Car Defect Radar

Honda Accord vs Honda Civic: problems, recalls & years to avoid

NHTSA owner complaints and recalls for the Honda Accord and the Honda Civic, with the 16 model years both have (2010–2025) set side by side. Each model is measured against its own typical year, not against the other model.

Years to avoid and years with the fewest complaints

Honda Accord

Years to avoid
201320142018
Fewest complaints
202120222023

The typical Honda Accord year has 453 complaints on file, across 16 model years (2010–2025).

Honda Civic

Years to avoid
201020162022
Fewest complaints
202020212023

The typical Honda Civic year has 319 complaints on file, across 17 model years (2010–2026).

A year is one to avoid when it drew at least 2 times the complaints of its model's typical year (the median across the model's years on this site) and at least 200 complaints, or when its complaints include 5 or more reports of a death. The years with the fewest complaints have no such flag and are from 2023 or earlier: newer years have not been on the road long enough to compare. Each model is measured only against its own years. Source: NHTSA owner complaints, as of October 26, 2026.

The 16 model years both have, side by side

Complaints by model year

Honda Accord

4.1× its typical year in 2018, its worst year

1,876 complaints against a typical year of 453.

Years to avoid: 2013, 2014, 2018. Fewest complaints: 2021, 2022, 2023.

Honda Civic

3.4× its typical year in 2016, its worst year

1,080 complaints against a typical year of 319.

Years to avoid: 2010, 2016, 2022. Fewest complaints: 2020, 2021, 2023.

