Head-to-head reliability
Volvo EX40 vs Honda Accord
How the Volvo EX40 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
Volvo EX40 vs Honda Accord: The EX40 has 3 complaints over 2 years (1.5/year) and 4 recalls, while the Accord has 4,524 complaints over 10 years (452/year) and 38 recalls. The EX40 reports sudden brake and power loss; the Accord reports engine, electrical, and collision-avoidance issues. Source: NHTSA owner complaints.
The picture
Is the Volvo EX40 or Honda Accord more reliable?
A plain-English read on what the NHTSA record says about living with each vehicle.
Volvo EX40
The Volvo EX40 is a newer electric SUV with very few complaints on file—just 3 over 2 years, or about 1.5 per year. Owners report sudden brake failure, loss of power steering, and complete power loss, often with multiple warning lights flashing. There are 4 recalls, including two for brake software and two for backup camera software. No crashes, injuries, or deaths are reported in this data, but the low complaint count means any single incident is a large share of the total.
Honda Accord
The Honda Accord is a high-volume sedan with 4,524 complaints over 10 years, averaging about 452 per year. The most common trouble spots are the engine, electrical system, and forward collision avoidance, with reports of stalling, power steering and brake lockup, and false automatic braking. There are 38 recalls and 162 crash-related complaints, 146 injuries, and 3 deaths in the data. This is a much larger and more varied set of owner-reported problems.
The numbers
Side-by-side NHTSA record
Lower is better in every category. The highlighted cell is the stronger result.
| Category | Volvo EX40 | Honda Accord |
|---|---|---|
| Total complaintsAll model years combined | 3 Better | 4,524 |
| Safety recallsFederal recall campaigns | 4 Better | 38 |
| Crash reportsCrash-related complaints | 0 Better | 162 |
| Complaints per yearAveraged across model years | 1.5 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.
Volvo EX40
- 01SERVICE BRAKES2
- 02POWER TRAIN2
- 03STEERING1
- 04ELECTRICAL SYSTEM1
- 05ENGINE1
Owners describe the brakes completely failing when tapped at low speeds, with a 'Stop Safely Brake Failure' warning and all dashboard lights coming on. This is a critical safety issue because it can leave you unable to stop.
Reports include the vehicle losing power while driving, with steering and control going dead and wipers turning on by themselves. Another owner had the car lose power again 15 minutes after leaving the dealership. This means the car can become uncontrollable without warning.
One owner lost power steering along with the brakes while approaching a crosswalk, and multiple warnings appeared. Losing steering assist makes the car very hard to steer, especially at low speeds.
The same power-loss incident also killed hazard lights and steering, showing a broader electrical failure. This matters because even basic safety functions like hazard lights may not work when the car shuts down.
“I was driving on the freeway in traffic, thankfully going about +/- 25 mph and had to stop/slow down. When I tapped the breaks, they completely failed. All warning lights in the car immediately came on including the warning 'Stop Safely Break Failure'. I pres…”
“Applied the brake while approaching a crosswalk and suddenly multiple warning notifications appeared on dashboard (brake failure, collision avoidance system not functioning, etc) and every warning light started flashing. Lost power steering and brakes. Had to…”
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, followed by the vehicle losing speed. Others hear rattling noises while accelerating and feel rough transitions between EV and gas modes. These symptoms can lead to stalling or reduced power on the road.
Complaints include electronic power steering and braking systems failing and locking up at highway speeds, causing near-collisions. Another owner had a tire fail catastrophically shortly after a TPMS repair. Electrical glitches can disable multiple safety systems at once.
Owners say the system can suddenly brake or warn with no obstruction, sometimes under adaptive cruise control at highway speeds. This unexpected braking can startle the driver and increase crash risk.
Reports include a persistent rotten-egg/sulfur odor that remained after a paid repair, and a driver's foot getting stuck behind a plastic panel. These issues affect comfort and control, and some may point to deeper problems.
“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.
Volvo EX40 — 4 recalls
The defect: Volvo Car USA, LLC (Volvo Car) is recalling certain 2023 Volvo C40 BEV, 2025 EC40, 2023-2024 XC40 BEV, 2020-2026 XC90 PHEV, 2022-2026 XC60 PHEV, 2023-2025 S60 PHEV, 2024-2025 V60 PHEV, and 2025-2026 EX40 and 2025 S90 PHEV vehicles. In certain driving scenarios while coasting down a hill and using "…
The risk: A loss of brake function increases the risk of a crash.
