2021 Honda Accord Safety Report
2021 HONDA ACCORD - Safety and Reliability Analysis
Safety Decision Cockpit for the 2021 Honda Accord
This page is the hub for deciding what to inspect next on the 2021 Honda Accord. It connects recall campaigns, owner complaint patterns, service bulletins, sibling model years, component issue hubs, and the model buying guide so a shopper or owner can move from a single report into the wider safety graph.
| Signal | Value | What to inspect next |
|---|---|---|
| Recall burden | High (3) | Review campaign numbers, affected components, and dealer remedies below. |
| Owner complaints | High (180) | Scan complaint narratives for recurring symptoms, mileage, crashes, fires, injuries, and dates. |
| Crash and fire reports | 0 | Treat any crash, fire, injury, or fatality-linked pattern as a priority pre-purchase inspection item. |
| Primary component hub | Forward Collision Avoidance | Compare forward collision avoidance issues across vehicles. |
| Cleaner nearby model year | 2022 | Compare against the 2022 Honda Accord with 156 complaints and 3 recalls. |
| Riskier nearby model year | 2018 | Check the 2018 Honda Accord before buying across this generation. |
Honda Accord Year-by-Year Comparison
The safest purchase decision usually comes from comparing neighboring model years, not reading a single page in isolation. The table below uses only validated Honda Accord years already present in the cleaned NHTSA dataset, so each comparison links to a real vehicle safety report rather than a generated combination.
| Model Year | Complaints | Recalls | Use case |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 Honda Accord | 156 | 3 | Compare as a potentially cleaner alternative. |
| 2020 Honda Accord | 312 | 4 | Inspect as a potentially higher-complaint year. |
| 2019 Honda Accord | 589 | 5 | Inspect as a potentially higher-complaint year. |
| 2018 Honda Accord | 1672 | 5 | Inspect as a potentially higher-complaint year. |
| 2017 Honda Accord | 507 | 2 | Inspect as a potentially higher-complaint year. |
| 2016 Honda Accord | 568 | 3 | Inspect as a potentially higher-complaint year. |
2021 Honda Accord Complaint Theme Map
Complaint counts become more useful when they are grouped into inspection themes. For the 2021 Honda Accord, these are the component areas with the clearest NHTSA complaint signals. Use each link to jump from this single vehicle into broader component hubs and make-specific issue pages.
Forward Collision Avoidance
31 owner complaints mention this component in the current safety profile.
All Forward Collision Avoidance issues Honda onlyUnknown Or Other
21 owner complaints mention this component in the current safety profile.
All Unknown Or Other issues Honda onlyElectrical System
12 owner complaints mention this component in the current safety profile.
All Electrical System issues Honda onlyAir Bags
10 owner complaints mention this component in the current safety profile.
All Air Bags issues Honda onlyService Brakes
9 owner complaints mention this component in the current safety profile.
All Service Brakes issues Honda onlyEngine
8 owner complaints mention this component in the current safety profile.
All Engine issues Honda onlyAI Safety Analysis for the 2021 Honda Accord
Reliability Score
The 2021 Honda Accord receives a reliability score of 85 out of 100 based on analysis of NHTSA complaint data, recall history, crash reports, and safety ratings. This indicates above-average reliability relative to comparable vehicles.
NHTSA Safety Ratings for the 2021 Honda Accord
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) evaluates vehicles through controlled crash tests and assigns star ratings from 1 to 5, with 5 being the safest.
Known Issues for the 2021 Honda Accord
The following issues have been identified from NHTSA complaint data and owner reports for the 2021 Honda Accord:
| Issue | Severity | Frequency | Typical Mileage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Bag Sensor Malfunction Honda has issued recalls for air bag sensor issues in certain 2020-2022 models. |
Medium | Common | 30k-60k miles |
| Electrical System Malfunction Water intrusion into tail light assemblies has caused electrical and safety system malfunctions. |
High | Common | 30k-60k miles |
| Fuel System Malfunction Fuel pressure drop and car stalling have been reported. |
Medium | Common | 30k-60k miles |
| Seat Belt Retractor Defect Defects in rear seat belt retractors have been identified. |
Low | Common | 30k-60k miles |
Common Problems Reported by Owners
Based on NHTSA complaint data, the following components account for the majority of reported issues with the 2021 Honda Accord:
Issues with air bag sensors are most common.
