Why Your 2017 Honda Accord Feels Bumpy After a Pothole (And How to Fix It)

How to Fix Misfire

A misfire in your 2017 Honda Accord can be a jarring and concerning experience, often manifesting as a rough-running engine, hesitation, and unusual noises. Based on real owner data, a significant cause of drivability issues stems from impacts to the vehicle's undercarriage or suspension, which can knock critical components out of alignment or cause electrical faults that mimic engine misfires. As one owner shared after a severe impact: "My wife recently decided it would be a great idea to run over a deep pothole at 60mph... This didn't cause any visible physical damage but it did cause the display for the radio/back up camera to go off." This highlights how a single impact can have cascading effects on your car's systems.

Symptoms

Owners describe a range of sensations when their vehicle begins to experience issues that feel like a misfire. The most common report is a bumpy or rough ride, which you might feel through the steering wheel, seat, or floorboards. This isn't always a steady vibration; it can come and go with speed or under acceleration, making the vehicle feel unstable or "cautious" to drive, as if it's hesitant to perform.

A prominent symptom is unusual noises emanating from the front end or under the car. These aren't necessarily metallic knocks from the engine itself. After a pothole strike, you might hear new creaks, groans, or clunks from the suspension or a persistent rattle from an area that was previously quiet. These sounds are key indicators that something has been physically disturbed.

Another symptom reported is pulling to one side while driving. If your car consistently drifts left or right even when the steering wheel is straight, it points to an alignment issue or damaged suspension component—like a bent control arm or a displaced bushing—caused by an impact. This pulling can be accompanied by uneven tire wear, compounding the problem over time. It's crucial to connect these driving dynamics to any recent incidents, as the root cause is often traumatic rather than a gradual wear failure.

Most Likely Cause

The primary cause of these misfire-like symptoms, based on owner experiences, is physical impact damage to suspension or undercarriage components. Hitting a deep pothole, curb, or road debris at speed can deliver a tremendous shock to your vehicle's chassis. This impact can bend or loosen bolts securing critical parts like control arms, subframes, or engine mounts. It can also damage bushings, the rubber isolators that absorb vibrations and allow for controlled movement. When a bolt is stretched or a bushing is torn, it allows components to shift out of specification. This misalignment transmits unusual vibrations through the steering and body, creates new noises, and causes the vehicle to pull, all of which can be misinterpreted as an engine misfire by the driver.

How to Diagnose

Diagnosing this issue requires a systematic approach, starting with a visual and physical inspection. You'll need a good flashlight, a jack and jack stands for safe lifting, and basic hand tools.

Step 1: Recall the Incident. When did the problem start? Correlate the onset of symptoms with any memorable impacts. As noted in the owner data, a single event like hitting a "deep pothole at 60mph" is a major clue. Write down everything you remember about the event.

Step 2: Visual Inspection. On level ground, walk around the vehicle and look for obvious damage: bent wheels, cracked tire sidewalls, or leaking fluids. Then, safely jack up the front end and support it on jack stands. Shine your light on all suspension components. Look for bolts that appear shiny on one side (indicating movement), bushings that are cracked, split, or completely separated from their metal sleeve, and any components that look bent or crooked compared to the other side.

Step 3: Physical Check. With the wheels off the ground, grip the front tire at the 9 and 3 o'clock positions and try to rock it side-to-side. Excessive movement could indicate a bad tie rod end. Then, grip it at the 12 and 6 o'clock positions and rock it; movement here could point to a worn wheel bearing or ball joint. Use a pry bar (carefully) to check for play in control arm bushings. Any clunking or visible movement is a failure.

Step 4: Professional Alignment Check. If your visual inspection doesn't reveal obvious damage, but the car still pulls or feels bumpy, the next step is a professional wheel alignment. The technician will put the car on an alignment rack, which will provide precise measurements of your camber, caster, and toe angles. Any values that are wildly out of specification, especially on only one side of the vehicle, are a clear sign of impact-induced bending.

Step-by-Step Fix

Fixing impact-related issues is about methodically inspecting and replacing damaged parts. Here is a generalized guide, though the exact steps will depend on what you find during diagnosis.

1. Safety First & Vehicle Prep. Park on a flat, solid surface. Engage the parking brake and place wheel chocks behind the rear tires. Loosen the lug nuts on the affected wheel(s) slightly before lifting.

2. Lift and Secure. Using a floor jack at the manufacturer's specified front lift point, raise the vehicle. Place jack stands under the reinforced pinch welds or subframe points for safety. Never work under a vehicle supported only by a jack.

3. Remove the Wheel. Fully remove the lug nuts and take off the wheel. This gives you clear access to the suspension components.

4. Inspect and Identify. With the area exposed, perform the detailed visual and physical inspection outlined in the diagnosis section. Identify the specific faulty component. Is it a visibly bent control arm? A cracked lower control arm bushing? A loose or stretched stabilizer link bolt?

5. Replace the Damaged Component. This step varies greatly by part. For a bolt, you would simply remove the old one (noting its torque specification) and install a new OEM-grade bolt, torquing it to spec. For a bushing, you may need a press tool to remove the old bushing from its arm and install the new one. In many cases, it's more cost- and time-effective to replace the entire control arm assembly, which comes with new bushings and ball joints pre-installed. As one owner noted, part of regular upkeep includes "basic maintenance... brakes, valve cover, etc.," and suspension work falls into this category of mechanical repair.

6. Reassemble and Lower. Once the new part is installed, remount the wheel and hand-tighten the lug nuts. Carefully lower the vehicle to the ground, then use a torque wrench to tighten the lug nuts in a star pattern to the proper specification (typically 80 ft-lbs for this model).

