTS CAME ON AGAIN AND IT FAILED TO START LEAVING ME STRANDED WITH MY 8 YEAR OLD SON 20 MINUTES FROM MY HOME. I CALLED THE DEALERSHIP FOR ASSISTANCE AND THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT WAS CLOSED. I WAS TOLD MY A SALESMAN TO BRING MY CAR IN TOMORROW MORNING. I EXPRESSED MY GRAVE CONCERN WITH THE CONDITION OF THE CAR CONSIDERING THE REPAIRS WERE SUPPOSED TO BE DONE AND THE POSSIBILITY OF IT TURNING OFF OR NOT STARTING. I DID NOT WANT TO CHANCE DRIVING THE CAR AS I DID NOT FEEL IT WAS SAFE. WHILE WAITING FOR A RIDE, THE INSTRUMENT PANEL AND DISPLAY CONTINUED TO BLINK AND TURN ON AND OFF WHEN I ATTEMPTED TO START THE CAR. WHEN MY RIDE ARRIVES, WE JUMPED OFF MY BATTERY TO SEE IF IT WOULD START. IT STARTED BUT WAS WEAK. I DROVE BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP (5 MILES) WHILE BEING FOLLOWED BY MY FRIEND. I LEFT THE CAR AND WAS GIVEN A LOANER IN HOPES THE REPAIRS CAN BE SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETED. I WORRY THAT THE REPAIR WON'T BE PROPERLY FIXED (THEY DON'T HAVE THE PART)AND MY SAFETY AND MY SON'S SAFETY WILL BE COMPROMISED.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 HONDA ACCORD. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 17V418000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM). WHILE IDLING, THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE CONTACT HAD TO USE JUMPER CABLES TO RESTART THE VEHICLE. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO HERITAGE HONDA PARKVILLE (9213…
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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 HONDA ACCORD. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 17V418000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM). WHILE IDLING, THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE CONTACT HAD TO USE JUMPER CABLES TO RESTART THE VEHICLE. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO HERITAGE HONDA PARKVILLE (9213 HARTFORD RD, PARKVILLE, MD 21234 (410) 882-3000) WHERE IT WAS CONFIRMED THAT PARTS WERE NOT AVAILABLE FOR THE RECALL REMEDY. THE MECHANIC PROVIDED A TEMPORARY REPAIR, BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO HERITAGE HONDA (725 YORK RD, TOWSON, MD 21204 (410) 823-9000), BUT NO DIAGNOSTIC FAILURE CODES WERE FOUND AND THE FAILURE COULD NOT BE REPLICATED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 65,000. VIN TOOL CONFIRMS PARTS NOT AVAILABLE/PARTS DISTRIBUTION DISCONNECT.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2015 HONDA ACCORD. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED AT THE CONTACT'S RESIDENCE, THE VEHICLE CAUGHT FIRE. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT ARRIVED AND EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE. A FIRE REPORT WAS FILED. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE VEHICLE WAS TOTALED AND TOWED TO AN AUTO SHOP. THE DEALER (MCGRATH CITY HONDA IN CHICAGO, IL, 773…
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TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2015 HONDA ACCORD. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED AT THE CONTACT'S RESIDENCE, THE VEHICLE CAUGHT FIRE. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT ARRIVED AND EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE. A FIRE REPORT WAS FILED. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE VEHICLE WAS TOTALED AND TOWED TO AN AUTO SHOP. THE DEALER (MCGRATH CITY HONDA IN CHICAGO, IL, 773-889-3030) REFERRED THE CONTACT TO THE MANUFACTURER. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THE FAILURE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN A RECALL. ADDITIONALLY, THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 17V418000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM). THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 30,000. VIN TOOL CONFIRMS PARTS NOT AVAILABLE.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 HONDA ACCORD. WHILE ATTEMPTING TO USE THE PUSH TO START FEATURE, THE VEHICLE MADE A GRINDING SOUND AND FAILED TO START. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO VAL STROUGH HONDA (LOCATED AT 1 HEITZINGER SEASIDE, CA 93955 831-899-2222) AND THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS RUNNING PROPERLY. THE VEHICLE WA…
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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 HONDA ACCORD. WHILE ATTEMPTING TO USE THE PUSH TO START FEATURE, THE VEHICLE MADE A GRINDING SOUND AND FAILED TO START. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO VAL STROUGH HONDA (LOCATED AT 1 HEITZINGER SEASIDE, CA 93955 831-899-2222) AND THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS RUNNING PROPERLY. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. ADDITIONALLY, THE VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A HEAD ON CRASH WITH AN UNKNOWN VEHICLE. THE THREE OCCUPANTS SUSTAINED UNKNOWN INJURIES AND WERE PROVIDED MEDICAL ATTENTION. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC AND WAS INFORMED THAT THE ALTERNATOR AND AIR BAGS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 HONDA ACCORD. WHILE DRIVING 25 MPH, THE BATTERY INDICATOR ILLUMINATED AND THE VEHICLE STALLED TEMPORARILY. THE MANUFACTURER AND DEALER WERE NOT CONTACTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.
