Head-to-head reliability
Infiniti Q70 vs Honda Accord
How the Infiniti Q70 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 Q70 vs Honda Accord: The Q70 has 19 complaints over 9 years (about 2.1 per year) and 8 recalls, while the Accord has 4,524 complaints over 10 years (about 452 per year) and 38 recalls. The Q70's reports center on acceleration hesitation and air bags; the Accord's on engine, electrical, and collision avoidance issues. Source: NHTSA owner complaints.
The picture
Is the Infiniti Q70 or Honda Accord more reliable?
A plain-English read on what the NHTSA record says about living with each vehicle.
Infiniti Q70
The Infiniti Q70 is a low-volume luxury sedan with only 19 complaints over 9 years, averaging about 2.1 per year. Owners most often report hesitation or loss of acceleration, air bag warning lights or unexpected deployment, and intermittent speed control issues. With 8 recalls, including several for the driveshaft, a buyer should expect a car that needs regular recall checks and careful test drives for transmission and engine behavior.
Honda Accord
The Honda Accord is a high-volume family sedan with 4,524 complaints over 10 years, averaging about 452 per year. The most common trouble spots are engine problems, electrical system failures, and forward collision avoidance glitches, with 162 crash-related reports, 146 injuries, and 3 deaths. Recalls cover hybrid power control software, fuel pumps, seat belts, and air bag sensors, so a used Accord needs a thorough recall and service history review.
The numbers
Side-by-side NHTSA record
Lower is better in every category. The highlighted cell is the stronger result.
| Category | Infiniti Q70 | Honda Accord |
|---|---|---|
| Total complaintsAll model years combined | 19 Better | 4,524 |
| Safety recallsFederal recall campaigns | 8 Better | 38 |
| Crash reportsCrash-related complaints | 1 Better | 162 |
| Complaints per yearAveraged across model years | 2.1 Better | 452.4 |
| Reported injuriesTied to owner complaints | 1 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 Q70
- 01POWER TRAIN6
- 02AIR BAGS4
- 03VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL3
- 04ENGINE3
- 05VISIBILITY/WIPER3
Owners describe hesitation and slowing to about 5 mph when accelerating, often in the morning or when passing. One dealer reportedly told an owner the car was designed that way, which can leave a buyer facing an unresolved drivability issue.
Reports include an air bag warning light that could not be diagnosed and a driver-side air bag that deployed while turning, causing cuts and a head bump. This matters because air bag faults can be hard to trace and may affect safety system readiness.
Owners report the car stops accelerating with no warning, then moves again after sitting for an hour, and the engine light may not come on during the event. That makes the problem hard to diagnose and can leave a buyer with an intermittent, unpredictable fault.
The same hesitation and slow-down complaint is also filed under engine, with a dealer allegedly saying the behavior was normal. For a buyer, this suggests test-driving from a cold start and at highway speeds is important.
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2019 INFINITI Q70. WHEN THE CONTACT FIRST DROVE THE VEHICLE IN THE MORNING, IT HESITATED TO ACCELERATE. INFINITI OF CORAL GABLES (2701 S LE JEUNE RD, CORAL GABLES, FL 33134, (786) 619-3009) STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS DESIGNED IN THAT M…”
“While attempting to accelerate my car hesitates and slows down to about 5 miles an hour. This mostly happens in the morning, but does happen in the afternoon while attempting to accelerate to pass. This issue has almost caused me to get in accidents on severa…”
Honda Accord
- 01ENGINE1,006
- 02ELECTRICAL SYSTEM895
- 03FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE837
- 04UNKNOWN OR OTHER746
- 05FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM602
Owners report alarms for brake, hill descent, and ABS, followed by loss of speed, as well as rattling noises while accelerating and rough transitions between EV and gas modes. These symptoms can point to complex powertrain issues that may be costly to repair.
Reports include electronic power steering and braking failing and locking up at highway speeds, and a tire failure shortly after a TPMS repair. Electrical faults like these can affect steering, braking, and tire monitoring, so a buyer should check for open recalls and warning lights.
Owners describe the system activating or failing to resolve a threat, including sudden braking with adaptive cruise control set at 70 mph. This matters because unexpected braking or missed detection can increase crash risk.
Complaints include a persistent rotten-egg or sulfur odor that remained after a filter replacement and odor treatment. While not always a safety defect, it can signal fuel or emissions issues that are frustrating and expensive to chase.
“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 Q70 — 8 recalls
The defect: Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Nissan Altima, Armada, Frontier, Kicks, Leaf, Maxima, Murano, NV, NV200, Pathfinder, Rogue, Rogue Sport, Sentra, Titan, Titan Diesel, Versa Note and Versa Sedan vehicles, as well as Infiniti Q50, Q60, QX30 and QX80 vehicles. Additio…
The risk: The lack of an image in the back-up camera display increases the risk of a crash.
