Head-to-head reliability
Mclaren 720S vs Honda Accord
How the Mclaren 720S 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
Mclaren 720S vs Honda Accord: The 720S has 2 complaints over 7 years (0.3/year) and 6 recalls, while the Accord has 4,438 complaints over 10 years (443.8/year) and 38 recalls. The 720S reports include suspension and turbo issues; the Accord reports engine, electrical, and brake problems. Source: NHTSA owner complaints.
The picture
Is the Mclaren 720S or Honda Accord more reliable?
A plain-English read on what the NHTSA record says about living with each vehicle.
Mclaren 720S
The Mclaren 720S is a high-performance exotic car with very low reported complaint volume: just 2 complaints over 7 years, or about 0.3 per year. However, those complaints describe serious mechanical failures, including a known suspension accumulator problem and a turbo inlet baffle that can break apart and damage the engine. There are also 6 recalls covering brakes and fuel system components. For a buyer, this suggests that while problems are rare in the NHTSA data, when they occur they can be expensive and potentially dangerous.
Honda Accord
The Honda Accord is a mainstream family sedan with a much higher complaint volume: 4,438 complaints over 10 years, averaging about 444 per year. The most common areas are the engine, electrical system, forward collision avoidance, and brakes. There are also 38 recalls and reports of 160 crashes, 144 injuries, and 3 deaths. For a buyer, this means the Accord is a common car with many reported issues, but most are likely less exotic and may be covered by recalls or warranties.
The numbers
Side-by-side NHTSA record
Lower is better in every category. The highlighted cell is the stronger result.
| Category | Mclaren 720S | Honda Accord |
|---|---|---|
| Total complaintsAll model years combined | 2 Better | 4,438 |
| Safety recallsFederal recall campaigns | 6 Better | 38 |
| Crash reportsCrash-related complaints | 0 Better | 160 |
| Complaints per yearAveraged across model years | 0.3 Better | 443.8 |
| Reported injuriesTied to owner complaints | 0 Better | 144 |
| 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.
Mclaren 720S
- 01SUSPENSION1
- 02UNKNOWN OR OTHER1
One owner reported a known suspension accumulator problem on earlier 720S models, calling it a major safety concern because the suspension is critical. Mclaren has a revised part, but the complaint says it has not yet been issued as a recall. Buyers should have the suspension inspected for leaks or warning lights.
One owner reported that the baffle in the turbo inlet came loose, got chopped up by the turbo, and was shot into the engine. This could lead to engine failure and fire if parts reach sensitive areas. This is a known issue according to the dealer and manufacturer, so buyers should check for turbo or engine noises.
“McLaren automotive has a known suspension accumulator problem on earlier year 720s models. This is a major safety concern as the suspension is a huge safety component in all vehicles. They have a revised updated part to fix this, but it has not yet issued a r…”
Honda Accord
- 01ENGINE985
- 02ELECTRICAL SYSTEM863
- 03FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE821
- 04UNKNOWN OR OTHER725
- 05SERVICE BRAKES592
Owners report noises, loss of power, and multiple dashboard alarms such as brake, hill descent, ABS, and critical failure warnings. One complaint described the vehicle losing speed and not being able to accelerate. These issues can strand a driver and may require expensive diagnostics.
Complaints include TPMS warnings followed by catastrophic tire failure, and rodent damage to the camshaft position wiring harness even on new vehicles. Electrical gremlins can cause safety systems to malfunction and are often intermittent, making them hard to diagnose.
Owners report that adaptive cruise control, lane keeping assist, road departure mitigation, and automatic high beams show intermittent error messages. In one case, the system failed to resolve a threat. These failures can reduce driver assistance and increase crash risk if not addressed.
Brake-related complaints are common, with 592 reports. Owners describe brake system warnings and potential failures that could affect stopping ability. This is a critical safety area, so any brake warning light or unusual pedal feel should be checked immediately.
“I purchased this vehicle at 0 miles in July 2025 from Honda Accord in Pensacola Florida. I reported in July 2025 that there was a noise and I was unhappy with the vehicle and would like to exchange the vehicle within the 30 days months later, the noise got lo…”
“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…”
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.
Mclaren 720S — 6 recalls
The defect: McLaren Automotive Incorporated (McLaren) is recalling certain 2020 570S, GT, 2019 600LT, and 2019-2020 720S vehicles. The brake assembly banjo bolt may be missing the holes that supply brake fluid to the caliper, which would cause the brakes to fail on one corner of the vehicle.
The risk: Brake failure in one corner can cause the vehicle to pull to one side during braking, and increase the risk of a crash.
The fix: Dealers will inspect and replace the banjo bolt, as necessary, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed September 1, 2021. Owners may contact McLaren customer service at 1-646-429-8916. McLaren's number for this recall is SRC 00 C 001.
The defect: McLaren Automotive Incorporated (McLaren) is recalling certain 2016-2020 720S, 2019 Senna, 2020 GT, and 2017-2019 570GT vehicles. The Noise, Vibration, and Harshness (NVH) foam pad underneath the fuel tank may retain moisture and corrode the fuel tank, potentially causing a fuel leak.
