Head-to-head reliability
BMW M760i vs Honda Accord
How the BMW M760i 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 M760i vs Honda Accord: The BMW M760i has 1 complaint over 5 years and 0 crash-related reports, while the Honda Accord has 4,524 complaints over 10 years and 162 crash-related reports. The BMW's main issue is a passenger seat sensor warning; the Accord shows engine, electrical, and driver-assist failures. Source: NHTSA owner complaints.
The picture
Is the BMW M760i or Honda Accord more reliable?
A plain-English read on what the NHTSA record says about living with each vehicle.
BMW M760i
The BMW M760i is a low-volume luxury sedan that shows very few complaints over five years, averaging just 0.2 per year. The main owner-reported issue is a recurring dashboard warning about the passenger seatbelt and restraint system, which appears tied to a seat-bottom sensor. There are no reported crashes, injuries, or deaths in this data, but four recalls cover backup cameras and child-seat tether clips. For a buyer, this suggests a car with rare but potentially annoying electronic gremlins rather than widespread mechanical failure.
Honda Accord
The Honda Accord is a high-volume family sedan with 4,524 complaints over ten years, averaging about 452 per year. Owners report a wide range of problems, especially with the engine, electrical system, and forward collision avoidance, including sudden power loss, steering and braking failures, and unintended automatic braking. There are 162 crash-related reports, 146 injuries, and 3 deaths in this dataset, plus 38 recalls. For a buyer, this points to a vehicle with many reported safety-related issues that need careful inspection.
The numbers
Side-by-side NHTSA record
Lower is better in every category. The highlighted cell is the stronger result.
| Category | BMW M760i | Honda Accord |
|---|---|---|
| Total complaintsAll model years combined | 1 Better | 4,524 |
| Safety recallsFederal recall campaigns | 4 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 M760i
- 01AIR BAGS1
- 02SEAT BELTS1
- 03SEATS1
Owners report a dashboard warning about a seatbelt and restraint system malfunction in the passenger seat. The warning seems to come from a seat-bottom sensor and flickers on and off when someone sits there, which could affect whether the airbag deploys correctly.
The same warning appears for the seatbelt system, again linked to the passenger seat sensor. This matters because a faulty sensor might prevent the seatbelt pretensioner or airbag from working as designed in a crash.
The seat itself is implicated because the sensor is built into the seat bottom. Owners see the warning come and go as passengers shift, suggesting a loose connection or failing sensor that could be expensive to replace.
“Warning about seatbelt & restraint systems malfunction in passenger seat appear in dash. Seems to correlate to seat bottom sensor in front passenger seat, goes in and out of alarm while occupants sit in the front passenger seat, creating risk of restraint sys…”
Honda Accord
- 01ENGINE1,006
- 02ELECTRICAL SYSTEM895
- 03FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE837
- 04UNKNOWN OR OTHER746
- 05FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM602
Owners describe sudden alarms for brake, hill descent, ABS, and critical failure, followed by loss of speed. Others report rattling noises while accelerating, rough transitions between EV and gas modes, and a noticeable jerk when the charge button is pressed.
Reports include electronic power steering and braking systems failing and locking up at highway speeds, causing near-collisions. Another owner had a TPMS warning repaired, then the passenger-side tire catastrophically failed hours later.
Owners say the system has failed to resolve threats, with one describing unintended braking at 35 mph on an open road. Another reports sudden braking twice, a year apart, under the same conditions with adaptive cruise control set to 70 mph.
Complaints include a persistent rotten-egg or sulfur odor that remained after a paid filter replacement and odor treatment. Another owner reported a foot slipping behind a plastic side panel of the center console during a highway drive.
“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 M760i — 4 recalls
The defect: BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2019-2021 X3 sDrive30i, X3 xDrive30i, X3 M40i, X3M, X4 xDrive30i, X4 M40i, M550i, X4M, X5 sDrive40i, X5 xDrive40i, X5 xDrive50i, X5M, X5 M50i, X7 xDrive40i, X7 xDrive50i, X7 M50i, Alpina XB7, 330i, 330i xDrive, M340i, M340i xDrive, and 8 Series C…
The risk: If the driver relies on only the rearview camera image, the missing or reduced rearview image view can increase the risk of a crash or injury.
The fix: BMW will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the rearview camera software and update it if necessary, free of charge. The recall began April 16, 2021. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
The defect: BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2020-2021 740Li, 740 Li xDrive, 750Li xDrive, M760Li xDrive, and Alpina B7 vehicles. The top child seat tether anchor on the rear middle seat may not be readily accessible. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal M…
The risk: A child restraint system placed on the vehicle's rear middle seat without utilizing the three-point safety belt, could increase the risk of injury in the event of a crash.
