2021 Honda Accord · symptom sheet
Brakes grind, pulse or wear early
- 30owner reports
- 24,000median miles
- 3involved a crash
Newest report Aug 31, 2026 · checked Oct 2, 2026
30 of the 234 complaints on this car describe brake wear. Only infotainment is reported more often on this car.
Tick what matches of 30 reports
Brake wear on other Accord years
Report counts are for each model year on its own, so a newer car has had less time to collect them. Model years with too few reports of it for a sheet: 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025, 2026.
What this problem usually is
Brake reports cover a wide spread of symptoms. Grinding or squealing is common, and so is a pulsing pedal or a shake through the car when stopping. Others describe pads and rotors worn out long before they expected, a brake warning light, or a pedal that goes soft or sinks toward the floor. The most serious ones say the car didn't stop in time.
What got replaced
Owners who name the part that was replaced mention the pads and rotors (3 reports).
Recalls and investigations
No recall on the brakes covers the 2021 model year as of Oct 2, 2026.
NHTSA investigations into the brakes on the Accord
Braking performance. Closed dec 14, 2011.
Abs. Closed aug 6, 2001.
None of these investigations covers the 2021 model year.
When it happens
Too few of these reports state a mileage to give a range.
Is this a known problem?
The manufacturer has sent NHTSA 2 service bulletins or notices for the 2021 Honda Accord that deal with this problem. Newest first.
Federal rules make a manufacturer send NHTSA a copy of any notice about a defect that goes to more than one dealer or owner. Most of these are service bulletins, the repair instructions manufacturers send to dealers. NHTSA generally leaves safety recall bulletins out of this file, and recalls are listed separately.
American Honda Motor Co., Inc. (AHM) is searching for certain 2021-2022 Accords (non-Hybrid) with customer complaint of a rear brake noise while driving in reverse. The noise can be described as humming, moaning similar to a foghorn.
American Honda Motor Co., Inc. (AHM) is searching for certain 2018-2021 Accords, 2019-2017 Civics, 2017-2021 CR-Vs, 2018-2021 Odysseys & 2018-2021 Pilots with a customer complaint of an unexpected CMBS operation or a brake application.
What owners wrote
“Car says âbrake system problem, brake performance may be reduced. See your dealerâ and then another one saying âbrake hold system problem. Apply brake when stoped. See your dealerâ and another one that says âElectric parking brake system problem. Parking brake not available. See your dealer.â And I know quite a few people with accords that are having this issue as well!”
Filed Apr 2, 2025
“I was driving on the freeway and suddenly my ABE brake activated and I was almost being hit in the back . It was happening many times in the past but when I brought the attention to the Honda dealer and it said nothing was wrong with it”
Filed Jan 23, 2025
“Brake noise from rear whenever backing out. After several visits to Space Coast Honda was assured it is nothing. Because it is getting worse and braking involved, I am concerned. This began with purchase of vehicle and continues today. Wrote letter to American Honda Motor Co in July of 2023 but never received a response.”
Filed Sep 12, 2024
“The electrical emergency brake locked up without warning as I was coming off the highway by the way of off ramp. Almost put the car in the guard rails! Brake has locked up twice now”
Filed Mar 19, 2023
Should you keep driving it?
This page can't tell you that. 3 of 30 reports involved a crash. Owners who file are the ones who had a bad experience, and nobody checks their reports. If the problem affects steering, braking, power or a fire risk, treat it as a safety fault and have it inspected before a long or high-speed drive.
File your own report with NHTSA. Complaint counts are how a problem gets an investigation. How reports land on this sheet.
Guide Taking it to a shop? How to describe this problem so it gets found