Is Honda more reliable than Toyota?
Toyota comes out ahead: Honda 2.95 vs Toyota 0.94 NHTSA owner complaints per 1,000 vehicles sold (model years 2015–2022). Honda owners filed 3.1× as many complaints per vehicle sold as Toyota owners.
By CarWhere Research · Updated November 2026 · Method
Owner complaints filed with NHTSA per 1,000 vehicles sold (model years 2015–2022; published U.S. sales). Not a survey, not Consumer Reports' method, and not repair frequency.
Honda vs Toyota at a glance
| Honda | Toyota | |
|---|---|---|
| Complaints per 1,000 sold | 2.95 | 0.94 |
| Serious-safety complaints per 1,000 | 0.13 | 0.10 |
| Rank of 19 brands | #14 | #2 |
| Models covered | 8 | 12 |
| Vehicles sold (rated model years) | 9,790,001 | 15,629,831 |
| Owner complaints | 28,838 | 14,637 |
| Share of brand U.S. sales covered | 91.9% | 96.2% |
| Top complaint areas | Engine 22.4% · Electrical system 21.1% · Fuel / propulsion 15.4% | Powertrain / transmission 16% · Engine 14.6% · Electrical system 13.9% |
| Recall campaigns (vehicles covered) | 175 (15.5 million) | 198 (15.8 million) |
Model years 2015–2022. Lower is better. Serious-safety complaints are those where the owner reported a crash, a fire or at least one injury. Recall campaigns are NHTSA campaigns filed January 2016 to September 2026; vehicles covered counts a vehicle once per campaign.
What drives the numbers
- Honda's count is driven most by 2017–2018 CR-V complaints about engine and fuel / propulsion (3,951, 13.7% of Honda's complaints). Other models with rates above Honda's overall 2.95: Pilot (5.06), Odyssey (4.37), Ridgeline (4.79).
- Toyota's count is driven most by 2019–2020 RAV4 complaints about engine and fuel / propulsion (1,563, 10.7% of Toyota's complaints). Other models with rates above Toyota's overall 0.94: Highlander (1.46), Venza (2.00), Tundra (1.06).
Honda vs Toyota complaints per 1,000 sold, by model year
Newer model years have had less time on the road, so their counts are still growing. Compare the two lines within a year, not one year against another.
| Model year | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Honda | 1.71 | 3.03 | 3.14 | 5.04 | 3.77 | 2.18 | 1.53 | 2.82 |
| Toyota | 0.86 | 0.79 | 0.79 | 1.03 | 1.28 | 1.04 | 0.95 | 0.74 |
What Honda and Toyota owners complain about
Share of each brand's NHTSA complaints naming the area (a complaint can name more than one).
Honda
- Engine22.4% · 6,452
- Electrical system21.1% · 6,084
- Fuel / propulsion15.4% · 4,446
- Forward collision avoidance12.8% · 3,687
- Steering11.8% · 3,394
- Powertrain / transmission8.4% · 2,408
Toyota
- Powertrain / transmission16% · 2,340
- Engine14.6% · 2,143
- Electrical system13.9% · 2,028
- Fuel / propulsion11.9% · 1,744
- Brakes11.8% · 1,725
- Air bags9.6% · 1,404
Model matchups
Each brand's best-selling model in the classes both sell, on the same per-1,000-sold measure.
Compact SUVs: Honda CR-V vs Toyota RAV4
The Toyota RAV4 has fewer complaints per vehicle sold: Honda CR-V 2.66 vs Toyota RAV4 1.10 complaints per 1,000 sold. The CR-V's most-cited area is engine (23.5%); the RAV4's is electrical system (21.5%).
2.66 complaints per 1,000 sold
- Basis:
- 7,382 complaints / 2,776,986 sold, MY 2015–2022 NHTSA
- Better years:
- None flagged
- Years to avoid:
- 2015, 2017–2019, 2021, 2023, 2024
- Top complaint areas:
- Engine 23.5% · Fuel / propulsion 20.1% · Forward collision avoidance 16.9%
1.10 complaints per 1,000 sold
- Basis:
- 3,483 complaints / 3,155,248 sold, MY 2015–2022 NHTSA
- Better years:
- None flagged
- Years to avoid:
- 2008, 2019–2021, 2023, 2024
- Top complaint areas:
- Electrical system 21.5% · Engine 17.8% · Fuel / propulsion 13.6%
Midsize cars: Honda Accord vs Toyota Camry
The Toyota Camry has fewer complaints per vehicle sold: Honda Accord 2.65 vs Toyota Camry 0.84 complaints per 1,000 sold. The Accord's most-cited area is electrical system (23.3%); the Camry's is powertrain / transmission (18.5%).
2.65 complaints per 1,000 sold
- Basis:
- 5,675 complaints / 2,138,731 sold, MY 2015–2022 NHTSA
- Better years:
- 2011
- Years to avoid:
- 2008, 2009, 2013, 2014, 2018–2020
- Top complaint areas:
- Electrical system 23.3% · Engine 22% · Fuel / propulsion 17.2%
0.84 complaints per 1,000 sold
- Basis:
- 2,348 complaints / 2,788,813 sold, MY 2015–2022 NHTSA
- Better years:
- 2016, 2017, 2022
- Years to avoid:
- 2008–2012, 2018–2020
- Top complaint areas:
- Powertrain / transmission 18.5% · Engine 15.4% · Brakes 14.4%
Compact cars: Honda Civic vs Toyota Corolla
The Toyota Corolla has fewer complaints per vehicle sold: Honda Civic 1.96 vs Toyota Corolla 0.68 complaints per 1,000 sold. The Civic's most-cited area is steering (42.3%); the Corolla's is air bags (20.9%).
