THE AUTOMATIC SEAT BELT ON MY DRIVER SIDE IS STUCK IN THE FORWARD POSITION. THE PASSENGER SIDE BELT WORKS JUST FINE, JUST NOT THE DRIVER SIDE. THIS HAPPENED AFTER I HAD MY DISTRIBUTOR REPLACED AND WHEN I STARTED MY CAR UP, IT WOULDN'T WORK.
1991 Honda Accord
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 1991 Honda Accord do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 356.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Accord years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
Limited mileage data: 42 of 212 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Seat Belts. Review the 58 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Structure. Review the 32 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Latches/locks/linkages. Review the 24 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
What owners actually said
212 reportsCAR DIED WHEN I'M STOPPED AND WHEN I ACCELERATE. NOW I CAN'T GET IT TO START AT ALL. THE SPARKS ARE GOOD, THE FUEL PUMP IS GOOD AND IT HAS GAS IN IT .
DRIVER'S SIDE SUN VISOR BECAME LOOSE AND NOW STAYS IN A DOWN POSITION AND SWINGS FREELY. WAS TOLD TO VISIT JUNK YARD TO FIND A FUNCTIONAL VISOR (WHOLE UNIT HAS TO BE REPLACED). THIS INCIDENT OCCURRED 5 YEARS AGO. THE WINDSHIELD SUN VISOR IS A BIG ISSUE SINCE IT OBSTRUCTS MY VISION (ESPECIALLY AT NIGHT) AND SINCE IT IS SO ANNO…
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DRIVER'S SIDE SUN VISOR BECAME LOOSE AND NOW STAYS IN A DOWN POSITION AND SWINGS FREELY. WAS TOLD TO VISIT JUNK YARD TO FIND A FUNCTIONAL VISOR (WHOLE UNIT HAS TO BE REPLACED). THIS INCIDENT OCCURRED 5 YEARS AGO. THE WINDSHIELD SUN VISOR IS A BIG ISSUE SINCE IT OBSTRUCTS MY VISION (ESPECIALLY AT NIGHT) AND SINCE IT IS SO ANNOYING, I'VE REMOVED IT. NOW I HAVE SERIOUS SAFETY CONCERNS WHEN THE SUN IS SHINING BRIGHTLY DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF ME WHEN I'M DRIVING. APPROXIMATELY 8 YEARS AGO THE DRIVER'S SIDE REAR SIDE WINDOW QUIT WORKING. I HAD THE MOTOR REPLACED, BUT IT DID NOT RESOLVE THE PROBLEM - IT WON'T GO UP THE ENTIRE WAY. ABOUT 5 YEARS AGO THE FRONT DRIVER'S SIDE - SIDE WINDOW STOPPED GOING DOWN ALL THE WAY. AGAIN, I HAD THE MOTOR REPLACED, BUT IT STILL WON'T GO DOWN WITHOUT HESITATION AND STOPS AT THE HALFWAY POINT. THE ENGINE WARNING LIGHT CAME ON PERMANENTLY APPROXIMATELY 7 YEARS AGO AND I'VE HAD 3 REPAIR SHOPS TELL ME THEY CANNOT GET IT TO TURN OFF. NOW I DON'T KNOW WHEN I'M HAVING AN ISSUE. CURRENTLY, I KEEP SMELLING A BURNING RUBBER SMELL, BUT NO ISSUES W/RADIATOR ARE PRESENT. NOT SURE IF THE 'CHECK ENGINE LIGHT' WOULD HAVE ALERTED ME TO A PROBLEM, BUT I DO COUNT ON MY INSTRUMENT PANEL WARNING LIGHTS TO WARN ME OF ISSUES I WOULDN'T BE AWARE OF SINCE I'M NO MECHANIC. I PURCHASED A HONDA DUE TO THEIR SAFETY RECORDS AND DURABILITY AND COUNTED ON KEEPING MY CAR AS LONG AS POSSIBLE. I'M NOW HAVING TO RECONSIDER PURCHASING A CAR IN THE NEXT YEAR AND AS MUCH AS I WAS ABLE TO DEPEND ON MY HONDA, I'M STRONGLY CONSIDERING A DIFFERENT CAR MAKE (NOT A HONDA). *TR
NTSB: 1991 HONDA ACCORD: CONSUMER STATES THEY WOULD LIKE AN INVESTIGATION TO REFERENCE THE SAFETY OF TURN SIGNAL. *SS
THE DRIVER SIDE AUTOMATIC RETRACTABLE SEAT BELT RESTRAINT IS CURRENTLY STUCK IN THE FORWARD POSITION BY THE WINDOW AND WILL NOT RETRACT. WE HAVE TAKEN THE CAR FOR A DIAGNOSTIC CHECK TO VERIFY THAT IT NEEDS REPLACED. THE PART IS SUPPOSED TO BE COVERED UNDER THE LIFETIME SEATBELT WARRANTY BUT WE ARE HAVING CONTINUED ISSUES GETTING…
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THE DRIVER SIDE AUTOMATIC RETRACTABLE SEAT BELT RESTRAINT IS CURRENTLY STUCK IN THE FORWARD POSITION BY THE WINDOW AND WILL NOT RETRACT. WE HAVE TAKEN THE CAR FOR A DIAGNOSTIC CHECK TO VERIFY THAT IT NEEDS REPLACED. THE PART IS SUPPOSED TO BE COVERED UNDER THE LIFETIME SEATBELT WARRANTY BUT WE ARE HAVING CONTINUED ISSUES GETTING SOMETHING DONE. THEY HAVE TOLD US THEY CAN'T LOCATE A PART, THAT THEY AREN'T "SURE" IF IT'S COVERED, AND HAVE BASICALLY BRUSHED US OFF.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1991 HONDA ACCORD. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DRIVER SIDE SEAT BELT FAILED TO RETRACT AND EXPAND. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE SHOULDER RESTRAINT FAILED AND THE SEAT BELT RETRACTOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE …
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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1991 HONDA ACCORD. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DRIVER SIDE SEAT BELT FAILED TO RETRACT AND EXPAND. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE SHOULDER RESTRAINT FAILED AND THE SEAT BELT RETRACTOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND OPENED A CASE ON THE CONTACT'S BEHALF. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 229,000.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1991 HONDA ACCORD. WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED, THE SEAT BELT WARNING SENSOR LIGHT ILLUMINATED WITH A BEEPING SOUND. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE THE TECHNICIAN COULD NOT FIND A FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WA…
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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1991 HONDA ACCORD. WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED, THE SEAT BELT WARNING SENSOR LIGHT ILLUMINATED WITH A BEEPING SOUND. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE THE TECHNICIAN COULD NOT FIND A FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 202,000.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1991 HONDA ACCORD. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE SEAT BELT BUCKLE WOULD NOT LATCH OR RETRACT. IN ADDITION, THE BUCKLE SEAT BELT WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED WHILE SEAT BELT WAS BUCKLED. THE FAILURE OCCURRED ON A DAILY BASIS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE SEAT BELT CONTROL MOD…
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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1991 HONDA ACCORD. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE SEAT BELT BUCKLE WOULD NOT LATCH OR RETRACT. IN ADDITION, THE BUCKLE SEAT BELT WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED WHILE SEAT BELT WAS BUCKLED. THE FAILURE OCCURRED ON A DAILY BASIS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE SEAT BELT CONTROL MODULE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 268,000.
MY AUTOMATIC SEAT BELT ON THE DRIVERS SIDE STOPPED RETRACTING, AND NOW THE SEATBELT LIGHT FLASHES AND WARNING BELL KEEPS BEEPING. EVEN WHEN I HAVE THE SEAT BELT FASTENED. I CALLED MY LOCAL HONDA DEALER. THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT TOLD ME IT WAS NOT COVERED UNDER THE WARRANTY, BUT I HAVE THE WARRANTY AND IT SAYS IT IS COVERED. WHEN I…
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MY AUTOMATIC SEAT BELT ON THE DRIVERS SIDE STOPPED RETRACTING, AND NOW THE SEATBELT LIGHT FLASHES AND WARNING BELL KEEPS BEEPING. EVEN WHEN I HAVE THE SEAT BELT FASTENED. I CALLED MY LOCAL HONDA DEALER. THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT TOLD ME IT WAS NOT COVERED UNDER THE WARRANTY, BUT I HAVE THE WARRANTY AND IT SAYS IT IS COVERED. WHEN I TOLD THEM THAT, I WAS TOLD I COULD BRING THE CAR IN AND PAY TO DETERMINE IF IT IS COVERED. BUT THEY SAY ONLY THE BELT BUCKLE IS COVERED. MY WARRANTY STATES THE WHOLE SYSTEM IS COVERED. IT WAS LARRY MILLER HONDA IN BOISE IDAHO THAT I CALLED. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1991 HONDA ACCORD LX. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN THE BRAKES WERE DEPRESSED, THE REAR SEAT BELT RESTRAINT FAILED TO OPERATE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A DEALER. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 216,000.
