Honda Accord Years to Avoid — and the Years to Buy

Every Honda Accord model year from 1990 to 2026, benchmarked against each other with 31,409 federal complaints, 92 recall campaigns, and the odometer readings owners put in their reports.

Avoid: 1998, 2000–2004, 2008, 2013, 2018. These years top the Accord's complaint rankings by volume and severity.
Safer bets: 1990–1993, 2011, 2020–2022 — the quietest years with at least four years on the road.

31,409Complaints on file
92Recall campaigns
37Model years

The trouble strip

One cell per model year. The whole answer in one glance — click any year for the full report.

1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026
Darker = quieter yearsBrighter amber = more trouble

The defining problem

Electrical tops the Honda Accord file with 4,786 complaints, concentrated in the 1998–2018 model years, most often reported around 69,000 miles. The year pages break down what fails and when.

Every year, ranked

YearVerdictComplaintsRecallsTop problemTrouble index
2026 Few reports 4 0 — 0
2025 Too early to call 114 0 Steering 5
2024 Too early to call 206 3 Steering 8
2023 Typical 149 5 Driver assistance 6
2022 Better year 353 4 Driver assistance 11
2021 Better year 333 4 Driver assistance 12
2020 Better year 552 5 Driver assistance 19
2019 Below average 1,060 6 Driver assistance 38
2018 Avoid 2,884 6 Engine 93
2017 Typical 767 3 Electrical 32
2016 Typical 819 4 Electrical 31
2015 Typical 825 5 Electrical 32
2014 Below average 1,435 4 Electrical 53
2013 Avoid 1,892 5 Steering 71
2012 Typical 507 8 Seats & interior 25
2011 Better year 358 9 Airbags 17
2010 Typical 703 13 Airbags 30
2009 Typical 858 11 Brakes & stability 34
2008 Avoid 1,855 9 Brakes & stability 69
2007 Below average 700 10 Airbags 40
2006 Typical 541 17 Airbags 26
2005 Below average 880 24 Airbags 48
2004 Avoid 1,307 22 Transmission & drivetrain 59
2003 Avoid 2,384 24 Transmission & drivetrain 100
2002 Avoid 1,267 16 Transmission & drivetrain 61
2001 Avoid 1,160 19 Airbags 63
2000 Avoid 1,506 21 Airbags 61
1999 Below average 1,345 17 Electrical 50
1998 Avoid 1,429 19 Electrical 58
1997 Typical 546 15 Airbags 24
1996 Typical 579 13 Airbags 25
1995 Typical 673 14 Airbags 32
1994 Typical 476 13 Engine 26
1993 Better year 222 11 Engine 14
1992 Better year 249 12 Airbags 15
1991 Better year 242 13 Seat belts 11
1990 Better year 229 12 Body & structure 9

Questions buyers ask

What Honda Accord years should I avoid?

Federal complaint records point to 1998, 2000–2004, 2008, 2013, 2018 as the Honda Accord years to avoid — they drew the highest volume of serious complaints relative to the model's other years.

What is the most common Honda Accord problem?

Electrical tops the Honda Accord file with 4,786 complaints, concentrated in the 1998–2018 model years, most often reported around 69,000 miles.

What are the best Honda Accord years to buy used?

The quietest Honda Accord years in federal records are 1990–1993, 2011, 2020–2022 — each with at least four years on the road and well-below-average complaint volume for this model.

Data updated 2026-08-12 from NHTSA's public records

Every number on this page is a count of records in the federal complaint, recall, and investigation files published by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. Counts cover the Honda Accord only, scored against this model's own worst year — not against other models. Check any specific vehicle's open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.