Head-to-head reliability
Hyundai Azera vs Honda Accord
How the Hyundai Azera 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
Hyundai Azera vs Honda Accord: The Azera averages about 33 complaints per year and 19 recalls, while the Accord averages about 452 complaints per year and 38 recalls. Azera owners often report steering and brake issues, while Accord owners report engine, electrical, and forward collision problems. Source: NHTSA owner complaints.
The picture
Is the Hyundai Azera or Honda Accord more reliable?
A plain-English read on what the NHTSA record says about living with each vehicle.
Hyundai Azera
The Hyundai Azera is a full-size sedan that tends to have a lower complaint volume per year than many rivals, but its issues cluster around steering and brakes. Owners frequently describe steering that sticks or hesitates at highway speeds, and brake-related complaints include warning lights and electronic brake problems. With 19 recalls over a decade, it's a car that needs a careful pre-purchase inspection, especially for steering feel and brake function.
Honda Accord
The Honda Accord is a popular midsize sedan with a much higher annual complaint rate, driven largely by engine, electrical, and advanced driver-assist issues. Owners report stalling, hybrid system jerks, and forward collision warnings that trigger without obstacles. Recalls cover hybrid software, fuel pumps, and seat belts, so checking for completed recall work is essential.
The numbers
Side-by-side NHTSA record
Lower is better in every category. The highlighted cell is the stronger result.
| Category | Hyundai Azera | Honda Accord |
|---|---|---|
| Total complaintsAll model years combined | 325 Better | 4,524 |
| Safety recallsFederal recall campaigns | 19 Better | 38 |
| Crash reportsCrash-related complaints | 14 Better | 162 |
| Complaints per yearAveraged across model years | 32.5 Better | 452.4 |
| Reported injuriesTied to owner complaints | 13 Better | 146 |
| 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.
Hyundai Azera
- 01STEERING97
- 02SERVICE BRAKES72
- 03ENGINE53
- 04HYDRAULIC44
- 05ELECTRICAL SYSTEM38
Owners report the steering sticks or hesitates when making small corrections at highway speeds, then suddenly breaks loose. This can make the car feel unpredictable in lane-keeping situations.
Complaints include electronic brake warning lights and brake system failures, sometimes accompanied by front-end collision alerts. These issues can affect stopping confidence and may require costly repairs.
Some owners describe stalling while driving, with all dashboard lights illuminating, leaving the car unable to accelerate. This can strand a driver and points to potential fuel or sensor problems.
Electrical complaints often involve warning lights and instrument panel glitches that accompany other failures. These can be intermittent and hard to diagnose, adding ownership frustration.
“DURING OUR FIRST TRIP ON THE INTERSTATE I NOTICED THAT WHEN TRYING TO CORRECT THE STEERING, EITHER RIGHT OR LEFT, THE CAR WOULD NOT IMMEDIATELY RESPOND. THEN AFTER JUST A SECOND OR TWO SOMETHING WOULD BREAK LOOSE ALLOWING THE VEHICLE TO RESPOND TO MY REQUEST.…”
“I'VE OWNED MY 2017 AZERA SINCE DEC 2018. I LOVE THE VEHICLE BUT THE STEERING STICKS AS MENTIONED IN OTHER COMPLAINTS AT HIGH SPEEDS. THE VEHICLE CURRENTLY ONLY HAS 38K MILES AND I USE IT FOR THE MOST PART ON THE HIGHWAY. THIS SEEMS TO ONLY HAPPEN AT SPEEDS OV…”
Honda Accord
- 01ENGINE1,006
- 02ELECTRICAL SYSTEM895
- 03FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE837
- 04UNKNOWN OR OTHER746
- 05FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM602
Owners report stalling, loss of power, and multiple warning lights (brake, hill descent, ABS) appearing at highway speeds. Some also note rattling noises and rough transitions between electric and gas modes in hybrids.
Complaints include simultaneous failure of power steering and braking systems, as well as TPMS warnings that may not be resolved. These electrical faults can create sudden loss of control.
Owners describe the system braking or alerting unexpectedly when no obstacle is present, sometimes under adaptive cruise control. This can cause surprise deceleration and increase crash risk.
Fuel pump and hybrid power control issues are reported, leading to stalls or loss of motive power. Recalls address some of these, but not all complaints are covered.
“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.
