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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.

Counts are not adjusted for sales, age, mileage exposure or reporting. A lower count does not establish that a car is problem-free.

About this comparison →
472Owner complaints

Model-year median: 356

1Recall campaigns

View recall details →

0Investigations

View investigation details →

Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗ Model-level counts do not show whether a particular VIN is affected or repaired.

Inspection summary

1996 Honda Accord

NHTSA snapshot: September 18, 2026. 472 owner complaints · 1 recall campaigns · 0 investigations.

Counts are not failure probabilities and are not adjusted for sales, age, mileage exposure or reporting. One report may name several categories. Comparison method and limitations.

Top reported categories (up to 5)

  • Air Bags: 109 reports
  • Engine And Engine Cooling: 96 reports
  • Service Brakes, Hydraulic: 74 reports
  • Electrical System: 40 reports
  • Vehicle Speed Control: 29 reports

Full reported-category list and vehicle report

Recall links

Check a VIN with NHTSA. Model-level history does not establish whether a particular VIN is affected or repaired.

Print the top reported categories, recall links, snapshot date and comparison limits.

How this year compares

Owner complaints by model year

Other model years Selected year
186
1993369
1994543
1995472
1996460
19971,200
19981,135
1999
Compare all Accord years →

Counts vary with age, sales, mileage exposure and reporting. They are not failure rates.

What owners reported most

Air Bags
109Engine And Engine Cooling
96Service Brakes, Hydraulic
74Electrical System
40Vehicle Speed Control
29
All reported categories
Power Train
27Unknown Or Other
25Tires
21Visibility
21Structure
19Seat Belts
17Latches/locks/linkages
13Steering
13Suspension
11Equipment
10Fuel System, Gasoline
7Service Brakes, Air
7Child Seat
4Exterior Lighting
3Fuel System, Other
3Seats
3Interior Lighting
2Engine
1Fuel/propulsion System
1Visibility/wiper
1Wheels
1

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

Service Brakes, Air complaints

7 reports
Clear category filter
88,000 miles · Nov 4, 2003
Service Brakes, Air

WHEN CAR WAS TURNED ON YOU HEARD A WEED EATER NOISE FOR ABOUT A MINUTE AND THEN NOISE WNET AWAY AND THE ABS LIGHT CAME ON. TOOK IT TO DEALERSHIP AND HAD TO HAVE THE ABS MODULATOR AND ACCUMULTOR REPLACED. DEALER THOUGHT IT WAS ODD FOR A DAR WITH NOT THAT MANY MILES ON IT. THEN LOOKED ON INTERNET AND SAW MANY REPORTS OF THE SAME T…

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WHEN CAR WAS TURNED ON YOU HEARD A WEED EATER NOISE FOR ABOUT A MINUTE AND THEN NOISE WNET AWAY AND THE ABS LIGHT CAME ON. TOOK IT TO DEALERSHIP AND HAD TO HAVE THE ABS MODULATOR AND ACCUMULTOR REPLACED. DEALER THOUGHT IT WAS ODD FOR A DAR WITH NOT THAT MANY MILES ON IT. THEN LOOKED ON INTERNET AND SAW MANY REPORTS OF THE SAME THING. I THINK THE ABS SHOULD BE RECALLED IN 1996 ACCORDS. *AK

NHTSA ODI #10045450

67,548 miles · Feb 11, 2003
Service Brakes, Air

ABS SYSTEM FAILED AT 67,548 MILES. ABS LIGHT CAME ON. HONDA SERVICE DEPARTMENT REPLACED ACCUMULATOR AND REBUILT MODULATOR FOR $590. 14 MONTHS LATER DURING STATE INSPECTION SAME HONDA SERVICE DEPARTMENT SAID ABS SYSTEM FAILED AGAIN LATER AT 84,300 MILES. ABS LIGHT DID NOT COME ON THIS TIME. ESTIMATED COST TO REPLACE MODULATOR IS…

Read full complaint

ABS SYSTEM FAILED AT 67,548 MILES. ABS LIGHT CAME ON. HONDA SERVICE DEPARTMENT REPLACED ACCUMULATOR AND REBUILT MODULATOR FOR $590. 14 MONTHS LATER DURING STATE INSPECTION SAME HONDA SERVICE DEPARTMENT SAID ABS SYSTEM FAILED AGAIN LATER AT 84,300 MILES. ABS LIGHT DID NOT COME ON THIS TIME. ESTIMATED COST TO REPLACE MODULATOR IS $1,270. CAR CANNOT PASS INSPECTION WITHOUT THAT REPLACED.

NHTSA ODI #10005658

Mileage unknown · Jan 28, 2003
Service Brakes, Air

THE ABS LIGHT ILLUMINATES CONSTANTLY. CONSUMER STATES WHEN THE ABS LIGHT ILLUMINATES AND THE BRAKES ARE APPLIED IN AN EMERGENCY THE VEHICLES BRAKES LOCK UP. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION. TS

NHTSA ODI #10004841

Mileage unknown · Dec 30, 2002
Service Brakes, Air

WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE, THE ABS SYSTEM WAS LEAKING CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO HAVE EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE. TS

NHTSA ODI #10001640

Mileage unknown · Feb 2, 1999
Service Brakes, Air

ROTORS WARPED PREMATURELY.

NHTSA ODI #543636

Mileage unknown · Jan 11, 1999
Service Brakes, Air

ABS NEEDS TO BEE REPLACED AFT 3 YEARS AND 43,000 MILES

NHTSA ODI #702122

Mileage unknown · Oct 22, 1997
Service Brakes, Air

BRAKE ROTORS FAILED.

NHTSA ODI #604388

Recall campaigns

1

98V231000 · 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 ↗

Defect investigations

0

No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.

An investigation is not a finding of a defect, and closure does not prove a vehicle is problem-free.

Go deeper into Honda Accord problems

Honda Accord transmission problems →Honda Accord electrical problems →