IllustrationVEHICLE LOST ALL ELECTRICAL POWER THEN CAR BECAME INOPERABLE. ALSO, CAR WAS STEAMING. DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER DETAILS. *AK
1997 Honda Accord
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 1997 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
60–25K
725–50K
2450–75K
2275–100K
32100–150K
37150K+
128 reports with mileage · 332 unknown
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 113 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Electrical System. Review the 96 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 48 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
42 crash reports10 fire reports24 injury reports
Electrical System complaints
96 reportsSRS LIGHT ON DASHBOARD CAME ON AND STAYED ON.VEHICLE IS ONLY 4 YEARS OLD. CONSUMER HAS NOT YET CONTACTED DEALER. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK
ENGINE DIED WITHOUT ANY WARNING LIGHTS. TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER. DEALER LOOKED AT IT AND COULD NOT FIND CAUSE OF PROBLEM. CONSUMER HAD THIS PROBLEM ABOUT 3 MORE TIMES. TOOK VEHICLE BACK TO DEALER, AND THEY SAID IGNITER NEEDED TO BE CHANGED. CONSUMER COULD NOT AFFORD, AND DISTRIBUTOR WAS CHANGED. BUT, PROBLEM STILL EXISTS. …
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ENGINE DIED WITHOUT ANY WARNING LIGHTS. TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER. DEALER LOOKED AT IT AND COULD NOT FIND CAUSE OF PROBLEM. CONSUMER HAD THIS PROBLEM ABOUT 3 MORE TIMES. TOOK VEHICLE BACK TO DEALER, AND THEY SAID IGNITER NEEDED TO BE CHANGED. CONSUMER COULD NOT AFFORD, AND DISTRIBUTOR WAS CHANGED. BUT, PROBLEM STILL EXISTS. WHEN VEHICLE DIES CONSUMER LOSES POWER STEERING, AND BRAKES GET HARD. *AK
THE BRAKE WARNING LIGHTS STAY ON, NO PROBLEM FOUND. *SLC
HEARED A LOUD BANGING NOISE UNDER THE SHIFT LEVER WHILE DRIVING 40+ MPH ACCELERATING ONTO THE INTERSTATE. AFTER SEVERAL DAYS, CAR STALLED WHILE TURNING CORNER. EXPERIENCED SLUGGISH AND INTERMITTENT LOSS OF POWER (WITH FREQUENT STALLING DRIVING BETWEEEN 10 TO 65 MPH ON RESIDENTIAL AREA OR ON A HIGHWAY). HONDA SERVICE TECHNICIA…
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HEARED A LOUD BANGING NOISE UNDER THE SHIFT LEVER WHILE DRIVING 40+ MPH ACCELERATING ONTO THE INTERSTATE. AFTER SEVERAL DAYS, CAR STALLED WHILE TURNING CORNER. EXPERIENCED SLUGGISH AND INTERMITTENT LOSS OF POWER (WITH FREQUENT STALLING DRIVING BETWEEEN 10 TO 65 MPH ON RESIDENTIAL AREA OR ON A HIGHWAY). HONDA SERVICE TECHNICIAN REMOVED AND REPLACED THE IGNITION COIL & MAIN RELAY, AND ADVISED ME TO DISCONNECT A NON-HONDA CAR THEFT ALARM SYSTEM FOR FURTHER TROUBLESHOOTING OF THE IGNITION SYSTEM. PROBLEM GOT WORST AFTER DISCONNECTING CAR THEFT ALARM SYSTEM. CAR LOST POWER, (SOMETIMES POWER COMES BACK ON WHEN FOOT WAS LIFT OFF THE GAS PEDAL), MORE THAN 15 TIMES WITHIN 8 MILES OF DRIVING AT 4:30AM AND HAD DIFFICULTY RESTARTING. EXPERIENCED HARD START LATER THAT DAY AT 3:30PM. TODAY, CHRISTMAS DAY, I DISCONNECTED THE BATTERY, CLEANED THE TERMINALS, CHECKED THE WIRES UNDER THE DASHBOARD FOR CUT OR LOOSE CONNECTIONS, RECONNECT THE BATTREY, TEST DRIVED, AND CAR STALLED WITH SOME WEIRD NOISE (LIKE A NOISE MADE BY AN ELECTRICAL COMPONENT LOSSING POWER) BY FRONT/LOWER OF THE FRONT PASSENGER FLOOR. THIS PROBLEM HAD ALREADY COST ME A LITTLE OVER $500.00 AND I JUST DON'T HAVE THAT KIND OF MONEY TO SPEND JUST TO GUESS WHAT WILL CORRECT THE PROBLEM. *AK
