Head-to-head reliability
BMW 750lxi vs Honda Accord
How the BMW 750lxi and Honda Accord compare on NHTSA complaints, recalls and crash reports — and which is the lower-risk used buy.
Based on NHTSA owner-complaint & recall records
BMW 750lxi vs Honda Accord: The BMW 750lxi has 1 complaint and 3 recalls over 5 years, while the Honda Accord has 4,524 complaints and 38 recalls over 10 years, including 162 crash-related reports. The BMW's single complaint was a $16,000 engine failure; the Honda's issues span engine, electrical, and safety systems. Source: NHTSA owner complaints.
The picture
Is the BMW 750lxi or Honda Accord more reliable?
A plain-English read on what the NHTSA record says about living with each vehicle.
BMW 750lxi
The BMW 750lxi is a large luxury sedan that, based on NHTSA data, shows very few complaints over five years—just one engine complaint—but three recalls for exterior lighting. That single complaint describes a catastrophic engine failure at 80,000 miles with a $16,000 repair quote, which suggests that when things go wrong, they can be extremely expensive. For a used-car buyer, the low complaint count may look reassuring, but the severity of the reported failure and the cost of parts and labor mean you should budget for potential major repairs.
Honda Accord
The Honda Accord is a mainstream family sedan with a much higher volume of NHTSA complaints—4,524 over ten years—and 38 recalls, including 162 crash-related reports, 146 injuries, and 3 deaths. Owner complaints cover engine, electrical, forward collision avoidance, fuel/propulsion, and other systems, with symptoms like sudden power loss, warning lights, rattling noises, and electronic steering/braking failure. The high number of complaints and recalls means that while many Accords may be fine, there are recurring, sometimes serious, issues that a used buyer should investigate carefully.
The numbers
Side-by-side NHTSA record
Lower is better in every category. The highlighted cell is the stronger result.
| Category | BMW 750lxi | Honda Accord |
|---|---|---|
| Total complaintsAll model years combined | 1 Better | 4,524 |
| Safety recallsFederal recall campaigns | 3 Better | 38 |
| Crash reportsCrash-related complaints | 0 Better | 162 |
| Complaints per yearAveraged across model years | 0.2 Better | 452.4 |
| Reported injuriesTied to owner complaints | 0 Better | 146 |
| Reported deathsTied to owner complaints | 0 Better | 3 |
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 750lxi
- 01ENGINE1
One owner reported a loud clicking sound at 45 mph, followed by a dealer diagnosis that something broke inside the engine, with a $16,000 repair quote at 80,000 miles. This suggests that engine failure, though rare in the complaint data, can be sudden and very costly.
“THE ENGINE IS DEFECTIVE. 80,000 MILES AND ALL SERVICE PERFORMED. $16,0000 QUOTE FROM THE DEALER. WAS DRIVING AROUND 45 MPH AND HEARD LOUD CLICKING SOUND. DEALER SAID SOMETHING BROKE INSIDE ENGINE AND THAT "IT HAPPENS". $100,000.00 CAR!”
Honda Accord
- 01ENGINE1,006
- 02ELECTRICAL SYSTEM895
- 03FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE837
- 04UNKNOWN OR OTHER746
- 05FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM602
Owners report alarms for brake, hill descent, ABS, and critical failure while driving, leading to loss of speed; others describe rattling noises like a diesel, rough transitions between EV and gas modes, and jerking when the charge button is pressed. These symptoms point to engine and hybrid system issues that can affect drivability and safety.
Complaints include simultaneous failure of electronic power steering and braking at highway speeds, causing a near-collision, and a TPMS warning followed by a tire failure after service. Electrical problems can disable critical safety systems without warning.
Owners describe the system failing to resolve a threat, and incidents where adaptive cruise control at 70 mph suddenly behaved unexpectedly under the same conditions. This matters because these systems are meant to prevent crashes, and malfunctions could increase risk.
The fuel/propulsion system is among the top complaint categories, though specific sample text is not provided. Given the high count, buyers should check for fuel pump or delivery issues, which can cause stalling or power loss.
“Vehicle drove normally in the morning commute. In the afternoon commute it started normally and as i approached highway speeds the alarms started showing up. the Brake, hill descent system, abs, critical failure. the vehicle started losing speed and could not…”
“Vehicle makes rattling noises while accelerating similar to a diesel engine also rough transitions between EV mode and Gas mode also when you press the charge button the engine makes a very noticeable jerk once it’s on ,Honda does not want to fix my issue and…”
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 750lxi — 3 recalls
The defect: BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2013-2015 740i, 740Li, 740Lxi, 750i, 750xi, 750Li and 750Lxi and 2014 ActiveHybrid 7 vehicles. The affected vehicles may have received incorrect replacement left rear taillight assemblies. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requireme…
The risk: Vehicles with the incorrect left rear lamp assemblies may be less conspicuous to other drivers, possibly increasing the risk of a crash.