The risk: A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source increases the risk of a fire.
The fix: McLaren will notify owners, and dealers will remove the NVH foam pad from the vehicle and inspect the fuel tank. If the fuel tank is found to have corrosion, it will be replaced. Repairs will be performed free of charge. The recall began J…
The defect: McLaren Automotive Incorporated (McLaren) is recalling certain 2016-2020 720S, 2019 Senna, 2020 GT, and 2017-2019 570GT vehicles. The Noise, Vibration, and Harshness (NVH) foam pad underneath the fuel tank may retain moisture and corrode the fuel tank, potentially causing a fuel leak.
The risk: A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source increases the risk of a fire.
The fix: McLaren will notify owners, and dealers will remove the NVH foam pad from the vehicle and inspect the fuel tank. If the fuel tank is found to have corrosion, it will be replaced. Repairs will be performed free of charge. The recall began J…
The defect: McLaren Automotive Incorporated (McLaren) is recalling certain 2016-2020 720S, 2019 Senna, 2020 GT, and 2017-2019 570GT vehicles. The Noise, Vibration, and Harshness (NVH) foam pad underneath the fuel tank may retain moisture and corrode the fuel tank, potentially causing a fuel leak.
The risk: A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source increases the risk of a fire.
The fix: McLaren will notify owners, and dealers will remove the NVH foam pad from the vehicle and inspect the fuel tank. If the fuel tank is found to have corrosion, it will be replaced. Repairs will be performed free of charge. The recall began J…
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 (America Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2023 Civic, Acura RDX, Acura Integra, and 2022 Honda Accord vehicles. A ball valve in the vehicle stability assist (VSA) modulator may leak brake fluid, which can result in unintended vehicle movement when the brake hold feature is engaged or an…
The risk: Unintended vehicle movement or an unexpected increase in brake pedal travel can increase the risk of a crash or injury.
The fix: Dealers will replace the VSA modulator, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 24, 2023. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are OEJ, XEK, AEY, XEX and OEW.
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
Mclaren 720S or Honda Accord: which should you buy?
The Mclaren 720S has far fewer complaints per year (0.3 vs. 443.8), but its issues tend to be severe and costly when they occur. The Honda Accord has many more complaints, but they are spread across a huge number of vehicles, and many may be minor or covered by recalls. In practice, the 720S is a low-volume exotic with rare but serious problems, while the Accord is a high-volume car with frequent but often less exotic issues.
Key differences
- The Mclaren 720S has only 2 complaints over 7 years, while the Honda Accord has 4,438 over 10 years, but the 720S complaints describe severe failures like turbo baffle ingestion and suspension accumulator problems.
- The Accord has 160 crash-related complaints, 144 injuries, and 3 deaths, while the 720S has 0 in each category, though the 720S's low volume means fewer opportunities for such reports.
- The 720S has 6 recalls, mostly for brakes and fuel system, while the Accord has 38 recalls covering electrical, tires, brakes, air bags, and fuel pump.
- Accord owners frequently report engine noises, loss of power, and forward collision avoidance errors, whereas 720S owners report specific mechanical failures that can lead to engine damage or fire.
- Check for suspension warning lights or leaks, and ask if the updated suspension accumulator part has been installed, as one owner reported a known problem on earlier models.
- Listen for unusual turbo noises or engine rattles that could indicate the turbo inlet baffle has come loose, which can cause engine failure and fire.
- Look for engine warning lights, unusual noises, or loss of power, as owners report multiple dashboard alarms and speed loss.
- Test all electrical systems, including TPMS, adaptive cruise control, lane keeping assist, and automatic high beams, for intermittent error messages.
Before you buy
- Obtain a full vehicle history report and confirm all recalls have been completed for both models.
- For the Mclaren 720S, have a qualified exotic car mechanic inspect the suspension and turbo system for the specific issues reported.
- For the Honda Accord, test drive at highway speeds and check for engine noises, warning lights, and proper operation of driver-assist features.
- Ask the seller for maintenance records, especially for brake and electrical repairs on the Accord and suspension work on the 720S.
- Consider a pre-purchase inspection by a mechanic familiar with the specific model to catch expensive problems before buying.
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 | Mclaren 720S | Honda Accord |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 0 | 224 |
| 2022 | 0 | 238 |
| 2021 | 0 | 226 |
| 2020 | 0 | 355 |
| 2019 | 1 | 677 |
| 2018 | 1 | 1864 |
| 2017 | 0 | 534 |
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 Mclaren 720S or Honda Accord in front of you — accident history, open recalls and title records.
Go deeper
Full reliability reports
- Comparison
- Mclaren 720S vs Honda Accord
- Mclaren 720S total complaints
- 2
- Honda Accord total complaints
- 4,438
- Mclaren 720S total recalls
- 6
- Honda Accord total recalls
- 38
- Mclaren 720S avg complaints/year
- 0.3
- Honda Accord avg complaints/year
- 443.8
- More reliable overall
- Mclaren 720S
- Mclaren 720S top complaint area
- SUSPENSION
- Honda Accord top complaint area
- ENGINE