Head-to-head reliability
Infiniti M45 vs Honda Accord
How the Infiniti M45 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 M45 vs Honda Accord: The M45 has 174 complaints over 7 years (about 25 per year) and 0 crash-related reports, while the Accord has 4,524 complaints over 10 years (about 452 per year) and 162 crash-related reports. The M45 shows fewer reported problems, but both have recalls. Source: NHTSA owner complaints.
The picture
Is the Infiniti M45 or Honda Accord more reliable?
A plain-English read on what the NHTSA record says about living with each vehicle.
Infiniti M45
The Infiniti M45 is a luxury sedan with a relatively low complaint volume: 174 complaints over 7 years, averaging about 25 per year. The most common owner-reported issues involve the fuel system and gasoline delivery, often showing up as inaccurate fuel gauge readings or stalling. Engine complaints also appear, with some owners describing sudden stalls at speed that may relate to a crankshaft position sensor. There are no reported crashes, injuries, or deaths in this data, but the stalling pattern is a real drivability concern.
Honda Accord
The Honda Accord is a mainstream sedan with a much higher complaint volume: 4,524 complaints over 10 years, averaging about 452 per year. Owner reports cover engine problems, electrical glitches, forward collision avoidance warnings, and fuel/propulsion issues. The data also includes 162 crash-related complaints, 146 injuries, and 3 deaths, which is a serious signal. Recalls address hybrid power control software, fuel pumps, seat belt retractors, and air bag sensors.
The numbers
Side-by-side NHTSA record
Lower is better in every category. The highlighted cell is the stronger result.
| Category | Infiniti M45 | Honda Accord |
|---|---|---|
| Total complaintsAll model years combined | 174 Better | 4,524 |
| Safety recallsFederal recall campaigns | 33 Better | 38 |
| Crash reportsCrash-related complaints | 0 Better | 162 |
| Complaints per yearAveraged across model years | 24.9 Better | 452.4 |
| Reported injuriesTied to owner complaints | 0 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.
Infiniti M45
- 01FUEL SYSTEM107
- 02GASOLINE89
- 03ENGINE30
- 04ELECTRICAL SYSTEM27
- 05ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING19
Owners report the fuel gauge showing nearly full when the tank is actually low, and some say the fuel sending unit fails. This can lead to unexpected run-outs or stalling, which is a safety concern in traffic.
Several complaints describe the car stalling suddenly at highway or city speeds, sometimes requiring a restart. One owner mentions a faulty crankshaft position sensor code, which can cause intermittent no-start or stall conditions.
Reports include check engine lights tied to the fuel sending unit and stalling at a complete stop that cannot be replicated by the dealer. These electrical gremlins can be hard to diagnose and fix.
Complaints about gasoline often overlap with fuel system issues, such as inaccurate fuel level readings. This matters because it can leave a driver stranded or cause unexpected stalls.
“PURCHASED MY 2004 INFINITI M45 AT WILLOW GROVE INFINITI IN THE SUBURBS OF PHILADELPHIA WITH 22,160 MILES. I PERFORMED A THOROUGH TEST DRIVE AND FOUND NO PROBLEMS WITH THE CAR. THE CAR WAS BOUGHT TO BE MY "WEEKEND" CAR SINCE I'M ALREADY SUPPLIED WITH A COMPANY…”
“THIS COMPLAINT RELATES TO A 2004 INFINITY M45. IN THE SPRING OF 2010, I NOTICED THAT THE FUEL GAUGE WAS SHOWING NEARLY A FULL TANK OF GAS, BUT IT HAD BEEN A LONG PERIOD OF TIME BEFORE I HAD PUT GAS IN THE TANK. WHEN I FILLED UP THE TANK, I REALIZED THAT THE T…”
Honda Accord
- 01ENGINE1,006
- 02ELECTRICAL SYSTEM895
- 03FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE837
- 04UNKNOWN OR OTHER746
- 05FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM602
Owners describe alarms for brake, hill descent, and ABS, followed by loss of speed, as well as rattling noises during acceleration and rough transitions between EV and gas modes. These symptoms can indicate serious powertrain or hybrid system faults.
