Model year 2021 · Large Cars

2021 Honda Accord: recalls, fuel economy and safety ratings

EPA rates the 2021 Honda Accord at 26–48 mpg combined across 5 versions. NHTSA lists 4 safety recalls and 293 owner complaints for this model year. Its best NHTSA overall crash-test rating is 5 out of 5 stars.

Safety recalls

4

EPA combined mpg

26–48

NHTSA overall rating

5/5

Recall file dated Oct 27, 2026 · EPA file dated Sep 29, 2026 · updated Oct 27, 2026, 7:34 AM EDT

NHTSA lists this vehicle as ACCORD HYBRID.

Check your own car: enter your 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see open recalls for that exact vehicle, and contact a Honda dealer to schedule the repair — safety recall repairs are free. The list below covers the whole model year, so not every recall applies to every car.

2021 Honda Accord recalls

NHTSA's recall file lists 4 safety recalls for the 2021 Honda Accord, newest first.

Air bags: Sensor: Occupant classification: Front passenger

NHTSA 26V332000 Reported May 21, 2026
Filed by
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) (manufacturer recall no. Refer to Comments)
Units affected
98,892 (estimate)
Problem
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.
Risk
Air bags that deploy unintentionally during a crash increase the risk of injury.
Remedy
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.

Full recall record on nhtsa.gov

Air bags: Sensor: Occupant classification: Front passenger

NHTSA 24V064000 Reported Feb 1, 2024
Filed by
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) (manufacturer recall no. XHP, VHQ)
Units affected
750,114 (estimate)
Problem
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.
Risk
An air bag that deploys unintentionally during a crash can increase the risk of injury.
Remedy
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.

Full recall record on nhtsa.gov

Fuel system, gasoline: Delivery: Fuel pump

NHTSA 23V858000 Reported Dec 18, 2023
Filed by
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) (manufacturer recall no. KGC, KGD)
Units affected
2,490,460 (estimate)
Problem
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.
Risk
Fuel pump failure can cause an engine stall while driving, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy
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.

Full recall record on nhtsa.gov

Seat belts: Rear/other: Retractor

NHTSA 21V900000 Reported Nov 18, 2021
Filed by
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) (manufacturer recall no. ABS, BBT, NBQ, RBR)
Units affected
4,346 (estimate)
Problem
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."
Risk
An unsecured child restraint system can increase the risk of injury during a crash.
Remedy
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.

Full recall record on nhtsa.gov

Recall summaries are written by NHTSA from manufacturers' defect reports. Dates are when NHTSA received the report.

2021 Honda Accord fuel economy by version

EPA city/highway/combined estimates for each engine, transmission and drive combination. Annual fuel cost is EPA's estimate for 15,000 miles a year (55% city, 45% highway) at EPA's current fuel-price assumptions; your cost will vary.

2021 Honda Accord EPA fuel economy
VersionEngineTransmissionDriveFuelCity/Hwy/CombFuel cost/yrCO2 g/mi
Accord1.5L 4-cyl turboAutomaticFront-Wheel DriveRegular30/38/33 mpg$2,050268
Accord Hybrid2.0L 4-cyl hybridAutomaticFront-Wheel DriveRegular48/48/48 mpg$1,400183
Accord Hybrid Sport/Touring2.0L 4-cyl hybridAutomaticFront-Wheel DriveRegular44/41/43 mpg$1,550207
Accord Sport/Touring1.5L 4-cyl turboCVT (7 modes)Front-Wheel DriveRegular29/35/32 mpg$2,100278
Accord Sport/Touring2.0L 4-cyl turboAutomatic 10-speedFront-Wheel DriveRegular22/32/26 mpg$2,600345

Source: FuelEconomy.gov (U.S. DOE and EPA), file dated Sep 29, 2026. Each version links to its FuelEconomy.gov record.

EPA estimates come from standardized lab tests so cars can be compared fairly; real-world mileage depends on speed, weather, load, tires and driving style.

2021 Honda Accord crash-test ratings

NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings for the tested versions. More stars mean a lower chance of serious injury in that type of crash. Rollover risk is NHTSA's estimated chance of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.

2021 Honda Accord NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings
Tested vehicleOverallFrontalSideRolloverRollover riskForward collision warning
2021 Honda ACCORD 4 DR FWD5 stars5 stars5 stars5 stars9.3%Standard
2021 Honda ACCORD HYBRID 4 DR FWD5 stars5 stars5 stars5 stars9.3%Standard

Source: NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings (New Car Assessment Program), checked Oct 26, 2026.

Star ratings compare vehicles of similar size and weight; a frontal rating for a large pickup is not directly comparable with one for a small car.

2021 Honda Accord owner complaints

Owners have filed 293 complaints with NHTSA about the 2021 Honda Accord, most recently on Oct 18, 2026. 17 mention a crash, 1 a fire, 9 injured people and 0 deaths. These are unverified reports; a complaint is not proof of a defect.

Most-cited components in 2021 Honda Accord complaints
Component named in complaintsMentions
Electrical system73
Unknown or other67
Forward collision avoidance: Automatic emergency braking61
Engine48
Service brakes33
Air bags19
Forward collision avoidance: Warnings18
Fuel/propulsion system16
Power train14
Forward collision avoidance: Adaptive cruise control12

Source: NHTSA consumer complaint files (complaints received since January 1, 2015). One complaint can name several components.

Had a safety problem with your vehicle? You can report it to NHTSA at nhtsa.gov/report-a-safety-problem.

Other Honda Accord model years

Honda Accord by model year
YearCombinedRecallsComplaintsOverall rating
2026 Accord31–48 mpg2155/5
2025 Accord32–48 mpg31205/5
2024 Accord32–48 mpg62315/5
2023 Accord32–48 mpg92315/5
2022 Accord26–47 mpg43155/5
2020 Accord26–48 mpg64045/5
2019 Accord26–48 mpg67925/5
2018 Accord26–47 mpg62,0125/5
2017 Accord21–48 mpg35845/5
2016 Accord21–30 mpg46115/5
2015 Accord21–47 mpg66385/5

All Honda Accord years compared · Decode a VIN

Other 2021 Honda models

Sources

  • Recalls: NHTSA recall flat file (FLAT_RCL_POST_2010), dated Oct 27, 2026, plus a live check of api.nhtsa.gov in your browser.
  • Complaints: NHTSA consumer complaint flat files (COMPLAINTS_RECEIVED), counts only — we do not republish complaint text.
  • Crash tests: NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings API.
  • Fuel economy: FuelEconomy.gov vehicles file (U.S. DOE and EPA), dated Sep 29, 2026.
  • NHTSA, EPA and DOE do not endorse OpenVIN. Vehicle names identify vehicles only; OpenVIN is not affiliated with Honda.