Head-to-head reliability

Porsche Cayenne vs Honda Accord

How the Porsche Cayenne and Honda Accord compare on NHTSA complaints, recalls and crash reports — and which is the lower-risk used buy.

Porsche Cayenne123 complaints · 28 recalls Fewer issues per year
Honda Accord4,301 complaints · 38 recalls

Based on NHTSA owner-complaint & recall records

Which should you buy?

Porsche Cayenne averages fewer NHTSA complaints per year. Porsche Cayenne has 123 complaints and 28 recalls on record; Honda Accord has 4,301 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.

CategoryPorsche CayenneHonda Accord
Total complaintsAll model years combined123 Better4,301
Safety recallsFederal recall campaigns28 Better38
Crash reportsCrash-related complaints4 Better155
Complaints per yearAveraged across model years12.3 Better430.1
Reported injuriesTied to owner complaints2 Better141
Reported deathsTied to owner complaints0 Better3

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.

Porsche Cayenne

  1. 01UNKNOWN OR OTHER32
  2. 02ELECTRICAL SYSTEM31
  3. 03AIR BAGS21
  4. 04ENGINE18
  5. 05POWER TRAIN15
In owners' words — UNKNOWN OR OTHER

My 2020 Porsche Cayenne has experienced leather dashboard delamination, with the leather separating, shrinking, and lifting from the dashboard substrate on both the driver and passenger sides. The delamination extends across the upper dashboard, including are…

In-car entertainment, transmissions controls, audio controls, climate controls (front and rear) , car will shut off without turning the key in off position, often times the vehicle will just terminate a call with no warning - no explantion, the rear camera on…

Honda Accord

  1. 01ENGINE928
  2. 02ELECTRICAL SYSTEM824
  3. 03FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE798
  4. 04UNKNOWN OR OTHER699
  5. 05SERVICE BRAKES577
In owners' words — ENGINE

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.

Porsche Cayenne — 28 recalls

Power Train — Automatic Transmission — Cooling Unit And Lines
#20V271000

The defect: Porsche Cars North America, Inc. (Porsche) is recalling certain 2020 Cayenne vehicles. An insufficient weld on a transmission oil pipe may cause the vehicle to leak automatic transmission fluid (ATF).

The risk: If transmission fluid leaks while driving, the road surface may be made slippery, increasing the risk of a crash.

The fix: Porsche will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the transmission oil pipe and replace it if necessary, free of charge. The recall began September 8, 2020. Owners may contact Porsche customer service at 1-800-767-7243. Porsche's number…

Seats
#21V318000May 2021

The defect: Porsche Cars North America, Inc. (Porsche) is recalling certain 2021 Cayenne GTS, Cayenne GTS Coupe, 2020-2021 Cayenne Coupe, Cayenne S Coupe, Cayenne E-Hybrid Coupe vehicles. The passenger seat back heating element was not installed and may impact the calibration of the Occupant Classification Sys…

The risk: The front passenger air bag may fail to deploy, increasing the risk of injury.

The fix: Dealers will install a heating element, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 25, 2021. Owners may contact Porsche customer service at 1-800-767-7243. Porsche's number for this recall is AMB0.

Electrical System — Instrument Cluster/Panel
#19V735000

The defect: Porsche Cars North America, Inc. (Porsche) is recalling certain 2017 Panamera 4, Panamera Turbo, Panamera Turbo Executive, 2017-2018 Panamera, Panamera 4S Executive, Panamera 4S, 2018 Panamera Turbo S Hybrid, Panamera 4 Hybrid Sport Turismo, Panamera 4 Sport Turismo, Panamera Turbo S Hybrid Sport T…

The risk: If the driver is not alerted when brake pads are worn out, the vehicle may not respond as expected when braking, increasing the risk of crash.

The fix: Porsche will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the instrument cluster, free of charge. The recall is began December 13, 2019. Owners may contact Porsche customer service at 1-800-767-7243. Porsche's number for this recall is AKB8.…

Back Over Prevention — Sensing System — Camera
#25V896000

The defect: Porsche Cars North America, Inc. (Porsche) is recalling certain 2019-2025 Cayenne, Cayenne E-Hybrid, 2020-2025 911, Taycan, 2024-2025 Panamera, and 2025 Panamera E-Hybrid vehicles. The rearview camera image may not display when the vehicle is placed in reverse. As such, these vehicles fail to compl…

The risk: A rearview image that does not display properly reduces the driver's view behind the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.

The fix: Dealers will update the driver assistance software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed February 13, 2026. Owners may contact Porsche customer service at 1-800-767-7243. Porsche's number for this recall is ASB2. Vehicle…

Honda Accord — 38 recalls

Electrical System — Propulsion System — Hybrid Management — Power Control Unit/Module (Hpcu) — Software
#25V785000

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…

Tires — Temporary/Emergency Spare Tire
#26V366000Apr 2026

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 are expected to be mailed July 27, 2026. Additional letters will be sent once the final remedy is availa…

Service Brakes, Hydraulic — Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip — Control Unit/Module
#23V430000

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.

Air Bags — Sensor — Occupant Classification — Front Passenger
#24V064000Jan 2024

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…

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.

YearPorsche CayenneHonda Accord
202634
2025097
20245207
20235220
20223217
202117217
202021341
201941655
2018131815
201715528
Years to scrutinize: the 2019 Porsche Cayenne drew the most complaints (41); the 2018 Honda Accord drew the most (1,815). Inspect these model years especially closely.

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 Porsche Cayenne or Honda Accord in front of you — accident history, open recalls and title records.

Go deeper

Full reliability reports

Porsche Cayenne vs Honda Accord — comparison facts
Comparison
Porsche Cayenne vs Honda Accord
Porsche Cayenne total complaints
123
Honda Accord total complaints
4,301
Porsche Cayenne total recalls
28
Honda Accord total recalls
38
Porsche Cayenne avg complaints/year
12.3
Honda Accord avg complaints/year
430.1
More reliable overall
Porsche Cayenne
Porsche Cayenne top complaint area
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Honda Accord top complaint area
ENGINE