Head-to-head reliability
Lexus RZ vs Honda Accord
How the Lexus RZ 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
Lexus RZ vs Honda Accord: The RZ averages 10.8 complaints per year with 7 recalls, while the Accord averages 452.4 complaints per year with 38 recalls. The RZ's issues often involve sudden power loss, while the Accord's include engine and electrical failures. Source: NHTSA owner complaints.
The picture
Is the Lexus RZ or Honda Accord more reliable?
A plain-English read on what the NHTSA record says about living with each vehicle.
Lexus RZ
The Lexus RZ is an electric SUV with a relatively low complaint volume—about 11 per year over four years—but the pattern is concentrated in electrical and propulsion issues. Owners frequently report severe battery range loss in cold weather and sudden loss of power when the battery hits 0%, which can leave you stranded. There are also reports of doors failing to open and HVAC problems that affect heating. With 7 recalls, including for defroster and backup camera displays, it's a vehicle that demands attention to software and electrical health.
Honda Accord
The Honda Accord is a mainstream sedan with a much higher complaint rate—roughly 452 per year over ten years—and a broad range of issues. Engine and electrical problems dominate, with reports of stalling, power steering and braking failures, and forward collision avoidance system glitches. There are also 146 injuries and 3 deaths reported in crash-related complaints, though these are raw counts and don't prove defect causation. With 38 recalls, it's a car that has seen many fixes over its lifespan.
The numbers
Side-by-side NHTSA record
Lower is better in every category. The highlighted cell is the stronger result.
| Category | Lexus RZ | Honda Accord |
|---|---|---|
| Total complaintsAll model years combined | 43 Better | 4,524 |
| Safety recallsFederal recall campaigns | 7 Better | 38 |
| Crash reportsCrash-related complaints | 3 Better | 162 |
| Complaints per yearAveraged across model years | 10.8 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.
Lexus RZ
- 01ELECTRICAL SYSTEM29
- 02UNKNOWN OR OTHER7
- 03LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES6
- 04POWER TRAIN2
- 05FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM2
Owners report severe battery range loss in cold weather, requiring excessive charging, and sudden propulsion loss when the battery reaches 0% with only a soft alert. This matters because you could lose power unexpectedly, especially in winter.
Some owners say the driver's side door fails to respond when trying to start the vehicle, with no warning light. This could lock you out or prevent entry in an emergency.
Reports include an unresolved HVAC failure affecting cabin heating, which impacts cold-weather safety, and a vehicle failing to shift out of park. These issues can make the car undrivable or uncomfortable in extreme temperatures.
Complaints describe sudden propulsion loss at normal road speeds when the battery hits 0%, with minimal warning. This is a serious safety concern because it can happen without much notice.
“I am reporting a safety concern involving a 2024 Lexus RZ300e related to battery range performance and charging requirements in cold weather. In real-world winter conditions in Massachusetts, the vehicle experiences severe range loss, requiring excessive and…”
“I am reporting a safety concern involving a 2024 Lexus RZ300e related to battery range performance and charging requirements in cold weather. In real-world winter conditions in Massachusetts, the vehicle experiences severe range loss, requiring excessive and…”
Honda Accord
- 01ENGINE1,006
- 02ELECTRICAL SYSTEM895
- 03FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE837
- 04UNKNOWN OR OTHER746
- 05FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM602
Owners report alarms for brake, hill descent, and ABS failures while driving, leading to speed loss, as well as rattling noises and rough transitions between EV and gas modes. These can signal major drivetrain problems that are costly to fix.
Complaints include simultaneous failure of electronic power steering and braking at highway speeds, and a tire failure after a TPMS warning. These are critical safety systems—if they fail, you may lose control.
Owners describe the system failing to resolve threats, with incidents under adaptive cruise control at highway speeds. This undermines a key safety feature you might rely on.
Reports include persistent rotten-egg odors and a foot slipping behind a center panel, which could cause loss of control. These are unusual but potentially dangerous distractions.
“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.
Lexus RZ — 7 recalls
The defect: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2023-2025 bZ4X, Lexus RZ, and Subaru Solterra vehicles. During certain HVAC system faults, such as electrical compressor failure, the defroster and defogger system may become inoperative.
The risk: An inoperative defroster and defogger system can decrease the driver's visibility under certain driving conditions, increasing the risk of a crash.
