IllustrationBALANCE SHAFT SEAL POPPED OUT OF ENGINE AND OIL SOAKED ENTIRE ENGINE INCLD. TIMING BELT,AUX.BELT,SPARK PLUG RINGS. INFORMED BY BOTH HONDA DEALEARSHIP AND AN INDEPENDANT SHOP THAT THIS HAS BEEN A PROBLEM AND IS A MANUFACTURE DEFECT. HONDA REFUSED TO ASSIST WITH PAYMENT. TOOK CAR TO AN INDEPENDANT A
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
Engine And Engine Cooling complaints
96 reportsOIL PUMP SEAL BLEW WHILE THE CAR WAS IN MOTION CAUSING ALL THE OIL TO IMMEDIATELY DRAIN FROM THE CAR CAUSING DAMAGE TO THE CAR'S TIMING BELTS AND AND REQUIRING REPLACEMENT OF THE TIME BELT. IF THE CAR HADN'T BEEN IMMEDIATELY STOPPED THE ENGINE WOULD'VE SEIZED. HONDA IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM AS THEY HAVE ISSUED AN UPGRADE KIT…
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OIL PUMP SEAL BLEW WHILE THE CAR WAS IN MOTION CAUSING ALL THE OIL TO IMMEDIATELY DRAIN FROM THE CAR CAUSING DAMAGE TO THE CAR'S TIMING BELTS AND AND REQUIRING REPLACEMENT OF THE TIME BELT. IF THE CAR HADN'T BEEN IMMEDIATELY STOPPED THE ENGINE WOULD'VE SEIZED. HONDA IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM AS THEY HAVE ISSUED AN UPGRADE KIT TO FIX THE PROBLEM. BUT THEY HAVE NOT NOTIFIED CAR OWNERS. THIS IS A MAJOR PROBLEM AND OWNERS SHOULD BE NOTIFIED SO THEY CAN GET IT FIXED BEFORE IT BLOWS AND CAUSES ADDITIONAL DAMAGE.
THE CAR SUDDENLY LOST ALL OF OIL AS RESULT OF RUPTURE OF ENGINE SEAL. THIS IN TURN CAUSED DAMAGE TO TIMING BELT AND CRANKSHAFT BELT. SPOKE WITH WRECKER OPERATOR (FORMER CONTRACTOR FOR HONDA) AND MECHANIC AND BOTH INDICATED THIS TO BE A RECURRING PROBLEM IN HONDA'S OF THIS PARTICULAR MODEL.
MY MOTHER PASSED AWAY AND GAVE THE CAR TO HER GRANDSON. HE WAS DRIVING TO WORK WHEN THE ENGINE LIGHT BEGAN TO BLINK. HE PROCEEDED TO PULL OFF THE ROAD WHEN THE ENGINE STOPPED. THE SPEED AT ENGINE STOP WAS APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH. HE HAD TO PUSH THE CAR OFF THE ROAD. THERE IS A SERVICE BULLETIN 961001B, NHTSA ID #SB049981, ISSUED 10…
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MY MOTHER PASSED AWAY AND GAVE THE CAR TO HER GRANDSON. HE WAS DRIVING TO WORK WHEN THE ENGINE LIGHT BEGAN TO BLINK. HE PROCEEDED TO PULL OFF THE ROAD WHEN THE ENGINE STOPPED. THE SPEED AT ENGINE STOP WAS APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH. HE HAD TO PUSH THE CAR OFF THE ROAD. THERE IS A SERVICE BULLETIN 961001B, NHTSA ID #SB049981, ISSUED 1096, LISTED IN THE NHTSA DATABASE ON THE BALANCE SHAFT SEAL WHICH APPEARS TO HAVE FAILED. THE CAR IS NOW AT JACK ELLENA HONDA IN LAWRENCE, KS (785) 843-0550 WITH A BLOWN ENGINE. AMERICAN HONDA DOEST NOT BELIEVE THAT THEY SHOULD COVER THE BURDEN OF A NEW REPLACEMENT ENGINE, THOUGH THEY HAVE AGREED TO A 50% REPLACEMENT COST OF A REMANUFACTURED ENGINE. THE CAR IS JUST 2000 MILES OVER THE WARRANTY PERIOD.
ENGINE BLOCK - HAD PREVIOUS OLD LEAKS FROM OIL PAN GASKET, TOOKEN TO DEALER 4 TIMES FOR REPAIRS AND ON THE FOURTH TIME THEY DISCOVERED A CRACKED BLOCK. THEY ADVISED ME IT WAS MY RESPONSIBILITY AND I SHOULD BE LUCKY I HAVE A EXTENDED WARRANTY TO PAY FOR THE REPAIR. ALSO I WAS TOLD MY HONDA WORLD WHERE THE CAR WAS REPAIRED SOMEW…
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ENGINE BLOCK - HAD PREVIOUS OLD LEAKS FROM OIL PAN GASKET, TOOKEN TO DEALER 4 TIMES FOR REPAIRS AND ON THE FOURTH TIME THEY DISCOVERED A CRACKED BLOCK. THEY ADVISED ME IT WAS MY RESPONSIBILITY AND I SHOULD BE LUCKY I HAVE A EXTENDED WARRANTY TO PAY FOR THE REPAIR. ALSO I WAS TOLD MY HONDA WORLD WHERE THE CAR WAS REPAIRED SOMEWHAT AND MY AMERICAN HONDA THAT THEY HAVE KNOWN ABOUT THIS PROBLEM AND IT IS CAUSED BY A MANUFACTURING DEFECT (POROUS ENGINE BLOCK). DEALER AND MANUFACTURER TAKES NO RESPONSIBLITY BOTH HAS STATED I BOUGHT THE CAR AND KNOW IT IS MY PROBLEM. ON THE WINDOW REGULATORS THEY HAVE A BULLETIN AND KNOW THEY GO OUT PREMATURELY BUT THEY STATE IT CAN BE FIXED AT MY EXPENSE. AGAIN THE MANUFACTURE KNOWS THEY HAVE PROBLEMS BUT STILL BELIEVE THE CONSUMER SHOULD PAY FOR THEIR SHORT DOINGS. PLEASE HELP THEM UNDERSTAND THE CONSUMER SHOULD NOT HAVE TO PAY FOR THERE ERRORS IN MANUFACTURING. *AK
THE CAR HAS LEAKED OIL SINCE 20,000 MILES AND AT 45,000 DEALER FOUND A CRACKED ENGINE
OIL LIGHT CAME ON AFTER THE OIL HAD BEEN CHANGED THREE DAYS PRIOR TO DRIVING. WHEN CHECKING OIL, THERE WAS NO OIL. DEALER STATED THE CAM SEAL WAS BLOWN AND REPLACED TIMING BELT/BALANCING BELT/OIL AND SEALS, WITH VARIOUS OTHERS. *AK
VEHICLE OVERHEATED, CAUSING THE IGNITOR TO BURN OUT AND THE VEHICLE WAS SMOKING. ALSO, WHEN DRIVING THE ENGINE CHECK LIGHT WILL COME ON. *AK
WHILE DRIVING THE CRANKSHAFT BROKE AT 64,000 MILES WHICH CAUSED OIL TO LEAK, MAY CAUSE A FIRE. CAUSE UNKNOWN. *AK *ML
VEHICLE AFTER SITTING FOR A WHILE HESITATES TO START OR TURN OVER. DEALER CONTACTED,AND STATES THE ENGINE IS FLOODED FOR THE FOURTH TIME OF INCIDENT HAPPENING, RAN A PSMIF TEST AND NO PROBLEM. CANNOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. *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.