Head-to-head reliability

Porsche Macan vs Honda Accord

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

Porsche Macan162 complaints · 15 recalls Fewer issues per year
Honda Accord4,301 complaints · 38 recalls

Based on NHTSA owner-complaint & recall records

Which should you buy?

Porsche Macan averages fewer NHTSA complaints per year. Porsche Macan has 162 complaints and 15 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 MacanHonda Accord
Total complaintsAll model years combined162 Better4,301
Safety recallsFederal recall campaigns15 Better38
Crash reportsCrash-related complaints11 Better155
Complaints per yearAveraged across model years16.2 Better430.1
Reported injuriesTied to owner complaints4 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 Macan

  1. 01AIR BAGS36
  2. 02EXTERIOR LIGHTING25
  3. 03ELECTRICAL SYSTEM23
  4. 04SERVICE BRAKES21
  5. 05UNKNOWN OR OTHER15
In owners' words — AIR BAGS

Car sensor showed collision happening, without any external car onsite on a highway. And after pulling the car onto a safe place on the shoulder, upon hitting park gear the side rail airbags deployed. No accident happened to the car but airbags deployed unpro…

There was a recall on the passenger sideair bag sensor for previous years but the issue is still occurring in my 2021 Porsche macan turbo. The error code reports a faulty air bag sensor. The recall should be extended to later year models. Thank you

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 Macan — 15 recalls

Suspension — Front — Shock Absorber
#21V224000

The defect: Porsche Cars North America, Inc. (Porsche) is recalling certain 2021 Porsche Macan, Macan S, Macan GTS, and Macan Turbo vehicles. The screw connection on the shock absorbers of the front and rear axle might not be tightened properly.

The risk: A failed screw connection may cause damage to the braking system, driving instability, and the potential loss of control, increasing the risk of a crash.

The fix: Owners are advised not to drive their vehicle until the remedy has been performed. Porsche will notify owners, and dealers will rework and tighten the screw connections, free of charge. Owners may contact Porsche's customer service at 1-80…

Seat Belts — Rear/Other — Anchorage
#23V443000

The defect: Porsche Cars North America, Inc. (Porsche) is recalling certain 2016-2020 Macan S, 2017-2020 Macan, 2017 Panamera Turbo, 2018 and 2020 Macan Turbo and Panamera 4, 2018 Macan Sport Edition, Panamera 4 E-Hybrid, and 2019 Panamera 4 Sport Turismo vehicles. The screw that attaches the lower seat belt a…

The risk: An improperly tightened seat belt anchor can detach during a crash, increasing the risk of injury.

The fix: Dealers will replace and tighten the lower rear outboard seat belt anchor screws, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed August 24, 2023. Owners may contact Porsche's customer service at 1-800-767-7243. Porsch…

Exterior Lighting — Headlights
#22V656000

The defect: Porsche Cars North America, Inc. (Porsche) is recalling certain 2003-2020 Porsche Macan, Cayenne, Panamera, and Cayman S, 2001-2004 Boxster, Boxster S, 2004 Boxster 50 JAHRE SPYDER 550 vehicles. Please see the recall report for a complete list of all affected models and model years. The caps that c…

The risk: Improperly adjusted headlights may not illuminate the road properly, or cause a glare to oncoming drivers, which can increase the risk of a crash.

The fix: Dealers will inspect the headlights for sealing caps and install missing caps as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed October 28, 2022. Owners may contact Porsche's customer service at 1-800-767-7243. Porsche's…

Seat Belts — Rear/Other — Anchorage
#23V443000

The defect: Porsche Cars North America, Inc. (Porsche) is recalling certain 2016-2020 Macan S, 2017-2020 Macan, 2017 Panamera Turbo, 2018 and 2020 Macan Turbo and Panamera 4, 2018 Macan Sport Edition, Panamera 4 E-Hybrid, and 2019 Panamera 4 Sport Turismo vehicles. The screw that attaches the lower seat belt a…

The risk: An improperly tightened seat belt anchor can detach during a crash, increasing the risk of injury.

The fix: Dealers will replace and tighten the lower rear outboard seat belt anchor screws, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed August 24, 2023. Owners may contact Porsche's customer service at 1-800-767-7243. Porsch…

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 MacanHonda Accord
202604
2025097
20248207
20236220
20224217
202111217
202024341
201918655
2018311815
201760528
Years to scrutinize: the 2017 Porsche Macan drew the most complaints (60); 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 Macan or Honda Accord in front of you — accident history, open recalls and title records.

Go deeper

Full reliability reports

Porsche Macan vs Honda Accord — comparison facts
Comparison
Porsche Macan vs Honda Accord
Porsche Macan total complaints
162
Honda Accord total complaints
4,301
Porsche Macan total recalls
15
Honda Accord total recalls
38
Porsche Macan avg complaints/year
16.2
Honda Accord avg complaints/year
430.1
More reliable overall
Porsche Macan
Porsche Macan top complaint area
AIR BAGS
Honda Accord top complaint area
ENGINE