2021 Honda Accord problems owners report most
2021 Honda Accord problems are documented in public: owners have filed 294 complaints with NHTSA, the earliest in 2021 and the most recent in 2026. Sorting those by the component the filer named puts the electrical system clearly first, at 76 of the 294 complaints, about a quarter of everything filed.
A complaint is not a repair bill and not a defect finding. It is one owner telling the regulator something went wrong. What makes the count useful is the concentration: when one component takes 26 per cent of everything filed on a car, the pattern is doing more than chance.
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 76 | 26% |
| FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | 74 | 25% |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 67 | 23% |
| ENGINE | 49 | 17% |
| SERVICE BRAKES | 35 | 12% |
| AIR BAGS | 20 | 7% |
Against the 2020 car, this model year has drawn 28 per cent fewer complaints (294 against 407). The 2020 car was led by its forward collision avoidance instead, so the pattern shifted between the two years.
Of those complaints, 17 describe a crash and 1 describes a fire. Filers reported 9 injuries.
Recalls on the 2021 Honda Accord
A recall means the manufacturer or the regulator found a safety defect, and the repair is free at a franchised dealer however old the car is. There are 4 recalls on this model year. Your own car may be covered by some, all or none of them, so check the VIN rather than the model.
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."
The risk. An unsecured child restraint system can increase the risk of injury during a crash.
The fix. 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.
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.
The risk. An air bag that deploys unintentionally during a crash can increase the risk of injury.
The fix. Dealers will replace the seat weight sensors, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 28, 2024. 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.
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.
The risk. Air bags that deploy unintentionally during a crash increase the risk of injury.
The fix. Dealers will replace the seat weight sensors, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 7, 2026. Owners may contact Honda's customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are BOL, WO9, OOA, WOM, XOH, NOC, POD, BOE, UOF, POB, EOG, AOI, QO8, TOJ, DO7, and SOK. This recall expands previous NHTSA recall number 24V064. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will be searchable on NHTSA.gov beginning May 29, 2026.
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.
The risk. Fuel pump failure can cause an engine stall while driving, increasing the risk of a crash.
The fix. 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.
In owners own words
These are complaints filed about the electrical system, quoted as written. They are one persons account rather than a diagnosis, and they are here because a symptom described by a driver is easier to recognise than a component name.
SUBJECT: A REQUEST FOR HONDA CORPORATE INVESTIGATION AND GOODWILL ASSISTANCE - 2021 HONDA ACCORD I am submitting a formal complaint regarding serious and recurring electrical and safety-related problems with my 2021 Honda Accord. 1. Numerous dashboard warning lights and safety-system warnings illuminate simultaneously. 2. The vehicle repeatedly displays messages instructing me to "See Dealer." 3. The power door locks repeatedly click and cycle as though they are attempting to lock or unlock on their own. 4. The stereo, on its own, scrolls through buttons and bluetooth blinking through all th
Vehicle: 2021 Honda Accord Sport Subject: Intermittent Electrical Malfunctions, Multiple Safety Warnings, and Loss of Acceleration I am reporting ongoing safety concerns involving my 2021 Honda Accord Sport. On multiple occasions, my vehicle has displayed several dashboard warnings, including brake system, electric parking brake, vehicle stability assist, hill-start assist, adaptive cruise control, and electric power steering warnings. These warnings have appeared intermittently in the past and sometimes disappeared on their own. On October 18, 2026, while traveling on the highway at approx
The infotainment touchscreen in my 2021 Honda Accord Hybrid intermittently registers inputs that I am not making. The screen experiences repeated “ghost touches,” accompanied by random beeping and clicking sounds. During these episodes, the system changes GPS screens or navigation directions, changes music or audio settings, turns the audio on or off, closes applications, and opens other applications without any input from the driver. During these "ghost" episodes, the touch capability seems to also be intermittent preventing from leaving the current screen or app that the "ghost" clicks on.
The infotainment/touchscreen system in my 2021 Honda Accord is malfunctioning and experiencing what is commonly referred to as “ghost touching.” This issue has been occurring since approximately March 2026. While I am driving, the touchscreen will randomly make selections on its own without me touching the screen. This is especially concerning when I am using GPS/navigation because the system can change screens, select different options, and interfere with the navigation information I am trying to view while driving. This creates a safety concern because the unexpected touchscreen activity is
Every component, by complaint count
The full breakdown of what owners named when they filed. Components below the top ten are grouped out of this table.
| Component | Complaints | Share of all complaints |
|---|---|---|
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 76 | 26% |
| FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | 74 | 25% |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 67 | 23% |
| ENGINE | 49 | 17% |
| SERVICE BRAKES | 35 | 12% |
| AIR BAGS | 20 | 7% |
| FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 17 | 6% |
| LANE DEPARTURE | 17 | 6% |
| POWER TRAIN | 14 | 5% |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 12 | 4% |
How other model years compare
The same nameplate across the years we hold. Complaint counts fall naturally for newer cars because fewer of them have been on the road for long, so read the column as a rough signal rather than a ranking. In this set the 2018 Honda Accord has drawn the most complaints and the 2021 Honda Accord the fewest.
What to check on the electrical system
Electrical reports cover a wide spread: screens that reboot, cameras that go black, charging that stops, and warning lights that arrive in groups. The common thread is that the fault comes and goes, which makes it hard to show a mechanic on demand.
Buying a used 2021 Accord
Sit in the car with the engine running and work through every switch, screen and camera before you talk about price. An intermittent fault that appears once during a ten minute check is likely to appear often once you own it.
If you already own one
Have the battery and charging system tested before replacing any module. A weak battery produces electrical faults that look like a dozen separate failures, and the test is free at most parts retailers.
- Test every screen, camera and switch before agreeing a price.
- Have the battery and alternator tested before replacing a module.
- Ask for stored fault codes, including the ones already cleared.
- Check whether the fault is covered by a software update.
Where the 2021 Honda Accord problem data comes from
Every figure on this page is counted from complaints and recalls published by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, read November 1, 2026. Complaints are filed by owners and are not verified by the agency before publication. We count each complaint once per component it names, so a complaint naming two components appears in both rows.
- NHTSA recalls and complaintsRead November 1, 2026
- NHTSA record for the 2021 Honda AccordRead November 1, 2026
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