Head-to-head reliability
Chevrolet CITY Express vs Honda Accord
How the Chevrolet CITY Express 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
Chevrolet CITY Express vs Honda Accord: The CITY Express has 14 complaints over 4 years (3.5/year) and 7 recalls, while the Accord has 4,524 complaints over 10 years (452.4/year) and 38 recalls. The CITY Express reports airbag sensor and fuel pump relay failures; the Accord reports engine and electrical issues. Source: NHTSA owner complaints.
The picture
Is the Chevrolet CITY Express or Honda Accord more reliable?
A plain-English read on what the NHTSA record says about living with each vehicle.
Chevrolet CITY Express
The Chevrolet CITY Express is a small commercial van, and its owner complaints over four years center on airbag sensors, fuel pump control modules, and electrical glitches. With only 14 complaints total, the volume is low, but the pattern shows recurring trouble with the passenger presence module and fuel pump relay that can cause no-start or stalling. Recalls address some of these, but owners report parts unavailable or repairs not done, so a used buyer should verify recall completion.
Honda Accord
The Honda Accord is a popular midsize car with a much larger complaint volume—4,524 over ten years—reflecting its high sales. The most common issues involve engine problems, electrical failures, and forward collision avoidance warnings, with some reports of power steering and braking loss. Recalls cover hybrid power control software, fuel pumps, and seat belts, but owners still describe unresolved defects and repeated dealer visits.
The numbers
Side-by-side NHTSA record
Lower is better in every category. The highlighted cell is the stronger result.
| Category | Chevrolet CITY Express | Honda Accord |
|---|---|---|
| Total complaintsAll model years combined | 14 Better | 4,524 |
| Safety recallsFederal recall campaigns | 7 Better | 38 |
| Crash reportsCrash-related complaints | 1 Better | 162 |
| Complaints per yearAveraged across model years | 3.5 Better | 452.4 |
| Reported injuriesTied to owner complaints | 2 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.
Chevrolet CITY Express
- 01AIR BAGS6
- 02FUEL SYSTEM2
- 03GASOLINE2
- 04ELECTRICAL SYSTEM2
- 05FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM2
Owners report the passenger-side airbag sensor can misclassify an adult passenger, and the airbag readiness light may blink due to a failed passenger presence module. The part is sometimes discontinued, leaving no repair available, which matters because the airbag may not deploy correctly in a crash.
Complaints describe a gasoline odor inside the cabin, especially during turns, and loss of motivation. A recall for the fuel pump control module exists, but owners say parts are not yet available, so the defect can persist and create a fire or stall risk.
The fuel pump relay can fail at low mileage, causing the engine to stop running without warning. Owners also link the airbag readiness light to electrical issues, and a failed relay can leave you stranded or cause a sudden shutdown at speed.
“My vehicle was never corrected for the Recall described below, from my recollection. My understanding is that the 2015 Chevrolet City Express van was recalled due to an issue with the passenger-side airbag sensor, which could incorrectly classify an adult pas…”
“My Airbag Readiness Light started blinking. I took vehicle to dealer for service. No trouble codes were found. Issue was found with Passenger Presence Module. Dealer advised that this is part of the seat that has been discontinued and that no repairs are avai…”
Honda Accord
- 01ENGINE1,006
- 02ELECTRICAL SYSTEM895
- 03FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE837
- 04UNKNOWN OR OTHER746
- 05FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM602
Owners report rattling noises while accelerating, rough transitions between EV and gas modes, and sudden loss of speed with multiple dashboard alarms. These symptoms can indicate internal engine or hybrid system problems that may be costly to diagnose and repair.
Complaints include simultaneous failure of electronic power steering and braking at highway speeds, as well as TPMS warnings followed by tire failure. Such electrical faults can severely compromise control and increase crash risk.
Owners describe the system activating unexpectedly or failing to resolve threats, sometimes under adaptive cruise control. This can cause sudden braking or a near-collision when the system does not work as intended.
Reports include fuel pump issues and hybrid power control problems that may lead to stalling or loss of power. Recalls address some of these, but owners still experience unresolved fuel delivery faults.
“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.
Chevrolet CITY Express — 7 recalls
The defect: Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2016-2017 Nissan Maxima, 2013-2016 Nissan Altima, NV200, LEAF, Sentra, and Pathfinder, 2014-2016 Nissan NV200 Taxi, Infiniti QX60, QX60 Hybrid, and Q50 Hybrid, 2014-2017 Nissan Rogue and Infiniti Q50, 2015-2016 Nissan Murano, Muran…
The risk: If the passenger frontal air bag does not deploy as intended in the event of a crash, the passenger is at an increased risk of injury.