7. Get an Alignment. This step is non-negotiable. Any time you replace suspension components that affect alignment geometry (like control arms or tie rods), you must get a professional wheel alignment. This ensures your car drives straight, handles correctly, and prevents premature tire wear.

Parts and Tools Needed

• Parts: The parts needed depend entirely on your diagnosis.
  • Suspension Bolt(s): OEM part numbers are critical for suspension hardware due to strength requirements. A common front lower control arm pivot bolt might be part #90185-SDA-A01 (always verify with your VIN).
  • Control Arm Bushing Kit: Often sold as a kit like Moog K201047 for the front lower control arm rear bushing.
  • Complete Control Arm Assembly: An easier solution that includes bushings and ball joint (e.g., Moog RK620855 for the front lower control arm).
  • Stabilizer Link (Sway Bar Link): Includes its own bolts and bushings (e.g., Moog K750383).
• Tools:
  • Floor Jack and Jack Stands (minimum 2-ton rating)
  • Lug Wrench / Tire Iron
  • Socket Set (Metric: 10mm-19mm are most common)
  • Torque Wrench (capable of 20-150 ft-lbs)
  • Pry Bar
  • Flashlight
  • Wheel Chocks
  • (Potentially) Ball Joint Separator, Press Tools for bushings.

Real Owner Costs

Costs can vary from minimal to significant, depending on the extent of the damage and whether you perform the work yourself.

• DIY Repair (Minor): If the issue is simply a loose or replaced bolt and a basic alignment, your cost is primarily for the alignment. Parts: $5-$20 for a new bolt. Professional Alignment: $100-$150. Total DIY: ~$120-$170.

• DIY Repair (Moderate): Replacing one front lower control arm assembly and getting an alignment. Part: $80-$150 for a quality aftermarket arm (OEM Honda is more). Alignment: $100-$150. Total DIY: $180-$300.

• Professional Repair (Shop): A shop will charge for parts, labor (typically 1.5-2.5 hours for a control arm replacement), and an alignment. Parts: $100-$250 (marked up). Labor: $150-$400 at $100-$160/hour. Alignment: $100-$150. Total Professional: $350-$800+, depending on the shop's labor rate and the parts required.

Prevention

Preventing this type of damage is largely about defensive driving and awareness. Actively scan the road ahead for potholes, debris, and uneven surfaces, especially in poor weather or at night when they are harder to see. If you cannot safely avoid an impact, reduce your speed as much as possible before hitting it; hitting a pothole at 30 mph is far less damaging than at 60 mph. Regularly inspect your tires for bulges or uneven wear, as healthy tires with proper pressure can absorb some impact. Finally, incorporate a visual check of your suspension components into your routine maintenance, like when you rotate your tires, to catch early signs of bushing wear before a minor impact causes major failure.

What Owners Say

Real experiences from HONDA owners:

Success Stories

"They replaced the front radar unit then I found water in the driver side taillight a little while later and they replaced it also. Now I’m wondering which replacement fixed the problem." — jcglos (source)

"Describe any problems you are having with your system (freezes, CarPlay or Android Auto failures, etc.): The whole dash part has frozen 3x. Steering controls still worked." — John Lewis (source)

Owner Experiences

"I know I can do it by touching the screen itself, but the steering wheel would be better. As it is, pressing this thing just brings up a terrible built-in Honda voice assistant thing that I guess you’re supposed to use to dial Bluetooth calls or something." — I-J-Reilly (source)

"In a 2017 Accord LX, is there possibly any way to repurpose this button to make it bring up Siri when I’m using my (aftermarket) CarPlay screen? I know I can do it by touching the screen itself, but the steering wheel would be better." — I-J-Reilly (source)

"I've had the car for a little over a year now and have been loving it. Aside from adding a tow hitch for my job, I've just done basic maintenance with it so far, brakes, valve cover, etc., and am looking to do some small fun mods." — InsaneShock (source)

Lessons Learned

⚠️ "I allowed the warning message to go away on it's own without pressing "OK". Afterward, pressing the power button did nothing and the touchscreen was unresponsive to touch so I could not listen to the radio." — Hematitis (source)

FAQ

Q: How long does it take to fix a suspension problem caused by a pothole? A: The time varies dramatically. Diagnosing the issue might take 30-60 minutes. If it's a simple bolt tightening, the fix is almost immediate. Replacing a component like a control arm can take a competent DIYer 2-4 hours per side for their first time. A professional shop with a lift and power tools might complete the same job in 1.5-2.5 hours of billed labor.

Q: Can I drive my car if it's pulling and making noise after a pothole? A: You should drive with extreme caution and only as far as necessary to get to a safe location or repair shop. A damaged suspension component can fail catastrophically, leading to a loss of vehicle control. The pulling indicates compromised handling, and noises suggest parts are loose. It is not safe for highway speeds or long distances.

Q: Is this a common issue on the 2017 Honda Accord? A: While the 2017 Accord doesn't have a known widespread suspension defect, the issue described is common to all vehicles that experience severe road impacts. The Accord's reliability means many are on the road accumulating miles, so encounters with potholes and resulting damage are frequently reported by owners, as seen in the community data.

Q: DIY vs mechanic – what's recommended for this repair? A: This is a middle-ground repair. If you are mechanically inclined, have the necessary tools (especially a torque wrench), and the problem is a single, accessible component like a sway bar link, a DIY approach can yield great savings. However, if the damage is extensive, requires a press tool, or you are unsure about your diagnosis, a professional mechanic is strongly recommended. The critical post-repair alignment also requires professional equipment. As one owner reflected on their maintenance, some tasks are straightforward, while others benefit from a pro's touch.