IllustrationRIGHT REAR LOCK MAKES GRINDING NOISE WHILE LOCKING. WHEN I TOOK IT IN FOR SERVICE I WAS TOLD THAT THE DOOR LOCK ACTUATOR WOULD REQUIRE REPLACEMENT AT A COST TO ME OF $ 198.00. HOW COMMON IS THIS AT RELATIVELY LOW MILEAGE? *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 reportsVEHICLE PULLS TO THE RIGHT CAUSING FRONT TIRES TO WEAR AFTER ONLY 10,000 MILES.
ROTORS WARPED PREMATURELY.
THE CAR HAS LEAKED OIL SINCE 20,000 MILES AND AT 45,000 DEALER FOUND A CRACKED ENGINE
ABS NEEDS TO BEE REPLACED AFT 3 YEARS AND 43,000 MILES
FRONT SEAT BELT BUCKLES WILL INTERMMITENLY FAIL TO ENGAGE. SEEMINGLY WHEN IT'S COLD, THE BUCKLE WILL "CLICK" AS IF IT IS LOCKED, BUT AFTER A SHORT PULL FOR VERIFICATION, IT COMES UNDONE. REQUIRES 5-10 ADDITIONAL ATTEMPTS BEFORE IT WILL LOCK. DRIVER'S BUCKLE STARTED FAILING IN OCT-98; FRONT PASSENGER'S STARTED DEC-98. *AK
LOUD VIBRATION IN THE FRONT LEFT OF CAR WHEN TURNING.
THE BRAKE PEDAL HAS TOO MUCH ROOM, BUT DOES TOUCH THE FLOOR WHICH CAUSES EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE. ALSO, PROBLEMS WITH THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION. WHEN SHIFTING GEARS VEHICLE WOULD LURCH FORWARD WHICH MAY RESULT AN ACCIDENT. CAUSE UNKNOWN. BEEN TO DEALER, AND DEALER CANNOT DETERMINE THE PROBLEM. *AK
OIL LIGHT CAME ON AFTER THE OIL HAD BEEN CHANGED THREE DAYS PRIOR TO DRIVING. WHEN CHECKING OIL, THERE WAS NO OIL. DEALER STATED THE CAM SEAL WAS BLOWN AND REPLACED TIMING BELT/BALANCING BELT/OIL AND SEALS, WITH VARIOUS OTHERS. *AK
WINDOW SOLINOID FAILED.
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.