The fix: BMW will notify owners, and dealers will install a top tether anchor cover at the rear middle seating position. Until vehicles are remedied, owners will be instructed to utilize the outboard rear seating positions which are equipped with a…
The defect: BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2019-2021 X3 sDrive30i, X3 xDrive30i, X3 M40i, X3M, X4 xDrive30i, X4 M40i, M550i, X4M, X5 sDrive40i, X5 xDrive40i, X5 xDrive50i, X5M, X5 M50i, X7 xDrive40i, X7 xDrive50i, X7 M50i, Alpina XB7, 330i, 330i xDrive, M340i, M340i xDrive, and 8 Series C…
The risk: If the driver relies on only the rearview camera image, the missing or reduced rearview image view can increase the risk of a crash or injury.
The fix: BMW will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the rearview camera software and update it if necessary, free of charge. The recall began April 16, 2021. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
The defect: BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2020-2021 740Li, 740 Li xDrive, 750Li xDrive, M760Li xDrive, and Alpina B7 vehicles. The top child seat tether anchor on the rear middle seat may not be readily accessible. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal M…
The risk: A child restraint system placed on the vehicle's rear middle seat without utilizing the three-point safety belt, could increase the risk of injury in the event of a crash.
The fix: BMW will notify owners, and dealers will install a top tether anchor cover at the rear middle seating position. Until vehicles are remedied, owners will be instructed to utilize the outboard rear seating positions which are equipped with a…
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 M760i or Honda Accord: which should you buy?
The BMW M760i has far fewer issues per year (0.2 vs. 452.4) and no reported crashes, injuries, or deaths in this data, while the Honda Accord has thousands of complaints and hundreds of crash-related reports. In practice, the BMW appears to have rare but specific sensor problems, whereas the Honda shows a broad pattern of engine, electrical, and driver-assist failures that could affect safety.
Key differences
- The BMW M760i has 1 complaint over 5 years and 0 crash-related reports, while the Honda Accord has 4,524 complaints over 10 years and 162 crash-related reports.
- BMW owners report a single recurring theme: a passenger seat sensor causing seatbelt and airbag warnings. Honda owners report many different failures, including engine power loss, steering and braking lockup, and unintended automatic braking.
- The BMW has 4 recalls for backup cameras and child-seat tether clips. The Honda has 38 recalls covering hybrid power control software, spare tires, seatbelt retractors, occupant classification sensors, and fuel pumps.
- The Honda Accord data includes 146 injuries and 3 deaths, while the BMW M760i data shows 0 injuries and 0 deaths.
- Check the passenger seat for a flickering or intermittent seatbelt and restraint system warning on the dashboard, especially when someone sits in the front passenger seat.
- Ask whether the seat-bottom sensor or related wiring has been replaced, since the complaint points to that part as the source of the warning.
- Test drive at highway speeds and watch for sudden alarms, loss of power, or steering and braking lockup, which owners reported as critical failures.
- Check for a persistent rotten-egg or sulfur odor and ask if any odor treatment or filter replacement was done, as one owner reported the smell persisted after a paid repair.
Before you buy
- Run a full NHTSA recall check by VIN for both vehicles and confirm all open recalls have been repaired.
- For the BMW M760i, sit in the passenger seat and watch for any seatbelt or airbag warning lights that come and go.
- For the Honda Accord, test the forward collision avoidance and adaptive cruise control on a safe road to see if it brakes unexpectedly.
- Ask for a pre-purchase inspection by a mechanic familiar with the specific model, focusing on the BMW's seat sensors and the Honda's electrical and engine systems.
- Request service records and ask directly about any prior complaints involving power loss, braking, steering, or airbag warnings.
Year by year
Which model years to avoid
Complaints per model year for both vehicles — lower is better. The spikes are the years to scrutinize.
| Year | BMW M760i | Honda Accord |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 0 | 234 |
| 2020 | 0 | 362 |
| 2019 | 1 | 691 |
| 2018 | 0 | 1884 |
| 2017 | 0 | 537 |
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 M760i or Honda Accord in front of you — accident history, open recalls and title records.
Go deeper
Full reliability reports
- Comparison
- BMW M760i vs Honda Accord
- BMW M760i total complaints
- 1
- Honda Accord total complaints
- 4,524
- BMW M760i total recalls
- 4
- Honda Accord total recalls
- 38
- BMW M760i avg complaints/year
- 0.2
- Honda Accord avg complaints/year
- 452.4
- More reliable overall
- BMW M760i
- BMW M760i top complaint area
- AIR BAGS
- Honda Accord top complaint area
- ENGINE