Head-to-head reliability
Buick PARK Avenue vs Honda Accord
How the Buick PARK Avenue 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
Buick PARK Avenue vs Honda Accord: The Park Avenue averages 41 complaints per year, with issues like steering failure and window regulators, while the Accord averages 444 complaints per year, many involving forward collision avoidance glitches. The Accord has more recalls (38 vs 7) but also more sales. Source: NHTSA owner complaints.
The picture
Is the Buick PARK Avenue or Honda Accord more reliable?
A plain-English read on what the NHTSA record says about living with each vehicle.
Buick PARK Avenue
The Buick Park Avenue is a large, cushy sedan from the early 2000s, and its complaint history suggests a car that's aging in ways that can be annoying or even alarming. Owners report a mix of electrical gremlins, engine issues, and steering problems that can pop up without much warning. While the average of about 41 complaints per year is relatively low, the nature of the failures—like windows dropping into doors or the steering wheel moving on its own—means you could face inconvenient or potentially dangerous surprises. It's a car that may need more attention and repair budget than you'd expect from a 'premium' badge.
Honda Accord
The Honda Accord, especially recent models, shows a much higher complaint volume—averaging over 440 per year—but that's partly because it's a hugely popular car with many more on the road. The complaints cluster around modern technology: engine issues, electrical problems, and a large number of reports about forward collision avoidance systems acting up. Owners describe sudden loss of power, warning lights flashing, and even a sunroof exploding. While the sheer number of complaints is higher, many relate to advanced driver-assist features that can be finicky, and the car's overall reliability reputation is still strong, but these issues are worth checking on a used example.
The numbers
Side-by-side NHTSA record
Lower is better in every category. The highlighted cell is the stronger result.
| Category | Buick PARK Avenue | Honda Accord |
|---|---|---|
| Total complaintsAll model years combined | 247 Better | 4,438 |
| Safety recallsFederal recall campaigns | 7 Better | 38 |
| Crash reportsCrash-related complaints | 10 Better | 160 |
| Complaints per yearAveraged across model years | 41.2 Better | 443.8 |
| Reported injuriesTied to owner complaints | 13 Better | 144 |
| Reported deathsTied to owner complaints | 1 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.
Buick PARK Avenue
- 01ELECTRICAL SYSTEM43
- 02ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING35
- 03VISIBILITY25
- 04STEERING21
- 05ENGINE20
Owners report power window regulators failing, causing windows to fall into the door, and other electrical glitches like chimes and loss of acceleration with a burning smell. These can be inconvenient and potentially leave you stranded.
Complaints include knocking noises from the engine compartment, often traced to worn motor mounts, and issues with A/C and seat memory systems. These suggest age-related wear that can lead to costly repairs.
A serious report describes the steering wheel moving on its own, causing a crash into a ditch. Others mention steering noise and the need to replace front wheel bearings, indicating potential safety concerns.
“BOTH OF THE REGULATORS IN THE FRONT DOORS OF MY VEHICLE HAVE FAILED. THIS HAS CAUSE THE PANE IN THE WINDOW TO SLIDE INSIDE OF THE DOOR. THE FIRST ONE DID IT WHILE DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE WHILE VACATIONING IN OHIO IN MAY OF THIS YEAR. THE SECOND WHEN I ARRIV…”
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 BUICK PARK AVENUE. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH, THE CONTACT HEARD A CHIME TWICE AND THE VEHICLE SHOOK VIOLENTLY. THE VEHICLE LOST ACCELERATION AND A BURNING ODOR WAS PRESENT. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC…”
Honda Accord
- 01ENGINE985
- 02ELECTRICAL SYSTEM863
- 03FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE821
- 04UNKNOWN OR OTHER725
- 05SERVICE BRAKES592
Owners report noises from the engine that dealers couldn't fix, and sudden loss of speed with warning lights for brake and hill descent systems. This points to possible engine or drivetrain issues that could be serious.
Problems include TPMS warnings that led to a tire failure, and rodent damage to wiring harnesses. Electrical gremlins can be hard to diagnose and may cause unexpected failures.
Many complaints about the system activating falsely or showing errors for adaptive cruise, lane keeping, and automatic high beams. These can be annoying and may undermine trust in safety features.
“I purchased this vehicle at 0 miles in July 2025 from Honda Accord in Pensacola Florida. I reported in July 2025 that there was a noise and I was unhappy with the vehicle and would like to exchange the vehicle within the 30 days months later, the noise got lo…”
“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…”
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.
Buick PARK Avenue — 7 recalls
The defect: ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES, THE EMERGENCY TRUNK RELEASE HANDLE MAY BE INSTALLED OR FORCED OUT OF THE PROPER POSITION.
The risk: IF THE CABLE IS OUT OF THE PROPER POSITION, IT COULD INCREASE THE FORCE REQUIRED TO ACTIVATE THE EMERGENCY TRUNK RELEASE HANDLE AND A PERSON TRAPPED IN THE TRUNK MAY NOT BE ABLE TO RELEASE THE TRUNK LATCH USING THE EMERGENCY TRUNK RELEASE…
The fix: DEALERS WILL SECURE THE EMERGENCY TRUNK RELEASE CABLE TO ENSURE THAT THE EMERGENCY TRUNK RELEASE HANDLE OPERATES PROPERLY. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN DECEMBER 19, 2002. OWNERS WHO TAKE THEIR VEHICLES TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER ON AN AGREED UPON…
The defect: ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES, THE EMERGENCY TRUNK RELEASE HANDLE MAY BE INSTALLED OR FORCED OUT OF THE PROPER POSITION.
