2021 Honda Accord Reliability Data: Problems & Recalls
Best The 2021 Honda Accord ranks 18th of 21 model years with a complaint index of 15 and a Best verdict. NHTSA logged 232 complaints, 4 recalls, 14 crashes, and 1 fire, with top issues in the Electrical System and Collision Avoidance & Cameras systems.
Based on NHTSA complaints per model-year, not a reliability rating. Methodology
YearToAvoid Scorecard
- Complaint Index
- 15/100
- #18 of 21 Accord years
- Verdict
- Best
- vs. other years of this model
- Complaints
- 232
- unique NHTSA reports
- Recalls
- 4
- distinct NHTSA campaigns
- Crashes
- 14
- reported in complaints
- Fires
- 1
- Injuries
- 8
- Top issue
- Electrical System
- NHTSA overall rating
- 5 / 5 ★
- EPA combined MPG
- 32
- 29 city / 35 hwy
- Injuries / deaths
- 8 / 0
Top 2021 Honda Accord problems
Share of this year’s NHTSA complaints by component group. Groups with 15+ complaints have their own page.
- Electrical System62 (27%)
- Collision Avoidance & Cameras62 (27%)
- Other54 (23%)
- Engine45 (19%)
- Brakes31 (13%)
- Fuel System16 (7%)
- Lane Departure15 (6%)
- Airbags14 (6%)
- Transmission & Powertrain13 (6%)
- Steering8 (3%)
A complaint can list more than one component, so shares add up to more than 100%. Shares are % of complaints.
What owners report
- Steering and brakes reportedly lost function simultaneously at highway speed with no warning light, in one case leading to a crash.
- Automatic emergency braking activated unexpectedly at speeds around 45-50 mph with no obstacle present, causing rear-end collisions.
- The car reportedly swerved left and right on its own at highway speed despite the driver trying to hold it straight.
- Interior smoke and melted dashboard/glove box components appeared on a parked, unoccupied vehicle at 100,000 miles.
- Sudden unintended acceleration occurred at low speed while parking, striking a fixed object.
- Vehicle jerked while driving with multiple unidentified warning lights illuminated, followed by a crash.
2021 Honda Accord recalls
4 NHTSA recall campaigns list this model year.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
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
Frequently asked questions
- Is the 2021 Honda Accord reliable?
- NHTSA data ranks the 2021 Accord 18th out of 21 model years for reported problems, with a complaint index of 15 and a Best verdict relative to other Accord years.
- What are the most common problems with the 2021 Honda Accord?
- The top problem areas are the Electrical System and Collision Avoidance & Cameras, each accounting for 27% of complaints, followed by the Engine at 19% and Brakes at 13%.
- Does the 2021 Honda Accord have any recalls?
- NHTSA lists 4 recalls for the 2021 Accord, covering airbags, fuel system, and seat belts, none of which are do-not-drive recalls.
- At what mileage do 2021 Accord problems typically occur?
- The median mileage at failure across all reported problems is 65,500 miles, though Electrical System complaints show a median of 100,000 miles.
- How does the 2021 Accord compare to other recent Accord years?
- The 2021 Accord's complaint index of 15 is lower than 2019's 75 and 2018's 100, and similar to 2022's 20, placing it among the better-performing recent Accord years.