The fix: BMW will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the vehicles and replace any incorrect left rear taillight assemblies, free of charge. The recall began August 11, 2017. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
The defect: BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2013-2015 740i, 740Li, 740Lxi, 750i, 750xi, 750Li and 750Lxi and 2014 ActiveHybrid 7 vehicles. The affected vehicles may have received incorrect replacement left rear taillight assemblies. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requireme…
The risk: Vehicles with the incorrect left rear lamp assemblies may be less conspicuous to other drivers, possibly increasing the risk of a crash.
The fix: BMW will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the vehicles and replace any incorrect left rear taillight assemblies, free of charge. The recall began August 11, 2017. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
The defect: BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2013-2015 740i, 740Li, 740Lxi, 750i, 750xi, 750Li and 750Lxi and 2014 ActiveHybrid 7 vehicles. The affected vehicles may have received incorrect replacement left rear taillight assemblies. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requireme…
The risk: Vehicles with the incorrect left rear lamp assemblies may be less conspicuous to other drivers, possibly increasing the risk of a crash.
The fix: BMW will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the vehicles and replace any incorrect left rear taillight assemblies, free of charge. The recall began August 11, 2017. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
Honda Accord — 38 recalls
The defect: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2023-2025 Honda Accord Hybrid vehicles. Due to a software error, the integrated control module (ICM) central processing unit (CPU) may reset while driving, causing a loss of drive power.
The risk: A loss of drive power increases the risk of a crash or injury.
The fix: Dealers will reprogram the ICM CPU software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 6, 2026. Owners may contact Honda's customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's number for this recall is TN2. Vehicle Identificati…
The defect: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2023-2026 CR-V Hybrid, Accord Hybrid, and 2025-2026 CR-V Fuel Cell EV vehicles. When using the tire repair kit, pressure may build within the sealant bottle, causing the bottle cap to detach.
The risk: A detached bottle cap can become a projectile and strike the user or others nearby, increasing the risk of injury.
The fix: Dealers will replace the tire repair kit nozzle or sealant bottle, free of charge. Interim letters notifying owners of the safety risk were mailed July 27, 2026. Additional letters will be sent once the final remedy is available, anticipat…
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.
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…
Buyer analysis
BMW 750lxi or Honda Accord: which should you buy?
The BMW 750lxi has far fewer complaints per year (0.2 vs. 452.4) and fewer recalls (3 vs. 38), but its single reported engine failure was severe and expensive. The Honda Accord has many more reported issues, including crashes, injuries, and deaths, though these are spread across a much larger number of vehicles. In practice, the BMW may have fewer problems overall, but when one occurs it can be financially devastating, while the Honda has a higher chance of encountering a range of issues, some safety-related.
Key differences
- The BMW 750lxi has only 1 complaint and 3 recalls over 5 years, while the Honda Accord has 4,524 complaints and 38 recalls over 10 years—but the BMW's one complaint involved a $16,000 engine failure.
- Honda Accord complaints include 162 crash-related reports, 146 injuries, and 3 deaths, whereas the BMW 750lxi has 0 in each of those categories.
- The BMW's only reported problem area is the engine, with a sudden internal breakage; the Honda's top areas include engine, electrical, forward collision avoidance, and fuel/propulsion, with symptoms like power loss, warning lights, and steering/braking failure.
- Honda Accord recalls cover hybrid power control software, spare tires, seat belt retractors, air bag sensors, and fuel pumps; BMW recalls are all for exterior lighting.
- Listen for any clicking or knocking sounds from the engine, especially around 80,000 miles, and ask for service records showing regular maintenance.
- Check for any signs of engine repair or replacement, and get a pre-purchase inspection that includes a compression test and oil analysis.
- Test drive at highway speeds and watch for warning lights related to brakes, ABS, hill descent, or power steering, and feel for any loss of power or hesitation.
- Check for rattling noises during acceleration, rough transitions between EV and gas modes, and jerking when using the charge button; also verify that any recall work, especially for hybrid software and fuel pump, has been completed.
Before you buy
- Obtain a full vehicle history report and confirm all recalls have been repaired, especially the BMW's exterior lighting recalls and the Honda's hybrid software, fuel pump, and seat belt recalls.
- Have a trusted mechanic perform a pre-purchase inspection focusing on the engine, electrical system, and safety features like forward collision avoidance and ABS.
- For the BMW, specifically ask about engine health and budget for potential major repairs; for the Honda, test the hybrid system, adaptive cruise control, and electronic steering/braking.
- Check for any outstanding diagnostic trouble codes (DTCs) and ensure that all warning lights are off during the test drive.
- Review NHTSA complaints for the specific model year you are considering to see if the reported issues apply.
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 750lxi or Honda Accord in front of you — accident history, open recalls and title records.
Go deeper
Full reliability reports
- Comparison
- BMW 750lxi vs Honda Accord
- BMW 750lxi total complaints
- 1
- Honda Accord total complaints
- 4,524
- BMW 750lxi total recalls
- 3
- Honda Accord total recalls
- 38
- BMW 750lxi avg complaints/year
- 0.2
- Honda Accord avg complaints/year
- 452.4
- More reliable overall
- BMW 750lxi
- BMW 750lxi top complaint area
- ENGINE
- Honda Accord top complaint area
- ENGINE