Head-to-head reliability
Jaguar XJ vs Honda Accord
How the Jaguar XJ 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
Jaguar XJ vs Honda Accord: Over 10 years, the XJ had 114 complaints and 20 recalls, while the Accord had 4,524 complaints and 38 recalls. The XJ averages about 11 complaints per year versus 452 for the Accord, but the Accord's data includes 3 deaths and 146 injuries. Source: NHTSA owner complaints.
The picture
Is the Jaguar XJ or Honda Accord more reliable?
A plain-English read on what the NHTSA record says about living with each vehicle.
Jaguar XJ
The Jaguar XJ is a luxury sedan that can be costly to keep on the road as it ages. Over 10 years, NHTSA logged 114 complaints (about 11 per year) and 20 recalls. Owners describe repeated engine and electrical gremlins, including throttle body failures that cause shaking and shutdowns, and random alarm or touchscreen glitches. These issues can strand a driver and lead to expensive repairs.
Honda Accord
The Honda Accord is a mainstream family sedan with a much higher complaint volume: 4,524 over 10 years (about 452 per year) and 38 recalls. The most common trouble spots are engine, electrical, and forward collision avoidance systems. Owners report sudden warnings, power steering and braking failures, and unintended automatic braking. With 3 deaths and 146 injuries reported, some of these complaints involve serious safety events.
The numbers
Side-by-side NHTSA record
Lower is better in every category. The highlighted cell is the stronger result.
| Category | Jaguar XJ | Honda Accord |
|---|---|---|
| Total complaintsAll model years combined | 114 Better | 4,524 |
| Safety recallsFederal recall campaigns | 20 Better | 38 |
| Crash reportsCrash-related complaints | 18 Better | 162 |
| Complaints per yearAveraged across model years | 11.4 Better | 452.4 |
| Reported injuriesTied to owner complaints | 20 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.
Jaguar XJ
- 01ENGINE33
- 02ELECTRICAL SYSTEM21
- 03UNKNOWN OR OTHER20
- 04POWER TRAIN12
- 05SERVICE BRAKES12
Owners report throttle body failures that trigger stability control warnings and trouble codes P2119 and P2118. The car can shake and shut down while driving, which is dangerous in traffic.
Complaints include sticky control buttons, a faulty alarm that goes off randomly, and a very slow touchscreen. One owner said the car independently accelerated while parking with the brake pressed.
The same unintended acceleration incident was also filed under power train. Another owner described the car shaking and shutting down mid-drive, pointing to throttle and stability control problems.
Brake-related complaints appear in the data, and one owner reported the car accelerated despite depressing the brake pedal. That suggests brake and throttle issues may overlap in some cases.
“THIS VEHICLE HAS HAD NUMEROUS"UNUSUAL" ISSUES FROM "STICK-TO-YOUR-FINGERS" CONTROL BUTTONS THAT WERE CHANGED UNDER WARRANTY TO A FAULTY ALARM SYSTEM THAT GOES OFF RANDOMLY ONCE ACTIVATED,TO EXCEPTIONALLY SLOW TOUCH SCREEN FUNCTIONS THAT CAN ONLY BE CONTROLLED…”
“A SERIS OF ISSUES PLAQUE THIS MODEL. CHANGED THROTTLE BODY TWICE BUT CAR KEEP SHOWING STABILITY CONTROL NOT AVAILABLE, THROTTLE BODY ACTUATION ISSUES WITH P2119,P2118 CODES AMONG SEVERAL OTHERS. CAR SHAKES AND SHUTS DOWN IN THE MIDDLE OF DRIVING. AT IDLE, THE…”
Honda Accord
- 01ENGINE1,006
- 02ELECTRICAL SYSTEM895
- 03FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE837
- 04UNKNOWN OR OTHER746
- 05FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM602
Owners report sudden warnings for brake, hill descent, and ABS failure, followed by loss of speed. Others hear rattling noises while accelerating and rough transitions between EV and gas modes.
Complaints include electronic power steering and braking systems failing and locking up at highway speeds. Another owner had a tire fail catastrophically shortly after a TPMS warning was supposedly fixed.
Owners describe the system braking unexpectedly on open roads or under adaptive cruise control. One incident happened twice on the same route under similar conditions, raising concern about repeat false activations.
Some owners report a persistent rotten-egg or sulfur odor that remains after filter replacement. This can indicate fuel or emissions issues that are hard to diagnose and fix.
“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.
Jaguar XJ — 20 recalls
The defect: Jaguar Land Rover North America, LLC (Jaguar) is recalling certain 2019 Jaguar F-Pace, F-Type, and XJ vehicles equipped with V6 or V8 gasoline engines. The crankshaft pulley retaining bolt may have been improperly manufactured, possibly causing the crankshaft pulley bolt to fracture, potentially re…
The risk: Engine failure may increase the risk of a crash.