Electrical system malfunctions are frequent.
Fuel system problems are reported.
Defects in seat belt retractors are noted.
Recall Details for the 2021 Honda Accord
The following 3 recalls have been issued for the 2021 Honda Accord by NHTSA:
Summary: 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.
Consequence: 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, October 18, 2024, and August 2025. 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.
Summary: 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.
Consequence: 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.
Summary: 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."
Consequence: An unsecured child restraint system can increase the risk of injury during a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the second-row center seat belt assembly, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 14, 2022. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138.
NHTSA Complaint Summaries for the 2021 Honda Accord
Below are complaint narratives filed by owners of the 2021 Honda Accord with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. 2 reported injuries or fatalities.
Driving on the highway, my dashboard lit up like a Christmas tree. Car started having white smoke at tail pipe. Check engine lit blink 5 times. Had 4 kids under 14 years old in car. Almost got hit trying to merge over. Turns out misfire cylinder 4. Head gasket. Only 81,000 miles. I have owed 5 months. Car currently at Honda, they want almost 4,400 to repair. But apparently, Honda is aware of these...
ssue: Water intrusion into tail light assembly causing electrical and safety system malfunctions Status: Repaired at owner expense (~$800) Concern: Safety‑related defect and potential pattern across vehicles Description of the Issue: My 2021 Honda Accord experienced a failure where water entered the tail light assembly and caused electrical shorts. This resulted in multiple safety‑critical ...
Fuel pressure dropped and car stalled
A transmission problem occurred shortly after a CVT transmission service was performed at an authorized Honda dealership, Classic Honda of Midland in Midland, Texas. After the service, the vehicle began experiencing abnormal noise, vibration, and harsh driving conditions. The vehicle was later inspected at another authorized Honda dealership, Ocean Honda of Burlingame, California. During the insp...
I am writing to file a complaint on the service that was provided at Vann York Honda. On February 17, 2026, I was returning home from work and my car had a hard idle at start up. I was able to drive it home without issue. The next day, February 18, I got in my car and I had another hard idle start with many check engine codes appearing on the dashboard. I drove it to Vann York Honda in High Po...
I am reporting a serious safety concern involving my 2021 Honda Accord Sport SE. The issue began at approximately 78,000 miles when multiple warning lights suddenly appeared on the dashboard while driving. At the same time, the vehicle began shaking and had difficulty accelerating. The engine felt unstable and the car struggled to gain speed. I immediately took the vehicle to a mechanic where it ...
This has been reported one time before but the situation has gotten worse when driving at approximately 60ish miles per hour but it starts doing it about between 50 and 70 mph when driving and the car is using the regular engine not the EV section. You will randomly lose the ability to accelerate and you have to remove your foot from the gas let the engine slow and then re-accelerate now for the s...
My vehicle is currently suffering a failed head gasket. I was alerted about this issue from local mechanics and friends way before it actually happened. I took it to services and regular maintenance even more frequently after that. However, it still failed no matter what. I took it to the dealership, they even admitted that this is a known problem for this generation of vehicle. They still proceed...
There are two locations in the town I live where I am driving under a bridge, and there is a dark shadow on the road from the bridge. My car’s accident mitigation braking system turns on at these locations and suddenly brakes the vehicle. This is not safe as people are traveling speed limit around me and I can cause an accident this way. About a month or two ago, the car behind me almost hit me at...
While driving the automatic brake system randomly starts flashing brake across the instrument panel and begins to brake the car. This does this while there are no other vehicles or any type of obstacles near the vehicle. It also, does it at random caution lights for the fire department on a 4 lane divided highway. There is no way to stop it from doing so. This happens frequently and leaves the dri...
