Head-to-head reliability
Dodge Dakota vs Honda Accord
How the Dodge Dakota 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
Dodge Dakota vs Honda Accord: The Dakota averages 162 complaints per year, the Accord 444. Dakota owners report tie rod and ball joint failures, while Accord owners report issues with forward collision avoidance and engine power loss. Source: NHTSA owner complaints.
The picture
Is the Dodge Dakota or Honda Accord more reliable?
A plain-English read on what the NHTSA record says about living with each vehicle.
Dodge Dakota
The Dodge Dakota is a mid-size pickup that, in ownership terms, shows a pattern of age-related wear in critical steering and suspension parts, plus a heavy burden of Takata airbag recalls. Owners report tie rods and ball joints failing outright, which can make the truck hard to control, and many complain about the airbag warning light staying on. The high complaint volume relative to its sales suggests these are not isolated incidents, so a used Dakota needs a thorough inspection of its front end and a check that all recall work is done.
Honda Accord
The Honda Accord is a popular sedan that, in recent model years, shows a different set of issues: a high number of complaints about the engine, electrical system, and forward collision avoidance features. Owners describe sudden warning lights, loss of power, and problems with adaptive cruise and lane-keeping that can be intermittent. While the Accord has fewer recalls than the Dakota, the sheer number of complaints, especially about safety systems, means a used one should be checked for software updates and any unresolved recalls.
The numbers
Side-by-side NHTSA record
Lower is better in every category. The highlighted cell is the stronger result.
| Category | Dodge Dakota | Honda Accord |
|---|---|---|
| Total complaintsAll model years combined | 1,624 Better | 4,438 |
| Safety recallsFederal recall campaigns | 53 | 38 Better |
| Crash reportsCrash-related complaints | 111 Better | 160 |
| Complaints per yearAveraged across model years | 162.4 Better | 443.8 |
| Reported injuriesTied to owner complaints | 76 Better | 144 |
| Reported deathsTied to owner complaints | 2 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.
Dodge Dakota
- 01AIR BAGS440
- 02SUSPENSION244
- 03POWER TRAIN236
- 04STEERING221
- 05SERVICE BRAKES209
Owners report Takata inflator recalls with parts unavailable for long periods, and airbag warning lights staying on. This means the airbag may not deploy in a crash, so verify all recall repairs are completed before buying.
At around 60,000 miles, owners report complete failure of tie rods and ball joints, which can cause loss of steering control. This is a critical safety issue that requires immediate inspection and likely replacement.
Some complaints describe the truck not stopping safely in emergencies, possibly related to the driveline or brakes. This suggests potential issues with the differential or braking system that need a professional check.
Given the tie rod and ball joint failures, steering components are a major concern. Owners may experience looseness or pulling, and these parts should be inspected for wear.
“TL* TAKATA RECALL. THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 DODGE DAKOTA. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 16V352000 (AIR BAGS); HOWEVER, THE PARTS TO DO THE REPAIR WERE UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMO…”
“TL* TAKATA RECALL. THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 DODGE DAKOTA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE CHECK ENGINE AND AIR BAG WARNING INDICATORS REMAINED ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBERS: 15V3…”
Honda Accord
- 01ENGINE985
- 02ELECTRICAL SYSTEM863
- 03FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE821
- 04UNKNOWN OR OTHER725
- 05SERVICE BRAKES592
Owners report unusual noises and sudden loss of power with warning lights for brake, ABS, and hill descent systems. This could indicate serious engine or electronic problems that may leave you stranded.
Complaints include TPMS warnings followed by tire failure and rodent damage to wiring harnesses. Electrical gremlins can be hard to diagnose and may affect multiple systems.
Many owners report the system malfunctioning, showing warnings for adaptive cruise, lane keeping, and automatic high beams. These intermittent issues can be annoying and may disable safety features.
There are complaints about braking issues, including sudden loss of power and warning lights, which could be related to the brake system. Have the brakes and ABS checked thoroughly.
“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.
