Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (automatic emergency braking, adaptive cruise, lane keeping, backup camera).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2021 Honda Accord owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owns a 2021 Honda Accord. The contact stated that while driving at 60 MPH, the vehicle's auto braking applied without warning. The vehicle was rear-ended by a possible 2024/2025 Buick Envista. The driver of the Buick left the scene of the crash. The brake warning light was flashing. The contact stated that the failure was related to NHTSA Action Number: EA24002 Forward Collision Avoidance. There were no reported injuries, air bag deployment or fire. A police report was filed. The driver was able to continue driving. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 71,080.T he VIN was invalid.
The contact owns a 2021 Honda Accord. The contact stated while driving at approximately 30 MPH, the vehicle independently slowed down as if the brake pedal was depressed. The contact stated that a warning for the brakes and the collision mitigation and check engine warning lights were illuminated. The contact had the vehicle towed to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the turbo charger needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The contact retrieved vehicle however, several warning lights were illuminated. The contact parked the vehicle and had not returned it to the dealer. The vehicle was not diagnosed and was not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The contact researched online and related the failure to NHTSA Action Number: EA24002 (Forward Collision Avoidance). The failure mileage was approximately 98,000.
Car moving slowly and suddenly races and speeds UP. Hard to STOP it. Has happened twice, 8 to 10 Months apart.. First time was on a small driveway. Was able to STOP CAR , with no damages. 2nd occurrence i was pulling into a parking Space. Foot not on gas or brake and again the CAR accelerated. This Time the CAR hit a handicapped parking sign and pushed it over. The sign stopped the CAR with Assistance from me. There was a small drop in front of the CAR and a tree 10-15 Feet in front of the Hill. The passenger in my CAR would have been in severe trouble had I not gotten the CAR stopped. My husband thought i may have somehow activated the cruise control. But i was going less than 20 miles per hour each time. This could be a deadly problem if a Child or Someone Crossed in front of me.
This Honda Accord Sport SE has had electrical problems from the day I received the vehicle. Every time I went for an oil change at Bommarito Honda I mentioned it to them and they said "yeah the new Hondas do tend to hand a lot of those electrical problems" so with this the problems continued to get worse. Sometimes the buttons do not work, sometimes they do, sometimes the lights don't work and sometimes they do and sometimes the safety features and break system automated itself. I have slammed my head on the steering wheel on multiple occasions. I believe this needs to be looked into because the malfunction of the car falsely reports danger and caused an accident. Yes every time it malfunctions it flashes briefly and so quickly on the screen .
I was traveling on interstate 10 going around 50mph with a safe distance from the traffic in front of me. The car in front of me did break but then sped off immediately. My car's automatic emergency breaking system engaged very aggressively and unnecessarily (a front end impact was not imminent if my car had not braked). I tried to accelerate but I had no control over it. The sudden breaking caused my car to slow so rapidly that the freightliner behind me did not have time to react, causing him to rear end my car. The car was totaled as a result. I have front and rear dash camera footage showing all of this. ***I marked a document as the police report to proceed but I do not have a copy of the police report. This is not provided unless ordered***
The contact owns a 2021 Honda Accord. The contact stated while driving approximately 45-50 MPH and switching lanes, the collision mitigation braking system engaged inadvertently. The forward collision warning light illuminated. The contact depressed the accelerator pedal and was able to continue to drive. The contact stated that the failure reoccurred several times while driving. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be test-driven however, the mechanic was unable to duplicate the failure. The dealer also informed the contact that the collision mitigation braking system was operating as designed. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 1,200.
The contact owns a 2021 Honda Accord. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the brakes would suddenly apply, stopping the vehicle immediately. The failure had become more persistent. The contact would immediately apply the accelerator, and the vehicle would gradually accelerate forward. The traction control failure, brake system failure, cruise control, and the mediation light were illuminated, all related to the various drive assistance systems within the vehicle. When attempting to shift from the sport mode to economy or regular modes, it shows as unable or failure. The vehicle had not been diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 62,000.
The contact owns a 2021 Honda Accord. The contact's spouse stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the Lane Keep Assistance feature became inoperable. The contact's spouse stated that the feature was erroneously activated and deactivated. The contact stated that while the LKAS was activated, the vehicle jerked abnormally. The contact expressed concerns about the failure. The contact stated that the safety feature was very hazardous and could pose a risk to the driver and other vehicle operators. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, but was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, and a case was opened. The approximate failure mileage was 60,000.
The contact owns a 2021 Honda Accord. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 35 MPH, the vehicle inadvertently decelerated. The contact veered off the roadway. The contact then stated that she carefully drove the vehicle to her residence. Additionally, the contact added that on a separate occasion while the accelerator pedal was depressed, the vehicle inadvertently jerked without the brake pedal depressed. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. Neither the dealer nor the manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 17,000.
The contact owns a 2021 Honda Accord. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the infotainment center screen malfunctioned, causing the backup camera display to glitch and become distorted. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, who diagnosed that the infotainment center display was faulty and needed to be replaced. The infotainment center display was replaced, and the vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 74,716.
NHTSA investigations
Inadvertent Automatic Emergency Braking
On February 21, 2022, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened Preliminary Evaluation (PE22003) to assess reports of inadvertent activation of the Collision Mitigation Braking System (CMBS), an automatic emergency braking (AEB) system, in model year 2017-2019 Honda CR-V and 2018-2019 Honda Accord vehicles.
Collision Avoidance complaints in other Accord years
Frequently asked questions
How common are collision avoidance problems on the 2021 Honda Accord?
NHTSA has 72 complaints about the driver assistance of the 2021 Honda Accord, 29% of the model year's 245 complaints. The component named most often is automatic emergency braking (50 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2021 Honda Accord collision avoidance problems?
No. NHTSA lists no driver assistance recall for the 2021 Honda Accord, though it has 4 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2021 Honda Accord collision avoidance problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 62,000 miles, and 38% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 7 crashes, 0 fires and 4 injuries to driver assistance problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.