OIL LEAK AT THE FRONT OF THE ENGINE CAUSED BY A DISLODGED SEAL ON THE FRONT BALANCER SHAFT
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.
Engine And Engine Cooling complaints
96 reportsOIL INDICATOR LIGHT CAME ON WHILE DRIVING. LOST ALL OIL IN ENGINE.BALANCE SHAFT SEAL LEAK. TIMING BELT, OTHER BELTS REPLACED. $400 REPAIR
VEHICLE WILL NOT HOLD OIL. WHEN STARTING CAR AND PUTTING OIL IN, IT WILL LEAK RIGHT OUT. *AK
INTERMITTENTLY WHILE DRIVING ENGINE JUST DIED. VEHICLE HAS BEEN TO THREE DIFFERENT DEALERS IN THE LAST SIX MONTHS.DEALERSHIPS WAS NOT ABLE TO CORRECT THIS PROBLEM. *AK DISCOVERED LOOSE IGNITER CONNECTION AND THE IGNITION SYSTEM WAS REPLACED. *YH
WHILE DRIVING-OIL INDICATOR LIGHT FLASHING. INDICATION OF LOSS OF ALL OIL. ABLE TO MAKE IT TO DEALERSHIP WHERE THEY HAD NO KNOWLEDGE OF WHY THIS WOULD HAPPEN. DISCOVERED THAT BALANCE SHAFT SEAL & CAM SHAFT HAD POPPED OUT. RESULTING IN LOSS OF ALL OIL IN ENGINE> THIS IS FRONT BALANCE SHAFT. ALL BELTS AND FLUIDS NEEDED TO BE REP…
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WHILE DRIVING-OIL INDICATOR LIGHT FLASHING. INDICATION OF LOSS OF ALL OIL. ABLE TO MAKE IT TO DEALERSHIP WHERE THEY HAD NO KNOWLEDGE OF WHY THIS WOULD HAPPEN. DISCOVERED THAT BALANCE SHAFT SEAL & CAM SHAFT HAD POPPED OUT. RESULTING IN LOSS OF ALL OIL IN ENGINE> THIS IS FRONT BALANCE SHAFT. ALL BELTS AND FLUIDS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AT A COST OF $483.22. WHICH HAS NOT BEEN PAID. QUESTIONED THE SERVICE MANAGER REGARDING THIS AS A FACTORY PROBLEM. TOLD NO. EVEN THOUGH SERVICE BULLETINS HAVE BEEN ISSUED REGARDING THIS PROBLEM FOR THE PAST 5 YEARS. A CLIP IN NEEDED TO BE PLACED ON THESE SHAFT SEALS TO PREVENT THE PROBLEM FROM CONTINUING TO OCCURR AGAIN. UNFORTUNATELY WHEN REVIEWING THE WORK ORDER THERE IS NO INDICATION THAT THE CLIP WAS APPLIED. CONTACTED MANUFACTURER SAID THEY KNEW A PROBLEM EXISTS BUT WOULD NOT ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR COST AND POSSIBLE PERMANENT DAMAGE TO ENGINE VEHICLE. THEY REFUSED TO SUPPLY ME WITH THE COMPLETE BULLETIN REGARDING THE PROBLEM.ONE SERVICE MGR AT ANOTHERDEALERSHIP SAID THIS PROBLEM IS BEEN GOING ON FOR YEARS AND HONDA WILL NOT ACKNOWLEDGE FACTORY DEFECT. *AK
VEHICLE WAS LEAKING OIL DUE TO THE BALANCE SHAFT SEAL AND THE CAMSHAFT SEAL COMING OUT. DEALER HAS REPAIRED VEHICLE. *AK WHILE DRIVING OIL INDICATOR LIGHT CAME ON INDICATING LOSS OF OIL FROM ENGINE. ALL ALLEGEDLY HAD TO BE REPLACED INCLUDING PLACING BRACKET AT SEAL LOCATION TO PREVENT REOCURRANCE. COOLANT ALSO REPLACED. *YH
RE-SUBMIT//STATE REPORTED INCORRECTLY. WHILE DRIVING OIL LIGHT INDICATOR CAME ON/LOST ALL OIL IN ENGINE. NO PRIOR WARNING. ABLE TO MAKE IT TO DEALER TOLD THAT BALANCE SHAFT SEAL POPPED OUT AND ALSO CAM SHAFT SEAL POPPED OUT AT SAME TIME. REQUIRED TO REPLACE BOTH SEALS AND ALL FLUIDS/ALL BELTS REPLACED -COST - $483.22. DEALER…
