IllustrationI WAS JUST RECENTLY MADE AWARE THAT THE PROBLEM I EXPERIENCED WITH THE OIL SEAL FAILURE WAS NOT UNIQUE. I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE USED OUT OF A LEASE WITH ONLY 18,000 MILES. ALL SERVICE HAS BEEN DONE AT HIDY HONDA BEAVERCREEK, OHIO SINCE I'VE ACQUIRED THE VEHICLE. *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 reportsBALNCER OIL SHAFT GAVE OUT AND CAR LEAKED ALL OIL OUT IMMEDIATELY AND ENGINE SEIZED AND WE HAD TO REPLCE ENGINE AT THE COST OF $2,860 (USED ENGINE) - HONDA HAS BEEN EXTREMELY UNCOOPERATIVE - RECEIVED RECALL NOTICE AND HAVE TRIED TO WORK WITH THEM TO OBTAIN REIMBURSEMENT AND HAVE BEEN WAITING SINCE NOVEMBER. *AK
OIL SEAL FAILED WITH NO WARNING WHILE DIRVING AT LOW SPEED IN PARKING LOT. OIL LOSS ESTIMATED AT 1 QUART PER 3 MINUTES AT ENGINE IDLE RPM. WHEN DRIVEN (AFTER OIL REFILL) OIL SOAKS L. FT. BRAKE CALIPER AND ALL ENGINE BELTS. IMMEDIATE RESPONSE TO OIL PRESSURE WARNING LIGHT PREVENTED DRIVING TO ENGINE SEIZURE. *AK
NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK
WAS TRAVELING 70MPH WHEN SUDDENLY ENGINE SEIZED UP, VEHICLE HAD STOPPED, LOST ALL POWER, AND OIL WAS SHOOTING OUT EVERY WHERE. HAD VEHICLE TOWED TO GARAGE. MECHANIC INDICATED THAT ENGINE HAD BLEWN UP, AND THAT WAS REASON FOR OIL LEAKING. WOULD REPLACE BLOWN ENGINE WITH A USED ENGINE. RECEIVED A PRODUCT RECALL LETTER IN M…
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WAS TRAVELING 70MPH WHEN SUDDENLY ENGINE SEIZED UP, VEHICLE HAD STOPPED, LOST ALL POWER, AND OIL WAS SHOOTING OUT EVERY WHERE. HAD VEHICLE TOWED TO GARAGE. MECHANIC INDICATED THAT ENGINE HAD BLEWN UP, AND THAT WAS REASON FOR OIL LEAKING. WOULD REPLACE BLOWN ENGINE WITH A USED ENGINE. RECEIVED A PRODUCT RECALL LETTER IN MAIL REGARDING ENGINE RECALL. DO NOT HAVE OLD ENGINE.*AK
FRONT BALANCER SHAFT SEAL BLOW ,OIL GUSHED OUT OF ENGINE IN LESS THEN 10 MINS EST.WAS TOLD BY DEALER THAT HAPPENS TO A LOT OF THIS MODEL THAT THE SEAL IS DEFECTIVE BUT HONDA DOES'NT HAVE A FULL RECALL,WILL ONLY FIX WHEN SEAL BLOWS WHICH CAUSES PERMANENT ENGINE DAMAGE IF VECHICLE IS RUNNING.AFTER I GOT MY CAR BACK THE ENGINE LIG…
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FRONT BALANCER SHAFT SEAL BLOW ,OIL GUSHED OUT OF ENGINE IN LESS THEN 10 MINS EST.WAS TOLD BY DEALER THAT HAPPENS TO A LOT OF THIS MODEL THAT THE SEAL IS DEFECTIVE BUT HONDA DOES'NT HAVE A FULL RECALL,WILL ONLY FIX WHEN SEAL BLOWS WHICH CAUSES PERMANENT ENGINE DAMAGE IF VECHICLE IS RUNNING.AFTER I GOT MY CAR BACK THE ENGINE LIGHT STAYS ON AND THE DEALER SAYS I HAVE TO PAY TO FIND OUT WHY,SHOULD'NT HONDA OF AMERICA PAY SINCE THE LIGHT NEVER CAME ON BEFORE THIS PROBLEM AND START IMMEDIATLY AFTER THEY REPAIRED THE BAD SEALS.I'VE DONE RESEARCH ON YOUR SITE AND OTHERS AND THIS SEEMS TO BE A COMMAN PROBLEM IN COLD REGIONS IN THE UNITED STATES IT SEEMS THE SEAL IS MOST DEFINETLY DEFECTIVE BUT HONDA WONT REPAIR UNTIL THE PROBLEM HAPPENS. PLEASE RESPOND THANK YOU, JAMES G NASCIMENTO JNASC770@HOME.COM,159 JORDAN AVE CRANSTON RI 02910,401-942-3265. *AK
THE OIL SEAL FAILED CAUSING DAMAGE TO OTHER COMPONENTS, THE CONSUMER NO LONGER OWNS THE CAR, HOWEVER READ WHERE THERE WAS A A MANUFACTURER'S RECALL REGARDING A DEFECTIVE OIL SEAL AND WOULD LIKE TO BE REIMBURSED. *SLC
THE BALANCER SHAFT SEAL FAILED,CAUSING ALL OF THE ENGINE'S OIL TO PUMP OUT. *AK
WHILE DRIVING ABOUT 50 MPH OIL LIGHT CAME ON, ENGINE STARTED LOSING POWER. CONSUMER PULLED TO SIDE WHERE ENGINE CHECK LIGHT CAME ON. VEHICLE HAD TO BE TOWED. THEN, TECHNICIAN TOLD CONSUMER ABOUT A RECALL CONCERNING BLOWEN ENGINE.*AK
NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *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.