2021 Honda Accord problems & reliability
217 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2021 Honda Accord, alongside 4 safety recall campaigns. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
5 complaints report injuries (8 injured).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 2021 Honda Accord vehicles were involved in 76 fatal crashes with 42 occupant deaths. Involvement counts are not adjusted for how many are on the road and do not imply fault or a vehicle defect.
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Forward Collision Avoidance → | 58 | 27% |
| Electrical System → | 54 | 25% |
| Unknown OR Other | 51 | 24% |
| Engine → | 30 | 14% |
| Service Brakes → | 25 | 12% |
| Air Bags → | 14 | 6% |
| Lane Departure → | 14 | 6% |
| Fuel/propulsion System → | 12 | 6% |
| Power Train → | 11 | 5% |
| Steering | 8 | 4% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Common symptoms owners describe
Keyword analysis of complaint narratives; one complaint can describe several symptoms.
Mileage when problems occurred
Half of the failures with a reported odometer reading occurred by 70,040 miles (middle 50% between 18,000 and 92,789 miles), based on 22 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“My car stalled stopped and takes a While to turn on , all lights turned on .. coded came back and showed it was fuel pressure regulator / fuel pump. I believe it is part of the recalls put in place for other Honda accord lx as well since I’m having same problem”
Fuel/propulsion System · filed Jul 23, 2026
“I own a 2021 Honda Accord Hybrid. Shortly after purchasing the vehicle as a used vehicle in 2023, I began experiencing intermittent air conditioning performance. The A/C would gradually lose cooling capacity over time until it was no longer able to cool the cabin effectively. To temporarily restore operation, I added…”
Engine · filed Jul 23, 2026
“My center screen has a ghost touch; I have brought it to my dealer since the day I bought it I have been having screen and CarPlay issues. never fixed always told its fake phone cable, even though my phone can be disconnected and the screen still goes crazy, either way I left it alone because I can't keep going to the…”
Electrical System · filed Jul 23, 2026
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- Inadvertent Automatic Emergency Braking
Engineering Analysis EA24002 · opened Apr 15, 2024 · open
Technical service bulletins
134 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2021 Honda Accord. The 10 most recent:
Service Bulletin - There is a dull creaking, rubbing, popping, or clicking noise coming from the front of the vehicle while turning at low speeds potentially due to the bump stop contacting the top of the front damper…
A23-094 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 22, 2026
Tech 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 containing valid…
ATS30025 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Dec 19, 2025
Dealer 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 message appears, the…
APS&12192025902 · Other · issued Dec 19, 2025
Dealer 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 message appears, the…
AAR12192025901 · Other · issued Dec 19, 2025
Service Bulletin - Oil leak at timing chain tensioner inspection cover due to possible insufficient sealant adhesion on inspection cover.
A25-074 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 29, 2025
Service Bulletin - There is a dull creaking, rubbing, popping, or clicking noise coming from the front of the vehicle while turning at low speeds due to the bump stop contacting the top of the front damper body.
A23-094 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 28, 2025
Dealer Message - American Honda Motor Co., Inc. (AHM) is searching for certain 2018-2024 Accord 1.5Ls, 2021-2024 Civics 1.5Ls, 2023-2024 CR-Vs 1.5Ls, and 2017 Fits with customer complaint of Check Engine Light (CEL) on…
ATI&12022024909 · Other · issued Dec 3, 2024
Dealer Message - American Honda Motor Co., Inc. (AHM) is searching for certain 2018-2024 Accord 1.5Ls, 2021-2024 Civics 1.5Ls, 2023-2024 CR-Vs 1.5Ls, and 2017 Fits with customer complaint of Check Engine Light (CEL) on…
ATI&11052024902 · Other · issued Nov 5, 2024
Dealer Message - American Honda Motor Co., Inc. (AHM) is searching for certain 2018-2022 Accord 1.5Ls (no 2.0L) & FHEVs, as well as 2017-2022 CR-V 1.5Ls (no 2.4L), & 2020-2022 CR-V FHEVs with a customer complaint of the…
ATI&08152024902 · Other · issued Aug 16, 2024
Dealer Message - American Honda Motor Co., Inc. (AHM) is searching for certain 2018-2022 Accord 1.5Ls (no 2.0L) & FHEVs, as well as 2017-2022 CR-V 1.5Ls (no 2.4L), & 2020-2022 CR-V FHEVs with a customer complaint of the…
ATI&07262024902 · Other · issued Jul 26, 2024
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
The 2021 Honda Accord has 4 NHTSA recall campaigns — recall repairs are free at franchised dealers regardless of the vehicle’s age.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 2021 Honda Accord?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.
- · Owners most often reported problems around 70,040 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.