Two problems related to engine grinding noise have been reported for the 2012 Honda Accord. The most recently reported issues are listed below. Please also check out the statistics and reliability analysis of the 2012 Honda Accord based on all problems reported for the 2012 Accord.
Vtc acuator is faulty. For 2 years now I've had a grinding noise when I start the car and no car shop has been able to tell me what is wrong up until yesterday I found out it's the vtc actuator that's making the grinding sound and it's been draining my oil. I call America Honda to see if it has a recall for this faulty part and all I am told is that if I have had the car for less than 3 years or under 35 thousand miles then it would be covered under warranty. Which the car is 2012. So the $700 that all shops want to fix this part is being put all on the owner with no warning that this problem will happen. This has had a lawsuit before for the excessive oil being lost but not for the actual problem which is the vtc actuator. Honda needs to recall all of the cars that they have sold with the faulty vtc acuators and pay for this mistake they have known about for years. When my engine dies it will be on Honda for not properly making and selling these faulty cars.
Vtc actuator grinding noise - in the spring of 2015 I started to notice a grinding noise when the car was started in the morning. I took the car in to Honda of bowie (bowie, maryland) on may 23, 2015, and they said it was the vtc actuator and that Honda had the concern under investigation, and that Honda would not cover the repair. They also said they would contact me with any additional details. It has been nearly year since I brought the car in, and Honda has not contacted me and the grinding noise now occurs not only every morning but now every time the car sits for a couple hours. I am very concerned that this problem is getting worse and I am worried about the long term reliability of this car and associated future repair costs associated with this issue.