Hyundai Azera — 19 recalls
The defect: Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2017-2018 Sonata, 2016-2018 Sonata Hybrid, 2018-2020 Accent, and 2016-2017 Azera vehicles. The trunk latch may become damaged, preventing the opening of the trunk from the inside. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Fe…
The risk: A person inside the trunk compartment may become trapped, increasing their risk of injury.
The fix: Dealers will replace the trunk latch base, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 4, 2021. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 208.
The defect: Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2017-2018 Sonata, 2016-2018 Sonata Hybrid, 2018-2020 Accent, and 2016-2017 Azera vehicles. The trunk latch may become damaged, preventing the opening of the trunk from the inside. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Fe…
The risk: A person inside the trunk compartment may become trapped, increasing their risk of injury.
The fix: Dealers will replace the trunk latch base, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 4, 2021. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 208.
The defect: Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2006-2011 Hyundai Azera and 2006 Hyundai Sonata vehicles. Water may enter the Anti-lock Brake (ABS) Module and result in an electrical short .
The risk: An electrical short within the ABS Module may cause an engine compartment fire, even when the car is turned off, increasing the risk of an injury.
The fix: Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will install a relay in the vehicle's main junction box to prevent the risk of an ABS short-circuit while the car is turned off, free of charge. The recall began on February 19, 2018. Owners may call…
The defect: Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2006-2011 Hyundai Azera and 2006 Hyundai Sonata vehicles. Water may enter the Anti-lock Brake (ABS) Module and result in an electrical short .
The risk: An electrical short within the ABS Module may cause an engine compartment fire, even when the car is turned off, increasing the risk of an injury.
The fix: Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will install a relay in the vehicle's main junction box to prevent the risk of an ABS short-circuit while the car is turned off, free of charge. The recall began on February 19, 2018. Owners may call…
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
Hyundai Azera or Honda Accord: which should you buy?
The Hyundai Azera has far fewer complaints per year (about 33) compared to the Honda Accord (about 452), suggesting the Azera may have fewer reported problems overall. However, the Accord's higher volume is partly due to its much larger sales base, so per-vehicle rates are not directly comparable. In practice, the Azera's issues tend to center on steering and brakes, while the Accord's are more varied and include advanced electronics.
Key differences
- The Azera has about 33 complaints per year versus about 452 for the Accord, but the Accord sells in much higher numbers, so raw counts don't tell the whole story.
- Azera owners most often report steering that sticks or hesitates and brake warning lights, while Accord owners report engine stalling, electrical failures, and false forward collision alerts.
- The Accord has 38 recalls over 10 years, including hybrid software and fuel pump issues, compared to 19 recalls for the Azera, mostly for brakes and trunk latches.
- Crash-related complaints are higher for the Accord (162 vs 14), but this may reflect the larger number of Accords on the road.
- During a test drive, check for steering that feels sticky or unresponsive at highway speeds, then suddenly corrects—this is a commonly reported issue.
- Look for any brake warning lights on the dashboard and ask for service records related to ABS or electronic brake repairs.
- Test the forward collision warning and adaptive cruise control to ensure they don't trigger false alerts or brake unexpectedly.
- Check for any signs of electrical gremlins, such as multiple warning lights, and confirm that all recall work (especially hybrid software and fuel pump) has been completed.
Before you buy
- Obtain a full vehicle history report and confirm all safety recalls have been performed by a dealer.
- Take a lengthy test drive that includes highway speeds to check steering response and brake feel.
- Have a trusted mechanic inspect the car, focusing on the specific components with high complaint counts (steering and brakes for Azera; engine, electrical, and driver-assist for Accord).
- For the Accord, verify that the hybrid power control unit software and fuel pump recalls have been addressed.
- Ask the seller for maintenance records and be wary if they are missing, especially for brake and electrical repairs.
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 | Hyundai Azera | Honda Accord |
|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 0 | 1884 |
| 2017 | 12 | 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 Hyundai Azera or Honda Accord in front of you — accident history, open recalls and title records.
Go deeper
Full reliability reports
- Comparison
- Hyundai Azera vs Honda Accord
- Hyundai Azera total complaints
- 325
- Honda Accord total complaints
- 4,524
- Hyundai Azera total recalls
- 19
- Honda Accord total recalls
- 38
- Hyundai Azera avg complaints/year
- 32.5
- Honda Accord avg complaints/year
- 452.4
- More reliable overall
- Hyundai Azera
- Hyundai Azera top complaint area
- STEERING
- Honda Accord top complaint area
- ENGINE