2021 Honda Accord Hybrid Problems
Owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA, grouped by component
Data refreshed
What this page shows
Everything below is an owner-reported complaint submitted to NHTSA about the 2021 Honda Accord Hybrid, grouped by the component NHTSA recorded on the report. These are not confirmed defects, and they are not recalls. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a category with more reports in it is not evidence that a part is defective.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Reports by component
Ranked by how many owner reports name each component category
- Driver assistance1529.4%
- Engine1019.6%
- Electrical713.7%
- Airbags59.8%
- Fuel system47.8%
- Brakes47.8%
- Interior & seats23.9%
- Body & structure12.0%
- Seat belts12.0%
- Tires & wheels12.0%
- Visibility12.0%
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
Each component in detail
What the reports in each category say, in the owners' own words
Driver assistance
Reports naming forward-collision avoidance, lane keeping, back-over prevention, cruise control and related electronic driver-assistance systems.
From owner reports, verbatim
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 accident
Since the first winter after I purchased my vehicle in 2021, typically when cold, but not always, I lose all the Honda Sensing (Advanced Driver Assist Features). The dashboard lights up with the following warnings . - Collision Mitigation Braking System Problem. See Dealer - Road Departure Mitigation System Problem. See Dealer - Auto High Beam Problem. See Dealer - Adaptive Cruise Control System Problem. See Dealer - Lane Keep Assist System Problem. See Dealer This failure of these safety systems can last anywhere from 5-60 minutes. Sometimes if you shut the vehicle off and turn it back on again, the warning will go away. On multiple cold mornings (below ~45°F), my 2021 Accord Hybrid displays a cascade of safety system failure warnings upon startup. The dash shows errors for the collision mitigation braking, lane keeping assist, adaptive cruise control, road departure mitigation, and more—all at once. When these systems are disabled, it severely compromises safety. This issue happens repeatedly in colder weather. The dealer has personally witnessed the issue in their service bay and acknowledged it's a known problem but had no fix, advising me to turn the car off and on again. This recurring failure of critical safety systems in cold conditions puts me, my passengers, and other road users at risk.
Engine
Reports naming the engine itself — including stalling, misfires, oil consumption, cooling and internal engine components.
From owner reports, verbatim
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 after that. However, it still failed no matter what. I took it to the dealership, they even admitted that this is a known problem for this generation of vehicle. They still proceeded to ask nearly $7000 to fix it, saying that even though this is a known issue, there was no recalls on the vehicles so they could not waive or deduct the fees.
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 drove it so again in October 10th I was driving home and my car lost power on the freeway so I pulled over and then all my lights on the dashboard came on so I took it to the shop on October 13th and they told me that my head gasket was faulty and my coolant system was faulty. To me a major problem should have not happened within a years time and I had my maintenance done on my car like I should have.
Electrical
Reports naming the electrical system — wiring, battery, charging, control modules, infotainment and electrical accessories.
From owner reports, verbatim
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 drove it so again in October 10th I was driving home and my car lost power on the freeway so I pulled over and then all my lights on the dashboard came on so I took it to the shop on October 13th and they told me that my head gasket was faulty and my coolant system was faulty. To me a major problem should have not happened within a years time and I had my maintenance done on my car like I should have.
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 driving this is especially distracting and poses a safety hazard. The issue is reported many times online and seems to be common especially when they temperature outside is above 70 degrees.The only solution from Honda seems to be to pay to replace the screen but it’s not a true fix as it can happen again.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Airbags
Reports naming the air-bag system — deployment behaviour, inflators, sensors and warning lights.
From owner reports, verbatim
While driving all of a sudden seat belt sign pops up and stays there . I think there is something wrong with seat belt system.
The contact owns a 2021 Honda Accord. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V064000 (Air Bags); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The dealer confirmed that parts were not yet available for the recall repair. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Fuel system
Reports naming fuel storage or delivery — tanks, pumps, lines, injectors and fuel leaks.
From owner reports, verbatim
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 after that. However, it still failed no matter what. I took it to the dealership, they even admitted that this is a known problem for this generation of vehicle. They still proceeded to ask nearly $7000 to fix it, saying that even though this is a known issue, there was no recalls on the vehicles so they could not waive or deduct the fees.