I RECENTLY PURCHASED A HONDA ACCORD COUPE 2015 WITH LESS THAN 20K MILES AND HAD 2 OCCURANCES WHERE THE CAR WOULDN'T START. THE WARNING SIGN SAID FCW SYSTEM FAILED AND WOULDN'T START. DID SEVERAL THINGS, CALLED FOR HELP AT THE DEALER AND AFTER 20 MINUTES LATER, IT RANDOMLY STARTED. THE SECOND TIME MY GIRLFRIEND WAS DRIVING IT TO…
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I RECENTLY PURCHASED A HONDA ACCORD COUPE 2015 WITH LESS THAN 20K MILES AND HAD 2 OCCURANCES WHERE THE CAR WOULDN'T START. THE WARNING SIGN SAID FCW SYSTEM FAILED AND WOULDN'T START. DID SEVERAL THINGS, CALLED FOR HELP AT THE DEALER AND AFTER 20 MINUTES LATER, IT RANDOMLY STARTED. THE SECOND TIME MY GIRLFRIEND WAS DRIVING IT TO THE GROCERY STORE AND WHEN SHE WAS GETTING READY LEAVE, IT DID THE SAME THING TO HER. LUCKILY HER WORK WAS ACROSS THE STREET AND CAME BACK AFTER HER BRAKE 2 HOURS LATER AND RANDOMLY STARTED. THIS CAR WAS NEVER LISTED IN A WRECK, HAS A 1 YEAR OLD NEW BATTERY WHICH WAS REPLACE LAST YEAR EVEN THOUGH IT'S A 2015 AND I'M REPORTING THIS AUGUST 2017. PLEASE HELP WITH THIS IF YOU HAVE ANY INFORMATION ON REMEDYING THIS SITUATION. THANK YOU!
CONDENSER FIN DEFECTIVE ADVISED THAT THE CONDENSER FIN WAS DAMAGED FROM A ROCK THE SEAT BELT LOCKS UP, THE ALTERNATOR IS CAUSING THE BATTERY NOT TO CHARGE, THE PAINT IS CHIPPING
CAR HAD ABOUT 9000 MILES ON IT, WOULDN'T START AFTER DRIVING IT FOR 25 MINUTES FROM HOME. AUTOMATIC SHIFT SEEMS TO BE LOCKED. 4TH OF JULY WEEKEND, LONG WAIT FOR TOW TRUCK TO DEALER. NO SERVICE PEOPLE THERE. I WAS GIVEN A SHEET OF PAPER SHOWING A RECALL THAT HAS NOT BEEN DISTRIBUTED YET FOR 2013-2016 ACCORDS. THE CASE FOR TH…
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CAR HAD ABOUT 9000 MILES ON IT, WOULDN'T START AFTER DRIVING IT FOR 25 MINUTES FROM HOME. AUTOMATIC SHIFT SEEMS TO BE LOCKED. 4TH OF JULY WEEKEND, LONG WAIT FOR TOW TRUCK TO DEALER. NO SERVICE PEOPLE THERE. I WAS GIVEN A SHEET OF PAPER SHOWING A RECALL THAT HAS NOT BEEN DISTRIBUTED YET FOR 2013-2016 ACCORDS. THE CASE FOR THE BATTERY SENSOR MOUNTED AT THE TOP OF THE 12V BATTERY MAY HAVE BEEN IMPROPERLY MANUFACTURED WITH GAPS THAT COULD ALLOW FOR MOISTURE ENTRY, IF MOISTURE CONTAINING ROAD SALT, OR OTHER CONDUCTIVE SUBSTANCE,ENTERS THE BATTERY SENSOR, IT COULD RESULT IN AN ELECTRICAL SHORT AND SUBSEQUENTLY, A FIRE. REFRAIN FROM CALLING TECH LINE FOR UPDATES. THE FACT IS I AM A WOMAN AND I BUY A NEW OR LEASE A NEW CAR EVERY THREE OR SO YEARS SO THAT I WON'T BE LEFT SOMEWHERE STRANDED AND IN DANGER. ANYTIME A WOMAN IS HELPLESS IN A NON WORKING CAR, DANGER IS THE FIRST ISSUE. SORRY, BUT WE DO HAVE TO RECOGNIZE THE WORLD IS DIFFERENT FOR MEN AND WOMEN. HONDA SERVICE BULLETIN 17-057 THIS HAS BEEN AN ISSUE ACCORDING TO THE BULLETIN FOR 2013-2016
Official recalls
523V858000 · Fuel System, Gasoline:delivery:fuel Pump
Dec 18, 2023
