On the 10th-gen Accord the rear brake job itself is easy — single-piston sliding caliper, two 12 mm guide-pin bolts, two 17 mm bracket bolts, done. What trips people up is the electric parking brake, which is standard on every 2018-2022 Accord including the Hybrid. The piston is driven back by a motor on the caliper, so unless you put the system in service mode with a bidirectional scan tool, or physically unbolt the actuator motor, the piston will not move and you will break something trying.
Hardware sizes are the same across 1.5T, 2.0T and Hybrid; only rotor diameter changes on some 2.0T Sport/Touring cars, so order parts by VIN. The other common mistake is skipping the EPB reset/calibration after reassembly — the car may throw a parking brake warning or leave the pads dragging until the motors re-learn their position.
| Item | Type | |
|---|---|---|
| Floor jack 2 ton minimum, pad on rear jack point Lifts the rear of the car to remove the wheels. | Required | shop |
| Jack stands 2 ton pair, under rear pinch-weld/subframe points Supports the car while you work; never rely on the jack. | Safety | shop |
| Wheel chocks Keeps the car from rolling while the parking brake is released in service mode. | Safety | shop |
| Breaker bar or impact wrench 1/2 in drive Loosens the lug nuts and the tight 17 mm caliper bracket bolts. | Required | shop |
| Socket 19 mm, 1/2 in drive, thin-wall or lug socket Lug nuts on all 10th-gen Accord trims. | Required | shop |
| Bidirectional scan tool Honda-capable with electric parking brake service/maintenance mode (e.g. Autel, Launch, Foxwell, iCarsoft HND) Retracts the EPB pistons and puts the system in service mode; also resets it afterward. | Required | shop |
| Socket set, 3/8 in drive 10 mm, 12 mm, 14 mm 6-point 12 mm for the caliper guide-pin bolts, 10/14 mm for the EPB actuator bolts and bracket hardware if you go the manual route. | Required | shop |
| Socket 17 mm 6-point, 1/2 in drive Caliper mounting bracket bolts to the trailing arm. | Required | shop |
| Ratchet 3/8 in and 1/2 in drive with 3 in extension Access to caliper and bracket bolts behind the wheel. | Required | shop |
| Hex/Torx bit set 8 mm hex and T40/T47 bits, plus #3 Phillips Removes the rotor retaining screw where fitted (Honda uses hex or Phillips head screws, sometimes seized). | Required | shop |
| C-clamp or brake piston tool 4 in C-clamp or piston press kit Pushes the rear piston back once the EPB is retracted or the motor is removed. | Required | shop |
| Bolt for rotor removal M8 x 1.25, about 40 mm long, two if possible Threads into the rotor's puller holes to jack a rusted rotor off the hub. | Consumables | shop |
| Dead-blow or ball-peen hammer 2-3 lb Frees a stuck rotor from the hub face and knocks off rust. | Recommended | shop |
| Wire brush and small file Cleans rust and burrs off the caliper bracket pad abutments so the new pads slide. | Required | shop |
| Brake cleaner 2 cans, chlorine-free Cleans the bracket, hub face and the anti-rust coating off new rotors. | Consumables | shop |
| Brake caliper grease High-temp silicone/synthetic, Honda M-77 or equivalent Lubricates guide pins, pad ears, clip contact points and the pad backing plate. | Consumables | shop |
| Anti-seize or brake hub paste Copper-free preferred Thin coat on the hub flange so the next rotor comes off easily. | Consumables | shop |
| Bungee cord or wire Hangs the caliper so the brake hose and EPB wiring are not strained. | Recommended | shop |
| Torque wrench 1/2 in drive, 20-150 ft-lb Lug nuts and caliper bracket bolts to spec. | Required | shop |
| Torque wrench 3/8 in drive, 5-80 ft-lb Caliper guide-pin bolts and EPB actuator bolts are low-torque into aluminum/steel threads. | Recommended | shop |
| Wire brush on drill or thread brush M12 x 1.5 for guide pin bolt holes (verify thread) Cleans caliper bracket threads so torque readings are accurate. | Recommended | shop |
| Rear brake pads Honda OE or quality ceramic set for 10th-gen Accord (confirm 1.5T vs 2.0T/Sport/Hybrid by VIN) The wear item being replaced. | Parts | shop |
| Rear rotors Pair; 1.5T/Hybrid typically 300 mm solid, 2.0T/Sport 19 in larger — confirm by VIN Replaced with the pads for even bedding. | Parts | shop |
| Nitrile gloves and safety glasses Brake dust and cleaner spray are unpleasant and irritating. | Safety | shop |
Socket and bit sizes are identical across 1.5T, 2.0T and Hybrid: 19 mm lugs, 12 mm caliper guide-pin bolts, 17 mm caliper bracket bolts. The difference is parts, not tools — 2.0T Sport and Touring models with the larger wheel package use a bigger rear rotor and a matching pad set, so verify rotor diameter by VIN. All trims have the same electric parking brake actuator and need the same service-mode procedure.
| Wheel lug nuts | 80 ft-lb (108 Nm) |
| Caliper guide-pin (12 mm) bolts | verify in the service manual (typically around 20 ft-lb / 27 Nm on Honda rear calipers) |
| Caliper bracket-to-trailing-arm (17 mm) bolts | verify in the service manual (typically around 80 ft-lb / 108 Nm) |
| EPB actuator motor bolts | verify in the service manual |
| Rotor retaining screw | verify in the service manual (snug only, about 7 ft-lb) |
The 12 mm guide-pin bolts, 17 mm bracket bolts, 19 mm lug nuts and the 80 ft-lb lug torque are solid for this generation; the caliper and actuator torque figures and the exact rotor screw head (hex vs Torx vs Phillips) vary by build, so check them against the factory service manual or your own hardware before final assembly.
Yes, but only by unplugging and unbolting the electric parking brake actuator motor from the back of each caliper, then pressing the piston in with a C-clamp. There is no key-and-pedal trick on the Accord, and you still should have the EPB checked or reset afterward if a warning light appears.
The two caliper guide-pin bolts are 12 mm head and the two caliper bracket bolts into the trailing arm are 17 mm head. Lug nuts are 19 mm.
No. The 10th gen uses a motor-driven EPB, so the piston is retracted electronically or by removing the actuator, then pushed straight in. Trying to rotate it with a wind-back tool can damage the mechanism.
80 ft-lb (108 Nm) in a star pattern, rechecked after about 50 miles. Use a torque wrench, not an impact gun, for the final tightening.