Reliability, what owners report, and what it costs to keep.
AVOIR's read: a solid ownership case with specific caveats below.
Owners have filed 48 complaints with NHTSA about the 2021 Honda Accord Hybrid, and it carries 3 recalls. These are owner allegations rather than confirmed defects, but the pattern of what people complain about is the most useful signal a used buyer has.
| Area | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Forward collision avoidance | 9 | 19% |
| Unknown or other | 5 | 10% |
| Air bags | 5 | 10% |
| Electrical system | 4 | 8% |
| Engine | 4 | 8% |
| Electrical system | 2 | 4% |
| Service brakes | 2 | 4% |
| Service brakes | 2 | 4% |
| Vehicle speed control | 2 | 4% |
| Unknown or other | 1 | 2% |
Verbatim from NHTSA complaint records, trimmed for length.
Most recent incidents on Friday 08/07 car lost power while driving on freeway unable to accelerate, all engine/warning lights came on was thankfully able to pullover and shut off vehicle. This is not first incident this
NHTSA complaint: Electrical system
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
NHTSA complaint: Unknown or other
I purchased my vehicle in March 25th 2024 a message on my dashboard saying engine is too hot so in August of this year I took it to the shop for a diagnosis test and they told me that the car didn’t run hot when they dro
NHTSA complaint: Electrical system
I received an initial Honda recall notice on March 2024 regarding a recall and have been trying to reach out Honda dealership to get updates on the parts but they always say its on backorder and they even do not have an
NHTSA complaint: Seat belts
Occasionally the touch screen will have phantom touches and start randomly acting like it was clicked in random parts. This makes it do random things like switch from navigation to radio to calling random numbers. While
NHTSA complaint: Electrical system
The screen randomly freezes or toggles between different screen without user input. It will randomly exit navigaton, end calls, increase volume, etc. This happens irrespective of day or night and whether I am using Andro
NHTSA complaint: Electrical system
Vehicle entertainment system experiences phantom touches that changes or turns off navigation, makes calls, flashes between applications, is unresponsive to touch etc. This is very distracting at best since the screen ca
NHTSA complaint: Unknown or other
While I was driving on the freeway, the car brakes hard on its own when there were no cars in front of me. This happened twice. Thankfully there were no cars behind me either, otherwise I might have gotten into an accide
NHTSA complaint: Service brakes
NHTSA lists 3 recall campaigns for the 2021 Honda Accord Hybrid. Recalls are free to have fixed at a franchised dealer regardless of who owns the car now, but only if they were never done, so check the VIN of the specific car rather than trusting 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 sys
Risk: An unsecured child restraint system can increase the risk of injury during a crash.
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 RD
Risk: An air bag that deploys unintentionally during a crash can increase the risk of injury.
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-
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
Risk: Air bags that deploy unintentionally during a crash increase the risk of injury.
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 th
| Reliability | 70 | good |
|---|---|---|
| Longevity est. | 77 | good |
| Maintenance | 89 | excellent |
| Depreciation | 83 | excellent |
| Performance | 47 | below average |
| Efficiency | 68 | good |
| Safety | 100 | excellent |
Percentile ranks against other midsize & large cars in the catalog.
What stands behind each score for this car:
Owners have filed 48 complaints with NHTSA for this model-year, and forward collision avoidance is the most reported area with 9 of them (19%). There are 3 recalls on record. Check any specific car against its VIN before buying.
AVOIR scores its reliability 70/100 (good) from NHTSA recall campaigns and complaint density, adjusted for how many were sold so a popular model is not penalised for having more owners.
AVOIR scores its longevity 77/100, but that figure is an estimate built from the powertrain and the brand's record, not a measurement. A 2021 car has no 200,000-mile population to observe yet, so treat it as a prior rather than evidence.
AVOIR's read: worth a look, because a solid ownership case with specific caveats below. Its overall ownership score is 77/100. Condition, mileage and service history still matter more than any score, so get a pre-purchase inspection on the specific car.
Sources: NHTSA recalls and complaints, EPA fuel economy, IIHS awards, and live market listings. A score describes a model-year, not the individual car in front of you. Get a pre-purchase inspection.