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2013-2023 Honda Accord, Civic Coupe, Civic Sedan, Civic Hatchback, Civic Type R, CR-V, HR-V, Ridgeline, Odyssey, Acura ILX, MDX, MDX Hybrid, RDX, RLX, TLX, 2019-2022 Honda Insight, Passport, 2020 Honda CR-V Hybrid, 2018-2019 Honda Clarity PHEV, Fit, and 2015-2020 Honda Accord Hybrid, Pilot, Acura NSX vehicles. The fuel pump inside the fuel tank may fail.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: Fuel pump failure can cause an engine stall while driving, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the fuel pump module, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed September 6, 2024. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are KGC and KGD. This recall is an expansion of NHTSA recall numbers 21V-215 and 20V-314.
20V769000 · Power Train:driveline:driveshaft
Dec 10, 2020
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2013-2015 Accord vehicles equipped with a 4-cylinder engine and a continuously-variable transmission that were originally sold, or ever registered, in Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wisconsin. The drive shafts were assembled with a lubricant that may have degraded the drive shafts' protective coating, making it more susceptible to damage from road salt or other contaminants, and potentially cause it to break.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: A broken drive shaft may cause a sudden loss of drive power. The vehicle could also roll away if the parking brake has not been applied before the vehicle has been exited. Either condition can increase the risk of a crash or injury.
Remedy: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the drive shafts, replacing both the left and right drive shafts, if necessary, free of charge. The recall began February 4, 2021. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138.
19V060000 · Fuel System, Other:delivery:fuel Pump
Jan 29, 2019
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2016-2018 Acura MDX, 2015-2019 Acura TLX and 2015-2017 Honda Accord vehicles, equipped with a 3.5L V6 engine. Particulates in fuel may adhere to the internal components of the fuel pump, reducing its performance.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: Reduced fuel pump performance can result in an engine stall, increasing the risk of crash.
Remedy: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will update the fuel injection engine control unit (FI-ECU) software and, if necessary, replace the fuel pump, free of charge. The recall began March 25, 2019. Owners may contact customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Acura's recall number for this recall is P3W. Honda's recall number for this recall is N3X.
17V418000 · Electrical SYSTEM:12V/24V/48V Battery
Jun 29, 2017
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2013-2016 Honda Accord vehicles. The case for the battery sensor, part of the battery management system, may allow water to get in, potentially causing an electrical short.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: An electrical short increases the risk of a fire.
Remedy: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the sensor, free of charge. Dealers will perform an interim remedy of applying adhesive to the case to prevent water intrusion. The recall began November 8, 2017. Owners may contact American Honda Customer Support Center at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's number for this recall is KG0.
