IllustrationVEHICLE OVERHEATED, CAUSING THE IGNITOR TO BURN OUT AND THE VEHICLE WAS SMOKING. ALSO, WHEN DRIVING THE ENGINE CHECK LIGHT WILL COME ON. *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 reportsWHILE DRIVING THE CRANKSHAFT BROKE AT 64,000 MILES WHICH CAUSED OIL TO LEAK, MAY CAUSE A FIRE. CAUSE UNKNOWN. *AK *ML
VEHICLE AFTER SITTING FOR A WHILE HESITATES TO START OR TURN OVER. DEALER CONTACTED,AND STATES THE ENGINE IS FLOODED FOR THE FOURTH TIME OF INCIDENT HAPPENING, RAN A PSMIF TEST AND NO PROBLEM. CANNOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. *AK
WHEN DRIVING THE DOOR LOCKS KEEP POPPING UP AND DOWN, MAKING LOUD NOISE. IT ISN'T SAFE TO DRIVE AND HAVE DOOR LOCKS POP UP AND DOWN. THE DEALER CAN'T DETERMINE WHAT THE PROBLEM. *AK
WHEN DRIVING AT ANY SPEED AND APPLYING THE BRAKES, THE BRAKES ARE HITTING THE METAL, AND IT HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR SOMETIME. CONSUMER TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE SHOP FOR REPAIR SERVICE TWICE AND THE DEALER CAN'T DETERMINE THE PROBLEM. *AK
VEHICLE WAS HIT IN THE REAR WHILE WAITING AT A STOP SIGN, NEITHER AIR BAGS DEPLOYED. DEALER WAS NOT NOTIFIED AT THIS TIME. *AK
REAR STRUCTURE IS NOT STRONG ENOUGH TO WITH STAND AN IMPACT OF 25 MPH WHICH CAUSES TRUCK TO CAVE IN. CONSUMER NOTICED SOME TYPE OF FOAM FOUND BETWEEN TRUNK AND BUMPER AREA . DEALER WAS NOT NOTIFIED . *AK
CONSUMER WAS DRIVING AND NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM THE VENTS THE CONSUMER CUT THE AIR CONDITIONER OFF, AND THERE WAS COLD AIR COMING OUT OF THE VENTS. *AK
ENGINE OVERHEATS AND HAS MADE NOISE SINCE OWNERSHIP, OVERHEATS EVEN WHEN GAUGE DOES NOT INDICATE. (ATTORNEY FOR CONSUMER).
WHENEVER USING AIR CONDITIONING AND IF THE WEATHER IS 100 DEGREE OUTSIDE, THE AIR CONDITIONER WILL BLOW OUT HOT AIR FOR ABOUT FIVE MINUTES AND THEN BLOW OUT COLD/WARM AND HOT AIRALSO, THERE IS A LOUD NOISE COMING FROM THE COMPARTMENT.*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.