IllustrationBRAKES AND STREERING FROZE, CONSUMER HAD NO CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND IT HIT A GUARDRAIL HEAD ON, NO DEPLOYMENT OF AIRBAG. NLM
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
Air Bags complaints
109 reportsAIR BAG WARNING LIGHT REMAINS ILLUMINATED, INDICATING A MALFUNCTION WITHIN THE AIR BAG SYSTEM, CAUSE UNKNOWN. DEALER CANNOT IDENTIFY THE PROBLEM. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK
CONSUMER'S SON WAS DRIVING VEHICLE. WHILE MAKING A LEFT TURN AT 25 MPH VEHICLE STRUCK A PARKED VEHICLE, AND BOTH AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. DEALER / MANUFACTRURER WERE NOT CONTACTED AT THIS TIME. *AK
DUE TO THE AIRBAG DEPLOYING ON THE PASSENGER SIDE DAMAGE WAS CAUSED TO THE PASSENGER'S CHIN , KILLING THE NERVES IN THE MOUTH OF THE PASSENGER. DEALER COULD DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK
AIRBAG DID NOT DEPLOY DURING ACCIDENT AND THE SRS LIGHT STAYED ON. YH
AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT COMES ON, INDICATING A MALFUNCTION IN SRS. THIS WOULD POSSIBLY LEAVE A PASSENGER IN VEHICLE WITHOUT AIRBAG PROTECTION IN CASE OF A CRASH. DEALER REPLACED AIRBAG SYSTEM. *AK
WHILE DRIVING AT 35 MPH, BROADSIDED ANOTHER VEHICLE, AND DRIVER'S SIDE AIR BAG DIDN'T DEPLOY. *AK
FALSE DEPLOYMENT OF DRIVER AND PASSENGER AIR BAG WHILE DRIVING, DAMAGE TO WINDSHIELD. POLICE ON LOCATION HOWEVER NO REPORT FILED. MJS
VEHICLE WAS HIT IN THE REAR WHILE WAITING AT A STOP SIGN, NEITHER AIR BAGS DEPLOYED. DEALER WAS NOT NOTIFIED AT THIS TIME. *AK
DRIVER'S AIR BAG FAILED TO WORK PROPERLY/AIR BAG SENSOR LIGHT COMES ON/OFF.
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.