Is the Toyota Camry more reliable than the Honda Accord?

Yes, by a slight margin. Camry owners filed 2.1 complaints per 10,000 sold against 5.7 for the Accord, and the Camry has fewer recalls. Both are in good standing, and the Accord has the lower chance of a major repair, so the gap is small.

Which has more recalls, the Camry or the Accord?

The Accord has more. Federal recall records show 46 recalls across its 2018 to 2026 model years, compared with 35 for the Camry over the same span. Check any specific car's VIN for open recalls before you buy, whichever model you pick.

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

The Camry costs slightly less, at $388 a year against $400 for the Accord. That is about $60 over five years. Shop-visit frequency is the same at 0.3 a year. The Accord has a lower chance that a repair is major, 9% versus 11%.

Why do Accord owners complain about automatic emergency braking?

Owners report the system braking hard with nothing ahead, at speeds from 30 mph to highway speed. The forward collision avoidance area has 408 complaints, 8 crash-linked, including two rear-end crashes after the car stopped on its own. Dealers usually find no codes, and switching the system off does not last past a restart.

What are the air bag complaints on the Toyota Camry?

Camry air bag complaints number 189, and 58 are crash-linked. Typical reports describe front air bags that did not deploy in two crashes, with injuries afterward. One owner says no warning light appeared beforehand. These are owner filings, not confirmed findings, but the Accord has no comparable area among its main problems.

Last updated: 2026-10-10

Honda Accord vs Toyota Camry: Reliability Compared

Honda Accord

Good

More Reliable

Toyota Camry

Good

Reliability favors the Toyota Camry by a slight margin over the Honda Accord, mainly because owners file far fewer complaints per car sold. The Camry also has fewer recalls and a lower yearly repair cost, though the Accord is less likely to need a major repair.

How Do the Honda Accord and Toyota Camry Generations Compare?

A shopper looking at 2018 to 2023 is buying one Camry design, the eighth generation (XV70). Its two weakest years, 2018 and 2019, are the first two of that run. The Accord splits differently. Its tenth generation covers 2018 to 2022 and received a facelift for 2020, so its weakest years, 2018 and 2019, came before that update. The eleventh generation began in 2023, which makes a 2023 Accord a different design from the 2018 to 2022 cars.

Verdict

The Toyota Camry is more reliable than the Honda Accord, scoring 78/100 vs 76/100.

Slight edge to the Camry. Owners file complaints about it at well under half the Accord's rate, 2.1 versus 5.7 per 10,000 sold, and it has fewer recalls across the same nine model years. Its yearly repair bill is a little lower too. The Accord narrows the gap with a lower chance that a repair is major. Both sit in good standing, and the gap is small, so the condition and service history of the specific car matter more than the badge.

Key Differences

1Toyota Camry costs $12 less per year to repair
2Toyota Camry has 11 fewer total recalls
3Toyota Camry has 3.6 fewer complaints per 10k sold

Category Scoreboard

1Honda Accord

—

4Toyota Camry

Reliability ScoreTotal RecallsComplaint RateAnnual Repair CostRepair FrequencyMajor Repair RiskSafety Rating

Honda Accord vs Toyota Camry: Which Is More Reliable?

Honda Accord vs Toyota Camry at-a-glance reliability comparison
Metric	Honda Accord	Toyota Camry
Reliability Score	76/100	78/100
Years Tracked	9	9
Total Recalls	46	35
Complaints per 10k Sold	5.7	2.1
Annual Repair Cost	$400/yr	$388/yr
Repair Frequency	0.3/yr	0.3/yr
Major Repair Risk	9%	11%
Safety RatingNHTSA overall	2026 NHTSA	2026 NHTSA
Frontal
Side
Rollover
Year Wins	1 (1 tied)	7 (1 tied)

What Are the Common Problems With the Honda Accord and Toyota Camry?

Owner reports split sharply. Camry engine trouble centers on a failing coolant bypass valve, usually around 30,000 to 34,000 miles. Its air bag area is the most serious, with 58 crash-linked complaints, including front air bags that did not deploy in two crashes. The Accord has no air bag area among its main problems. Its complaints run to touchscreen ghost touches, automatic emergency braking that clamps down with nothing ahead, and head gasket or cylinder head failures that cause sudden power loss. Accord brake complaints include cars that failed to respond before crashes.

