Head-to-head reliability
Volkswagen E GOLF vs Honda Accord
How the Volkswagen E GOLF 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
Volkswagen E GOLF averages fewer NHTSA complaints per year. Volkswagen E GOLF has 36 complaints and 10 recalls on record; Honda Accord has 4,173 complaints and 35 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 | Volkswagen E GOLF | Honda Accord |
|---|---|---|
| Total complaintsAll model years combined | 36 Better | 4,173 |
| Safety recallsFederal recall campaigns | 10 Better | 35 |
| Crash reportsCrash-related complaints | 0 Better | 146 |
| Complaints per yearAveraged across model years | 6.0 Better | 417.3 |
| Reported injuriesTied to owner complaints | 2 Better | 135 |
| 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.
Volkswagen E GOLF
- 01ELECTRICAL SYSTEM22
- 02FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM10
- 03UNKNOWN OR OTHER9
- 04ENGINE6
- 05POWER TRAIN5
“THE 2015 EGOLF LOCKS THE CHARGING CONNECTOR ONTO THE VEHICLE DURING CHARGING. THIS FUNCTIONALITY HAS TWO (AT LEAST) BENEFITS TO THE VEHICLE OPERATOR. ONE BENEFIT IS THAT THE (VERY EXPENSEIVE) CAR CHARGER'S POWER SUPPLY CAN'T EASILY BE STOLEN DURING CHARGING.…”
“I WAS DRIVING MY 5-MONTH OLD VW E-GOLF ON A CITY ROAD WITH HEAVY TRAFFIC AND TRAVELING ABOUT 35-40 MPH WHEN ALL OF SUDDEN MY ELECTRIC CAR SHUT OFF AND CAME TO A SHUDDERING STOP. IT FELT ALMOST LIKE ANOTHER CAR HAD HIT ME FROM BEHIND. THE ELECTRIC VW GOLF CAME…”
Honda Accord
- 01ENGINE940
- 02ELECTRICAL SYSTEM812
- 03FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE784
- 04UNKNOWN OR OTHER677
- 05FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM567
“2021 Honda Accord EX-L, 1.5T turbocharged engine. Within 8 months of purchase at approximately 21,900 miles, I experienced three separate incidents of sudden complete engine power loss at highway speeds. During each incident the vehicle would not exceed 2,000…”
“I am filing a complaint regarding the premature head gasket failure on my 2021 Honda Accord, which failed on May 28, 2026, with only 89,000 miles on the vehicle. A head gasket is a critical engine component that should last well beyond 89,000 miles under norm…”
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.
Volkswagen E GOLF — 10 recalls
The defect: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2017 Touareg GP, Tiguan, Golf A6, E-Golf GP, CCF, 2016-2017 Passat GP, 2018-2019 Golf R GP, and 2018 Atlas vehicles. These internal-use vehicles were sold without confirmation that they were built to all applicable regulatory requi…
The risk: Vehicles that do not meet all regulatory requirements may have an increased risk of injury, crash, or fire.
The fix: Volkswagen will repurchase the vehicles. Owner notification letters were mailed May 20, 2021. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 01F1.
The defect: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2018 Volkswagen e-Golf and Golf R vehicles, and Audi A3 Sedan and RS3 vehicles. The rear seat frame head restraint guide sleeves may be incorrectly welded to the seat frame.
The risk: If the guide sleeves are incorrectly welded, in the event of a crash, the rear seat head restraints may have reduced stability, increasing the risk of injury.
The fix: Volkswagen and Audi will notify their owners, and dealers will inspect the guide sleeves for incorrect welds, replacing the rear seat frame, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began December 28, 2018. Owners may contact Volkswagen cu…
The defect: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2012-2016 Eos, 2012 Passat, 2012-2016 CC, 2015-2016 e-Golf, 2011-2015 Touareg, 2012-2015 and 2017 Tiguan, and 2011-2016 Golf and 2011-2013 GTI vehicles. Modifications made while the vehicles were in an internal evaluation period ma…
The risk: If the vehicles do not meet all regulatory requirements, there could be an increased risk of a crash, fire, or injury.
The fix: Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will repair the vehicles to make them fully compliant or Volkswagen will repurchase them if necessary, free of charge. The recall began November 29, 2018. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer se…
The defect: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain model year 2015-2016 e-Golf vehicles manufactured May 21, 2014, to March 1, 2016. Oversensitive diagnostics for the high-voltage battery management system may falsely detect an electrical surge resulting in the vehicle's electric d…
The risk: An unexpected vehicle shutdown can increase the risk of a crash.
The fix: Volkswagen has notified owners, and dealers will update the battery management software, free of charge. The recall began March 15, 2016. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall…
Honda Accord — 35 recalls
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…
The defect: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2013-2023 Honda Accord, Civic Coupe, Civic Sedan, Civic Hatchback, Civic Type R, CR-V, HR-V, Ridgeline, Odyssey, Acura ILX, MDX, MDX Hybrid, RDX, RLX, TLX, 2019-2022 Honda Insight, Passport, 2020 Honda CR-V Hybrid, 2018-2019 Honda Clarity PHEV,…
The risk: Fuel pump failure can cause an engine stall while driving, increasing the risk of a crash.
The fix: Dealers will replace the fuel pump module, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed September 6, 2024. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are KGC and KGD. This recall is an expansi…
The defect: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2018-2021, 2023 Acura TLX, 2019-2024 RDX, 2017-2020, 2022-2026 MDX, 2017-2021, 2023, 2025 Honda Ridgeline, 2017-2022 Pilot, 2019-2021 Passport, 2018-2026 Odyssey, 2019-2022 Insight, 2019-2021 HR-V, 2018-2020 Fit, 2020-2022 CR-V Hybrid, 2017-2022…
The risk: Air bags that deploy unintentionally during a crash increase the risk of injury.
The fix: Dealers will replace the seat weight sensors, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 7, 2026. Owners may contact Honda's customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are BOL, WO9, OOA, WOM, XOH,…
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 | Volkswagen E GOLF | Honda Accord |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 0 | 349 |
| 2019 | 6 | 667 |
| 2018 | 1 | 1846 |
| 2017 | 1 | 532 |
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 Volkswagen E GOLF or Honda Accord in front of you — accident history, open recalls and title records.
Go deeper
Full reliability reports
- Comparison
- Volkswagen E GOLF vs Honda Accord
- Volkswagen E GOLF total complaints
- 36
- Honda Accord total complaints
- 4,173
- Volkswagen E GOLF total recalls
- 10
- Honda Accord total recalls
- 35
- Volkswagen E GOLF avg complaints/year
- 6.0
- Honda Accord avg complaints/year
- 417.3
- More reliable overall
- Volkswagen E GOLF
- Volkswagen E GOLF top complaint area
- ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
- Honda Accord top complaint area
- ENGINE