15V121000 · Engine And Engine Cooling:engine
Mar 2, 2015
American Honda Motor Co. (Honda) is recalling certain model year 2014 Accord L4 vehicles manufactured July 29, 2014, to July 31, 2014, 2015 Accord L4 vehicles manufactured August 14, 2014, to January 30, 2015, and 2015 CR-V vehicles manufactured September 9, 2014, to February 6, 2015. The affected vehicles may have been assembled with improperly torqued connecting rod bolts, which can cause the engine to lose power or leak oil.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: Loss of engine power may result in a vehicle stall, increasing the risk of a crash. If the engine leaks oil in the proximity of hot engine or exhaust components, there is an increased risk of a fire.
Remedy: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the engine short block, free of charge. The recall began on March 27, 2015. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's number for this recall is JP2 (for Accord models) and JP3 (for CR-V models).
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
2EA21001 · Loss Of Direction Control
Opened May 6, 2021 · Closed Aug 25, 2023
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Steering
On May 6, 2021, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened Engineering Analysis (EA21-001) to assess a sudden loss of steering control, in Model Year (MY) 2013-2015 Honda Accord vehicles. Consumers alleged while driving the steering wheel would pull to the left or the right independently. Steering pull may pose a risk of loss of directional control. Honda stated that they believed the inadvertent steering input was caused by a loose magnet located within the electronic power steering (EPS) system. Due to poor formulation of the adhesive, this magnet can become loose and move up to 2 degrees around the steering column. When the magnet moves, the torque sensor generates a signal that results in unwanted steering in either direction. Honda stated the steering force required to maintain directional control with a loose magnet is a maximum of 3-pound feet. The maximum force of the unwanted steering input can be overcome by the driver and is similar to driving on grooved pavement.The Vehicle Research Test Center (VRTC) sent over 4,000 questionnaires to 2013-2015 Honda Accord vehicle owners. Of the 637 responses, 58 consumers experienced unwanted steering. Consumers experiencing unwanted steering did not report difficulties maintaining directional control. There were no crashes or injuries reported to VRTC. Testing done by VRTC was not able to reproduce the allegations. Analysis of all relevant data indicates that the subject condition has a relatively low failure rate. The poor adhesive formulation was addressed by the supplier with three (3) counter measures in the manufacturing process.There has been a declining trend in consumer complaints to NHTSA which indicates possible exhaustion of parts prone to failure. In view of the low rate, declining complaint trend, the nature of failure, and resolution of the adhesive formulation, this Engineering Analysis is closed. The closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by NHTSA that a safety-related defect does not exist. The agency reserves the right to take additional action if warranted by new circumstances.The ODI complaints cited above can be viewed at www.NHTSA.gov under the following ODI identification numbers: 11538714, 11528538, 11528008, 11522953, 11496557, 11495837, 11494328, 11478680, 11477167, 11476758, 11476263, 11471198, 11470001, 11467026, 11466561, 11466016, 11465626, 11464143, 11463558, 11462759, 11461500, 11460777, 11460191, 11455540, 11454334, 11452198, 11448114, 11447666, 11444888, 11444823, 11444172, 11443324, 11443243, 11443105, 11441374, 11439520, 11438345, 11437261, 11436824, 11436350, 11435994, 11435079, 11434969, 11434545, 11434442, 11434381, 11433824, 11433745, 11433555, 11433368, 11433176, 11431206, 11430465, 11430253, 11430009, 11429253, 11428301, 11427449, 11426841, 11426340, 11425928, 11425261, 11425230, 11423611, 11423245, 11422445, 11422395, 11422351, 11422220, 11422138, 11422069, 11421683, 11421589, 11421540, 11420573, 11419338, 11419270, 11418147, 11418143, 11417768, 11417742, 11417570, 11417437, 11416804, 11416699, 11416401, 11416378, 11416375, 11416155, 11416117, 11416084, 11416051, 11416032, 11416028, 11416024, 11416000, 11415933, 11415915, 11414105, 11406220, 11398736 ,11387075, 11387049, 11375580, 11364698, 11361125, 11351660, 11349961, 11327909, 11327170, 11301957, 11289067, 11282525, 11277659, 11258017, 11256914, 11218752, 11208077, 11196050, 11194358, 11189901, 11165075, 11163481, 11154891
EA19001 · Electrical Overstress
Opened Apr 19, 2019 · Closed Sep 19, 2024
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Air Bags: Air Bag/restraint Control Module
