YearToAvoid

2010 Honda Accord Problems, Recalls & Reliability

Verdict

Caution

Complaint Index

73/100

#5 most-complained of 16 Accord years

The 2010 Honda Accord logs 580 NHTSA complaints and a complaint index of 73, ranking 5th worst out of 16 model years, with a Caution verdict. It carries 12 recalls, mostly for airbag inflators, and Engine issues are the top complaint category at 25%.

Complaints
580
Recalls
12
Crashes / fires
37 / 6
Injuries / deaths
45 / 2
NHTSA overall rating
Not rated
EPA combined MPG
25
21 city / 31 hwy

Top 2010 Honda Accord problems

NHTSA owner complaints by component group. Groups with 15+ complaints have their own page.

  1. Engine145 (25%)
  2. Airbags134 (23%)
  3. Brakes134 (23%)
  4. Structure & Body67 (12%)
  5. Transmission & Powertrain45 (8%)
  6. Electrical System38 (7%)
  7. Suspension, Wheels & Tires37 (6%)
  8. Other36 (6%)
  9. Steering18 (3%)
  10. Visibility & Wipers16 (3%)

What owners report

  • Owners report airbags failing to deploy in head-on or frontal-tree collisions at highway speeds.
  • Some describe sudden acceleration or a strong vibration through the gas pedal while slowing to a stop or idling out of a parking space.
  • Drivers report brakes not responding when pressed, leading to low-speed collisions in parking lots.
  • Some report the vehicle rolling forward on its own even with the parking brake engaged.
  • Owners describe the check engine and VSA warning lights coming on together, followed by the engine stalling at low speed.
  • One report describes a post-crash fire where the airbags also failed to deploy.
2010 Honda Accord complaints: complaints filed per quarter372010 Q12012 Q22014 Q32016 Q42019 Q12021 Q22023 Q32025 Q4
692 complaints filed with NHTSA from 2010 Q1 to 2026 Q3; peak 2016 Q3 (37).

2010 Honda Accord recalls

12 NHTSA recall campaigns list this model year.

  1. NHTSA 19V502000Jun 27, 2019Airbags9,555 vehicles

    Air bags:frontal:passenger side:inflator module

    Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2009-2014 Acura TSX, 2011-2014 TSX Sport Wagon, 2010-2013 ZDX, 2008-2012 Honda Accord, 2010-2011 Accord Crosstour, 2006-2011 Civic and Civic Hybrid, 2008-2010 Civic GX NGV, 2012-2015 Crosstour, 2007-2011 CR-V, 2009-2013 Fit, 2014 Fit EV, 2010-2014 Insight, and 2009-2015 Pilot vehicles. The vehicles are equipped with passenger frontal air bag inflators assembled as a recall remedy part or replacement service part, that may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, temperature and temperature cycling.

    Risk: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

    Remedy: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began August 12, 2019. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are F5F and Q5E.

  2. NHTSA 19V378000May 16, 2019Airbags19,138 vehicles

    Air bags:frontal:passenger side:inflator module

    Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2009-2014 Acura TSX, 2011-2013 TSX Sport Wagon, and 2010-2012 ZDX and 2008-2012 Honda Accord, 2010-2011 Accord Crosstour, 2006-2011 Civic, Civic Hybrid and Civic NGV, 2012-2014 Crosstour, 2007-2011 CR-V, 2009-2013 Fit, 2010-2013 Insight, and 2009-2015 Pilot vehicles. The front passenger air bag inflator may have been installed incorrectly during replacement.

    Risk: An incorrectly installed air bag inflator may not properly deploy the passenger frontal air bag in the event of a crash, increasing the risk of injury.

    Remedy: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the inflator installation and, if necessary, replace the passenger frontal air bag module assembly, free of charge. The recall began July 5, 2019. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are M4O, P4R, T4Q, and W4P.

  3. NHTSA 18V661000Sep 27, 2018Airbags1,355,406 vehicles

    Air bags:frontal:passenger side:inflator module

    Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2014 Honda Insight and Acura TSX and TSX Wagon, 2014-2015 Honda Crosstour and Pilot vehicles nationwide, as well as certain 2014 Honda FCX Clarity and Fit EV vehicles in Florida, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, Texas, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, California, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan) and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Honda is also recalling certain 2011-2013 Acura TSX, TSX Wagon and ZDX, Honda Crosstour, Insight, Fit and Pilot vehicles, 2011-2012 Honda Accord and 2011 Honda Civic NGV, Civic, Civic Hybrid and CR-V vehicles in Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia. Lastly, Honda is recalling certain 2010-2013 Acura TSX and ZDX, Honda Crosstour, Fit, Insight and Pilot, 2011-2013 TSX Wagon, 2010-2012 Honda Accord and 2010-2011 Honda Civic NGV, Civic, Civic Hybrid and CR-V vehicles in Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin and Wyoming. These vehicles are equipped with certain air bag air bag inflators assembled as part of the frontal air bag modules, and used as original equipment or replacement equipment (such as after a vehicle crash necessitating replacement of the original air bags), may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to higher absolute humidity, temperature and temperature cycling.

    Risk: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

    Remedy: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began November 6, 2018. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are M2J and S2K.

See all 12 recalls for the 2010 Honda Accord →

2010 Honda Accord fuel economy and fuel cost

City
21 MPG
Highway
31 MPG
Combined
25 MPG
Annual fuel cost (EPA)
$2,600
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.

2010 compared with other Accord years

Complaint Index by model year (0 = fewest issues, 100 = most)0255075100’10’11’12’13’14’15’16’17’18’19’20’21’22’23’24’25
Complaint Index: 0 = fewest issues, 100 = most, relative to other years of this model. Avoid Caution Good Best
YearVerdictIndexComplaintsRecallsMPG
2010Caution735801225
2011Best13296926
2012Good40373826

All Honda Accord years: best and worst →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2010 Honda Accord reliable?
Compared with other Accord model years, 2010 is rated Caution, with a complaint index of 73 and 580 NHTSA complaints, ranking 5th worst among 16 model years covered.
What is the biggest problem with the 2010 Honda Accord?
Engine issues are the top complaint area, making up 25% of complaints, followed closely by Airbags and Brakes, each at 23%.
Does the 2010 Honda Accord have a recall?
Yes, NHTSA lists 12 recalls for the 2010 Accord, most involving the passenger frontal airbag inflator, none of which are do-not-drive recalls.
How does the 2010 Accord compare to other years?
The 2010 model's complaint index of 73 is higher than the 2011 (13), 2012 (40), and later years like 2021-2023, which rank as Best, but it is lower than 2013, 2014, 2018, and 2019, which rank as Avoid.
What is the fuel economy of the 2010 Honda Accord?
EPA rates the 2010 Accord at 25 mpg combined (21 city / 31 highway), with an estimated annual fuel cost of $2,600.

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.