Honda Accord problems, complaints & recalls by model year
Across 9 model years (2018–2026), NHTSA has logged 4,373 owner complaints and 19 safety recalls for the Honda Accord. That averages 79.6 complaints per year on the road — more complaints than typical (index 1.97 against all tracked vehicles). Within the Midsize sedans segment it ranks #5 of 5 by complaints per year (#1 = fewest); the segment average is 37.8.
Counts are normalized by time on the road, not by sales volume: a popular model generates more reports than a rare one, and complaints are not verified individually. How we count
Analysis
The trend is improving. Measured on complaints filed in the first two years on the road and compared with other vehicles of the same model year, the 2023 and 2024 models run 29% below the 2018 and 2019 models (137 early complaints per model year versus 215).
The 2018 model year has the highest rate (228.3 complaints per year) and the 2021 model year the lowest (49.9). The 2018 model year runs at least 50% above this model's average of 79.6 complaints per year on the road across its tracked model years.
Across all tracked model years the most common problem area is Engine (24.4% of complaints), followed by Electrical (15.2%) and Driver-assist systems (12.4%). 155 complaints (3.5%) describe a crash or fire; across all model years owners report 137 injuries and 2 deaths.
In the last 12 months owners filed 1,134 complaints versus 981 in the previous 12 months — up 16%. The 2018 model year generated the most recent reports (376). Across model years, half of all reported incidents occur within 50 months of the model year's start.
Recalls: 19 recall campaigns across the tracked model years, most of them received in 2023 (5). 4 NHTSA investigations have covered this model, 1 still open; the latest is “Inadvertent Automatic Emergency Braking” (engineering analysis, opened 2024-04-15, still open).
Every other tracked model among Midsize sedans has fewer complaints per year, including Nissan Altima, Hyundai Sonata, Chevrolet Malibu and Toyota Camry.
Model years at a glance
| Year | Complaints | Complaints per year on the road | Complaint index | Last 12 months | Recalls | Most common issue | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 ▲50%+ | 2,006 | 228.3 | 5.66 | 376 | 6 | Engine | View › |
| 2019 | 790 | 101.4 | 2.51 | 178 | 6 | Engine | View › |
| 2020 | 403 | 59.4 | 1.47 | 102 | 6 | Engine | View › |
| 2021 Fewest complaints | 289 | 49.9 | 1.24 | 96 | 4 | Electrical | View › |
| 2022 | 310 | 64.7 | 1.6 | 138 | 4 | Electrical | View › |
| 2023 | 229 | 60.4 | 1.5 | 52 | 9 | Engine | View › |
| 2024 | 226 | 81.0 | 2.01 | 96 | 6 | Steering | View › |
| 2025 Too new to rank | 110 | 61.5 | 1.52 | 86 | 3 | Steering | View › |
| 2026 Too new to rank | 10 | 10.0 | 0.25 | 10 | 0 | Unspecified or other | View › |
▲50%+ = 50%+ above this model's average yearly rate. “Too new to rank”: under two years on the road, so the model year cannot be named the one with the fewest complaints yet. 1.00 means the same rate as the comparison group. 2.00 means twice as many complaints per year on the road. Complaints in first 2 years on the road: vs. same-year average. How we count
Trend · vs. same-year average
Complaints in first 2 years on the road ÷ All-vehicle average (1.00)
When complaints were filed
Last 12 months: 1,134 · Previous 12 months: 981 Within ±30% year on year
Problem areas
Engine ›
1,065 · 24.4% · 1.09 vs. all vehicles · Rising
Electrical ›
666 · 15.2% · 0.97 vs. all vehicles · Rising
Driver-assist systems ›
544 · 12.4% · 2.17 vs. all vehicles · Within ±30% year on year
Fuel system ›
492 · 11.3% · 2.59 vs. all vehicles · Falling
Brakes ›
408 · 9.3% · 1.55 vs. all vehicles · Falling
Unspecified or other ›
373 · 8.5% · 0.95 vs. all vehicles · Within ±30% year on year
Steering ›
216 · 4.9% · 0.77 vs. all vehicles · Rising
Airbags & seat belts ›
160 · 3.7% · 0.96 vs. all vehicles · Within ±30% year on year
Body & structure ›
156 · 3.6% · 0.39 vs. all vehicles · Rising
Transmission / powertrain ›
154 · 3.5% · 0.3 vs. all vehicles · Within ±30% year on year
Other
59 · 1.3% · 0.73 vs. all vehicles · Too few recent reports to judge
Wheels, tires & suspension ›
58 · 1.3% · 0.53 vs. all vehicles · Too few recent reports to judge
Lighting
22 · 0.5% · 0.32 vs. all vehicles · Too few recent reports to judge
Only problem areas with at least 40 complaints get their own page.
