Hyundai Sonata vs Honda Accord: which is more reliable?
The Hyundai Sonata is ahead of the Honda Accord on the federal record, 70/100 against 66/100 — a real but narrow gap that a bad model year on either side closes.
The record, side by side
Hyundai Sonata
- 15 model years scored
- 11,292 owner complaints on record
- about 53 complaints per year on the road
- 69 recall campaigns, 42 safety-critical
- best year 2019 (91/100) · worst 2011 (24/100)
Honda Accord
- 14 model years scored
- 8,179 owner complaints on record
- about 72 complaints per year on the road
- 71 recall campaigns, 60 safety-critical
- best year 2024 (86/100) · worst 2018 (30/100)
Mean score is the average across model years from 2013 on, where both records are comparable. How the score works.
Year by year: Sonata against Accord
The comparison that decides the purchase. A nameplate is not one car — a redesign can move the record sixty points inside two years, and the two nameplates rarely move together.
| Year | Sonata | Accord | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 90 BUY | — | — |
| 2024 | 88 BUY | 86 BUY | +2 |
| 2023 | 87 BUY | 82 BUY | +5 |
| 2022 | 84 BUY | 69 CAUTION | +15 |
| 2021 | 83 BUY | 76 BUY | +7 |
| 2020 | 82 BUY | 68 CAUTION | +14 |
| 2019 | 91 BUY | 48 AVOID | +43 |
| 2018 | 82 BUY | 30 AVOID | +52 |
| 2017 | 56 CAUTION | 73 BUY | -17 |
| 2016 | 54 CAUTION | 70 BUY | -16 |
| 2015 | 28 AVOID | 74 BUY | -46 |
| 2014 | 59 CAUTION | 65 CAUTION | -6 |
| 2013 | 25 AVOID | 49 AVOID | -24 |
| 2012 | 28 AVOID | 73 BUY | -45 |
| 2011 | 24 AVOID | 73 BUY | -49 |
What owners actually complain about
Hyundai Sonata
- Engine — 4,437 complaints
- Steering — 2,050 complaints
- Electrical System — 1,562 complaints
Honda Accord
- Electrical System — 2,005 complaints
- Engine — 1,493 complaints
- Unknown Or Other — 1,106 complaints
They do not fail the same way: the Sonata's complaints concentrate in Engine, the Accord's in Electrical System. That difference matters more to a buyer than the score gap, because it says which repair bill you are taking on.
Years to avoid on each
Hyundai Sonata — avoid: 2011, 2012, 2013, 2015.
Honda Accord — avoid: 2013, 2018, 2019.
A year scores below 45 on complaints per year of exposure and recall campaigns. Every car’s years to avoid.
What each costs today
A recent used Hyundai Sonata prices at about $28,100 and a Honda Accord at about $25,800 — the Honda Accord is roughly $2,300 less, and they return 28.0 against 32.0 MPG combined.
Class-level estimates re-priced to your country, not a valuation of one car. Method.
FAQ
Is the Hyundai Sonata or the Honda Accord more reliable?
On the NHTSA record the Hyundai Sonata scores 70/100 against the Honda Accord's 66/100, averaged across every model year we hold. The gap is small enough that the model year matters more than the badge.
Which Hyundai Sonata and Honda Accord years should I avoid?
Hyundai Sonata: 2011, 2012, 2013, 2015. Honda Accord: 2013, 2018, 2019. Each of those scores under 45 out of 100 on complaints per year of exposure and recall campaigns.
What goes wrong on the Hyundai Sonata and the Honda Accord?
The largest complaint group on the Hyundai Sonata is Engine (4,437 complaints); on the Honda Accord it is Electrical System (2,005).
Is the Hyundai Sonata or the Honda Accord cheaper to own?
A recent used Hyundai Sonata prices at about $28,100 and a Honda Accord at about $25,800, before insurance and the maintenance band. Both pages carry the five-year running-cost figure.