IllustrationVEHICLE EXPERIENCEED A FRONTAL COLLISION OF A IMPACT OF 25 MPH, AND BOTH AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. DEALER / MANUFACTURER WERE NOT NOTIFIED AT THIS TIME. PLEASE FEEL FREE TO PROVIDE ANY ANY DETAILS. *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 SEAT BELT RETAINER LATCH (THAT RECEIVES THE TIP OF THE SEAT BELT) DOES NOT RETAIN THE SEAT BELT. THE SEAT BELT LOOKS AS THOUGH IT IS PROPERLY INSTALLED BUT IT CAN BE PULLED LOOSE WITH MODERATE EFFORT. IT IS QUITE POSSIBLE FOR SOMEONE TO THINK THAT THE SEAT BELT IS WORKING OK WHEN ITS NOT. IT MAY BE THAT THIS CONDITION IS …
Read full complaint
THE SEAT BELT RETAINER LATCH (THAT RECEIVES THE TIP OF THE SEAT BELT) DOES NOT RETAIN THE SEAT BELT. THE SEAT BELT LOOKS AS THOUGH IT IS PROPERLY INSTALLED BUT IT CAN BE PULLED LOOSE WITH MODERATE EFFORT. IT IS QUITE POSSIBLE FOR SOMEONE TO THINK THAT THE SEAT BELT IS WORKING OK WHEN ITS NOT. IT MAY BE THAT THIS CONDITION IS COMMON ENOUGH FOR YOU TO BE KEEPING A FILE ON IT. IF YOU WANT MORE INFORMATION I WILL SEND IT TO YOU. I AM A RETIRED ENGINEER WITH AUTOMOTICE EXPERIENCE SO YOU CAN GET ACCURATE INFORMATION FROM ME IF YOU WANT IT. THE DEALER HAS OFFERED TO REPLACE THE SEAT BELT LATCH AT NO COST. HONDA HAS A LIFETIME GUARANTEE. I CAN SUPPOSE THAT MANY FAILURES OF THIS TYPE COULD OCCUR IN ACCIDENTS BUT BE ATTRIBUTED TO IMPROPPER SEAT BELT USE. THIS COULD HIDE A CONDITION THAT COULD HAVE KILLED MANY PEOPLE. YOU MIGHT WANT TO CHECK THE NATIONAL ACCIDENT FILES. I CAN DELAY HAVING THE BELT FIXED FOR A FEW DAYS IF YOU WANT TO CONFIRM THAT IT IS INDEED DEFECTIVE.*AK
VEHICLE/STEERING VIBRATES/RATTLES WHEN TURNING LEFT OR RIGHT AT LOW SPEEDS
VEHICLE CUTS OFF WHEN DECELERATING. VEHICLE WILL START BACK, BUT IS VERY HAZARDOUS IN TRAFFIC. DEALER HAS CHANGED IGINITION SWITCH. BUT BECAUSE PROBLEM IS SO INTERMITTENT, THEY CAN'T FIND A REMEDY. *AK
TREAD ON THE LEFT FRONT TIRE IS BEGINNING TO SEPARATE. TIRE SIZE P20560R15. ORIGINAL TIRE EQUIPMENT ON A 1996, HONDA, ACCORD. TIRE MILEAGE ABOUT 40,000. TIRE DEALERSHIP IS NOT AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. *AK THE VEHICLE DOES NOT VIBRATE AND HAS NO ALIGNMENT PROBLEM. IT IS SIMPLY A TIRE PROBLEM. *YH
BALANCER SHAFT SEAL BURST DAY AFTER OIL CHANGE, ALL OIL HAD LEAKED OUT DUE TO BALANCER SHAFT SEAL BURSTING. DAMAGED ENGINE, $510.00+ REPAIR COSTCOULD HAVE CAUSED SERIOUS INJURY IF WE HAD BEEN ON THE HIGHWAY. LUCKILY WE HAD STOPPED PRIOR TO OIL LIGHT GOING
WHILE PARKING VEHICLE NOTICED OIL LEAKING FROM UNDER VEHICLE. VEHICLE TOWED TO DEALER, AND INFORMED CONSUMER THAT BALANCING SHAFT SEAL WAS CAUSE OF OIL LEAKAGE. REPAIRS DONE AT NO COST TO CONSUMER. PLEASE FEEL FREE TO PROVIDE ANY FURTHER DEATILS. *AK
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.
WHILE TRAVELING AT APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH, MY OIL LIGHT CAME ON. THANKFULLY I WAS JUST REACHING MY DESTINATION. I GOT OUT OF THE CAR AND SAW THAT OIL WAS POURING OUT OF IT! HAD I DRIVEN THIS WAY, ACCORDING TO MY MECHANIC, MY ENGINE WOULD HAVE BEEN DESTROYED. I HAD TO REPLACE ALL OF THE OIL-SOAKED BELTS, ETC DUE TO THIS PART FA…
Read full complaint
WHILE TRAVELING AT APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH, MY OIL LIGHT CAME ON. THANKFULLY I WAS JUST REACHING MY DESTINATION. I GOT OUT OF THE CAR AND SAW THAT OIL WAS POURING OUT OF IT! HAD I DRIVEN THIS WAY, ACCORDING TO MY MECHANIC, MY ENGINE WOULD HAVE BEEN DESTROYED. I HAD TO REPLACE ALL OF THE OIL-SOAKED BELTS, ETC DUE TO THIS PART FAILURE. I HAVE SEEN SPOKEN TO SEVERAL PEOPLE WHO HAVE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM (ONE OF WHOSE CAR'S ENGINE DID "BLOW UP"). THE LOCAL HONDA DEALERSHIP TOLD ME THAT THIS WAS A COMMONLY KNOWN DEFECT IN THE SEAL. THIS PARTICULAR SEAL IS GENERALLY CHANGED AT AROUND 90,000 MILES WHEN THE TIMING BELT IS REPLACED. UNFORTUNATELY, THE DEALERSHIP SAYS, MANY SEALS BREAK 15-20 THOUSAND MILES PREMATURELY CAUSING MAJOR DAMAGE TO THE VEHICLE. I HAVE BEEN TOLD THIS PARTICULAR PART MAY BE RECALLED IN THE NEAR FUTURE; I FEEL THIS WOULD BE AN APPROPRIATE ACTION FOR THIS SITUATION.
ENGINE STARTED LEAKING OIL AT AN ALARMING RATE, TOOK TO DEALER, THEY SAID IT WAS A BALANCER SHAFT SEAL AND WOULD REQUIRE REPAIRS EST TO BE $620.*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.