IllustrationABS SYSTEM LEAKING FLUID, SYSTEM INOPEARBLE . *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 reportsTHE VEHICLE IS EXPERIENCING PROBLEMS WITH THE SRS CONTROL UNIT, THE 1995 MODEL VEHICLE WAS RECALLED, (96V-217) CONSUMER DOES NOT UNDERSTAND WHY HIS VEHICLES YEAR WAS NOT RECALLED. NLM *YH
SRS LIGHT CAME ON WHILE DRIVING. TOOK TO DEALER THEY COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG, RESET THE SYSTEM. WHILE STILL AT DEALER START THE CAR, AND THE SRS LIGHT STAYS ON. THEY TELL ME IT'S A POSSIBLE CABLE REEL PROBLEM, WHEN THEY TAKE A LOOK AT IT THERE ISN'T ANYTHING WRONG. THEY RESET THE SYSTEM, AND MADE MULTIPLE TEST DRIVES WITHO…
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SRS LIGHT CAME ON WHILE DRIVING. TOOK TO DEALER THEY COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG, RESET THE SYSTEM. WHILE STILL AT DEALER START THE CAR, AND THE SRS LIGHT STAYS ON. THEY TELL ME IT'S A POSSIBLE CABLE REEL PROBLEM, WHEN THEY TAKE A LOOK AT IT THERE ISN'T ANYTHING WRONG. THEY RESET THE SYSTEM, AND MADE MULTIPLE TEST DRIVES WITHOUT THE LIGHT COMING ON. NEXT TIME I START THE CAR THE LIGHT COMES ON. THEY HAVE NO IDEA WHAT IS WRONG, BUT I CAN PAY TO HAVE THE AIRBAG REPLACED, AND THE INTERNAL COMPUTER OF THE CAR REPLACED. I HAVE YET TO TAKE IT BACK SINCE THEY DON'T KNOW WHAT IS WRONG.*AK
I BOUGHT MY 1996 HONDA ACCORD EX ABOUT A YEAR AGO AND THE DEALER TOLD ME THAT THE ABS LIGHT CAME ON, BUT THAT IT WAS NOTHING TO WORRY ABOUT THAT IT HAD BEEN CHECKED OUT AND NOTHING WAS WRONG. I DID SOME SEARCHING ON THE INTERNET AND FOUND OUT THAT I WASN'T THE ONLY ONE WHO HAD AN ABS LIGHT PROBLEM. I TALKED TO MY HONDA DEALER AN…
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I BOUGHT MY 1996 HONDA ACCORD EX ABOUT A YEAR AGO AND THE DEALER TOLD ME THAT THE ABS LIGHT CAME ON, BUT THAT IT WAS NOTHING TO WORRY ABOUT THAT IT HAD BEEN CHECKED OUT AND NOTHING WAS WRONG. I DID SOME SEARCHING ON THE INTERNET AND FOUND OUT THAT I WASN'T THE ONLY ONE WHO HAD AN ABS LIGHT PROBLEM. I TALKED TO MY HONDA DEALER AND THEY TOLD ME THAT THE WORST CASE SCENARIO WAS AN ABS MODULATOR THAT WOULD COST 1,200+. WHEN I START MY CAR IT MAKES A FUNNY NOISE FOR ABOUT 30 SECONDS AND THEN MY ABS LIGHT COMES ON AND THE NOISE STOPS. IF MY ABS SYSTEM DOES NOT WORK AND I SLAM ON MY BRAKES AND THEY LOCK UP AND I HIT SOMEONE THEN I AM AT FAULT , BUT I COULD NOT HELP HITTING THEM IF MY BRAKES ARE LOCKED UP AND I AM STILL GOING. THIS COULD CAUSE SERIOUS INJURY OR MAYBE EVEN DEATH. I DO NOT HAVE 1,200+ DOLLARS TO FIX THIS. THE HONDA CO. SHOULDN'T HAVE USED FAULTY PARTS. COULD YOU PLEASE LOOK INTO THIS AND LET ME KNOW SOMETHING. THANK YOU FOR LISTENING TO MY COMPLAINT.*AK
NO ASUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOV EVEHICLE. *AK
TRANSMISSION HAD DEVELOPED A GRINDING NOISE. CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER, AND THEY SAID COULD NOT FIND WHERE THE NOISE WAS COMING FROM. DEALER STATED THAT IT HAD BEEN A MANUFACTURER'S DEFECT. *AK DEALERSHIP STATED TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED, HOWEVER HONDA IS NOT WILLING TO COVER ANY OF THE COST TO REPLACE IT, VE…
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TRANSMISSION HAD DEVELOPED A GRINDING NOISE. CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER, AND THEY SAID COULD NOT FIND WHERE THE NOISE WAS COMING FROM. DEALER STATED THAT IT HAD BEEN A MANUFACTURER'S DEFECT. *AK DEALERSHIP STATED TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED, HOWEVER HONDA IS NOT WILLING TO COVER ANY OF THE COST TO REPLACE IT, VEHICLE HAS LOW MILEAGE TO BE EXPERIENCING TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS. *SLC
ABS SYSTEM LIGHT CAME ON. CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER, AND THEY STATED THAT ACCUMULATOR MODULE AND MODULATOR WAS LEAKING. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK HONDA ISSUED A BULLETIN ON THIS ISSUE IN 1996. NLM
AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT REMAINS ILLUMINATED, INDICATING A MALFUNCTION WITHIN THE SYSTEM, CAUSE UNKNOWN. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS.*AK
WHILE VEHICLE IS PARK IN DRIVEWAY CONSUMER NOTICED OIL ON SPOTS. VEHICLE LOST ABOUT 2 QUARTS OF OIL PER MONTH. DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED . PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMAITION.*AK
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
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.