This Honda Accord Sport SE has had electrical problems from the day I received the vehicle. Every time I went for an oil change at Bommarito Honda I mentioned it to them and they said “yeah the new Hondas do tend to hand a lot of those electrical problems” so with this the problems continued to get worse. Sometimes the buttons do not work, sometimes they do, sometimes the lights don’t work and som...
All the lights came on in my car and it wouldn’t accelerate. Brought to dealership and they stated it was a blown head gasket and it was a known problem with the 1.5 turbo cars. There are also 2 others problems that are known problems with these cars and Honda isn’t doing anything about it.
The Body Control Module has gone out on my 2021 Honda Accord. Yesterday, when it went out, it affected ALL ADAS Features, in addition to key functionality of the car.
Hello, I have a 2021 Honda Accord Sport 2.0T Engine. The engine has a 2.0 liter turbo. I have had to replace two fuel pumps, which were covered my extended warranty. Another issue that I had to repair, and one that has not fully been resolved is the head gasket. I have been losing coolant at an alarming rate. Every two weeks I have to fill up coolant. I had the head gasket repaired at a Honda Dea...
I turned my car on and it didn't want to crank up. Once it did crank up every warning light came on. My son ran the code and P00087 came up. I tried to drive my car in my parking lot and it kept stalling like it was going to cut off. Now I drove my car earlier in the day and didn't have any problems. It wasn't until after my car sat throughout the day when this took place. I know it's a recall for...
Financed a used 2021 honda accord sport in April of 2024 with 68,671 miles. About a month ago, with no warning signs of any sort such as overheating etc...my car did not want to start, finally started but was sputtering with a rough idle, my dash lit up with like 7 or more warning lights. Including a flashing check engine light. All the were safety warnings from braking system not working, to powe...
Starts Vehicle at cold start and notice right away engine turbulence, engine light flashing, lost some coolant and white smoke. Scan vehicle for codes, engine misfire #2.
Head gasket blew randomly. Just hit 100,000 miles. I was on the highway and my speed just started to decrease 65 to 35
Stretch timing chain 1.5 T, 86000 miles. It is very common in these motors. Just had to pay $2400 to have it replaced
Honda head unit touch screen is glitching while driving. This causes my navigation system to shut down or freeze and then I am unable to use the touch screen entirely. The dealership has confirmed this as an issue that other people are experiencing as well.
Showing 20 of 180 complaints. Additional complaints are available via the NHTSA database.
NHTSA Defect Investigations for the 2021 Honda Accord
NHTSA defect investigations are higher-signal than ordinary complaints because they indicate the agency opened a formal review of a potential safety defect. Some investigations later connect to recall campaigns; others close without a recall after review.
Component: Forward Collision Avoidance: Automatic Emergency Braking
Opened 2024-04-15
On February 21, 2022, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened Preliminary Evaluation (PE22003) to assess reports of inadvertent activation of the Collision Mitigation Braking System (CMBS), an automatic emergency braking (AEB) system, in model year 2017-2019 Honda CR-V and 2018-2019 Honda Accord vehicles. The reports allege that activation of the AEB system occurs while driving with no apparent obstruction in the vehicle's forward path, resulting in sudden vehicle deceleration. Honda i...
Frequently Asked Questions About the 2021 Honda Accord
Has the 2021 HONDA ACCORD been recalled?
Yes, the 2021 HONDA ACCORD has 3 recalls on record with NHTSA. Each recall addresses a specific safety defect identified by the manufacturer or NHTSA.
How many complaints does the 2021 HONDA ACCORD have?
The 2021 HONDA ACCORD has 180 complaints filed with NHTSA. None of the complaints involved crashes. 8 injuries and 0 deaths have been reported.
What is the safety rating for the 2021 HONDA ACCORD?
The 2021 HONDA ACCORD received an overall NHTSA safety rating of excellent (5/5). Frontal crash: 5/5. Side crash: 5/5. Rollover: 5/5.
What are the most common problems with the 2021 HONDA ACCORD?
The most commonly reported problems with the 2021 HONDA ACCORD involve forward collision avoidance (31 complaints), unknown or other (21 complaints), electrical system (12 complaints). Other affected components include air bags, service brakes, engine.
