YearToAvoid

2021 Honda Accord Problems, Recalls & Reliability

Verdict

Best

Complaint Index

7/100

#15 most-complained of 16 Accord years

The 2021 Honda Accord ranks 15th worst out of 16 model years, with a complaint index of 7 and a "Best" verdict. NHTSA lists 232 complaints, 4 recalls, and no do-not-drive recalls for this year.

Complaints
232
Recalls
4
Crashes / fires
14 / 1
Injuries / deaths
8 / 0
NHTSA overall rating
5 / 5 ★
EPA combined MPG
32
29 city / 35 hwy

Top 2021 Honda Accord problems

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

  1. Electrical System62 (27%)
  2. Collision Avoidance & Cameras62 (27%)
  3. Other54 (23%)
  4. Engine45 (19%)
  5. Brakes31 (13%)
  6. Fuel System16 (7%)
  7. Lane Departure15 (6%)
  8. Airbags14 (6%)
  9. Transmission & Powertrain13 (6%)
  10. Steering8 (3%)

What owners report

  • Owners describe sudden unintended jerking with multiple warning lights coming on, in one case leading to a crash.
  • The Collision Mitigation Braking System reportedly engages abruptly without warning at highway speeds, sometimes causing a rear-end collision.
  • Some owners report the automatic emergency braking system triggers hard, unnecessary stops even when no impact is imminent, with no ability to override by accelerating.
  • One owner reported sudden unintended acceleration while the vehicle was in Park, causing it to hit a curb and a building.
  • A parked vehicle reportedly filled with smoke and showed melted dashboard and glove box components with no visible fire.
  • One complaint described the car swerving left and right on a straight freeway despite the driver trying to hold it steady.
2021 Honda Accord complaints: complaints filed per quarter462021 Q12021 Q42022 Q32023 Q32024 Q22025 Q12025 Q42026 Q3
340 complaints filed with NHTSA from 2021 Q1 to 2026 Q3; peak 2026 Q3 (46).

2021 Honda Accord recalls

4 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 23V858000Dec 18, 2023Fuel System2,490,460 vehicles

    Fuel system, gasoline:delivery:fuel pump

    Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2013-2023 Honda Accord, Civic Coupe, Civic Sedan, Civic Hatchback, Civic Type R, CR-V, HR-V, Ridgeline, Odyssey, Acura ILX, MDX, MDX Hybrid, RDX, RLX, TLX, 2019-2022 Honda Insight, Passport, 2020 Honda CR-V Hybrid, 2018-2019 Honda Clarity PHEV, Fit, and 2015-2020 Honda Accord Hybrid, Pilot, Acura NSX vehicles. The fuel pump inside the fuel tank may fail.

    Risk: Fuel pump failure can cause an engine stall while driving, increasing the risk of a crash.

    Remedy: Dealers will replace the fuel pump module, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed September 6, 2024. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are KGC and KGD. This recall is an expansion of NHTSA recall numbers 21V-215 and 20V-314.

See all 4 recalls for the 2021 Honda Accord →

2021 Honda Accord fuel economy and fuel cost

City
29 MPG
Highway
35 MPG
Combined
32 MPG
Annual fuel cost (EPA)
$2,050
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 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
2019Avoid80689628.5
2020Good33362528.5
2021Best7232432
2022Best20249432
2023Best085532

All Honda Accord years: best and worst →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2021 Honda Accord reliable?
Based on NHTSA owner complaints and recalls, the 2021 Accord ranks 15th worst out of 16 model years, with a complaint index of 7 and a "Best" verdict relative to other Accord years.
What are the most common problems with the 2021 Honda Accord?
NHTSA data shows the top problem areas are the Electrical System and Collision Avoidance & Cameras, each accounting for 27% of complaints (62 each), followed by Engine issues at 19% (45 complaints).
Does the 2021 Honda Accord have any recalls?
NHTSA lists 4 recalls for the 2021 Accord, covering airbags, fuel system, and seat belts, with none classified as do-not-drive recalls.
At what mileage do 2021 Accord problems tend to show up?
The median mileage at failure across all reported problems is 65,500 miles, though Electrical System complaints have a higher median of 100,000 miles.
How does the 2021 Accord compare to other recent years?
The 2021 Accord's complaint index of 7 is much lower than the 2018 Accord's index of 100 and the 2013 Accord's index of 93, both rated "Avoid."

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.