Which radio is in your Honda Accord?
Honda fitted different radios over the years. Find your Accord’s years below, but go by the serial: radios are often swapped, and the free check reads it for you.
How to find your Honda Accord radio serial number
Most Honda Accord radios show their serial on the screen, so you don’t need to take anything apart. The serial tells us exactly which code your radio needs.
On the screen
- Check the handbook wallet for the anti-theft card first.
- Turn the ignition on and leave the radio off. Hold buttons 1 and 6, then press the power button. Two numbers appear, one starting U and one starting L: write both down. The letters are only labels for the top and bottom halves — the numbers together are the serial.
- Touchscreen (2013 on): go to Settings, then System, then Detailed information.
- Older sat nav cars (2003–2012): hold MAP/GUIDE, MENU and CANCEL together.
- Nothing on screen? Look inside the glovebox door: dealers were asked to stick a label there with the serial on it, written as a B and then eight numbers.
- Off a label, the numbers may sit behind three letters or a B, and sometimes there is one more letter after them. Type the lot — we take the serial out of it.
On the label
The serial is also printed on a label on the top or side of the radio. Most radios slide out with a pair of radio removal keys (a few pounds from any car parts shop). Push them into the slots on the front until they click, then ease the radio forward. Some have screws to undo first.
Take a photo of the label rather than copying it by hand: it’s easy to mix up 0 and O, or 1 and I.
Tips for your Honda Accord
- Ignition on, radio off, hold 1 and 6, then power on.
- On a sat nav car, hold the top of the seek and disc buttons and press the volume knob to reach the sat nav’s own serial.
- Both codes come back in the same email if you order the pair.
What your serial looks like
-
U2154 L2135HondaThe U and L numbers, or the serial on the label By email -
HO681AA9170550Honda Philips (early 1990s)14 letters and numbers starting HO Instant -
GNB22005937Honda sat nav8 numbers, sometimes with 3 letters in front By email
Can’t find it or can’t read it? Send us a photo of the label: £9.99, with a full refund if we can’t find your code.
How to enter your Honda Accord radio code
Once you have your code, key it in like this. The example below shows the button presses. Your order page shows the same steps next to your code.
- Most codes are 5 numbers. Press the button with each number on it, once.
- Touchscreens: use the on-screen keypad and press ENTER.
- Usually: press button 1, set the number with the tuning buttons, then press button 1 again.
- Do the same for all 4 numbers. The exact steps vary from radio to radio.
If your Honda Accord radio says LOCKED, WAIT or SAFE
Each wrong code makes the radio wait longer before the next try, and some radios lock for good after too many. Don’t guess: get the right code first, then follow the steps for your radio.
| Radio | What to do |
|---|---|
| Honda | ERR — leave the ignition on for 1 hour. |
| Honda Philips (early 1990s) | Each wrong try adds a longer delay. Keep the radio switched on while it counts down. |
| Honda sat nav | After several wrong tries the sat nav stops accepting codes for a while. Leave the ignition on and try again later. |
What LOCKED, WAIT and SAFE mean, and how long to wait →
Why we use your radio’s serial, not your number plate
A radio code belongs to the radio, not the car. A dealer usually looks it up from the Honda Accord’s number plate or VIN (the 17-character number in your logbook), which only works if the car still has the radio it left the factory with. Radios are often swapped under warranty, upgraded, or changed by a previous owner.
The serial number is printed on the radio itself, so the code we give you matches the radio in front of you. It is also how we can check it for free before you pay. Main dealers often charge £30–£130, and you usually have to book the car in.
Honda Accord radio code questions
How do I get the serial on an Accord?
Hold buttons 1 and 6 with the ignition on and the radio off, then turn the radio on. The U and L numbers appear on the screen.
My Accord has sat nav as well.
That needs its own code from its own serial. You can order both together.
How long will I wait?
Honda codes are looked up by hand and emailed within 2 hours.
How much is a Honda Accord radio code?
£9.99 per code. The free check comes first, so you only pay once we know we can do it, and you get your money back if the code doesn’t work.
How long does it take?
Most Honda Accord codes appear on screen the moment you’ve paid, and we email you a copy. If yours has to be looked up by our team, we email it within 2 hours and tell you before you pay.
What if the code doesn’t work?
Check the serial first: 0 and O, or 1 and I, are easy to mix up. Still stuck? Tell us from your order page and we’ll put it right or refund you in full.
Another Honda?
See every Honda radio we can unlock on our Honda radio code page, or pick a model: Civic, Jazz, CR-V.
Updated September 2026