Head-to-head reliability
Pontiac VIBE vs Honda Accord
How the Pontiac VIBE 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
Pontiac VIBE averages fewer NHTSA complaints per year. Pontiac VIBE has 1,872 complaints and 51 recalls on record; Honda Accord has 4,438 complaints and 38 recalls. Source: NHTSA owner complaints.
The numbers
Side-by-side NHTSA record
Lower is better in every category. The highlighted cell is the stronger result.
| Category | Pontiac VIBE | Honda Accord |
|---|---|---|
| Total complaintsAll model years combined | 1,872 Better | 4,438 |
| Safety recallsFederal recall campaigns | 51 | 38 Better |
| Crash reportsCrash-related complaints | 106 Better | 160 |
| Complaints per yearAveraged across model years | 234.0 Better | 443.8 |
| Reported injuriesTied to owner complaints | 115 Better | 144 |
| Reported deathsTied to owner complaints | 1 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.
Pontiac VIBE
- 01AIR BAGS1,007
- 02VISIBILITY176
- 03POWER TRAIN135
- 04VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL118
- 05ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING105
“TAKATA RECALL I FIRST RECEIVED MY SAFETY RECALL NOTICE IN JULY 2016 AND MY SECOND NOTICE IN MAY 2017. BOTH TIMES I WAS INFORMED THAT I WOULD RECEIVE A CALL WHEN THE PARTS CAME IN BUT THE CALL NEVER CAME AND THE REPAIR NEVER DONE. YESTERDAY I WENT BEYOND THE D…”
“TAKATA RECALL WE RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE IN JULY OF THIS YEAR, STATING THAT PARTS FOR OUR VEHICLE WERE NOT AVAILABLE. THE RECALL ALSO STATED IT WAS NOT SAFE FOR A PASSENGER TO RIDE IN THE PASSENGER SIDE FRONT SEAT. WE CALLED OUR LOCAL DEALER IN DECEMBER OF T…”
Honda Accord
- 01ENGINE985
- 02ELECTRICAL SYSTEM863
- 03FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE821
- 04UNKNOWN OR OTHER725
- 05SERVICE BRAKES592
“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.
Pontiac VIBE — 51 recalls
The defect: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2013 Scion xB, Toyota Corolla, Corolla Matrix, Sienna, 4Runner, Lexus IS250, IS350, IS250C, IS350C, IS-F, and GX460 vehicles sold, ever registered, in the states of AL, CA, FL, GA, HI, LA, MS, SC, TX, PR, AS, GU, the MP (Saipan)…
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: Toyota will notify the Toyota, Scion and Lexus owners. General Motors will contact the Pontiac owners. Depending on the vehicle model, dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator, or replace the air bag assembly. The recall b…
The defect: On January 9, 2018, Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) notified NHTSA that they are recalling 14,585 model year 2010-2012 Yaris vehicles ever registered in the states of Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa,…
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: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag assemblies with an alternate inflator, free of charge. The recall began on January 29, 2018. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. To…
The defect: Toyota Motor Company (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2009-2011 Tundra, Sequoia, Corolla, Corolla Matrix and Scion xB, 2008-2011 Highlander and Highlander Hybrid, 2007 Camry and Camry Hybrid, 2009 Camry and Camry Hybrid, 2006-2011 RAV4, 2006-2010 Yaris, and 2009-2010 Scion xD and Pontiac Vi…
The risk: If the sliding electrical contacts are not protected by lubricant, debris and moisture that get into the switch may cause a short circuit and the switch assembly may overheat and melt, increasing the risk of a fire.
The fix: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the switch, applying a lubricant if no abnormality is found. If abnormality is found, the PWMS circuit board will be replaced, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin December 20,…
The defect: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2008-2011 Scion xB and Lexus IS F, 2009-2011 Toyota Corolla and Corolla Matrix, 2006-2011 Toyota Yaris, Lexus IS250 and Lexus IS350, 2010-2011 Toyota 4Runner, Lexus IS250C, Lexus IS350C and Lexus GX460, 2011 Sienna, 2…
The risk: An inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
The fix: Toyota will notify the Toyota and Lexus owners. General Motors will contact the Pontiac owners. Depending on the model, dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag inflator or the air bag assembly, free of charge. The recall began o…
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…
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 Pontiac VIBE or Honda Accord in front of you — accident history, open recalls and title records.
Go deeper
Full reliability reports
- Comparison
- Pontiac VIBE vs Honda Accord
- Pontiac VIBE total complaints
- 1,872
- Honda Accord total complaints
- 4,438
- Pontiac VIBE total recalls
- 51
- Honda Accord total recalls
- 38
- Pontiac VIBE avg complaints/year
- 234.0
- Honda Accord avg complaints/year
- 443.8
- More reliable overall
- Pontiac VIBE
- Pontiac VIBE top complaint area
- AIR BAGS
- Honda Accord top complaint area
- ENGINE