Head-to-head reliability
Infiniti I35 vs Honda Accord
How the Infiniti I35 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
Infiniti I35 vs Honda Accord: The I35 has 206 complaints over 3 years (68.7/yr) with severe engine stalls and air bag failures, while the Accord has 4438 over 10 years (443.8/yr) with more ADAS and electrical issues. The I35's problems are more safety-critical. Source: NHTSA owner complaints.
The picture
Is the Infiniti I35 or Honda Accord more reliable?
A plain-English read on what the NHTSA record says about living with each vehicle.
Infiniti I35
The Infiniti I35, a 2002-2004 luxury sedan, shows a high complaint rate of about 69 per year over three years, with a heavy concentration in engine and air bag issues. Owners report sudden stalls at speed, loss of power steering, and air bags that fail to deploy in crashes, making it a vehicle that demands careful inspection and maintenance. The pattern suggests a car that may be unreliable and potentially unsafe in certain situations.
Honda Accord
The Honda Accord, spanning a decade of models, has a much higher total complaint count but a lower per-year rate (about 444 per year) due to its larger sales volume. Complaints are spread across engine, electrical, and advanced driver assistance systems, with issues like sudden power loss, false collision warnings, and electrical glitches. While not as severe as the I35's air bag problems, the Accord's issues are more varied and often relate to modern technology.
The numbers
Side-by-side NHTSA record
Lower is better in every category. The highlighted cell is the stronger result.
| Category | Infiniti I35 | Honda Accord |
|---|---|---|
| Total complaintsAll model years combined | 206 Better | 4,438 |
| Safety recallsFederal recall campaigns | 13 Better | 38 |
| Crash reportsCrash-related complaints | 13 Better | 160 |
| Complaints per yearAveraged across model years | 68.7 Better | 443.8 |
| Reported injuriesTied to owner complaints | 15 Better | 144 |
| Reported deathsTied to owner complaints | 11 | 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.
Infiniti I35
- 01ENGINE60
- 02ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING48
- 03AIR BAGS32
- 04ELECTRICAL SYSTEM23
- 05VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL21
Owners report the engine stalling without warning at highway speeds, often due to faulty sensors (crank, cam, throttle position). This can cause a sudden loss of power and power steering, making the car hard to control.
There are multiple reports of air bags not deploying in crashes, leading to injuries. Also, the air bag warning light comes on due to sensor failures, with repairs costing $800-$1000.
The car can shut off completely while driving, sometimes restarting after a few attempts. This is linked to sensor and ECM issues, causing intermittent stalling and loss of control.
“I OWN A 2002 INFINITI I35. WHILE I WAS DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 35 MILES PER HOUR, MAKING A LEFT TURN, I WAS HIT ON THE REAR DRIVER'S SIDE (T-BONED). NON OF MY AIR BAGS DEPLOYED AND I WAS SEVERELY INJURED. I SUSTAINED INJURIES TO MY NECK, BOTH SHOULDERS AND M…”
“I HAD RECENTLY HAD SOME WORK DONE ON MY CAR TO REPLACE THE RIGHT BEARING WHEEL AND THE POWER STEERING LINE, AS THERE WAS A LEAK AND LOUD ROARING NOISE WHEN DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AS CONFIRMED BY THE MECHANIC. ABOUT A WEEK LATER, I WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY (…”
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 and hill descent systems appearing. Some cases involve rodent damage to wiring, but others have no clear cause.
Issues include TPMS warnings that lead to tire failures, and wiring harness damage (e.g., from rodents) that can cause various malfunctions. Electrical gremlins are common.
The system can trigger false alerts or show errors for adaptive cruise control, lane keeping, and automatic high beams. These intermittent messages can be distracting and may indicate sensor or software problems.
“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.
