IllustrationTHE VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT, AND THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY.*JB
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
What owners actually said
472 reportsON 2/10/03 OUR ABS LIGHT ON 1996 HONDA ACCORD CAME ON SOLID. HONDA OF OXNARD STATED THE PROBLEM WAS A LEAKY MODULATOR AND BOTH MODULATOR AND ACCUMULATOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. WE AUTHORIZED SERVICE AT A COST OF $1425.00. I WROTE AMERICAN HONDA MOTOR CO AND ASKED THEM TO PAY FOR THE REPLACEMENT OR SHARE IN THE COST SINCE I RES…
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ON 2/10/03 OUR ABS LIGHT ON 1996 HONDA ACCORD CAME ON SOLID. HONDA OF OXNARD STATED THE PROBLEM WAS A LEAKY MODULATOR AND BOTH MODULATOR AND ACCUMULATOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. WE AUTHORIZED SERVICE AT A COST OF $1425.00. I WROTE AMERICAN HONDA MOTOR CO AND ASKED THEM TO PAY FOR THE REPLACEMENT OR SHARE IN THE COST SINCE I RESEARCHED MANY TSB'S ON NHTSA WEBSITE INDICATING A PROBLEM WITH THE ABS ON THE 1996 HONDA ACCORD. MY CONTENTION IS THAT THEY HAD PRIOR KNOWLEDGE OF DEFECTS IN THE ABS MODULATOR AND ACCUMULATOR AND ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE FAILURE OF THIS SYSTEM. ON 2/20/03 I RECEIVED A CALL FROM ANGIE OF AMERICAN HONDA CUSTOMER RELATIONS DENYING MY REQUEST.
AIR BAG LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON THE DASHBOARD, VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED 3 TIMES FOR THE SAME ISSUE.*JB...*AK
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…
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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.
STEERING COLUMN LOCKED UP. *AK
WHILE DRIVING AND WITHOUT WARNING OIL IS LEAKING FROM THE VEHICLE AND CAUSING THE CONSUMER TO REFILL MORE THEN OFTEN. DEALER NOTIFIED. TS
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
THE FRONT BALANCER SHAFT SEAL BLEW AND OIL GUSHED OUT OF THE ENGINE IN LESS THAN TEN MINUTES. MY WIIFE AND I HAD JUST MADE IT OFF THE INTERSTATE WHEN WE NOTICED THE SMELL OF OIL. UPON PARKING, WE SAW OIL POURING OUT OF ENGINE. NO WARNING LIGHTS WERE ON AND NO SMOKE CAME FROM THE ENGINE. I WAS TOLD BY MECHANIC THAT THE SEAL IS…
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THE FRONT BALANCER SHAFT SEAL BLEW AND OIL GUSHED OUT OF THE ENGINE IN LESS THAN TEN MINUTES. MY WIIFE AND I HAD JUST MADE IT OFF THE INTERSTATE WHEN WE NOTICED THE SMELL OF OIL. UPON PARKING, WE SAW OIL POURING OUT OF ENGINE. NO WARNING LIGHTS WERE ON AND NO SMOKE CAME FROM THE ENGINE. I WAS TOLD BY MECHANIC THAT THE SEAL IS DEFECTIVE BUT HONDA DOESN'T HAVE A FULL RECALL AND WILL ONLY FIX THE SEAL WHEN IT BLOWS WHICH COULD CAUSE PERMANENT ENGINE DAMAGE IF THE ENGINE IS NOT STOPPED IMMEDIATELY. I'VE DONE RESEARCH ON THIS PROBLEM AND OTHERS HAVE THIS SAME PROBLEM IN THE US. IT SEEMS THE SEAL IS DEFINETLY DEFFECTIVE, BUT HONDA WON'T REPAIR IT UNTIL THE PROBLEM HAPPENS. OF COURSE, I WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE PROBLEM UNTIL THE SEAL BLEW. I WAS INFORMED BY HONDA AMERICA THAT I JUST MISSED THEIR REIMBURSEMENT DEADLINE (JANUARY 1, 2003) BECAUSE MY SEAL BLEW ON JANUARY 24, 2003. I THINK HONDA SHOULD CONTINUE TO PAY FOR THIS FAULTY SEAL REPAIR SINCE IT IS A DEFECT THEY ALLOWED IN THEIR VEHICLES.
WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE INTERMITTENTLY ABS LIGHT BECOME INOPERABLE, AND SOME NOISE WHEN THE VEHICLE START. DEALER NOTIFIED REPLACE THE ABS WHICH COST $1,000. CONSUMER STATES WITH 57,OOO MILES WAS TO PREMATURE TO REPLACE THE ABS. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. TS
WHILE SITTING AT AN INTERSECTION WAITING FOR THE TRAFFIC LIGHT TO CHANGE ANOTHER VEHICLE HIT CONSUMER'S VEHICLE FROM BEHIND AND DRIVER'S AIRBAG DIDN'T DEPLOY. DEALER IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. TS. *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.