The fix: Nissan will notify their owners. Chevrolet City Express owners will be notified by General Motors. Dealers will reprogram the Air Bag Control Unit (ACU) and OCS Electronic Control Unit (ECU) in Altima, Maxima, Murano, Rogue, and Sentra veh…
The defect: Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2013-2021 NV200 Van, 2014-2017, 2019 NV200 Taxi, and 2015-2018 Chevrolet City Express vehicles. The Fuel Tank Temperature (FTT) sensor harness may have been incorrectly routed, damaging wires and causing a short circuit in the fuel pump fuse.
The risk: A blown fuel pump fuse can cause the engine to stall, increasing the risk of a crash.
The fix: Dealers will inspect and reroute the FTT sensor harness or replace the fuel pump assembly as necessary, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed January 2, 2026. Owners may contact Nissan's customer service at 800-647-7261. Nissan's numbe…
The defect: Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2017 Nissan NV200, Sentra, NV3500 Van, NV3500 Bus, NV200 Taxi, NV1500, NV2500 Van, Chevrolet City Express, 2017-2018 Frontier, Versa Note, and Versa Sedan vehicles that have a mechanical (physical) key ignition system. In these models, over t…
The risk: If the vehicle stalls, it can increase the risk of a crash.
The fix: Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the production information on the ignition switch, and replace it as necessary, free of charge. The recall began October 1, 2018. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-867-7…
The defect: Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2013-2021 NV200 Van, 2014-2017, 2019 NV200 Taxi, and 2015-2018 Chevrolet City Express vehicles. The Fuel Tank Temperature (FTT) sensor harness may have been incorrectly routed, damaging wires and causing a short circuit in the fuel pump fuse.
The risk: A blown fuel pump fuse can cause the engine to stall, increasing the risk of a crash.
The fix: Dealers will inspect and reroute the FTT sensor harness or replace the fuel pump assembly as necessary, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed January 2, 2026. Owners may contact Nissan's customer service at 800-647-7261. Nissan's numbe…
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
Chevrolet CITY Express or Honda Accord: which should you buy?
The Chevrolet CITY Express has far fewer complaints per year (3.5) than the Honda Accord (452.4), but the Accord's higher volume reflects its much larger sales. In practice, the CITY Express owner faces a narrower set of recurring airbag and fuel pump issues, while the Accord owner may encounter a wider range of engine, electrical, and driver-assist problems.
Key differences
- The CITY Express has 14 complaints over 4 years, mostly airbag sensor and fuel pump relay failures, while the Accord has 4,524 complaints over 10 years, led by engine and electrical issues.
- CITY Express owners report parts unavailable for airbag and fuel pump recalls, whereas Accord owners describe repeated dealer visits for unresolved engine rattles and forward collision warnings.
- The Accord has 162 crash-related complaints and 3 deaths, compared to 1 crash-related and 0 deaths for the CITY Express, though these counts are not adjusted for sales volume.
- Both have fuel pump recalls, but the CITY Express recall involves the control module and the Accord recall covers the fuel pump itself.
- Check if the passenger-side airbag sensor recall was completed; a blinking airbag light or a discontinued passenger presence module means the airbag may not work.
- Listen for a gasoline odor inside the cabin, especially during turns, and confirm the fuel pump control module recall was performed; a failed fuel pump relay can cause sudden engine shutdown.
- Test drive at highway speeds and listen for rattling noises or rough transitions between EV and gas modes, which owners report as engine problems.
- Verify that recalls for hybrid power control software, fuel pump, and seat belts were done; also check for electronic power steering and braking warnings that could indicate a serious electrical fault.
Before you buy
- Ask for a written recall history from a Chevrolet or Honda dealer and confirm all open recalls are repaired before purchase.
- For the CITY Express, inspect the passenger seat for the airbag sensor module and test the airbag readiness light; for the Accord, test the forward collision warning and adaptive cruise control.
- Take a scan tool to check for stored trouble codes, especially in the fuel pump control module (CITY Express) and hybrid/electrical systems (Accord).
- During a test drive, note any gasoline odors, engine rattles, or sudden loss of power, and have a mechanic inspect the fuel pump and relay.
- Check NHTSA.gov by VIN for any unrepaired recalls and ask the seller for proof of completion.
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 | Chevrolet CITY Express | Honda Accord |
|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 1 | 1884 |
| 2017 | 3 | 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 Chevrolet CITY Express or Honda Accord in front of you — accident history, open recalls and title records.
Go deeper
Full reliability reports
- Comparison
- Chevrolet CITY Express vs Honda Accord
- Chevrolet CITY Express total complaints
- 14
- Honda Accord total complaints
- 4,524
- Chevrolet CITY Express total recalls
- 7
- Honda Accord total recalls
- 38
- Chevrolet CITY Express avg complaints/year
- 3.5
- Honda Accord avg complaints/year
- 452.4
- More reliable overall
- Chevrolet CITY Express
- Chevrolet CITY Express top complaint area
- AIR BAGS
- Honda Accord top complaint area
- ENGINE