IllustrationSTEERING AND BRAKE PROBLEM
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 reportsBALANCE SHAFT SEAL WENT BAD.ENGINE LOST OIL,CAUSING MAJOR DAMAGE TO THE ENGINE.HONDA DEALER RECOMMENDS REPLACING THE ENGINE. *AK
AIR BAG SENSOR LIGHT REMAINED ON. DEALER NOTIFIED, AND INFORMED CONSUMER THAT VEHICLE WAS NOT COVERED UNDER MANUFACTURER'S RECALL, AND REPAIRS WOULD BE AT CONSUMER'S COST. *AK
MY TRANSMISSION WENT OUT AT 35,000 MILES THEY REPLACED IT AT NO CHARGE. NOW AT 46,000 MILES THE ENGINE CHECK LIGHT KEEPS COMING ON AND IVE TAKEN IT TO THE DEALERSHIPS ABOUT 4 TIMES THEY CANT FIND ANYTHING WRONG WITH IT BUT I KNOW ITS THE TRANSMISSION AGAIN BECAUSE THE CAR IDLES ALL THE TIME LIKE ITS GOING TO DIE OUT ON ME AND…
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MY TRANSMISSION WENT OUT AT 35,000 MILES THEY REPLACED IT AT NO CHARGE. NOW AT 46,000 MILES THE ENGINE CHECK LIGHT KEEPS COMING ON AND IVE TAKEN IT TO THE DEALERSHIPS ABOUT 4 TIMES THEY CANT FIND ANYTHING WRONG WITH IT BUT I KNOW ITS THE TRANSMISSION AGAIN BECAUSE THE CAR IDLES ALL THE TIME LIKE ITS GOING TO DIE OUT ON ME AND IT HAS DIED OUT ON ME IT RUNS CRAPPY THIS IS MY FIRST CAR AND I PAID ALOT FOR IT HONDAS ARE SUPPOSED TO BE RELIABLE AND THIS ONE SURE AINT! THEY CANGED A COMPUTER PART OF THE EMISSIONS CONTROL THEY SAID THATS WHY THE LIGHT COMES ON BUT I TOOK IT HOME AND A WEEK LATER IT CAME BACK ON. SO MONDAY THEY ARE GOING TO TAKE THE TRANSMISSION OUT AND CHECK IF ITS BURNT OUT OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT AND IF IT IS THEY ARE GOING TO REPLACE IT AGAIN!!
BRAKES AND STREERING FROZE, CONSUMER HAD NO CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND IT HIT A GUARDRAIL HEAD ON, NO DEPLOYMENT OF AIRBAG. NLM
WHILE DRIVING ENGINE CHECK LIGHT STARTED FLASHING. CONSUMER EXITED FREEWAY, AND STOPPED AT A MECHANIC, AND VEHICLE WAS COMPLETELY OUT OF OIL, MECHANIC PUT IN 4 QUARTS OF OIL. CONSUMER DROVE A BLOCK AND PARKED VEHICLE. ANOTHER MECHANIC CHECKED IT, AND OIL SHOT OUT EVERYWHERE. TOOK TO MECHANIC AND THEY SAID IT WAS THE BALANCER S…
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WHILE DRIVING ENGINE CHECK LIGHT STARTED FLASHING. CONSUMER EXITED FREEWAY, AND STOPPED AT A MECHANIC, AND VEHICLE WAS COMPLETELY OUT OF OIL, MECHANIC PUT IN 4 QUARTS OF OIL. CONSUMER DROVE A BLOCK AND PARKED VEHICLE. ANOTHER MECHANIC CHECKED IT, AND OIL SHOT OUT EVERYWHERE. TOOK TO MECHANIC AND THEY SAID IT WAS THE BALANCER SHAFT SEAL, WHICH IS PRONE TO SHRINKAGE IN THESE VEHICLES AND WILL SHOOT OUT OIL. *AK
WHEN DRIVING AT 20 AND 30MPH VEHICLE LOSES POWER, AND EXCESSIVE PRESSURE HAS TO BE APPLIED TO THE GAS PEDAL. DEALER HAD TO ADJUST THE FUEL THROTTLE LINKAGE, BUT PROBLEM STILL EXISTS. *AK
AIR CONDITIONER WIRE FAILED PRIOR TO RECALL (98V-231) CAUSED ALTERNATOR AND BATTERY TO FAIL. YH
THIS IS RIDICULOUS THAT A CAR WITH ONLY 39,500 MILES IDLES, ACTS LIKE IT IS ALWAYS GOING TO STALL!! I BOUGHT HONDA FOR IT'S QUALITY AND WHAT I GOT WAS A LEMON WITH ONLY 39,500 MILES ON IT! CHECKED TO SEE IF IT HAD BEEN SLAVAGED BUT NO RECORDS FOUND? *AK
THIS LATEST ELECTRICAL SYSTEM FAILURE HAS YET TO BE DIANOSED BY A MECHANIC; I AM GUESSING THE CAUSE IS THE SAME AS THE 2 PREVIOUS FAILURES. WHETHER MY GUESS IS CORRECT, THE BIKE'S ELECTRICAL SYSTEM FAILED COMPLETELY, CAUSING LOSS OF POWER WITH NO WARNING, WHILE I WAS RIDING IN THE MIDDLE (THIRD) LANE OF THE FREEWAY AT 65MPH. A H…
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THIS LATEST ELECTRICAL SYSTEM FAILURE HAS YET TO BE DIANOSED BY A MECHANIC; I AM GUESSING THE CAUSE IS THE SAME AS THE 2 PREVIOUS FAILURES. WHETHER MY GUESS IS CORRECT, THE BIKE'S ELECTRICAL SYSTEM FAILED COMPLETELY, CAUSING LOSS OF POWER WITH NO WARNING, WHILE I WAS RIDING IN THE MIDDLE (THIRD) LANE OF THE FREEWAY AT 65MPH. A HONDA TECHNICIAN WHO REPLACED A DEFECTIVE REGULATOR ON THIS BIKE BEFORE TOLD ME THE UNITS TENDED TO FAIL BECAUSE THEY WERE INTENDED FOR TOURING AND DIDN'T PERFORM WELL IN COMMUTER CONDITIONS. HAVE YOU HEARD THIS BEFORE? *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.