Is the Honda Accord more reliable than the Ford Mustang?

Yes, the Accord has a clear edge. Its estimated yearly repair cost is lower, its repairs are less often major, and it has fewer recalls. The Mustang makes fewer unscheduled shop visits. Owner complaints per vehicle sold are the same for both cars.

Which has more recalls, the Accord or the Mustang?

The Mustang has more. Federal recall records show 71 across model years 2018 to 2026, against 46 for the Accord. Owners tie some Mustang electrical faults, such as a blank instrument panel, to recall 19V076000. Many Accord fuel system complaints concern recall 23V858000.

Which costs less to repair, the Accord or the Mustang?

The Accord costs less. Independent repair-cost data estimates about $400 a year for the Accord and $709 for the Mustang. Over five years the Mustang costs roughly $1,545 more. A Mustang repair is also more likely to be major, at 14% against 9%.

What is the biggest engine problem on the Ford Mustang?

Coolant leaking into the cylinders of the 2.3L EcoBoost is the main one. Owners report rough cold starts, misfires, and falling coolant, with failures between 26,000 and 86,000 miles. Dealers quote head gasket work or a full engine, with estimates near $11,000.

Does the Honda Accord have safety-related problems?

Yes, a few. Owners report automatic emergency braking that clamps down with nothing ahead, and some describe rear-end crashes after the car stopped on its own. Brake failure reports include crashes, and ghost touches on the touchscreen happen while driving. Dealers often find no codes and offer no fix.

Last updated: 2026-10-10

Ford Mustang vs Honda Accord: Reliability Compared

Ford Mustang

Good

More Reliable

Honda Accord

Good

On reliability, the Honda Accord beats the Ford Mustang, mainly on repair cost. Yearly repairs average $400 against $709. The Accord is also less likely to need a major repair, though the Mustang makes fewer unscheduled shop visits.

How Do the Ford Mustang and Honda Accord Generations Compare?

Tenth-generation Accords cover 2018 through 2022, with a facelift for 2020, and the eleventh generation began in 2023. The weakest Accord years, 2018 and 2019, fall before that facelift, so 2020 to 2022 is a reasonable starting range on a used budget. The Mustang ran in its sixth generation from 2015 to 2023, with an update for 2018, and the seventh generation began in 2024. Its weakest years, 2021 and 2022, sit late in the sixth generation. The newest years of both cars rank well mainly because they have had less time on the road to collect complaints.

Verdict

The Honda Accord is more reliable than the Ford Mustang, scoring 76/100 vs 67/100.

A clear edge goes to the Accord, and repair cost is the deciding reason. Independent repair-cost data puts its yearly bill well below the Mustang's, and an Accord repair is less often a major one. Federal recall records also show fewer recalls for the Accord. The Mustang's one advantage is fewer unscheduled shop visits. Owner complaints are even when adjusted for sales, so the gap comes from what repairs cost and how serious they get, not from how often owners complain.

Key Differences

1Honda Accord costs $309 less per year to repair
2Honda Accord has 25 fewer total recalls
3Honda Accord scores 9 points higher in reliability

Category Scoreboard

1Ford Mustang

—

4Honda Accord

Reliability ScoreTotal RecallsComplaint RateAnnual Repair CostRepair FrequencyMajor Repair RiskSafety Rating

Ford Mustang vs Honda Accord: Which Is More Reliable?

Ford Mustang vs Honda Accord at-a-glance reliability comparison
Metric	Ford Mustang	Honda Accord
Reliability Score	67/100	76/100
Years Tracked	9	9
Total Recalls	71	46
Complaints per 10k Sold	5.7	5.7
Annual Repair Cost	$709/yr	$400/yr
Repair Frequency	0.2/yr	0.3/yr
Major Repair Risk	14%	9%
Safety RatingNHTSA overall	2026 NHTSA	2026 NHTSA
Frontal
Side
Rollover
Year Wins	1	8

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

Software and safety systems dominate the Accord's complaints. Touchscreens register ghost touches, automatic emergency braking clamps down with nothing ahead, and head gasket failures show up in the engine reports. The Mustang's worst reports are mechanical and costly. The 2.3L EcoBoost leaks coolant into the cylinders, with dealer estimates near $11,000, and the 10-speed automatic shifts hard or lurches. Brake failure is crash-linked on the Accord, with 18 crash-linked complaints. Steering assist cutting out is crash-linked on the Mustang, and steering is not among the Accord's main problem areas. Mustang engine complaints carry no crash links.

