Hearing a tapping sound from engine. Misfire codes 2,3,4 Engine temperature at limit warning. Driver and passenger seats malfunctioning VSA module malfunctioning
Honda Accord Hybrid misfire problems
16 of the 740 owner complaints about the Honda Accord Hybrid describe misfire or rough idle, most of them for the 2019 model year.
- owner complaints
- 16
- worst model year
- 2019
By model year
- 20222
- 20212
- 20198
- 20184
Often reported together
Check engine light 7Stalling 4Overheating 4Loss of power 4Won't shift 3Warning lights 2Jerking 2
Trouble codes mentioned
P0302 2
What owners say
The vehicle has a documented, severe manufacturing defect involving a cylinder head gasket leak under Honda Service Bulletin 26-006. A certified technician at Honda East Cincinnati confirmed the head gasket leak in writing on September 9, 2026. Prior to this, an independent facility pulled code P0302 (Cylinder 2 Misfire) and used a digital borescope to capture video proof of liquid coolant pooling inside Cylinder #2. Despite written documentation from both facilities confirming an active internal engine leak, American Honda Corporate and the dealership are refusing to honor the warranty extension. They are requiring me to continue driving an unstable vehicle until it actively throws a code on a proprietary dealership scanner. Forcing a consumer to drive a vehicle with a known, documented internal coolant leak risks sudden engine seizure, overheating, and catastrophic stalling on public highways, creating a severe and preventable crash hazard.
The contact owns a 2019 Honda Accord. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed the vehilce intermediately misfired due to oil leak. No warning lights were illuminated The vehicle was taken to the local where it was diagnosed the head gasket needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 136,000.
Vehicle was being driven on the highway when suddenly engine hesitated and started stalling. Speed was reduced from around 65MPH down to the low 40s. Cars were stacking up behind and passing, causing potential hazardous conditions. Vehicle was taken to a mechanic shop and diagnosed with misfiring, after reading OBD II with many alerts coming on. Further diagnostics revealed cylinder head gasket was leaking coolant into engine, as shown by borescope images. This is a known problem on 2018-2020 Honda Accords with both 1.5T & 2.0 engines. The multiple alert messages started to come on a few weeks ago, but the engine hesitation and stalling just started this week. At first we suspected a 12V battery issue, but testing confirmed battery was at 12.8V with no issues.
1. Component: The engine head gasket and the combustion system (specifically Cylinder 2). Specifics: A leak-down test confirmed a failure in Cylinder 2, leading to coolant intrusion. This was initially masked by a water pump code, but after the water pump was replaced and the code returned, a borescope confirmed "clean" pistons (steam-cleaned by coolant) and tap scarring. Availability: Yes, the vehicle and all diagnostic records are available for inspection. 2. Emergency Maneuvers: On multiple occasions, the car entered "Limp Mode" while driving 70–75 mph on the freeway. This caused a sudden, dangerous drop in speed, forcing me to maneuver through high-speed traffic to reach the median/suicide lane. Stranded: The vehicle overheated 5 times in one trip, leaving me vulnerable on the side of a busy freeway. 3. Yes. An independent shop confirmed the failure via a leak-down test, a borescope inspection, and physical analysis of the spark plugs. They confirmed that despite the computer throwing a water pump code, the mechanical failure is the head gasket. 4.Status: It has been inspected by an independent service center. I am now using their findings to pursue a lawsuit/claim against Honda for selling a vehicle with a pre-existing internal engine defect. 5. Timeline: Symptoms began in April 2024 (two months after purchase). Initial Signs: An "Emission System" warning light appeared. The diagnostic code indicated a water pump failure, which was replaced in April. Recurring Symptoms: In November, the car suffered multiple misfires and "Limp Mode." In March, the "Emission System" light and the same water pump code returned, but the shop confirmed the pump was functional and the true cause was the head gasket leak into the cylinders.
City street driving speed < 35-40 mph, engine began rough idling at stop light after traveling just 1/8 mile. After driving less than 1 mile on level ground, engine slowed and would not accelerate above 20 mph. After another mile or so, increasing uphill grade caused speed to slow to 12-14 mph. Stepping on gas caused car to slow down even more, with shaking and jerky stop-start of vehicle. Maintaining 10-12 mph permitted vehicle to continue uphill climb for a few more miles so I could reach home. Downhill coasting was smooth with no gas pedal acceleration. Overnight parked in garage, and no problems driving vehicle to local independent auto mechanic. They were able to duplicate problem after 2 days and multiple test drives. Diagnosed permanent and temporary engine codes: misfires of cylinders 1 and 4 with ignition coil malfunction, misfires of cylinders 1, 2, 4, and random misfires. Also permanent codes: antilock brake ECM Failure, electric power steering vehicle stability assist System Malfunction, electric servo brake electric power train System Malfunction. Mechanic removed coils and spark plugs, found cylinder 4 has moisture. Coils, plugs cleaned and re-installed. Honda Dealer unable to duplicate problem after 3 days.