The risk: IF THE CABLE IS OUT OF THE PROPER POSITION, IT COULD INCREASE THE FORCE REQUIRED TO ACTIVATE THE EMERGENCY TRUNK RELEASE HANDLE AND A PERSON TRAPPED IN THE TRUNK MAY NOT BE ABLE TO RELEASE THE TRUNK LATCH USING THE EMERGENCY TRUNK RELEASE…
The fix: DEALERS WILL SECURE THE EMERGENCY TRUNK RELEASE CABLE TO ENSURE THAT THE EMERGENCY TRUNK RELEASE HANDLE OPERATES PROPERLY. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN DECEMBER 19, 2002. OWNERS WHO TAKE THEIR VEHICLES TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER ON AN AGREED UPON…
The defect: VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. SOME OF THESE VEHICLES FAIL TO COMPLY WITH REQUIREMENTS OF FMVSS NO. 104, "WINDSHIELD WIPING AND WASHING SYSTEMS." THESE VEHICLES HAVE A WIPER SYSTEM MICROPROCESSOR THAT IS SUSCEPTIBLE TO VOLTAGE TRANSIENTS, WHICH CAN CAUSE A "LATCH-UP" CONDITION IN THE SYST…
The risk: IF MICROPROCESSOR "LATCH-UP" OCCURS, THE CUSTOMER WILL NOT BE ABLE TO OPERATE THE SYSTEM IN BOTH THE LOWER AND HIGH-SPEED MODES REQUIRED BY THE STANDARD.
The fix: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE WINDSHIELD WIPER MOTOR COVER WHICH CONTAINS THE MICROPROCESSOR.
The defect: VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. SOME OF THESE VEHICLES HAVE INTERNAL FLUID LEAKS IN THE BRAKE HYDRAULIC CONTROL UNIT.
The risk: WHEN THE REAR BRAKE PROPORTIONING, ANTILOCK BRAKE, TRACTION CONTROL, OR STABILITY CONTROL FEATURE IS ACTIVATED IN SOME DRIVING SITUATIONS, THE FEATURE MAY NOT PERFORM AS DESIGNED.
The fix: DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE ABS HYDRAULIC MODULATOR UNIT AND IF NECESSARY, REPLACE THE HYDRAULIC MODULATOR.
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 (America Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2023 Civic, Acura RDX, Acura Integra, and 2022 Honda Accord vehicles. A ball valve in the vehicle stability assist (VSA) modulator may leak brake fluid, which can result in unintended vehicle movement when the brake hold feature is engaged or an…
The risk: Unintended vehicle movement or an unexpected increase in brake pedal travel can increase the risk of a crash or injury.
The fix: Dealers will replace the VSA modulator, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 24, 2023. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are OEJ, XEK, AEY, XEX and OEW.
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
Buick PARK Avenue or Honda Accord: which should you buy?
The Buick Park Avenue has far fewer complaints per year (41 vs 444), but its issues are more mechanical and potentially dangerous, like steering failure. The Honda Accord's higher volume is partly due to its popularity, and many complaints involve driver-assist tech that can be recalibrated. In practice, the Accord may have more frequent but less severe issues, while the Park Avenue's problems could be more costly and safety-critical.
Key differences
- The Park Avenue's steering failure can cause loss of control, while the Accord's issues are more about false warnings and electrical glitches.
- Park Avenue owners report window regulators failing, a common annoyance, whereas Accord owners report sunroof glass exploding—a rare but dramatic event.
- The Accord has a much higher complaint rate, but many are about forward collision avoidance systems, which are optional features that can be turned off.
- The Park Avenue's engine issues involve motor mounts and knocking, while the Accord's engine complaints include sudden power loss, which is more concerning.
- Check the power windows: operate each one multiple times to ensure they go up and down smoothly and don't fall into the door.
- Test the steering at various speeds for any play, noise, or pulling, and listen for knocking from the engine, which could indicate worn motor mounts.
- Test all driver-assist features (adaptive cruise, lane keeping, automatic braking) on a safe road to see if they trigger false warnings or errors.
- Inspect the wiring under the hood for signs of rodent damage, and check the sunroof for any cracks or signs of stress.
Before you buy
- Get a pre-purchase inspection from a mechanic familiar with these models, focusing on the specific problem areas mentioned.
- Check the vehicle history report for any recalls and whether they were addressed.
- Test drive at highway speeds to feel for any vibrations, pulling, or unusual noises.
- Operate all windows, locks, seats, and climate controls to ensure they work.
- For the Accord, ask about any software updates for the driver-assist systems.
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 Buick PARK Avenue or Honda Accord in front of you — accident history, open recalls and title records.
Go deeper
Full reliability reports
- Comparison
- Buick PARK Avenue vs Honda Accord
- Buick PARK Avenue total complaints
- 247
- Honda Accord total complaints
- 4,438
- Buick PARK Avenue total recalls
- 7
- Honda Accord total recalls
- 38
- Buick PARK Avenue avg complaints/year
- 41.2
- Honda Accord avg complaints/year
- 443.8
- More reliable overall
- Buick PARK Avenue
- Buick PARK Avenue top complaint area
- ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
- Honda Accord top complaint area
- ENGINE