Honda Accord Years to Avoid

Years to avoid: 2013 and 2018 At least twice the 179.5 complaints of a typical Accord year. Most described: power steering problems (2013), overheating or coolant loss (2018).
Best years: No year stands out Only the 2020, 2021, and 2022 drew under three quarters of the 179.5 complaints of a typical Accord year since 2016. The 2021 and 2022 are each named in an open NHTSA investigation. The 2020's first three years fell in the pandemic, when people drove less.

Based on owner complaints filed with NHTSA in each model year's first three years, not adjusted for sales. The 2024 to 2026 models are too new to judge. See every year ranked

Data: US EPA and NHTSAUpdated Nov 12, 2026

Head gasket warranty extension. Honda covers the cylinder head gasket of certain 2018 to 2026 Accords for 10 years from the original date of purchase or 150,000 miles. It is not a recall. Every Accord in Honda's head gasket warranty extension, year by year

Every model year since 2010 in one place: EPA fuel economy, NHTSA recalls, owner complaints and crash test ratings. The best fuel economy rating, 48 mpg combined, arrived in 2017.

Accord problems by year, ranked by owner complaints

How the years are ranked

Model years ranked by owner complaints filed with NHTSA in their first three years (model year Y: filed by the end of Y+2), so every year is measured over the same time on the road. Years without three full years of data, and launch or final years with very few sold, are left out. Counts are not adjusted for how many were sold.

A typical Accord year drew 179.5 complaints in its first three years: the median of its years since 2016, higher than the median of all its ranked years (169.5). Years to avoid drew at least twice that, and at least 50. Best years are up to three years since 2016 with the fewest complaints, each under three quarters of a typical year since 2016 (179.5), with no open NHTSA investigation and no do-not-drive or park-outside recall that covers all versions; the 2020 is never picked, as its first three years fell in the pandemic. How the verdict works.

Model year	First 3 years	All complaints	Recalls
2018 Accord Avoid Most described: overheating or coolant loss	456	2,016	6
2013 Accord Avoid Most described: power steering problems or locked steering	363	1,427	5
2014 Accord Most described: the engine not starting	203	1,012	5
2016 Accord Most described: headlight or exterior light problems	202	614	4
2023 Accord Most described: several warning lights coming on at once, then loss of power or limp mode	186	235	9
2017 Accord Most described: backup camera problems	184	585	3
2019 Accord Most described: overheating or coolant loss	175	794	6
2015 Accord Most described: the engine not starting	164	642	6
2010 Accord Most described: excessive oil consumption	159	581	12
2012 Accord Most described: shaking, shuddering or vibration	141	374	8
2020 Accord Most described: loss of power or limp mode	130	409	6
2022 Accord Most described: infotainment or touchscreen failures	99	321	4
2021 Accord Most described: overheating or coolant loss	85	295	4
2011 Accord Most described: airbags not deploying in a crash	72	296	9

Compare other models' worst years in the worst model years guide.

Check your Accord for open recalls

Opens NHTSA's lookup in a new tab; your VIN goes to NHTSA, not to us. The VIN is on the driver's side dashboard, the door jamb and your registration. Safety recall repairs are free at Honda dealers for vehicles up to 15 years old from first sale.

How to check a car for recalls, step by step

Get a vehicle history report from EpicVIN (opens in a new tab): a paid report with the car's title, odometer and salvage records, from an approved NMVTIS data provider. Affiliate link: we earn a commission if you buy. If you typed a full VIN above, the link sends it to EpicVIN and opens its checkout page for that VIN. Check the price before you pay: EpicVIN's $1 trial lasts 3 days, then becomes a monthly subscription until you cancel ($49.99 to $99.99 a month on its pages as of Oct 2, 2026). Disclosure

Year by year

Model year	Best rating	Recalls	Complaints	Crash test
2026 MPG · Recalls and problems	48 mpg Hybrid	2	16
2025 MPG · Recalls and problems	48 mpg Hybrid	3	125
2024 MPG · Recalls and problems	48 mpg Hybrid	6	235
2023 MPG · Recalls and problems	48 mpg Hybrid	9	235
2022 MPG · Recalls and problems	47 mpg Hybrid	4	321
2021 MPG · Recalls and problems	48 mpg Hybrid	4	295
2020 MPG · Recalls and problems	48 mpg Hybrid	6	409
2019 MPG · Recalls and problems	48 mpg Hybrid	6	794
2018 MPG · Recalls and problems	47 mpg Hybrid	6	2,016
2017 MPG · Recalls and problems	48 mpg Hybrid	3	585
2016 MPG · Recalls and problems	30 mpg Gas	4	614
2015 MPG · Recalls and problems	47 mpg Hybrid	6	642
2014 MPG · Recalls and problems	47 mpg Hybrid	5	1,012
2013 MPG · Recalls and problems	30 mpg Gas	5	1,427
2012 MPG · Recalls and problems	27 mpg Gas	8	374
2011 MPG · Recalls and problems	26 mpg Gas	9	296
2010 MPG · Recalls and problems	25 mpg Gas	12	581	Not rated

