IllustrationBALANCE SHAFT OIL SEAL FAILED RESULTING IN RAPID LOSS OF ENGINE OIL. *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 reportsOIL HOSE BROKE, CAUSING AN OIL LEAKAGE INTO ENGINE COMPARTMENT, SOAKING THE TIMMING BELT WITH OIL WHICH COULD CAUSE A POSSIBLE FIRE. CONSUMER HAS CONTACTED DEALER. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER DETAILS.*AK
ENGINE SEAL WENT BAD AND LEAKED OUT OIL. SRS AIRBAG LIGHT CAME ON AND MECHANIC TOLD SRS CONTROL UNIT WENT BAD WITH A REPAIR OF $600. CONTACTED HONDA AND THERE WAS NO RECALL FOR EITHER PART.
DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD, GOING 35MPH, HIT SMALL BUMP IN ROAD AND BOTH AIRBAGS DEPLOYED, WINDSHIELD BROKE. *AK
NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOV EVEHICLE. *AK
SAME EXACT INCIDENT HAPPENED TO ANOTHER CAR I OWNED, HONDA ACCORD LX 97, AT THE SAME MILEAGE RANGE (59K-60K). ONLY WITH ACCORD 1996, I WAS FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO STOP ON TIME, AND WAS ABLE TO SAVE THE ENGINE. WHEREAS, IN THE ACCORD 97 SITUATION, I WAS TOO LATE, ALL OF THE OIL CAME OUT, AND ENGINE WAS IRREPARABLY DAMAGED. THE COST O…
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SAME EXACT INCIDENT HAPPENED TO ANOTHER CAR I OWNED, HONDA ACCORD LX 97, AT THE SAME MILEAGE RANGE (59K-60K). ONLY WITH ACCORD 1996, I WAS FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO STOP ON TIME, AND WAS ABLE TO SAVE THE ENGINE. WHEREAS, IN THE ACCORD 97 SITUATION, I WAS TOO LATE, ALL OF THE OIL CAME OUT, AND ENGINE WAS IRREPARABLY DAMAGED. THE COST OF REPAIRS FOR ACCORD 97 WAS $2,000, IT REQUIRED A WHOLE NEW ENGINE + OIL PUMP, CHANGE OF SEALS AND BELTS. ACCORDING TO THE HONDA ACCORD MANUALS, MAINTENANCE (CHANGE OF TIMING BELTS, ETC.) ON THE CAR SHOULD BE DONE AT AROUND 90K MILES, EXCLUDING THE REGULAR OIL CHANGES. THEREFORE, BOTH INCIDENTS WERE NOT RELATED TO A DELAYED MAINTENANCE, BUT TO AN IRREGULAR FAILURE OF THE OIL PUMP AND THE OIL SEAL. BOTH CASES ARE IDENTICAL ON SIMILAR CARS AND DESERVE TO BE INVESTIGATED. *AK
ENGINE OIL SEAL BLOW-WHICH RESULTED IN THE LOSS OF OIL.*AK
WHILE DRIVING, OIL LIGHT INDICATOR SUDDENLY STARTED FLASHING. PULLED OFF HIGHWAY AND PROCEEDED TO NEAREST GAS STATION. I TOLD THE GAS STATION MECHANIC THAT MY OIL LIGHT INDICATOR HAD SUDDENLY STARTED FLASHING. GAS STATION MECHANIC OPENED UP THE HOOD AND CHECKED THE OIL. DIPSTICK CAME UP DRY. ALL OIL HAD BEEN LOST. GAS STAT…
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WHILE DRIVING, OIL LIGHT INDICATOR SUDDENLY STARTED FLASHING. PULLED OFF HIGHWAY AND PROCEEDED TO NEAREST GAS STATION. I TOLD THE GAS STATION MECHANIC THAT MY OIL LIGHT INDICATOR HAD SUDDENLY STARTED FLASHING. GAS STATION MECHANIC OPENED UP THE HOOD AND CHECKED THE OIL. DIPSTICK CAME UP DRY. ALL OIL HAD BEEN LOST. GAS STATION MECHANIC PROCEEDED TO PUT TWO QUARTS OF OIL IN VEHICLE. WHILE DOING THIS GAS STATION MECHANIC NOTICED THAT THERE WAS A MAJOR OIL LEAK. HE INFORMED ME THAT THERE HAD BEEN REPORTS OF A DEFECTIVE OIL SEAL IN 1996 HONDA ACCORDS AND HE ADVISED ME TO TAKE THE VEHICLE TO THE NEAREST HONDA DEALERSHIP. AT THAT TIME, I CONTACTED MY INSURANCE COMPANY WHO PROVIDED TOWING SERVICES. VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO ED MORSE HONDA ON US1 IN FORT LAUDERDALE, FLORIDA. I ADVISED MARK GREENE, SERVICE ATTENDANT AT ED MORSE, OF WHAT HAD HAPPENED. I ALSO TOLD HIM THAT THE GAS STATION MECHANIC HAD MENTIONED A DEFECTIVE OIL SEAL. I LEFT VEHICLE AT DEALERSHIP AND THEY PROMISED TO CALL WITH AN ESTIMATE. WHEN MR. GREEN CALLED BACK WITH THE ESTIMATE, HE INFORMED ME THAT THE OIL SEAL WOULD NOT BE COVERED BY HONDA. THE COST TO FIX THE OIL SEAL WAS $510. MR. GREENE ALSO RECOMMENDED REPLACING TIMING BELT AND WATER PUMP FOR AN ADDITIONAL $170.
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
CONSUMER WAS TRAVELING ABOUT 65MPH ON HIGHWAY AND HOOD LATCH POPPED OPEN, AND HOOD FLEW ON WINDSHIELD. WINDSHIELD WAS SHATTERED. CONSUMER NOTIFIED HONDA DEALERSHIP.*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.