Head-to-head reliability
Mclaren P1 vs Honda Accord
How the Mclaren P1 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 P1 vs Honda Accord: over 10 years, the P1 has 0 complaints and 4 recalls, while the Accord has 4,524 complaints, 38 recalls, 162 crash-related reports, 146 injuries, and 3 deaths. The P1's recalls cover air bag inflators and hood latches; the Accord's top complaint areas are engine, electrical, forward collision avoidance, and fuel. Source: NHTSA owner complaints.
The picture
Is the Mclaren P1 or Honda Accord more reliable?
A plain-English read on what the NHTSA record says about living with each vehicle.
Mclaren P1
The Mclaren P1 is a limited-production plug-in hybrid hypercar, so ownership is exotic and low-volume. Over 10 years, NHTSA shows 0 owner complaints, meaning there is no reported pattern of recurring failures from drivers. However, there are 4 recalls, all for the passenger-side frontal air bag inflator module and the hood latch. With no complaint text on record, a buyer should rely on recall completion and a specialist inspection rather than owner-reported symptoms.
Honda Accord
The Honda Accord is a high-volume family sedan and hybrid, so it has a large owner base and many reports. Over 10 years, NHTSA shows 4,524 complaints, about 452 per year, with 162 crash-related, 146 injuries, and 3 deaths. The most common complaint areas are the engine, electrical system, forward collision avoidance, and fuel/propulsion system. Recalls cover hybrid power control software, spare tires, seat belt retractors, occupant classification sensors, and fuel pumps.
The numbers
Side-by-side NHTSA record
Lower is better in every category. The highlighted cell is the stronger result.
| Category | Mclaren P1 | Honda Accord |
|---|---|---|
| Total complaintsAll model years combined | 0 Better | 4,524 |
| Safety recallsFederal recall campaigns | 4 Better | 38 |
| Crash reportsCrash-related complaints | 0 Better | 162 |
| Complaints per yearAveraged across model years | 0.0 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.
Mclaren P1
No component data available.
The P1 has two recalls for the passenger-side frontal air bag inflator module. A recalled inflator may not deploy as designed in a crash, so buyers should confirm the recall was completed.
The P1 also has two recalls for the hood latch. If the latch fails, the hood could open while driving and block the driver's view, so the latch should be inspected and the recall closed.
There are no owner complaints on file for the P1, so there is no reported symptom pattern to describe. That does not prove the car is problem-free; it means buyers have little public failure data and should budget for a thorough pre-purchase inspection.
Honda Accord
- 01ENGINE1,006
- 02ELECTRICAL SYSTEM895
- 03FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE837
- 04UNKNOWN OR OTHER746
- 05FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM602
Engine complaints are the largest group, with 1,006 reports. Owners describe alarms for brake, hill descent, ABS, and critical failure, followed by loss of speed, and others report rattling while accelerating and rough transitions between EV and gas mode.
Electrical complaints total 895. Owners report electronic power steering and braking failing and locking up at highway speeds, and a TPMS warning followed by a passenger-side tire failure after a dealership repair.
Forward collision avoidance complaints total 837. Owners describe the system failing to resolve a threat, and adaptive cruise control suddenly braking or behaving unexpectedly under the same driving and weather conditions on the same route.
Fuel and propulsion complaints total 602. Owners report a persistent rotten-egg or sulfur odor that remained after a filter replacement and odor treatment, and there is a fuel pump recall.
“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.
Mclaren P1 — 4 recalls
The defect: McLaren Automotive Incorporated (McLaren) is recalling certain 2012-2013 MP4-12C, 2014-2016 650s, 2015-2016 675 LT, 2014-2015 P1 and 2015-2017 570 vehicles. These vehicles are equipped with air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules, used as original equipment or r…
The risk: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
The fix: McLaren will notify owners, and dealers will replace the air bags, free of charge. The recall began March 28, 2019. Owners may contact McLaren customer service at 1-646-429-8916.
The defect: McLaren Automotive Incorporated (McLaren) is recalling certain model year 2014-2015 P1 hybrid vehicles manufactured March 1, 2013, to October 31, 2015. The affected vehicles have a secondary hood latch that may not properly re-engage. As a result, if the primary latch is released inadvertently, the…
The risk: If the hood opens while driving it may increase the risk of a crash.