The fix: Nissan will notify owners in phases, having dealers update the back-up camera settings software, free of charge. The recall began November 11, 2019 and all affected VINs should be activated. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-…
The defect: Nissan North America, Inc. (INFINITI) is recalling certain 2011-2013 M56, 2012-2013 M35 Hybrid, 2014-2018 Q50, Q70 Hybrid, 2014-2019 Q70, and 2015-2019 Q70L two-wheel drive vehicles. The driveshaft can fatigue and break.
The risk: A broken driveshaft can result in a loss of drive power, or a vehicle roll away when the vehicle is in park without the parking brake applied. Both scenarios can increase the risk of a crash.
The fix: Dealers will replace the driveshaft, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 13, 2024. Owners may contact INFINITI's customer service at 1-800-662-6200. INFINITI's numbers for this recall are R24A5 and R24A7.
The defect: Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2011-2013 Infiniti M56, 2012-2013 M35 Hybrid, and 2014 Q70 and Q70 Hybrid vehicles. These models, equipped with 2WD and with a hybrid or VK56 powertrain, have a driveshaft that may break.
The risk: A broken driveshaft can cause a loss of propulsion, increasing the risk of a crash, or may disable the parking brake, increasing the risk of a rollaway and injury.
The fix: Infiniti will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driveshaft, free of charge. The recall began February 5, 2021. Owners may contact Infiniti customer service at 1-800-662-6200.
The defect: Nissan North America, Inc. (INFINITI) is recalling certain 2011-2013 M56, 2012-2013 M35 Hybrid, 2014-2018 Q50, Q70 Hybrid, 2014-2019 Q70, and 2015-2019 Q70L two-wheel drive vehicles. The driveshaft can fatigue and break.
The risk: A broken driveshaft can result in a loss of drive power, or a vehicle roll away when the vehicle is in park without the parking brake applied. Both scenarios can increase the risk of a crash.
The fix: Dealers will replace the driveshaft, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 13, 2024. Owners may contact INFINITI's customer service at 1-800-662-6200. INFINITI's numbers for this recall are R24A5 and R24A7.
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 Q70 or Honda Accord: which should you buy?
The Infiniti Q70 has far fewer complaints per year (about 2.1) than the Honda Accord (about 452), but the Q70's low volume means each report is a larger share of owners. In practice, the Accord's higher count reflects its much larger sales volume, while the Q70's pattern points to specific drivability and air bag concerns. Neither is problem-free, so condition, recall history, and a thorough test drive matter more than the raw totals.
Key differences
- The Infiniti Q70 averages about 2.1 complaints per year, while the Honda Accord averages about 452 per year, but the Accord sells in far higher numbers.
- Q70 owners most often report acceleration hesitation and air bag warning or deployment issues; Accord owners most often report engine alarms, electrical failures, and forward collision avoidance glitches.
- The Q70 has 8 recalls, including multiple driveshaft recalls; the Accord has 38 recalls, including hybrid power control software and fuel pump recalls.
- The Accord has 162 crash-related reports, 146 injuries, and 3 deaths in the data, while the Q70 has 1 crash-related report and 1 injury, so the Accord's safety-related complaint volume is much larger.
- During a cold-start test drive, watch for hesitation or a drop to about 5 mph when accelerating, and ask if the dealer has any record of this complaint.
- Check that the air bag warning light comes on and goes out normally, and ask for any diagnostic history related to air bag or seat belt repairs.
- Scan for stored codes and check for warnings related to electronic power steering, braking, ABS, or forward collision avoidance, especially on hybrid models.
- Confirm all recalls are done, particularly hybrid power control unit software, fuel pump, seat belt retractor, and air bag occupant classification sensor recalls.
Before you buy
- Run the VIN through NHTSA's recall lookup and confirm every open recall has been repaired before purchase.
- Take a cold-start test drive and a highway test drive, noting any hesitation, warning lights, or unexpected braking.
- Ask for a pre-purchase inspection by an independent mechanic familiar with the specific model, including a scan for stored trouble codes.
- For the Accord, specifically check hybrid battery health, fuel system odor, and forward collision avoidance operation if equipped.
- For the Q70, specifically check driveshaft recall completion, transmission behavior, and air bag system readiness.
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 | Infiniti Q70 | Honda Accord |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 0 | 252 |
| 2021 | 0 | 234 |
| 2020 | 0 | 362 |
| 2019 | 2 | 691 |
| 2018 | 1 | 1884 |
| 2017 | 2 | 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 Infiniti Q70 or Honda Accord in front of you — accident history, open recalls and title records.
Go deeper
Full reliability reports
- Comparison
- Infiniti Q70 vs Honda Accord
- Infiniti Q70 total complaints
- 19
- Honda Accord total complaints
- 4,524
- Infiniti Q70 total recalls
- 8
- Honda Accord total recalls
- 38
- Infiniti Q70 avg complaints/year
- 2.1
- Honda Accord avg complaints/year
- 452.4
- More reliable overall
- Infiniti Q70
- Infiniti Q70 top complaint area
- POWER TRAIN
- Honda Accord top complaint area
- ENGINE