IllustrationSRS LIGHT IS ON (AIR BAG). JUST NOTICED IT COME ON WHILE DRIVING. TOO EXPENSIVE TO FIX, WILL COST HALF WHAT CAR IS WORTH. WHY IS THEIR NO RECALL? SEAMS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM. IT'S BEEN LIKE THIS FOR LONG TIME.
1996 Honda Accord
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 1996 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: 85 of 472 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.
- Air Bags. Review the 109 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 96 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Service Brakes, Hydraulic. Review the 74 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
52 crash reports3 fire reports21 injury reports
Air Bags complaints
109 reportsI HAD A 1996 HONDA ACCORD V6 2.7 LITERS WITH SRS LIGHT STAYS ON. I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE HONDA DEALERSHIP AND I WAS TOLD THAT THE SRS CONTROL MODULE UNIT HAS A FAILURE AND NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE UNIT PRICE IS OVER $700 DOLLAR WITHOUT INSTALLATION LABOR. I TALKED TO AMERICAN HONDA MOTOR AND THEY REFUSED TO ASSIST FIXING THIS …
Read full complaint
I HAD A 1996 HONDA ACCORD V6 2.7 LITERS WITH SRS LIGHT STAYS ON. I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE HONDA DEALERSHIP AND I WAS TOLD THAT THE SRS CONTROL MODULE UNIT HAS A FAILURE AND NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE UNIT PRICE IS OVER $700 DOLLAR WITHOUT INSTALLATION LABOR. I TALKED TO AMERICAN HONDA MOTOR AND THEY REFUSED TO ASSIST FIXING THIS SAFETY CONCERN. HONDA SUPPOSE TO LOWER THE PRICES FOR PARTS ON OLDER CARS TO MATCH THE CURRENT VALUE OF THE CAR.
SRS SYSTEM LIGHT ON AFTER CAR IS RUNNING, APPROX. COST TO REPAIR 900.00 .IS THERE A RECALL ON THIS PROBLEM , SEEMS THERE IS A LOT OF PEOPLE EXPERIENCING SAME AS MYSELF . *TR
THIS IS THE SECOND CONTACT ON THIS CAR. THE SRS LIGHT HAS BEEN SINCE APPROXIMATELY SINCE 01/05/2010. I HAVE NEVER BEEN CONTACTED ABOUT A RECALL.. *TR
STARTED UP CAR AND THE SRS LIGHT WAS ON. STILL REMAINS ON AFTER RUNNING AND DRIVING N FOR OVER 60 MILES .. CAR HAS NOT HAD ANY ACCIDENTS, HASN'T BEEN DRIVEN MUCH BECAUSE IT IS A SECOND CAR .. UPDATED 01/20/11 *BF
IN 1996 V6 HONDA ACCORD, THE SRS LIGHT COME ON AND SEVERAL TRIALS WERE DONE TO ERASE THE FAULT. THE DEALER TOLD ME THAT THE SRS CONTROL MODULE NEED TO BE REPLACED AT $800 COST. DEALER TOLD THAT THE AIRBAG WILL NOT BE DEPLOYED IN CASE OF AN ACCIDENTS. *TR
HORN WORKS OCCASIONALLY, SRS LIGHT WON'T GO OFF,SPEEDOMETER STOP WORKING. *TR
I OWN A 1996 HONDA ACCORD LX WHICH HAS A FAULTY DRIVER SIDE SEAT BELT. I DON'T HAVE THE MONEY TO FIX THE PROBLEM AND IS QUITE EXPENSIVE. THIS HAPPENED 4 OR FIVE MONTHS AGO AND IS, OF COURSE, A SERIOUS SAFETY CONCERN. NOW, AS OF THIS DATE, THE SRS LIGHT HAS COME ON WHICH APPARENTLY IS ANOTHER SAFETY CONCERN DUE TO THE FACT THA…