1.96 complaints per 1,000 sold
- Basis:
- 4,680 complaints / 2,389,931 sold, MY 2015–2022 NHTSA
- Better years:
- 2013
- Years to avoid:
- 2008, 2016–2019, 2022, 2023
- Top complaint areas:
- Steering 42.3% · Electrical system 9.7% · Fuel / propulsion 9.6%
0.68 complaints per 1,000 sold
- Basis:
- 1,586 complaints / 2,339,849 sold, MY 2015–2022 NHTSA
- Better years:
- None flagged
- Years to avoid:
- 2009–2011, 2019, 2020
- Top complaint areas:
- Air bags 20.9% · Engine 16.8% · Powertrain / transmission 13.7%
Three-row SUVs: Honda Pilot vs Toyota Highlander
The Toyota Highlander has fewer complaints per vehicle sold: Honda Pilot 5.06 vs Toyota Highlander 1.46 complaints per 1,000 sold. The Pilot's most-cited area is engine (38.2%); the Highlander's is powertrain / transmission (31.1%).
5.06 complaints per 1,000 sold
- Basis:
- 5,285 complaints / 1,045,328 sold, MY 2015–2022 NHTSA
- Better years:
- 2008, 2014, 2015
- Years to avoid:
- 2016–2021, 2025
- Top complaint areas:
- Engine 38.2% · Electrical system 30.5% · Fuel / propulsion 14.3%
1.46 complaints per 1,000 sold
- Basis:
- 2,546 complaints / 1,749,226 sold, MY 2015–2022 NHTSA
- Better years:
- None flagged
- Years to avoid:
- 2008, 2017–2023
- Top complaint areas:
- Powertrain / transmission 31.1% · Brakes 11.8% · Electrical system 10.5%
Midsize pickups: Honda Ridgeline vs Toyota Tacoma
The Toyota Tacoma has fewer complaints per vehicle sold: Honda Ridgeline 4.79 vs Toyota Tacoma 0.75 complaints per 1,000 sold. The Ridgeline's most-cited area is engine (23.1%); the Tacoma's is powertrain / transmission (24.1%).
Honda Ridgeline
4.79 complaints per 1,000 sold
0.75 complaints per 1,000 sold
- Basis:
- 1,330 complaints / 1,770,925 sold, MY 2015–2022 NHTSA
- Better years:
- 2021
- Years to avoid:
- 2008, 2009, 2012, 2016–2019, 2024
- Top complaint areas:
- Powertrain / transmission 24.1% · Fuel / propulsion 16.8% · Brakes 14.9%
How these numbers are calculated
complaints per 1,000 sold = NHTSA owner complaints filed for model years 2015–2022 ÷ U.S. vehicles sold in calendar years 2015–2022 × 1,000
Complaints come from NHTSA's public owner-complaint database (NHTSA data), counted once per complaint and matched across NHTSA's trim and body-style names. Vehicles sold are published U.S. calendar-year sales per nameplate. Model years with fewer than 5,000 sold are too few to rate and are left out. A brand gets a score only when its covered models number at least 3 and make up at least 70% of its U.S. sales; rates under 10% apart are called close.
This is the federal complaint rate, not an owner survey or repair-frequency figure. Consumer Reports publishes a survey-based ranking that measures something different. Full method and brand ranking.
Questions
Is Honda more reliable than Toyota?
Toyota comes out ahead: Honda 2.95 vs Toyota 0.94 NHTSA owner complaints per 1,000 vehicles sold (model years 2015–2022). Honda owners filed 3.1× as many complaints per vehicle sold as Toyota owners.
Which has more serious complaints, Honda or Toyota?
Counting only complaints that report a crash, fire or injury, Honda logs 0.13 per 1,000 sold and Toyota 0.10. Those are 4% of Honda's complaints and 11% of Toyota's.
Where do Honda and Toyota rank overall?
Honda ranks #14 and Toyota #2 of the 19 brands with enough sales data, ranked by NHTSA complaints per 1,000 sold for model years 2015–2022.
What do Honda and Toyota owners complain about most?
Honda: engine (22.4%), electrical system (21.1%), fuel / propulsion (15.4%). Toyota: powertrain / transmission (16%), engine (14.6%), electrical system (13.9%). Shares are of each brand's complaints for model years 2015–2022; one complaint can name more than one area.
Which has more recalls, Honda or Toyota?
From January 2016 to September 2026, NHTSA lists 175 Honda recall campaigns covering 15,493,854 vehicles and 198 Toyota campaigns covering 15,819,237. Vehicles covered counts each vehicle once per campaign, so one car in three recalls counts three times. Recalls are fixes the maker files, a different signal from owner complaints.
Is the Honda CR-V more reliable than the Toyota RAV4?
The Toyota RAV4 has fewer complaints per vehicle sold: Honda CR-V 2.66 vs Toyota RAV4 1.10 complaints per 1,000 sold. Based on 2,776,986 and 3,155,248 vehicles sold. Years to avoid on the CR-V: 2015, 2017–2019, 2021, 2023, 2024. Years to avoid on the RAV4: 2008, 2019–2021, 2023, 2024.
Is the Honda Accord more reliable than the Toyota Camry?
The Toyota Camry has fewer complaints per vehicle sold: Honda Accord 2.65 vs Toyota Camry 0.84 complaints per 1,000 sold. Based on 2,138,731 and 2,788,813 vehicles sold. Years to avoid on the Accord: 2008, 2009, 2013, 2014, 2018–2020. Years to avoid on the Camry: 2008–2012, 2018–2020.