The fix: Dealers will update the HVAC control ECU software, free of charge. Dealers will also inspect the electrical compressor, and replace it, if necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed October 17, 2025. Owners may conta…
The defect: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2022-2026 Toyota, Lexus, and Subaru Solterra vehicles equipped with a Panoramic View Monitor (PVM) system. Please see the recall report for a complete list of models. A software error may cause the rearview camera to freeze or d…
The risk: A rearview camera that fails to display an image can reduce the driver's view behind the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
The fix: Dealers will update the parking assist software, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed January 2, 2026. Owners may contact Toyota's customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's numbers for this recall are 25TB13 and 25LB06. Subaru's nu…
The defect: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2026 Toyota BZ, Lexus RZ, and Subaru Solterra battery electric vehicles. The electronic control unit (ECU) that controls the high voltage battery may experience a fault, resulting in a loss of drive power.
The risk: An unexpected loss of drive power increases the risk of a crash.
The fix: Dealers will update the battery ECU software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 17, 2026. Owners may contact Toyota's customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's numbers for this recall are 26LA07 and 26TA11. S…
The defect: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2023-2025 bZ4X, Lexus RZ, and Subaru Solterra vehicles. During certain HVAC system faults, such as electrical compressor failure, the defroster and defogger system may become inoperative.
The risk: An inoperative defroster and defogger system can decrease the driver's visibility under certain driving conditions, increasing the risk of a crash.
The fix: Dealers will update the HVAC control ECU software, free of charge. Dealers will also inspect the electrical compressor, and replace it, if necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed October 17, 2025. Owners may conta…
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
Lexus RZ or Honda Accord: which should you buy?
The Lexus RZ has far fewer complaints per year (about 11 vs. 452 for the Accord), but its issues tend to be concentrated in electric propulsion and electrical systems. The Accord's much higher volume means you're more likely to encounter a problem, though many are covered by its 38 recalls. In practice, the RZ may be less likely to leave you stranded overall, but when it does, it's often a sudden power loss.
Key differences
- The Lexus RZ has about 11 complaints per year vs. the Honda Accord's 452, but the RZ's issues often involve sudden propulsion loss, while the Accord's include engine stalling and brake failures.
- The RZ has 7 recalls, mostly for electrical, defroster, and backup camera issues; the Accord has 38 recalls covering fuel pumps, air bags, and hybrid software.
- RZ owners report cold-weather range loss and door lock failures; Accord owners report forward collision avoidance glitches and power steering/braking failures.
- The Accord has 146 injuries and 3 deaths in crash-related complaints, while the RZ has 0 injuries and 0 deaths, though these are raw counts and not proof of defect causation.
- Check the battery's cold-weather range and charging behavior—ask for a state-of-health report and test in cold conditions if possible.
- Test all door locks, especially the driver's side, for responsiveness when starting the vehicle; a failure could leave you locked out.
- Test the electronic power steering and braking systems at highway speeds if safe, and listen for rattling noises during acceleration.
- Verify that all forward collision avoidance and adaptive cruise control recalls have been performed, and check for any warning lights related to ABS or TPMS.
Before you buy
- Obtain a full NHTSA recall history for the specific VIN and confirm all recalls are repaired.
- For the Lexus RZ, ask for a battery health report and test drive in cold weather to assess range loss.
- For the Honda Accord, test drive at highway speeds to check for steering, braking, and collision avoidance issues.
- Inspect door locks and latches on the RZ, and check for any HVAC heating problems.
- Review owner complaint patterns for the exact model year and ask a mechanic to scan for stored error codes.
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 | Lexus RZ | Honda Accord |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 18 | 10 |
| 2025 | 4 | 109 |
| 2024 | 10 | 219 |
| 2023 | 11 | 226 |
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 Lexus RZ or Honda Accord in front of you — accident history, open recalls and title records.
Go deeper
Full reliability reports
- Comparison
- Lexus RZ vs Honda Accord
- Lexus RZ total complaints
- 43
- Honda Accord total complaints
- 4,524
- Lexus RZ total recalls
- 7
- Honda Accord total recalls
- 38
- Lexus RZ avg complaints/year
- 10.8
- Honda Accord avg complaints/year
- 452.4
- More reliable overall
- Lexus RZ
- Lexus RZ top complaint area
- ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
- Honda Accord top complaint area
- ENGINE