Vehicle age at incident
Median age at incident: 50 months
What owners report
Oct.6 2026 Driving down Burbank Bl the car braked on its own with a huge jolt. I felt my neck whip. There was no danger of hitting a car in front and the weather was clear. The car behind me almost hit me.
The contact owns a 2021 Honda Accord. The contact stated that while driving with the driver assist enabled, the vehicle veered over to the left and crashed into the median. The contact stated that the vehicle was uncontrollable. No air bags deployed.
Air conditioning failure: The A/C was blowing warm air on the first day of ownership. • Cooling system failure: The vehicle subsequently experienced overheating issues and left me stranded.
2023 Honda Accord, 79,000 miles. Steering binds and feels sticky at highway speeds, making it dangerous to micro-adjust. Same issue as the 24V-744 Honda recall, but Accord is excluded20
The response to an accelerator input on this vehicle is unreasonably slow and has many times resulted in an unsafe condition. When applying a significant amount of throttle from a stop, or a slow speed, the driver expects the vehicle to respond immediately.
Excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length. The ODI number is NHTSA's record identifier.
Segment peers · Midsize sedans
| # | Models | Complaints | Complaints per year on the road | Complaint index | Trend | Recent activity | Recalls | Most common issue |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nissan Altima | 807 | 14.0 | 0.35 | Improving | Within ±30% year on year | 14 | Electrical |
| 2 | Hyundai Sonata | 1,243 | 24.3 | 0.6 | Stable | Within ±30% year on year | 11 | Engine |
| 3 | Chevrolet Malibu | 1,416 | 26.4 | 0.65 | Improving | Rising | 10 | Engine |
| 4 | Toyota Camry | 1,981 | 44.2 | 1.1 | Improving | Within ±30% year on year | 21 | Engine |
| 5 | Honda Accord | 4,373 | 79.6 | 1.97 | Improving | Within ±30% year on year | 19 | Engine |
Recalls by year received
- Campaigns: 19
- Do-not-drive / park-outside: 0
- Over-the-air fix: 0
Safety recalls: 2018 (6) · 2019 (6) · 2020 (6) · 2021 (4) · 2022 (4) · 2023 (9) · 2024 (6) · 2025 (3) · 2026 (0)
Investigations
- Inadvertent Automatic Emergency Braking Open
On February 21, 2022, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened Preliminary Evaluation (PE22003) to assess reports of inadvertent activation of the Collision Mitigation Braking System (CMBS), an automatic emergency braking (AEB) system, in model year 2017-2019 Honda CR-V and 2018-2019 Honda Accord vehicles. The reports allege that activation of the AEB system occurs while driving with no a…
- Front Seat Belt Assemblies may be Missing the Rivet that Secures the Quick Connector and Wire Plate Closed
On April 4, 2024, the Office of Defects Investigations (ODI) opened RQ24006 to investigate American Honda Motor Co.’s (Honda’s) proposed remedy for recall 23V-782 as well as scope of the vehicles involved. Honda issued recall 23V-782 on November 21, 2023, which concerns certain model year (MY) 2023-2024 Honda Accord, Honda Accord Hybrid, and Honda HR-V vehicles. Recall 23V-782 states that the driv…
- Pedestrian alert sounds Closed
NHTSA received a petition on or about July 18, 2022, requesting that Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 141 be applied to all electric and hybrid vehicles operating in the United States. The petition can be reviewed at NHTSA.gov under ODI Number 11486072. FMVSS 141 establishes performance requirements for pedestrian alert sounds for motor vehicles. The standard applies to hybrid and ele…
- Inadvertent Automatic Emergency Braking Closed
On February 21, 2022, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened Preliminary Evaluation (PE22003) to assess reports of inadvertent activation of the Collision Mitigation Braking System (CMBS), an automatic emergency braking (AEB) system, in model year 2017-2019 Honda CR-V and 2018-2019 Honda Accord vehicles. The reports allege that activation of the AEB system occurs while driving with no a…