IllustrationENGINE VALVE COVER GASKET FAILED.
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 reportsPASSENGER'S POWER WINDOW INOPERATIVE.
THE POWER/REMOTE DOOR LOCKS FAIL INTERMITTENTLY. THE DOORS DO NOT CONSISTANTLY UNLOCK WITH REMOTE. DOORS HAVE LOCKED UNEXPECTEDLY. THE LOCK/UNLOCK BUTTON MUST BE HELD WHILE PULLING THE DOOR HANDLE IN ORDER TO OPEN. DEALER CLAIMS THERE IS NO PROBLEM.
WHILE ENGAGING INTO REVERSE GEAR THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION LUNGED FORWARD CAUSING A COLLISION.
DRIVING ABOUT 50 MPH, WENT OFF SIDE OF ROAD, HIT FENCE, SPLIT BUMPER & BROKE GRILL AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY. 3RD ACCIDENT WHERE AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY. *AK
DUE TO THE LOCATION AND THE SIZE OF THE HORN, IN A EMERGENCY THE HORN IS DIFFICULT OF DEPRESS. *AK
TURNED IGNITION OFF, PULLED HAND BRAKE UP, TRANSMISSION STILL IN REVERSE, VEHICLE ROLLED OUT OF THE GARAGE, HITTING A FENCE POST, PARKING BRAKE STILL ON AND TRANSMISSION IN REVERSE.
DEFROSTER INOPERATIVE, CAUSING POOR VISIBILITY DURING INCLEMENT WEATHER.
CHECK ENGINE LIGHT KEEPS COMING ON, VEHICLE HAS BEEN SERVICED SEVERAL TIMES PORBLEMS KEEPS REACCURING, KEEP REPLACING COMPUTER SYSTEM. *AK
PASSENGER'S SIDE LAP/SHOULDER BELT OVERTIGHTENED, TO LOOSEN THE SEAT BELT NEEDED TO UNBUCKLE, IN FOR REPAIR, REPLACED THE LAP/SHOULDER BELT, CONTINUES TO FAIL. *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.