Infiniti I35 — 13 recalls
The defect: Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2001-2003 Maxima, 2002-2006 Sentra, 2002-2004 Pathfinder, 2007-2011 Versa Sedan and Versa Hatchback, 2001-2004 Infiniti I30 and I35, 2002-2003 Inifiniti QX4, 2003-2008 Infiniti FX35 and FX45 and 2006-2010 M35 and M45 vehicles. The vehicles ar…
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: Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflators with alternate desiccated inflators, free of charge. The recall began February 12, 2020. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 888-737-9511 o…
The defect: Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2003-2008 Infiniti FX35 and FX45, 2003-2004 Infiniti I35, 2006-2010 Infiniti M35 and M45, and 2007-2011 Nissan Versa vehicles, originally sold, or ever registered, in Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Missis…
The risk: An inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
The fix: Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began December 21, 2017. All owners should receive a second notice by May 15, 2017. Owners may contact Nissan customer s…
The defect: Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2003-2004 Infiniti I35, 2003-2005 FX35 and FX45, and 2006 M35 and M45 vehicles originally sold, or currently registered, in geographic locations associated with high absolute humidity. Specifically, vehicles sold, or ever registere…
The risk: In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passengers frontal air bag, the inflator could rupture with metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants potentially resulting in serious injury or death.
The fix: Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began on June 16, 2015. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-647-7261. Note: This recall supersedes recall 14V-70…
The defect: Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2001-2003 Maxima, 2002-2006 Sentra, 2002-2004 Pathfinder, 2007-2011 Versa Sedan and Versa Hatchback, 2001-2004 Infiniti I30 and I35, 2002-2003 Inifiniti QX4, 2003-2008 Infiniti FX35 and FX45 and 2006-2010 M35 and M45 vehicles. The vehicles ar…
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: Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflators with alternate desiccated inflators, free of charge. The recall began February 12, 2020. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 888-737-9511 o…
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
Infiniti I35 or Honda Accord: which should you buy?
The Infiniti I35 has fewer complaints per year (about 69) compared to the Honda Accord (about 444), but the I35's issues are more severe, involving engine stalls and air bag failures. The Accord's higher count is partly due to its popularity, but its problems are less life-threatening. In practice, the I35 may pose greater safety risks, while the Accord offers more predictable reliability with modern tech quirks.
Key differences
- The I35 has a higher rate of engine stalling and air bag non-deployment, which are critical safety concerns.
- The Accord has more complaints about advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) like forward collision avoidance, which can be annoying but are less dangerous.
- The I35's electrical issues often lead to complete shutdowns, while the Accord's electrical problems are more varied, including tire pressure monitoring and wiring.
- The Accord has a much larger sample size and longer history, making its complaint pattern more representative of typical ownership.
- Check for any history of engine stalling or sensor replacements (crank, cam, throttle).
- Verify that all air bag recalls have been performed and that the air bag light is off.
- Look for any warning messages related to ADAS or braking systems, and ensure they are not intermittent.
- Inspect the wiring harness for signs of rodent damage, especially in newer models.
Before you buy
- For the I35: have a mechanic scan for pending DTCs (e.g., P0340) and test the sensors.
- For the I35: confirm air bag recalls are done and the system is operational.
- For the Accord: test drive at highway speeds to see if any stalling or power loss occurs.
- For the Accord: check that all ADAS features (adaptive cruise, lane keep) work without errors.
- For both: get a pre-purchase inspection from a trusted mechanic, focusing on engine and electrical 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 Infiniti I35 or Honda Accord in front of you — accident history, open recalls and title records.
Go deeper
Full reliability reports
- Comparison
- Infiniti I35 vs Honda Accord
- Infiniti I35 total complaints
- 206
- Honda Accord total complaints
- 4,438
- Infiniti I35 total recalls
- 13
- Honda Accord total recalls
- 38
- Infiniti I35 avg complaints/year
- 68.7
- Honda Accord avg complaints/year
- 443.8
- More reliable overall
- Infiniti I35
- Infiniti I35 top complaint area
- ENGINE
- Honda Accord top complaint area
- ENGINE