The fix: Owners are advised not to use "B" Mode (for plug-in hybrid vehicles) or "One Pedal Drive" (for pure electric vehicles) until the repair has been completed. The brake module software will be updated over-the-air (OTA) or by a dealer, free o…
The defect: Volvo Car USA, LLC (Volvo Car) is recalling certain 2023 Volvo C40 BEV, 2025 EC40, 2023-2024 XC40 BEV, 2020-2026 XC90 PHEV, 2022-2026 XC60 PHEV, 2023-2025 S60 PHEV, 2024-2025 V60 PHEV, and 2025-2026 EX40 and 2025 S90 PHEV vehicles. In certain driving scenarios while coasting down a hill and using "…
The risk: A loss of brake function increases the risk of a crash.
The fix: Owners are advised not to use "B" Mode (for plug-in hybrid vehicles) or "One Pedal Drive" (for pure electric vehicles) until the repair has been completed. The brake module software will be updated over-the-air (OTA) or by a dealer, free o…
The defect: Volvo Car USA, LLC (Volvo Car) is recalling certain 2021-2025 XC40, 2022 V90, 2022-2025 S90, V90CC, C40, XC60, 2023-2025 S60, V60, V60CC, XC90, and 2025 EC40 and EX40 vehicles. The rearview camera image may not display when the vehicle is placed in reverse. As such, these vehicles fail to comply wi…
The risk: A rearview camera image that does not display reduces the driver's view of what is behind the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
The fix: The software will be updated by a dealer or through an over-the-air (OTA) update, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 27, 2025. Owners may contact Volvo Car customer service at 1-800-458-1552. Volvo Car's number for…
The defect: Volvo Car USA, LLC (Volvo Car) is recalling certain 2021-2025 XC40, 2022 V90, 2022-2024 C40BEV, 2022-2025 S90, V90CC, XC60, 2023-2025 S60, V60, V60CC, XC90, and 2025 EC40, and EX40 vehicles. The rearview camera image may not display when the vehicle is placed in reverse. As such, these vehicles fai…
The risk: A rearview camera image that does not display reduces the driver's view behind the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
The fix: The software will be updated by a dealer or through an over-the-air (OTA) update, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed February 24, 2026. Owners may contact Volvo Car’s customer service at 1-800-458-1552. Volvo Car's numb…
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
Volvo EX40 or Honda Accord: which should you buy?
The Volvo EX40 has far fewer complaints per year (about 1.5) than the Honda Accord (about 452), but the EX40's few reports involve severe brake, steering, and power-loss failures. The Accord's much larger complaint pool includes many different issues, with some crashes, injuries, and deaths reported. In practice, the EX40 may have fewer overall problems, but any single failure can be serious; the Accord has a broader and more frequent set of owner-reported defects.
Key differences
- The Volvo EX40 has only 3 complaints over 2 years, while the Honda Accord has 4,524 over 10 years—a massive difference in reported volume.
- EX40 complaints center on sudden brake failure, power loss, and steering loss, often with multiple warnings at once.
- Accord complaints cover engine stalling, electrical lockups, false forward-collision braking, and odors, with 162 crash-related reports, 146 injuries, and 3 deaths.
- The EX40 has 4 recalls (brake software and backup camera software), while the Accord has 38 recalls across electrical, tires, seat belts, air bags, and fuel pump.
- Ask for any records of brake software updates or recalls, and test the brakes at low speed to feel for any warning lights or loss of assist.
- Check for signs of power loss or electrical gremlins—such as wipers turning on by themselves or warning lights flashing—during a test drive.
- Listen for rattling noises while accelerating and feel for rough transitions between EV and gas modes, which owners report as early signs of engine trouble.
- Test the forward collision avoidance and adaptive cruise control in a safe area to see if it brakes unexpectedly or shows false warnings.
Before you buy
- Obtain a full vehicle history report and confirm all recalls have been completed, especially brake and backup camera software for the EX40 and electrical/fuel pump recalls for the Accord.
- Have a mechanic inspect the brakes, steering, and electrical system, focusing on the specific failure patterns reported for each model.
- During a test drive, pay attention to any warning lights, unusual noises, or loss of power steering or brakes.
- For the Accord, check for transmission smoothness, engine rattles, and proper operation of driver-assist features.
- For the EX40, verify that the latest software updates are installed and ask about any prior brake or power-loss incidents.
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 | Volvo EX40 | Honda Accord |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 1 | 10 |
| 2025 | 2 | 109 |
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 Volvo EX40 or Honda Accord in front of you — accident history, open recalls and title records.
Go deeper
Full reliability reports
- Comparison
- Volvo EX40 vs Honda Accord
- Volvo EX40 total complaints
- 3
- Honda Accord total complaints
- 4,524
- Volvo EX40 total recalls
- 4
- Honda Accord total recalls
- 38
- Volvo EX40 avg complaints/year
- 1.5
- Honda Accord avg complaints/year
- 452.4
- More reliable overall
- Volvo EX40
- Volvo EX40 top complaint area
- SERVICE BRAKES
- Honda Accord top complaint area
- ENGINE