IllustrationINTERMITTENTLY WHILE PARKING VEHICLE EXPERIENCED SUDDEN ACCELERATION WHEN SHIFTING FROM PARK INTO REVERSE, CONSUMER WAS ABLE TO PUT VEHICLE IN NEUTRAL AND CUT OFF THE ENGINE. *AK *TS
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 reports1996 HONDA ACCORD WITH 48000 MILES: ABS SYSTEM LIGHT COMES ON; EXPENSIVE PART TO REPLACE; SEEMS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM WITH OTHER ACCORDS. *AK
GOOD AFTERNOON, I HAVE A 1996 HONDA ACCORD LX 4 DOORS. THE DRIVER SIDE WINDOW USE TO WORK FINE, AND AS TIME WENT BY, IT BEGAN TO ROLL UP VERY SLOWLY, ABOUT 10 SECONDS. NOW, IT WOULDN'T ROLL UP ANYMORE. MY WINDOW IS STILL DOWN RIGHT NOW. I BELIEVE IT WORKS FINE ROLLING DOWN, BUT IT CANT ROLL BACK UP. I'VE SEARCHED ONLINE FOR WH…
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GOOD AFTERNOON, I HAVE A 1996 HONDA ACCORD LX 4 DOORS. THE DRIVER SIDE WINDOW USE TO WORK FINE, AND AS TIME WENT BY, IT BEGAN TO ROLL UP VERY SLOWLY, ABOUT 10 SECONDS. NOW, IT WOULDN'T ROLL UP ANYMORE. MY WINDOW IS STILL DOWN RIGHT NOW. I BELIEVE IT WORKS FINE ROLLING DOWN, BUT IT CANT ROLL BACK UP. I'VE SEARCHED ONLINE FOR WHAT THE POSSIBLE REASONS ARE, AND I CAME UPON SEVERAL FORUMS WHERE PEOPLE HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM AS ME. I WOULD LIKE TO SEE A RECALL ON THIS WINDOW PROBLEM SOON. *AK
I OWN A 1996 HONDA ACCORD AND IT HAS BEEN A RELIABLE CAR UNTIL RECENTLY. IT HAS BEEN REGULARLY MAINTED. I WAS DRIVING TO WORK WHEN THE CAR KEPT ACTING LIKE IT WAS GOING TO STALL WHEN I HIT THE GAS. IT FINALLY STALLED WHILE I WAS DRIVING TO WORK AT 55 MILES PER HOUR. AFTER TAKING IT TO THE HONDA DEALER AND SPENDING $300 FOR R…
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I OWN A 1996 HONDA ACCORD AND IT HAS BEEN A RELIABLE CAR UNTIL RECENTLY. IT HAS BEEN REGULARLY MAINTED. I WAS DRIVING TO WORK WHEN THE CAR KEPT ACTING LIKE IT WAS GOING TO STALL WHEN I HIT THE GAS. IT FINALLY STALLED WHILE I WAS DRIVING TO WORK AT 55 MILES PER HOUR. AFTER TAKING IT TO THE HONDA DEALER AND SPENDING $300 FOR REPAIRS WHICH INCLUDED REPLACEMENT OF SPARK PLUGS, FUEL INDUCTION SERVICE AND THROTTLE BODY CLEANING, THE CAR WAS STILL NOT REPAIRED. AFTER THE CAR WOULD NOT START, I MYSELF REPLACED THE DISTRIBUTOR CAP, ROTOR AND IGNITION COIL. IT IS NOW SITTING AT A LOCAL MECHANIC WHO FIGURED OUT THE PROBLEM WAS THE DISTRIBUTOR ASSEMBLY. SO $1,000.00 LATER MY CAR IS FIXED BUT I STILL FEEL VERY UNSAFE DRIVING IT AND WILL NEVER TRUST IT AGAIN.*AK
WHILE VEHICLE WAS PARKED/RUNNING FRONT AIR BAGS INADVERTENTLY DEPLOYED, SHATTERING THE FRONT WINDSHIELD. DEALERSHIP WAS NOTIFIED, BUT DID NOT RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. *AK
WHILE PULLING OUT OF THE DRIVE WAY, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. THE CONSUMER TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER WHO COULD NOT FIND THE PROBLEM. THE DEALER SUGGESTED THAT THE CONSUMER REPLACE THE SPARK PLUGS. *MR
WHILE BRAKING ABS PUMP FAILED. THIS CAUSED EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE. THE DEALERSHIP WAS NOTIFIED, BUT DID NOT RESOLVE THE PROBLEM.*AK
ANTI-LOCK BRAKES. ELECTRICAL-HEADLIGHTS, POWER WINDOWS-DRIVER SIDE FAILED. *AK
CONSUMER COMPLAINED ABOUT INTERMITTENT ACCELERATION. IT OCCURRED UNEXPECTEDLY. CONSUMER WAS PARKING VEHICLE IN A HANDICAP PARKING SPACE WHEN IT ACCELERATED ON ITS OWN. CONSUMER LOST CONTROL AND VEHICLE SMASHED INTO A FENCE. *AK
ABS IS FAILING DUE TO FLUID LEAK AND LACK OF PRESSURE. THIS CAR IS RELATIVELY YOUNG AND SHOULD NOT BE EXPERIENCING THIS TYPE OF DEFECT. THE NUMBER OF RELATED POSTINGS FOR THIS PROBLEM WOULD INDICATE A SITUATION DESERVING FURTHER INVESTIGATION. LOSS OF ABS CAN RESULT IN LOSS OF CONTROL AND CONSIDERABLE INJURY.*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.