Read full complaint
I OWN A 1996 HONDA ACCORD LX WHICH HAS A FAULTY DRIVER SIDE SEAT BELT. I DON'T HAVE THE MONEY TO FIX THE PROBLEM AND IS QUITE EXPENSIVE. THIS HAPPENED 4 OR FIVE MONTHS AGO AND IS, OF COURSE, A SERIOUS SAFETY CONCERN. NOW, AS OF THIS DATE, THE SRS LIGHT HAS COME ON WHICH APPARENTLY IS ANOTHER SAFETY CONCERN DUE TO THE FACT THAT THE AIRBAGS WILL NOT DEPLOY. *TR
1996 HONDA ACCORD LX. PURCHASED A NEW CIGARETTE PHONE CHARGER, PLUGGED IT INTO THE LIGHTER WHICH BLEW THE FUSE THAT CONTROLS THE LIGHTER AND RADIO. REPLACED FUSE AND VERIFIED POWER WAS RESTORED TO AFOREMENTIONED ELECTRONICS. CONSEQUENTLY, ADDITIONALLY NOTED THAT THE SRS LIGHT WAS NOW ALSO ILLUMINATED. TOOK CAR TO MECHANIC, W…
Read full complaint
1996 HONDA ACCORD LX. PURCHASED A NEW CIGARETTE PHONE CHARGER, PLUGGED IT INTO THE LIGHTER WHICH BLEW THE FUSE THAT CONTROLS THE LIGHTER AND RADIO. REPLACED FUSE AND VERIFIED POWER WAS RESTORED TO AFOREMENTIONED ELECTRONICS. CONSEQUENTLY, ADDITIONALLY NOTED THAT THE SRS LIGHT WAS NOW ALSO ILLUMINATED. TOOK CAR TO MECHANIC, WHO DIAGNOSED PROBLEM TO BE A FRIED SRS CONTROL UNIT. IN ADDITION WAS TOLD THAT THIS SHOP HAS SEEN MANY OF SAME ERA HONDAS WITH SAME PROBLEM... THERE IS AN ISSUE WITH THE UNIT NOT BEING GROUNDED, ALLOWING OTHER SIMPLE FUSE FAILURES TO BACK FEED THE UNIT AND DESTROY IT. HONDA DOES NOT HAVE A RECALL ON THERE 1996 AIRBAG SYSTEM; HOWEVER THE 1995 HAD A PROBLEM... THE REPLACEMENT PART IS AN "UPDATED" PART WITH NEW FEATURES TO PREVENT SIMILAR FAILURES OF RE-OCCURRENCE. $750.00 FOR PART AND LABOR TO INSTALL. THIS IS CLEARLY AN MANUFACTURE DEFECT. *TR
SRS LIGHT COMES ON. EFFORTS TO CORRECT/RESET BY DEALERSHIP AND OTHERS HAS ONLY A TEMPORARY AFFECT. TOLD BY DEALERSHIP THE SRS "CONTROL MODULE" NEEDED REPLACING. *TR
Official recalls
198V231000 · Electrical System:wiring:front Underhood
Sep 22, 1998
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: SEDAN, COUPE AND WAGON PASSENGER VEHICLES EXCEPT THE DX MODEL AND MODELS WITH V6 ENGINES. THE FACTORY INSTALLED AIR CONDITIONER WIRE HARNESS WAS IMPROPERLY ROUTED ALLOWING SOME WIRES TO RUB AGAINST EACH OTHER, EVENTUALLY CAUSING A SHORT CIRCUIT.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: THE SHORT CIRCUIT CANPOSSIBLY CAUSE THE UNDERHOOD WIREING TO OVERHEAT AND SMOKE, CAUSING A FIRE IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. A SHORT CIRCUIT CAN ALSO RESULT IN A BLOWN FUSE OR DEAD BATTERY.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE VEHICLES FOR PROPER ROUTING OF THESE WIRES. ANY HARNESS IMPROPERLY ROUTED WILL BE INSPECTED FOR DAMAGE AND THE ROUTING WILL BE CORRECTED. IF ANY INSULATION IS WORN THROUGH AND THE COPPER WIRES ARE EXPOSED, THE HARNESS WILL BE REPLACED. DEALERS WILL ALSO INSTALL PLASTIC TUBING TO PROTECT THE HARNESS.
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
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.