Dodge Dakota — 53 recalls
The defect: Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2009-2013 Jeep Wrangler, Chrysler 300, Dodge Challenger and Dodge Charger vehicles, and 2009-2011 Dodge Dakota vehicles sold, or ever registered, in the states of Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas,…
The risk: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
The fix: Owners are advised not to drive their vehicle until the recall repair is complete. Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began February 28, 2018. Owners may…
The defect: Chrysler (FCA US LLC) expanded the affected population to include 73,712 2005-2009 RAM 2500 trucks produced at the St. Louis North Assembly Plant. With this change, Chrysler is recalling certain model year 2004-2008 RAM 1500, 2005-2009 RAM 2500, 2006-2009 RAM 3500, 2007-2010 RAM 3500 Cab Chassis, 2…
The risk: These vehicles are equipped with certain air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules, and used as original equipment or replacement equipment. These inflators may rupture due to propellant degradation occur…
The fix: Owners are advised not to drive their vehicle until the recall repair is complete. Chrysler will notify the Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep and RAM owners. Mitsubishi owners will be notified by their company. Dealers will replace the passenger front…
The defect: Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain model year 2005-2009 Dodge Ram 2500, 2004-2008 Dodge Ram 1500 and Durango, 2006-2009 Dodge Ram 3500, 2008-2010 Dodge Ram 4500 and 5500, 2007-2008 Chrysler Aspen, 2005-2010 Chrysler 300, 300C, 300S, and SRT8, 2006-2010 Dodge Charger, 2005-2008 Magnum, 2005-…
The risk: In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, the inflator could rupture with metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
The fix: Owners are advised not to drive their vehicle until the recall repair is complete. Chrysler will notify the affected Chrysler and Dodge owners and Mitsubishi will notify the affected Raider owners. Dealers will replace the driver's frontal…
The defect: Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2009-2013 Jeep Wrangler, Chrysler 300, Dodge Challenger and Dodge Charger vehicles, and 2009-2011 Dodge Dakota vehicles sold, or ever registered, in the states of Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas,…
The risk: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
The fix: Owners are advised not to drive their vehicle until the recall repair is complete. Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began February 28, 2018. Owners may…
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
Dodge Dakota or Honda Accord: which should you buy?
The Dodge Dakota has fewer complaints per year (162.4) than the Honda Accord (443.8), but the Dakota's issues are more likely to be safety-critical, like suspension failures. The Accord's higher volume is partly due to its larger sales, but the nature of the complaints—especially about driver-assistance systems—means you should prioritize a model with a clean history and updated software.
Key differences
- Dakota owners report physical failures of steering and suspension parts (tie rods, ball joints) that can cause loss of control, while Accord owners report electronic glitches in driver-assist systems.
- The Dakota has more recalls (53) than the Accord (38), with many related to Takata airbags, which may still be unfixed.
- The Accord has a much higher complaint rate, but many are about non-safety features like adaptive cruise, whereas Dakota complaints are more often about critical components.
- The Dakota's power train complaints include braking issues, while the Accord's engine complaints involve sudden power loss, both of which are serious but different in nature.
- Inspect the front suspension: check for play in tie rods and ball joints, and look for uneven tire wear that could indicate alignment issues.
- Verify that all airbag recalls (especially Takata) have been performed by checking the VIN on the NHTSA website.
- Test the forward collision avoidance system: if you see warning lights for adaptive cruise or lane keeping, it may need a software update or sensor replacement.
- Check for any open recalls, especially the fuel pump and electrical system recalls, and confirm they were completed.
Before you buy
- Run the VIN on the NHTSA recall website for both vehicles to see open recalls.
- Have a mechanic inspect the Dakota's tie rods, ball joints, and steering linkage for wear.
- For the Accord, take it on a test drive and trigger the adaptive cruise and lane keeping to ensure they work without warnings.
- Check the service history for both vehicles, especially for brake and suspension work.
- Ask if the Accord has had any software updates for the engine or 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 Dodge Dakota or Honda Accord in front of you — accident history, open recalls and title records.
Go deeper
Full reliability reports
- Comparison
- Dodge Dakota vs Honda Accord
- Dodge Dakota total complaints
- 1,624
- Honda Accord total complaints
- 4,438
- Dodge Dakota total recalls
- 53
- Honda Accord total recalls
- 38
- Dodge Dakota avg complaints/year
- 162.4
- Honda Accord avg complaints/year
- 443.8
- More reliable overall
- Dodge Dakota
- Dodge Dakota top complaint area
- AIR BAGS
- Honda Accord top complaint area
- ENGINE