Reports include electronic power steering and braking systems failing simultaneously at highway speeds, and TPMS warnings followed by tire failure. Such failures can cause immediate loss of control.
Owners report the system activating unexpectedly or failing to resolve threats, sometimes under adaptive cruise control. This can lead to sudden braking or a near-collision if the system misjudges.
Complaints include persistent rotten-egg odors and potential safety defects involving hybrid components. These issues may point to fuel delivery or hybrid management problems that are hard to diagnose.
“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.
Infiniti M45 — 33 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 2012 Nissan Versa hatchbacks originally sold, or ever registered, in Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan) and th…
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 front passenger air bag inflators, free of charge. The recall began on June 8, 2017. Owners will receive a second notice when remedy parts become available. Owners may contact Nissan…
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 2006-2010 Infiniti M35 and M45 vehicles manufactured April 4, 2004, through October 5, 2010. Over time, the accelerator pedal sensor signal may deteriorate resulting in the output of an incorrect signal causing the engine to go int…
The risk: In this fail-safe mode, throttle valve deposits may cause the engine to stall when the vehicle is coming to a stop or at idle, increasing the risk of a crash.
The fix: Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will replace the accelerator pedal assembly and reprogram the engine control module, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin during November 2013. Owners may contact Nissan at 1-800-647-7261.
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
Infiniti M45 or Honda Accord: which should you buy?
The Infiniti M45 has far fewer complaints per year (about 25) than the Honda Accord (about 452). In practice, the M45 owner reports fewer overall problems, but the Accord's higher volume includes many serious crash, injury, and death reports. The difference means the M45 may be less likely to leave you stranded, while the Accord's issues can be more severe when they occur.
Key differences
- The Infiniti M45 averages about 25 complaints per year, while the Honda Accord averages about 452 per year, a huge difference in reported problem frequency.
- The M45 has 0 crash-related complaints, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths in this data, while the Accord has 162 crash-related complaints, 146 injuries, and 3 deaths.
- M45 owners most often report fuel gauge and stalling issues, while Accord owners report engine alarms, electrical failures, and forward collision avoidance problems.
- The Accord has 38 recalls covering hybrid software, fuel pumps, and air bag sensors, while the M45 has 33 recalls mostly for air bag inflators and an accelerator pedal.
- Check the fuel gauge accuracy by filling the tank and watching for erratic readings; a faulty fuel sending unit is a common complaint.
- Listen for stalling or rough running during a test drive, especially at highway speeds, and ask if the crankshaft position sensor has been replaced.
- Test the electronic power steering and braking systems at low and high speeds; owners report simultaneous failure at highway speeds.
- Ask about any forward collision avoidance warnings or unexpected braking, and check for open recalls on hybrid power control software and fuel pumps.
Before you buy
- Obtain a full vehicle history report and check for open recalls using the VIN.
- Have a pre-purchase inspection by a mechanic familiar with the specific model, focusing on fuel system and electrical components.
- During the test drive, pay attention to any stalling, hesitation, or warning lights on the dashboard.
- For the Honda Accord, specifically test the forward collision avoidance system and electronic power steering at various speeds.
- Ask the seller for maintenance records, especially for fuel pump, sensor, or hybrid system repairs.
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 M45 or Honda Accord in front of you — accident history, open recalls and title records.
Go deeper
Full reliability reports
- Comparison
- Infiniti M45 vs Honda Accord
- Infiniti M45 total complaints
- 174
- Honda Accord total complaints
- 4,524
- Infiniti M45 total recalls
- 33
- Honda Accord total recalls
- 38
- Infiniti M45 avg complaints/year
- 24.9
- Honda Accord avg complaints/year
- 452.4
- More reliable overall
- Infiniti M45
- Infiniti M45 top complaint area
- FUEL SYSTEM
- Honda Accord top complaint area
- ENGINE