Head-to-head reliability
Infiniti Q70L vs Honda Accord
How the Infiniti Q70L 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 Q70L vs Honda Accord: The Q70L has 20 complaints over 8 years (2.5/year) and 6 recalls, while the Accord has 4,524 complaints over 10 years (452.4/year) and 38 recalls. The Q70L's issues include driveshaft vibration and airbag sensor failures; the Accord's include engine power loss and electrical faults. Source: NHTSA owner complaints.
The picture
Is the Infiniti Q70L or Honda Accord more reliable?
A plain-English read on what the NHTSA record says about living with each vehicle.
Infiniti Q70L
The Infiniti Q70L is a low-volume luxury sedan with only 20 complaints over 8 years, averaging 2.5 per year. Owners report serious but relatively rare issues like driveshaft vibration, stalling, and airbag sensor failures. With 6 recalls, including multiple for the driveshaft, it demands attention to open recalls. Overall, it's a niche car that can be reliable if you verify recall work and inspect known trouble spots.
Honda Accord
The Honda Accord is a high-volume family sedan with 4,524 complaints over 10 years, averaging 452.4 per year. Owners report a wide range of problems, especially engine, electrical, and forward collision avoidance issues, with 162 crash-related complaints and 3 deaths. While many complaints may be for newer models, the sheer volume suggests frequent visits to the dealer. It's a popular car, but you'll want to check for recurring faults.
The numbers
Side-by-side NHTSA record
Lower is better in every category. The highlighted cell is the stronger result.
| Category | Infiniti Q70L | Honda Accord |
|---|---|---|
| Total complaintsAll model years combined | 20 Better | 4,524 |
| Safety recallsFederal recall campaigns | 6 Better | 38 |
| Crash reportsCrash-related complaints | 1 Better | 162 |
| Complaints per yearAveraged across model years | 2.5 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 Q70L
- 01POWER TRAIN7
- 02AIR BAGS5
- 03STEERING3
- 04VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL3
- 05VISIBILITY/WIPER2
Owners report violent shaking from under the vehicle, stalling during turns, and sudden loss of power. The driveshaft has been recalled multiple times, so any unrepaired car could suffer catastrophic failure.
The passenger seat occupant classification sensor can fail, disabling the airbag. Owners say moisture intrusion may be the cause, and it often happens sporadically, meaning the airbag may not deploy in a crash.
The heated steering wheel can get uncomfortably hot, forcing drivers to turn it off while driving. The switch is awkwardly placed, which could distract the driver.
Some owners report the car stops accelerating without warning, then resumes after sitting. One complaint describes a surge forward that caused a crash into a parking barrier, showing the risk of unintended acceleration.
“Violent shaking coming from under the vehicle occurred when I started it last week. The car turned off and I have not tried to turn it on again for fear of catastrophic failure. I searched open recalls for this vehicle and saw that the drive shaft was recalle…”
“The contact owns a 2015 Infiniti Q70. The contact stated while making a left turn, the vehicle stalled. The contact stated that an unknown yellow warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that he was able to restart the vehicle and drove to his reside…”
Honda Accord
- 01ENGINE1,006
- 02ELECTRICAL SYSTEM895
- 03FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE837
- 04UNKNOWN OR OTHER746
- 05FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM602
Owners report sudden loss of power with multiple dashboard alarms, rattling noises during acceleration, and rough transitions between EV and gas modes. These issues can leave you stranded or require expensive repairs.
Complaints include simultaneous failure of power steering and braking at highway speeds, and tire pressure monitoring system warnings that led to a tire blowout. Electrical glitches can compromise critical safety systems.
Owners describe the system braking unexpectedly or failing to intervene, sometimes under identical conditions. This unpredictability could cause a crash or erode trust in the safety feature.
There are reports of rotten-egg odors and fuel pump issues, with one recall for fuel pump failure. A failing fuel pump can cause stalling or inability to start, leaving you stranded.
“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 Q70L — 6 recalls
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. (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 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.
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 Q70L or Honda Accord: which should you buy?
The Infiniti Q70L has far fewer issues per year (2.5 vs. 452.4), but its problems can be severe, like driveshaft failure and airbag sensor faults. The Honda Accord's higher complaint rate means more frequent trips to the shop, but many issues may be covered by recalls or warranties. In practice, the Q70L is a lower-volume car with potentially catastrophic but rarer faults, while the Accord is a common car with a higher chance of encountering a problem.
Key differences
- The Infiniti Q70L has 20 complaints over 8 years, while the Honda Accord has 4,524 over 10 years, a massive difference in reported issues per year.
- The Q70L's top complaint is power train (driveshaft), with multiple recalls; the Accord's top complaint is engine, with issues like power loss and rattling.
- The Accord has 162 crash-related complaints and 3 deaths, while the Q70L has 1 crash-related and 0 deaths, though the Q70L's airbag sensor failures could also be dangerous.
- Both have airbag sensor complaints, but the Q70L's are about the occupant classification system, while the Accord also has a recall for the same component.
- Check for any open recalls, especially the driveshaft recalls, and confirm they were repaired. A vibrating or shaking driveshaft could indicate a pending failure.
- Test the passenger seat occupant classification system: sit in the passenger seat and see if the airbag indicator shows it's enabled. If not, the sensor may be faulty.
- Test the forward collision avoidance system during a test drive if possible, and note any unexpected braking or warnings. Also check for any stored trouble codes related to the electrical system.
- Listen for rattling noises from the engine during acceleration and feel for rough transitions between EV and gas modes on hybrid models. These could signal expensive repairs.
Before you buy
- Run a VIN check for open recalls on both vehicles and ensure all recall work is completed, especially the Q70L's driveshaft and the Accord's fuel pump and airbag recalls.
- Take a lengthy test drive that includes highway speeds, turns, and stops to feel for stalling, surging, or warning lights.
- Have a mechanic inspect the Q70L's driveshaft and airbag sensor, and the Accord's engine and electrical systems for any signs of the reported issues.
- Ask for maintenance records to see if the previous owner addressed common problems like the Q70L's heated steering wheel or the Accord's software updates.
- Check the NHTSA website for any new complaints or recalls specific to the model year you're considering, as patterns can vary.
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 Q70L | Honda Accord |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 0 | 252 |
| 2021 | 0 | 234 |
| 2020 | 0 | 362 |
| 2019 | 2 | 691 |
| 2018 | 3 | 1884 |
| 2017 | 0 | 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 Q70L or Honda Accord in front of you — accident history, open recalls and title records.
Go deeper
Full reliability reports
- Comparison
- Infiniti Q70L vs Honda Accord
- Infiniti Q70L total complaints
- 20
- Honda Accord total complaints
- 4,524
- Infiniti Q70L total recalls
- 6
- Honda Accord total recalls
- 38
- Infiniti Q70L avg complaints/year
- 2.5
- Honda Accord avg complaints/year
- 452.4
- More reliable overall
- Infiniti Q70L
- Infiniti Q70L top complaint area
- POWER TRAIN
- Honda Accord top complaint area
- ENGINE