YearToAvoid

2021 Honda Accord Hybrid Reliability Data: Problems & Recalls

Good The 2021 Honda Accord Hybrid ranks 8th worst of 14 model years with a complaint index of 46 and earns a 'Good' verdict relative to other Accord Hybrid years. NHTSA lists 48 complaints and 3 recalls, with Collision Avoidance & Cameras the top problem area at 25% of complaints.

Based on NHTSA complaints per model-year, not a reliability rating. Methodology

YearToAvoid Scorecard

Complaint Index
46/100
#8 of 14 Accord Hybrid years
Verdict
Good
vs. other years of this model
Complaints
48
unique NHTSA reports
Recalls
3
distinct NHTSA campaigns
Crashes
2
reported in complaints
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Top issue
Collision Avoidance & Cameras
Best nearby year
2015
rated Best
NHTSA overall rating
5 / 5 ★
EPA combined MPG
45.5
46 city / 44.5 hwy
Injuries / deaths
0 / 0

Top 2021 Honda Accord Hybrid problems

Share of this year’s NHTSA complaints by component group. Groups with 15+ complaints have their own page.

  1. Collision Avoidance & Cameras12 (25%)
  2. Engine11 (23%)
  3. Other10 (21%)
  4. Electrical System8 (17%)
  5. Airbags5 (10%)
  6. Brakes4 (8%)
  7. Fuel System4 (8%)
  8. Structure & Body3 (6%)
  9. Lane Departure1 (2%)
  10. Seat Belts1 (2%)

A complaint can list more than one component, so shares add up to more than 100%. Shares are % of complaints.

What owners report

  • Adaptive cruise control triggers phantom braking on the highway with no vehicle ahead, sometimes at 60 mph.
  • Automatic emergency braking activates unexpectedly at intersections when another car is only in a turn lane, not the driver's path.
  • Airbag system has been found faulty during routine maintenance checks, with warnings that airbags may not deploy in a crash.
  • Driver and rear doors have failed to open from inside or outside intermittently.
  • Rear glass reportedly shattered on its own after use of the rear defroster in cold weather.
  • One owner reported sudden unintended acceleration while parking that resulted in a crash.
2021 Honda Accord Hybrid complaints: complaints filed per month3Aug 2021Mar 2022Jan 2023Jan 2024Nov 2024May 2025Oct 2025
48 complaints filed with NHTSA from Aug 2021 to Aug 2026; peak Jan 2025 (3).

2021 Honda Accord Hybrid recalls

3 NHTSA recall campaigns list this model year.

  1. NHTSA 26V332000May 21, 2026Airbags98,892 vehicles

    Air bags:sensor:occupant classification:front passenger

    Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2018-2021, 2023 Acura TLX, 2019-2024 RDX, 2017-2020, 2022-2026 MDX, 2017-2021, 2023, 2025 Honda Ridgeline, 2017-2022 Pilot, 2019-2021 Passport, 2018-2026 Odyssey, 2019-2022 Insight, 2019-2021 HR-V, 2018-2020 Fit, 2020-2022 CR-V Hybrid, 2017-2022 CR-V, 2017-2018, 2021 Civic Type R, 2017-2021 Civic hatchback, 2016-2020 Civic coupe, 2016-2022 Civic, 2017-2022 Accord Hybrid, and 2016-2022 Accord vehicles. The front passenger seat weight sensor may crack and short circuit, which can cause the air bags to deploy unintentionally during a crash.

    Risk: Air bags that deploy unintentionally during a crash increase the risk of injury.

    Remedy: Dealers will replace the seat weight sensors, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 7, 2026. Owners may contact Honda's customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are BOL, WO9, OOA, WOM, XOH, NOC, POD, BOE, UOF, POB, EOG, AOI, QO8, TOJ, DO7, and SOK. This recall expands previous NHTSA recall number 24V064. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will be searchable on NHTSA.gov beginning May 29, 2026.

  2. NHTSA 24V064000Feb 1, 2024Airbags750,114 vehicles

    Air bags:sensor:occupant classification:front passenger

    Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Pilot, Accord, Civic sedan, HR-V, Odyssey, 2020 Civic coupe, Fit, 2021-2022 Civic hatchback, 2021 Civic Type R, Insight, 2020-2021 CR-V, CR-V Hybrid, Passport, Ridgeline, Accord Hybrid, 2020 Acura MDX, 2022 Acura MDX, 2020-2022 Acura RDX, and 2020-2021 Acura TLX vehicles. The front passenger seat weight sensor may crack and short circuit, failing to suppress the air bag as intended.

    Risk: An air bag that deploys unintentionally during a crash can increase the risk of injury.

    Remedy: Dealers will replace the seat weight sensors, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 28, 2024. This is a phased recall. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for these recalls are XHP and VHQ.

  3. NHTSA 21V900000Nov 18, 2021Seat Belts4,346 vehicles

    Seat belts:rear/other:retractor

    Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2021 Accord Sedan, Accord Hybrid, CR-V, Ridgeline, 2022 Insight and CR-V Hybrid vehicles. The automatic locking retractor on the second-row center seat belt assembly may deactivate improperly, which can result in an unsecured child restraint system. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."

    Risk: An unsecured child restraint system can increase the risk of injury during a crash.

    Remedy: Dealers will replace the second-row center seat belt assembly, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 14, 2022. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138.

2021 Honda Accord Hybrid fuel economy and fuel cost

City
46 MPG
Highway
44.5 MPG
Combined
45.5 MPG
Annual fuel cost (EPA)
$1,425
15,000 mi/yr
Fuel
Regular
Current regular gas
$4.32/gal
national avg.

EPA figures; median across configurations of this model year. Estimate your own cost with the fuel cost calculator.

2021 compared with other Accord Hybrid years

Complaint Index by model year (0 = fewest issues, 100 = most)0255075100’05’07’14’15’16’17’18’19’20’21’22’23’24’25
Complaint Index: 0 = fewest issues, 100 = most, relative to other years of this model. Avoid Caution Good Best
YearVerdictIndexComplaintsRecallsMPG
2019Caution6294548
2020Caution5439548
2021Good4648345.5
2022Avoid8554145
2023Avoid100140646

All Honda Accord Hybrid years: best and worst →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2021 Honda Accord Hybrid reliable?
Relative to other Accord Hybrid model years, 2021 rates 'Good' with a complaint index of 46, ranking 8th worst out of 14 years tracked. It has fewer reported problems than the 2018, 2019, 2022, 2023, 2024, and 2025 model years.
What problems does the 2021 Honda Accord Hybrid have?
NHTSA data shows Collision Avoidance & Cameras issues, mainly phantom or unexpected braking, made up 25% of complaints. Engine problems (23%) and electrical system issues (17%) were also common.
Does the 2021 Honda Accord Hybrid have any recalls?
NHTSA lists 3 recall campaigns for the 2021 Accord Hybrid, covering seat belt assemblies and airbag seat weight sensors. None are do-not-drive recalls.
What is the median mileage for reported failures in the 2021 Accord Hybrid?
Across all complaints, the overall median mileage at failure is 38,000 miles, though Collision Avoidance & Cameras complaints had a lower median of 13,700 miles.
How does the 2021 Accord Hybrid compare to the 2023 model?
The 2023 Accord Hybrid has a complaint index of 100 and an 'Avoid' verdict, much higher than the 2021 model's index of 46 and 'Good' verdict.

Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint and recall databases; U.S. EPA fuel economy data; NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings. Complaints are unverified owner reports.

Data updated Sep 24, 2026. Read the methodology and data sources. The Complaint Index is based on NHTSA owner complaints and recalls; it is not a reliability rating.