IllustrationCONSUMER PUT VEHICLE IN GEAR, AND WITH FEET STILL ON BRAKES, VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED AT A HIGH SPEED, CAUSING AN ACCIDENT.*AK
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 reportsAIR BAG LIGHT WILL COME ON. AFTER TAKING VEHICLE TO DEALER, DEALER NOTED THAT AIR BAGS MAY NOT DEPLOY.*AK
WITH NO WARNING AND PROPER MAINTENANCE OF BRAKES ENTIRE ANTI-LOCK BRAKE SYSTEM COMPLETELY FAILED. PLEASE DESCRIBE DETAILS. *AK
NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK
THE ABS LIGHT GOES ON AND OFF, AND I TOOK IT TO A HONDA REPAIR PLACE AND THEY TOLD ME THAT THE ABS MODULATOR/PUMP IS LEAKING. THEY INFORMED ME THAT THE PART ALONE WAS $1,200.00, AND WITH LABOR IT WOULD BE $1,400.00 TO REPLACE. THAT TOO ME SOUNDS ABSURD. I CONTACTED THE HONDA DEALER, AND THEY INFORMED ME THAT THIS WAS A REBUILT P…
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THE ABS LIGHT GOES ON AND OFF, AND I TOOK IT TO A HONDA REPAIR PLACE AND THEY TOLD ME THAT THE ABS MODULATOR/PUMP IS LEAKING. THEY INFORMED ME THAT THE PART ALONE WAS $1,200.00, AND WITH LABOR IT WOULD BE $1,400.00 TO REPLACE. THAT TOO ME SOUNDS ABSURD. I CONTACTED THE HONDA DEALER, AND THEY INFORMED ME THAT THIS WAS A REBUILT PART, AND HONDA DID NOT SUPPLY NEW PARTS TO REPLACE THIS FAULTY ABS MODULATOR. AT THIS POINT I'M VERY DISAPPOINTED WITH HONDA OF AMERICA, AND I HAVE FOUND NUMEROUS INDIVIDUALS ON THE WEB THAT HAVE THIS SAME PROBLEM WITH THEIR ABS MODULATORS LEAKING.... TO ME THIS IS JUST ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY FOR HONDA TO MAKE AN EXTRA BUCK ON ITS LOYAL CUSTOMERS.*AK
RECALL 98-V-231-000/WIRE HARNESS. DEALER WILL NOT REPAIR VEHICLE. NORTH SHORE HONDA GLEN HEADS, NY 516-676-2300. *AK THE DEALER FIXED THE WIRE HARNESS AND FRONT BALANCER SHAFT SEAL. *YH
MY CAR WOULD NOT STOP WHEN I ATTEMPTED TO PARK IT. AS A RESULT, THE CAR DROVE OVER A SIDEWALK AND THROUGH THE FRONT WINDOW OF A BUSINESS ESTABLISHMENT CAUSING SERIOUS DAMAGE TO BOTH THE STORE AND MY VEHICLE. SOMEOME COULD HAVE BEEN SERIOUSLY INJURED. THE CAR HAS BEEN FIXED, BUT I AM VERY AFRAID TO DRIVE IT. THIS HAS BEEN VERY CO…
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MY CAR WOULD NOT STOP WHEN I ATTEMPTED TO PARK IT. AS A RESULT, THE CAR DROVE OVER A SIDEWALK AND THROUGH THE FRONT WINDOW OF A BUSINESS ESTABLISHMENT CAUSING SERIOUS DAMAGE TO BOTH THE STORE AND MY VEHICLE. SOMEOME COULD HAVE BEEN SERIOUSLY INJURED. THE CAR HAS BEEN FIXED, BUT I AM VERY AFRAID TO DRIVE IT. THIS HAS BEEN VERY COSTLY FOR ME IN TERMS OF MY DEDUCTABLE AND THE INCREASE IN MY INSURANCE THIS WILL CAUSE. I WAS NOT CITED FOR THE ACCIDENT AS THE POLICE DID NOT FEEL I WAS DRIVING CARELESSLY. *AK
I TOOK IT TO THE HONDA PLACE 3 TIMES TO BE REPAIRED. AFTER THEY DYE TESTED IT WAS FOUND THAT THERE IS A LEAK IN THE EVAPORATOR. I WAS TOLD THAT THIS OFTEN HAPPENS WITH THIS YEAR VEHICLE*AK
I HAVE HAD TWO FIRESTONE TIRES TO BLOW OUT. THE FIRST ONE CAUSED AN ACCIDENT. I WOULD LIKE TO GET BACK THE MONEY I SPENT HAVING THE OTHER PERSON'S CAR REPAIRED, AND ALSO GET OWN REPAIRED. THE SECOND BLOW OUT LEFT ME STRANDED ON THE FREEWAY. I SUBMITTED A CLAIM TO FIRESTONE AND THEY ARE REFUSING TO HONOR MY CLAIM. THANK YOU …
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I HAVE HAD TWO FIRESTONE TIRES TO BLOW OUT. THE FIRST ONE CAUSED AN ACCIDENT. I WOULD LIKE TO GET BACK THE MONEY I SPENT HAVING THE OTHER PERSON'S CAR REPAIRED, AND ALSO GET OWN REPAIRED. THE SECOND BLOW OUT LEFT ME STRANDED ON THE FREEWAY. I SUBMITTED A CLAIM TO FIRESTONE AND THEY ARE REFUSING TO HONOR MY CLAIM. THANK YOU IN ADVANCE FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION.*AK
CONSUMER STATES THAT WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH THE VEHICLE AUTOMATICALLY SHUT OFF, AFTER TAKING THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER THEY FOUND OUT THAT THE OIL SEAL HAD BLOW OUT OF ITS PLACE AND ALL THE OIL LEAKED OUT. CONTACTED DEALER AND THE DEALER IS NOT WILLING TO DO ANYTHING. NLM
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.