Head-to-head reliability
FORD Crown Victoria vs Honda Accord
How the FORD Crown Victoria 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
FORD Crown Victoria vs Honda Accord: The Crown Victoria averaged 95 complaints per year with 4 deaths, while the Accord averaged 452 complaints per year with 3 deaths. The Crown Victoria's issues often involve steering and lighting, while the Accord's involve engine and electrical systems. Source: NHTSA owner complaints.
The picture
Is the FORD Crown Victoria or Honda Accord more reliable?
A plain-English read on what the NHTSA record says about living with each vehicle.
FORD Crown Victoria
The Ford Crown Victoria is a large, rear-wheel-drive sedan often used as a fleet vehicle, taxi, or police car. Over 10 years, it averaged about 95 complaints per year, with the most common issues in exterior lighting, steering, and electrical systems. Owners report melting headlight sockets, turn signals that blink rapidly, and steering problems including shaft separation. These are serious safety concerns that can lead to crashes or fires, so a thorough inspection is essential.
Honda Accord
The Honda Accord is a popular midsize car available as a sedan, often with hybrid options. It averaged about 452 complaints per year over 10 years, with top issues in engine, electrical system, and forward collision avoidance. Owners describe engine rattles, sudden loss of power, and electronic steering and braking failures. Some complaints involve unintended acceleration or failure of driver-assist features, which can be alarming.
The numbers
Side-by-side NHTSA record
Lower is better in every category. The highlighted cell is the stronger result.
| Category | FORD Crown Victoria | Honda Accord |
|---|---|---|
| Total complaintsAll model years combined | 954 Better | 4,524 |
| Safety recallsFederal recall campaigns | 37 Better | 38 |
| Crash reportsCrash-related complaints | 79 Better | 162 |
| Complaints per yearAveraged across model years | 95.4 Better | 452.4 |
| Reported injuriesTied to owner complaints | 46 Better | 146 |
| Reported deathsTied to owner complaints | 4 | 3 Better |
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.
FORD Crown Victoria
- 01EXTERIOR LIGHTING285
- 02STEERING186
- 03ELECTRICAL SYSTEM109
- 04POWER TRAIN82
- 05SUSPENSION75
Owners frequently report headlight sockets melting, causing bulbs to blow out repeatedly, and turn signals that blink rapidly even when no bulbs are burned out. This can lead to reduced visibility and potential fire risk.
Complaints include steering shaft separation with no warning, and banging or clunking noises from the steering wheel. These issues can cause loss of steering control, especially at highway speeds.
The instrument cluster may become inoperable, including the speedometer, and dash lights can go out intermittently. This makes it hard to know your speed or see warnings, increasing crash risk.
Some owners report the car stalling at high speeds when passing, and unintended shifting from reverse to drive, which can cause sudden acceleration. These problems can lead to loss of control or crashes.
“THE LEFT TURN SIGNAL WORKS SOMETIMES BUT BLINKS RAPIDLY MOST OF THE TIME. NO BULBS ARE BURNED OUT. SOMETIMES THE DASH LIGHTS GO OUT WHEN THE HEADLIGHTS ARE TURNED ON AND THEN THE DASH LIGHTS COME BACK ON WHEN THE HEADLIGHTS ARE TURNED OFF. SOMETIMES THE DASH…”
“THE HEADLIGHT SOCKETS ARE MELTING, CAUSING THE BULBS TO BLOW OUT. WE HAVE REPLACED APPROXIMATELY 6 SOCKETS, MOSTLY ON THE DRIVERS SIDE, AND MULTIPLE BULBS. MHQ SAYS THIS IS COMMON. SHOULD THERE BE A RECALL? SHOULD FORD BE FIXING THIS? *TR”
Honda Accord
- 01ENGINE1,006
- 02ELECTRICAL SYSTEM895
- 03FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE837
- 04UNKNOWN OR OTHER746
- 05FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM602
Owners describe rattling noises while accelerating, rough transitions between EV and gas modes, and sudden loss of speed with multiple warning lights. These issues can leave you stranded or cause a crash.
Complaints include simultaneous failure of electronic power steering and braking at highway speeds, and tire failure after TPMS service. Such failures can cause immediate loss of control.
Owners report the system failing to prevent collisions, with incidents occurring under similar conditions. This undermines a key safety feature that drivers rely on.
Some complaints involve persistent sulfur odors and foot slipping behind interior panels, which can distract the driver. These may not be mechanical but affect safety and comfort.
“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.
FORD Crown Victoria — 37 recalls
The defect: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2005-2011 Ford Crown Victoria, 2005-2011 Mercury Grand Marquis vehicles manufactured March 23, 2004, to August 30, 2011, and 2005-2011 Lincoln Town Car vehicles manufactured March 8, 2004, to August 30, 2011, and on which the upper intermedi…
The risk: Improper servicing of the upper intermediate shaft could cause the shaft to separate, which can then result in a loss of steering control, and increasing the risk of a crash.