@ 96,970 miles, (2021 Honda Accord Hybrid) when getting on the freeway and accelerating to catch up with traffic, the car began sputtering, the check engine light flashed, the accelerator stopped working and I had to get it to the shoulder of the freeway immediately. The car sputtered and shook. I turned the car off, let it sit. I tried re-starting it and it started fine, no check engine light. I drove it slow off the freeway and to my home close by. I got it to the dealer. The Service Rep said he had never heard of this issue although it does appear on Honda Forums. He said no codes showed and decided it needed a Cylinder adjustment and then decided it also needed a new (refurbished) transmission. It was in the shop for weeks. I've tried warming the car up longer and using more expensive gas. Issue continues to happen. I called an made an appointment at the dealer for first available date. Today I had it checked for codes again from a different mechanic and the mechanic said it has no codes - at all. Fluids all perfect, no issues with coolant levels. All maintenance has been completed on schedule. I did video tape my dash when it happened Wednesday, on I80, 3/5/25 12:12pm.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Brakes
Reports naming service brakes, the antilock braking system, brake hoses, master cylinders or the parking brake.
From owner reports, verbatim
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 accident
Breaks failed causing vehicle accident [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Interior & seats
Reports naming seats, latches, locks, linkages and interior fittings.
From owner reports, verbatim
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 option for us to order the parts or place us in que for the next order. Would like to bring this to NHTSA attention and get some help with it.
At 14,000 miles the passenger front seat shifts laterally when occupied under weight shifts in turns. Also makes an audible knocking sound. American Honda would not cover this potential safety issue after positive diagnosis from our local Honda dealer. The vehicle is covered under a 12,000 mile CPO warranty.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Body & structure
Reports naming the vehicle structure, frame, body panels, doors, hood and trim.
From owner reports, verbatim
2/24/22 - Drove to work in the morning. Front driver door will not open from outside or inside. Had to climb over the center console and exit thru the passenger door. The driver's door will unlock, but will not open. Problem disappeared when getting back to the car after work (4pm EST). 3/1/22 - Rear driver door would not open from outside or inside. This was going on most of the day. Took the car to Great Lakes Honda West (Elyria, Ohio) at about 6:30pm EST. The rear driver door opened when at the dealership. The service tech mentioned possible BCM issue, but said I would have to bring it back when the door was stuck closed again.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Seat belts
Reports naming seat belts, buckles, retractors and pretensioners.
From owner reports, verbatim
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 option for us to order the parts or place us in que for the next order. Would like to bring this to NHTSA attention and get some help with it.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Tires & wheels
Reports naming tires, wheels, hubs, or the tire-pressure monitoring system.
From owner reports, verbatim
My tires were purchased new on 11/6/21 from Les Scab in Portland, OR. and are Continental ExtremeContact DWS06Plus, size 235/40ZR-19. A few weeks after purchase the TPMS came on so I had the tires checked at Les Schwab. I was told all the tire were low, likely due to weather. Within a couple weeks the TPMS came on again, I returned to Les Schwab on 12/18/21. I was told all the tires were a little low again but that the rear drives tire was at 19 Psi. I was told again it was likely weather but that the rear drivers tire was a little lower than the rest and if the TPMS came on again to return. On the evening of 12/23/21 the TPMS came on again. I took my car to Les Schwab again and about 11am and was told they could fill the tires, but they could try to find and fix the problem because they would close at 1pm and they did not have time but to bring it back on Monday. Despite my pleas, they refused. I tried calling the Regional Manager at his store but every time I called someone answered and either hung up or put the call on hold but did not answer. On 12/25/21 at about 6:50pm while driving about 55 mph on the I-5 freeway in Portland, OR., I was in the center lane and heard a loud pop. My stirring wheel pulled right and as I held tight, I heard another loud, dull, grinding noise from the front passenger side of the car. I slowed, turned on my hazard lights and waited for traffic to stop so I could pull to the side of the freeway. I looked and saw that the front passenger side tire tread had completely detached from the sidewall. I then called to have to car towed back to my home.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Visibility
Reports naming windshields, glass, wipers, defrosters and mirrors.
From owner reports, verbatim
The rear glass shattered with temperature change and defrost use?. The car was garage kept all winter until the weekend of the issue. It was kept outside overnight on Friday and temperatures were in the 20s. I used my rear defroster for the very first time on Saturday morning and returned home Saturday. On Sunday morning, I closed the door of the car and the rear glass shattered and collapsed. It seems like they may have a batch of badly tempered glass but refuse to acknowledge it. They required me to have the car towed to the dealership. This damages any investigation value and they said it looked like a hammer smashed it in but it didn’t look like that when it was at my home. I had police come and look at it and they did not find any evidence of vandalism. The location of the damage is VERY centered and would be hard to reach and not likely the spot for someone just trying to smash the window.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Elsewhere on this vehicle
Data sources
- NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation — owner-reported complaints and the components recorded on them
Data on this page last refreshed .