IllustrationTIRES PULL VEHICLE TO LEFT/ RIGHT. DEALERSHIP IS AWARE OF PROBLEM.*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 reportsWHILE TRAVELING AT APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH VEHICLE ACCELERATED SUDDENLY WHILE GOING UP HILL. DEALERSHIP STATED THAT THE REASON WAS A DEFECTIVE THROTTLE CABLE. CONSUMER INFORMED BY MANUFACTURER THAT VEHICLE WAS NOT A PART OF RECALL 99I002000. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION/ATTACHMENTS.*AK
ON 3/26/01 MONDAY, WHILE TRAVELING FROM HWY 80 FROM FAIRFIELD, CA TO VALLEJO CA. MY HONDA ACCORD BEGAN TO DISPLAY "UNINTENDED ACCELERATION". MY FOOT WAS NOT ON THE ACCELERATOR AND THE CRUISE CONTROL WAS "OFF". HOWEVER, THE ACCORD WAS ACCELERATING BY ITSELF. IT FELT THE CAR WAS ON CRUISE CONTROL. WHILE GOING UPHILL, IT BEGAN…
Read full complaint
ON 3/26/01 MONDAY, WHILE TRAVELING FROM HWY 80 FROM FAIRFIELD, CA TO VALLEJO CA. MY HONDA ACCORD BEGAN TO DISPLAY "UNINTENDED ACCELERATION". MY FOOT WAS NOT ON THE ACCELERATOR AND THE CRUISE CONTROL WAS "OFF". HOWEVER, THE ACCORD WAS ACCELERATING BY ITSELF. IT FELT THE CAR WAS ON CRUISE CONTROL. WHILE GOING UPHILL, IT BEGAN TO SPEED UP INSTEAD OF SLOWING DOWN. THE ONLY WAY I CAN SLOW MY VEHICLE WAS TO DOWNSHIFT AT 2ND OR 3RD GEAR. MY ACCORD IS AN AUTOMATIC. I HAD TO PERIODICALLY PRESS THE BRAKES BECAUSE THE CAR WAS APPROACHINGS SPEEDS UP TO 80 MPH. AFTER 5 MILES OF SHEER TERROR, I DECIDED TO EXIT ON AN OFFRAMP AND WHILE THE ACCORD WAS STOPPED, THE ACCORD BEGAN IDLING VERY HIGH. APPLYING THE BRAKES TOOK EFFORT. BECAUSE, ONCE I LET GO, THE CAR BEGAN TO ACCELERATE BY ITSELF. FINALLY, I REACHED THE HONDA DEALERSHIP-AVERY GREEN MOTORS. UNTIL NOW, THE CAR IS STILL THERE, BECAUSE THE THROTTLE CABLE IS IN BACK ORDER. THE NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID 99I002000 FOR FUEL THROTTLE LINKAGES AND CONTROL IS WHAT I SUSPECT IS THE DEFECT THAT IS OCCURING WITH THE ACCORD. ORIGINALLY, THE DEALER QUOTED AN ESTIMATE OF $90.00. THEN, I RECEIVED A CALL THAT I HAVE A BAD THROTTLE CABLE AND IT SHOULD BE REPLACED. THE ESITMATE WAS APPROXIMATELY $500.00. THE MANUFACTUER/DEALER SHOULD/MUST FIX THIS PROBLEM WITHOUT ANY COST TO ME. ACCORDING TO OFFICE OF DEFECTS INVESTIGATION-RECALL DATABASE 888-327-4236 DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE THROTTLE CABLE. HONDA HAS DECIDED TO CONDUCT A PRODUCT IMPROVEMENT CAMPAIGN TO REPLACE THE THROTTLE CABLE. OWNERS CAN CONTACT HONDA AT 800-999-1009. MY MAIN QUESTION IS THIS. WHY WAS I NOT NOTIFIED OF THIS DEFECT? I DID NOT RECEIVE ANY WRITTEN NOTIFICATION OR CALLS FOR THIS TYPE OF PROBLEM OCCURING TO MY ACCORD. HOWEVER, I EXPERIENCED THIS FIRSTHAND ON 3/26/01. A POTENTIAL ACCIDENT WAS IN A MAKING, ESPECIALLY DURING RUSH HOUR IN THE MORNING - 5:30AM PST. IF ADVANCE WARNING WAS GIVEN TO ME, THE INCONVENIECE AND DANGER WOULD HAVE BEEN AVERTED.*AK
WHILE DRIVING ALARM WILL CAME ON, AND COULD NOT BE TURNED OFF. VEHICLE HAD TO BE TAKEN TO SHOP WHER IT WAS INSTALLED. THEN, TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER. DEALER FOUND OUT THAT DEFECT WAS DUE TO CIRCUIT BOARD. *AK THE CONSUMER HAD TO BUY ANOTHER ALARM SYSTEM. *YH
AIRBAG LIGHT COMES ON INTERMITTENTLY. DEALER HAS REPLACED AIRBAG, AIRBAG ASSEMBLY AND WIRE HARNESS. BUT, HAS NOT REMEDIED PROBLEM. *AK
WHILE TRAVELING WITH OUT ANY INDICATION AIR BAG INDICATION LIGHT WOULD STAY ON THROUGHOUT TRAVEL. DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. TECHNICIAN STATED AIR BAGS NOT WORKING .*AK *JB
"SRS" LIGHT ON HER DASHBOARD IS COMING ON AND WILL NOT GO OFF. THIS PROBLEM WAS FIXED BY DEALERSHIP IN NOVEMBER OF 2000, AND HAS REOCCURRED ON MARCH 12, 2001. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION/ATTACHMENTS.*AK
THE SRS LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND DEALER FOUND INTERNAL FAILURE OF THE AIR BAG ASSEMBLY. NLM
AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT STAYS ILLUMINATED WHILE VEHICLE IS IN MOTION. DEALER HAS REPAIRED VEHICLE.*AK THE MANUFACTURER REIMBURSED THE REPAIR COST PAID BY THE CONSUMER. *YH
DRIVER'S SEAT BELT BUCKLE WILL NOT RELEASE FROM LOCKING MECHANISM, CAUSE UNKNOWN. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS.*AK
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.