IllustrationTWO MAJOR SAFETY RELATED PROBLEMS REGARDING TO THE SUPPLEMENTAL RESTRAINT SYSTEM. IN JULY 2000 THE SRS SYSTEM FAILED DUE TO A FAULTY CONTROL UNIT. IN JULY 2003 THE SYSTEM AGAIN FAILED AND WAS DIAGNOSED AS A NON-FUNCTIONING PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG.*AK
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 reportsDOOR LOCKS BROKEN-WHEN I LOCK OR UNLOCK MY VEHICLE IT MAKES AN EXTREMELY LOUD NOISE. *NLM
FAILURE OF GOODYEAR TIRE. (TREAD SEPARATION) EAGLE HP P195/60R15 GDY ( DOT PJV9 MAJR 3400) PURCHASED AND INSTALLED NEW ON 9/19/2001. I HAVE THIS TIRE STORED AND WILL SHIP TO NHSTA AT MY EXPENSE IF REQUESTED.
ABS LIGHT ON 1996 HONDA COMES ON AFTER 1-2 MILES AFTER STARTING VEHICLE. PUMP MAKES NOISE AFTER STARTING VEHICLE. SLIGHT LEAK. A HONDA SPECIALTY SHOP HAS ALREADY REPLACED THE RESEVOIR AND TORQUED THE O-RINGS, BUT THE LIGHT CONTINUES TO COME ON. THE HONDA DEALER SAYS THAT THE MODULATOR NEEDS TO BE REPLACEE AT A COST OF $1100.…
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ABS LIGHT ON 1996 HONDA COMES ON AFTER 1-2 MILES AFTER STARTING VEHICLE. PUMP MAKES NOISE AFTER STARTING VEHICLE. SLIGHT LEAK. A HONDA SPECIALTY SHOP HAS ALREADY REPLACED THE RESEVOIR AND TORQUED THE O-RINGS, BUT THE LIGHT CONTINUES TO COME ON. THE HONDA DEALER SAYS THAT THE MODULATOR NEEDS TO BE REPLACEE AT A COST OF $1100. AFTER RESEARCHING THE INTERNET THIS IS OBVIOUSLY A BIG PROBLEM FOR 94-96 HONDA ACCORDS, EXPECIALLY THOSE MANUFACTURED IN OHIO WITH THE VIN# BEGINNING WITH 1HG, WHICH MY CAR IS ONE OF THOSE VECHICLES FROM OHIO. THERE IS OBVIOUSLY A DEFECT WITH THIS UNIT AND THIS SHOULD BE INVESTIGATED BY YOUR OFFICE FOR A POSSIBLE RECALL. HONDA SHOULD TAKE CARE OF THIS PROBLEM FOR THEIR COMSUMERS. PLEASE ADVISE ON ANY ACTIONS.*AK
ABS BRAKE MODULATOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. WHEN THE VEHICLE HAD LESS THAN 66K MILES ON THE VEHICLE, IT WAS TAKEN TO THE REPAIR SHOP TWO TIMES TO REPLACE THE PART DUE TO THE FACT THE FIRST NEW PART RECEIVED FROM HONDA WAS DEFECTIVE. THE ABS LIGHT HAD COME ON WHEN THE ENGINE WAS FIRST STARTED THEN WENT OUT. THE ENGINE LIGHT WAS…
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ABS BRAKE MODULATOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. WHEN THE VEHICLE HAD LESS THAN 66K MILES ON THE VEHICLE, IT WAS TAKEN TO THE REPAIR SHOP TWO TIMES TO REPLACE THE PART DUE TO THE FACT THE FIRST NEW PART RECEIVED FROM HONDA WAS DEFECTIVE. THE ABS LIGHT HAD COME ON WHEN THE ENGINE WAS FIRST STARTED THEN WENT OUT. THE ENGINE LIGHT WAS INTERMITTENT. *MR *SCC *JB
WHEN STARTING ENGINE VEHICLE MAKES A LOUD "ROARING" NOISE THAT CEASES WHEN ANTI-LOCK BRAKE WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATES. WARNING LIGHT THEN REMAINS LIT. DEALER HAS SERVICED SEVERAL TIMES, BUT REPAIR LASTS TEMPORARILY.*AK
I HAVE HAD MY CAR FOR 10 MONTHS WITH REPEATED TRIPS TO THE DEALER AND NUMEROUS CALLS TO THE POINT OF PURCHASE, WITH NO RESULTS, I HAVE BEEN GIVEN THE RUN-A-ROUND TO MANY TIMES TO COUNT. I HAVE A 1996 HONDA ACCORD AND IT HAS A HEAD GASKET PROBLEM AND THE ENGINE IS HAVING TO BE REBUILT. THE HEAD GASKET AND ENGINE ARE BADLY WATER D…
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I HAVE HAD MY CAR FOR 10 MONTHS WITH REPEATED TRIPS TO THE DEALER AND NUMEROUS CALLS TO THE POINT OF PURCHASE, WITH NO RESULTS, I HAVE BEEN GIVEN THE RUN-A-ROUND TO MANY TIMES TO COUNT. I HAVE A 1996 HONDA ACCORD AND IT HAS A HEAD GASKET PROBLEM AND THE ENGINE IS HAVING TO BE REBUILT. THE HEAD GASKET AND ENGINE ARE BADLY WATER DAMAGED AND WARPED, AND IT IS COSTING ME IN EXCESS OF $2,400.00 TO GET IT REPAIRED. I WAS TOLD THAT REPAIRS WERE MADE TO MY CAR BUT NEVER RECEIVED A WORK ORDER PROVING THAT SAID WORK WAS ACTUALLY DONE. I AM TRYING TO SEEK PROTECTION UNDER THE LEMON LAW SO ANY HELP YOU CAN GIVE ME IN THAT EFFORT WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED!
MY 96 HONDA ACCORD IS NOT RESPONDING PROPERLY WHEN TREVELING AT LOW SPEEDS AND ARE REQUIRED TO MOVE THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL TO MAKE SPEED ADJUSTMENTS.A RECALL INFORMATION FROM NHTSA WEB SITE(NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER:99I002000) INDICATES THAT THE DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE THROTTLE CABLE. HOWEVER, BOTH AMERICAN HONDA AUTOMOBLE AND PHIL…
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MY 96 HONDA ACCORD IS NOT RESPONDING PROPERLY WHEN TREVELING AT LOW SPEEDS AND ARE REQUIRED TO MOVE THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL TO MAKE SPEED ADJUSTMENTS.A RECALL INFORMATION FROM NHTSA WEB SITE(NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER:99I002000) INDICATES THAT THE DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE THROTTLE CABLE. HOWEVER, BOTH AMERICAN HONDA AUTOMOBLE AND PHILADELPHIA HONDA DEALER TOLD ME THAT MY 96 HONDA ACCORD IS NOT AFFECTED. WHAT SHOULD I DO? IS NHTSA GIVING WRONG INFORMATION OR HONDA IS?
I HAD A 1996 HONDA ACCORD STATION WAGON. I HAVE AN INFANT WHO NEEDS TO BE REAR FACING IN HER CAR SEAT. THERE ARE NO TETHER ANCHORS FOR THIS VEHICLE FOR A REAR FACING INFANT CAR SEAT IN THE REAR SEAT OF THE VEHICLE. *NLM
THE ABS MODULATOR FAILED DUE TO A BRAKE FLUID LEAK. THE AIR BAG LIGHT CAME ON AND STAYED ON. *JB
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.