Ford Mustang vs Honda Accord common problem areas comparison
Component	Ford Mustang	Honda Accord
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM	1.5Low	0.9Very Low
POWER TRAIN	0.9Very Low	0.3Very Low
ENGINE	0.4Very Low	0.6Very Low
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE	0.3Very Low	0.7Very Low
UNKNOWN OR OTHER	0.6Very Low	0.2Very Low
SERVICE BRAKES	0.2Very Low	0.5Very Low
STEERING	0.2Very Low	0.4Very Low
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL	0.2Very Low	0.2Very Low
FUEL SYSTEM	—None	0.4Very Low
STRUCTURE	0.2Very Low	0.1Very Low
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM	—None	0.3Very Low
AIR BAGS	0.1Very Low	0.1Very Low
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING	0.1Very Low	—None
VISIBILITY	0.1Very Low	—None
BACK OVER PREVENTION	0.1Very Low	—None
LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES	0.1Very Low	—None
WHEELS	—None	—None
SUSPENSION	—None	—None
EXTERIOR LIGHTING	—None	—None
VISIBILITY/WIPER	—None	—None
SEAT BELTS	—None	—None
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 Mustang or Honda Accord?

Repairs run about $400 a year on the Accord against $709 on the Mustang. Over five years that is roughly $1,545 more for the Mustang. The Mustang does visit the shop unscheduled less often, at 0.2 times a year against 0.3 for the Accord. When a repair does happen, it is more likely to be major on the Mustang, at 14% against 9%.

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

Ford Mustang vs Honda Accord year-by-year reliability scores
Year	Ford Mustang	Honda Accord	Edge
2026	78/1001R / 0C	87/1000R / 0C	Honda Accord
2025	73/1003R / 8C	84/1001R / 65C	Honda Accord
2024	67/10010R / 63C	76/1006R / 166C	Honda Accord
2023	72/1006R / 14C	74/10010R / 199C	Honda Accord
2022	59/10017R / 154C	77/1003R / 201C	Honda Accord
2021	54/10018R / 373C	78/1005R / 215C	Honda Accord
2020	66/1008R / 101C	73/1008R / 344C	Honda Accord
2019	67/1004R / 129C	70/1005R / 574C	Honda Accord
2018	65/1004R / 172C	63/1008R / 1739C	Ford Mustang

Best years to cross-shop: The 2023 Ford Mustang scored 72/100 and the 2021 Honda Accord scored 78/100 — the strongest shared model years that have been on the road for at least two years, where available.

Who Should Buy the Ford Mustang vs the Honda Accord?

Choose the Accord if you want the lower running cost and the smaller chance of a big bill. It costs less to repair each year and fewer of its repairs are major. Target 2020 and later, since 2018 and 2019 are its weakest years. Test the touchscreen and the automatic braking on a drive, because owners report ghost touches and braking with nothing ahead, and dealers often have no fix. Ask whether the fuel pump recall work was done. Choose the Mustang if you want a coupe and accept a higher repair budget in exchange for fewer shop visits. Avoid 2021 and 2022, its weakest years. If the car has the 2.3L EcoBoost, ask for coolant service history, because owners report head gasket and coolant intrusion failures between 26,000 and 86,000 miles. Check that the front camera and driver-assist features work, since owners report that fault returning after repair. Treat 2025 and 2026 as unproven rather than best, since new years have had little time to collect complaints.

Ford Mustang vs Honda Accord: Common Questions

Is the Honda Accord more reliable than the Ford Mustang?: Yes, the Accord has a clear edge. Its estimated yearly repair cost is lower, its repairs are less often major, and it has fewer recalls. The Mustang makes fewer unscheduled shop visits. Owner complaints per vehicle sold are the same for both cars.
Which has more recalls, the Accord or the Mustang?: The Mustang has more. Federal recall records show 71 across model years 2018 to 2026, against 46 for the Accord. Owners tie some Mustang electrical faults, such as a blank instrument panel, to recall 19V076000. Many Accord fuel system complaints concern recall 23V858000.
Which costs less to repair, the Accord or the Mustang?: The Accord costs less. Independent repair-cost data estimates about $400 a year for the Accord and $709 for the Mustang. Over five years the Mustang costs roughly $1,545 more. A Mustang repair is also more likely to be major, at 14% against 9%.
What is the biggest engine problem on the Ford Mustang?: Coolant leaking into the cylinders of the 2.3L EcoBoost is the main one. Owners report rough cold starts, misfires, and falling coolant, with failures between 26,000 and 86,000 miles. Dealers quote head gasket work or a full engine, with estimates near $11,000.
Does the Honda Accord have safety-related problems?: Yes, a few. Owners report automatic emergency braking that clamps down with nothing ahead, and some describe rear-end crashes after the car stopped on its own. Brake failure reports include crashes, and ghost touches on the touchscreen happen while driving. Dealers often find no codes and offer no fix.

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How we score the Ford Mustang 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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