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2021 Honda Accord problems: engine and transmission complaints and recalls

NO ELEVATED SIGNAL
25%
54 of 234 relevant owner complaints are about the engine, transmission or fuel system

No elevated drivetrain complaint concentration in the available NHTSA records for the 2021 Honda Accord. Engine, transmission and fuel system account for 25% of relevant complaints.

Better than 79% of the 1,790 model years we track (2010–2023).

NHTSA data checked October 3, 2026

The VIN is on the listing, the driver’s door jamb, and the bottom of the windshield on the driver’s side.

Does the 2021 Honda Accord have engine or transmission problems?

Not as a pattern, going by owner complaints. 54 of 234 relevant complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2021 Honda Accord concern the engine, transmission or fuel system (25%). For comparison, the 2020 scores 35% and the 2022 scores 18%. This describes the model year, not any one car: a well-maintained or already-repaired example can be fine, and a clean model year can still have a bad car in it.

Drivetrain complaints
54
engine, transmission, fuel
Total complaints
234
this model year
Fires reported
1
owner-reported
Recall campaigns
4
14 crashes · 8 injuries

Complaints by component

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM63 · 27%
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE61 · 26%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER53 · 23%
ENGINE36 · 15%
SERVICE BRAKES30 · 13%
LANE DEPARTURE15 · 6%

The years either side

Manufacturers fix things mid-generation. A bad year next to a clean one is common; the fix usually arrived in between.

How the 2021 compares with other Honda Accord years

Of the 14 Honda Accord years with enough complaints to score, the 2021 is the 5th-best on engine and transmission share (25%). The worst is the 2018 (44%), the best the 2022 (18%). By volume, the 2021 drew 234 complaints (54 drivetrain), against 362 for the 2020 and 252 for the 2022.

Honda Accord years to avoid and best years →

In the full report

The rest of the picture on the 2021 Honda Accord

  • The mileage where it happens. When owners of the 2021 Honda Accord said the problem showed up, and the range most of them fell in.
  • Up to 15 owner reports, with the ones about your car's own engine first.
  • What to ask the seller and what to check on the test drive, for this car.
  • Two cars side by side, if you are deciding between them.

What one owner reported

POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE09/28/2025CRASH2 INJURED
This vehicles have a engineering flaw in the design of the head gasket failing prematurely disabling all components of vehicle at any given time wether it’s in the highway or local the car will basically shut itself down causing a major risk for the driver and civilians even death. This is a safety hazard, tragedy wait…

One of 54 drivetrain complaints. The full report shows up to 15, with quotes about the engine in the car you are looking at first.

2021 Honda Accord fuel system recalls

Yes. NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign on the 2021 Honda Accord involving the engine, transmission or fuel system, out of 4 in total. A recall is the manufacturer admitting a defect and paying to fix it; whether a specific car still has one open depends on its VIN, which the full report checks. The owner complaints above are a separate record and often point at problems that never became a recall.

fuel system, gasoline: delivery: fuel pump23V858000 · Dec 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.

Risk: Fuel pump failure can cause an engine stall while driving, increasing the risk of a crash.

Fix: 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.…

3 other recalls on this model year (airbags, lighting, brakes and the rest)
air bags: sensor: occupant classification: front passenger26V332000 · May 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,…
air bags: sensor: occupant classification: front passenger24V064000 · Feb 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…
seat belts: rear/other: retractor21V900000 · Nov 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…

Source: NHTSA recall campaigns filed against this year, make and model. Checked October 3, 2026.

Checking one particular 2021 Honda Accord? This page is about the model year. Accidents, title brands and odometer records belong to the individual car, and that is what a vehicle history report covers.

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Questions people ask about the 2021 Honda Accord

Does the 2021 Honda Accord have engine or transmission problems?

Not as a pattern, going by owner complaints. 54 of 234 relevant complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2021 Honda Accord concern the engine, transmission or fuel system (25%). It describes the model year, not any one car, so an inspection still matters.

What is the most common problem with the 2021 Honda Accord?

Going by NHTSA owner complaints, the most common problem filed against the 2021 Honda Accord is electrical system: 63 of 234 complaints (27%) name it, followed by forward collision avoidance (61) and engine (36). A complaint can name more than one component, so these overlap. Engine, transmission and fuel-system complaints together make up 25% of the relevant total.

Is the 2021 Honda Accord reliable?

On the engine and transmission, nothing stands out: 25% of relevant complaints filed with NHTSA concern the drivetrain, below the 33% line where we call a signal elevated. That is better than 79% of the 1,790 model years we track. Among the 14 Honda Accord years we score, it ranks 5th-best. Complaint data describes the model year, not one car, and it says nothing about trim, paint or electronics outside the drivetrain; an independent inspection still decides it.

Are there engine or transmission recalls on the 2021 Honda Accord?

Yes. NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign on the 2021 Honda Accord involving the engine, transmission or fuel system, out of 4 in total: 23V858000 (fuel system, gasoline: delivery: fuel pump). Whether a specific car still has one open depends on its VIN.

Which Honda Accord years are better?

Among the Honda Accord years we track, the 2022 (18%), the 2023 (20%) and the 2016 (21%) have a lower engine and transmission complaint share than the 2021 (25%). Manufacturers fix things mid-generation, so the year before or after can be a different car. Every year side by side: https://thelanecheck.com/cars/honda-accord

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Experimental model-level information. This is not a vehicle inspection, vehicle-history report, financial advice or purchase recommendation. It describes patterns across a model year, not the condition of any individual vehicle.