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RE-SUBMIT//STATE REPORTED INCORRECTLY. WHILE DRIVING OIL LIGHT INDICATOR CAME ON/LOST ALL OIL IN ENGINE. NO PRIOR WARNING. ABLE TO MAKE IT TO DEALER TOLD THAT BALANCE SHAFT SEAL POPPED OUT AND ALSO CAM SHAFT SEAL POPPED OUT AT SAME TIME. REQUIRED TO REPLACE BOTH SEALS AND ALL FLUIDS/ALL BELTS REPLACED -COST - $483.22. DEALER CLAIMED NO KNOWLEDGE OF PRIOR NOTIFICATION FROM MANUFACTURER OF PROBLEM OR OFFER TO CONTACT MANUFACTURER FOR PAYMENT AND COST RESPONSIBILITY. ABLE TO OBTAIN INFORMATION FROM THIS SITE THAT SERVICE BULLETINS ISSUED ON BOTH 1995/1996 HONDA ACCORDS WITH THIS PROBLEM. DISLODGED SEAL ON THE FRONT BALANCER SHAFT. DATED 10/96. BILL NOT PAID. CONTACTED MANUFACTURER AT FIRST ACKNOWLEDGED DEFECT AND REMEDY BUT REFUSES TO CONFIRM IN WRITING. CLIP IS NEEDED TO BE INSTALLED ON VEHICLE WHICH WILL ENABLE PROBLEM FROM OCCURRING AGAIN. CLIPS ARE BEING INSTALLED NOW AS PART OF MAINTENANCE WHEN BELTS ARE CHANGED AT 90,000 AND ABOVE BUT MANUFACTUER WILL NOT INSTALL CLIPS ON CARS WITHOUT CUSTOMER TAKING FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITY. ONE DEALER WHOM I CONTACTED INDICATED THAT I SHOULD HAVE BEEN AWARE OF THE PROBLEM AND BROUGHT CAR IN BEFORE WARRANTY EXPIRED. THIS PROBLEM EXISTS ON BOTH 1995 AND 1996 ACCORDS BUT THE MANUFACTURER REFUSES TO SUPPLY ME WITH COMPLETE SERVICE BULLETIN AND HAS TOLD ME THAT THEY ARE UNAWARE OF SUCH A BULLETIN IN EXISTENCE. I HOPE THAT THIS INFORMATION IN ABLE TO BE POSTED IN IT'S ENTIRETY SO THAT OTHERS WHO HAVE BEEN OR WILL EXPERIENCE THIS PROBLEM KNOW OF THE CONDITION AND THE MANFACTURER'S POSITION.I*AK
WHILE DRIVING OIL INDICATOR LIGHT CAME ON -LOST ALL OIL IN ENGINE. BALANCE SHAFT SEAL POPPED OUT ALONG WITH CAM SHAFT SEAL RESULTED IN LOSS OF ALL OIL NO PRIOR WARNING. COST 483.22 REPAIRED AT DEALERSHIP. ALL BELTS REQUIRED TO BE CHANGED. MANUFACTURER REFUSES TO ACCEPT RESP FOR COST. DEALERSHIP DID NOT INFORM OF SERVICE BULLIT…
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WHILE DRIVING OIL INDICATOR LIGHT CAME ON -LOST ALL OIL IN ENGINE. BALANCE SHAFT SEAL POPPED OUT ALONG WITH CAM SHAFT SEAL RESULTED IN LOSS OF ALL OIL NO PRIOR WARNING. COST 483.22 REPAIRED AT DEALERSHIP. ALL BELTS REQUIRED TO BE CHANGED. MANUFACTURER REFUSES TO ACCEPT RESP FOR COST. DEALERSHIP DID NOT INFORM OF SERVICE BULLITEN NOTIFICATION DTD 10/96. CLIP NEEDED TO BE INSTALLED TO AVOID RE-OCURRANCE.NHTSA SHOULD BE MADE AWARE THAT THESE CLIPS ARE BEING INSTALLED ON CARS WHEN BELTS ARE CHANGED FOR MASINTENANCE AT 90,000. BUT WHAT OF THE OWNERS WHERE THEIR ENGINES ARE DESTROYED BECAUSE HONDA REFUSES TO MAKE THE NECESSARY REPAIR BEFORE PROBLEM OCCURRS. THEY REFUSE TO SUPPLY ME WITH COMPLETE COPY OF SERVICE BULLETIN. I HAVE NOT PAID THE BILL AND WILL NOT BECAUSE THIS IS A DEFECTIVE PART AND MANUFACTURER HAS BEEN AWARE OF THIS EVEN ON 1995 MODELS. I HOPE THAT YOU CONSIDER POSTING THIS ENTIRE MESSAGE FOR OTHER OWNERS.
WHEN ACCELERATING, THE EXHAUST SYSTEM MAKES A LOUD VIBRATING NOISE, WHICH HONDA SERVICE ATTRIBUTES TO A PROBLEM WITH "TORQUE". SERVICE REP. CLAIMS IT HAPPENS OVER TIME, AND HONDA MAKES A "BUZZ KIT" FOR THE PROBLEM. IF IT IS ALREADY A KNOWN PROBLEM BY THE MANUFACTURER, THEN REPLACEMENT OR REPAIR SHOULD BE AT NO COST TO THE OWNER.
BALANCER SHAFT SEAL LEAK IN THE ENGINE; FULL TIMING BELT, WATER PUMP, OTHER BELT, BELT COMPRESSOR TO BE REPLACED AT COST OF $750. *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.
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