THE FUSE BOX FAILED CAUSING COMPLETE POWER LOSS WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH, PRIOR TO THIS INCIDENT THE VEHICLE HAD OTHER ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS THAT WERE PROBABLY RELATED TO THE FUSE BOX FAILURE. *MJS
THE ONBOARD COMPUTER/BRAIN IS MALFUNCTIONING. A CERTIFIED MECHANIC HAS ADVISED ME THAT THE ABS/BRAKE SYSTEM AND THE SRS/AIR BAG SYSTEM COULD DEPLOY AT ANY TIME DUE TO THE COMPUTER MALFUNCTION. I AM CONCERED THAT A SERIOUS ACCIDENT COULD RESULT IF THE BRAKES FAIL OR THE AIR BAGS PREMATURELY DEPLOY WHILE I AM DRIVING. *AK
DRIVER SIDE AIRBAG DEPLOYED WHEN A PARKED VEHICLE WAS BEING STARTED AND INJURED THE DRIVER, AT THE TIME OF THE DEPLOYMENT THE IGNITION SYSTEM WAS NOT WORKING. YH
CONSUMER RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE IN OCTOBER OF 1998 AND WAS TOLD BY THE DEALER THAT HIS VEHICLE WAS NOT RECALLED. HOWEVER, CONSUMER RECEIVED ANOTHER RECALL NOTICE (98V-231) ON MAY OF 1999 AND CALLED THE 800 NUMBER ON THE RECALL AND WAS TOLD THAT THE VEHICLE WAS RECALLED. THE RECALL WAS FOR A WIRE HARNESS THAT COULD SHORT CIRCUI…
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CONSUMER RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE IN OCTOBER OF 1998 AND WAS TOLD BY THE DEALER THAT HIS VEHICLE WAS NOT RECALLED. HOWEVER, CONSUMER RECEIVED ANOTHER RECALL NOTICE (98V-231) ON MAY OF 1999 AND CALLED THE 800 NUMBER ON THE RECALL AND WAS TOLD THAT THE VEHICLE WAS RECALLED. THE RECALL WAS FOR A WIRE HARNESS THAT COULD SHORT CIRCUIT, AND CAUSE POSSIBLE FIRE IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. POSSIBLE INJURIES MAY HAVE OCCURED DUE TO FALSE INFORMATION FROM DEALER. *YC
BATTERY FAILED.
Official recalls
302V120000 · Electrical System:ignition:switch
May 16, 2002
ON CERTAIN SEDANS, COUPES, HATCHBACKS, AND SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES, ELECTRICAL CONTACTS IN THE IGNITION SWITCH CAN DEGRADE DUE TO THE HIGH ELECTRICAL CURRENT PASSING THROUGH THE SWITCH WHEN THE VEHICLE IS STARTED.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: WORN CONTACTS COULD CAUSE THE ENGINE TO STALL WITHOUT WARNING, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE IGNITION SWITCH. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN JUNE 14, 2002. OWNERS WHO TAKE THEIR VEHICLES TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER ON AN AGREED UPON SERVICE DATE AND DO NOT RECEIVE THE FREE REMEDY WITHIN A REASONABLE TIME SHOULD CONTACT HONDA AT 1-800-999-1009 OR ACURA AT 1-800-382-2238.
99V069000 · Suspension:front:control Arm:lower Ball Joint
May 10, 1999
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. CERTAIN VEHICLES WERE MANUFACTURED WITH BALL JOINTS THAT CAN PREMATURELY WEAR OUT AND, IN THE WORSE CASE, THE BALL JOINT WOULD SEPARATE CAUSING THE FRONT SUSPENSION TO COLLAPSE.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: THIS CONDITION WOULD RESULT IN VEHICLE DECELERATION AND A SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER. ALSO STEERING CONTROLLABILITY WOULD BE REDUCED.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE FRONT SUSPENSION LOWER BALL JOINTS.
98V231000 · 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.