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened this investigation to determine if the failure of airbags to deploy during severe crashes, in certain vehicles, was the result of a safety related defect. During the investigation a complex failure was studied that can result in non-deployment of subject vehicle air bags and other restraint system devices in severe crash events. The subject vehicles may be equipped with an airbag control unit (ACU) for the supplemental restraint system (SRS) Electronic Control Unit (ECU) manufactured by ZF-TRW. The ECU receives signals from crash sensors mounted in the vehicle and deploys the vehicle air bags and seat belt pretensioners in accordance with manufacturer design specifications. The ECU in the subject vehicles contains a model DS84 application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) which controls the communication of the crash sensor signal, firing commands (i.e., when to deploy the airbag(s) and/or pretensioners), and fault information (e.g., diagnostic trouble codes). In September 2016, FCA announced recall 16V-668 for certain model year (MY) 2010 to 2014 Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep products manufactured with the subject ZF-TRW ACU. In this recall, FCA discussed an EOS condition that resulted in a failure of the subject DS84 ASIC, which caused air bag non-deployment. FCA noted that the defect condition had only been observed in vehicles equipped with sensor harnessing routed across the front of the vehicle. Other FCA vehicles that also used the subject ACU, but were not equipped with cross-car harnessing, had not experienced EOS failures, despite similar time in service. During the course of this investigation, ODI sent two separate Information Request (IR) letters to six vehicle manufactures (including FCA, Hyundai, Honda, Kia, Mitsubishi, and Toyota) and one IR letter to ZF-TRW. These IR letters resulted in ODI receiving comprehensive data from these manufacturers and suppliers. Studies of this data found that the DS84 ASIC does not have sufficient protection against negative electrical transients or electrical overstress (“EOS”) that can be generated in certain severe crashes. An electrical transient occurs when the electrical power supplied to a circuit changes momentarily over a short duration of time. In these severe crash cases, the crash sensors and other powered wiring can be damaged and short circuited so as to create a negative electrical transient of sufficient intensity and duration (that are outside the vehicle manufacturer's specification) to damage the ASIC before the restraint device deployment signal is received by the SRS ECU. This damaged signal can lead to incomplete or nondeployment of the air bags and/or pretensioners. Airbag non-deployment and/or lack of pretensioner operation can increase the risk or severity of injury in a crash.A total of 8 fatalities and 14 injuries were associated with known EOS events. The common element in all investigated manufacturers vehicles is the SRS ECU containing a DS84 ASIC manufactured by ZF-TRW. The risk associated with the ASIC is equally shared among all OEMS involved in the investigation. The actual real-world risk can be mitigated by other factors which were assessed by ODI during this investigation. The first mitigating factor involves protections built into the ACU design which protect the DS84 ASIC from damage. There are multiple strategies and levels of protection employed by different OEMs that provide effective EOS mitigation. The two most common strategies at the ACU level are circuit protection diodes on the remote senor signal lines, and current limiting resistors that protect critical components. The second mitigating factor is found at the vehicle level and involves the location and routing of the wires leading from the crash sensors to the SRS ECU. If the wires are well protected in a crash and are not routed with other power wires carrying large currents, the risk for an EOS event is significantly reduced or eliminated. These design specific factors combine to produce a spectrum of risk for the vehicles equipped with ACUs using the DS84 ASIC. Given the many of years of field exposure, it is possible to divide the subject population into two groups; vehicles which have experienced EOS events, and vehicles which have not experienced EOS field events. Four of the six OEMs involved in this investigation have experienced EOS field events on at least one of their models equipped with a DS84 ASIC. All vehicle models (including the Toyota models identified in the Failure Report Summary of the opening resume for this investigation) with field events have been recalled. In an abundance of caution, ODI kept this investigation open five years to monitor field performance and did not identify any field events on vehicles not included in existing safety recalls. Given the spectrum of risk identified in this investigation and that all vehicles with a demonstrated unreasonable risk have been recalled, ODI is closing this investigation. ODI is closing this investigation with the following manufacturer safety recalls: 16V-668, 18E-043, 18V-137, 18V-363, and 20V-024. With the recall actions taken by the subject vehicle and equipment manufacturers, this investigation is closed. The closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by NHTSA that a safety-related defect does not exists on other model or model year vehicles outside of the recall scopes. The agency reserves the right to take further action if warranted by the circumstances.
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