IllustrationTHERE IS A RATTLE FROM THE EXHAUST SYSTEM AT 2000 RPM'S, WHICH APPEARS TO CAUSE A DELAY IN ACCELERATION. THE SERVICE TECH INFORMED ME HONDA IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEMS BUT FEELS THAT IT DOESN'T WARRANT REPAIR AT THEIR COST.*AK
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
Engine And Engine Cooling complaints
96 reportsCONSUMER STATES THAT WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH THE VEHICLE AUTOMATICALLY SHUT OFF, AFTER TAKING THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER THEY FOUND OUT THAT THE OIL SEAL HAD BLOW OUT OF ITS PLACE AND ALL THE OIL LEAKED OUT. CONTACTED DEALER AND THE DEALER IS NOT WILLING TO DO ANYTHING. NLM
AT 65 MPH OIL LIGHT CAME ON SHORTLY AFTER ENGINE STALLED. DEALER DETERMINED THAT AN OIL SEAL BLEW. *AK
WHILE DRIVING BALANCE SHAFT SEAL BROKE OFF, AND THE ENIGNE LEAKED OIL. OIL LEAKED OUT AND ENGINE BLEW. PLEASE PROVIDE MORE INFORMATION.*AK
CAME OUT OF CHURCH AND NOTICED A LINE OF FLUID GOING TO CAR. THEN DISCOVERED THAT IT WAS DRAINING OIL LIKE CRAZY. I HAD IT TOWED AND FOUND THAT IT WAS A BALANCER SEAL THAT WENT BAD. WHEN I LEFT CHURCH I FOLLOWED THE LINE OF OIL ALL THE WAY HOME WHERE IT STARTED LEAKING WHEN I WAS IDLING WHILE WAITING FOR MY FAMILY TO GET INTO TH…
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CAME OUT OF CHURCH AND NOTICED A LINE OF FLUID GOING TO CAR. THEN DISCOVERED THAT IT WAS DRAINING OIL LIKE CRAZY. I HAD IT TOWED AND FOUND THAT IT WAS A BALANCER SEAL THAT WENT BAD. WHEN I LEFT CHURCH I FOLLOWED THE LINE OF OIL ALL THE WAY HOME WHERE IT STARTED LEAKING WHEN I WAS IDLING WHILE WAITING FOR MY FAMILY TO GET INTO THE CAR. THERE WAS NO WARNINGS OR LIGHTS. THE OIL ALL GONE WHEN I DISCOVERED THE PROBLEM. AND NOW I AM STUCK WITH $608 BILL. BUT MOST OF ALL HOW DO I KNOW THAT MY ENGINE HAS NOT BEEN DAMAMGED? WHAT KIND OF PROBLEMS WILL THIS CAUSE ME TO HAVE IN THE FUTURE?*AK
DRIVING DOWN STREET AND OIL LIGHT CAME ON..PROCEEDED TO STORE AND PUT OIL IN CAR, DROVE APPROXIMATELY 10 MILES AND OIL LIGHT CAME ON AGAIN. THEN I DETERMINED THAT ALL THE OIL HAD DRAINED OUT. OIL IS POURING OUT OF MY CAR FASTER THAN I CAN PUT IT IN. SEARCHING ON THE INTERNET I'VE FOUND THAT OTHER HONDA ACCORD OWNERS OF THE 1996…
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DRIVING DOWN STREET AND OIL LIGHT CAME ON..PROCEEDED TO STORE AND PUT OIL IN CAR, DROVE APPROXIMATELY 10 MILES AND OIL LIGHT CAME ON AGAIN. THEN I DETERMINED THAT ALL THE OIL HAD DRAINED OUT. OIL IS POURING OUT OF MY CAR FASTER THAN I CAN PUT IT IN. SEARCHING ON THE INTERNET I'VE FOUND THAT OTHER HONDA ACCORD OWNERS OF THE 1996 MODEL HAD THE SAME PROBLEMS. I EVEN NOTICED THAT ONE HAD A RECALL FOR THE DAMAGED PART. I HAVE NO RECALL AND HAVE LIVED IN THE SAME LOCATION..JUST 5 MINUTES FROM THE HONDA DEALER WHERE THE CAR WAS PURCHASED. MY CAR IS SOAKED IN OIL FROM THE FRONT TO THE BACK..TIRES INCLUDED. I'M SURPRISED IT DIDN'T CATCH FIRE. PEOPLE NEED TO BE AWARE OF THESE DEFECTS AND SHOULDN'T HAVE TO PAY.*AK
WHILE VEHICLE IS PARK IN DRIVEWAY CONSUMER NOTICED OIL ON SPOTS. VEHICLE LOST ABOUT 2 QUARTS OF OIL PER MONTH. DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED . PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMAITION.*AK
BALANCER SHAFT SEAL COVER, LOWER AREA OF MOTOR WAS BEING SCRAPED BY TIMING BELT, CAUSING CHIRPING NOISE AT LOW MPH, I.E. 5 MPH. *AK
THE MECHANIC FOUND OIL LEAK AT THE FRONT OF THE ENGINE CAUSED BY A DISLODGED SEAL ON THE FRONT BALANCER SHAFT.
SEAL BELT RETAINER "POPPED OUT" RESULTING IN TIMING, COMBO, & P.S BELT BEING REPLACED ALONG WITH THE OIL SEALS AT A COST OF $354. *AK
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.