The fix: Jaguar has notified owners, and dealers will replace the crankshaft pulley center retaining bolt, free of charge. The recall began February 11, 2019. Owners may contact Jaguar customer service at 1-800-452-4827. Jaguar's number for this re…
The defect: Jaguar Land Rover North America, LLC (Jaguar) is recalling certain 2010-2011 and 2017 XJ vehicles. The Restraint Control Module (RCM) software may cause the frontal air bags to deploy improperly in the event of a frontal impact crash.
The risk: Failure of the air bags to deploy properly increases the risk of injury in a crash.
The fix: Jaguar will notify owners, and dealers will update the RCM software, free of charge. The recall began October 7, 2020. Owners may contact Jaguar customer service at 1-800-369-1000. Jaguar's number for this recall is H294.
The defect: Jaguar Land Rover North America, LLC (Jaguar) is recalling certain 2010-2011 XJ vehicles. If, while servicing the vehicle, the vehicle does not successfully receive an update to the Restraint Control Module (RCM) software, the default air bag calibration settings may be incorrect.
The risk: In the event of a crash, the incorrect calibration may not activate the air bag deployment as intended, increasing the risk of injury.
The fix: Jaguar will notify owners, and dealers will update the RCM with the latest software, free of charge. The recall began on August 15, 2017. Owners may contact Jaguar customer service at 1-800-452-4827. Jaguar's number for this recall is H034.
The defect: Jaguar Land Rover North America, LLC (Jaguar) is recalling certain 2010-2011 and 2017 XJ vehicles. The Restraint Control Module (RCM) software may cause the frontal air bags to deploy improperly in the event of a frontal impact crash.
The risk: Failure of the air bags to deploy properly increases the risk of injury in a crash.
The fix: Jaguar will notify owners, and dealers will update the RCM software, free of charge. The recall began October 7, 2020. Owners may contact Jaguar customer service at 1-800-369-1000. Jaguar's number for this recall is H294.
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
Jaguar XJ or Honda Accord: which should you buy?
The Jaguar XJ has far fewer complaints per year (about 11 vs. 452 for the Honda Accord), but that is partly because far fewer XJs were sold. The Honda Accord's higher count includes more crashes, injuries, and deaths, so its issues may be more severe when they occur. In practice, the XJ may have fewer reported problems overall, but each one can be expensive on a luxury car.
Key differences
- The Jaguar XJ has about 11 complaints per year, while the Honda Accord has about 452 per year, but the Accord sold in much larger numbers.
- Jaguar XJ owners report engine shutdowns and unintended acceleration tied to throttle body and brake issues; Honda Accord owners report power steering and braking lockups plus false automatic braking.
- The Honda Accord has 3 deaths and 146 injuries in the data, while the Jaguar XJ has 0 deaths and 20 injuries, suggesting different severity profiles.
- Both have electrical complaints, but the XJ's are often nuisance issues like alarms and slow screens, while the Accord's include safety-critical steering and braking failures.
- Check for throttle body service history and any stored codes P2119 or P2118; a shaking or shutting-down engine is a major warning sign.
- Test the alarm system, touchscreen responsiveness, and control buttons for stickiness or random activation, as owners report these electrical gremlins.
- Ask about any electronic power steering or braking warnings, and test drive at highway speeds to feel for hesitation or lockup.
- Check for forward collision avoidance false alerts by driving with adaptive cruise control if possible, and look for a sulfur or rotten-egg odor that persists after filter changes.
Before you buy
- Obtain a full vehicle history report and all recall repair records for both models.
- Have a mechanic scan for stored trouble codes, especially engine and stability control codes on the Jaguar XJ.
- On the Honda Accord, specifically test the forward collision avoidance and adaptive cruise control systems during a test drive.
- On the Jaguar XJ, test all electrical features including alarm, touchscreen, and power accessories for intermittent faults.
- Budget for a pre-purchase inspection by a specialist familiar with the specific model's reported failure points.
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 | Jaguar XJ | Honda Accord |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 1 | 691 |
| 2018 | 2 | 1884 |
| 2017 | 4 | 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 Jaguar XJ or Honda Accord in front of you — accident history, open recalls and title records.
Go deeper
Full reliability reports
- Comparison
- Jaguar XJ vs Honda Accord
- Jaguar XJ total complaints
- 114
- Honda Accord total complaints
- 4,524
- Jaguar XJ total recalls
- 20
- Honda Accord total recalls
- 38
- Jaguar XJ avg complaints/year
- 11.4
- Honda Accord avg complaints/year
- 452.4
- More reliable overall
- Jaguar XJ
- Jaguar XJ top complaint area
- ENGINE
- Honda Accord top complaint area
- ENGINE