Is the Honda Accord more reliable than the Ford Fusion?

Yes, the Accord has a clear edge. It has 5.7 complaints per 10,000 sold against 21.1 for the Fusion. It also costs less to repair each year and has a lower chance of a major repair. Both show the same 0.3 unscheduled shop visits per year.

Which has more recalls, the Accord or the Fusion?

The Accord has more in total, with 46 recalls across 9 model years. The Fusion has 8 across 3 model years. The Accord's count covers a much longer span of years, so the totals are not a direct measure of which car is worse.

Which is cheaper to repair, the Accord or the Fusion?

The Accord. Independent repair-cost data puts it at about $400 a year, against $581 for the Fusion. That is roughly $905 saved over five years. A repair is also less likely to be major on the Accord, at 9% versus 12%.

What is the biggest problem with the Ford Fusion?

Engine and drivetrain failures. Owners report a cracked flex plate that rattles at idle and, separately, coolant leaking into the cylinders from a failed head gasket. Warning lights often stay off. Most reports fall between 65,000 and 96,448 miles, and owners usually blame the 1.5L EcoBoost.

What goes wrong most often on the Honda Accord?

Electrical faults lead the complaints, mainly a touchscreen that registers ghost touches and ignores real input. Automatic emergency braking that engages with nothing ahead is next. Head gasket failures, service brake problems and a fuel pump issue also appear. Dealers often find no stored codes and offer no fix for the braking problem.

Last updated: 2026-10-10

Ford Fusion vs Honda Accord: Reliability Compared

Ford Fusion

Good

More Reliable

Honda Accord

Good

On reliability, the Honda Accord comes out clearly ahead of the Ford Fusion. The Accord draws far fewer owner complaints per car sold and costs less to repair. Fusion owners report cracked flex plates and coolant leaking into the engine, often without any warning light.

How Do the Ford Fusion and Honda Accord Generations Compare?

Most shoppers will land in the Accord's tenth generation, which covered the 2018 through 2022 model years and received a facelift for 2020. That span includes the two weakest years, 2018 and 2019. The eleventh generation began with the 2023 model year. The Fusion data covers 2018 to 2020, all in the second generation, which began in 2013. That generation received facelifts for 2017 and 2019. A 2020 Fusion therefore carries the latest updates, while a 2018 predates the 2019 facelift.

Verdict

The Honda Accord is more reliable than the Ford Fusion, scoring 76/100 vs 69/100.

A clear edge goes to the Honda Accord. Owners file far fewer complaints per car sold, yearly repair costs run lower, and a repair is less likely to be major. The Ford Fusion's worst problems hit the engine itself: cracked flex plates and coolant leaking into the cylinders, often with no warning light. The Accord has real flaws too, including phantom braking and a glitchy touchscreen, but its overall record is stronger.

Key Differences

1Honda Accord costs $181 less per year to repair
2Ford Fusion has 38 fewer total recalls
3Honda Accord has 15.4 fewer complaints per 10k sold

Category Scoreboard

1Ford Fusion

—

4Honda Accord

Reliability ScoreTotal RecallsComplaint RateAnnual Repair CostRepair FrequencyMajor Repair RiskSafety Rating

Ford Fusion vs Honda Accord: Which Is More Reliable?

Ford Fusion vs Honda Accord at-a-glance reliability comparison
Metric	Ford Fusion	Honda Accord
Reliability Score	69/100	76/100
Years Tracked	3	9
Total Recalls	8	46
Complaints per 10k Sold	21.1	5.7
Annual Repair Cost	$581/yr	$400/yr
Repair Frequency	0.3/yr	0.3/yr
Major Repair Risk	12%	9%
Safety RatingNHTSA overall	2020 NHTSA	2026 NHTSA
Frontal
Side
Rollover
Year Wins	1	2

What Are the Common Problems With the Ford Fusion and Honda Accord?

Drivetrain trouble defines the Fusion. A cracked flex plate causes rattling at idle, and coolant leaking into the cylinders can end in a full engine replacement, often with no warning light. The Accord's complaints are spread wider: a touchscreen that registers ghost touches, automatic emergency braking that clamps down with nothing ahead, and head gasket failures. The Accord also has more crash-linked areas, mainly electrical, service brakes and forward collision avoidance. The Fusion's crash-linked reports sit in steering, where front lower control arms snapped, plus the power train and one electrical report.