The fix: McLaren will notify owners, and dealers will replace the hood latch with a newly-designed latch, free of charge. The recall began on January 18, 2016. Owners may contact McLaren customer service at 1-646-429-8916.
The defect: McLaren Automotive Incorporated (McLaren) is recalling certain 2012-2013 MP4-12C, 2014-2016 650s, 2015-2016 675 LT, 2014-2015 P1 and 2015-2017 570 vehicles. These vehicles are equipped with air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules, used as original equipment or r…
The risk: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
The fix: McLaren will notify owners, and dealers will replace the air bags, free of charge. The recall began March 28, 2019. Owners may contact McLaren customer service at 1-646-429-8916.
The defect: McLaren Automotive Incorporated (McLaren) is recalling certain model year 2014-2015 P1 hybrid vehicles manufactured March 1, 2013, to October 31, 2015. The affected vehicles have a secondary hood latch that may not properly re-engage. As a result, if the primary latch is released inadvertently, the…
The risk: If the hood opens while driving it may increase the risk of a crash.
The fix: McLaren will notify owners, and dealers will replace the hood latch with a newly-designed latch, free of charge. The recall began on January 18, 2016. Owners may contact McLaren customer service at 1-646-429-8916.
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
Mclaren P1 or Honda Accord: which should you buy?
The Mclaren P1 has far fewer issues per year: 0 complaints per year versus about 452 per year for the Honda Accord. In practice, the Accord has a large, well-documented set of owner-reported problems across engine, electrical, forward collision avoidance, and fuel systems, while the P1 has no owner complaint pattern but does have air bag and hood latch recalls. The difference means an Accord buyer can research specific symptoms, while a P1 buyer must rely on recall checks and a specialist inspection.
Key differences
- The Mclaren P1 has 0 owner complaints over 10 years, while the Honda Accord has 4,524 complaints, about 452 per year.
- The P1 has 4 recalls, all for the passenger-side frontal air bag inflator module and the hood latch; the Accord has 38 recalls, including hybrid power control software, spare tire, seat belt retractor, occupant classification sensor, and fuel pump.
- Accord owners report engine alarms with brake, hill descent, ABS, and critical failure messages, plus loss of speed; P1 owners have no complaint text on record.
- Accord owners report electrical failures such as electronic power steering and braking locking up at highway speeds, and forward collision avoidance issues; the P1 has no reported complaint pattern for those systems.
- Confirm both passenger-side frontal air bag inflator module recalls are completed, since a recalled inflator may not deploy correctly.
- Inspect the hood latch and confirm both hood latch recalls are closed, because a failed latch could let the hood open while driving.
- Check for engine-related warning messages such as brake, hill descent, ABS, or critical failure, and listen for rattling while accelerating or rough EV-to-gas transitions.
- Test the electronic power steering and braking at low and highway speeds, and verify the forward collision avoidance and adaptive cruise control behave normally, since owners report lockups and unexpected braking.
Before you buy
- Run the VIN for both vehicles to confirm all open recalls are completed, especially the P1 air bag and hood latch recalls and the Accord hybrid power control, fuel pump, seat belt, and occupant sensor recalls.
- For the P1, hire a Mclaren specialist for a pre-purchase inspection covering the air bag system and hood latch, since there are no owner complaints to guide you.
- For the Accord, scan for stored engine and electrical fault codes and test the hybrid system, electronic power steering, braking, and forward collision avoidance on a test drive.
- Ask the Accord seller for service records related to engine alarms, electrical repairs, and fuel or odor complaints, and check whether the fuel pump recall was performed.
- Verify the Accord's tire condition and spare tire recall status, and check for any TPMS warning history, since owners report a tire failure after a TPMS repair.
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 P1 | Honda Accord |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 0 | 234 |
| 2020 | 0 | 362 |
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 P1 or Honda Accord in front of you — accident history, open recalls and title records.
Go deeper
Full reliability reports
- Comparison
- Mclaren P1 vs Honda Accord
- Mclaren P1 total complaints
- 0
- Honda Accord total complaints
- 4,524
- Mclaren P1 total recalls
- 4
- Honda Accord total recalls
- 38
- Mclaren P1 avg complaints/year
- 0.0
- Honda Accord avg complaints/year
- 452.4
- More reliable overall
- Mclaren P1
- Honda Accord top complaint area
- ENGINE