IllustrationPOWER DOOR LOCKS HAVE BEEN MAKING A LOUD NOISE WHEN LOCKED FOR THE PAST YEAR. TWO WEEKS AGO THE REAR HATCH BACK LOCK OPENS AND THEN CLOSES ON ITS OWN MAKING IT IMPOSSIBLE TO OPEN THE HATCH. EVEN IF THE BUTTON IS HELD UP MANUALLY THE HATCH WILL NOT OPEN. ALL OTHER FOUR DOORS WORK PROPERLY. *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
Structure complaints
19 reportsA METAL ROD THAT SUPPORTS THE TRUNK HAD SHEARED OFF, CAUSING THE TRUNK TO FALL DOWN. CONSUMER DROVE THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR ANALYSIS, WHERE THE MECHANIC NOTICED THAT THE METAL ROD NEEDED REPLACEMENT DUE TO A WORN OUT PART.*AK
DRIVER'S SIDE WINDOW REGULATOR CABLE BROKE. NO REASON/ABUSE. ENTIRE UNIT REPLACED FOR $400.00. *AK
REAR HATCH STRUTS FAILED WITHOUT WARNING. IN COLD WEATHER HATCH FELL DOWN. DEALER CLAIMED STRUTS USUALLY FAILED WITHIN A 2 YEAR PERIOD, NO PARTS AVAILABLE. *AK *SLC
BOTH UNDERFENDERS FOR FRONT FENDERS SPONTANEOUSLY DETACHED ON FLAT, DRY HIGHWAY WHEN I WAS GOING AT A STEADY SPEED OF 45 MPH. DRIVER'S SIDE REMAINED ATTACHED AT FRONT END AND TWISTED AROUND TIRE, CAUSING ME TO LOSE CONTROL OF CAR AND VEER ONTO VERGE. PASSENGER SIDE ABRUPTLY DETACHED COMPLETELY AND FLEW ONTO ROADWAY. FRONT END…
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BOTH UNDERFENDERS FOR FRONT FENDERS SPONTANEOUSLY DETACHED ON FLAT, DRY HIGHWAY WHEN I WAS GOING AT A STEADY SPEED OF 45 MPH. DRIVER'S SIDE REMAINED ATTACHED AT FRONT END AND TWISTED AROUND TIRE, CAUSING ME TO LOSE CONTROL OF CAR AND VEER ONTO VERGE. PASSENGER SIDE ABRUPTLY DETACHED COMPLETELY AND FLEW ONTO ROADWAY. FRONT END OF CAR HAS NEVER BEEN INVOLVED IN COLLISION. HONDA DEALER CLAIMS THEY NEVER SEE THIS HAPPENING AND CONTINUES TO BLAME DRIVER FOR FAULTY DRIVING
WHILE DRIVING, OIL INDICATIOR LIGHT STARTED TO FALSHING. LOST ALL OIL IN ENGINE. BALANCE SHAFT SEAL BURST. TIMING BELT AND OTHER BELTS REPLACED. COST $700. ALSO, PASSENGER'S SIDE DOOR (FRONT & BACK) POWER LOCKS ARE INOP.
DOOR HANDLE INSIDE OF DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR FELL APART, , DOOR HANDLE JAMMED. THERE WAS DIFFICULTY WHEN CONSUMER WAS IN THE INSIDE. SHE HAD TO ROLL DOWN THE WINDOW, AND THEN UNLOCK THE DOOR ON THE OUTSIDE.*AK
RIGHT REAR LOCK MAKES GRINDING NOISE WHILE LOCKING. WHEN I TOOK IT IN FOR SERVICE I WAS TOLD THAT THE DOOR LOCK ACTUATOR WOULD REQUIRE REPLACEMENT AT A COST TO ME OF $ 198.00. HOW COMMON IS THIS AT RELATIVELY LOW MILEAGE? *AK
REAR STRUCTURE IS NOT STRONG ENOUGH TO WITH STAND AN IMPACT OF 25 MPH WHICH CAUSES TRUCK TO CAVE IN. CONSUMER NOTICED SOME TYPE OF FOAM FOUND BETWEEN TRUNK AND BUMPER AREA . DEALER WAS NOT NOTIFIED . *AK
POWER DOOR LOCK JAMMED ON PASSENGER SIDE.
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.