2021 Honda Accord
Problems, recalls and owner-reported issues
Electrical system is the leading concern among 234 owner complaints filed for this model year. This is the 23rd highest complaint count among 25 Accord model years with reports.
Of the 2021 reports, 14 involved a crash and 1 involved a fire. 8 people were injured.
What owners report most often
Recalls and investigations
Air bags, sensor, occupant classification, front passengerMay 21, 2026
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.
Air bags that deploy unintentionally during a crash increase the risk of injury.
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.
Campaign 26V332000 on NHTSA.gov
Air bags, sensor, occupant classification, front passengerFeb 1, 2024
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.
An air bag that deploys unintentionally during a crash can increase the risk of injury.
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.
Campaign 24V064000 on NHTSA.gov
Fuel system, gasoline, delivery, fuel pumpDec 18, 2023
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.
Fuel pump failure can cause an engine stall while driving, increasing the risk of a crash.
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.
Campaign 23V858000 on NHTSA.gov
Seat belts, rear/other, retractorNov 18, 2021
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."
An unsecured child restraint system can increase the risk of injury during a crash.
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.
Campaign 21V900000 on NHTSA.gov
Representative owner complaints
234 reports, newest first.
Electrical system, Aug 19, 2025
I have experienced persistent and frustrating issues with the infotainment system of my 2021 Honda Accord Touring. These problems affect both the usability and reliability of critical in-car technology, impacting daily driving and reduces overall satisfaction. Specifically: 1. Touchscreen Malfunctions Symptoms: Unresponsive screens, freezing, and “ghost touches” (inputs registered without physical contact) disrupt navigation, audio, and other controls 2. System Crashes and Reboots Symptoms: The system may randomly crash, freeze, or restart, sometimes causing the entire dashboard to shut off—even while driving 3. Connectivity Problems Symptoms: Frequent disconnections or failures with Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and Bluetooth, making it hard to use smartphone features safely 4. Blank or Malfunctioning Displays Symptoms: The screen may go black, fail to turn on, or show a white screen, obscuring navigation, fuel, and safety information 5. Battery Drain Symptoms: The infotainment system sometimes powers on unexpectedly when the car is off, draining the battery and risking further electrical issues. These issues are not new and have attempted to be resolved by a Honda Service Center (Honda of Westport, CT) with no resolution or ability to resolve.
Other or unspecified, Aug 6, 2025
The Infotainment system (car audio) in my car is intermittently extremely defective and very distracting. The system will intermittently have ghost touches on the screen, switch screens on its own, end GPS routes, place phone calls on hold, and all kinds of other things while I am driving. Searching the internet for a solution this is a problem that many owners are experiencing and they also report it to be extremely distracting and dangerous. A recall should be issued to correct the problem before someone is distracted and has a bad accident and gets injured or killed.
Electrical system, Other or unspecified, Aug 5, 2025
The infotainment system is registering multiple "ghost" touches, switching screens from GPS Air Play, to FM radio, to system info, to screen saver, to making actual phone calls, etc. This happens many times within a 30 second window. Many times, the infotainment system will power on its own accord and then flip through various screens. It has been reset 20-25 times and a hard reset by disconnecting a battery 5 times. Nothing helps. Honda said nothing they can do. I have multiple videos to prove the problem. This is a common problem as stated across multiple Honda Accord forums. It creates an unsafe driving environment.
Other or unspecified, Aug 4, 2025
Infotainment head unit (touchscreen radio) overheats in the warmer months, causing the touchscreen to process commands without human touches (acts like a ghost is operating the unit). This can range from calling radom people within my contacts, turning th volume of the radio up to the max volume (startling and distracting), starting/stopping a GPS route, to freezing the screen altogether. I feel this is a safety issue, as we are warned not to operate this unit while the car is in motion. When the head unit is operating on its own, it is distracting and startling at times while driving. This can cause an accident. I've heard other owners say the manufacturer of this head unit has stated they don't have a fix for the "overheating" issue. Honda should be pursuing a remedy for their consumers to correct this safety hazzard.
Electrical system, Jul 30, 2025, crash
The contact owns a 2021 Honda Accord. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle started jerking. Several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that some time after the incident, the vehicle was involved in a crash due to the vehicle jerking and all the lights illuminating on the instrument panel, resulting in damage to the front bumper. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the turbocharger needed to be replaced due to a missing screw. The dealer advised the contact to contact a local independent mechanic for assistance, who performed a repair before the crash. The vehicle was taken to the independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed with a loose battery. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 69,000.
Forward collision avoidance, Jul 19, 2025
My car slammed on its own brakes hard out of nowhere with nothing in its forward. The first time it happened was about 9 months ago while I was driving on the highway, it was a quick moment of breaking without any reason, but the car didn't stop. Today it happened again, the speed was about 30 m/h, the car slammed hard on the brakes to an almost complete stop. I was lucky, nobody was behind.
Forward collision avoidance, Jul 14, 2025
The contact owns a 2021 Honda Accord. The contact stated while driving at approximately 30 MPH, the vehicle independently slowed down as if the brake pedal was depressed. The contact stated that a warning for the brakes and the collision mitigation and check engine warning lights were illuminated. The contact had the vehicle towed to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the turbo charger needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The contact retrieved vehicle however, several warning lights were illuminated. The contact parked the vehicle and had not returned it to the dealer. The vehicle was not diagnosed and was not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The contact researched online and related the failure to NHTSA Action Number: EA24002 (Forward Collision Avoidance). The failure mileage was approximately 98,000.