Official recalls
395V103001 · Seat Belts:front:buckle Assembly
May 24, 1995
THE FRONT SAFETY BELT BUCKLE RELEASE BUTTONS CAN BREAK. THESE RED PLASTIC RELEASE BUTTONS ARE MARKED "PRESS." IF A BUTTON BREAKS, PIECES CAN FALL INTO THE BUCKLE ASSEMBLY CAUSING THE BUCKLE TO OPERATE IMPROPERLY.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: THE SAFETY BELTS WOULD NOT PROVIDE ADEQUATE PROTECTION TO AN OCCUPANT IN A VEHICLE CRASH.
Remedy: OWNERS SHOULD PROMPTLY CHECK THE CONDITION AND OPERATION OF BOTH FRONT SAFETY BELT BUCKLES. CAREFULLY INSPECT THE RED RELEASE BUTTON FOR ANY BREAKS OR CRACKS. CHECK THAT BOTH BUCKLES ARE OPERATING PROPERLY BY INSERTING EACH LATCH PLATE INTO ITS BUCKLE, TUG ON THE BELT TO MAKE SURE THE LATCH IS SECURELY LOCKED, THEN PRESS THE RELEASE BUTTON. THE LATCH PLATE SHOULD POP OUT OF THE BUCKLE WHEN THE BUTTON IS PRESSED. IF EITHER RELEASE BUTTON SHOWS ANY SIGN OF BREAKAGE OR CRACKING, OR IF EITHER BUCKLE FAILS TO OPERATE PROPERLY, PROMPTLY CONTACT YOUR AUTHORIZED HONDA/ACURA DEALER TO SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT TO HAVE THE BUCKLE REPLACED OR REPAIRED, FREE OF CHARGE. THE MANUFACTURER IS DEVELOPING A REMEDY DESIGNED TO PREVENT THE FAILURE OF THE BUTTONS THAT ARE NOT CURRENTLY BROKEN.
93V056000 · Seat Belts:front:anchorage
Apr 22, 1993
THE REAR OUTSIDE SEATING POSITION SAFETY BELTS MAY LOCK UP AT ANGLES OTHER THAN THOSE REQUIRED BY FMVSS 209, "SEAT BELT ASSEMBLIES". THIS DOES NOT CONFORM TO THE MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: NON-CONFORMING SAFETY BELTS CAUSE AN INCREASED RISK OF INJURY IN THE EVENT OF A SUDDEN STOP OR ACCIDENT.
Remedy: REPLACE THE SENSOR IN THE REAR SEAT BELT RETRACTOR.
91V195000 · Interior Lighting
Nov 8, 1991
A WASHER IN THE CARGO AREA LIGHT MAY NOT BE PROPERLY ATTACHED, AND MAY HAVE FALLEN IN THE CARGO LIGHT DURING ASSEMBLY. IF THIS OCCURRED, AND THE THREE POSITION LIGHT SWITCH IS IN THE MIDDLE POSITION, AND THE TAILGATE IS OPEN, THE WASHER CAN CAUSE A SHORT CIRCUIT IN THE LIGHT.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: THE LIGHT SHORT CIRCUIT COULD CAUSE THE SWITCH TOOVERHEAT AND RESULT IN A CARGO COMPARTMENT FIRE.
Remedy: REMOVE THE WASHERS BEHIND THE CARGO AREA LIGHT AND REPLACE ANY DAMAGED LIGHT ASSEMBLIES.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
1EA94035 · Seat Belt Buckle Failure
Opened Oct 27, 1994 · Closed Jul 31, 1995
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Seat Belts:front:buckle Assembly
There is no summary currently available
Illustration