UsedScore

2021 Honda Accord: Solid

Owners filed 187 complaints with NHTSA about the 2021 Honda Accord in its first five years on the road, about 93 for every 100,000 sold: 0.9× the rate of a typical Accord year. That's close to a typical year.

The biggest problem area, counting serious complaints more, is driver-assistance features and cameras (36% of complaints, median 17,000 miles).

Complaint index
0.9×
per vehicle sold, vs. a typical Accord year
Rank
4th of 14
1st = fewest complaints
Complaints
187
first five years; 93 per 100,000 sold
Recalls
4
campaigns
10th generation, 2018–2022 · Updated September 24, 2026 · How we rate
2018 Honda Accord Sport

Photo: 2018 Honda Accord Sport · Kevauto, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Problem areas

Ranked by severity-weighted complaints · share · median miles
  1. Driver assistance36% · 67 complaints · median 17,000 miles
  2. Electrical18% · 34 complaints
  3. Brakes13% · 25 complaints · median 38,000 miles
  4. Engine8% · 15 complaints
  5. Air bags10% · 18 complaints
  6. Steering4% · 8 complaints
  7. Powertrain4% · 7 complaints
  8. Fuel and propulsion4% · 7 complaints
  9. Speed control4% · 7 complaints
  10. Seats and belts3% · 6 complaints

Bars rank problem areas by complaints weighted for severity (crashes, fires, injuries and deaths count more). A complaint can name more than one area. Mileage is reported on about half of complaints.

What owners describe

Brakes

Owners of this Accord describe brakes that suddenly engage on their own with no car or obstacle nearby, sometimes at highway speed, as well as grinding or noisy rear brakes. Many say dealers were unable to duplicate or fix the problem, leaving them uncertain the issue was resolved.

Warning signs:
Owners report grinding or groaning noises from the rear brakes when reversing, steering wheel shaking when braking, and sudden illumination of multiple brake and safety warning lights.
What shops did:
Some dealers replaced or inspected brake pads, rotors, or brake sensors, but many owners say the dealer could not reproduce or resolve the noise or sudden braking issue.
Mileage:
most between 25,000 and 70,000 miles, among 6 complaints that give it

“I was driving home in the rain and felt the car automatically braking when there was no car or object in front of me.”

“while shifting into reverse there was a loud roaring sound coming from the brakes”

Driver assistance

Owners describe the Accord's automatic braking or lane-keeping systems activating unexpectedly on highways and roads with nothing ahead, sometimes causing near rear-end collisions or actual crashes. Many say dealers were unable to find a cause or fix, leaving the behavior unresolved.

Warning signs:
Many report a flashing brake warning light or dashboard alert, an audio chime, or an abrupt jerk of the wheel just before or during the sudden braking.
What shops did:
Dealers often could not duplicate or diagnose the issue, told owners the system was working as designed, or performed a software update that did not resolve it.
Mileage:
most between 15,000 and 70,000 miles, among 9 complaints that give it

“the automatic brake/ collision prevention went off and tried to stop my car for seemingly no reason. There were no cars or objects in front of me.”

Electrical

Owners describe their 2021 Accord's touchscreen randomly pressing itself and switching menus, radio, or navigation while driving, which many find distracting and hard to stop. Some also report sudden dashboard warning lights, loss of power, or momentary shutdowns, with dealers sometimes unable to permanently fix the issue.

Warning signs:
Many report sudden phantom screen presses, beeping, flickering warning lights, and some note stalling, power steering loss, or brakes engaging without cause before or during the failure.
What shops did:
Dealers often reset or replaced the touchscreen or infotainment unit, sometimes multiple times, but many owners say the ghost-touch problem returned or could not be resolved; some part replacements for actuators, batteries, or tail-light assemblies did fix specific complaints.
Mileage:
most between 70,000 and 110,000 miles, among 5 complaints that give it

“The infotainment system screen will randomly start doing "ghost touches," tapping random areas of the screen which is distracting”

“the vehicle has also completely shut off while I was driving, creating a dangerous situation where I lost power steering & braking assistance”

Summaries are written with AI from the owner complaints shown on NHTSA's site and checked against them; quotes are word for word.

Recalls (4)

Check a VIN on NHTSA ›
  • NHTSA 26V332000May 202698,892 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.

    Fix: Dealers will replace the seat weight sensors, free of charge.

  • NHTSA 24V064000February 2024750,114 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.

    Fix: Dealers will replace the seat weight sensors, free of charge.

  • NHTSA 23V858000December 20232,490,460 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.

    Fix: Dealers will replace the fuel pump module, free of charge.

  • NHTSA 21V900000November 20214,346 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.

    Fix: Dealers will replace the second-row center seat belt assembly, free of charge.

A recall only helps if the repair was done. Enter the vehicle's 17-character VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup before you buy.

Service bulletins

Honda sent NHTSA 172 service bulletins and other notices to dealers covering the 2021 Accord. These are repair instructions, not recalls. Warranty extensions and bulletins about its top problem areas:

  • AAHS09162026902 · September 2026Dealer Message - On August 21st, 2026, American Honda issued a Product Update for certain 2018-2022 Accord and Accord Hybrid models that received the accessory Wireless CarPlay and Android Auto…
  • AATS31549 · August 2026Tech Line Summary - Customers may report that the center display unit changes screens on its own, registers unintended inputs, or operates erratically without user interaction.
  • AEBM08212026901 · August 2026Dealer Message - Due to a software programming issue within the Wireless CarPlay and Android Auto system, an invalid "License Authentication Error" message may appear on the Display Audio screen…
  • A26-068 · August 2026On certain 2018-2022 Accord and 2018-22 Accord Hybrid vehicles equipped with the Wireless CarPlay and Android Auto software upgrade, a programming issue within the Wireless CarPlay and Android Auto…
  • AAR12192025901 · December 2025Dealer Message - Some customers have reported a pop-up message on the audio unit display stating: “Please insert USB drive containing valid software license file and press OK button.” When this…
  • APS&12192025902 · December 2025Dealer Message - Some customers have reported a pop-up message on the audio unit display stating: “Please insert USB drive containing valid software license file and press OK button.” When this…
  • ATS30025 · December 2025Tech Line Summary - Customers who have purchased the Accessory CarPlay /Android Auto upgrade are complaining that a pop-up message appears on the audio unit display stating, “Please insert USB drive…
  • ATI&06032024904 · June 2024Dealer Message - American Honda Motor Co., Inc.

All 2021 Accord bulletins on NHTSA ›

Questions owners ask

Is the 2021 Honda Accord reliable?
Owners filed 187 complaints with NHTSA about the 2021 Honda Accord in its first five years on the road, about 93 for every 100,000 sold: 0.9× the rate of a typical Accord year. That's close to a typical year. Ratings compare Accord years with each other using complaints filed with NHTSA; they don't measure every problem owners have.
What are the most common 2021 Accord problems?
Owners' complaints most often involve driver-assistance features and cameras (36%), the electrical system (18%) and the brakes (13%). A complaint can name more than one area.
Has the 2021 Honda Accord been recalled?
Yes. NHTSA lists 4 recall campaigns for the 2021 Honda Accord, the most recent in May 2026 (air bags). Enter the vehicle's VIN on NHTSA's recall lookup to see whether the repairs were done.

Sources

Owner complaints, recalls and manufacturer communications from NHTSA's public data files, as of September 24, 2026. Complaints are counted once each, over the model year's first 60 months on the road. UsedScore is not affiliated with NHTSA or Honda. The 2021 Honda Accord on NHTSA.gov · How we rate