typical yearavoid zonesolid bar = a year to avoid

Honda Accord3 years to avoid · typical year 453avoid zone: 906+05001,0001,5002,0002010Honda Accord 2010: 580 complaints, 1.3× its typical year2011Honda Accord 2011: 296 complaints, 0.7× its typical year2012Honda Accord 2012: 372 complaints, 0.8× its typical year2013Honda Accord 2013: 1,420 complaints, 3.1× its typical year, a year to avoid1,420avoid2014Honda Accord 2014: 980 complaints, 2.2× its typical year, a year to avoid980avoid2015Honda Accord 2015: 601 complaints, 1.3× its typical year2016Honda Accord 2016: 601 complaints, 1.3× its typical year2017Honda Accord 2017: 534 complaints, 1.2× its typical year2018Honda Accord 2018: 1,876 complaints, 4.1× its typical year, a year to avoid1,876avoid2019Honda Accord 2019: 688 complaints, 1.5× its typical year2020Honda Accord 2020: 357 complaints, 0.8× its typical year2021Honda Accord 2021: 230 complaints, 0.5× its typical year, one of the years with the fewest complaints230fewest2022Honda Accord 2022: 244 complaints, 0.5× its typical year, one of the years with the fewest complaints244fewest2023Honda Accord 2023: 85 complaints, 0.2× its typical year, one of the years with the fewest complaints85fewest2024Honda Accord 2024: 141 complaints, 0.3× its typical year2025Honda Accord 2025: 84 complaints, 0.2× its typical year2026noneHonda Accordavoid zone: 906+typical 4532025Honda Accord 2025: 84 complaints, 0.2× its typical year842024Honda Accord 2024: 141 complaints, 0.3× its typical year1412023Honda Accord 2023: 85 complaints, 0.2× its typical year, one of the years with the fewest complaints85fewest2022Honda Accord 2022: 244 complaints, 0.5× its typical year, one of the years with the fewest complaints244fewest2021Honda Accord 2021: 230 complaints, 0.5× its typical year, one of the years with the fewest complaints230fewest2020Honda Accord 2020: 357 complaints, 0.8× its typical year3572019Honda Accord 2019: 688 complaints, 1.5× its typical year6882018Honda Accord 2018: 1,876 complaints, 4.1× its typical year, a year to avoid1,876avoid2017Honda Accord 2017: 534 complaints, 1.2× its typical year5342016Honda Accord 2016: 601 complaints, 1.3× its typical year6012015Honda Accord 2015: 601 complaints, 1.3× its typical year6012014Honda Accord 2014: 980 complaints, 2.2× its typical year, a year to avoid980avoid2013Honda Accord 2013: 1,420 complaints, 3.1× its typical year, a year to avoid1,420avoid2012Honda Accord 2012: 372 complaints, 0.8× its typical year3722011Honda Accord 2011: 296 complaints, 0.7× its typical year2962010Honda Accord 2010: 580 complaints, 1.3× its typical year580
Honda Civic3 years to avoid · typical year 319avoid zone: 638+02505007501,0001,2502010Honda Civic 2010: 396 complaints, 1.2× its typical year, a year to avoid396avoid2011Honda Civic 2011: 168 complaints, 0.5× its typical year2012Honda Civic 2012: 454 complaints, 1.4× its typical year2013Honda Civic 2013: 319 complaints, 1.0× its typical year2014Honda Civic 2014: 291 complaints, 0.9× its typical year2015Honda Civic 2015: 380 complaints, 1.2× its typical year2016Honda Civic 2016: 1,080 complaints, 3.4× its typical year, a year to avoid1,080avoid2017Honda Civic 2017: 592 complaints, 1.9× its typical year2018Honda Civic 2018: 598 complaints, 1.9× its typical year2019Honda Civic 2019: 429 complaints, 1.3× its typical year2020Honda Civic 2020: 224 complaints, 0.7× its typical year, one of the years with the fewest complaints224fewest2021Honda Civic 2021: 143 complaints, 0.4× its typical year, one of the years with the fewest complaints143fewest2022Honda Civic 2022: 881 complaints, 2.8× its typical year, a year to avoid881avoid2023Honda Civic 2023: 254 complaints, 0.8× its typical year, one of the years with the fewest complaints254fewest2024Honda Civic 2024: 122 complaints, 0.4× its typical year2025Honda Civic 2025: 70 complaints, 0.2× its typical year2026Honda Civic 2026: 28 complaints, 0.1× its typical yearHonda Civicavoid zone: 638+typical 3192026Honda Civic 2026: 28 complaints, 0.1× its typical year282025Honda Civic 2025: 70 complaints, 0.2× its typical year702024Honda Civic 2024: 122 complaints, 0.4× its typical year1222023Honda Civic 2023: 254 complaints, 0.8× its typical year, one of the years with the fewest complaints254fewest2022Honda Civic 2022: 881 complaints, 2.8× its typical year, a year to avoid881avoid2021Honda Civic 2021: 143 complaints, 0.4× its typical year, one of the years with the fewest complaints143fewest2020Honda Civic 2020: 224 complaints, 0.7× its typical year, one of the years with the fewest complaints224fewest2019Honda Civic 2019: 429 complaints, 1.3× its typical year4292018Honda Civic 2018: 598 complaints, 1.9× its typical year5982017Honda Civic 2017: 592 complaints, 1.9× its typical year5922016Honda Civic 2016: 1,080 complaints, 3.4× its typical year, a year to avoid1,080avoid2015Honda Civic 2015: 380 complaints, 1.2× its typical year3802014Honda Civic 2014: 291 complaints, 0.9× its typical year2912013Honda Civic 2013: 319 complaints, 1.0× its typical year3192012Honda Civic 2012: 454 complaints, 1.4× its typical year4542011Honda Civic 2011: 168 complaints, 0.5× its typical year1682010Honda Civic 2010: 396 complaints, 1.2× its typical year, a year to avoid396avoid
Bars are NHTSA owner complaints per model year. The dashed line is the model's typical year (the median of its years on this site). A year that reaches the hatched avoid zone, twice the typical year and at least 200 complaints, is a year to avoid. The two panels have different scales. Each model is measured only against its own years: the counts are not adjusted for sales, so the chart does not say one model has more problems than the other. Hover a bar for its numbers; every value is also in the table below.
Model yearHonda AccordHonda Civic
ComplaintsTimes its typical yearRecallsOur readComplaintsTimes its typical yearRecallsOur read
2025840.2×0Few red flags700.2×2Some concerns to check
20241410.3×3Few red flags1220.4×3Few red flags
2023850.2×5Few red flags2540.8×4Few red flags
20222440.5×4Few red flags8812.8×4Approach with caution
20212300.5×4Few red flags1430.4×4Few red flags
20203570.8×5Some concerns to check2240.7×5Few red flags
20196881.5×6Some concerns to check4291.3×4Some concerns to check
20181,8764.1×6Approach with caution5981.9×6Some concerns to check
20175341.2×3Some concerns to check5921.9×6Some concerns to check
20166011.3×4Some concerns to check1,0803.4×5Approach with caution
20156011.3×4Some concerns to check3801.2×1Some concerns to check
20149802.2×4Approach with caution2910.9×2Some concerns to check
20131,4203.1×5Approach with caution3191.0×0Few red flags
20123720.8×8Some concerns to check4541.4×3Some concerns to check
20112960.7×9Some concerns to check1680.5×9Some concerns to check
20105801.3×13Some concerns to check3961.2×8Approach with caution

Complaints link to each model year's report. "Times its typical year" sets a year against the same model's typical year. The two models' counts can't be compared directly: they are not adjusted for how many of each were sold.

Most reported problem, by model year

Model yearHonda AccordHonda Civic
2025SteeringSteering
2024SteeringSteering
2023Electrical systemSteering
2022Electrical systemSteering
2021Electrical systemSteering
2020Forward collision avoidance systemElectrical system
2019EngineFuel system
2018Blown head gasketSteering
2017Electrical systemSteering
2016Electrical systemSteering
2015Electrical systemTransmission and drivetrain
2014Electrical systemTransmission and drivetrain
2013SteeringAirbags
2012SeatsAirbags
2011AirbagsAirbags
2010AirbagsAirbags

Top problems of each model

The areas of the car NHTSA owner complaints name most, all model years together. A complaint can name more than one area.

Honda Accord

Biggest named problems, in the model years whose complaints we have read and grouped: Blown head gasket (2018, roughly 275 complaints); Phantom automatic emergency braking (2018, roughly 263 complaints); Fuel pump failure (2018, roughly 156 complaints).

Honda Civic

Recalls

NHTSA recall campaigns. A campaign that covers several model years is counted once.

What the data can't show