Over the past several years, there have been multiple instances where I or my wife are driving on the highway and the engine light comes on or starts flashing, and I am unable to go faster than 50 miles an hour, and the engine itself feels to be underpowered. We have taken it to the dealership for repair at least five times over the past five years and in each case they have attempted to do a repair and said the issue has been resolved, but the issue continue. At at least one of those visits, they have diagnosed the issue as an engine misfire issue. The issue has intensified from the initial symptoms, (which were as I described, but resolved by turning the car off, waiting 30 seconds to a minute and then turning the car on again) to how it is now: in addition to the check engine light, every other light and warning system has gone off when driving on the highway and the engine was unable to go faster than 40 miles an hour, and it does not resolve by restarting the car. The dealership and Honda America’s main phone line have as of yet been unable to give me a clear answer as to why this is happening or whether it can be fixed. A sudden drop in speed and power on the highway as we have experienced many times over the last five years is inherently extremely dangerous.
The car loses power. It starts as a misfire on cylinder 2 (P0302 code) and the engine starts to shutdown (or goes into a safe mode with no power). The result is loss of speed which creates a safety hazard especially on highways. This has happened multiple times and the car has been in the shop 4 times for this issue. We have to pull off the road, turn the car off, sit for a minute and restart the car. It will then run ok. This has happened during acceleration and when just trying to keep speed on an incline. The dealership has not been able to identify an issue. The head gasket was replaced in April 2025 because they thought there was a pin hole that was causing oil to push into the cylinder. The misfire continued to happen. It was in the shop on October 2025 and they found nothing wrong with the spark plug, induction coils, gas feed. Therefore no understanding of the root cause.
Component or System Failed: The head gasket appears to have failed, leading to coolant leaking into cylinder 4. This has been confirmed by two separate service centers. The vehicle is currently available for inspection if needed. Safety Risk: The failure caused engine misfires and dashboard warning lights to activate while driving, which could have led to a sudden loss of power or control. I had to pull over and restart the vehicle to regain drivability, which put my safety and that of others at risk. Reproduced or Confirmed by a Dealer or Service Center: Yes. The issue was first diagnosed by Honda of Sumner, who initially suspected a compression issue. Their master mechanic later confirmed it was likely a head gasket failure. A second opinion from Greg’s Japanese Auto confirmed the diagnosis and provided photos showing coolant in the cylinder. Inspected by Manufacturer or Others: Yes. The vehicle was inspected by Honda of Sumner and Greg’s Japanese Auto. No inspection has been done by police or insurance representatives. Warning Lamps or Symptoms Before Failure: Yes. After a recent service (which included an AC repair, fuel pump recall, and oil change), I experienced two misfires in cylinder 4 within 24 hours. All dashboard warning lights came on during one of the incidents. These symptoms began four days after the service. Additional Context: I was quoted $8,100 for the head gasket repair by Honda. I believe this issue could have been detected earlier during the diagnostic service. I’ve since learned of a class action lawsuit involving this exact issue in my vehicle’s generation, which makes me concerned this is a known defect.
On 3 occasions, was accelerating on interstate (after entering from ramp), check engine light began blinking, car shook terribly & went into limp mode - gas pedal was to the floor but car continued to lose power. Had to pull off road - turned car off, waited 20 minutes, turned car back on - check engine light went off & car was drivable. Another time, while accelerating on interstate, check engine light started blinking & all warning lights came on flashing. Car began losing power - had to pull off on side of the interstate - car was towed to the dealership. Another time, was pulling off from a light on highway - I accelerated, check engine light began blinking, car shook terribly & went into limp mode, requiring me to pull off on side of the highway - turned the car off for 15 minutes - turned it back on, light was off & was able to drive car. Most recent incident - was accelerating on small, 2 lane highway - check engine light began flashing & car shook terribly but didn't go into limp mode - otherwise behaved as before. Each time, took the car to the dealer ASAP to report problem. First time, was told they had to fix broken tail light b/c it was throwing off system & they couldn't get a computer reading. Once done, was told that they got a "CYL2 Miss Fire Code. Performed diagnosis on code. Diagnosis led to improperly adjusted valves. Performed valve adjustment. Found half of valves loose and half tight." Was road tested - no further concerns noted by dealer. Other times, was told that computer wasn't showing any codes. Last event literally happened in front of Advance Auto - pulled in/hooked up to check code - indicated a Cyl 2 misfire. Took to dealer - said no code showing - berated me for having checked @ Advance - said it erased any codes, even though I told them the code that was noted. This is a serious safety issue due to car going limp when accelerating on interstate where others are going 70-90 mph. Dealer says nothing they can do d/t no code showing.
Related recalls
No recalls on record for this model year.
Questions about the Honda Accord Hybrid misfire
Which Honda Accord Hybrid years have misfire or rough idle problems?
The model years with the most reports are 2019 (8 complaints), 2018 (4 complaints) and 2021 (2 complaints).
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