IllustrationWHILE TRAVELING 70 MPH, OWNER WENT TO REACH FOR THE RADIO AND ACCIDENTALLY HIT GEAR SHIFT. LEVER MOVED AND WENT INTO NEUTRAL. MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THIS DESIGN FEATURE IS WITHIN SPECIFICATIONS. PLEASE DESCRIBE DETAILS. *AK
1997 Honda Accord
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 1997 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
60–25K
725–50K
2450–75K
2275–100K
32100–150K
37150K+
128 reports with mileage · 332 unknown
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 113 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Electrical System. Review the 96 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 48 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
42 crash reports10 fire reports24 injury reports
What owners actually said
460 reportsNHTSA RECALL 02V120000 CONCERNING IGNITION SWITCH FAILURE. GWINNETTE PLACE HONDA, GA; PARTS ARE ON BACK ORDER, AND DEALERSHIP DOESN'T KNOW WHEN PARTS ARE COMING IN. DEALERSHIP TOLD CONSUMER TO GO TRY ANOTHER LOCATION, WITH LACK OF CONCERN FOR REFERRALS. PLEASE DESCRIBE DETAILS. *AK
HORN STARTS BLOWING WHILE DRIVING, WITHOUT YOU TOUCHING THE HORN BUTTONS. THIS HAPPENS WITHOUT WARNING. THE DEALERS DOES NOT KNOW THE CAUSE. WHEN THE HORN STARTS BLOWING IT DEPROGRAMS THE ALARM AND KEYLESS ALARM REMOTES.*AK
WHILE DRIVING ON HIGHWAY AIR BAG LIGHT CAME ON WITHOUT WARNING. VEHICLE CHECKED BY DEALER, WHO ADVISED CONSUMER THAT AIRBAG IS INOPERATIVE AND NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. AIR BAG HAS NOT PREVIOUSLY DEPLOYED.*AK
DEALERSHIP IS REFUSING TO DO RECALL 02V12000 REPAIRS CONCERNING IGNITION SWITCH.AK
ERRATIC PERFORMANCE IS ACCURRING IN THIS VEHICLE WITH LIGHTS COMING ON WITHOUT SWITCH BEING ON. ALSO, OWNER NOTICES OTHER FAILURES. HE WAS TOLD THAT VEHICLE WAS NOT PART OF THE RECALL 02V120000 CONCERNING IGNITION SWITCH. PLEASE DESCRIBE DETAILS. *AK
I TOOK MY VEHICLE IN TO THE DEALERSHIP TO HAVE THE SRS LIGHT CHECKED OUT. I WAS TOLD IT WAS A SYSTEM UNIT FAILURE. I WAS GIVEN A PRICE $852.63 TO GET THIS REPAIRED. BY GETTING THIS REPAIRED/REPLACED I WOULD HAVE A 1 YEAR WARRANTY; BUT NO GUARANTEE THAT IT WON'T HAPPEN AGAIN WITHIN OR AFTER A YEAR. AFTER RESEARCHING YOUR WEBS…
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I TOOK MY VEHICLE IN TO THE DEALERSHIP TO HAVE THE SRS LIGHT CHECKED OUT. I WAS TOLD IT WAS A SYSTEM UNIT FAILURE. I WAS GIVEN A PRICE $852.63 TO GET THIS REPAIRED. BY GETTING THIS REPAIRED/REPLACED I WOULD HAVE A 1 YEAR WARRANTY; BUT NO GUARANTEE THAT IT WON'T HAPPEN AGAIN WITHIN OR AFTER A YEAR. AFTER RESEARCHING YOUR WEBSITE (NHTSA), I SAW A HUGE NUMBER OF COMPLAINTS ON THE SAME MATTER. I THEN DECIDED TO WAIT TO GET IT REPLACED; THIS IS TOO MUCH MONEY TO HAVE IT CONTINUALLY REPLACED. I WANTED TO KNOW IF HONDA WILL BE SENDING OUT A RECALL. OR IS THIS A LOST CAUSE.*AK
WHILE DRIVING THE ENGINE JUST QUITS.*AK
WHILE DRIVING AIR BAG LIGHT STAYS ON. DEALER NOTIFIED. *AK *YH
CONSUMER STATES SRS LIGHT CAME ON AS VEHICLE WAS STARTED AND STAYED ON, THE DEALERSHIP RESET THE SYSTEM. ANOTHER OCCASION, THE SRS LIGHT CAME ON UNDER THE SAME CONDITIONS. CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE BACK TO DEALER AND WAS TOLD THERE WAS A DEFECT IN THE PART AND IT WOULD HAVE TO BE ORDERED. CONSUMER HAS DIFFICULTY ACCEPTING THE FAC…
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CONSUMER STATES SRS LIGHT CAME ON AS VEHICLE WAS STARTED AND STAYED ON, THE DEALERSHIP RESET THE SYSTEM. ANOTHER OCCASION, THE SRS LIGHT CAME ON UNDER THE SAME CONDITIONS. CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE BACK TO DEALER AND WAS TOLD THERE WAS A DEFECT IN THE PART AND IT WOULD HAVE TO BE ORDERED. CONSUMER HAS DIFFICULTY ACCEPTING THE FACT THAT SHE IS RESPONSIBLE FOR A DEFECTIVE PART IN THE SRS SYSTEM. *TT
Official recalls
302V120000 · Electrical System:ignition:switch
May 16, 2002
ON CERTAIN SEDANS, COUPES, HATCHBACKS, AND SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES, ELECTRICAL CONTACTS IN THE IGNITION SWITCH CAN DEGRADE DUE TO THE HIGH ELECTRICAL CURRENT PASSING THROUGH THE SWITCH WHEN THE VEHICLE IS STARTED.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: WORN CONTACTS COULD CAUSE THE ENGINE TO STALL WITHOUT WARNING, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE IGNITION SWITCH. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN JUNE 14, 2002. OWNERS WHO TAKE THEIR VEHICLES TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER ON AN AGREED UPON SERVICE DATE AND DO NOT RECEIVE THE FREE REMEDY WITHIN A REASONABLE TIME SHOULD CONTACT HONDA AT 1-800-999-1009 OR ACURA AT 1-800-382-2238.
99V069000 · Suspension:front:control Arm:lower Ball Joint
May 10, 1999
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. CERTAIN VEHICLES WERE MANUFACTURED WITH BALL JOINTS THAT CAN PREMATURELY WEAR OUT AND, IN THE WORSE CASE, THE BALL JOINT WOULD SEPARATE CAUSING THE FRONT SUSPENSION TO COLLAPSE.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: THIS CONDITION WOULD RESULT IN VEHICLE DECELERATION AND A SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER. ALSO STEERING CONTROLLABILITY WOULD BE REDUCED.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE FRONT SUSPENSION LOWER BALL JOINTS.
98V231000 · 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.