The fix: Ford will notify the owners of vehicles whose repair records reflect that the upper intermediate steering shaft was repaired during the course of the prior recall 13V-385. Dealers will inspect and replace the upper immediate shaft if neces…
The defect: Ford is recalling certain model year 2005-2011 Ford Crown Victoria (including Crown Victoria Police Interceptors), Mercury Grand Marquis, and Lincoln Town Car vehicles. The affected vehicles are currently registered or were originally sold in Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Illinoi…
The risk: If the lower bearing separates, the vehicle may experience a loss of steering, increasing the risk of a crash.
The fix: Ford will notify owners and dealers will replace the lower intermediate shaft, free of charge. The upper intermediate shaft and steering column lower bearing will be inspected to identify any damage that may have occurred as a result of lo…
The defect: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2005-2011 Ford Crown Victoria, 2005-2011 Mercury Grand Marquis vehicles manufactured March 23, 2004, to August 30, 2011, and 2005-2011 Lincoln Town Car vehicles manufactured March 8, 2004, to August 30, 2011, and on which the upper intermedi…
The risk: Improper servicing of the upper intermediate shaft could cause the shaft to separate, which can then result in a loss of steering control, and increasing the risk of a crash.
The fix: Ford will notify the owners of vehicles whose repair records reflect that the upper intermediate steering shaft was repaired during the course of the prior recall 13V-385. Dealers will inspect and replace the upper immediate shaft if neces…
The defect: Ford is recalling certain model year 2005-2011 Ford Crown Victoria (including Crown Victoria Police Interceptors), Mercury Grand Marquis, and Lincoln Town Car vehicles. The affected vehicles are currently registered or were originally sold in Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Illinoi…
The risk: If the lower bearing separates, the vehicle may experience a loss of steering, increasing the risk of a crash.
The fix: Ford will notify owners and dealers will replace the lower intermediate shaft, free of charge. The upper intermediate shaft and steering column lower bearing will be inspected to identify any damage that may have occurred as a result of lo…
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
FORD Crown Victoria or Honda Accord: which should you buy?
The Ford Crown Victoria has far fewer complaints per year (about 95) compared to the Honda Accord (about 452). However, the Crown Victoria's issues often involve critical safety systems like steering and lighting, while the Accord's higher volume includes many advanced electronic features. In practice, the Crown Victoria may have fewer overall problems, but the ones it has can be severe.
Key differences
- The Crown Victoria has about 95 complaints per year, while the Accord has about 452, but the Crown Victoria's complaints often involve steering and lighting failures that can cause loss of control.
- The Accord's top issues are engine and electrical problems, including sudden power loss and electronic steering/braking failure, which are less common in the Crown Victoria.
- The Crown Victoria has 4 deaths and 46 injuries reported, while the Accord has 3 deaths and 146 injuries, though these numbers don't account for vehicle population.
- The Accord has more recalls related to advanced systems like hybrid management and forward collision avoidance, while the Crown Victoria's recalls focus on steering.
- Check for melting headlight sockets and signs of overheating in the lighting wiring, as owners report repeated bulb failures.
- Test the steering for any clunking, banging, or looseness, and verify that any steering recalls have been completed, as shaft separation can occur without warning.
- Listen for rattling noises from the engine during acceleration and check for smooth transitions between EV and gas modes if it's a hybrid.
- Test the electronic power steering and braking systems at low and high speeds, and ensure any software recalls for these systems have been addressed.
Before you buy
- Obtain a full vehicle history report and check for open recalls on the NHTSA website for both models.
- Have a trusted mechanic inspect the steering system, especially on the Crown Victoria, and the engine and electrical systems on the Accord.
- Test drive at highway speeds to check for steering vibrations, engine rattles, and proper function of driver-assist features.
- Inspect all lights and signals on the Crown Victoria for rapid blinking or melted sockets, and on the Accord check for warning lights on the dash.
- Ask the seller for maintenance records and confirm that any recall repairs have been completed.
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 FORD Crown Victoria or Honda Accord in front of you — accident history, open recalls and title records.
Go deeper
Full reliability reports
- Comparison
- FORD Crown Victoria vs Honda Accord
- FORD Crown Victoria total complaints
- 954
- Honda Accord total complaints
- 4,524
- FORD Crown Victoria total recalls
- 37
- Honda Accord total recalls
- 38
- FORD Crown Victoria avg complaints/year
- 95.4
- Honda Accord avg complaints/year
- 452.4
- More reliable overall
- FORD Crown Victoria
- FORD Crown Victoria top complaint area
- EXTERIOR LIGHTING
- Honda Accord top complaint area
- ENGINE