Illustration1996 HONDA ACCORD BRAKE LINES UNDER CAR RUSTED THRU TO FAILURE WHERE PLASTIC CLAMPS HOLD THEM IN PLACE. BRAKES FAILED CANNOT SEE CORROSION WITH OUT REMOVING PLASTIC COVER. FUEL LINE ALSO SEVERLY RUSTED IN SAME LOCATION WHERE CLAMPED. *TR
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
Fuel System, Gasoline complaints
7 reportsWHILE TRAVELING INTERMITTENTLY ABS INDICATOR LIGHT WOULD FLASH ON THROUGHOUT TRAVEL. DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. *AK CONSUMER STATES THAT THE ABS WAS REPAIRED ONCE WHILE STILL UNDER WARRANTY, THE WHOLE SYSTEM WAS LATER REPLACED. CONSUMER STATES VEHICLE HAD REPAIRS TO THE O-RING AND DEALER STATED SOMETHING ABOUT AIR IN THE SYST…
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WHILE TRAVELING INTERMITTENTLY ABS INDICATOR LIGHT WOULD FLASH ON THROUGHOUT TRAVEL. DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. *AK CONSUMER STATES THAT THE ABS WAS REPAIRED ONCE WHILE STILL UNDER WARRANTY, THE WHOLE SYSTEM WAS LATER REPLACED. CONSUMER STATES VEHICLE HAD REPAIRS TO THE O-RING AND DEALER STATED SOMETHING ABOUT AIR IN THE SYSTEM. *JB
POOR GAS MILEAGE, AVG. 17 MPG FOR CITY AND HIGHWAY COMBINED. DEALER SAYS THIS IS TO BE EXPECTED OF THIS CAR. I THOUGHT THIS 4 CYL. WOULD DO BETTER. VERY DISAPPOINTED.*AK
WHEN ACCELERATING VEHICLE HESITATES AND APPEARS NOT TO GAIN ANY POWER. ALSO, A LOUD UNUSAL NOISE OCCURS. *AK BRAKES SQUELED, DEALER REPLACED FRONT BRAKE PADS AND MACHINED ROTORS. DEALER FOUND B-PIPE GASKETS LEAKING WHICH WAS CAUSING NOISE UPON ACCELERATION. *SLC
THE AUTOMATIC DOOR LOCK FOR BOTH LEFT DOORS WOULD MAKE NOISE; SOUNDING AS THOUGH THE DOORS WERE BEING UNLOCKED. THIS SOUND COULD BE HEARD WHEN VEHICLE HIT BUMPS, WENT DOWN SLOPS ON A DAILY BASIS. VEHICLE'S INTAKE MANIFOLD ALSO FAILED.
WAS DRIVING ABOUT 30 TO 35 MPH WHEN THE CONSUMER LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE PULLED TO THE LEFT RESULTING IN AN ACCIDENT. CONSUMER HAS CONTACTED THE DEALER. THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM WAS GAS TANK WHICH LOCKED UP. *AK
FUEL PUMP FAILED.
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.