Honda Accord vs Toyota Camry common problem areas comparison
Component	Honda Accord	Toyota Camry
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM	0.9Very Low	0.2Very Low
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE	0.7Very Low	—None
ENGINE	0.6Very Low	0.1Very Low
SERVICE BRAKES	0.5Very Low	0.2Very Low
POWER TRAIN	0.3Very Low	0.4Very Low
FUEL SYSTEM	0.4Very Low	0.1Very Low
STEERING	0.4Very Low	0.1Very Low
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM	0.3Very Low	0.1Very Low
UNKNOWN OR OTHER	0.2Very Low	0.2Very Low
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL	0.2Very Low	0.1Very Low
AIR BAGS	0.1Very Low	0.2Very Low
STRUCTURE	0.1Very Low	—None
LANE DEPARTURE	—None	—None
SUSPENSION	—None	—None
TIRES	—None	—None
SEAT BELTS	—None	—None
EXTERIOR LIGHTING	—None	—None
VISIBILITY/WIPER	—None	—None
VISIBILITY	—None	—None

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

Which Is Cheaper to Maintain: Honda Accord or Toyota Camry?

Independent repair-cost data puts the Camry at $388 a year and the Accord at $400, a gap of $12 that adds up to $60 over five years. Both need unscheduled shop visits about 0.3 times a year, so neither sends you to the shop more often. The difference is in severity. A Camry repair has an 11% chance of being major, against 9% for the Accord, so the Accord is a little less likely to hand you a big bill.

How Does Honda Accord vs Toyota Camry Reliability Compare by Year?

Honda Accord vs Toyota Camry year-by-year reliability scores
Year	Honda Accord	Toyota Camry	Edge
2026	87/1000R / 0C	88/1000R / 0C	Toyota Camry
2025	84/1001R / 65C	76/1004R / 6C	Honda Accord
2024	76/1006R / 166C	83/1002R / 35C	Toyota Camry
2023	74/10010R / 199C	79/1004R / 47C	Toyota Camry
2022	77/1003R / 201C	84/1002R / 47C	Toyota Camry
2021	78/1005R / 215C	82/1002R / 144C	Toyota Camry
2020	73/1008R / 344C	75/1005R / 253C	Toyota Camry
2019	70/1005R / 574C	70/1008R / 364C	Tie
2018	63/1008R / 1739C	65/1008R / 708C	Toyota Camry

Best years to cross-shop: The 2021 Honda Accord scored 78/100 and the 2022 Toyota Camry scored 84/100 — the strongest shared model years that have been on the road for at least two years, where available.

Who Should Buy the Honda Accord vs the Toyota Camry?

Choose the Camry if you want the lower complaint rate and the cheaper yearly repair bill, and you would rather avoid screen glitches and false emergency braking. Look at 2020 through 2022, which skip the two weakest years, and 2022 is among its strongest. Avoid 2018 and 2019. On any car you test, ask whether a coolant bypass valve warning has already been handled, since that fault tends to appear around 30,000 to 34,000 miles. Choose the Accord if a major repair worries you most, since its chance of one is lower at 9% against 11%. Drive it long enough to test the touchscreen and the automatic braking, and ask about coolant leaks or head gasket history. Avoid 2018 and 2019 here too. The 2025 and 2026 years rank as strongest, but they have had little time to collect complaints, so that standing tells you less than it seems.

Honda Accord vs Toyota Camry: Common Questions

Is the Toyota Camry more reliable than the Honda Accord?: Yes, by a slight margin. Camry owners filed 2.1 complaints per 10,000 sold against 5.7 for the Accord, and the Camry has fewer recalls. Both are in good standing, and the Accord has the lower chance of a major repair, so the gap is small.
Which has more recalls, the Camry or the Accord?: The Accord has more. Federal recall records show 46 recalls across its 2018 to 2026 model years, compared with 35 for the Camry over the same span. Check any specific car's VIN for open recalls before you buy, whichever model you pick.
Which costs less to repair, the Camry or the Accord?: The Camry costs slightly less, at $388 a year against $400 for the Accord. That is about $60 over five years. Shop-visit frequency is the same at 0.3 a year. The Accord has a lower chance that a repair is major, 9% versus 11%.
Why do Accord owners complain about automatic emergency braking?: Owners report the system braking hard with nothing ahead, at speeds from 30 mph to highway speed. The forward collision avoidance area has 408 complaints, 8 crash-linked, including two rear-end crashes after the car stopped on its own. Dealers usually find no codes, and switching the system off does not last past a restart.
What are the air bag complaints on the Toyota Camry?: Camry air bag complaints number 189, and 58 are crash-linked. Typical reports describe front air bags that did not deploy in two crashes, with injuries afterward. One owner says no warning light appeared beforehand. These are owner filings, not confirmed findings, but the Accord has no comparable area among its main problems.

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Decided between Honda Accord and Toyota Camry? Run a VIN check before you buy — uncover hidden accidents, title issues, and open recalls.

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How we score the Honda Accord and Toyota Camry

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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