Faults:

Navigation sometimes fails to come on when I start the car. Brought to the dealer and could not repeat the problem.

Rear brakes/rotors worn/warped at 30K miles. Pads had 1mm left and rotors were warped. Dealer machined rotors under warranty, but charged $165 for rear pads.

Key FOB frequently did not work - took several button presses to lock/unlock the doors or release the trunk lid. Dealer fixed and works great now.

General Comments:

Overall, I am happy with the Accord. It rides great and I love the navigation system & bluetooth for handsfree phone. The stereo also sounds great.

My complaint is with the rear brakes. This apparently is a common problem with the 2008/2009 Accords, after I did some research. If yours pulses while braking, get it checked right away. Dealer informed me the warping was due to hard/excessive braking, then going through a puddle (immediate cooling). While I disagree with his explanation, there is a class-action suit on this issue - apparently, if you file, you can get up to $150 in repair costs reimbursed. By the way, I also had this happen on my Escort ZX-2 and Chevy Silverado, so this is not limited to Honda.

A minor annoyance, when the VCM kicks in, the engine seems to run a little rough - it's barely noticeable, but if you are tuned into that kind of thing, it will eventually get on your nerves. Also - if you run the window defrost on a lower fan setting between 68 and 72 degrees, a slight whistling sound can be heard. Again - can be annoying.

A lot of harsh comments on this board about the Accord - squeaks/rattles, etc. IMHO these are minor issues - not grounds to shred a company and spout that its quality had declined. I've owned many vehicles (Chevy, Ford, Dodge, Olds) and this Accord is by far the most like the day I drove it off the lot after 2 years and 30K miles. My issues are a little disappointing, but I still believe the Accord is one of the top choices for a family sedan.

Faults:

Rear brake pads wore out completely at 23,000 miles for a car that is driven gently on country roads for 80 miles a day with few stops. Front pads are at about 80%. Have seen lots of complaints on the intranet and filed with NHTSA. Dealer says Honda changed the brake bias so that the rear brakes do most of the work, but I am highly skeptical. This is the first year for a new rear brake design. I think it's just poorly engineered. Front and rear pads on my wife's 2 Hondas have gone well beyond 40K miles.

Wipers smeared the window almost from new. I was stupid enough to go to the dealer thinking it was covered by the warranty. They put new wipers inserts on for $24 and said it was a wear item. Next time, will do my own, with high quality wipers for 1/2 the price.

Enough rattles to make a baby happy. Dealer fixed a bad rattle in center console and another in the glove box. Once it's off warranty, I'll use the Italian approach to creaks and rattles....just turn up the music.

Drivers seat sometimes slips off the seatback lockdown unexpectedly, dropping back 2 or 3 notches. It's scary when you're driving along in traffic and this happens.

AC compressor also vibrates at idle.

Will have the dealer look at both the seatback and AC before the car goes off warranty.

General Comments:

Car is like white bread. Does its job, but nothing more. The car does not raise my pulse.

The seats are comfortable, the car rides smoothly, and the fuel mileage is OK. I get between 23 and 25 mpg on country roads, and have gotten 27 mpg on trips.

The styling is interesting. I like the car from most angles, except looking at the car from the rear where the curves fail miserably. Once Honda makes changes in future years, I'm afraid this will look dated very quickly.

I love the color. Called polished metal, but really a dark gray.