2021 Honda Accord vs 2021 Nissan Maxima
Reliability comparison based on NHTSA recall and complaint records.
2021 Honda Accord
2021 Nissan Maxima
Stories from the shop
These come from different vehicle segments, which means we're not declaring a winner here. The 2021 Honda Accord scores 3.7; the 2021 Nissan Maxima scores 4.7. Different testing populations, different driving patterns, different categories of failure. Use the data below to understand what each one is good at and what each one breaks.
If you lean 2021 Honda Accord, know what you're getting into on electrical and brakes. Those categories have noticeably more complaints than the 2021 Nissan Maxima sees, and they're not cheap items when they go.
Bottom line: these are different categories of vehicle. Pick based on what you actually need it for. We're showing the reliability data so you can factor in long-term ownership cost, not pick a winner.
Side-by-side by problem area
Common questions
Which is more reliable, the 2021 Honda Accord or the 2021 Nissan Maxima?
Based on the NHTSA data we track, the 2021 Nissan Maxima comes out ahead with a reliability score of 4.7 versus 3.7. The margin is clear, so the verdict could shift if you weight specific categories differently or factor in your own use case.
What goes wrong more often on the 2021 Honda Accord?
Compared to the 2021 Nissan Maxima, the 2021 Honda Accord sees more reported issues in electrical and brakes. That doesn't mean it's a bad truck — it means those are the categories worth budgeting for if you go that direction.
What goes wrong more often on the 2021 Nissan Maxima?
On the categories we tracked, the 2021 Nissan Maxima doesn't show meaningfully more complaints than the 2021 Honda Accord. The two are running close.
Which has more recalls?
Both vehicles have 0 active recalls. Total recall count alone isn't a great signal — what matters is severity. See the recall counts by severity in the comparison table.
Is an extended warranty worth it on either of these?
Both vehicles are out of factory bumper-to-bumper coverage at this point. Combined repair exposure across the top problem categories runs around $11,650 on the higher-risk vehicle. A quality service contract typically costs $1,800–3,500 over 3 years, so a single major failure usually pays for the contract. The math favors warranty coverage on whichever vehicle you choose, especially if you plan to keep it past 100,000 miles.