Honda Accord reliability by year
31 recalls and 12,288 owner complaints across 20 model years. Best year to buy: 2021. Year to avoid: 2007.
Worst model years to avoid → — the single year to avoid for every model line we track, ranked side by side.
Years to avoid — and why 13 flagged on the NHTSA record
Cleaner on the data: 2011, 2015, 2020, 2021, 2022 . Still verify the specific vehicle.
At-a-glance: every year color-coded
Each cell shows the last two digits of the model year and its 0–10 reliability score from NHTSA data. Click any year to see the full record. ★ best year · ✕ year to avoid.
Year-by-year reliability 20 model years · newest first
Common trouble spots across the Accord aggregated across 20 model years
Common questions
What's the best year to buy a Honda Accord?
Based on NHTSA complaint volume and severity weighting, the 2021 Honda Accord scores 7.4/10 — the strongest in the 2005–2024 range. 199 complaints on file, 0 active recalls. Reliability scores reflect the federal complaint record, not subjective owner reviews.
Which Honda Accord year should I avoid?
The 2007 Honda Accord scores 5.8/10 — the weakest in the lineup. 524 owner complaints with NHTSA, 2 active recalls. That doesn't mean every 2007 is a problem — it means failure rates run higher than peer model years on the same platform.
Which years of the Honda Accord should I avoid?
On the NHTSA complaint and recall record, the model years to be most careful with are 2017 (avoid — the powertrain — 5 fire-related complaints and 4 crash-related complaints on the electrical system); 2013 (avoid — the steering — 1 fatality report and 1 fire-related complaint on the steering); 2007 (avoid — the electrical system — 5 fire-related complaints and 2 crash-related complaints on the steering); 2006 (avoid — the steering — 5 fire-related complaints and 6 crash-related complaints on the steering); 2005 (avoid — the brakes — 3 fatality reports and 6 crash-related complaints on the brakes); 2019 (high-risk ownership — electrical system: 77 complaints, classified severe, failures cluster 5,000–50,000 mi). The cleaner years on the data are 2022, 2021, 2020, 2015, 2011. This is our read of the federal data, not a substitute for a pre-purchase inspection of the specific vehicle.
How many years of the Honda Accord are tracked?
20 model years (2005 through 2024) with NHTSA records on file. Total across the lineup: 31 recalls and 12,288 owner complaints.
What's the most-reported problem on the Honda Accord?
electrical is the most-reported category — 2,037 complaints across 18 model years. Average shop repair runs about $850.