How many crash reports does the 2021 HONDA ACCORD have?
There are no crash reports associated with the 2021 HONDA ACCORD in the NHTSA database.
How many fire reports does the 2021 HONDA ACCORD have?
There are no fire reports for the 2021 HONDA ACCORD in the NHTSA database.
Are there any deaths reported for the 2021 HONDA ACCORD?
No deaths have been reported in NHTSA complaints for the 2021 HONDA ACCORD.
How many injuries are reported for the 2021 HONDA ACCORD?
8 injuries have been reported in NHTSA complaints for the 2021 HONDA ACCORD. These are self-reported by vehicle owners as part of their safety complaints.
Should I buy a 2021 HONDA ACCORD?
Based on NHTSA data, the 2021 HONDA ACCORD is acceptable with caveats. It has 180 complaints, 3 recalls, and a excellent (5/5) safety rating. Always have a pre-purchase inspection done by a qualified mechanic.
What components fail most on the 2021 HONDA ACCORD?
The components with the most failures on the 2021 HONDA ACCORD are: 1. FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE (31 complaints), 2. UNKNOWN OR OTHER (21 complaints), 3. ELECTRICAL SYSTEM (12 complaints), 4. AIR BAGS (10 complaints), 5. SERVICE BRAKES (9 complaints). FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE is the single most-reported problem area with 31 complaints.
What should I know before buying a 2021 HONDA ACCORD?
Be cautious of air bag sensor and electrical system issues, especially around 30,000 to 60,000 miles. The 2021 HONDA ACCORD has 180 NHTSA complaints and 3 recalls on record. NHTSA rates it excellent (5/5).
How reliable is the 2021 HONDA ACCORD?
The 2021 HONDA ACCORD receives a reliability score of 85/100, indicating above-average reliability. This is based on 180 owner complaints, 3 recalls, and 0 crash/fire reports in the NHTSA database. Key known issues include Air Bag Sensor Malfunction and Electrical System Malfunction.
What are the known issues with the 2021 HONDA ACCORD?
Known issues with the 2021 HONDA ACCORD include: Air Bag Sensor Malfunction, Electrical System Malfunction, Fuel System Malfunction, Seat Belt Retractor Defect. These are based on patterns found across 180 NHTSA complaints. 3 of these patterns resulted in formal recalls.
What are the most common safety issues with the 2021 Honda Accord?
Air bag sensor malfunctions and electrical system problems are the most frequent.
Are there any recalls for the 2021 Honda Accord?
Yes, recalls have been issued for air bag sensor issues and water intrusion into tail light assemblies.
What should I do if I experience electrical system issues?
Have the vehicle inspected by a professional to identify and address the specific issue.
Buyer Advice
Our recommendation: Be cautious of air bag sensor and electrical system issues, especially around 30,000 to 60,000 miles.
NHTSA Data Summary for 2021 Honda Accord
This safety report is based on a comprehensive analysis of data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) for the 2021 Honda Accord. The data includes 180 consumer complaints filed by vehicle owners, 3 manufacturer-initiated safety recalls, 8 reported injuries, and safety rating assessments associated with this vehicle.
The NHTSA has assigned the 2021 Honda Accord an overall safety rating of 5 out of 5 stars, with a frontal crash rating of 5 stars, a side crash rating of 5 stars, and a rollover rating of 5 stars. These ratings are determined through controlled crash testing conducted by the NHTSA.
All data presented in this report is sourced from public NHTSA databases. Our AI analysis identifies patterns across complaint narratives, correlates them with recall history, and produces the safety assessment above. This analysis is updated as new complaints and recalls are filed with the NHTSA.
Consumers are encouraged to report vehicle safety problems to the NHTSA at nhtsa.gov. If your vehicle is subject to a recall, contact your dealer to schedule the free repair.
Disclaimer: This analysis is AI-generated from NHTSA public data and does not constitute professional automotive or safety advice. Always verify recall status at NHTSA.gov and consult a qualified mechanic.
Analysis last updated: 2026-05-16