Electrical system, Jul 13, 2025
Information console glitches randomly and will close out maps, play music, switch input sources, and will call/hangup without driver input. Initially happened maybe 1-2 times a month, however now happens constantly making the entire informatics system inoperable and is very distracting. I am unable to upload the videos of it glitching (this doesn’t allow video files) but can provide if needed
Service brakes, Jul 3, 2025
Dashboard showing brake system issue. See dealer. Took it to dealer they advised changing brake sensor
Electrical system, Jun 27, 2025
The control panel/display touch screen stops working and the display acquires a mind of its own. It begins selecting things randomly and quickly. Automatically changing the radio, volume, and calling people in my contacts. Major distraction while driving and has almost caused accident for me multiple times
Other or unspecified, Jun 26, 2025
There is a loud humming noise that is starts at 40 mph. The noise comes and goes, but sometimes lasts for 10 minutes. It appears to be the Active Noise Cancelling unit. There was a previous bulletin Service Bulletin 21-053 about this issue for 2018-2020 Honda accords
Electrical system, Jun 24, 2025
Car won’t start, all lights on the dashboard are on and off and shows a message about brake problems and contact the dealership
Back over prevention, Jun 23, 2025
The contact owns a 2021 Honda Accord. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the infotainment center screen malfunctioned, causing the backup camera display to glitch and become distorted. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, who diagnosed that the infotainment center display was faulty and needed to be replaced. The infotainment center display was replaced, and the vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 74,716.
Electrical system, Jun 16, 2025
Infotainment screen is glitching. Randomly selecting options, turning on GPS, turning off GPS, changing the stations, and just selecting the different options on screen without actually having touched it with a finger.
Other or unspecified, Jun 15, 2025
I am submitting this report to bring attention to a recurring issue with the infotainment/radio system in my vehicle, which I believe may warrant inclusion in a safety recall. The radio system in my vehicle has been experiencing persistent malfunctions, including ghost touching—where the screen registers inputs that I have not made. These phantom commands result in erratic behavior such as random changes to settings, volume fluctuations, unintended calls, and frequent screen switching. In some instances, this has caused significant distraction while driving, raising safety concerns. This issue appears to be electrical or software-related, and I have seen reports from other drivers of similar occurrences in the same make/model. I believe this defect poses a potential safety risk due to its impact on driver focus and control of in-car systems. I respectfully request that this malfunction be investigated by the NHTSA for potential inclusion in a recall or technical service bulletin, as it may represent a broader issue affecting other vehicles of the same type. Thank you for your attention to this matter.
Other or unspecified, Jun 11, 2025
Touch screen radio is not responding to my touch as well as it is pressing the buttons on the touch screen itself like a ghost.
Electrical system, Forward collision avoidance, Jun 7, 2025
Experienced CMBS with malfunctioning false breaking while no obstacle, acceleration delays (Features not available: Electric braking, lane departure, Electric power steering, Cruise control, Adaptive collusion prevention and brake system warning on dashboard).
Service brakes, Air, Forward collision avoidance, Jun 5, 2025, crash
The contact owns a 2021 Honda Accord. The contact stated that while driving at 60 MPH, the vehicle's auto braking applied without warning. The vehicle was rear-ended by a possible 2024/2025 Buick Envista. The driver of the Buick left the scene of the crash. The brake warning light was flashing. The contact stated that the failure was related to NHTSA Action Number: EA24002 Forward Collision Avoidance. There were no reported injuries, air bag deployment or fire. A police report was filed. The driver was able to continue driving. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 71,080.T he VIN was invalid.
Electrical system, May 18, 2025
my radio is acting crazy it change by it self and change screens
Lane departure, Apr 27, 2025
Lanes on the roadway were adjusted for a workzone. Because of these lane adjustments, a large amount of crack sealer was used on the roadway. The car confused the crack sealer as roadway markings and tried to slam on the brakes in a workzone, thinking I was going over the lines, unless I used the turn signal to override the automatic braking, which is the only way I was able to avoid getting rear-ended. This ian't the first time this ecent has occurred in my vehicle.
Fuel system, Diesel, Apr 21, 2025
There is a current recall on my vehicles make and model for the fuel system but my vin is showing as not affected and am currently experiencing issues.
Electrical system, Apr 8, 2025, fire
The contact owns a 2021 Honda Accord. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the contact noticed the interior of the vehicle was full of smoke. The vehicle was unoccupied. The contact stated no visible fire was noticed. The contact inspected and noticed that the passenger side of the dashboard and the glove box were melted. The contact stated the vehicle had just been driven and parked for about an hour prior to the failure. No warning lights were illuminated. In addition, the passenger front door well and the carpet on the front passenger side were melted. The local fire department was contacted and determined that the fire was caused by exposed wires. The fire department chief disconnected the battery as a precaution. The vehicle was towed to the dealer. The vehicle was not diagnosed. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or the dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, and a case was filed. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.
Service brakes, Apr 2, 2025
Car says “brake system problem, brake performance may be reduced. See your dealer” and then another one saying “brake hold system problem. Apply brake when stoped. See your dealer” and another one that says “Electric parking brake system problem. Parking brake not available. See your dealer.” And I know quite a few people with accords that are having this issue as well!
Steering, Suspension, Apr 2, 2025
If im driving at normal rate of speed while on highway the steering becomes very loose and sticky when adjusting steering. The passenger wheel will feel like it wobbles on its camber axis or will act like a shopping cart wheel. At times changing direction of vehicle entirely. At that time suspension will feel really spongy.
Engine, Mar 26, 2025
The contact owns a 2021 Honda Accord. The contact stated that while her son was driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle experienced a loss of automotive power and stalled. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the head gasket was blown. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not yet contacted. The failure mileage was unknown.