Head-to-head reliability

BMW 745I vs Honda Accord

How the BMW 745I and Honda Accord compare on NHTSA complaints, recalls and crash reports — and which is the lower-risk used buy.

BMW 745I0 complaints · 7 recalls Fewer issues per year
Honda Accord4,300 complaints · 38 recalls

Based on NHTSA owner-complaint & recall records

Which should you buy?

BMW 745I averages fewer NHTSA complaints per year. BMW 745I has 0 complaints and 7 recalls on record; Honda Accord has 4,300 complaints and 38 recalls. Source: NHTSA owner complaints.

The numbers

Side-by-side NHTSA record

Lower is better in every category. The highlighted cell is the stronger result.

CategoryBMW 745IHonda Accord
Total complaintsAll model years combined0 Better4,300
Safety recallsFederal recall campaigns7 Better38
Crash reportsCrash-related complaints0 Better155
Complaints per yearAveraged across model years0.0 Better430.0
Reported injuriesTied to owner complaints0 Better141
Reported deathsTied to owner complaints0 Better3

Source: NHTSA owner complaints & recall records.

What actually goes wrong

The problems owners report

The most-complained-about systems on each vehicle — what fails, and what owners say in their own words.

BMW 745I

No component data available.

Honda Accord

  1. 01ENGINE928
  2. 02ELECTRICAL SYSTEM824
  3. 03FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE798
  4. 04UNKNOWN OR OTHER699
  5. 05SERVICE BRAKES577
In owners' words — ENGINE

I am writing to file a complaint on the service that was provided at Vann York Honda. On February 17, 2026, I was returning home from work and my car had a hard idle at start up. I was able to drive it home without issue. The next day, February 18, I got in m…

2021 Honda Accord EX-L, 1.5T turbocharged engine. Within 8 months of purchase at approximately 21,900 miles, I experienced three separate incidents of sudden complete engine power loss at highway speeds. During each incident the vehicle would not exceed 2,000…

Official recalls

Safety recalls on record

Federal recall campaigns — the defect, the risk, and the fix. Confirm any open recall was completed before you buy.

BMW 745I — 7 recalls

Engine And Engine Cooling
#03V240000Jan 2003

The defect: ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES, DUE TO A SOFTWARE ERROR, A DESYNCHRONIZATION OF THE VALVETRONIC MOTORS FOR ENGINE BANKS I AND II MAY OCCUR. IF THIS OCCURS, THE ENGINE COULD STALL.

The risk: IN THOSE CASES, THE DRIVER MAY NOT BE ABLE TO RESTART THE ENGINE. DEPENDING ON THE LEVEL OF ENGINE ROUGHNESS, OR STALLING, AS WELL AS TRAFFIC CONDITIONS AND THE DRIVER'S REACTIONS, THIS COULD LEAD TO A CRASH.

The fix: DEALERS WILL REPROGRAM THE DIGITAL ENGINE MANAGEMENT CONTROL UNIT. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN JULY 8, 2003. OWNERS SHOULD CONTACT BMW AT 1-800-831-1117.

Engine And Engine Cooling
#03V240000Jan 2003

The defect: ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES, DUE TO A SOFTWARE ERROR, A DESYNCHRONIZATION OF THE VALVETRONIC MOTORS FOR ENGINE BANKS I AND II MAY OCCUR. IF THIS OCCURS, THE ENGINE COULD STALL.

The risk: IN THOSE CASES, THE DRIVER MAY NOT BE ABLE TO RESTART THE ENGINE. DEPENDING ON THE LEVEL OF ENGINE ROUGHNESS, OR STALLING, AS WELL AS TRAFFIC CONDITIONS AND THE DRIVER'S REACTIONS, THIS COULD LEAD TO A CRASH.

The fix: DEALERS WILL REPROGRAM THE DIGITAL ENGINE MANAGEMENT CONTROL UNIT. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN JULY 8, 2003. OWNERS SHOULD CONTACT BMW AT 1-800-831-1117.

Fuel System, Gasoline — Delivery
#02V150000Mar 2002

The defect: ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES, THE ELECTRIC FUEL PUMP RUNS AT A ROTATIONAL SPEED THAT COULD RESULT IN REDUCED LUBRICATION OF ITS INTERNAL COMPONENTS. OVER AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF TIME, WEAR-INDUCED INTERNAL DAMAGE TO THE FUEL PUMP COULD RESULT IN INSUFFICIENT FUEL SUPPLY TO THE ENGINE WHEN THE FUEL T…

The risk: IF THIS WERE TO OCCUR, THE ENGINE COULD STALL AND NOT BE RESTARTED UNTIL MORE FUEL WAS ADDED TO THE FUEL TANK. THIS COULD OCCUR EVEN THOUGH THE FUEL GAUGE INDICATED THAT FUEL STILL REMAINED IN THE TANK.

The fix: DEALERS WILL REPROGRAM THE FUEL PUMP CONTROL SYSTEM. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN JUNE 28, 2002. OWNERS WHO TAKE THEIR VEHICLES TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER ON AN AGREED UPON SERVICE DATE AND DO NOT RECEIVE THE FREE REMEDY WITHIN A REASONABLE TIME…

Engine And Engine Cooling
#03V324000

The defect: ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES, THE ENGINE OIL FILTER DRAIN PLUG MAY BE INSUFFICIENTLY TIGHTENED. THIS COULD LEAD TO LOOSENING OF THE PLUG CAUSING AN INITIAL OIL SPRAY AND A SUBSEQUENT OIL LEAK.

The risk: IF A LARGE AMOUNT OF OIL LOSS OCCURS, ENGINE DAMAGE MAY RESULT. DEPENDING ON THE EXTENT OF THE DAMAGE, A CRASH COULD OCCUR.

The fix: DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE TORQUE OF THE OIL FILTER DRAIN PLUG AND, IF NECESSARY, RETIGHTEN THE DRAIN PLUG WITH THE CORRECTLY SPECIFIED TORQUE. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN ON SEPTEMBER 12, 2003. OWNERS SHOULD CONTACT BMW AT 1-800-831-1117.

Honda Accord — 38 recalls

Seat Belts — Rear/Other — Retractor
#21V900000

The defect: 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 sys…

The risk: An unsecured child restraint system can increase the risk of injury during a crash.

The fix: 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.

Air Bags — Sensor — Occupant Classification — Front Passenger
#24V064000Jan 2024

The defect: 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 R…

The risk: An air bag that deploys unintentionally during a crash can increase the risk of injury.

The fix: 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 ar…

Fuel System, Gasoline — Delivery — Fuel Pump
#23V858000

The defect: 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,…

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

The 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. This recall is an expansi…

Air Bags — Sensor — Occupant Classification — Front Passenger
#26V332000

The defect: 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…

The risk: Air bags that deploy unintentionally during a crash increase the risk of injury.

The fix: 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,…

Check the actual car

Comparing models is smart. Checking the VIN is essential.

Brand averages tell you the trend. A VIN check tells you what's wrong with the specific BMW 745I or Honda Accord in front of you — accident history, open recalls and title records.

Go deeper

Full reliability reports

BMW 745I vs Honda Accord — comparison facts
Comparison
BMW 745I vs Honda Accord
BMW 745I total complaints
0
Honda Accord total complaints
4,300
BMW 745I total recalls
7
Honda Accord total recalls
38
BMW 745I avg complaints/year
0.0
Honda Accord avg complaints/year
430.0
More reliable overall
BMW 745I
Honda Accord top complaint area
ENGINE