Ford Fusion vs Honda Accord common problem areas comparison
Component	Ford Fusion	Honda Accord
ENGINE	5.7Average	0.6Very Low
POWER TRAIN	5Average	0.3Very Low
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM	2.6Low	0.9Very Low
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING	2.9Low	—None
UNKNOWN OR OTHER	1.5Low	0.2Very Low
STEERING	0.8Very Low	0.4Very Low
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE	—None	0.7Very Low
SERVICE BRAKES	0.1Very Low	0.5Very Low
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM	0.2Very Low	0.3Very Low
FUEL SYSTEM	0.1Very Low	0.4Very Low
AIR BAGS	0.3Very Low	0.1Very Low
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL	0.2Very Low	0.2Very Low
WHEELS	0.2Very Low	—None
SUSPENSION	0.1Very Low	—None
SEAT BELTS	0.1Very Low	—None
STRUCTURE	—None	0.1Very Low
LANE DEPARTURE	—None	—None
TIRES	—None	—None

Complaints per 10,000 units sold, aggregated across all tracked model years from NHTSA owner reports.

Which Is Cheaper to Maintain: Ford Fusion or Honda Accord?

Repairs cost an estimated $400 a year on the Accord, against $581 on the Fusion. Over five years that gap comes to about $905 in the Accord's favor. Both models average 0.3 unscheduled shop visits a year, so neither sends you to the shop more often. The difference is in how bad the visit gets. A repair on the Accord has a 9% chance of being major, compared with 12% on the Fusion.

How Does Ford Fusion vs Honda Accord Reliability Compare by Year?

Ford Fusion vs Honda Accord year-by-year reliability scores
Year	Ford Fusion	Honda Accord	Edge
2020	71/1003R / 176C	73/1008R / 344C	Honda Accord
2019	68/1003R / 370C	70/1005R / 574C	Honda Accord
2018	68/1002R / 429C	63/1008R / 1739C	Ford Fusion

Best years to cross-shop: The 2020 Ford Fusion scored 71/100 and the 2020 Honda Accord scored 73/100 — the strongest shared model years that have been on the road for at least two years, where available.

Who Should Buy the Ford Fusion vs the Honda Accord?

If you want the lower running cost and the better overall record, buy the Accord. Skip 2018 and 2019, its weakest years. The 2025 and 2026 models rank strongest, but they have had little time to collect complaints, so treat that as a hopeful sign, not proof. Before buying any Accord, test the touchscreen and ask how the automatic braking behaves in traffic, since phantom braking is a common report. Choose the Fusion only if you find a clean, well-documented car at a good price. Target 2020, its strongest year, and avoid 2018. Ask whether the 1.5L EcoBoost engine is fitted. Owners of that engine report flex plate and head gasket failures, mostly between 65,000 and 96,448 miles. Have a mechanic check for coolant loss and idle rattle first. If you drive many highway miles, the Accord is the safer bet.

Ford Fusion vs Honda Accord: Common Questions

Is the Honda Accord more reliable than the Ford Fusion?: Yes, the Accord has a clear edge. It has 5.7 complaints per 10,000 sold against 21.1 for the Fusion. It also costs less to repair each year and has a lower chance of a major repair. Both show the same 0.3 unscheduled shop visits per year.
Which has more recalls, the Accord or the Fusion?: The Accord has more in total, with 46 recalls across 9 model years. The Fusion has 8 across 3 model years. The Accord's count covers a much longer span of years, so the totals are not a direct measure of which car is worse.
Which is cheaper to repair, the Accord or the Fusion?: The Accord. Independent repair-cost data puts it at about $400 a year, against $581 for the Fusion. That is roughly $905 saved over five years. A repair is also less likely to be major on the Accord, at 9% versus 12%.
What is the biggest problem with the Ford Fusion?: Engine and drivetrain failures. Owners report a cracked flex plate that rattles at idle and, separately, coolant leaking into the cylinders from a failed head gasket. Warning lights often stay off. Most reports fall between 65,000 and 96,448 miles, and owners usually blame the 1.5L EcoBoost.
What goes wrong most often on the Honda Accord?: Electrical faults lead the complaints, mainly a touchscreen that registers ghost touches and ignores real input. Automatic emergency braking that engages with nothing ahead is next. Head gasket failures, service brake problems and a fuel pump issue also appear. Dealers often find no stored codes and offer no fix for the braking problem.

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How we score the Ford Fusion and Honda Accord

Scores weight complaint severity at 35%, repair costs at 30%, recall impact at 20%, and the spread of complaints across systems at 15%, with complaint counts adjusted for US sales. Read the full methodology.

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