Head-to-head reliability
Nissan GT R vs Honda Accord
How the Nissan GT R 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
Nissan GT R vs Honda Accord: over 10 years, the GT R has 0 complaints and 4 recalls, while the Accord has 4,524 complaints, 38 recalls, and 162 crash-related reports. The Accord's owner reports include power steering and braking failure and adaptive cruise control issues. Source: NHTSA owner complaints.
The picture
Is the Nissan GT R or Honda Accord more reliable?
A plain-English read on what the NHTSA record says about living with each vehicle.
Nissan GT R
The Nissan GT R is a low-volume performance car, and over the past 10 years NHTSA shows 0 owner complaints, 0 crash-related reports, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths. It does have 4 recalls, covering rear axle spindle, equipment labels, and rear camera sensing. In plain terms, the public complaint record is quiet, but that does not prove the car is trouble-free; it may simply mean fewer owners file complaints. A buyer should treat the GT R as a specialist vehicle where recall checks and a thorough pre-purchase inspection matter more than complaint counts.
Honda Accord
The Honda Accord is a high-volume family sedan, and over the past 10 years NHTSA shows 4,524 owner complaints, 38 recalls, 162 crash-related reports, 146 injuries, and 3 deaths. The most common complaint areas are engine, electrical system, forward collision avoidance, unknown or other, and fuel/propulsion system. Owner reports describe serious symptoms such as simultaneous power steering and braking failure, loss of speed with multiple alarms, and adaptive cruise control issues. A used Accord buyer should expect a much larger public record and should check recalls and service history carefully.
The numbers
Side-by-side NHTSA record
Lower is better in every category. The highlighted cell is the stronger result.
| Category | Nissan GT R | 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.
Nissan GT R
No component data available.
A recall covers the rear axle spindle. If ignored, a rear suspension part can affect wheel alignment and stability. Buyers should confirm this recall was completed.
A recall covers the rear camera sensing system. A failed camera can reduce rear visibility when reversing. Check that the recall remedy was applied.
Two recalls involve equipment labels, such as tire pressure or load information. Missing or incorrect labels can lead to wrong tire inflation or loading. Verify the labels are present and correct.
Honda Accord
- 01ENGINE1,006
- 02ELECTRICAL SYSTEM895
- 03FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE837
- 04UNKNOWN OR OTHER746
- 05FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM602
Owners report alarms for brake, hill descent, ABS, and critical failure, plus loss of speed. Others describe rattling noises while accelerating and rough transitions between EV and gas mode. These can mean expensive engine or hybrid system repairs.
Reports include electronic power steering and braking systems failing and locking up at highway speeds, causing a near-collision. Another owner had a TPMS warning, then a passenger-side tire failed catastrophically after service. Electrical faults can affect steering, braking, and tire monitoring.
Owners describe the system failing to resolve a threat, and adaptive cruise control suddenly braking or acting up under the same driving and weather conditions. This matters because the feature is meant to prevent crashes, not create surprise braking.
This is a top complaint area, and a recall covers the fuel pump delivery system. A failing fuel pump can cause stalling or loss of power. Buyers should confirm the fuel pump recall was performed.
“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.
Nissan GT R — 4 recalls
The defect: Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2020 Nissan Murano, INFINITI QX60, 2021 Nissan GT-R, INFINITI QX50, and Q50 vehicles. The front steering knuckle or rear axle housing may have insufficient strength due to improper heat-treatment.
The risk: The steering knuckle or rear axle could deform upon impact, such as from hitting a curb, resulting in a loss of steering control, or possible wheel separation. Both of these conditions can increase the risk of a crash.
The fix: Dealers will inspect and replace the front steering knuckle and rear axle housing, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 26, 2021. Nissan owners may contact customer service at 1-800-867-7669. INFINITI o…
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. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2015-2016 GT-R vehicles manufactured February 24, 2014, to June 16, 2015 to be sold in Puerto Rico. The affected vehicles have a Certification Label that is missing the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) and Gross Axle Weight Ratin…
The risk: Due to the label missing the GVWR/GAWR information, the operator may overload the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
The fix: Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will apply a corrected label, free of charge. The recall began on December 23, 2015. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-647-7261.
The defect: Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2015-2016 GT-R vehicles manufactured February 24, 2014, to June 16, 2015 to be sold in Puerto Rico. The affected vehicles have a Certification Label that is missing the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) and Gross Axle Weight Ratin…
The risk: Due to the label missing the GVWR/GAWR information, the operator may overload the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
The fix: Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will apply a corrected label, free of charge. The recall began on December 23, 2015. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-647-7261.
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
Nissan GT R or Honda Accord: which should you buy?
The Nissan GT R has far fewer issues per year in the NHTSA data: 0 complaints per year versus about 452 per year for the Honda Accord. The Accord also has 38 recalls and 162 crash-related reports, while the GT R has 4 recalls and 0 crash-related reports. In practice, the Accord has a much larger public record of owner-reported problems, but the GT R's low complaint count may reflect lower sales and reporting rather than proven reliability.
Key differences
- The GT R has 0 complaints and 0 crash-related reports over 10 years, while the Accord has 4,524 complaints and 162 crash-related reports.
- The Accord has 38 recalls, including hybrid power control software, fuel pump, seat belt retractor, and air bag sensor; the GT R has 4 recalls, including rear axle spindle and rear camera sensing.
- Accord owners report simultaneous power steering and braking failure and adaptive cruise control issues; GT R has no owner complaint text on record.
- The Accord's top complaint areas are engine, electrical, forward collision avoidance, unknown/other, and fuel/propulsion; the GT R has no top components listed.
- Confirm the rear axle spindle recall was completed, since a rear suspension failure can affect stability.
- Check that the rear camera sensing system recall was performed and that the camera works when reversing.
- Test the electronic power steering and braking at low and highway speeds, and watch for warning lights or lock-up symptoms.
- Check for adaptive cruise control sudden braking or failure to detect obstacles, and confirm the fuel pump recall was done.
Before you buy
- Run the VIN on NHTSA.gov to see all open recalls for the specific GT R or Accord you are considering.
- For the GT R, ask for proof the rear axle spindle and rear camera recalls were completed.
- For the Accord, ask for proof the fuel pump, hybrid power control software, and seat belt recalls were completed.
- During a test drive, listen for engine rattles and feel for rough EV-to-gas transitions on the Accord.
- On the Accord, test forward collision warning and adaptive cruise control in a safe area, and check for any steering or braking warning lights.
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 | Nissan GT R | Honda Accord |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 0 | 219 |
| 2023 | 0 | 226 |
| 2022 | 0 | 252 |
| 2021 | 0 | 234 |
| 2020 | 0 | 362 |
| 2019 | 0 | 691 |
| 2018 | 0 | 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 Nissan GT R or Honda Accord in front of you — accident history, open recalls and title records.
Go deeper
Full reliability reports
- Comparison
- Nissan GT R vs Honda Accord
- Nissan GT R total complaints
- 0
- Honda Accord total complaints
- 4,524
- Nissan GT R total recalls
- 4
- Honda Accord total recalls
- 38
- Nissan GT R avg complaints/year
- 0.0
- Honda Accord avg complaints/year
- 452.4
- More reliable overall
- Nissan GT R
- Honda Accord top complaint area
- ENGINE