ABS AND AIR BAG SAFETY SYSTEM FAILED AT THE SAME TIME ON A 1996 HONDA ACCORD W/ 90,000 MILES. *JB
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.
Service Brakes, Hydraulic complaints
74 reportsTHE ANTI-LOCK MODULE NO LONGER WORKED ON THE VEHICLE. *JB
ON 2/10/03 OUR ABS LIGHT ON 1996 HONDA ACCORD CAME ON SOLID. HONDA OF OXNARD STATED THE PROBLEM WAS A LEAKY MODULATOR AND BOTH MODULATOR AND ACCUMULATOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. WE AUTHORIZED SERVICE AT A COST OF $1425.00. I WROTE AMERICAN HONDA MOTOR CO AND ASKED THEM TO PAY FOR THE REPLACEMENT OR SHARE IN THE COST SINCE I RES…
Read full complaint
ON 2/10/03 OUR ABS LIGHT ON 1996 HONDA ACCORD CAME ON SOLID. HONDA OF OXNARD STATED THE PROBLEM WAS A LEAKY MODULATOR AND BOTH MODULATOR AND ACCUMULATOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. WE AUTHORIZED SERVICE AT A COST OF $1425.00. I WROTE AMERICAN HONDA MOTOR CO AND ASKED THEM TO PAY FOR THE REPLACEMENT OR SHARE IN THE COST SINCE I RESEARCHED MANY TSB'S ON NHTSA WEBSITE INDICATING A PROBLEM WITH THE ABS ON THE 1996 HONDA ACCORD. MY CONTENTION IS THAT THEY HAD PRIOR KNOWLEDGE OF DEFECTS IN THE ABS MODULATOR AND ACCUMULATOR AND ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE FAILURE OF THIS SYSTEM. ON 2/20/03 I RECEIVED A CALL FROM ANGIE OF AMERICAN HONDA CUSTOMER RELATIONS DENYING MY REQUEST.
WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE INTERMITTENTLY ABS LIGHT BECOME INOPERABLE, AND SOME NOISE WHEN THE VEHICLE START. DEALER NOTIFIED REPLACE THE ABS WHICH COST $1,000. CONSUMER STATES WITH 57,OOO MILES WAS TO PREMATURE TO REPLACE THE ABS. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. TS
I WAS PULLING INTO A PARKING SPACE AND SUDDENLY THE CAR SURGED FORWARD, I TRIED HITTING THE BRAKES BUT THEY WOULD NOT STOP, IT WAS HARD AS A ROCK. I TRIED TO STEER THE CAR BETWEEN 2 CARS AND THE CAR CONTINUE TO SURGE FORWARD AND I MANAGE TO HIT ANOTHER CAR, A TRUCKS REAR BUMPER, EVEN AFTER THIS THE CAR CONTINUED ON IT OWN COURS…
Read full complaint
I WAS PULLING INTO A PARKING SPACE AND SUDDENLY THE CAR SURGED FORWARD, I TRIED HITTING THE BRAKES BUT THEY WOULD NOT STOP, IT WAS HARD AS A ROCK. I TRIED TO STEER THE CAR BETWEEN 2 CARS AND THE CAR CONTINUE TO SURGE FORWARD AND I MANAGE TO HIT ANOTHER CAR, A TRUCKS REAR BUMPER, EVEN AFTER THIS THE CAR CONTINUED ON IT OWN COURSE UNTIL IT STOPPED ON ITS OWN. THIS WAS NOT THE FIRST TIME THIS HAPPENED, ONE OTHER TIME, I WAS ON THE FREEWAY DRIVING ABOUT 50 MPH AND THE CAR AGAIN SURGED FORWARD BUT THERE WERE NO CARS IN FRONT OF ME AND AGAIN, IT STOPPED ON ITS OWN.*AK
I OWN A 1996 ACCORD EXL. ONE MORNING RECENTLY MY CAR STARTED HUMMING WHEN I TURNED IT ON AND WHEN THE HUMMING STOPPED MY ABS LIGHT CAME ON. THE DEALER DIAGNOSED IT AS ABS PUMP RUNNING EXCESSIVELY AND LEAKING MODULATOR. THE COST OF THE REPAIR TOTALLED $1,920.00. THE DEALER TOLD ME TO CONTACT HONDA AS THEY THOUGHT THAT THE ABS SHO…
Read full complaint
I OWN A 1996 ACCORD EXL. ONE MORNING RECENTLY MY CAR STARTED HUMMING WHEN I TURNED IT ON AND WHEN THE HUMMING STOPPED MY ABS LIGHT CAME ON. THE DEALER DIAGNOSED IT AS ABS PUMP RUNNING EXCESSIVELY AND LEAKING MODULATOR. THE COST OF THE REPAIR TOTALLED $1,920.00. THE DEALER TOLD ME TO CONTACT HONDA AS THEY THOUGHT THAT THE ABS SHOULD NOT FAIL THIS EARLY. WHEN I CONTACTED AMERICAN HONDA I WAS TOLD THAT IT WAS OUTSIDE THEIR ASSISTANCE AS I HAD OVER 36,000 MILES ON MY CAR. IN ADDITION, THIS WAS A NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR PART LIKE BRAKE PADS. I WAS ALSO TOLD BY THE DEALER THAT THE FAULTY ABS PART WHICH PRIMARILY AFFECTS 94, 95 AND 96 MODELS HAS BEEN MODIFIED. I ALSO OWN A 1994 HONDA ACCORD EX AND A 1995 CIVIC EX. NOW I'M WORRIED ABOUT THOSE ABS PARTS FAILING TOO. *AK
CONSUMER PUT VEHICLE IN GEAR, AND WITH FEET STILL ON BRAKES, VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED AT A HIGH SPEED, CAUSING AN ACCIDENT.*AK
WITH NO WARNING AND PROPER MAINTENANCE OF BRAKES ENTIRE ANTI-LOCK BRAKE SYSTEM COMPLETELY FAILED. PLEASE DESCRIBE DETAILS. *AK
NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK
THE ABS LIGHT GOES ON AND OFF, AND I TOOK IT TO A HONDA REPAIR PLACE AND THEY TOLD ME THAT THE ABS MODULATOR/PUMP IS LEAKING. THEY INFORMED ME THAT THE PART ALONE WAS $1,200.00, AND WITH LABOR IT WOULD BE $1,400.00 TO REPLACE. THAT TOO ME SOUNDS ABSURD. I CONTACTED THE HONDA DEALER, AND THEY INFORMED ME THAT THIS WAS A REBUILT P…
Read full complaint
THE ABS LIGHT GOES ON AND OFF, AND I TOOK IT TO A HONDA REPAIR PLACE AND THEY TOLD ME THAT THE ABS MODULATOR/PUMP IS LEAKING. THEY INFORMED ME THAT THE PART ALONE WAS $1,200.00, AND WITH LABOR IT WOULD BE $1,400.00 TO REPLACE. THAT TOO ME SOUNDS ABSURD. I CONTACTED THE HONDA DEALER, AND THEY INFORMED ME THAT THIS WAS A REBUILT PART, AND HONDA DID NOT SUPPLY NEW PARTS TO REPLACE THIS FAULTY ABS MODULATOR. AT THIS POINT I'M VERY DISAPPOINTED WITH HONDA OF AMERICA, AND I HAVE FOUND NUMEROUS INDIVIDUALS ON THE WEB THAT HAVE THIS SAME PROBLEM WITH THEIR ABS MODULATORS LEAKING.... TO ME THIS IS JUST ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY FOR HONDA TO MAKE AN EXTRA BUCK ON ITS LOYAL CUSTOMERS.*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.
Illustration