Best rating leaves out the plug-in hybrid, which EPA rates on gas and on electricity separately. MPG by year lists both ratings.

Owner complaints by model year

All complaints filed so far. Counts rise with sales volume and with time on the road, so recent years look better than they may turn out. The highlighted bar is the model year with the most complaints in its first three years.

2018: 2,016 complaints

Show as a table

Owner complaints by model year, Honda Accord
Model year	Complaints
2010	581
2011	296
2012	374
2013	1,427
2014	1,012
2015	642
2016	614
2017	585
2018	2,016
2019	794
2020	409
2021	295
2022	321
2023	235
2024	235
2025	125
2026	16

Best combined rating by model year

The best-rated version in each model year. Gas: 25 to 33 mpg (every year from 2010 to 2026); highest in 2018. Hybrid: 47 to 48 mpg (2014 to 2015, 2017 to 2026); highest in 2017.

Best gas version
Best hybrid version

2026: gas 32 mpg · hybrid 48 mpg

Show as a table

Honda Accord best combined mpg by model year
Model year	Best gas version	Best hybrid version
2010	25	–
2011	26	–
2012	27	–
2013	30	–
2014	30	47
2015	30	47
2016	30	–
2017	30	48
2018	33	47
2019	33	48
2020	33	48
2021	33	48
2022	33	47
2023	32	48
2024	32	48
2025	32	48
2026	32	48

Every Accord year's ratings in one table

Comparisons

Toyota Camry vs Honda AccordMPG, fuel cost, recalls and crash tests

Questions

Which Honda Accord years should you avoid?

The 2013 and 2018 Accord are the years to avoid: each drew at least twice the 179.5 owner complaints of a typical Accord year in its first three years. Owners of the 2018 most often describe overheating or coolant loss. Complaints can't tell you whether a particular car is sound, so whatever the year, check its open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls before you buy. Safety recall repairs are free at Honda dealers for vehicles up to 15 years old from first sale.

What are the best Honda Accord years?

No year stands out as best. Only the 2020, 2021, and 2022 drew under three quarters of the 179.5 complaints of a typical Accord year since 2016. The 2021 and 2022 are each named in an open NHTSA investigation. The 2020's first three years fell in the pandemic, when people drove less. The 2024, 2025, and 2026 are not ranked yet: they have had fewer than three full years on the road.

Which Honda Accord years have the most problems?

Counting owner complaints filed with NHTSA in each model year's first three years, the 2018 (456) drew the most, then the 2013 (363). Owners of the 2018 most often describe overheating or coolant loss.

Which Honda Accord years have the most recalls?

The 2010 has the most safety recalls in NHTSA's file (12), then the 2023 (9). A recall can cover a problem that affects only a few cars, so open a year's page to see what each one covers. No recall for 2010 to 2026 models tells owners not to drive the car or to park it outside.

What are the most common Honda Accord problems?

In the 9,977 owner complaints NHTSA lists for 2010 to 2026 models, owners most often describe overheating or coolant loss (635 complaints, most of them for the 2018); loss of power or limp mode (595 complaints, most of them for the 2018, 2019, and 2020); and stalling or shutting off (544 complaints). One complaint can describe several problems. Each year's recalls and problems page lists what owners describe for that year.

Which Honda Accord year has the best MPG?

The best EPA fuel economy is 48 mpg combined, first reached by the 2017 hybrid version. The plug-in hybrid, rated separately, gets up to 46 mpg on gas alone and 115 MPGe on electricity.

Sources and method

US EPA fuel economy data (fueleconomy.gov), file dated Nov 4, 2026.
NHTSA recall file dated Nov 12, 2026 and owner complaint file dated Nov 11, 2026; NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings.

Complaint counts are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume. How we build these pages. Spotted an error? Tell us.