IllustrationWHILE DRIVING THE ABS WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON THE DASHBOARD INTERMITTENTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER AND THE PROBLEM WAS FIXED. *PH THE DEALER REPLACED THE ABS ACCUMULATOR AND MODULATOR. *NM
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
What owners actually said
472 reportsWHILE DRIVING THE ABS WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON THE DASHBOARD INTERMITTENTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER AND THE PROBLEM WAS FIXED. *PH THE DEALER REPLACED THE ABS ACCUMULATOR AND MODULATOR. *NM
VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO DEALER BECAUSE THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION WAS MAKING A WHINING NOISE. MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT TRANSMISSION MUST BE REPLACED. *AK
SRS LIGHT COMES ON AT START UP AND STAYS ON. ABS LIGHT COMES ON AND COSTS OVER A $1000.00 TO REPLACE MODULATOR. THIS IS RIDICULOUS!!!*AK
CONSUMER REQUESTING REFUND FOR A REPAIR THAT WAS SUBJECT OF A PRIOR RECALL. *LA THE SERVICE CAMPAIGN WAS ISSUED FOR THE FRONT BALANCER SHAFT OIL SEAL REPLCAEMENT. THE CONSUMER NEVER RECEVED ANY NOTIFICATION ABOUT THE PROBLEM. ONLY AFTER REQUESTING SERVICE FOR A MAJOR OIL LEAK DID THE CONSUMER BECOME …
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CONSUMER REQUESTING REFUND FOR A REPAIR THAT WAS SUBJECT OF A PRIOR RECALL. *LA THE SERVICE CAMPAIGN WAS ISSUED FOR THE FRONT BALANCER SHAFT OIL SEAL REPLCAEMENT. THE CONSUMER NEVER RECEVED ANY NOTIFICATION ABOUT THE PROBLEM. ONLY AFTER REQUESTING SERVICE FOR A MAJOR OIL LEAK DID THE CONSUMER BECOME AWARE OF THE RECALL. *PH *NM
DRIVER'S SEAT BELT DID NOT LATCH PROPERLY INTO THE BUCKLE. THE DEALER COULD NOT FIND THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM. *AK
THE SRS LIGHT FOR THE AIRBAG ILLUMINATED AND WOULDN'T GO OFF. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE MECHANIC AND THEY RESET THE SRS LIGHT, THEN THE LIGHT CAME BACK ON. *PH THE 1995 HONDA ACCORDS HAD A RECALL ISSUE AND THE CONSUMER BELIEVED THE PROBLEM MAY HAVE AFFECTED THE 1996 MODELS. *SCC *JB
BOTH LOWER BALL JOINTS CRACKED IN HALF, WHICH CAUSED DAMAGE TO THE AXLE. THE CONSUMER REPLACED BOTH BALL JOINTS. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER DETAILS. *JB
ON AUGUST 19, 2003 THE OIL LIGHT ON MY CAR STARTED FLASHING. I CHECKED MY OIL AND NONE WAS TOUCHING THE OIL STICK. I CALLED WADE'S HONDA WHICH IS A SERVICE CENTER IN CLINTON, NC. MR. WADE CAME OUT AND CHECKED MY CAR AT WHICH TIME HE FOUND THAT THERE WAS A LEAK IN MY OIL SHAFT. HE TOLD ME THAT THERE WAS RECALL ON THIS PROBLEM, …
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ON AUGUST 19, 2003 THE OIL LIGHT ON MY CAR STARTED FLASHING. I CHECKED MY OIL AND NONE WAS TOUCHING THE OIL STICK. I CALLED WADE'S HONDA WHICH IS A SERVICE CENTER IN CLINTON, NC. MR. WADE CAME OUT AND CHECKED MY CAR AT WHICH TIME HE FOUND THAT THERE WAS A LEAK IN MY OIL SHAFT. HE TOLD ME THAT THERE WAS RECALL ON THIS PROBLEM, BUT THE CAMPAIGN HAD ENDED. I ADVISED HIM THAT I WAS NEVER NOTIFIED OF ANY RECALL. MR. WADE CALLED AMERICAN HONDA AND WAS TOLD THAT I WAS NOTIFIED BY MAIL, BUT THE NOTICE CAME BACK AS UNDELIVERABLE. THIS NOTICE WAS SENT TO MY RESIDENCE ADDRESS (307 CARLTON STREET). I RECEIVE MY MAIL AT THE ABOVE OFFICE BOX ADDRESS. I HAVE BEEN LIVING AT THIS ADDRESS FOR 25 PLUS YEARS AND HAVE HAD THE SAME MAILING ADDRESS SINCE I MOVED HERE. I CALLED AMERICAN HONDA MYSELF AND WAS TOLD THE SAME THING. MY COMPLAINT IS: I WAS TOLD THAT IT WAS DOCUMENTED THAT THE NOTICE WAS UNDELIVERABLE; THAT IS PROOF THAT I NEVER RECEIVED IT. I FEEL THAT AMERICAN HONDA SHOULD REIMBURSE ME $139.00 FOR THAT REASON. I ALSO CHECKED THE INTERNET FOR OTHER RECALLS AND THERE WAS ONE IN 1999 REGARDING VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL AND ANOTHER ONE IN 1998 ABOUT THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: WIRING:FRONT UNDERHOOD THAT I NEVER RECEIVED OR HAD KNOWLEDGE OF. *LA
CONSUMER WAS ABLE TO REMOVE KEYS FROM THE IGNITION WITH VEHICLE STILL IN DRIVE. AS A RESULT, VEHICLE ROLLED DOWN A HILL AND DAMAGED THE REAR END. *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.